By Judy Aita
Washington File United Nations Correspondent

United Nations -- Pakistan will do all it can to prevent terrorists from using its territory to disrupt the Afghan presidential election October 9, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf said September 22.

In his address to the 59th General Assembly session as well as in talks with President Bush, Secretary of State Colin Powell, and Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Musharraf discussed the importance of the Afghan elections and the overall fight against terrorism.

"What we want to do is create a safe environment inside Afghanistan for the upcoming elections on the 9th of October and that was a principle point of discussion with President Musharraf," Powell told journalists at a press conference September 22.

The U.S. leaders expressed appreciation and support for Musharraf's efforts in rooting out terrorist sanctuaries in remote Pakistani provinces along the Afghan border, Powell said.

Powell said that the United States "encouraged President Musharraf to continue to go after al-Qaida elements that may be operating in the border area, as well as and perhaps even more importantly, Taliban elements that might be operating in the tribal areas."

"We all would like to find Osama bin Laden tomorrow," Powell added. "But he is pretty good at remaining hidden. And he is, I think to some extent, a problem, but is quite isolated in his ability to move around. Nevertheless he is a danger."

"President Musharraf is fully aware of our desire to see him [bin Laden] brought to justice," the secretary said.

Pakistani military and other security forces have been actively trying to root out extremists -- Taliban, al-Qaida, and Uzbek forces along with the al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden -- in the provinces of North Wazuristan and South Wazuristan. It is the first major offensive in that tough, remote region in over 100 years. Using a combination of military, civilian agents, and school building and road construction projects, the government hopes not only to eliminate the terrorists but also bring that part of Pakistan into society, said a senior U.S. official speaking on the condition of anonymity.

President Bush was particularly interested in that long-term commitment to root out terrorism and the two leaders discussed that commitment at length during their one-hour meeting, said the senior official who attended the meeting.

"It is President Musharraf's assessment that they're keeping these terrorist elements on their back heel and taking the fight right to their headquarters," the U.S. official said.

In the past two months, Pakistani forces have suffered between 190 and 200 casualties battling terrorists, but have taken out some important al-Qaida extremist elements, the senior U.S. official said. President Bush expressed his appreciation for the efforts and condolences for the losses to Pakistan's president.

Bush and Musharraf also discussed the Pakistani president's efforts to work with other secular Muslim states such as Malaysia and Turkey to have enlightened scholars interpret Islam, the U.S. official said.

Musharraf explained that because Islam is a religion that should be timeless, it should be adapted to the times. The problem is that many of the more extreme mullahs are trying to turn the clock back two centuries, the official said.

In his General Assembly address, Musharraf also discussed the two-pronged strategy of fighting military and ideological battles against extremists.

The plan, he said, "involves on the one hand, internal socio-economic reform in the Muslim world and, on the other active support from the major powers to ensure political justice and socio-economic revival for all Islamic peoples."

"The industrialized world must support the endeavor for an Islamic renaissance especially through adequate financial and technical assistance and larger trade opportunities," he said.

"For many of us, the terrorist threat is close and personal," the Pakistani leader told the General Assembly. And even though global cooperation against the terrorists has been successful in many aspects, "what we are doing is insufficient to win the ultimate war against them," he added.

"The immediate anti-terrorist response has to be accompanied by a clear, long-term strategy striking at the root of the problem if we are to ensure final success against this scourge," Musharraf said.