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US VP-elect Biden will visit Pak, might bypass India

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Agencies

Posted: Jan 07, 2009 at 1102 hrs IST

Washington US Vice President-elect Joseph Biden would be travelling to Southwest Asia, including to Pakistan, on a fact-finding mission this week leading a bipartisan Congressional delegation, but may not visit India.

Speaking to Congressional reporters after taking oath as a Senator for the seventh time, Biden revealed that he would travel to Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan but made no reference to India as an itinerary for his upcoming visit.

"This will be my God-knows-how-many trips, I guess my 10th or 11th trip into Iraq and I don't know how many times in Afghanistan and Pakistan," Biden was quoted as saying by Politico, which is known for its extensive coverage of US Congress.

The details of his visit were being kept under wraps by his office for security reasons. Politico said Biden revealed the key stops of his upcoming foreign trip without even being asked.

Biden would be leading the Congressional delegation in the capacity as the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, just days before he takes office alongside Barack Obama on January 20.

He would be accompanied by Senator John Kerry, the former Democratic Presidential candidate and the incoming Chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

For security reasons, details of the trip and the countries to be visited were kept secret until now, with estimates suggesting countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan or India and parts of the Middle East.

"The purpose of this trip is fact-finding -- in the coming months both the Executive and Legislative branches will carefully review US policy toward this region, and the trip will allow its participants to bring current and first-hand information to these reviews," Biden's Senate spokeswoman Elizabeth Alexander said in a statement on Monday.

Other members of the Congressional delegation are Democratic Senator Jack Reed, and Republican Senators Susan Collins and Lindsey Graham.

"The fact-finding delegation will make it clear to foreign leaders that they are not there to speak on behalf of the US government, or convey policy positions for the incoming administration," Alexander said.

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Biden's visits by Hero Vaz on 07 Jan 2009

Biden, obviously, wants to visit countries where terrorists abound.

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