Washington:
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has not given clean chit to Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) over Osama bin Laden's presence in the country, State Department spokesperson said today.
"I don't think she (Clinton) gave them (ISI) a free chit," State Department spokesman Mark Toner told reporters at his daily news conference when asked if Clinton has given a clean chit to ISI with regard to its links to terrorists.
"We acknowledge that there are difficulties in the relationship, but the bottom line is that this is a relationship that's in our interest and in Pakistan's interest, and so we need to work through these challenges moving forward," he said.
He said that the Secretary of State in her press conference in Islamabad yesterday was appreciative of the government of Pakistan giving US access to the compound of Osama bin Laden.
"The Secretary was clear to say that we're at a pivotal moment in the relationship, certainly with the death of bin Laden, but there are other important aspects of the relationship that are in motion. We've been applying next door in Afghanistan; we've been applying steady pressure on the Taliban. We want to see also, concurrent with that, the Afghan-led reconciliation process move forward," he said.
"So there's clearly a lot on the table here. This is not a time for inaction at all. This is a time for greater action and consolidated effort, I think, is what the Secretary was trying to say," Toner said.
Hillary Clinton met with top civilian and military leadership of Pakistan in Islamabad on Friday.
"There is absolutely no evidence that anyone at the highest levels of the Pakistani government knew that Osama bin Laden was living just miles from where we are today. And we know that Al Qaeda has been a source of great pain and suffering to the leadership that has been in every way attempting to eradicate the threat that is posed," she said during her address at the US Embassy in Islamabad.
The US Secretary of State, however, asked Pakistan to take "decisive" steps against terrorists operating from its soil.
"We will do our part and we look to the government of Pakistan to take decisive steps in the days ahead," she said, and described her being in Pakistan "especially important" because US-Pak ties "have reached a turning point."
"I don't think she (Clinton) gave them (ISI) a free chit," State Department spokesman Mark Toner told reporters at his daily news conference when asked if Clinton has given a clean chit to ISI with regard to its links to terrorists.
"We acknowledge that there are difficulties in the relationship, but the bottom line is that this is a relationship that's in our interest and in Pakistan's interest, and so we need to work through these challenges moving forward," he said.
He said that the Secretary of State in her press conference in Islamabad yesterday was appreciative of the government of Pakistan giving US access to the compound of Osama bin Laden.
"The Secretary was clear to say that we're at a pivotal moment in the relationship, certainly with the death of bin Laden, but there are other important aspects of the relationship that are in motion. We've been applying next door in Afghanistan; we've been applying steady pressure on the Taliban. We want to see also, concurrent with that, the Afghan-led reconciliation process move forward," he said.
"So there's clearly a lot on the table here. This is not a time for inaction at all. This is a time for greater action and consolidated effort, I think, is what the Secretary was trying to say," Toner said.
Hillary Clinton met with top civilian and military leadership of Pakistan in Islamabad on Friday.
"There is absolutely no evidence that anyone at the highest levels of the Pakistani government knew that Osama bin Laden was living just miles from where we are today. And we know that Al Qaeda has been a source of great pain and suffering to the leadership that has been in every way attempting to eradicate the threat that is posed," she said during her address at the US Embassy in Islamabad.
The US Secretary of State, however, asked Pakistan to take "decisive" steps against terrorists operating from its soil.
"We will do our part and we look to the government of Pakistan to take decisive steps in the days ahead," she said, and described her being in Pakistan "especially important" because US-Pak ties "have reached a turning point."
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