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Agence France-PresseUS angers Pakistan over Al-Qaeda claimsby Jitendra Joshi
2 hours, 2 minutes ago
WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States was at the center of a new diplomatic row Monday after refusing to rule out military action against Al-Qaeda leaders sheltering inside Pakistan, one of its closest "war on terror" allies. The US director of national intelligence, Mike McConnell, said Al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden was in all likelihood alive and sheltering in a frontier zone where pro-Taliban Pakistani tribal leaders hold sway.
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But their comments signaled frustration over what US intelligence chiefs say is Al-Qaeda's resurgence in lawless parts of Pakistan bordering Afghanistan.
Asked if the United States could take action inside Pakistan, White House Homeland Security Adviser Frances Townsend said: "There are no tools off the table, and we use all our instruments of national power to be effective."
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The US administration's latest remarks sparked a curt response from Islamabad. "Our stance is that Osama bin Laden is not present in Pakistan," Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao told AFP in the Pakistani capital. "If anyone has the information he should give it to us, so that we can apprehend him.
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