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Pakistan Leader Rules Out Troops in Afghanistan
ISLAMABAD, Sept 30 (News Agencies) - President Pervez Musharraf excluded Sunday the use of Pakistani troops in Afghanistan and called on the United States to share evidence supporting its claim that Osama bin Laden was responsible for massive terrorist attacks this month, as Uzbekistan reported the arrival of U.S. transport planes, news agencies reported.
"I would not like Pakistani troops to be crossing the borders into Afghanistan because I don't think that is a requirement from our troops," Musharraf said in an interview with CNN.
Pakistan, he said, would stand by its pledge to help the United States in its war on terrorism with intelligence-sharing, overflight rights and logistical support but had so far seen no operational details on how Washington plans to conduct that war.
"We don't know anything about the operational plan," Musharraf said.
He acknowledged seeing press reports that U.S. and British special forces were already carrying out reconnaissance missions inside Afghanistan but said he had no information on this beyond those reports and stated no foreign troops had been deployed in Pakistan.
"I'm certainly very clear that nobody is based in Pakistan yet," he said. When asked if he would permit the stationing of U.S. forces in his country, Musharraf was evasive, saying, "We need to get into the details of the modalities as they come along."
Musharraf, an army general who seized power in a coup in October 1999, said it was hard to assess Washington's claim that Saudi-born bin Laden and the al-Qaeda network he leads were responsible for the September 11th terrorist attacks.
"Frankly ... there is no evidence that has been shared with us as yet," he said. "I really don't know what is the confidential part of this evidence.
"If there is confidentiality in it, in the interest of justice, we certainly would understand that. But those parts which would facilitate a better understanding of the people at large should be shared."
Musharraf defended Pakistan's prior support for Afghanistan's ruling Taliban regime but admitted that "now the situation is very different" and said he had little hope engagement with the Taliban would convince them to give up bin Laden.
"Because [of] all the coalition forming against them, certainly there is a danger of damage coming to them," he said, referring to the Taliban government which has made clear it is sheltering bin Laden and intends to continue to do so.
"Hope is very dim" that the Taliban would meet U.S. demands to turn over bin Laden, Musharraf said.
He dismissed fears his country's nuclear weapons could fall into the hands of forces who sympathize with bin Laden and the Taliban, possibly within his own armed forces, saying, "I don't see this doomsday scenario ever appearing."
The Pakistani president acknowledged opposition from religious groups within Pakistan to his commitment to assisting the United States in its war on terrorism, but insisted that most Pakistanis supported him.
Musharraf rejected concerns voiced by Pakistani opposition groups that he would use the crisis to consolidate his power and delay a return to democracy, saying he would stick to his timetable that includes nationwide free elections in October 2002.
"Yes, I still remain committed because that is in our national interest," he said.
"It is not for any other country of the world or any world opinion that I am doing it. I am doing it because it is in our national interest."
Meanwhile, a U.S. Hercules military transport plane landed in Uzbekistan at an airport 200 kilometers (125 miles) from the Afghan border early Sunday, the Russian television station NTV reported, news agencies reported.
An NTV correspondent at the Khanabad airport said a similar plane took off an hour later, but was unable to say if it was the same aircraft. He also did not say what the U.S. plane was transporting.
The station did not broadcast footage of the transport plane, citing technical difficulties.
Soviet fighter jets used the Khanabad airport, built during the Soviet era, during Moscow's 1979-89 occupation of Afghanistan.
Two U.S. reconnaissance planes landed in the former Soviet republic on September 22nd, according to Uzbek military sources. Neither Tashkent nor Washington has confirmed the report.
Uzbek President Islam Karimov has said his country is prepared to offer airspace for U.S. missions in Afghanistan but wants a security guarantee from the United Nations in return.
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