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Ananova; BBC. 28 December 2001. Pakistan to pull troops from Afghan border to confront India; Pakistan voices war fears. Pakistan, facing possible war with India, is to pull its troops from the Afghan border. It is feared this move may leave fleeing al-Qaida fighters and possibly Osama bin Laden free to escape from pursuing British and American special forces. Islamabad told the US it needs to move its troops from its western border with Afghanistan to its eastern frontiers with India. A military official said Pakistan particularly needs the Jacobabad air base in southern Sindh province, where the concentration of Indian troops is largest. Pakistani officials have warned that a major war with India is a strong possibility unless there is a serious international effort to defuse tensions between the two countries. Security officials have told the BBC they believe that 95% of the Indian air force is now in an offensive position - in addition to the existing heavy deployment of troops along the border. They say the deployment is even bigger than that witnessed during the brief conflict in the Kargil sector of the disputed territory of Kashmir two years ago. Pakistan's military spokesman, General Rashid Qureshi, said the nature of the Indian deployment suggested a desire for offensive action, and that India would find it difficult to back down. Reports from Indian-administered Kashmir say troops from both sides shelled each other during Thursday night for several hours. The BBC's Zaffar Abbas says Pakistani officials claim to have picked up indications of a possible Indian air strike on the night of 21 December, though this has not been independently verified. The two countries have announced a number of sanctions against each other. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Barry Stoller http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ProletarianNews ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: [email protected] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9WB2D Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
