Voicing confidence in the safety of Pakistan's nuclear weapons, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said the country, battling extremists in its north-western regions along the Afghan border, has taken adequate measures to safeguard its arsenal.
She told German magazine Der Spiegel in an interview that al Qaeda and Taliban militants threaten Pakistan but felt encouraged that that the Pakistani government and security forces are committed to routing the militants who attacked their cities recently. "The nuclear arsenal that Pakistan has, I believe is secure. I think that the government and the military have taken adequate steps to protect that," she stated. On the other hand, she remarked, it was troubling that al Qaeda found a sanctuary in Pakistan's tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.
However, she said, the Pakistani government and military see the militants as a threat to the country and are now committed to going after those who have attacked security and culture targets. In answer to a question, she expressed confidence in the Pakistani intelligence leadership as reliable partners in the ongoing anti-militant struggle.
"I am convinced that at the highest levels, we have a good working relationship." Responding to another question, she said during her recent visit to Pakistan she listened to Pakistani security concerns as well as expressed the US concerns. She said her remarks about al Qaeda leaders' whereabouts were meant to make the point that it is a "very high priority for my government to capture or kill the al Qaeda leadership, and we need more help from you in order to be able to achieve that."
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