Washington: While conceding that Pakistan's intelligence service "was in bed with Osama bin Laden", the bipartisan 9/11 Commission today (Jul 23, 2004) recommended that the US should give long-term military and other aid to Pakistan.

The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States in its report released today said, "If Musharraf stands for enlightened moderation in a fight for his life and for the life of his country, the United States should ...make the difficult long-term commitment to the future of Pakistan.

"Sustaining the current scale of aid to Pakistan, the United States should support Pakistan's Government in its struggle against extremists with a comprehensive effort that extends from military aid to support for better education, so long as Pakistan's leaders remain willing to make difficult choices of their own.

"Pakistan's endemic poverty, widespread corruption and often ineffective Government create opportunities for Islamist recruitment...Millions of families, especially those with little money, send their children to religious schools or madrassahs. Many of these schools are the only opportunity available for an education, but some have been used as incubators for violent extremism," the report said.