Rice tells Pak to get "better handle" on checking rampant Taliban in Fata

Washington, Dec. 30 (ANI): The U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has urged Pakistan to tackle the situation in the North -West Frontier Province (NWFP), as the Taliban's activities has increased tremendously in the region.

"They have got to get a better handle on what's going on in the Northwest Frontier, because that is the place from which the Taliban is resurgent," The Dawn quoted Rice, as saying.

Rice added that the existence of safe havens in Fata has allowed the resurgence of the Taliban in the region.

Terming the region as an 'ungoverned' part of Pakistan, Rice said that the main problem in the area is that nobody has been able to deal with the sanctuary across the border.

Rice welcomed the decision of the Obama administration to send in more troops to Afghanistan in order to deal with the recent upsurge in the Talibani activities in the region.

"I do believe that the additional forces that (Defence Secretary) Robert Gates and the military commanders are intending to commit to Afghanistan will help," she said.

An additional 3,000 troops will move in to Afghanistan in 2009. There are already more than 30,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan at present.

The Taliban is trying to establish a parallel government in the province by creating havoc among people by triggering blasts and public trial of people often resulting in cruel killings.

Terming poverty and corruption as the root of problems in Afghanistan and the region, Rice said that a lot of effort is still needed to help the country to come out of the precarious condition.

"Corruption needs to be fought. There's a lot that needs to be done. But it's going to be a long struggle in Afghanistan because it's one of the poorest countries in the world," she added. (ANI)