U.S. losing patience with Pakistan

KABUL, Afghanistan, June 7 (UPI) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Thursday U.S. officials are "reaching the limits of our patience" with Pakistan providing havens for terrorists.

"We are reaching the limits of our patience, and for that reason it is extremely important that Pakistan take action to prevent this kind of safe haven," Panetta said at a Kabul news conference with Afghan Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak.

Panetta called on Pakistan to do more to root out the al-Qaida-linked Haqqani network from havens in a federally administered tribal area of Pakistan.

"We will continue to make it clear that it is an intolerable situation," he said. "We will take whatever steps necessary to protect our forces -- that's a principle that we always stand by. To make that happen we have to have the cooperation of Pakistan to take steps to control the Haqqani threat on their side of the border."

Panetta said Haqqani fighters had attacked a base in the Khost province June 1 by detonating a truck bomb, killing an American contractor and wounding dozens of service members.

"These terrorists represent not just a threat to the United States, they represent a threat to Pakistan as well," he said. "So it's in their interest to try to take steps to deal with it."

Asked if the United States is prepared to take unilateral action against the Haqqani network if Pakistan fails to do so, Panetta said: "Yeah. Well, you know, look, one principle we always abide by in the United States military is to defend ourselves. And that's extremely important that we are -- you know, we have the capability to defend ourselves against any form of attack. "

Relations between the United States and Pakistan have been strained since U.S. forces accidentally killed 24 Pakistan soldiers in November.