Bush, Gates Prod Pakistan

President Bush: “President Musharraf has been a strong fighter against extremists and radicals. Our hope now is that he hurry back to elections. All we can do is continue to work with the president as well as others in the Pak government to make it abundantly clear the position of the United States.”

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates: “I think we're looking at all forms of assistance in terms of what requirements there may be in terms of action. We also want to be mindful of the fact that Pakistan continues to be an extremely important ally in the war on terror, so we have an interest in an ongoing security relationship.”