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| India-Pakistan |
| Bush says Pakistani nuclear arsenal secure |
| 2004-01-02 |
| President Bush said Thursday that he believes Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal remains secure despite two assassination attempts last month on President Pervez Musharraf. But Bush repeated his call for Musharraf to hunt terrorists more aggressively along Pakistan’s borders. Bush, speaking to reporters after a New Year’s Day quail hunt in Falfurrias, Tex., said he had been reassured by a telephone conversation with Musharraf, a crucial U.S. ally in the war on terrorism. On Thursday, Musharraf won a vote by the Pakistani legislature that is supposed to keep him in power through 2007. "Obviously terrorists are after him, and he sounded very confident that his security forces would be able to deal with the threat," Bush said at the Brooks County Airport before returning to his ranch here, where he is spending the week. "He sounded confident, and therefore I feel confident about his security situation." Administration officials have privately expressed fears that Pakistan’s instability could allow terrorists or radicals in the country’s military or intelligence services to seize uranium or nuclear weapons technology. But Bush said he believes the weapons "are secure." "That’s important," he said. "It’s also important that India, as well, have a secure nuclear weapons program." Bush praised the peace efforts by Pakistan and India, which appeared close to nuclear war between 1999 and 2002 over Kashmir but agreed in November to a cease-fire in the disputed Himalayan territory. In a sign of improving relations, a Pakistani airliner made the first commercial round-trip flight between the nations in two years. "We’re hopeful that the Indians and the Pakistanis in upcoming meetings will be able to begin a dialogue on a variety of issues," he said. "It looks like they’re making progress toward reconciling differences." Bush said Musharraf "has been a friend of the United States" and has "been a stand-up guy when it comes to dealing with the terrorists." "We are making progress against the al Qaeda because of his cooperation," he said. "We need to do more, particularly on the Pakistan-Afghan border." |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #2 Run danny boy ruuuun! |
| Posted by: flash91 2004-1-2 10:37:51 AM |
| #1 after a New Year’s Day quail hunt What we'd all be doing if the South had won. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-1-2 7:15:44 AM |