Taken Questions
Office of the Spokesman
Washington, DC
November 2, 2001
Taken Question from November 2, 2001 Daily Press Briefing

Pakistan: Smuggling of Help for the Taliban

Question: Have we discussed smuggling from Pakistan to Afghanistan with the Government of Pakistan? How do we characterize their response? How much smuggling takes place? Is it significant enough to affect our efforts to defeat the Taliban?

Answer: This has been one of a number of issues we have discussed with Pakistan related to ending the use of Afghanistan as a haven for terrorists. As with other issues, the Pakistani leadership has been cooperative and forthcoming.

There is a long tradition of smuggling across the long Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Also, there is currently more confusion than normal along what has always been a lengthy and hard-to-control boundary, given military operations inside Afghanistan and groups of people seeking refuge in Pakistan. It is difficult to determine how much,. If any, shipment of war material to the Taliban from Pakistan is occurring. It is very unlikely, if this is taking place, that it is significant enough to affect our efforts to defeat the Taliban.

2001/859

Released on November 3, 2001

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