Cheney asks Pakistan for hard terror stance
Published 9:00 pm Monday, February 26, 2007
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – Underscoring growing alarm in the West at how militants have regained ground in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Vice President Dick Cheney on Monday sought Pakistani aid to help counter al-Qaida’s efforts to regroup, officials said.
However, President Gen. Pervez Musharraf insisted his forces have already “done the maximum” possible against extremists in their territory – and insisted that other allies also shoulder responsibility in the U.S.-led war on terrorism.
Cheney made an unannounced stop in Pakistan en route to Afghanistan, where snow prevented him from reaching Kabul for talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
The vice president made no public comment in Pakistan, but a senior aide to Musharraf said they held detailed talks, including a one-on-one lunch of more than an hour.
“Cheney expressed U.S. apprehensions of regrouping of al-Qaida in the tribal areas and called for concerted efforts in countering the threat,” Musharraf’s office said.
He also “expressed serious U.S. concerns on the intelligence being picked up of an impending Taliban and al-Qaida ‘spring offensive’ against allied forces in Afghanistan,” the statement said.
The Musharraf aide said the two men “exchanged ideas and suggestions” on improving cooperation against terrorism. However, he said Cheney made no specific demands.
