Pak closer to a nation under siege: US

Washington: Having pumped billions of dollars in military assistance and rushing guerrilla warfare experts to train soldiers to shore up Pakistan's capabilities

to tackle militancy, influential US Congressmen and Pentagon officials feel that the nation is still closer to siege "I don't think the dynamic is as distinct as a nation at

war or a nation at peace. It's probably closer to a nation under threat or a nation under siege," Lt Gen John Paxton, Director for Operations, Joint Chief of Staff, told the US Congress.

"It (Pakistan) is probably more a nation under threat, and they realise that they have to respond now, that they have both the opportunity and the obligation, and that failure to do so now - things could conceivably get worse and get worse quickly," Paxton said in a hearing on Thursday.

The top Pentagon's officials assessment came as Congress members cutting across party lines also expressed concern over the progress in Pakistan and raised questions over its capabilities in both governance and fight against terrorism. "Pakistan's continuing security challenges have serious implications for regional, international and US national security," said Ike Skeleton, Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee said in the course of depositions by Pentagon on the situation in Pakistan.

While, acknowledging the pressure on Taliban and al-Qaeda by increased military operations, Michele Flournoy, the Undersecretary for Defence said the Pakistan army's hold over freshly captured terrorists' areas remained fragile.

"Pakistan must have the capabilities to translate tactical successes into permanent elimination of militant and terrorist safe havens," Flournoy said.

Observing that stable and secure Pakistan is of vital strategic importance to the US, Gen Paxton US Marines said, simply clearing these areas of the militants is insufficient.

This progress would be undermined if the Pakistani security forces are unable to hold and gradually build in these areas.

"As Pentagon officials built up a fragile scenario in Pakistan, the Republican Skeleton said, "There is still a long way to go, and, frankly, a lot of hard work. old-and-build capabilities are integral to counterinsurgency operations in Pakistan, but they're not yet developed."

Another Republican Congressman Buck McKeon said, "Despite increased military operations, Pakistan is a nation that is more appropriately comparable to a combat zone, such as found in Afghanistan, and should be treated as such."