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Bush says Musharraf able to beat terrorists

   WASHINGTON, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) — U.S. President George W. Bush said Thursday he is confident in the ability of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf to crack down on militants at the Afghan border and cooperate with the United States.

President Bush gestures during a news conference, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2007, in the White House Press Room at the White House in Washington.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
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    ”We spend a lot of time with the leadership in Pakistan talking about what we will do with actionable intelligence,” Bush said of U.S.-Pakistan cooperation in anti-terror war at a press conference.    ”Am I confident they (terrorists) will be brought to justice? My answer is, ‘Yes I am.’”

    Bush declined to talk about whether the American troops would go into Pakistan without permission from leaders there.

    U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice talked by telephone to Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf on late Wednesday over the situation in the southern Asian country, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said.

    The spokesman declined to offer any details about the telephone talks.

    Last week, Musharraf said that extremism and militancy were the biggest threat to security of the country and no effort should be spared to eradicate this menace and ensure sustainability of economic progress.

    Musharraf and his senior aides are considering new moves to tackle an uncertain political situation, including the possibility of imposing emergency state in the country, Pakistani mass media reports said on Thursday.

    Pakistan, a strong ally in U.S.-led anti-terror war, criticized recently the United States for its threatening warning to consider the use of military force, if necessary, to stem al-Qaida’s growing ability to use its hideout in Pakistan to launch terrorist attacks.

    Any possible U.S. action inside Pakistan would be “an irresponsible act,” said a Pakistani Foreign Office spokesperson.

President Bush gestures during a news conference, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2007, in the White House Press Room at the White House in Washington.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)