Aug. 4 –– Boucher refused to comment on reports alleging there were Taliban training camps in Pakistan and emphasized Islamabad had turned against the Taliban and Al Qaeda.

“I think the first thing is that what we’ve seen is a very strong Pakistani effort to eradicate the sources of extremism in Pakistan, to eradicate any support that might be found in Pakistan for Taliban and Al Qaeda elements. And in fact, the stories that I saw were sort of associated with people that have been taken into police custody in Pakistan, and I’m sure any locations that they identify, the Pakistanis would want to move against. So it’s –– I think it’s quite clear the Pakistani Government has turned on the Taliban, has turned on Al Qaeda, has turned on any idea that they –– people might receive training or support from Pakistan, inde-ed, has undertaken extensive operations, sometimes at the loss of life for –– to act on those policy decisions. There’s no question that Pakistan has changed its policy and is determined to root out the elements of training or support or any other sort of safe haven that terrorists might be getting in Pakistan. We’ve seen them taking concerted and difficult actions. We’ve seen a loss of life among Pakistani soldiers involved in this fight and we have worked closely with them and continued to support them [in] the real efforts that they’ve been making and... once again... they’ve been able to... arrest even more Al Qaeda figures. I think the effort Pakistan is making and the results of those efforts that make all of us safer are becoming more and more clear.”

He emphasized that countries that the 9/11 Commission may have identified as sources of danger to the U.S. were ones with which Washington was diplomatically engaged and the diplomacy had led to positive results.