06 November 2001
Text: State Dept. on Smuggling From Pakistan to Afghanistan
(Smuggling "unlikely" to affect effort to defeat Taliban) (250)
Following is the text of the response to a question taken at the
November 2 daily State Department briefing regarding smuggling from
Pakistan to Afghanistan and whether it will affect the international
coalition's efforts to defeat the Taliban:
(begin text)
U.S. Department of State
Office of the Spokesman
Washington, DC
November 2, 2001
Taken Question from November 2, 2001 Daily Press Briefing
Pakistan: Smuggling of Help for the Taliban
Question: Have we discussed smuggling from Pakistan to Afghanistan
with the Government of Pakistan? How do we characterize their
response? How much smuggling takes place? Is it significant enough to
affect our efforts to defeat the Taliban?
Answer: This has been one of a number of issues we have discussed with
Pakistan related to ending the use of Afghanistan as a haven for
terrorists. As with other issues, the Pakistani leadership has been
cooperative and forthcoming.
There is a long tradition of smuggling across the long
Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Also, there is currently more confusion
than normal along what has always been a lengthy and hard-to-control
boundary, given military operations inside Afghanistan and groups of
people seeking refuge in Pakistan. It is difficult to determine how
much, if any, shipment of war material to the Taliban from Pakistan is
occurring. It is very unlikely, if this is taking place, that it is
significant enough to affect our efforts to defeat the Taliban.
(end text)
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