Frank Pallone: “although Pakistan has become a key U.S. ally in the war against terrorism, it is still known to be a staging ground for…”

“although Pakistan has become a key U.S. ally in the war against terrorism, it is still known to be a staging ground for terrorism, and I have serious concerns that unless the Pakistani Government is able to crack down on their militant-infested borders, we will never be able to capture Osama bin Laden and his associates and bring them to justice. General Musharraf has been praised as an important ally in the war against terrorism, giving the impression that he and his government share the U.S. perception about terrorism being a shared threat. However, he is only willing to fight terrorists affiliated with al Qaeda to the extent of securing U.S. assistance and worldly praise. He is still unwilling to clamp down on jihadi groups within Pakistan's borders that may or may not be connected with al Qaeda but are still a part of the bigger problem. In addition, U.S. officials have been saying for some time that Osama bin Laden is believed to be in the Pakistan-Afghani border area. In fact, every senior al Qaeda leader who has been captured since September 11, 2001, has been run to the ground in Pakistan. Ironically, Pakistan is also where al Qaeda was founded by bin Laden in 1988. The premise that bin Laden is hiding out in Pakistan has great substance. There are thousands of U.S. and international troops inside neighboring Afghanistan, but none are able to go into Pakistan. That is because the government does not allow foreign troops on its territory.…”