U.S. President Donald Trump participates in a briefing with senior military leaders at the White House in Washington on Thursday. While professing anger in public, Pakistani officials in private complain about receiving no concrete requests to target the Haqqani network or other groups. Pakistani officials also complain of receiving mixed messages from the Trump administration, which is still struggling to find its feed under a mercurial commander-in-chief. After that, Pakistan officials said, they were surprised at a tougher tone outlined in public by Mattis and in private by Trump's National Security Advisor HR McMaster. Punitive economic sanctions — that could force Pakistan closer to Turkey, China or Russia — seem a long way off.

Source: The Hindu October 07, 2017 02:48 UTC