President Pervez Musharraf has failed to contain Al Qaeda and must regain control over areas bordering Afghanistan, said Stephen Hadley, President George Bush’s national security adviser. Answering questions in an interview with Bloomberg Television’s ‘Political Capital with Al Hunt’, Hadley said Musharraf’s strategy of giving tribal leaders more autonomy “has not worked the way it should have”. | Hasn't worked any way at all that we can see. Unless you're on the other side. |
Faced with growing unrest in Congress over the perception that terrorism risks are growing, the administration is stepping up pressure on Pakistan. US Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian affairs Richard Boucher has said Al Qaeda fighters have found more freedom to operate in Pakistan since Musharraf made the deal with tribesmen. Concerning Iraq, Hadley said the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki needed to end sectarian violence before it could achieve political stability. The Iraqi government had thus far failed to meet several political goals deemed necessary for enabling a US military withdrawal from the country, the Bush administration told Congress on Friday.
Hadley was, however, upbeat about prospects for the success of the US troop increase in Iraq and said military commanders, not Congress, should determine the next steps. “We will have another two months operating under this new strategy,” Hadley said.