Pakistan army says US military not welcome

The Pakistani military reacted angrily Sunday to reports that U.S. President George W. Bush is considering covert military operations in the country's volatile tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.

"It is not up to the U.S. administration, it is Pakistan's government who is responsible for this country," chief military spokesman Major General Waheed Arshad told AFP.

"There are no overt or covert U.S. operations inside Pakistan. Such reports are baseless and we reject them."

The New York Times, in a lengthy report posted late Saturday, has quoted senior U.S. officials as saying the Bush administration is considering expanding the authority of the CIA and the military to conduct far more aggressive covert operations in Pakistan.

Citing senior Bush administration officials who spoke off the record, the daily said that while no decisions had been made, the options under discussion included the CIA working with the military's Special Operations forces.

Several participants in a meeting on Friday argued that the threat to President Pervez Musharraf's government was now so acute that Musharraf and the country's military leadership were likely to grant Washington more latitude, the Times said.

Pakistan's western tribal belt is seen as a safe haven for Taliban and al-Qaeda militants who carry out attacks in Afghanistan, as well as the most likely hideout for Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

The United States now has about 50 soldiers in Pakistan, according to the NY Times report.

The new plan was reportedly discussed by Vice President Richard Cheney, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and national security aides in the wake of the December 27 assassination of Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto.