Free Republic

KABUL, Afghanistan — Key U.S. allies Afghanistan and Pakistan must join forces to fight the "common enemy" of terrorism and extremism being fanned by al-Qaida and Taliban militants, Pakistan's president said Wednesday. But visiting President Gen. Pervez Musharraf also said Pakistan would never allow U.S.-led coalition forces _ currently hunting al-Qaida and Taliban fighters on the Afghan side of the border _ into tribal areas on its side. "On our side of the border there will be a total uprising if a foreigner enters that area," he said at a joint news conference with Afghan President Hamid Karzai. "It's not...

Putting up a brave front in the face of United States President George W Bush's refusal to extend the historic India-US civilian nuclear agreement to Pakistan, President Pervez Musharraf has said he is aware of 'interests and nuances' in interstate relations but insisted that Islamabad's needs in nuclear field were different from that of New Delhi. In an interview aired on CNN, Musharraf said he was 'very satisifed' with the outcome of Bush's visit. 'We developed very close understanding and there was a lot of substance in the interaction,' he said. Asked about the difference in the Bush administration's treatment...