LONDON, Sept 12: President Bush’s decision to extend the war into Pakistan, and his apparent hope of British backing, formed the background to a video conference with Gordon Brown on Thursday, The Guardian reported on Friday.

This unusual move by Mr Bush to personally call the prime minister for an Afghan strategy discussion has led to speculation that the US president was trying to line up British support for the new policy, including the possible involvement of British special forces in future cross-border incursions, the report by Simon Tisdall said.

However, referring to Thursday night’s Nato statement on the matter which clearly opposed the US move, the Guardian report said President Bush’s executive order was certain to cause strains with some Nato allies fearful that a spreading conflict could bring down Pakistan’s weak civilian government and spark a wider war.

Nato has 53,000 troops in Afghanistan, some of which are American. But the US maintains a separate combat force dedicated to battling Al Qaida and counter-terrorism in general. Nato defence ministers are due to discuss Afghanistan in London next week.

The report said that until now Washington had regarded Pakistan as a staunch ally in the “war on terror” that was launched in 2001, “but the alliance has been weakened by last month’s forced resignation of the army strongman, former general Pervez Musharraf, and his replacement by Zardari, Benazir Bhutto’s widower.”

Meanwhile, Lord Nazir Ahmed in a letter addressed to Prime Minister Gordon Brown has warned him against supporting President Bush’s move to send troops into Pakistan.

Claiming to represent the sentiments of Diaspora British Pakistanis, Lord Nazir Ahmed in his letter expressed horror over what he said Mr Brown’s support to “this new disastrous strategy adopted by the United States”.

“I cannot recollect any authority given by the United Nations to Nato or the US forces to attack Pakistan and therefore the American policy is against international law, but more importantly it will be detrimental to our greater interests in the region. Already extremism and religious fanaticism is fuelled by the continuation of American bombings of civilians in Afghanistan and Waziristan.

“I am deeply concerned in relation to the increase in extremism and possible terrorism in the United Kingdom which has been fuelled by the above-mentioned policy. In my view your efforts with reference to de-radicalisation programmes and preventing extremism will be doomed for failure as young people will see the American gunships and missiles killing innocent civilians, including women and children. This will create further anger and alienation amongst the British Pakistani youth.”

Lord Nazir concluded the letter with request for a meeting with the prime minister along with a small delegation of the British Pakistani community “who can broadly represent the over one million British citizens, in order for them to raise their concerns”.