Musharraf: US losing 'war of minds'

Musharraf could cause embarrassment in London

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has called for the US bombing campaign to be kept short, warning that coalition is losing the propaganda battle with the Taleban regime in Afghanistan.

It is being perceived in the whole world as if this were a war against the poor, miserable and innocent people of Afghanistan

President Pervez Musharraf

He said the military campaign was being perceived around the world as a war against the poor and innocent in Afghanistan.

"One would desire it to be short and targeted," he said after meeting French leaders in Paris.

General Musharraf said he would ask US President George Bush to suspend the bombing during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which begins on 17 November.

Washington has so far refused to stop bombing Afghanistan during Ramadan in its continuing attempts to flush out Osama Bin Laden's al-Qaeda network.

The Pakistani leader is in Paris on a diplomatic tour that will also take him to London and New York.

The BBC's Nick Robinson says that if he repeats his call to end the bombing when he meets UK Prime Minister Tony Blair later on Thursday it will be a considerable embarrassment for Mr Blair.

Massive debt

General Musharraf earlier pledged to continue to back the US-led war on terrorism including sharing intelligence information.

It is his first trip outside Pakistan since the 11 September attacks and will end with an address to the United Nations General Assembly on 10 November.

The general knows that further strikes will stoke Islamic hostility

In his meeting with Mr Chirac, President Musharraf raised the issue of Pakistan's massive foreign debt and asked for international aid.

"France supports international aid efforts towards Pakistan, notably in the programme of aid and reforms under discussion at the World Trade Organisation," President Chirac said in response.

Pakistan is hoping to be rewarded for its support to the ongoing campaign against the Taleban and has already received aid packages from the IMF and the Asian Development Bank.

Islamabad has supported the US operation in Afghanistan and given concrete help, but not without misgivings.

Although the president's position seems to have strengthened since the war began, he is clearly aware of the potential of continued bombing to stoke Muslim hostility.