INTERVIEW - U.S. aid group ready to help rebuild restive Pakistan

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistani army offensives against the Taliban are clearing the way for the resumption of reconstruction and development in former hotspots, and increasing the chances for stability, a top American aid official said.

Washington sees the Islamabad government as a key partner in the fight against militancy and hopes aid programmes will help the state win widerpublic support in the war.

Edward Birgells, regional director of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) for Pakistan's northwest, along the Afghan border, is cautiously optimistic. - USAID ready to help rebuild Pakistan