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Pentagon says Rabbani assassination not to deter pursuit of enemy

22 September 2011 02:22 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. The Pentagon said Wednesday that the assassination of Afghan Peace Council Chief and former president Burhanuddin Rabbani will not "deter our resolve to pursue the enemy", APA reports quoting Xinhua

Pentagon Press Secretary George Little told reporters that the U.S. will continue to work closely with its Afghan partners to achieve a more secure Afghanistan despite the assassination and other recent attacks in the country.

Rabbani was killed in a suicide attack at his residence in Kabul Tuesday night. The incident cast fresh doubt about Afghanistan’s quest for peace, as Rabbani played an important role in the country’s reconciliation process.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said Tuesday that despite the assassination, the U.S. strategy in Afghanistan is moving in the right direction.

At a Pentagon briefing, Panetta said he was extremely concerned about the attack, but the recent spade of high-profile assassinations were "not unexpected." He said U.S. Commander in Afghanistan John Allen’s assessment was that the U.S. side has made progress against the Taliban, and the anticipated broader range of attacks in the fighting season haven’t occurred.