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| Sunday, 29 December 2002 |
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U.S. coalition general says Pakistan could do more By David Brunnstrom BAGRAM, Afghanistan, Dec 27 (Reuters) - The commander of U.S.-led troops in Afghanistan said on Friday they were closing in on suspected al Qaeda militants but said the job would be easier if Pakistan put more forces on its side of the border. U.S. Lieutenant-General Dan McNeill told Reuters surviving members of a group of suspected al Qaeda fighters who killed a U.S. soldier in a gun battle in eastern Afghanistan last week were thought to have escaped across the nearby Pakistani border. Speaking at his headquarters at Bagram Air Base north of Kabul, McNeill said Pakistan had been generous in its support in terms of overflight and base rights and had also captured or killed more than 400 suspected militants. "The Pakistanis claim...that they are one of the most -- if not the most -- productive members of the coalition in the fight against terrorism," he said. However, McNeill said he had told Pakistan there were ways its forces could contribute further. Asked what more Pakistan could be doing, he said: "Perhaps if they used more forces, if they used a different set of techniques tactics and procedures. I think it would have a profound effect." Pakistan says it has committed 60-70,000 troops to its border with Afghanistan to help the hunt for members of Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network and its Taliban allies launched after last year's September 11 attacks. Islamabad has said in the past it would have committed more troops had it not been for tensions with its eastern neighbour India that prompted a massive troop build-up on their common border from the end of last year. The two countries have since committed to withdrawing border troops. McNeill, who commands about 8,000 U.S. and 5,000 coalition troops in Afghanistan, said it was probable that at least some of the weapons, including rockets, used in almost daily attacks on coalition forces in eastern Afghanistan came from Pakistan. But despite the attacks, McNeill said the coalition had put significant pressure on its opponents in Afghanistan. "Maybe we've got them in a very desperate situation. We're certainly...I guess you could say, tightening the noose," he said. He repeated past statements that he had "no compelling evidence" to suggest bin Laden was dead or alive. McNeill said he believed Taliban leader Mullah Omar was still alive, but added: "I'm not sure he's in Afghanistan. "If I knew that, we'd be joining him today and he would be a guest of ours." |
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