Washington, March 14: US Defence Secretary Robert
Gates has said continuous al-Qaeda and the Taliban activities
on the Pakistani side of the Pak-Afghan border is a matter of
concern and that Washington is working with Islamabad to deal
with the problem.
"There clearly is a problem along the Pakistani border
and the Taliban and al Qaeda are both using some of the wild
areas on the Pakistani side of the border as havens. Now,
we're working with the Pakistanis to try and deal with that
problem" Gates said in an interview.
"I don't have the impression that other nations are
providing much support to al Qaeda. I think that individuals
do and they have a variety of fronts and other ways that they
get money. Similarly, I think the Taliban are pretty much on
their own, nobody much liked their governance in Afghanistan"
he said in an interview to the pentagon channel.
Meanwhile chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, General
Peter Pace argued that it is proper for the United States to
point out to Pakistan of the problem along the border with
Afghanistan.
"It is proper for us to point out to President Musharraf
that people are continuing to come across the border," Pace
told the Chicago Tribune.
Bureau Report
First Published: Wednesday, March 14, 2007, 00:00