Posted by
Cary Wesberry on Saturday, July 12, 2008 6:50:11 PM
NEW YORK (AP) - Pakistan's top diplomat said Saturday there are no U.S. or other foreign military personnel on the hunt for Osama bin Laden in his nation, and none will be allowed in to search for the al-Qaida leader.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said his nation's new government has ruled out such military operations, covert or otherwise, to catch militants.
"Our government's policy is that our troops, paramilitary forces and our regular forces are deployed in sufficient numbers. They are capable of taking action there. And any foreign intrusion would be counterproductive," he said Saturday. "People will not accept it. Questions of sovereignty come in."
The United States has grown increasingly frustrated as al-Qaida, the Taliban and other militants thrive in Pakistan's remote areas and in neighboring Afghanistan, and has offered U.S. troops to strike at terror networks. Critics in Washington also have expressed frustration with the new Pakistani government's pursuit of peace deals with tribes in the region. Bin Laden is believed to be hiding somewhere in the Afghan-Pakistan border region.
Tension between the U.S. and Pakistan have been high after Pakistan said U.S. aircraft killed 11 of its soldiers at a border post in June. U.S. officials have said coalition aircraft dropped bombs during a clash with militants.
Qureshi said he tried to reassure Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at their meeting Friday that his government was doing everything it can to combat militants in lawless tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.
Pakistan and Afghanistan regularly exchange criticism about not doing more to fight extremists operating along their long, remote, mountainous border that is seen by the U.S. as crucial to stopping terrorism.
This government of Taliban supporters and terrorist appeasers is supposed to be "one of our greatest allies against al-Qaeda"? The new government of Pakistan is not our ally. Their inaction and refusal to allow our soldiers to do their jobs should be all the proof we need. Pakistan does nothing to aid us against the Taliban and al-Qaeda. In fact they order their military to retreat from our enemies at every turn. On top of it all Pakistan is prohibiting any military action on our part, covert or otherwise, across the Afghan-Pakistan border in order to hunt down Taliban and al-Qaeda forces. These are the very same enemies Pakistan allows to move freely between their own country and Afghanistan.
Pakistan is sending a clear message to the United States: Do not depend on us for support in your war against the Taliban and al-Qaeda. Their government's statements could not be any more direct.
Our leaders must send more soldiers to Afghanistan and secure the border with Pakistan. Any action from across the border should be met with overwhelming and deadly force. All movement between Afghanistan and Pakistan should be forcibly halted immediately. Sacrificing the hard work and lives of our soldiers for nothing is no longer acceptable in the war against the Taliban. Since Pakistan is outright refusing to keep their word in supporting the war against the Taliban, they should be made to deal with our enemies from within their own country. The massive spill-over of enemies forces into Afghanistan cannot be allowed to continue. Leaving the Afghan-Pakistan border unsecured is detrimental to our war effort and unnecessarily costs the lives of our own soldiers and innocent Afghan civilians.