Porter Goss: “Mr. Chairman, I do not have huge heartburn over this at all, but I am a little concerned on a couple of points. The…”

“Mr. Chairman, I do not have huge heartburn over this at all, but I am a little concerned on a couple of points. The first is that Pakistan is one of our strongest allies in a very delicate part of the world with this global war of terrorism. I think it is important to remember that Pakistan's stability and continued cooperation in the war on terror is of paramount importance to the United States' national interest at this time, and we all know it. Without Pakistan's help, the war on terror would be much more difficult to fight and to win. Anyone who doubts Pakistan's commitment need only see last week's report that Pakistani forces killed one of the country's best known, most wanted pro al-Qaeda militants, that would be Nek Mohammed, in a missile strike. Pakistani security forces have killed or captured dozens of al-Qaeda operatives since 9-11 and have sustained significant casualties in so doing, and considered high-level casualties there, too, I am sorry to say. President Musharraf, moreover, is walking a political tightrope in helping us, as all of us who have been in that country know, yet he believes that the war on terror must be won, and is willing to take significant political, and I would say personal risk on his part to do it.”