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Friday, August 17, 2001

The United States has also discussed with Pakistani officials the possibility of "using U.S. special forces" for a sting operation inside Afghanistan, The News newspaper reported.

The Pakistani government, however, has advised Washington against "a military operation inside Afghanistan because the Pakistanis believe that it will be counter-productive and further fuel religious" sentiments in the region, the report said.

However, a spokesman for Pakistan's military government, Maj. Gen. Rashid Qureshi, denied reports that the United States was also seeking a base in northern Pakistan for carrying out operations against bin Laden.

"It is absolutely baseless," he said. "We strongly deny it."

The News said U.S. officials discussed various proposals to bring bin Laden to the United States with their Pakistani counterparts when Gen. Tommy Franks, commander-in-chief of U.S. Central Command, visited Islamabad in January.

Franks also raised this issue when he met Pakistani leader Gen. Pervez Musharraf on Jan. 19, the report said.

Franks came to Pakistan days after the United Nations passed a resolution further tightening sanctions against Afghanistan's Taliban rulers for refusing to hand over bin Laden to U.S. officials.

The United States blames the Saudi dissident for masterminding the 1998 twin-bomb attacks on U.S. embassies in east Africa that killed more than 220 people. He tops FBI's most-wanted list.

The newspaper said CIA Director George Tenet had also discussed the possibilities of a joint U.S.-Pakistan operation to catch bin Laden when Tenet visited Islamabad in June last year.

Christina Rocca, U.S. assistant secretary of state for South Asian Affairs, also reminded Pakistan of its international obligation for complying with U.S. resolutions urging bin Laden's arrest when she visited Islamabad earlier this month.

Copyright 2001 by United Press International. All rights reserved.