President Donald Trump's nominee for the US ambassador to Afghanistan, John R Bass, has said that Pakistan has been a source of ‘significant challenges’ in Afghanistan, enabling the Taliban to plan coordinated attacks in the war-torn country.
If confirmed by the Senate, John R Bass said, in his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, that he will try to change the Pakistan government's approach and try to find the best resolution to the problem.
"Obviously, Pakistan has a key role to play (in Afghanistan). They've been, as we know, a source of some of the significant challenges in Afghanistan, in enabling the Taliban to rest and refit, plan coordinated attacks. So, we've got a lot of work to do," Bass said.
Responding to lawmakers' questions on Wednesday, Brass said that the US will not succeed if we do not have the support and cooperation of Pakistan, its neighbours and the wider circumference of significant countries in the wider region.
Bass added that everyone wants to see result in Afghanistan and that it is not in anyone's interest for Afghanistan to remain a sink hole of violence and a safe haven for extreme terrorism.
"Ensuring that neighbours and this wider set of countries continue to support the Afghan government in its efforts, not simply to deal with violence and terrorism inside the country but to also build that government's capacity so that if we do get to a political settlement, there's a capable government that can negotiate with the Taliban and then perform the basic functions of government on the other side of that," Brass said.
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