December 12, 2001	Wednesday	Ramazan 26, 1422

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WASHINGTON, Dec 11: The Pentagon said on Tuesday that anti-Taliban forces were putting pressure on an area in the Tora Bora region that was becoming increasingly restricted for the Al Qaeda fighters there and confirmed that Pakistani troops were present on the Pakistan side of the border to prevent Al Qaeda fighters from escaping.

The tribal areas bordering Tora Bora have throughout been considered as a no-go territory for Pakistani authorities, and this is the first time that Pakistani troops have actually gone into the region. This has been made possible through an agreement with the tribal elders concerned.

Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told his daily briefing that US troops were also present in the Tora Bora area to assist in supplies, air strikes and other tasks.

The briefing left unclear whether a ceasefire was in effect in the region to allow time for negotiations with the Al Qaeda fighters said to be sheltered in cave complexes. General Richard Myers, head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said there could be valid reasons to stop military operations for a while, but the term “ceasefire” had a different connotation and he would not like to use it. Mr Rumsfeld pointed out that he had no information about any possible surrender talks and stressed that the military campaign would continue till the US mission was completed.

The defence secretary was unrelenting on the US demand for any top Al Qaeda and Taliban leaders to be given into American custody, but he appeared the leave the way open for ordinary non-Afghans, which is how Mr Rumsfeld characterized Al Qaeda fighters, to be sent back to their countries of origin provided these countries had the same attitude as the US.