Mullen: Pakistan behind Kabul embassy attack

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Michael Mullen, right, and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee Sept. 22, 2011, in Washington. / Getty Images

Updated at 2:52 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON - The top U.S. military officer on Thursday accused Pakistan's intelligence agency of supporting Haqqani fighters in planning and conducting last week's attack on the U.S. Embassy in Kabul.

Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Pakistani duplicity puts in jeopardy not only the frayed U.S.-Pakistani partnership against terrorism but also the outcome to the decade-old war in Afghanistan.

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In his final congressional testimony before retiring next week, Mullen said success in Afghanistan is threatened by the Pakistani government's support for the Haqqani network of militants, which he called a "veritable arm" of Pakistan's intelligence agency.

A Pakistani government minister who spoke on condition of anonymity to CBS News' Farhan Bokhari in Islamabad said Mullen's accusation that the Pakistani agency, the ISI, has links to the Haqqani network "will not help to stop the ongoing slide in our relations. Any public bickering of this kind makes it much harder to overcome the damage."

A western diplomat who also spoke to Bokhari on condition of anonymity said the accusation "is quite a serious development. There is a dangerous standoff. I doubt the U.S. pressure will ease unless Pakistan takes immediate steps in dealing with U.S. concerns."

Repeating a charge he made earlier this week, Mullen said Thursday that with Pakistani support the Haqqanis were behind not only the Sept. 13 embassy assault but also a recent truck bomb that wounded 77 U.S. soldiers and a June 28 attack against the Inter-Continental Hotel in Kabul — as well as "a host of other smaller but effective operations."

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Mullen said Pakistani intelligence is using the Haqqanis and other extremist groups as its proxies inside Afghanistan.

Mullen said Pakistan's government has chosen to "use violent extremism as an instrument of policy," adding that "by exporting violence, they have eroded their internal security and their position in the region. They have undermined their international credibility and threatened their economic well-being."

Mullen also deplored the "pernicious effect" of Afghanistan's own poor governance and corruption.

"If we continue to draw down forces apace while such public and systemic corruption is left unchecked," Mullen told the Senate Armed Services Committee, "I believe we risk leaving behind a government in which we cannot reasonably expect Afghans to have faith. At best this would lead to localized conflicts inside the country; at worst it could lead to government collapse and civil war."

Testifying alongside Mullen, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta also decried Pakistani support for the Haqqani network, and he said Pakistani authorities have been told that the U.S. will not tolerate a continuation of the group's cross-border attacks. Panetta said the message was delivered recently by new CIA Director David Petraeus in a meeting with the head of the ISI.

"They must take steps to prevent the safe haven that the Haqqanis are using," Panetta said. "We simply cannot allow these kinds of terrorists to be able to go into Afghanistan, attack our forces and then return to Pakistan for safe haven."

He repeated the point later, adding, "That is not tolerable."

Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich, chairman of the committee, pressed Panetta on what options are available to the U.S. to go after the Haqqani network. Panetta declined to go into details publicly but made clear that the Pakistanis know what might happen.

"I don't think they would be surprised by the actions we might or might not take," he said. He also said he has not "spelled out" for the Pakistanis what unilateral actions the Obama administration would be willing to take.

The remarks by Mullen and Panetta highlight a notable shift in the administration's approach to Pakistan. Whereas U.S. officials previously kept their strongest criticisms of Pakistan private, in recent days they have been explicit in linking the government to extremists who are attacking U.S. forces in Afghanistan.

Mullen's strong words are especially notable in light of his role in trying to use personal persuasion to change Pakistani behavior. He told the committee that he has met with his Pakistani counterpart, Gen. Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, more than two dozen times over the past four years, and he defended the rationale for cultivating that link.

"Some may argue I have wasted my time, that Pakistan is no closer to us than before and may now have drifted even further away," he said. "I disagree." He said cooperation from the Pakistani military is improving.

The increasingly tough U.S. rhetoric reflects a U.S. belief that Pakistani intelligence in recent months has more aggressively facilitated cross-border attacks by the Haqqanis, one senior military official said Wednesday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, asked Panetta whether he supports a move in Congress to condition further U.S. aid to Pakistan on the administration being able to certify that the Pakistani government is cooperating with the U.S. in fighting extremist groups, including the Haqqanis.

"Anything that makes clear to them that we cannot tolerate their providing this kind of safe haven to the Haqqanis, and that they have to take action — any signal that we can send to them — I think would be important to do," Panetta said.

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[liferocks3]

Why did it take Mullen to spill out the truth. Anyone with a single digit IQ knows from where terrorists are getting support. Oh well, Lets pay some more of our tax dollars to Pakistan to prevent attacks on us. Its called Jajiya tax.......

[thingsthatmakeyougohumm]

SHOKER!

[tsao_tsu_g]

American soldiers lives have been taken by the conspiracy between the Pakistani intelligence services and the network. After giving asylum and protection to OBL, they continued and intensified their treacherous collaboration. They have been warned and continue, just the same.

The time for talk is over. Withdraw our advisers, our diplomats and rain the drones in the safe heavens or wherever we have reasonable certainty of terrorist or Pakistani Intelligence support. Where necessary a few Special Forces should get the point across. Don't tread on us.

The civilian population of Pakistan should deal with their leaders and the institutions that have placed them in that position.

Understand, everything has its limits and the American people have reached the limits of our tolerance for the treacherous behavior of Pakistani intelligence and the politicians who support or tolerate terrorism. Game over!

[rbos]

I agree with AvignonMimi; however, I would also add that it is essential to start isolating Pakistan internationally with our allies, and to start engaging in much stronger ties with India-Pakistan's arch rival, such as supporting India's claims to Kashmir more than ever before. We might even carry out more secret operations inside of Pakistan WITHOUT ISI's prior knowledge, and openly disclose evidence that the US intellegence community has about how Pakistan's army has assassinated many of it's journalists and carried out other extra-judicial killings. The Pakistani public will go wild, because they hate how the army is notorious for killing it's journalists and citizens illegally.

[reubenrcbs]

Well, first of all, let me just say that Admiral Mullen is the premier American of our day. He has all the qualities to lead this country out of its wayward ways, and I think he is doing the tough job of laying a little ground work for a push into Pakistan, since the efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq are being retarded by efforts originating from there. A few more errant drones might to the trick to drive home the point.

[bobsniffer]

When ever I have an opportunity to discuss what's happening in that part of the world especially to our troops who continue to face terror attacks by the taliban, in light of what we now know, al quaida for sure being sheltered, supported, not arrested or attacked by our ally Pakistan, in spite of us sending over billions to them, my Pakistani friends ranging from cab drivers to work associates have boldly said to my face that if push comes to shove, \"America can and will never attack Pakistan, no matter what\", that \"those good old days are gone\". I ask them how can they be so sure and I get the same response that Bin Laden was reported to have always said \"America does not have what it takes to fight, its weak, its finished, people here are weak, they don't want to die, except for a few volunteers in the army, they will never stand up for any war anywhere, etc. etc. \"
While I'd like to believe these Pakistanis are sadly mistaken, it certainly appears our military brass and politicians are sending the wrong signals here and abroad. At least, mixed signals of weakness and doubt over to our sworn enemies and their supporters by sending over billions of US taxpayer dollars, uninterrupted and guaranteed aid to a backstabbing and an untrustworthy ally Pakistan, who kills and maims US troops and attacks American foreign policy ever chance they get, while our leadership plays \"diplomacy\" instead of cracking down on terrorists and their supporters in the AfPak theatre.
Its a national shame to see our troops being maimed and killed by a US taxpayer paid killer/attacker \"ally\" Pakistan, while our leadership plays politics! Most Americans will tell you, time for politics and diplomacy alone is long gone.
God bless our troops.

[Alex_Votocracy]

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[vpcharan]

It was common knowledge among the educated way back in 2001 in run up to the Afghanistan war that Pakistan is not trust worthy to partner with for the war on terror. At the time, Pakistan had a 40 years of history demonstrating that it exports terrorism in the region. In fact, Indian political leadership at the time had warned US administration. Unfortunately it took 11 long years for the US to learn the facts.

[pakman101]

Some preconcieved biased on Pakistan would lead the the solution of war of terror to nowhere. Pakistan has lost 3 times more men lost in 9/11, fighting on the Afghani border, on the government's command, which goes to further back to U.S interests. The Indian Political Leadership statement by you says it all. Indian "Political" Leadership has the same amount of corruption Pakistani government has. Leaders look for way to appease the U.S in terms of their interest. Pakistan is not responsible for the terrorist attacks. Some Pakistanis are responsible. The blame always goes to the government who is trying its best to rid the poverty stricken country of these terrorist parasites. Hundreds have their intestines pulled out every week in Karachi. Now tell me, are we to blame or the few that distort the image of the Islamic Republic. And by the way, no nation is trustworthy in terms of negotiation.You can only assume they are.

[samXXkiley]

coucou,
""""- The top U.S. military officer on Thursday accused Pakistan of "exporting violence" to Afghanistan """"
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to the world
" au revori"