Need to dismantle AfPak terror networks: Obama

United States President Barack Obama on Thursday said the US wants Pakistan to become a "more effective" partner in the war against terrorism to be able to dismantle the terror network active on the AfPak border.

Acknowledging that achieving the goal of defeating Al Qaeda and its extremist allies is a difficult process, Obama said it was important to target Qaeda's affiliates in AfPak region as they offer them safe harbour.

"We went there (Afghanistan) because the Taliban was harbouring Al Qaeda, which had launched an attack that killed 3,000 Americans. Al Qaeda escaped capture, and they set up in the border regions between Pakistan and Afghanistan," Obama told reporters at a White House news conference.

He said Al Qaeda has affiliates that not only provide them safe harbour, but increasingly are willing to conduct their own terrorist operations, initially in Afghanistan and in Pakistan, but increasingly directed against western targets and targets of US allies as well.

"It is a difficult process... we've also got to work with Pakistan so that they are more effective partners in dealing with extremists that are within their borders," Obama said.

He said it is absolutely critical that the United States and its international partners dismantle that network of extremists that are willing to attack it.

"Well, they absolutely are a threat to us. They are a significant threat to us. I wouldn't be deploying young men and women into harm's way if I didn't think that they were an absolute threat to us," Obama said in response to a question.

Obama said the US is going to strengthen the capacity of the Afghan military. "We are going to get them stood up in a way that allows us then to start drawing down our troops," he said, adding that it would continue to provide support to Afghans in their effort to create a stable government.

"It is a big messy process, but we are making progress in part because the young men and women under General McChrystal's supervision, as well as our coalition partners, are making enormous sacrifices, but also on the civilian side, we're starting to make progress in terms of building capacity that will allow us then to draw down with an effective partner," Obama said.

Image: US President Barack Obama