Military campaign won't stop during Ramadan: Rumsfeld

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, NOV. 4. The visiting U.S. Secretary of Defence, Mr. Donald Rumsfeld, said here tonight that the military campaign in Afghanistan would continue if necessary during the Ramadan period because of ``terrorist threat''.

Addressing a select group of correspondents after meeting the Pakistan President, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, he claimed that as a result of the military campaign, the Taliban had stopped functioning as a full government. ``The Taliban is not really functioning as a government as such. 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 said along with the Pakistan Foreign Minister, Mr. Abdul Sattar.

On Pakistan's desire for suspension of military campaign during Ramadan, Mr. Rumsfeld said, ``we know the feelings. I have heard views of President Musharraf and a number of other countries. The question is very important and sensitive, but the reality is that additional terrorist acts are being expected and they could be terrible and could harm lot more people''.

Mr. Sattar said Pakistan and the U.S. wanted to put on the ``fast track'' the political process to facilitate the realisation of the U.N. resolutions on Osama bin Laden and the Al-Qaeda.

Mr. Rumsfeld's comments on the continuation of the military campaign during Ramadan assumes significance in the wake of the desire expressed by Gen. Musharraf to see an early end to it.

On Saturday, Gen. Musharraf had once again said that Islamabad would like the military campaign wound up before the commencement of Ramadan. He had said the campaign could not be given up without achieving the set goals.

The Pakistan Foreign Minister said that Gen. Musharraf briefed Mr. Rumsfeld about the situation in Kashmir and appraised him of the ``stringent measures'' taken by Pakistan to safeguard its nuclear assets.

Mr. Sattar said Pakistan and the U.S. agreed on the formation of a broad-based multi-ethnic government in Afghanistan after the Taliban under the aegis of the United Nations.

Referring to the U.S. efforts to minimise civilian casualties, Mr. Sattar said Mr. Rumsfeld informed Islamabad that it was the first time in history that the U.S. was taking maximum care to avoid casualties. ``Never in history was so much care taken'', he said.

Earlier in the evening, Mr. Rumsfeld arrived from Tashkent, where he said the U.S. campaign in Afghanistan was making ``measurable progress.''

Immediately on his arrival, he was closeted with Gen. Musharraf. Obviously, the emerging situation in Afghanistan was the main focus of discussions between the two leaders.

Mr. Rumsfeld's trip to Islamabad is watched with great interest in view of the perception that the gulf between Pakistan and the U.S. is growing on the overall direction and progress of the war and the objectives it seeks to achieve.

The open support extended by the U.S. and its allies to the Northern Alliance to take on the Taliban and take control of the regions currently under control of the Taliban is another sour point between Islamabad and Washington. Gen. Musharraf could have used the opportunity of his meeting with Mr. Rumsfeld to raise the issue.

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