U.S. pledges to help Pakistan fight extremism

CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) - The United States praised Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf as a committed partner against terrorism and pledged after his resignation on Monday to keep a good relationship with the new government and fight extremism together.

The White House said President George W. Bush looked forward to working with Pakistan on the economic, political and security challenges it faces.

"President Bush appreciates President Musharraf's efforts in the democratic transition of Pakistan as well as his commitment to fighting al Qaeda and extremist groups," White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said in Texas, where Bush is at his ranch.

Musharraf resigned on Monday to avoid impeachment charges nearly nine years after taking office in a coup. He was an important ally for Washington in the U.S.-declared "war on terror" and Pakistan received billions of dollars in U.S. counterterrorism aid during his government.

Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani visited the White House last month and had sought to reassure Bush that his government was committed to securing the border with Afghanistan, where al Qaeda and the Taliban pose a threat.

"We're confident that we will maintain a good relationship with the government of Pakistan," Johndroe said.

But U.S. officials have recently voiced frustration with Pakistan's efforts as the Taliban and al Qaeda regrouped in its remote tribal areas, where some American officials and analysts say al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden is hiding.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice praised Musharraf for having made the "critical choice" to join the battle against al Qaeda, the Taliban and other extremists.

"President Musharraf took his country a long way in turning it back from the extremism that was starting to characterize it at the time of 2001, September 11, 2001," she told reporters en route to Brussels.

"Obviously it's a fragile situation in Pakistan because it's a new civilian government for the first time in a long time in Pakistan, since 1999, and so our effort is to support that government, strengthen it," Rice said.

U.S. presidential candidates hoping to succeed Bush into the White House after November elections also weighed in and said Musharraf stepping down should bring more political stability to Pakistan.

"U.S. policy must focus on assuring that all elements of Pakistan's government are resolute in shutting down the safe havens for al Qaeda and the Taliban," Democrat Barack Obama said.

His Republican rival, John McCain, said: "Pakistan is a critical theater in countering the threat of al Qaeda and violent Islamic extremism, and I look forward to the government increasing its future cooperation."

NO ASYLUM TALKS

Speculation Musharraf would resign had mounted since Pakistan's fractious coalition government, led by the party of assassinated former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, said this month it planned to impeach him.

Last November, Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte told Congress that Musharraf was an "indispensable" ally in the war on terrorism.

Asked how Washington could now do without him, State Department spokesman Robert Wood said, "The war against extremism is bigger than any one person."

Bush has not spoken with Musharraf since his resignation was announced, and the United States was not involved in any asylum discussions with the Pakistani leader, Johndroe said.

(Additional reporting by Susan Cornwell in Washington and David Alexander in Brussels; editing by Cynthia Osterman)