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Musharraf says Pakistan not responsible for Taliban survival

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Islamabad, Nov 15, IRNA
Pakistan-Musharraf
Pakistani President Gen Pervez Musharraf has denied his country is responsible for the survival of the Taliban.

"There is trans-border cooperation in militant activities with the base in Afghanistan but support from Pakistan.

"We need to isolate the two and deal with whatever is happening from Pakistan on our side, while the main action has to be taken in Afghanistan to counter militant activity," General Musharraf told a British TV channel.

In the exclusive interview, President Musharraf told Channel 4 News yesterday how he wants to suppress the militant Taliban.

When asked whether he accepts that the Pakistani city of Quetta remains the headquarters for so many Taliban operations in Afghanistan, President Musharraf said that the base of the entire organization was in Afghanistan.

"The whole of Afghanistan is divided into five command regions of the militant Taliban each headed by a commander. The financing is through the underworld drug business."

"However they have support, I will accept to an extent, yes, in Quetta there are about 450,000 refugees from Afghanistan. And this is a hotbed of all kinds of activity."

To a question about the failure of the forces to counter the Taliban, he said: "They are failing in Afghanistan. They need to understand the realities, and convert the failure into success." "We need to look into why are they failing? They have taken a very, very easy cause, the scapegoat of Pakistan. They will keep failing in Afghanistan if they keep following this trend." To a question about his talks with the British prime minister, he said: "Tony Blair is absolutely on board with everything I have told you. I know what is happening across the border. I have spoken about fencing, mining the border. Let's mine the border, lets make sure that nobody crosses the border at all. I am for it."

Channel 4 reported on its website that "in Afghanistan there is only one country and one person they blame for the current war:

Pakistan and its leader, General Pervez Musharraf."

Afghans accuse Pakistan of allowing the Taliban to replenish, reorganize and reinvade their land, the TV claims.

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