Top U.S. military commander says top leadership of Al Qaida still in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, July 24 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral Michael Mullen has said that he believed the top leadership of Al Qaeda, including Osama Bin Laden, was still in Pakistan, local newspaper reported Friday.

Talking to Al Jazeera TV on Thursday, Mullen said Al Qaeda was on top of the U.S. list of priorities and threats around the world.

When asked why the United States was not in FATA, or the Federally Administered Tribal Areas in northwestern Pakistan, despite having the knowledge that Al Qaeda was present there, he said, "Because FATA is in Pakistan and Pakistan is a sovereign country and we don't go into sovereign countries."

He said Al Qaeda could strike the U.S. from FATA therefore the top objective of the current U.S. strategy was to defeat it, adding that Washington did not have any troops on ground in Pakistan chasing the Taliban.

"We have had trainers there for a significant period of time totrain their trainers, which is an ongoing support function that isactually moving in the right direction," he said, adding that some of the U.S. troops were special forces and some were general purpose troops.

Mullen said there had been a positive shift across Pakistan, especially its military, in recent months against the Taliban.

"One of the things that has happened in Pakistan in recent months and weeks is the Pakistani military - really in response tothe people of Pakistan - and the government of Pakistan have taken the threat against them very, very seriously," the U.S. joint chief of staff said.

However, Mullen said the Taliban could be politically engaged in the long run. "I think at some point in the long-term, they become part of the political process."