More intelligence needed on Pak terrorists: US

The Bush administration isn8217;t satisfied with the quality of information it8217;s getting about terrorist groups operating...

The Bush administration isn8217;t satisfied with the quality of information it8217;s getting about terrorist groups operating in Pakistan8217;s volatile tribal area, a senior US official said on Tuesday.

Despite the shortcomings, the US won8217;t conduct military strikes on its own inside Pakistan unless President Pervez Musharraf8217;s Government requests such direct support, said Dell Dailey, the State Department8217;s counterterrorism chief.

8220;There8217;s gaps in intelligence,8221; Dailey said during a breakfast meeting with reporters. 8220;We don8217;t have enough information about what8217;s going on there. Not on al-Qaeda. Not on foreign fighters. Not on the Taliban.8221;

Dailey, a retired Army lieutenant general with extensive background in special operations, said the lack of information makes him 8220;uncomfortable8221;. Yet the solution to the problem rests mainly with the Pakistanis, who would likely see too much US involvement as an unwelcome intrusion.

8220;We have to be careful conducting operations in a sovereign country, particularly one that8217;s a friend of ours and one that has given us a lot of support,8221; Dailey said. 8220;The blowback would be pretty serious.8221;

Dailey8217;s comments came on the same day that Islamic militants in Pakistan attacked a fort near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, sparking fighting with government forces that left at least five troops and 37 fighters dead, the Pakistani army said.

The attack occurred in South Waziristan, a lawless tribal region where al-Qaeda and Taliban-linked militants operate. Musharraf played down the impact of recent attacks in the region, saying on Tuesday they were 8220;pinpricks8221; that his government must manage. Aside from political repercussions of the US acting unilaterally, Dailey said trying to blend even highly skilled US commandos into such a hostile area is highly risky. Even a seemingly innocuous mistake, such as wearing a piece of clothing incorrectly, could tip off the enemy and undermine the mission.

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8220;Folks like the special operations forces are pretty darn good, but the potential to be detected is pretty high,8221; Dailey said. 8220;So unless it8217;s a very, very, very focused effort, it8217;s pretty tough to be immediately effective.8221; Pakistan8217;s new military chief, Gen Ashfaq Kayani, has already shown he8217;s an aggressive commander and US officials are confident he will make progress. If Pakistanis ask for assistance, the US will provide it, Dailey said.