Pelosi, U.S. congressional delegation meet President Musharraf in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke with Pakistan's president about the situation in neighboring Afghanistan here Saturday, a Pakistani official said.

The visit came less than three weeks after the House passed legislation that would link U.S. military aid to Pakistan's commitment to combatting Taliban militants -- a measure some fear could strain relations between the two nations, allies in the war against al-Qaida and other terror groups.

Pelosi, D-Calif., and her delegation met with President Gen. Pervez Musharraf shortly after landing in Islamabad, the nation's capital, the U.S. Embassy and a government official said. Neither the U.S. delegation nor Musharraf was scheduled to make any public comment.

"Both sides discussed ... the situation in Afghanistan, and Nancy Pelosi appreciated Pakistani security agencies' role in the war on terror," said an official with Musharraf's office, who requested anonymity because he is not an official spokesman.

Musharraf, the official said, also told Pelosi that "a stable, strong and prosperous Afghanistan was in Pakistan's interest" and that Islamabad was doing everything possible to secure its border with Afghanistan.

John Negroponte, the outgoing national intelligence director, called Pakistan a haven for al-Qaida and Taliban militants in congressional testimony earlier this month. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry countered that the country has done more to fight al-Qaida than any other.

Congressional Democrats have proposed a bill that would link American aid for Pakistan's military to its commitment to combating resurgent Taliban militants. The bill would require President Bush to certify that Islamabad is doing its best to counter Taliban operations in Pakistan and secure its long Afghan frontier.

Failure to do that would cut off some financial aid to Pakistan's military, though the president could waive the provision in the interests of U.S. national security.

The measure raised concerns here.

The Senate must still consider the bill, and U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state John Gastright said Friday in Islamabad that the Bush administration opposes the measure.

Gastright said Pelosi's decision to visit Pakistan with her first congressional delegation showed that she shared the U.S. government's keen interest in close ties with Pakistan and its military president.

"We'll want to work with her so that she realizes that that provision is not necessary," Gastright said.

"The United States is greatly appreciative of the superb efforts that Pakistan has taken" against extremists, he said.

The U.S. delegation, which arrived in Pakistan after a stop in Iraq, was expected to continue to Afghanistan. Details of that leg of their trip have not been made public.