Excerpt: U.S. Welcomes Pakistani Statement about al Qaida
(State's Boucher also says U.S. official met former Afghan king) (850) State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said the U.S. government welcomes a statement from Islamabad that "Pakistan believes that there is sufficient evidence to indict Usama bin Laden's organization for the September 11th terror attacks." "Pakistan has stated its intention to work for a broad-based and representative government in Afghanistan, and we share that goal as well. We're confident that the Pakistan will fulfill its commitments as a key member of the global coalition against terrorism," Boucher added in his press briefing in Washington October 4. Boucher said that the State Department's director for policy and planning, Richard Haas, met with the deposed Afghan King Zahir Shah in Rome October 4. "The United States has long-standing contacts with the Afghan factions, including the Northern Alliance, or as it's sometimes referred to, the United Front, as well as significant individuals, including regular contacts with the former king and other Afghan expatriates," Boucher said. Following are excerpts from Boucher's October 4 briefing with his comments about Pakistan and Afghanistan: (begin excerpt) QUESTION: Pakistan apparently said today that they were convinced by the information that al-Qaida or bin Laden is responsible for the September 11th events. Do you have a reaction to that? And is that the only Muslim government -- the only government of a predominantly Muslim nation that has in fact endorsed the conclusions? MR. BOUCHER: I don't think I have a full list of every government in the world that I could check again on who said what about the conclusions. As we have pointed out before, we want you to see that it's not solely as a basis of US information, but a great many governments around the world are working against networks, are working against front organizations, are working against operatives and organizations associated with al-Qaida, and we think that there are other governments, such as the British, who have concluded that al-Qaida was definitely responsible for this. Some of them also get information from us, in terms of the kind of sharing of information that we want to do. We certainly welcome the announcement by the Pakistani Foreign Ministry Spokesman that Pakistan believes that there is sufficient evidence to indict Usama bin Laden's organization for the September 11th terror attacks. Pakistan has stated its intention to work for a broad-based and representative government in Afghanistan, and we share that goal as well. We are confident that Pakistan will fulfill its commitments as a key member of the Global Coalition Against Terrorism. We are continuing our consultations on how best to wage the Campaign Against Terrorism, as we are doing with many other countries involved in the international coalition. QUESTION: It's looking increasingly like the United States, which at first saw Pakistan as sort of the jumping-off point for an attack on bin Laden, is steering away from that. Is that accurate? MR. BOUCHER: No. .... MR. BOUCHER: Somebody else was going to the meetings with the former King, so I will do that. As you all know, the State Department Director for Policy Planning, Ambassador Haass, met with former King Zahir Shah today in Rome. Ambassador Haass is in Europe for other meetings, in Paris and Brussels with French and European Union policy planning interlocutors. The visits arose out of our ongoing consultations with Afghan exiles, including the Rome Group. The Rome Group is a gathering of Afghan exiles that is associated with the former King, who are seeking a political resolution of the Afghan conflict. As you know, the United States has longstanding contacts with the Afghan factions, including the Northern Alliance or, as it is sometimes referred to, the United Front, as well as significant individuals, including regular contacts with the former King and other Afghan expatriates. As you know, the King was deposed in a coup in 1973 and has a continuing interest in ending the bloodshed in his country. QUESTION: Can you tell us what came out of the meeting, apart from -- MR. BOUCHER: Continuing discussions with all the Afghan factions. QUESTION: Is he meeting with -- was Haass meeting with other Afghan opposition people in Rome or anywhere on his trip? MR. BOUCHER: On anywhere on his trip, I will have to check if there are others. The meetings in Paris and Brussels are French and European Union people. Clearly, in Italy, meeting with the Italians on policy planning issues, and he would meet with the King there as well, take the occasion. The other group that is commonly referred to of Afghan exiles, I think there is a Cyprus Group and there is a Berlin Group. So I don't think he is going to either of those places. QUESTION: So the King is the only one? And he didn't meet with any of the Northern Alliance people that were down in Rome last week? MR. BOUCHER: I don't think so. I will double check on that. The only meeting with Afghan exiles I am aware of is with the King. (end excerpt) (Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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