Pakistan Says 'Dealing’ With Taliban, Al-Qaeda

Musharraf (left) with Afghan President Hamid Karzai (file photo) (epa) March 1, 2007 -- Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf says the country is "dealing” with Al-Qaeda and Taliban militants taking refuge in Pakistan's border region with Afghanistan.

The official Associated Press of Pakistan news agency quoted Musharraf as saying militants in the country "are spreading terrorism not just in Pakistan but in the entire world."

On a visit to Islamabad on February 26, U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney urged Musharraf to step up efforts against Islamic militants.

(AFP)

Afghanistan And Pakistan

Afghanistan And Pakistan

Afghan President Hamid Karzai (left) with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf in Islamabad in October 2005 (epa)

ACROSS A DIFFICULT BORDER. The contested border between Pakistan and Afghanistan is some 2,500 kilometers long and runs through some of the most rugged, inhospitable territory on Earth. Controlling that border and preventing Taliban militants from using Pakistan as a staging ground for attacks in Afghanistan is an essential part of the U.S.-led international coalition's strategy for stabilizing Afghanistan. Officials in Kabul have been pointing their fingers at Pakistan for some time, accusing Islamabad or intelligence services of turning a blind eye to cross-border terrorism targeting the Afghan central government. Many observers remain convinced that much of the former Taliban regime's leadership -- along with leaders of Al-Qaeda -- are operating in the lawless Afghan-Pakistani border region.... (more)

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