US seeks continuity in fight against terror
By Our Diplomatic Correspondent

WASHINGTON—Top US envoys are in Pakistan to show Washington intends to work with the new government in fighting extremism, while still working closely with President Pervez Musharraf, a US official said. Deputy US Secretary of State John Negroponte and Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher flew into Islamabad for talks Tuesday focusing on Pakistan’s cooperation in efforts against Al-Qaeda and Taliban militants. “It’s really to reinforce with the new government that we look forward to working with them, certainly talk about our interests and certainly we’re going to hear back from them on their interests,” State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters.
Parliament picked Yousuf Raza Gilani, a key aide of slain opposition icon Benazir Bhutto, as premier on Monday and he will lead a coalition of Musharraf’s opponents who won general elections last month. “Our primary interest there is helping the Pakistani people broaden and deepen the political and economic reform process that has begun in that country and also to work with them to combat the threat that exists to Pakistan and the Pakistani people as well as to us and others in the region from terrorists and violent extremists,” McCormack said. “These two things are linked in our view,” he added.
Asked whether Washington could ever support negotiations with rather than military action against extremists, he replied it was important to listen to the new government’s views. “Let’s hear what they have to say first rather than try to play this game in public, that’s the reason why the deputy secretary went there to talk to this new Pakistani government and political leadership how they see the way forward,” he said. Negroponte also expects to meet with Musharraf, whom Washington still views as an ally, McCormack said. But he did not say whether Washington considered him indispensable when asked to repeat an adjective used here in the past. “He’s clearly an important person in Pakistani political life and he’s done a lot of very positive things for his country and put them on an important course for its greater political and economic openness,” McCormack said.
“Those are the kinds of questions that I think ultimately have to be answered by the Pakistani political system, but he remains somebody that we have worked with and will work with closely,” McCormack said. “He’s a good friend and ally of the US,” he added. Musharraf, a general who seized power in a bloodless coup in 1999, became a key US ally after the September 11, 2001 attacks, siding with the United States against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban in neighboring Afghanistan.
President George W. Bush called Pakistan’s new prime minister on Tuesday and the two agreed to maintain their alliance against Islamic militants, the White House said.