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Al Qaeda divided? ‘Bin Laden, Zawahri operating separately’

* Musharraf says Taliban is Afghanistan’s headache
* Al Qaeda and Taliban leadership is in Afghanistan
* Pakistan willing to talk to Israel for independent Palestinian state

ABU DHABI: Various reports suggest that Al Qaeda leaders Osama Bin Laden and Ayman Al-Zawahri have developed differences and are operating separately now, President General Pervez Musharraf said on Wednesday

In an exclusive interview with Al-Arabia television, Musharraf said the Taliban is solely Afghanistan’s problem and rumours that the Al Qaeda leadership is in Pakistan are a distortion of facts. He said that a perception is being created that the Taliban is more of Pakistan’s problem than Afghanistan, which is not true. He said that Pakistan could help Afghanistan by taking action against Pakistan-based religious parties who were providing funds to the Taliban. The president said that the Pakistani government would closely monitor Afghan refugee camps set up near the Pak-Afghan border, but the Afghan government should also take practical measures in this respect.

President Musharraf said that Al Qaeda leaders Osama Bin Laden and Ayman Al-Zawahri were in Afghanistan and the Taliban were being supported by Jalaluddin Haqqani and Mulla Dadullah, who were also in Afghanistan, therefore the Afghan government should capture them instead of accusing Pakistan of harbouring terrorists.

He said that Pakistan wanted peace in Afghanistan because a stable Afghanistan was in the interest of Pakistan and other countries in the region. Musharraf said that Pakistan had taken several measures against terrorism and the world community acknowledged Pakistan’s efforts. Musharraf said the peace agreement in Waziristan had yielded positive results and those criticising the deal had no knowledge of the ground reality.

On relations with Israel, the president said that Pakistan does not have diplomatic relations with Israel, but is willing to talk with Israel for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. He said that settlement of the Palestine issue was vital for durable peace in the Middle East. On former Iraqi president Saddam Hussain’s hanging, Musharraf said that the manner and timing of Saddam’s hanging was inappropriate. He added that Pakistan does not support military offensive against Iran.

In response to another question, the president said the Pakistan People’s Party was one of the largest political parties in Pakistan, but the government had not made any deal with it. online

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