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Former US general John M Keane advised the Senate Armed Committee during a Congressional hearing, that US forces should target the sanctuaries of terrorists on Pakistan for protecting the lives in Afghanistan and in the rest of the world.

He said that terrorist safe havens inside Pakistan, including those of the Haqqani network, pose a major security threat to Afghanistan, and termed the safe bases as "terrorist sanctuaries".

"We have got to step up to what two (US) Presidents have failed to do and that is deal with these sanctuaries in Pakistan from which intelligence, support and training for operations inside Afghanistan comes," Gen (rtd) John M Keane said.

"This is Afghan-Taliban sanctuaries in Pakistan and specifically the Haqqani Network should be targeted just like Al Qaida” he added.

Keane also advised not to withdraw the US counter-terrorism forces from Afghanistan in 2016 or reducing the number of Afghan security forces from their existing strength of 325,000 as that cannot give any result in countering terrorism.

"Every place that gets lit up in Kabul is done by the Haqqani Network and they are in the environs right now with support infrastructure surrounding Kabul," he said.

Gen (rtd) John M Keane, emphasized that Haqqani Network is safely moving its arms with the help of supporters in Kabul and terrorist groups are hiding comfort in Pakistan.

-Kannamsai