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US confirms impact of Indo-Pak
tension on US-occupied bases

T V Parasuram in Washington

The United States has said that an Indo-Pak conflict following rising tension along the border would affect the use of Pakistani airbases by the US for its campaign against terror in Afghanistan.

"Right now, we have the ability to move things across that country. And there would be the whole issue of deconfliction or no flying in case of an [Indo-Pak] conflict and there's lots of complex things that get discussed, and they're being discussed in a very orderly and sensible way," Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said.

He, however, said that "the president of Pakistan has been exceedingly cooperative."

Pakistan has allowed the US-led coalition use of four air bases for its campaign against terror in Afghanistan.

Asked whether the Government of Pakistan has told the United States that the US forces might have to vacate the Pakistani bases because of the escalating tensions with India, Rumsfeld said: "It may have very well happened."

"There have been a number of mixed reports about that, and rather than get into the detail of whether or not someone in the government may have said something to someone, the president of Pakistan is addressing the matter personally and that he is retaining forces on the Afghan border at our request. We have found him very cooperative in this regard."

Rumsfeld said he thought there has been discussion about aircraft and apron space and fuel and a variety of other things.

PTI

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