With Afghanistan's Future at Stake, US Courting Pakistan

 PENTAGON/STATE DEPARTMENT/ISLAMABAD - More than three weeks into the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, Washington's plans to help ensure the country does not descend into chaos remain murky despite a ramped-up effort to get Afghanistan's neighbors — Pakistan in particular — to do more. NEW: #Pakistan rules out US military basing on its territory"Responding to media queries, the Spokesperson stated that there was no US military or air base in Pakistan; nor was any such proposal envisaged. Any speculation on this account was baseless and irresponsible..." pic.twitter.com/J1iXcSGva3 Sr Admin official says #Pakistan deserves credit for military ops vs terrorists threatening its own people but "we can no longer accept Pakistan's dual policy of fighting some terrorists while supporting others"

The focus has been on rallying support, both for the ongoing diplomatic push to keep talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban on track, and for military cooperation should instability make new U.S. counterterrorism operations necessary. But the U.S. efforts to solidify plans for what comes next appear to have taken on renewed urgency in recent days, leaning on outreach from the White House and the Pentagon to overcome a decade of strained ties and start to win over Pakistani officials. Already, U.S. officials have voiced some optimism that an initial meeting between U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan and his Pakistani counterpart, Moeed Yusuf, on Sunday in Geneva, went well.