Musharraf: Bin Laden likely alive! Does the General know where?
Sonia Joshi, Special Correspondent
September 26, 2004

It is strong rumor in India and Pakistan that Osama Bin Laden is under complete protection of Pakistan Government. The Americans know that and are trying to woo Pakistanis in giving Bin Laden up in exchange money and strategic influence! Musharraf disagree and says vehemently that he is out there but not under Pakistani security. Many in India believe, Musharraf knows very well where Bin Laden is but keeps quiet about it to protect his own turf in Pakistan. He disagrees! 

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has said he has little doubt that Osama bin Laden is still alive but denied his own security service is aiding al Qaeda. In an interview with CNN on Friday, Musharraf said he is "reasonably sure" that bin Laden is still alive. He said the reason bin Laden is still at large is a combination of the terrain where he disappeared -- in remote eastern Afghanistan or western Pakistan -- and that "he has supporters" in the area where he is hiding. But Musharraf categorically denied that anyone in his country's security service is helping bin Laden in particular or al Qaeda in general. "Not at all. I''m sure if you ask your own intelligence organizations here, they would know the truth, how much they get [from] our intelligence organization," the president said. Musharraf also denied that the United States has been increasing pressure on Pakistan during the past few months to capture or kill bin Laden. "There is absolutely no pressure," Musharraf said, noting "It's a joint responsibility of the whole coalition, and also Pakistan, to eliminate terrorism from Pakistan." Musharraf was less enthusiastic in his support for the U.S. war in Iraq, saying the world is less safe in the wake of the invasion. But the Pakistani president stopped short of calling the invasion a mistake, saying, "I would say that it has ended up bringing more trouble to the world." Musharraf also said that because of the situation in Iraq, he does not foresee Pakistan sending troops to help with the effort.