US General Calls for Review of Relationship With Pakistan

The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan said on Thursday that there was a need for a "holistic review" of the relationship with Pakistan, adding that it was supporting the Taliban and undermining the Afghan government.

"Our complex relationship with Pakistan is best assessed through a holistic review," Army General John Nicholson, who leads U.S. and international forces in Afghanistan, told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

The United States has cut both military and economic aid to Pakistan sharply in recent years, reflecting mounting frustration among a growing number of officials with the nuclear-armed country's support for the Taliban in neighboring Afghanistan.