Pak restive areas a problem for US: Obama

Ahead of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani’s maiden visit to the US, Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama has said that al-Qaeda’s safe haven in the Pakistan’s restive northwest is a “huge problem” for the American troops.

At the Unity Convention of minority journalists in Chicago, Senator Obama repeated what top administration officials, including senior military officials have been saying persistently — that “more effective cooperation” is needed from Pakistan to get rid of the safe havens.

“They’ve (al-Qaeda and Taliban) got safe havens there (in Pakistan’s tribal areas) that US troops can’t follow — that is a huge problem,” Senator Obama said.

“We’re going to need more troops in Afghanistan. But we’re also going to need more effective cooperation from the Pakistani Government in rooting out these safe havens,” the Illinois Senator said.