Pakistan:
Washington, Dec 1 (PTI) FormerPakistan military rulerPervez Musharraf had told US thatremnants of Al Qaeda were hiding in the mountainous border region of hiscountry, leaked US diplomatic documents have revealed.
Though the Pakistan governmentand the military deny the presence of the world's most wanted terrorist Osamabin Laden and his deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri on the country soil, Musharraf toldthe high-level Congressional delegation that the Al Qaeda remnants were nowhidden in the mountainous border regions of the country, an American diplomaticcable said.
Responding to questions from the Congressionaldelegation, Musharraf decried the "tremendous misunderstandings andmisperceptions" that have led US critics
to accuse Pakistan's intelligenceagencies of colluding with the Taliban, Al Qaeda and other extremists.
"Musharraf franklyacknowledged that remnants of Al Qaeda remain hidden in the mountainous borderregion. Pakistan is now also focused on the Pashtun tribes who live on bothsides of the PAK-AFG border," the cable said.
It said, of the seven tribal agencies inPakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), populations in North andSouth Waziristan openly cooperate with Taliban insurgents.
"Al Qaeda elements areconcentrated in Bajaur. The other four agencies, Musharraf contended, arerelatively peaceful, although the Taliban has made an effort to infiltrateKurram, where it has encountered local resistance," it said.
In contrast, Musharraf said, the Pashtunsresiding in Balochistan are generally peaceful but the trouble there are AfghanTaliban commanders and foot soldiers who have found safe haven in lawlessrefugee camps, from which they can
operate with impunity, the cableadded.
When Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of theUS House of Representatives, asked Musharraf whether he knew the whereabouts ofTaliban leader Mullah Omar, he replied that
Mullah Omar and the Talibanmovement emerged from Kandahar, where he presumably remains.
"I do not believe Omar hasever been to Pakistan," Musharraf said, according to the cable contrastingthis to Al Qaeda leaders Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri, who may beensconced in the mountains along the Frontier.
"Musharraf proceeded todescribe Pakistani efforts to locate and apprehend other Al Qaeda leaders andTaliban commanders, including Afghans Mullah Dadullah Lang and JalaluddinHaqqani; these leaders, Musharraf said, come and go from Pakistan, where theyrecruit and motivate militants," it said.
"Arguing that militaryoperations alone will alienate the tribes, Musharraf segued into an overview ofthe FATA Sustainable Development Plan and a description of the traditionalleadership roles of maliks (who represent tribal authority) and politicalagents (who represent federal and provincial authorities)," it said.