In his interview, Gen. Musharraf says his government has been granted meager funding for its special operations against foreign terrorists and militants hiding near the Pakistani-Afghan border. The President also criticizes the command of the ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) in Afghanistan for failing to extend their control beyond the capital of Kabul and its outskirts and letting tribal elites rule in the Afghan hinterland.
According to President Musharraf, what Islamabad really needs now is not foreign troops, but funds for improving the living conditions of local Pushtu tribes living in the northwestern border provinces. These tribes are known to be sympathetic toward radical Islamic movements.
By building new schools, roads, and irrigation systems for the Pushtu tribes and improving conditions for their farming activity, we will encourage them to get rid of foreign extremists operating in their land, Gen. Musharraf points out.
