US stresses on targeting terrorists

The US respects Pakistan’s sovereignty but will carry out strikes to eliminate terrorists who are targeting its forces, the Obama administration said as Islamabad expressed concern over the drone strike by American forces on its territory to kill Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour.

“We certainly do respect Pakistan’s territorial integrity. But as we’ve said before, we will carry out strikes to remove terrorist who are activity pursuing, and planning and directing attacks against US forces,” state department deputy spokesman Mark Toner told reporters at his daily news conference. Toner was responding to questions on Pakistan hitting out at the US for launching the drone strike on its soil to kill Mansour, describing it as a “violation of its sovereignty”.

Toner said the death of Mansour does not mean defeat of the Taliban but it does send a clear message.

He said it also sends the message that the Taliban must decide what its future is going to be, and wondered whether it could contribute politically to a peaceful Afghanistan in future. He urged the Taliban to sit down with the Afghan government and begin negotiations and talks, declaring that the United States supported an Afghan-owned, Afghan led process.

The White House has interpreted the law passed after the 2001 attacks as granting the military the legal authority it needs to conduct air strikes against the Taliban and other groups under certain conditions. Davis avoided saying whether Washington had notified Pakistan before the attack, but he said the two sides have an ongoing dialogue and had discussed Mansour in the past.