Will Pakistan’s new leader go after Osama bin Laden?

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani of Pakistan said all the right things about the war on global terrorism during a visit to White House Monday, but he stopped short of declaring Osama bin Laden Public Enemy No. 1.

The omission may have been intentional, given that bin Laden enjoys widespread support among Pakistanis in the tribal regions of the north. Or, it could be that Gilani shares the opinion of former Pakistani leader Pervez Musharraf that bin Laden is not a priority.

We hope it’s the former. So long as the world’s premier terror-monger is alive, his al-Qaida terrorist organization will remain emboldened.

It does not matter how many senior al-Qaida operatives are killed in the global anti-terror campaign led by the United States. There is only man revered by Islamic extremists all over the world: The master-mind of the 9/11 attacks on America’s homeland that claimed more than 3,000 lives.

Bin Laden’s success in eluding capture or death despite a huge bounty on his head has made him a hero to many. That is why he has been able to hide out in the mountainous area on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Indeed, tribal chieftains and provincial warlords have given him safe harbor and safe passage.

Prime Minster Gilani, who took the reins of power from Musharraf following parliamentary elections earlier this year, is walking a political tightrope.

The assassination of his party’s former ruling leader, Benazir Bhutto, in December is a stark reminder that Pakistan and Afghanistan are on the front lines in the war on global terrorism.

Commitment

“We are committed to fight against those extremists and terrorists who are destroying and making the world not safe,” the president said during a visit with President Bush. “This is our own war; this is a war which is against Pakistan. And we’ll fight for our own past. And that is because I have lost my own leader, Benazir Bhutto, because of the militants.”

But in seeking peace pacts with Taliban miliants, who are regrouping in the tribal areas and have stepped up attacks in Afghanistan with the aim of undermining the democratically elected government of Hamid Karzai, the Pakistani government is at odds with the Bush administration’s goal of neutralizing the Taliban.

Indeed, Karzai has blamed Pakistan for the Taliban’s resurgence in his country.

Bush, who considered Musharraf a close ally, reiterated his support for Pakistan and said the U.S. appreciates Gilani’s “strong words against the extremists and terrorists who not only would do us harm, but have harmed people inside Pakistan.”

But questions remain about that country’s willingness to go after the militants and al-Qaida operatives.

There have long been concerns expressed about Pakistan’s intelligence service, which is said to be dominated by individuals who adhere to the Islamic radicalism preached by bin Laden and others.

The failure to bring bin Laden to justice is presented as proof of the intelligence agency’s leanings.

On Monday, President Bush pledged $115 million in food aid to Pakistan, including $42.5 million in the next nine months and also offered help with disease control, agriculture, energy and education.

And while he did not demand bin Laden’s head on a platter in return for such largess — Pakistan has already received $10 billion in aid from the U.S. — the American people certainly expect no less.