US Vice President Joe Biden says his greatest concern is not Afghanistan, not Iraq, nor the Iranian nuclear crisis, but Pakistan. I think it's a big country. It has nuclear weapons that are able to be deployed. It has a real significant minority of radicalised population,'' Mr Biden said in an interview to a US TV channel. It is not a completely functional democracy in the sense we think about it, and so that's my greatest concern''.Biden noted that attacks like 9/11 were unlikely in future, adding that al-Qaeda was moving in small and frightening attacks. President Barack Obama's administration has called on Pakistan to see greater urgency in the fight against extremism as the US pours thousands more troops into Afghanistan to fight al-Qaeda and Taliban extremists.US officials have long been concerned that elements in the Pakistani establishment support extremists, despite the nation's offensives against Taliban strongholds in border areas.They have urged Pakistan to expand its offensive against militants to North Waziristan, a stronghold for al-Qaeda and the Haqqani network, known for attacking US and NATO troops in Afghanistan.But Pakistan has chosen not to target so-called Afghan Taliban or some other groups so far and analysts say Islamabad has retained ties to some Islamist militants as a hedge to protect its influence in neighbouring Afghanistan.
