Bush to discuss Laden with Musharraf

Washington, Sep 16: US President George W Bush will exchange views with Pakistani counterpart Pervez Musharraf at their White House meeting on September 22, on the efforts to track down al-Qaeda Chief Osama Bin Laden believed to be hiding in mountainous region along the Afghan-Pakistan border.

Mr Bush while addressing the media yesterday said, ''We have been and will stay on the hunt until we bring him to justice. We are doing it in a smart fashion.'' ''I look forward to talking to Gen Musharraf. Look, he doesn't like al-Qaeda. They tried to kill him,'' he said, apparently referring to the two attempts made on the Pakistani leader's life.

When asked why the US, did not pursue terrorists in the Pakistani territory, he said, ''Pakistan is a sovereign nation and we can not send our troops unless we are invited by the country.'' Mr Bush, however, said, ''We have had a good record of bringing people to justice inside Pakistan, because the Pakistanis are in the lead. They know the stakes about dealing with a violent form of ideological extremism. And so we will continue the hunt.'' ''And, we have been effective in bringing to justice most of those who planned and plotted the 9/11 attacks, and we are still exerting a lot of pressure on them. The best way to protect the homeland is to stay on the offensive and pressurise them, he added.

UNI