Af-Pak border is 'modern epicentre' of 'jihad': US defence secretary

Strongly opposing any move to withdraw the US troops, defence secretary Robert Gates today said that such a decision would allow al-Qaeda to gain a foothold in Afghanistan and described the tribal region between Af-Pak border as the "modern epicentre" of jihad.

Any withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan, before the mission to defeat al-Qaeda and the Taliban is achieved, would bolster the Islamic radical movement in other parts of the globe, Gates said in an interview with CNN before an audience at George Washington University.

The Afghan-Pakistan border "is the modern epicentre of jihad," he said.

Gates remarks come as the Obama administration as reviewing its new Af-Pak policy and demands by the generals for inducting more forces into Afghanistan. An equally strong lobby in Washington is opposing the move to send more troops.

The defence secretary said the terrorists groups are aiming to deal the same fate to the US forces like that of the Russians, referring to the Soviet defeat in the 1980s at the hands of Islamist fighters.

"It's a hugely empowering message... should they be successful," Gates said of the desire of the Taliban to take back Afghanistan. The al-Qaeda leaders believe "they now have the ability to defeat a second superpower," Gates said in a joint interview given with secretary of state Hillary Clinton.

He warned that if Taliban regained control of significant portions of the country, "that would be added space for al-Qaeda to strengthen itself" and embark on expanded recruitment and fund raising activities there.

"The reality is, because of our inability — and the inability, frankly, of our allies — to put enough troops into Afghanistan, the Taliban do have the momentum right now, it seems," he said.

Meanwhile, leading American daily The Washington Post today warned that a Taliban victory would be catastrophic for the US and its allies and insisted the Obama administration should focus on routing out the Taliban and al-Qaeda from the Af-Pak region; even if it requires years of patience.

"Defeating the Taliban and fostering an Afghan government and army that can stabilise the country are daunting tasks that will require years of patience," it said in a lead editorial.

"Whether or not al-Qaeda regains its pre-9/11 haven, a Taliban victory would be a catastrophe for the United States and its allies," The Post said.

The paper said the Taliban was fragmented, with some bits focused on Afghanistan and others on Pakistan - though all are headquartered in Pakistan. "But there is considerable evidence that the groups coordinate their actions."