WASHINGON, Feb 17: Pakistan’s links to various insurgent groups and its role in the reconciliation process gives it the power to influence outcomes in Afghanistan, says a senior US lawmaker.

The Senate Committee on Armed Services, during a special hearing on Thursday afternoon on worldwide threats to US interests, also learned that the US could not succeed in Afghanistan without support from Pakistan.

The committee’s chairman Senator Carl Levin, a Michigan Democrat, set the tone of the discussion on Pakistan by telling the panel that security in Afghanistan would “remain in jeopardy” so long as there were sanctuaries in Pakistan for insurgents conducting cross-border attacks.

“Pakistan’s support to the Haqqani Network is a major cause for US-Pakistan relations reaching a low point where they’re going to remain until the Pakistan military ends its ties to these extremists carrying out cross-border attacks,” he said.

“And we need to understand the intelligence community’s assessment of Pakistan’s strategy with respect to these insurgent groups and the reconciliation process as to Pakistan’s power to determine outcomes,” said the senator.

Senator John McCain, a former Republican presidential candidate, warned that “Pakistan remains as fragile and combustible as ever, and as our witnesses’ statements make clear, Pakistan’s intelligence service continues to support terrorist elements inside Afghanistan that are attacking and killing Americans.”

James R. Clapper Jr., Director of National Intelligence, told the panel that while during the past year, the Taliban lost some ground, Taliban senior leaders continued to enjoy safe haven in Pakistan.

“From its Pakistani safe havens, the Taliban leadership remains confident of eventual victory,” added Lt-Gen Ronald Burgess, director, Defence Intelligence Agency.

Senator Levin asked Director Clapper to comment on media reports that the latest US national intelligence estimate showed a difference of views between the US intelligence community and military commanders over the security situation in Afghanistan.

“I can certainly confirm that (those who differed) didn’t feel that we gave sufficient weight to Pakistan and its impact as a safe haven,” Mr Clapper said.

Responding to a question from Senator McCain, Mr Clapper said the Pakistani government and ISI believed that their existential threat was India and they viewed everything from that prism.

“Their concern is, of course, sustaining influence and presence in Afghanistan and they will probably continue to do that through proxy militias,” he said.

“So our relationship with Pakistan must be based on the realistic assessment that ISI’s relationship with the Haqqani Network and other organisations will probably not change?” asked Senator McCain.

“Yes, sir. I mean there are cases where our interests converge, government to government and that relationship and that factoid is reflected in the relationship with ISI,” Mr Clapper replied.

Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, said that “the US Senate considers Pakistan’s role in providing ingredients used to make those roadside bombs as a great threat to this nation.”