THE US is speaking with one voice, and its message is clear. Although American officials have in the past accused Pakistan of failing to act against the Haqqani network — a concern heightened by last Tuesday's attack on the US embassy and other foreign targets in Kabul — the American ambassador in Islamabad has now entered the fray. Cameron Munter stated in a Radio Pakistan interview that “there is evidence linking the Haqqani network to the Pakistani government”. Two things are interesting about this. First, the ambassador's role is quite different from that of the CIA chief, an American military commander, a congressperson in Washington or even the secretary of state. Situated as he is in Islamabad and tasked as he is with conducting diplomacy on a day-to-day basis, the statement was a surprisingly aggressive one. Second, past accusations of linkages with the Haqqani network have often referred to Pakistani intelligence or even 'elements' within Inter Services Intelligence, and the military has been accused of not taking action against the militant group. But Mr Munter's statement spoke of the Pakistani government, a broader accusation and a very serious one.

His statements follow the American defence secretary's threat that the US will take action against the Haqqani network itself if need be, and top US military commander Adm Mike Mullen asked army chief Gen Kayani for military action against the group in a meeting last week. Reports emerging from New York indicate that the Haqqani network was the main topic of discussion in the secretary of state's three-and-a-half-hour meeting with Pakistan's foreign minister on Sunday. Unlike certain instances in the past, then, the State Department and the Pentagon are speaking in a unified voice, and that is perhaps an indication of how crucial the issue has become for Washington. What remains unclear is the quality of the information officials have, including evidence that the militant group was behind last week's attack. Public statements now need to be backed up by facts. But if it is confronted with information that supports claims of negligence or outright backing, the Pakistani state has some serious rethinking to do.