Britain and Pakistan to Bolster Efforts to Counter Terrorism

By SALMAN MASOOD
Published: November 19, 2006

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Nov. 19 - Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain and President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan agreed today to strengthen their nations’ cooperation in counterterrorism and other fields, and they stressed the need for political and economic measures alongside the use of military force to bring peace in Afghanistan.

The two leaders met during the second day of Mr. Blair’s visit to Pakistan, in the eastern city of Lahore. At a news conference, Mr. Blair said relations between Pakistan and Britain were at “their highest point.”

“We also discussed the work that we are doing together in counter-terrorism, which again is improving and strengthening,” Mr. Blair said.

Afghanistan figured prominently in the talks held by Mr. Blair and General Musharraf. Pakistan’s support and willingness to curb resurgent Taliban activity inside Afghanistan is essential and often emblematic of what Mr. Blair called “the tremendous challenges”’ that confront the international community in stabilizing Afghanistan.

Mr. Blair also said a lasting resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict were key to defeating extremism.

General Musharraf brushed off criticism that Pakistan was not doing enough to curb cross-border infiltration by the Taliban.

Stressing that his country was doing more than it was expected and “suffered 600 dead”, General Musharraf said: “The Taliban problem is an Afghan problem. The solution lies in what you do in Afghanistan, not what you do in Pakistan. The battle has to be won on the Afghan side”.

General Musharraf said millions of dollars should be poured in for development in the southeastern part of Afghanistan, “which is under turmoil at the moment”.

He also defended his government’s policy of entering into peace agreements with local militants, sympathetic to the Taliban, in the rugged semiautonomous tribal regions that straddle Afghanistan. He suggested that this model should be replicated in Afghanistan with “those elements who want peace”.

Mr. Blair said more work needed to be done.

“In fairness, we should say that the cooperation with Pakistan in dealing over these issues has been transformed over these past few years. There is no doubt about that, at all,” he said. “Of course, everyone always wants more to be done”.

Britain has about 5,000 troops in Afghanistan, part of the 31,000 NATO-led forces. NATO officials have repeatedly complained that Taliban find safe haven in Pakistan after mounting attacks against British and NATO troops inside Afghanistan.

Mr. Blair’s visit included an assistance package in the security and education sector aimed at revamping the country’s religious schools, often criticized for fomenting militancy, intolerance and extremism.

Britain and Pakistan signed a long-term development partnership arrangement to reduce poverty and help Pakistan achieve United Nations goals for development. Under the agreement, the British government will provide £480 million (about $900 million) in the next three years through Britain’s Department for International Development.

The two countries agreed to increase cooperation between their intelligence services to counter terrorism, illegal immigration and transnational organized crime.

Britain has offered support in countering terrorism, including forensic training, investigating the financing of terrorism and sharing crisis management expertise, a joint statement released by the Pakistani Foreign Office said.

Britain plans to deliver two MI 17 helicopters to Pakistan’s antinarcotics force in April for their antismuggling operation alongside the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Mr. Blair also met with Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and moderate Islamic religious leaders and visited the Faisal Mosque during his visit.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/19/world/asia/19cnd-pakistan.html?ex=1165899600&en=4c3707de6932bda7&ei=5070