Report: al-Qaida on rise in Pakistan

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 (UPI) -- A top U.S. military leader says Pakistan must act quickly to reduce al-Qaida's growing influence in that country and elsewhere in the world.

The Pentagon is extremely concerned about al-Qaida's ability to train terrorists and finance its global operations from hideouts within Pakistan, Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

In an interview with The Washington Times Friday, Mullen urged Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf to contain al-Qaida and launch more military operations along his shared border with Afghanistan.

Mullen said the Pentagon is debating whether to send another 3,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan, the Times reported. Currently, more than 26,000 U.S. soldiers are stationed in Afghanistan.