Some American officials have argued that continued Pakistani cooperation in arresting Qaeda operatives is more important than having Pakistan round up Taliban members.

Like other officials, Mr. Goss said he was satisfied with Pakistani cooperation, but he declined to provide details in a public setting, citing security and intelligence sensitivities.

American efforts to obtain Pakistani and Indian cooperation to halt their nuclear weapons programs are high on the agenda.

He was immediately called into meetings with American officials where demands of Pakistani cooperation were made and he was told to convey this to the Pakistani government.

Perhaps the most significant is tying American assistance to Pakistani cooperation.

When asked about Pakistani cooperation, General McNeill said, "We haven't gone as far and as fast as we'd like."

One crucial reason General Musharraf gets so little pressure from the Bush administration about restoring democracy is the almost universal assumption in Washington that only a dictator can deliver Pakistani military cooperation.

Once the Soviet forces retreated, Pakistani cooperation was no longer required and military and economic sanctions were imposed under the Pressler amendment in 1990.

The account challenged Pakistan's claim that the strikes were unprovoked.....Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., said Pakistan must understand that American aid depends on Pakistani cooperation.

While the arrests this week clearly showed some Pakistani cooperation, they also seemed to indicate that terrorist training camps remain active.