Nation acknowledges lapses at Afghan border

? President Gen. Pervez Musharraf acknowledged Friday that outgunned Pakistani frontier guards have allowed insurgents to cross into Afghanistan but denied the army or intelligence service was actively helping the Taliban.

Musharraf said the army would soon fence parts of the porous border to stop militant infiltration, despite Afghan opposition. Many observers have been skeptical that the plan will prevent many militants from crossing, especially because the proposed fencing would cover only a tiny portion of the rugged frontier.

Musharraf said Pakistan was being made a scapegoat for the bloodiest surge in violence in Afghanistan since the fundamentalist Taliban regime was ousted five years ago for hosting al-Qaida.

“A misperception is being created that the resurgence of Taliban is from Pakistan. This is absolutely wrong. The resurgence of the Taliban is in Afghanistan, but some support goes from Pakistan,” Musharraf said at his army office in Rawalpindi.