Bush holds security meeting on Pakistan

Source: Xinhua | 12-29-2007 07:49

WASHINGTON, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President George W. Bush held a meeting of his national security advisors on Friday to discuss the situation in Pakistan in the wake of the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said.

"The president received a briefing from the intelligence community as well as from United States Ambassador to Pakistan Anne Patterson, who is in Islamabad," Stanzel said, adding that the meeting was held through secure videoconference as Bush is vacationing in his ranch in Crawford, Texas.

"The president told his senior national security team that the United States needs to support democracy in Pakistan and help Pakistan in its struggle against extremism and terrorism," Stanzelsaid.

In addition to Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, CIA Director Michael Hayden, National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley, and other officials were involved in the videoconference, Stanzel said.

Bhutto was killed Thursday evening in a suicide attack during her election rally at the Liaquat Bagh park in Rawalpindi, some 30km south from Islamabad. The United States has strongly condemned the assassination.

Pakistan, under the leadership of President Pervez Musharraf, has been a close ally of the United States on the war against terrorism.

Editor:Zhang Pengfei