September 27, 2008	Saturday	Ramazan 26, 1429

NEW YORK, Sept 26: President Asif Ali Zardari said on Friday that the United States and Pakistan were working together to overcome the ‘weaknesses’ they confront in the war against terror.

Briefing the media after a meeting of the Friends of Pakistan group at the UN, the president assured the Americans that his government was as keen as their government on brining Al Qaeda and Taliban leaders to justice.

Asked if he knew where Osama bin Laden was, Mr Zardari said: “If I knew, you would not be asking this question.”

The president was also asked if he was worried that US military incursions into Pakistan were having a negative impact on the Pakistani people and if he had raised this issue with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Mr Zardari, who had two meetings with Ms Rice this week, said the US and Pakistan had always discussed ‘weaknesses’ in the war on terror and “how to turn them into our strength”.

Asked if he and Ms Rice also talked about a reported clash between Pakistani and US troops earlier this week, Mr Zardari said: “All the weaknesses need to be dealt with.”

Ms Rice, who was standing next to Mr Zardari, did not respond to the question.