'Safe haven for al Qaeda in Pak very troubling'

Washington, Nov 11: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said the al Qaeda is engaged with the Pakistani Taliban in threatening the state of Pakistan.

"We think that al Qaeda and the other extremists are part of a syndicate of terror, with al Qaeda still being an inspiration, a funder, a trainer, an equipper, director of a lot of what goes on," Clinton told to German Der Spiegel newspaper in Berlin

When asked about the safety of Pakistan's nuclear weapons, Clinton said, "The nuclear arsenal that Pakistan has, I believe is secure. I think that the government and the military have taken adequate steps to protect that."

But "the safe haven that al Qaeda has found in Pakistan is very troubling", Clinton said, noting "they are still actively engaged with the elements of the Pakistani Taliban that are threatening the state of Pakistan".

Pakistan was now "evidencing" that the Taliban is their enemy as much as their long-held opposition to India, Clinton said in another interview on the Charlie Rose Show.

"Well, they're certainly evidencing that. This very forceful response, first in Swat, now in South Waziristan, illustrates a commitment to take on the Pakistani Taliban," she added.

OneIndia News