US Defense Secretary Defends Bombing in Ramadan

The United States might have to continue its airstrikes against the Taliban through Ramadan, the Muslim holy month starting on November 17, because of the terrorist threat, visiting US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said in Islamabad on Sunday.

The US defense secretary, who arrived in Islamabad on a short visit Sunday evening, made his remarks during his talks with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.

"One should be very clear that it will have huge negative fall- out" if the US bombardments continue in Ramadan, Musharraf said here Saturday at a news briefing.

"I would like to discuss this with him," Musharraf said of his talks with US Defense Secretary Rumsfeld.

Washington was "sensitive" to the feeling of Islamabad and other Muslim supporters about Ramadan, said Rumsfeld, adding that "the reality is that the threat of additional terrorist acts are there. They are credible, they are real and they offer the prospect of still thousands more people being killed."

Rumsfeld told reporters in Islamabad after his meeting with Pakistani Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar that the Taliban was not functioning as a full government after four weeks of US bombing.

"The Taliban is not really functioning as a government as such, " said Rumsfeld.

"As a military force they have concentrations of power that exist. They have military capabilities that exist. They are using their power in enclaves ... to impose their will," he added.

Abdul Sattar said later at a joint press conference with Rumsfeld after the US defense secretary's meeting with Musharraf that Pakistan and the United States support the suggestion that there should be a broad-based multi-ethnic government in Afghanistan after the Taliban under the aegis of the United Nations.

Sattar said that Musharraf and Rumsfeld exchanged views and information on the Afghan situation. They also discussed the desirability of evolving a political strategy on fast track basis to facilitate the realization of the objectives of the UN resolutions in a period of time as short as possible.

Sattar said that formation of a broad-based multi-ethnic government under the aegis of the United Nations appears a desirability for bringing an end to the trail of the Afghan people. Such a government would implement the UN Security Council resolutions.

He said that President Musharraf underlined the need for continuation of humanitarian assistance for distressed Afghan people inside their own country to reduce the displacement of Afghans outside their country.

Sattar said that the visit by Rumsfeld is important step in the development of cooperation and deepening of goodwill between the two countries.

The US defense secretary said he had wide-ranging discussions with President Musharraf and the other senior Pakistani leaders and they talked about the matters of humanitarian relief in Afghanistan.

Replying to a question, Rumsfeld said that the United States also would like an end to the bombing in Afghanistan as quickly as possible. He said it should be done but with the achievement of underlying objectives.

Rumsfeld arrived in the south Asian nation of Pakistan Sunday evening on his fourth stage of a whirlwind tour to bolster support for the current military action against the Taliban militia.

Rumsfeld arrived Islamabad from Uzbekistan as part of a tour of Central and South Asia to shore up support for the US-led military action in neighboring Afghanistan. He was greeted at the airport by Foreign Minister Sattar.

Rumsfeld had earlier visited Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. He is also expected to visit India after winding up his tour late Sunday.

( November 5,2001)