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Al-Qaida regenerated safe haven in
Pak: US
WSN Network
Washington: Al-Qaida has regenerated a safe haven in Pakistan’s
tribal areas, a latest US policy document has said, with a top
American official blaming the failure of a peace agreement in the
Afghan border area for the terror network regaining its strength
there.
Since the 9/11 attacks, the US-led “war
on terror” has deprived al-Qaida of its safe haven in Afghanistan,
said the new “National Strategy for Homeland Security”. But, “the
group has protected its top leadership, replenished operational
lieutenants, and regenerated a safe haven in Pakistan’s Federally
Administered Tribal Areas — core capabilities that would help
facilitate another attack on the homeland,” the White House document
said.
Frances Townsend, the senior White House
official in charge of Homeland Security, however, told the media
here that there is nothing new in the report and Islamabad has been
a valuable ally in the war against terror.
“That really echoes what was in the
national intelligence estimate. That statement is not a new
statement. We relied on the intelligence community’s assessment in
framing the threat for this strategy,” he said about the evaluation
when asked how al-Qaida had been able to do all these if Pakistan is
being cooperative.
Dismissing the report, Pakistan said the
action taken by it against “militant elements” showed its commitment
to the fight against terrorism. “Pakistan is not an al-Qaida safe
haven,” foreign office spokesman Mohammad Sadiq said. “Our close
cooperation with the international community in the war on terror is
ongoing.”
17
October, 2007
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