Haqqani threat looms over US-Pak ties

Even as the US and Pakistan move towards normalising relations, the Haqqani Network remains the most ominous threat to their fragile ties, officials from both countries say.

Even as the US and Pakistan move towards normalising relations, the Haqqani Network remains the most ominous threat to their fragile ties, officials from both countries say.

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The two are just getting back on track but the relationship still has a tinderbox quality, driven by differences over the Haqqani Network. American officials say the ISI is covertly aiding the insurgents; Pakistani officials deny this and contend the US is deflecting attention from its own failings in Afghanistan.

But a new boldness from the Haqqanis that aims at mass American casualties has reduced the room for ambiguity. Inside the administration, it is a commonly held view that the US is “one major attack” away from unilateral action against Pakistan — diplomatically or perhaps even militarily, an official said.