WASHINGTON: "Musharraf did a great thing for...His country, he took off the uniform, he brought them back to civilian rule. He really did set them on a course that was not an extremist course," Rice said. Rice said that threats by Afghanistan to pursue Taliban insurgents across the border into Pakistan were "not wise" and instead called for cooperation between the two nations.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai had angered Pakistan when he threatened cross-border action as a right of "self-defence" against Taliban forces. "I think it's probably not wise to talk about Afghan cross-border operations," Rice said. "I think it's better that Pakistan and Afghanistan cooperate on their respective sides of the border," she said.

"There are Taliban operating in Afghanistan who have to be defeated. And there are Taliban who are operating in Pakistan, and they have to be defeated, too. But I think it's probably better that the respective governments deal with their own problems."

Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi condemned Karzai's "irresponsible, threatening" comments and said Pakistan would "defend its territorial sovereignty." Rice was ALSO asked as to why the US had not called for the restoration of the judicial system and of the perception in Pakistan that the "studious silence" on the issue is a vote of support for Musharraf . "...An independent judiciary is critical to democracy.

There are some issues, because this one is highly politically charged in Pakistan, and I think that we have always believed that after the elections, this will be worked out in course between Pakistanis," Rice said. "... I don't know how this would turn out if the judiciary were to come back into being, because one doesn't know under what circumstances or how they would do it," she said.