Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
Voice of America is funded by the US Federal Government and content it
exclusively produces is in the public domain.
July 2, 2008

US Envoy: Washington Supports Pakistan's Talks With Tribal Leaders, Not Taliban Commander 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=1CF4532:A6F02AD83191E160EA8DC346C9BD0053F47489ACC27D21EE&
 
Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher says US supports
negotiations with tribes in Pakistan but does not support making
concessions to militants 
A senior U.S. diplomat says Washington supports Pakistan's talks with
tribal leaders, but does not approve of negotiations with the country's
top Taliban commander. US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher,
right, shakes hands with Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood
Qureshi during their meeting in Islamabad, 02 Jul 2008Assistant
Secretary of State Richard
Boucher said in Islamabad Wednesday that the U.S does not
support making concessions to militants like Baitullah Mehsud.Mehsud
is accused of masterminding the suicide attack that killed former Prime
Minister Benazir Bhutto last year. Pakistan's government opened
low-level talks with him earlier this year, but he suspended the
discussions because of a military operation into the northwestern
Khyber agency this week.Boucher said the operation is very welcome.
Pakistani
officials said today they have arrested 52 militants in the operation
to secure Khyber's Bara area. The area is near the city of Peshawar and
a supply route for U.S. and NATO forces in neighboring Afghanistan. In
Bajaur agency, north of Khyber, security officials say two people were
killed and two wounded today when a missile fired from Afghanistan
landed near a border post. It is unclear whether the missile was fired
by Taliban militants or international forces fighting them.Some
information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.


.