Arms, Fuel Seen Smuggled to Taliban
Thursday, 1-Nov-2001, 12:53 PM ET

WASHINGTON, Nov 1 (AP) -- Arms and fuel are probably being smuggled from Pakistan to the Taliban militia in Afghanistan, but without the approval of the Pakistani government, senior U.S. officials said Thursday.

The border between the two countries is a long one, comparable to the distance between Chicago and Texas, and difficult to patrol, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

American diplomats are holding consultations with the government in Islamabad in an effort to tighten controls, the official said.

The Washington Times reported Thursday that the Taliban militia are receiving covert aid from Pakistan despite the governments backing for American military operations against the Taliban and the al-Qaida terrorism network harbored in Afghanistan.

The Times said the weapons and fuel were being sent with the help of the elements of the Pakistani government. The newspaper attributed its information to unnamed officials familiar with intelligence reports of the transfers.

Pakistani officials denied any official government involvement in fuel shipments to Afghanistan. However, the officials, speaking Thursday only on condition of anonymity, acknowledged fuel is smuggled into Afghanistan from Pakistan, as well as from other Central Asian neighbors such as Iran.

Condoleezza Rice , President Bushs spokeswoman, was asked about the Times report but did not directly respond to it: ``We believe were getting good cooperation with the Pakistanis and that they are doing what they can to avoid the situation that you are talking about.

A senior White House official said afterward that the United States does not believe the Pakistan government is behind the smuggling, but acknowledged that the country has a difficult time protecting its borders.

Pakistan has had close ties with the Taliban. After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, President Pervez Musharraf pledged his governments support for the U.S. campaign in Afghanistan

Massive anti-U.S. demonstrations against the United States have placed pressure on Musharraf. He has called for an early conclusion to the U.S. bombing and is reaching out to secular political parties, apparently hoping to broaden his base.

The Times said the trade takes place at night, with trucks transporting the goods from Quetta to the Pakistani border town of Chaman and then on to Kandahar, a Taliban stronghold and a target of American military operations.