US strategy to fight Al Qaeda: disrupt, dismantle, defeat

Seeking 'utter destruction' of Al Qaeda, the United States has chalked out a strategy to disrupt, dismantle and ultimately defeat the terror network and its core leadership in the Afghanistan-Pak region, where they have found a safe haven.

"We seek nothing less than the utter destruction of this evil that calls itself Al Qaeda," John Brennan, the President's chief counter-terrorism adviser, said on Wednesday, laying out the Obama administration's plan to battle Al Qaeda in the era after Osama bin Laden.

A fact sheet on national counter-terrorism strategy issued by the White House said that its ultimate objective is clear and precise: "We will disrupt, dismantle and ultimately defeat Al Qaeda, its leadership core in the

Af-Pak region, its affiliates and adherents to ensure the security of our citizens and interests."

"This strategy builds upon the progress we have made in the decade since 9/11, in partnership with Congress, to build our counter-terrorism and homeland security capacity as a nation. It neither represents a wholesale overhaul — nor a wholesale retention — of previous policies and strategies," the fact sheet said.

In his speech at the Paul Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, Brennan said the US-Pakistan partnership is critical for success against Al Qaeda.

Militant organisations are 'a real cancer' within

Pakistan, which is facing a challenge to eradicate terror forces within its borders, Brennan said.

"My view is that there is a real cancer within Pakistan, from the standpoint of militant organisations," he said in response to a question.

"Whether you're talking about al-Qaeda, whether you're talking about the Pakistani Taliban or Tahrik-i-Taliban, Haqqani group, Lashkar-e-Tayiba, others, there is I think a general recognition in the United States as well as throughout the world that Pakistan has a real challenge ahead of it to uproot and eradicate the forces of militancy within Pakistan."

The top US counter-terrorism official said the Obama administration has a long-term goal in the Af-Pak area, which is to make sure that the US is able to maintain deep, strong and broad counter-terrorism ties with Pakistan and

Afghanistan.