The United States must be Islamabad's "steadfast partner" against the Taliban in Pakistan, said Army Gen. David Petraeus, commander of U.S. Central Command.
"Our task - and [Defense] Secretary [Robert] Gates has reaffirmed that during his ongoing visit - has to be to show that we are going to be a steadfast partner, that we are not going to do to that country what we've done twice before, which is provide a substantial amount of assistance, in some cases create issues and challenges that they have to deal with in the future, like mujahideen, and then leave precipitously and leave them with those problems," Petraeus told an audience at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C.
Petraeus said Pakistan has had successes recently in combating the Taliban, such as clearing and holding the Swat Valley.
He said the U.S. commitment was demonstrated by the Kerry-Lugar bill that passed last fall, which sends $1.5 billion annually to Pakistan for five years.
Petraeus said the United States would not be directly militarily involved with the fight inside Pakistan.
"They see this as their fight, and that is important," he said.
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