Pakistan may pull troops off Afghan border

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Pakistan told the United States on Friday it may need to pull away troops patrolling its border with Afghanistan to deal with a possible conflict with India, according to Pakistani officials. The move likely would seriously hamper the hunt for Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaida fighters.

Soon after the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States, Pakistan won praise from Washington for joining the U.S.-led war against terrorism, deploying more troops to the Afghan border to watch for Taliban or al-Qaida incursions.

Now the escalation of tensions with India appears to have undercut Pakistan's ability and willingness to devote so many resources to a campaign that is far from over even though the Taliban have been ousted and only pockets of Osama bin Laden followers remain in neighboring Afghanistan.

On Friday, a senior Pakistani army official and a Pakistani diplomatic source said Islamabad might not be able to provide crucial logistical support to U.S. and British troops in Afghanistan in the event of a military conflict with India. Speaking on condition of anonymity, they said Pakistan might need to shift the bulk of its forces on the Afghan border -- about 30,000 to 40,000 soldiers -- to the Indian border.