'Will not tolerate a safe haven for those who aim to kill us'

Washington, Jun 23: President Barack Obama has said US will continue to work with Pakistan to root out the "cancer" of violent extremism, making it clear that he will "never tolerate" any safe haven harbouring those who aim to "kill Americans".

"We will work with the Pakistani government to root out the cancer of violent extremism, and we will insist that it keep its commitments," Obama said in a televised speech on troop withdrawal plans from Afghanistan.

Referring to Pakistan, he said, "No country is more endangered by the presence of violent extremists," adding that Washington will continue to press Islamabad to expand its participation in securing a more peaceful future for the war-torn region.

"For there should be no doubt that so long as I am President, the United States will never tolerate a safe-haven for those who aim to kill us: they cannot elude us, nor escape the justice they deserve," Obama said.

Before his speech on the troops drawdown from Afghanistan late last night, Obama and his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari, in a telephonic conversation, had agreed to take "appropriate steps" to repair relations between the two countries, which were affected by last month's covert American raid that killed Osama bin Laden.

PTI