The United States reiterated on Wednesday that Pakistan, one of its major anti-terror allies, should adopt a tougher approach to fight Islamic militants in the country.
"There's no doubt that more aggressive steps need to be taken," White House spokesman Tony Snow told a news briefing.
Snow made the remarks a day after an intelligence report showed al Qaeda, which carried out the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, had gained strength in Pakistan's tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.
The spokesman said a strategy by Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf to deal with tribal leaders had failed.
The latest issued National Intelligence Estimate had showed that Musharraf's strategy had "created an opportunity for al Qaeda basically to find some safe haven," Snow said.
"President Musharraf attempted to engage in ... carrot diplomacy with tribal leaders in the tribal areas and it didn't work," he said. "So what you have to do when something doesn't work is you have to fix it, and that's what's going on now."
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf signed a truce last September with tribal leaders in North Waziristan and described it as a way to fight terrorism by isolating militants.
Under the North Waziristan deal, Pakistan agreed to stop military operations against the militants in return for their pledge not to send fighters across the border into Afghanistan and to refrain from attacks on Pakistan's army.
The militants announced on Sunday they were pulling out of the deal after accusing Islamabad of violating it by deploying more troops in North Waziristan and launching attacks.
Source: Xinhua
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