Islamabad, Nov 30: President George W Bush has said that US would send its troops to strike inside Pakistan if intelligence report confirmed the presence of al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.

Bush reaffirmed his confidence in Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf’s commitment in the war against terror, and also acknowledged the difficult situation in combating terrorists along rugged mountainous areas bordering Afghanistan.

Bush said that he is thankful to Pakistan for its key cooperation in the fight against terror.

Commenting on Musharraf, Bush said: "He has been an absolute reliable partner in dealing with extremists and radicals, and it’s a tough situation in the remote parts of Pakistan."

"But there are many examples of where the Pakistanis have, in cooperation with the US, brought to justice members of al Qaeda’s hierarchy. And I’m thankful for that," he added.

Pakistan angrily reacted to the President Bush’s remarks that he made in an interview to CNN.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Muhammad Sadiq said that such concerns have been expressed on a number of occasions and we have made it clear that any such action would be unacceptable.

Sadiq said that any direct action by US troops would be counter-productive.

He said that Pakistan’s own forces had carried out operations against al Qaeda and other ‘terrorist entities’ and that they would pursue the same policy in future.

Last year, Bush caused uproar in Pakistan when he made a similar declaration.

When reminded of the declaration and asked in the interview about his current views, President Bush said that his stance had not changed, The Daily Times reported. (ANI)