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Full support promised by Pakistan
Compiled from Times wires
© St. Petersburg Times, ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- In a cautious public response Saturday to U.S. demands for cooperation with a possible military strike on Afghanistan, Pakistan said it would support "the world community" in the fight against international terrorism. Foreign Ministry officials said the military government of Gen. Pervez Musharraf has given Washington private assurances that it would comply with the full list of U.S. demands, including closure of the country's border with Afghanistan, the use of its airspace for U.S. warplanes and use of its territory as a staging area for multinational troops. At Camp David, Md., Secretary of State Colin Powell appeared to confirm this, saying, "I especially want to thank the president and the people of Pakistan for the support that they have offered and their willingness to assist us in whatever might be required in that part of the world, as we determine who these perpetrators are." Afghanistan's government acknowledges that it is sheltering Osama bin Laden, the notorious bankroller of international terrorism whom the United States has identified as its prime suspect in last week's attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The rigidly fundamentalist Taleban regime in Kabul says it does not believe the former Saudi national is responsible. Musharraf spent the day in closed sessions with his top generals to determine just how far Pakistan could go in helping the United States without jeopardizing his tenuous grip on power. The cautious language of Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar at a news conference Saturday reflected the regime's nervousness. Sattar said Pakistan supported the resolution of the U.N. Security Council condemning the attack on the United States and that Pakistan "will discharge its responsibilities under international law." Although Sattar refused to give details about any specific commitments made to the United States, senior Pakistani officials said they have agreed to open Pakistan airspace to missile and air attacks against Afghanistan, to provide detailed intelligence information to the United States concerning bin Laden and the Taleban, and to make greater efforts to control illicit fuel and other materials from crossing the Pakistan border into Afghanistan. Officials here also said Pakistan will permit military logistical and technical personnel to operate at air bases, naval ports and some other locations in support of attacks against Afghanistan. Senior Pakistani officials involved in the negotiations said the United States hasn't yet asked for permission to put ground combat forces in Pakistan. But they said the Pakistani government, if asked, would consider a request for a multinational force that included representatives of Muslim nations. The Pakistani military has said Pakistani forces -- many of whom have worked closely with the Taleban, including helping direct some of their military operations -- would not participate in any attack against Afghanistan. Pakistan's capital is understandably edgy. The country is locked in a nuclear standoff with India and deeply involved in a dangerous proxy war with its neighbor in Kashmir province. Already burdened with more than 2-million refugees from Afghanistan, the last thing it needs is a war with the Taleban. But if it is seen to acquiesce to U.S. demands, Pakistan risks not only attacks across its 1,500-mile border with Afghanistan, but an internal revolt sparked by homegrown Islamic militants. Although there are important tribal links between Pakistan and Afghanistan, there does not appear to be much grass-roots support for the Taleban in Pakistan. However, any time the United States is seen to be attacking Muslim interests in the region, it triggers an emotional response here.
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From the Times wire desk
From the AP |
