US needs Pakistani-Afghan anti-Taliban work: Rice

[Eugene]

US needs Pakistani-Afghan anti-Taliban work: Rice

By Saul Hudson
Reuters
Tuesday, June 27, 2006; 12:23 AM

PRESTWICK (Reuters) - The United States wants to coordinate better cooperation
between Pakistan and Afghanistan against Taliban fighters in their border region,
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said.

Relations between the neighbors, both important U.S. allies in the war on terrorism,
deteriorated sharply this year after fresh Afghan accusations that Taliban insurgents
were able to operate from refuges in Pakistan.

Rice, who spoke to reporters as she flew out for a visit to Pakistan, praised the two
countries for fighting the militants but said they could benefit from working together
as violence has been surging in Afghanistan.

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But Rice defended Afghan President Hamid Karzai, dismissing a Washington Post report
that he was losing some support at home and from foreign governments.

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Full article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/27/AR2006062700037.html