Pentagon ‘extremely concerned’ over Qaeda in Pakistan

* Casey says Washington will continue to work with Islamabad

WASHINGTON: The Pentagon is “extremely concerned” about Al Qaeda operations in Pakistan, US military chief Admiral Michael Mullen said on Friday. “We know it is having a significant impact, not just in Afghanistan, but certainly there are concerns about how much they have turned inward inside Pakistan. I am extremely concerned about this,” he told a press conference. But he added that the US was mindful of Pakistan being a sovereign country, saying, “It is really up to President (Pervez) Musharraf and his advisers in the military to address that problem directly.” Meanwhile, AFP quoted State Department official Tom Casey as saying, “I’m unaware of any proposal from any US official arguing for unilateral military action in Pakistan.”

US for Pakistan: Separately, the Bush administration has come out strongly in favour of Pakistan after Senate majority leader Harry Reid, in a letter to President George Bush, demanded that US military aid to Pakistan should be cut unless President Musharraf does more to grapple with terrorism, restores basic freedoms and permits the UN to investigate Benazir Bhutto’s killing. Responding to the senator, National Security Council spokeswoman Kate Starr said President Bush believes that Pakistan “continues to be an important ally in the war on terror”. Casey, who had not seen the Reid letter, also defended Pakistan, saying, “We’re going to continue to work with them.” afp/khalid hasan

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Aarwaa

Pakistan is ruled by three As - Army, America and Allah.