US praises Pakistan counter-terrorism efforts

The State Department on Friday issued Country Reports for 2005 on Terrorism, and the report on Pakistan praises efforts by the government in respect of counter-terrorism.
It says: "the government of Pakistan continued to pursue al Qaeda, the Taleban and their allies aggressively with counter terrorist police measures throughout the country and large-scale military operations in the federally administered tribal areas (Fata) along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.
Pakistan Army and FC units raided key al Qaeda safe havens in North and South Waziristan, including a compound used by Jalaluddin Haqqani, a leading Taleban figure. Quoting an official report, it says that in November, Hamza Rabia, al Qaeda's chief of external operations was killed in an explosion in North Waziristan.
"These operations significantly degraded al Qaeda's command and control capabilities in the region and disrupted cross-border operations." "Parallel to this military effort, the government developed a strategy designed to win the support of the tribes in Fata with a combination of negotiations and economic development investments," the report states.
It says "Pakistani security services co-operated closely with the United States and other nations in a campaign to eliminate international terrorism.
"Hundreds of suspected operatives of al Qaeda and other terrorist groups have been killed or captured by Pakistani authorities since September 2001. Notable arrests by Pakistani security forces included Syed Muhammad Hashim, wanted in connection with the murder of American journalist Daniel Pearl, Lashkar-i-Jhangvi chief Asif Choto, and leading al Qaeda fugitive Abu Faraj Al Libi. Taleban spokesman Abdul Latif Hakimi was arrested and transferred to Afghan custody in October."
"In January, Pakistan extradited two suspected al Qaeda figures to Turkey."
Following the July 7 London subway bombing, in which it was alleged that three of the bombers had ties to Pakistan, President Musharraf addressed the nation on television to condemn terrorism and call for a "Jihad against extremism." Among the measures he announced were a crackdown on banned organisations, hate materials, the expulsion of foreign madrassah students and new registration and financial disclosure requirements on madrassahs. In March, two physicians, brothers Arshad and Akmal Waheed, were charged and convicted of providing medical treatment to al Qaeda terrorists."
The report stated that US-Pakistani joint counter-terrorism efforts were "extensive." They included co-operative efforts in border security and criminal investigations and several long-term training projects.