Af-Pak is a 'terror incubator': Russian spy chief

Pakistan and Afghanistan have become 'incubators' of terrorism, and pose a threat to Russia and all constituents of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) of former Soviet republics, Russian security chief said on Tuesday.

"These countries have become an 'incubator' of terrorism and extremism, which are spreading into the region, CIS countries and the whole world," Director of Federal Security Service (FSB) Alexander Bortnikov was quoted as saying by ITAR-TASS.

Speaking at a news conference in the Tajik capital Dushanbe at the end of the meeting of the CIS chiefs of security and intelligence services, Bortnikov, who is also chairman of Russia's National Anti-terror Committee (NAC), also expressed deep

concern at the security threat posed to Tajikistan and other bordering nations by infiltration of Taliban forces into northern provinces of Afghanistan under the pressure from advancing NATO troops.

"We are carefully monitoring this situation and keeping it under constant control," Bortnikov said. Northern provinces of Afghanistan with Tajik and Uzbek majority were so far peaceful and these areas were used for sending in humanitarian aid into the war-torn nation(Afghanistan). According to Central Asian 'Azia Plyus' agency Russian troops could return to the Tajik-Afghan border and Dushanbe is in talks with Moscow to ink an agreement to this effect as Taliban forces are creeping into areas close to the former Soviet republics borders.