U.S. lauds Pak. support

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, SEPT. 19. The U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan, Ms. Wendy Chamberlin, has said that the support offered by the Musharraf Government to cooperate with the U.S. in tracking down the culprits behind the terrorist attacks was `unconditional'.

In a brief chat with correspondents at the U.S. embassy after a memorial service for those who died in the terror attacks on American cities, she said the nature of cooperation was yet to be worked out.

``President Musharraf and his Government stood by us in our requests for assistance during the period when the U.S. had asked for it... He has been enormously supportive of the U.S. in a period when we have extended certain requests because of the grave events that occurred on our soil''.

She said that ``both President, Mr. George Bush, and the Secretary of State, Gen. Colin Powell, have expressed profound appreciation of his (Gen. Musharraf's) quick and unconditional pledge of support for us when we needed it''.

``We will continue discussions with the Pakistan Government in future so that details are addressed to. We are in a close conversation with this Government. I have assured him at all levels that our investigations are continuing. The FBI now has thousands of pieces of information in this investigation. It is moving fast. When it is appropriate and certain my Government will make available ample proof of the investigations'', she said.

In her brief speech at the memorial service, Ms. Chamberlin said she was overwhelmed by the number of messages of sympathy and solidarity from all over Pakistan. She said the terror attacks were directed not only against the U.S. but the entire world. It was evident from the fact that over 100 Pakistanis had been killed in the attacks.

Top Pakistan Ministers, including the Foreign Minister, Mr. Abdul Sattar, the Interior Minister, Lt. Gen. (retd.) Moinuddin Haider, the Foreign Secretary, Mr. Inam-ul-Haq and over 40 heads of foreign missions, including the Indian High Commissioner to Islamabad, Mr. Vijay Nambiar, attended the memorial service. Prayers were rendered both by Islamic and Christian priests.

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