Press TV | Apr. 30, 2009

US President Barack Obama hints that Washington has contingency plans to handle the crisis in Pakistan if nukes fall into the hands of the Taliban.

"The Pakistani army, I think, recognizes the hazards of those weapons falling into the wrong hands," Obama said at a White House press conference to mark his first 100 days in office.

The US president went on to assure that America had full control over nuclear weapons housed in Pakistan and that it would prevent atomic bombs from getting into the hands of al-Qaeda- and Taliban-linked militants.

US control over Islamabad's nuclear installations is maintained through military-to-military cooperation.

Washington has secondary back-up plans in the event of any exigencies in the face of the insurgents' advances across the violence-hit country.

His remarks come after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in an interview with Fox News that the US was worried about the "unthinkable" in Pakistan -- that the Taliban and al-Qaeda could topple the government and get the "the keys to [the] nuclear arsenal".

The developments come amid reports that the Taliban were planning to infiltrate into the capital and its adjoining areas.

Taliban's loose control over some districts near the capital has put Islamabad on red alert several times during the past weeks. The areas currently held by the Taliban are located nearly 100 km (60 miles) away from Islamabad.

Pakistan has dismissed US concerns, saying its armed forces have full control over the country's nuclear installations.

The US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 has prompted militants to cross the border into Pakistan, turning the restive tribal belt between the two neighbors into the scene of daily violence.