June 20, 2008	Friday	Jamadi-us-Sani 15, 1429

WASHINGTON, June 19: A senior US official has ruled out the possibility of an armed conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan over their differences in the fight against terrorism.

I don’t think so, said US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Donald Camp when asked if President Karzai’s threat to cross into the tribal areas in pursuit of the Taliban could lead to a war between the two countries.He also assured Pakistan that US troops had never targeted Pakistani soldiers deployed along the Afghan border.

There was no targeting of Pakistani troops, absolutely not, said Mr Camp while referring to an encounter in the Mohmand agency last week that killed 11 Pakistani soldiers.

It is still murky but we are trying to get at what happened there, he said.

While addressing the annual conference of the Pakistani American Congress in Washington, Mr Camp noted that Pakistan had already accepted a US offer for a joint investigation.

The United States and Pakistan are partners, not enemies, he said. We have worked with the Pakistani military. We respect them.

At the Pentagon, spokesman Geoff Morrell went a step ahead and accepted Pakistan’s claim that Pakistani troops were killed in a Nato attack on a military post in the Mohmand agency.

Well, that’s what the Pakistan military says, and we have to take them at their word from that, he said. We have no independent verification at this point just who the identities are of those who were killed, but the Pakistani military is an organisation we work very closely with, and we take them at their word.

At the Pakistani American Congress, Mr Camp also disagreed with the suggestion that America’s honeymoon with Pakistan was over.

He noted that the US had had differences with its close West European allies as well and hoped that whatever differences Pakistan and the US may have, they will overcome them.

The important thing is that both countries see each other as important partners ê what we have to have is better understanding of what is going on at the border, better coordination, he said.

Mr Camp also expressed strong US support for President Pervez Musharraf, saying that the US deals with him as the head of the Pakistani state and would continue to do so.

He noted that when President Bush talks to President Musharraf, he does so because Mr Musharraf is still the head of the Pakistani state.

But he recalled that President Bush also had a meeting with Prime Minister Gilani in Egypt recently and the US wants to continue that dialogue as well.