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| 31 March 2004 | Wednesday | 09 Safar 1425 |
Al Qaeda can't provoke Pakistani soldiers: US
WASHINGTON, March 30: The United States has rejected the suggestion that an Al Qaeda tape provoking Pakistani soldiers to revolt against President Pervez Musharraf could have a negative impact on the Pakistan Army.
State Department spokesman Richard Boucher told a briefing in Washington on Monday evening that the army, the people and the Pakistani government were all united in their desire to rid the country of religious extremists.
He was commenting on some reports in the US media suggesting that last week's taped message from Al Qaeda's deputy chief Ayman al-Zawahiri could stir anti-government sentiments among Pakistani soldiers.
The reports also had claimed that the military operation in South Waziristan, particularly the death of more than 40 Pakistani troops, had already increased anti-government feelings in Pakistan.
In the view of these developments, "how convinced are you that the Pakistani military will remain loyal to President Musharraf," Mr Boucher was asked. "I don't really see any basis for asking that question at this point," he responded.
He reminded the questioner that the Pakistani armed forces had just carried out an operation against the extremists "dictated by national policy and under the command of its leadership."
The fight against terrorism, he said, "goes to the very heart of the policies adopted in Pakistan." The Pakistanis, he said, were united in their desire to "rid the country of extremism and to end the presence of foreign terrorists within their borders," including those holed up in South Waziristan.
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