US: Taliban endangers Pakistan existence

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton hints that the Taliban's recent advancements towards Islamabad pose 'an existential threat to Pakistan. Speaking on Wednesday, Clinton urged Pakistanis around the world to speak out against Islamabad government policy of ceding land to the insurgents. The developments come after the Pakistan's interior ministry confirmed that Taliban militants from northwestern valley of Swat took control of Buner and started patrolling areas in the district. Taliban, who had infiltrated into Buner on April 4, were reported to have been on a looting spree for the past days. The district is only 100 km (60 mile) from the capital. Top US military commander Admiral Michael Mullen also said that Washington was concerned about the security of nuclear weapons in the violence-hit country. "Pakistan -- it's a country that has nuclear weapons. My long-term worry is that descent ... should it continue, gives us the worst possible outcome there," Mullen said. Earlier, President Asif Ali Zardari and lawmakers -- under pressure by the militants -- agreed to introduce a harsh Taliban judicial system in the troubled Malakand division, comprising of six north-western districts including Swat. The Taliban have repeatedly hinted that they would take their war to the capital. The violence has killed thousands of people including soldiers in Pakistan since the country joined the US-led war on terror in 2001.