WASHINGTON, Dec 3: US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has said that the United States is fortunate to have "a courageous leader" like President Gen Pervez Musharraf as an ally in Pakistan.

In an interview with Bill O'Reilly of the Fox News, Mr Rumsfeld dismissed reports that the Pakistan Army has given up the hunt for Osama bin Laden as unfounded. "What I have been advised is that they fully intend to continue putting pressure on the Taliban and Al Qaeda," he said.

The comments were broadcast live on Thursday evening, less than 24 hours before President Musharraf's scheduled visit to Washington for talks with President George W. Bush.

The US defence secretary said Gen Musharraf "has done an outstanding job of managing a very difficult situation" in Pakistan. "We're so fortunate to have a courageous leader in that nation," he said, especially in light of pressure from extremists and several assassination attempts against him.

In addition, Mr Rumsfeld said, President Musharraf has put the Pakistan Army into tribal areas where they had never operated before to put pressure on the Taliban and Al Qaeda. That's been very helpful, because American forces were working the other side of the border in Afghanistan, he added.

"Now, will (Mr Musharraf) continue (this support)? We're told yes, he will," Mr Rumsfeld said. The US defence secretary, however, described Iran as "a big problem" in the war on terror, not only because it was aiding Al Qaeda and Taliban extremists, but also because it was developing long-range weapons.

Mr Rumsfeld said the Iranian government has been "unhelpful," harbouring Al Qaeda and working to influence events "in a way that favours people that are friendly to them".

Compounding the problem, he said, was the fact that the Iraq-Iran border was "porous", enabling people to move freely between the two countries. "And where there is a checkpoint, bribery works in that part of the world," Mr Rumsfeld said.