Musharaff backs U.S. as protests mount

Musharraf has voiced concern about the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistan President Gen. Pervez Musharraf has remained firm on backing the U.S.-led air strikes in Afghanistan even as anti-American protests escalate across the country.

But Musharraf has warned anti-Taliban forces against exploiting the strikes, adding that he hoped the military action would end quickly.

Caught between supporting the U.S.-led coalition on terrorism and quelling unrest among Muslims in this South Asian nation, Musharraf said Sunday's attacks, launched to punish Kabul for harboring prime terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden, were precisely targeted.

Clearly concerned about a changing balance of power in the region, Musharraf also used his press conference on Monday to warn that neighboring Afghanistan would return to anarchy if the Afghan opposition rebels of the Northern Alliance return to power.

VIDEO CNN's Christiane Amanpour reports on anti-western reaction across Pakistan in the wake of coalition bombing (October 8) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media) Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf voices concern over establishing a new Afghan government. CNN's Nic Robertson reports (October 8) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media) Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf gives his first press conference since the U.S. airstrikes on Afghan targets (October 8) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media) Part two of Musharraf's first press conference (October 8) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)   AUDIO President Pervez Musharraf says action will be short and sharp 849 K / 1 min 30 secs WAV sound Key points from Musharraf's address 1.97 MB / 2 mins 30 secs WAV sound

"The Northern Alliance must not draw mileage out of this action and the post-action has to be balanced," he said.

The Pakistani concerns come at a time when U.S. defense officials say one goal of the initial strike was to weaken the Taliban's military defenses so that rebel Afghans could advance in their effort to overthrow the Taliban.

"Our interest is to strengthen those forces that are opposed to al-Qaeda and opposed to the Taliban leadership ... so that they will have better opportunities to prevail," Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld said.

Proxy war

By supporting the ruling Taliban in the past, Pakistan has fought a proxy war with the Northern Alliance, who has been battling the Taliban for many years.

Pakistan fears it may lose influence in a volatile region if the Northern Alliance takes power. Its arch-foe India has been a traditional backer of the Alliance in the past.

The Alliance, for their part, hope U.S. action will help their struggle against the Islamic militia. Russia and Iran are helping to supply the opposition with weapons.

While Musharraf said he believes that most of his country, like him, backs the U.S.-led campaign, the strikes have irked Muslims in Pakistan.

Security forces were on high alert throughout Pakistan on Monday following protests in several cities.

The streets of Quetta in Western Pakistan erupted in violence as thousands of members of the JUI Party (Jamiat Ulema Islam Party), a pro-Taliban Islamic group, set fires to buildings in protest against the strikes as well as the arrest of the group's leader.

Pillars of smoke could be seen rising above several sections of Quetta as protesters set fire to an apartment block, a shopping mall, several banks, a government office and a cinema showing American films. Sporadic gunfire could be heard.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who led many anti-American street rallies, was placed under house arrest Sunday in his hometown of Der Ismail Kahn by Pakistani authorities.

International reporters were being kept under "hotel arrest" and away from the areas of protest. Demonstrators chanted, "Musharraf is a dog" and the "United States is a dog." Police fired tear gas canisters to disperse the crowd.

In Islamabad, a crowd of about 2,000 of demonstrators gathered in the city center. One protester held up a sign reading, " Muslim world unite now." Others chanted, "Death to America." Other demonstrations were reported in the north in Peshawar and in the south in Karachi.

"We tried our utmost but unfortunately it was not possible to prevent the conclusion that happened last night," Musharraf said, following Sunday's strikes.

Musharraf said the military campaign needed to target bin Laden's al-Qaeda terrorist network, which the United States believes was behind the September 11 terror attacks on Washington and New York City.

Not on Afghan

Pakistan has been the seat of many ugly demonstrations following the attacks

In his speech, Musharraf also stressed that the U.S-British strikes were not on Afghan cities but on military facilities near the cities, saying the strikes were "against terrorists, terrorism, their sanctuaries and their supporters."

"One is hoping, and I have definite assurances, that this operation will be short, targeted and should not have collateral damage," he said.

Musharraf said that once the military campaign is over, efforts must be undertaken to ensure "the unity, the stability of Afghanistan and bring peace into Afghanistan."

The U.S.-led war must also tackle the unsettled disputes and sense of deprivation and powerlessness that lie at the root of such attacks, Musharraf said.

The military ruler said countries fighting terrorism would have to examine these issues once the current phase of military attacks is over.

"Once the dust settles down, one needs to go into ... the reasons for terrorism in the world," he said.

Any future government must be broad-based and multiethnic and not "imposed on Afghanistan," Musharraf added

Pakistan has maintained close ties for years with the Taliban and is the only country that recognizes the Islamic militia as the legitimate government of Afghanistan.