Pakistan assured of U.S. cooperation

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President Bush yesterday reassured Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf that the U.S. is committed to cooperating with his country in the fight against terrorists — days after a leading Democratic presidential candidate made threatening comments about the region.

"President Bush stated that the United States fully respected Pakistan's sovereignty and appreciated Pakistan's resolve in fighting al Qaeda and other terrorist elements," the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said in a statement disclosing the phone call.

"[Mr. Bush] said that such statements were unsavory and often prompted by political considerations in an environment of electioneering. He agreed that such statements did not serve the interests of either country," the statement said.

White House officials confirmed that Mr. Bush made the phone call, but said the president did not criticize comments made by Democrats and a Republican this week.

"He didn't say anything about unsavory or electioneering or anything like that," a White House official said. "He said I know you've heard different things coming out of the system, basically, and you need to know we're going to work with you to defeat the terrorists."

On Wednesday, Sen. Barack Obama, Illinois Democrat, said that if Pakistan did not take stronger action to capture and kill al Qaeda fighters on its border with Afghanistan, as president he would send U.S. troops into the region unilaterally, with or without permission from Mr. Musharraf's government.

In Pakistan's legislature, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Sher Afghan said he planned a debate next week of U.S. criticisms of Pakistan's efforts in the global war on terrorism.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Khursheed Kasuri, in an interview with Associated Press Television, took aim at Mr. Obama's statement that, if elected, he would be prepared to take military action against any terrorists hiding inside Pakistan whether Islamabad approved or not.

"It's a very irresponsible statement, that's all I can say," Mr. Kasuri said. "As the election campaign in America is heating up, we would not like American candidates to fight their elections at our expense."

Mr. Obama wasn't the only presidential candidate to rile the region. A day after Mr. Obama's comments,Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, New York Democrat, said she would not rule out the use of nuclear weapons in fighting terrorists.

One Republican presidential candidate, Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado, repeated a pledge that if the U.S. were attacked by terrorists again, he would consider dropping a nuclear bomb on the Saudi Arabian city of Mecca, which Muslims consider to be the most holy city in the world.

The State Department, which usually steers clear of U.S. political debates, yesterday asked presidential candidates from both parties to tread carefully when addressing sensitive diplomatic issues.

Mr. Tancredo's comments drew the strongest condemnation from the U.S. State Department.

"Those who wish to hold office can speak for themselves and whoever is elected in 2008 and comes into office in 2009 will then be in a position to talk about what they intend or plan to do," said deputy spokesman Tom Casey, a career Foreign Service officer.

"It is absolutely outrageous and reprehensible for anyone to suggest attacks on holy sites, whether they are Muslim, Christian, Jewish or those of any other religion," Mr. Casey said.

Saying he would "let Representative Tancredo speak for himself," Mr. Casey told reporters, "To somehow suggest that an appropriate response to terrorism would be to attack sites that are holy and sacred to more than a billion people throughout the world is absolutely crazy."

The White House consistently refuses to comment on the 2008 presidential race, saying Mr. Bush does not want to be "pundit in chief."

The offices of both Mr. Obama and Mrs. Clinton did not return calls seeking comment.