In a related development, a powerful US Senate Committee called a hearing on Thursday to review Pakistan’s role in the fight against terrorism.
“The United States remains unwavering in our support for the people and government of Afghanistan,” said US National Security Spokesperson Ned Price.
In a statement issued by the White House, Mr Price also condemned “in the strongest terms” the terrorist attacks in Kabul.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of the many victims,” he said.
The White House official said the United States would continue to work with the Afghan government to build a more secure, stable, and prosperous Afghanistan.
The attacks are likely to influence Thursday’s hearing on the nature of US-Pakistan relations at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in Washington.
The hearing — “Pakistan: Challenges for US interests” — is expected to focus on Islamabad’s efforts to counter terrorism.
Earlier this summer, the US Congress conditioned $300 million of military aid to Pakistan to a certification from the US Defence Secretary that the country has taken sufficient measures to eliminate the Haqqani Network, which Washington believes is behind recent terrorist attacks in Kabul. But the secretary refused to issue the certificate and the fund was withheld.
Two US experts on South Asia will appear before the committee to record their views on the subject. One of them — Toby Dalton, a co-director of the Nuclear Policy Programme of Carnegie Endowment for International Peace — specialises in nuclear non-proliferation and the other — Daniel Markey from the School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University — in counterterrorism.
The committee’s chairman Senator Bob Corker, who called the hearing, is considered a hawk on the Capitol Hill and wants the United States to play a greater role in world affairs.
“Just as we saw our allies in Europe dissing us over the (trade) negotiations last week, and China flexing its muscles in the South China Sea while we sit at the table with them, we can expect many countries to strongly position themselves against our interests in the coming months,” Mr Corker said in a statement issued by his office this week.
“They will take advantage of a nation that behaves like a ship with no rudder. If we have learned anything, it is that the absence of US leadership emboldens rogue behaviour across the globe,” he said.
