US "very carefully" watching Pak, Taliban peace talks

The United States is very carefully watching the peace talks between the Pakistani government and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a top American commander based in Afghanistan has told lawmakers.
"We're watching that very carefully. To be honest, we don't have any insight into exactly the status of those -- of those discussions. What we have seen recently is continued violence by the TTP -- the Pakistani Taliban," Gen Joseph Dunford, Commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan told lawmakers during a Congressional hearing yesterday.
"We've also seen some limited military operations, particularly in the north Waziristan area against the TTP," Dunford said in response to a question.

"But what we know is what you know, and that is that (Pakistan) Prime Minister (Nawaz) Sharif and the leadership in Pakistan are committed to try to find some peaceful resolution and that's certainly in Pakistan as well as in Afghanistan -- what needs to happen in the long term," he said.
"It's just not clear to me today if the conditions are set for constructive peace talks between the TTP -- the Pakistani Taliban -- and the government of Pakistan. But it's clear that they're working to that end," Dunford said.