02 November 2001
Excerpt: Pakistan trying to stop cross-border traffic with Afghanistan
(U.S. Confident in Pakistan's Commitment to Anti-Terrorism) (600)
The U.S. government is confident that the Pakistan government is fully
committed to the global coalition against terrorism and is making
every effort to prevent help from going to the Taliban in Afghanistan,
State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said, briefing reporters in
Washington November 2, 2001
Boucher said that there are pockets of sympathy for the Taliban in
Pakistan and it is possible that private individuals may be trying to
provide help to the Taliban.
Following is an excerpt from Boucher's November 2 briefing containing
his comments about Pakistan's effort to stop cross-border trafficking
with Afghanistan:
(begin excerpt)
QUESTION: Yesterday -- I think it was yesterday -- State Department
officials were saying that there may be -- probably is -- smuggling
across from Pakistan to Afghanistan, didn't think the Pakistani
government was complicit, but the US was asking in Islamabad trying to
find out. Are there any results from that inquiry that you can tell us
about?
MR. BOUCHER: I don't know I would describe it that way. That is
certainly not something I said here. I would say that we are confident
-- I said that yesterday -- we are confident that President
Musharraf's government is fully committed to the global coalition
against terrorism. We are confident that they are making every effort
to ensure that there is no help going to the Taliban. I think Dr. Rice
said yesterday that they are confident that they are taking steps to
avoid any kind of smuggling or other private support.
Indeed, there are pockets of sympathy for the Taliban in Pakistan, and
it is not possible to rule out the possibility. It is possible that
private individuals may be trying to provide help. But as I said,
Pakistan fully supports our objectives. It is ending the use of the
territory of Afghanistan as a haven for terrorists. And bringing peace
through the establishment of a broad-based and representative
government is the goal of Pakistan as well, and we are confident that
they will take steps to avoid any possible support for the Taliban
coming out of Pakistan.
QUESTION: Well, no one was saying they were complicit that I had
talked to, nor did you.
MR. BOUCHER: No, but you're asking, have they taken steps? Yes. We are
confident they are taking steps to stop anything.
QUESTION: No, I asked you -- well, I thought the question was clear,
but let me try it this way. It was not known in this building if
indeed there is much traffic -- nighttime truck traffic -- of arms and
fuel going from Pakistan to Afghanistan. There was a confidence that
if so, it didn't have the authority of the Pakistani Government.
MR. BOUCHER: Right.
QUESTION: We will have to ask in Islamabad exactly what is going on.
It is a very long border. So what I am asking is, if anything has come
out of that, if there has been such discussion, anything for instance
about better policing? Or authorities saying, we don't think it
amounts to much, or it amounts to a lot? I'm just asking if there's
any result to this consultation.
MR. BOUCHER: I think the answer is, today I don't have any news for
you on what, if anything, might be crossing the border, and what new
steps the Government of Pakistan might be taking to stop it. But I
think we are confident that they will take such steps, that they are
taking such steps, and they are trying to exercise as much vigilance
as possible along their border.
(end excerpt)
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