US values Pakistan’s anti-terror cooperation: State Department

WASHINGTON: The United States Tuesday said it values close anti-terrorism cooperation with Pakistan as Islamabad reportedly made arrests in connection with last weekend's failed bombing attempt in New York's Times Square. "We have very close law enforcement and intelligence relationships with Pakistan. I think, you can see, at least, circumstantially by the reporting in the last hour or two that Pakistan takes, you know, this shared threat seriously and is already taking action," Assistant Secretary of State P J Crowley said at the daily briefing in the backdrop of capture of a 30-year-old suspect, Faisal Shahzad, who is a US citizen of Pakistani descent.

"We appreciate Pakistan's pledge of cooperation," he stated.

The spokesman said he was aware of reports of some arrests being made in Pakistan but could not confirm any specific actions at the moment.

Crowley also praised the contribution of Pakistani-Americans to United States' development and said the US is working with its allies to curb violent extremism.

"We value our relationship with Pakistan. We value the fact that there are many Pakistanis who have come here to this country, have links to Pakistan and have become citizens of this country."

The United States, he said, is proud of Pakistani-Americans as "they enrich us as a society."

"I think we all share the same goal here, which is to determine what is behind this movement, how peopple that may come here to study, come here to live, all of a sudden take a turn in a dangerous direction."

Washington, he said, is in "touch with Pakistani government both here and there on a continued basis on a wide range of issues."

Faisal Shahzad, a recently naturalized U.S. citizen living in Shelton, Conecticut, was taken off an airliner bound for Dubai, United Arab Emirates, about 53 hours after the attempted bombing, authorities said Tuesday.

Shahzad implicated himself and "has provided useful information to authorities," US Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. told reporters Tuesday afternoon.