Bush willing to send troops after Osama in Pakistan

WASHINGTON: US President George W Bush would be "absolutely" willing to send American soldiers into Pakistan if he had solid intelligence on the whereabouts of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

The US has been actively hunting for Osama bin Laden since the September 2001 terrorist attacks, and he is widely believed to be hiding in the rugged terrain along the Afghan-Pakistani border.

When asked during an interview on CNN Wednesday, Bush said he "absolutely" would order US troops into Pakistan to snatch or kill bin Laden if he had good intelligence.

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, a close US ally in the war on terrorism, has refused to allow US troops combating Al Qaeda and Taliban remnants in Afghanistan to cross into his territory because of domestic opposition.

Musharraf, who is scheduled to meet with Bush Friday, told reporters in New York that Pakistan would not allow US troops to pursue Osama bin Laden in his country.

"We wouldn't like to allow that at all," he said. "We will do it ourselves."