WASHINGTON — Pakistan’s leaders should focus on the looming threat posed by a stronger Taliban and extremists within their nation’s borders, instead of rivalry with India, a top U.S. military official said Friday.
Gen. David Petraeus urged Congress to approve $3 billion in aid to Pakistan for training its troops to fight insurgents in tribal areas.
“The most important, most pressing threat to the very existence of their country is the threat posed by the internal extremists and groups such as the Taliban and the syndicated extremists,” Petraeus told a House panel Friday. Petraeus is the top U.S. commander overseeing troops in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Lawmakers on the panel did not offer a complete commitment to Petraeus’ money pitch but generally voiced support for his mission. The Associated Press
