(7 May 2009)
1. US Defense Secretary Robert Gates arriving at news conference
2. Wide of Gates
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Robert Gates, US Defense Secretary
"I think that the Taliban in Pakistan overreached with their offensive in Buner district, coming within dozens of kilometres of Islamabad. I think it has served as an alarm for the Pakistani government that these violent extremists in the western part of Pakistan are a significant danger to the government of Pakistan. And so we have seen in the last week or two significant Pakistani military action against the Taliban in Buner district, and clear recognition that the agreement in Swat has failed, and so personally I have been very satisfied with the strong response that the Pakistani government and army have taken in response to this. And I think that there is very little chance for the Taliban in Pakistan achieving a level of success that would give them access to Pakistan's nuclear weapons."
4. Mid of Gates
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Robert Gates, US Defense Secretary
"I believe that the reaction of the Pakistani army shows their recognition of the danger that exists in the western part of the country, and I do not anticipate at all that there will be American troops going into Pakistan from Afghanistan to deal with this problem. Our goal is to work with the Pakistani army, with the Pakistani government as they deal with this problem, and we are willing to do all we can to help them."
6. Wide of Gates
7. Gates leaving
STORYLINE:
US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the Taliban "overreached" when they advanced on a district of Pakistan just outside the capital city of Islamabad.
Gates, visiting next-door Afghanistan, told reporters he was encouraged that the Pakistani Army were taking on the Taliban.
He said there was "very little chance" that the Taliban could grow strong enough in Pakistan to ever gain control of that country's nuclear weapons.
Gates ruled out the possibility that US troops could be sent into Pakistan from Afghanistan to battle militants there.
The US defense secretary was in Afghanistan to see how US forces were preparing for a new push against the Taliban and related militant groups there.
Much of his trip has been overshadowed by claims of civilian deaths from a US air strike last weekend.
Gates offered a new expression of US regret for that incident, but stopped short of taking blame.

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