Lashkar-e-Taiba has become global threat: Mullen

ISLAMABAD - The Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) has become “a very dangerous organisation and a significant regional and global threat”, Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of US Joint Chiefs of Staff, has said.

Talking to reporters at the US embassy here, Mullen stressed Saturday that there was a strong need to take stern action to stop LeT’s activities. He said LeT was expanding into Afghanistan and other countries beyond the region, the Daily Times reported.

Mullen also supported the statement of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton about the presence of Osama bin Laden and other Al Qaeda leadership in Pakistan.

“They are hiding in a very secure place and it is very difficult to trace them,” he said. He claimed that the tribal belt on Pakistan’s western border had become the “global headquarters” for Al Qaeda.

Mullen said that the Pakistani government had not taken any action against the Haqqani network. “The Haqqani group is the most lethal network faced by the US-led international forces in Afghanistan,” he said.

He said the US and Pakistan were very strong allies in the war against terrorism and the US had a strong desire to extend help and cooperation to Pakistan.

Referring to the planned withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan, Mullen said it would not be the end of the mission, rather “it will be the start of a process”. “The US military will stay there (Afghanistan) till complete revival of peace,” he said.