WASHINGTON, Sept. 19 (UPI) -- A U.S. State Department official said Washington needs to examine what steps are needed to deal with Pakistan's relationship with the militant Haqqani network.
U.S. officials in Kabul blamed the Haqqani network for orchestrating a deadly 20-hour raid on the U.S. Embassy in Kabul and the headquarters of NATO's International Security Assistance Force.
Washington said it believes there are links between the Pakistani government and elements in the Haqqani network. U.S. Security of State Hillary Clinton focused on the network during talks with Pakistani officials on the sidelines of meetings at the United Nations.
A State Department official, speaking to reporters on background, said threats from groups like the Haqqani network weren't just a concern for Washington. Since 2003, one official said, nearly 19,000 Pakistanis have been killed in terrorist attacks.
During Clinton's conversation, both sides, one official said, "concluded that joint efforts need to be made to end this threat from the Haqqanis and that Pakistan and the United States ought to be working together on this and not separately."
The Taliban had initially claimed responsibility for last week's attacks in Kabul.
The United Nations is reviewing a sanctions list containing members of al-Qaida and the Taliban to facilitate reconciliation, though talks with Taliban leader Mullah Omar and members of the Haqqani network aren't on the table.
