The commander of U-S forces in Afghanistan, General Tommy Franks, says Washington's top priority is to prevent new acts of terror around the world.
Speaking to reporters in Islamabad, Pakistan, today (Saturday), General Franks said U-S intelligence experts are busy gathering information by sifting through seized material and interrogating hundreds of prisoners.
He said he does not know the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden, the suspected leader of the al-Qaida terrorist network, and deposed Taleban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar. But he said U-S forces and their Afghan allies continue to hunt for them.
When asked about the tense military standoff between India and Pakistan, General Franks said he hopes the two nuclear rivals are not close to war. But he said he has no plans to move American troops from Pakistan. U-S forces have been using air bases in Pakistan for the military campaign in Afghanistan.
General Franks spoke after a brief visit Friday to the Afghan capital, Kabul, where he held security talks with senior officials of the country's interim government.
Afghan interim leader Hamid Karzai is heading to the United States, where he will meet with President Bush and other senior U-S officials. Prime Minister Karzai is expected to receive assurances that the United States has a long-term commitment to his country.