Musharraf 'faltering in pursuit of Al Qaida'

Washington: Political turmoil and a spate of brazen attacks by Taliban fighters are forcing Pakistan's president to scale back his government's pursuit of Al Qaida, according to US intelligence officials who fear the terrorist network will be able to accelerate its efforts to rebuild and plot new attacks.

The development threatens a pillar of US counter-terrorism strategy, which has depended on Pakistan to play a lead role in keeping Al Qaida under pressure to reduce its ability to coordinate future strikes.

President Pervez Musharraf, facing a potentially fateful election next month and confronting calls to yield power after years of autocratic rule, appears too vulnerable to pursue aggressive counter-terrorism operations at the behest of the United States, the intelligence officials said.

At the same time, the military has suffered a series of embarrassing setbacks at the hands of militants in tribal areas bordering Afghanistan where Osama Bin Laden and other Al Qaida figures are believed to be hiding.

US intelligence officials said the conditions that have allowed Al Qaida to regain strength are likely to persist, enabling it to continue training foreign fighters and plot new attacks.

"We are worried," said a senior US counter-terrorism official who closely monitors Pakistan's pursuit of Al Qaida in the rugged frontier region. The official, like others, spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to publicly discuss the matter.

"I think the prospect for aggressive action is probably not good, no matter what," said the official, referring to the federally administered tribal areas where Al Qaida is particularly strong. If Musharraf is removed from office or agrees to a power-sharing arrangement with political foes, the "change in government could well mean a diminution of cooperation on counter-terrorism", the official added.

A senior US intelligence official said Pakistani retrenchment appears to have begun.

"We're already beginning to see some signs of that," the official said, citing a recent series of reversals by the military.