Ambassador Jehangir Karamat on Fox News-Transcript

FOX Facts: Sunday, November 28, 2004: 1015 hrs
Topic: 'The Hunt For Osama bin Laden'
Guest: Mr. Jehangir Karamat, Pakistan Ambassador to
United States

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Anchorperson:
PULLING hundreds of troops from the tribal areas near Afghanistan at the place where Osma bin Laden and his top aides are believed to be hiding out. The move to pull troops comes after Pakistan's military brass struck a deal with tribal leaders in that area. But, will this whole effort help find the terror mastermind?.

Joining us now from D.C. is Ambassador Jehangir Karamat, Pakistani Ambassador to the United States, just back from Pakistan.

Welcome, Ambassador. Thanks for being with us.

Amb. Karamat: Thank you, Karen.

Anchorperson: Paint the picture for us, if you can,about why Pakistan decided to enter in this agreement to pull troops from that area?

Amb. Karamat: It's not really troops being pulled out of the area. Actually, you alternate intelligence and military operations in a situation like that.Troops are still there. They have been combing the area for almost two years, now. And, I think, what's happening now is that the troops are being pulled out from the deployed positions. They are going to remain in the area, and intelligence operations are going to be emphasized much more - with the troops ready to react at very very short notice. So, they're going to be right there.

Anchorperson: Well, some of the military leaders were quoted to have said that the move of withdrawing these hundreds of troops that were in these areas, are the tense tribal region near Afghanistan. They said, quote "in return for the support of the tribesmen in operations against foreign miscreants." unquote. So, does this mean the tribal elders are going to be more successful at stopping of these foreign terrorists that have made this area their hideout?

Amb. Karamat: Karen. We've been talking to the tribal leaders all along. And, the effort has been to get them to cooperate and of course, the military operation has been enormously
successful. What's really left is a handful of militants, may be, 60 or 70, who are dispersed and are on the run. And, you need intelligence, you need the cooperation of the tribal leaders and the tribal people to move things along,and to be able to get information, on which troops could react. The cooperation of the tribal leaders is very very important. We have reached agreement to ensure that.

Anchorperson: Sir, so basically, it's the tribal elders want the troops out of their territory, as it works. But, in exchange, they're willing to give information on Osama bin Laden and other terrorists that could be hiding out there?

Amb. Karamat: Actually, it's not so much of troops moving out of the area, because that's not going to happen. The troops are going to be staying on there. Because, that's the only way they can react at short notice. I think, what we're doing, or what we want to do, is not to be deployed or tied down to positions; and, be able to move freely, because, as I said, the militants are now on the run, and we need to be mobile and able to move. And, yes. We're expecting them [tribal leaders] to give information. Because, so far,in the two years that the military has been combing the area, you haven't had any sightings, you haven't had any information, you haven't really had anything on Osama bin Laden being in that area.

Anchorperson: So, how would it change that, in the hunt for Osama bin Laden?

Amb. Karamat: There is surveillance in the area. The intelligence operations are going to be much more intensive, and we're going to have rapid reaction force, probably heli-borne, available right behind areas where he could be, if at all, he's there.

Anchorperson: It'll be interesting to see how this new strategy plays on. I want to thank you for joining Ambassador Jehangir Karamat, Pakistani Ambassador to the United States. Thanks.

Amb. Karamat: Thank you. Thank you, Karen.

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