Bush favours trilateral approach to deal with Taliban

Washington, Sep 20 (UNI) United States President George W Bush, concerned over the recent spurt in Taliban violence, will have a meeting with his Pakistan and Afghanistan counterparts at the White House on September 27 to defuse tension between the two neighbours, facilitating a coordinated trilateral response to the growing insurgency in Afghanistan.

The meeting would provide President Bush and his Pakistan and Afghan counterparts, Gen Pervez Musharraf and Mr Hamid Karzai ''an opportunity to discuss further cooperation in enhancing the trilateral relationship,'' White House spokesman Tony Snow said yesterday.

Pakistan-Afghan relations have been under strains in the wake of Kabul's assertion that Islamabad has not done enough to deal with the remnants of the ousted Taliban regime.

Meanwhile, American media reports speak of the existence of their hide-outs along the border in Pakistan, which Islamabad denies.

However, before the trilateral meeting on September 27, President Bush will go ahead with his planned one-on-one meetings with General Musharraf on September 22 and with Mr Karzai on September 26.

The trilateral dialogue will follow the next day.

Later, in his speech at the UN General Assembly, which began its session in New York yesterday, President Bush promised that the US and its NATO allies ''will not abandon Afghanistan's young democracy.'' President Bush made it a point, to refer to the presence of troops of more than 40 countries, including the NATO alliance, in Afghanistan and said, ''we will defeat these enemies and build a free Afghanistan that will never again oppress you or be a safe-haven for terrorists.'' Mr Karzai was present in the General Assembly hall when President Bush held the floor.

Gen Musharraf, who followed President Bush, defended Pakistan's role in the fight against terrorism, arguing that peace and stability in Afghanistan is in the interest of his country.

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