Al Qaeda lashes out at Pakistani military

October 7th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The Pakistani leadership and its spy agency ISI still consider India as its greatest threat, even greater than the Taliban and Al Qaeda terrorists, a stance that affects US strategy in the region, says a top US military commander "It is important to note that India is still seen as the greatest threat, greater than the Taliban, greater than even Al Qaeda," Gen David Petraeus, commander of the US Central Command said at the Association of the US Army annual meeting here Tuesday. "So there are still some dynamics there that are challenging," he said.

October 2nd, 2009 PESHAWAR - Pakistani security officials have claimed that Uzbek Al Qaeda leader Tahir Yuldashev was killed by a US missile in August in Pakistan's South Waziristan region. Yuldashev, leader of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, had been operating from South Waziristan for some years.

July 12th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The United States has ruled out any negotiations with the Taliban until it lays down arms and severe all its ties with Al-Qaeda. When enquired about the statement of the Pakistan Army's spokesman, Major General Athar Abbas, that the Pakistan military can bring the Taliban to the discussion table with the United States, the US Special Envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke, said such a possibility can only occur when the Taliban 'repudiates al-Qaeda publicly'.

July 10th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Increased pressure from the US and the Pakistani Army on the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and al Qaeda may force them to join hands with the militant Sunni radical group Jundallah, a group that staged attacks on Iran and strained Iranian-Pakistani relations. Ashraf Ali, a Peshawar-based military specialist on the Taliban, said that given Jundallah's historical connections with al Qaeda and the Taliban, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan might seek refuge in Balochistan or join the ranks of Jundallah.

June 22nd, 2009 DUBAI - The Al Qaeda would use Pakistan's nuclear weapons against the US if it was able to get its hands on them, a top commander of the terror group has said. "God willing, the nuclear weapons will not fall into the hands of the Americans and the Mujahideen would take them and use them against the Americans," said Mustafa Abu al-Yazid in an interview to Al Jazeera channel aired Sunday.

June 12th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) director Leon Panetta has said that Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden is hiding in Pakistan, and expressed hope that the ongoing offensive of the Pakistan Army would help the CIA to locate and nab bin Laden. When enquired that whether he has specific information about bin Laden's whereabouts and that he is hiding inside Pakistan's territory, Panetta said: "The last information we had, that's still the case." "I guess one of our hopes is that as Pakistani military moves in, combined with our operations, we may have a better chance to get at him," said Panetta on the sidelines of a function in Capitol Hill.

June 12th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Dozens of Al Qaeda fighters and a handful of the terrorist outfit's leaders are leaving their main haven in Pakistan's tribal areas for Somalia and Yemen, the New York Times reported Friday quoting American officials. In communications that are being watched carefully at the Pentagon, the White House and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the terrorist groups in all three locations are now communicating more frequently, and apparently trying to coordinate their actions, the Times quoted the unnamed officials as saying.

June 12th, 2009 WASHINGTON - US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director Leon Panetta said Thursday that Osama bin Laden, head of Al Qaeda terrorist network, is still in Pakistan and his capture remains the CIA's priority. "I guess one of our hopes is that as Pakistani military moves in, combined with our operations, we may have a better chance to get at him," said Panetta at the Capitol Hill.

June 3rd, 2009 CAIRO - Al Qaeda's top leadership lashed out at US President Barack Obama Wednesday ahead of his visit to Cairo where he was to give a major speech on US-Arab relations designed to reshape America's image in the region. Obama met Saudi King Abdullah in Riyadh Wednesday and will fly to Cairo Thursday for the highly anticipated address.

June 3rd, 2009 WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama's nominee to head the US-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, Lieutenant-General Stanley McChrystal, has said that effective military operations are the key to dismantling the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Pakistan's restive tribal areas. "Effective military operations in the Pakistani tribal areas are a key to disrupt and eventually deny safe havens to Al Qaeda and the Taliban from which they launch these incursions," The Dawn quoted General McChrystal, as saying.

May 5th, 2009 LONDON - Concerned by the expanding threat from the Taliban and Al-Qaeda, Britain is planning to amplify its military and intelligence presence in Pakistan to help the country counter the existential threat, the Guardian reports. According to the newspaper, Whitehall officials have revealed that at least 20 'military advisers' will interact with the Pakistani army and particularly with the Frontier Corps and advice them over planning more effective strategies to counter the extremists.

March 25th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - The Lashkar-e-Toiba is close to eclipsing Al Qaeda as the most feared terror group in Pakistan. According to Sky News, Islamic extremism in Pakistan has taken on a new hue under the LeT.

February 9th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - India will have to 'pay a heavy price' if it tries to attack Pakistan, the Al Qaeda warned in a video sent to the BBC office here. Mustafa Abu al-Yazid, said to be the Al Qaeda's military commander in Afghanistan and believed to have been killed in a US drone strike in August 2008, referred to India's Mumbai 'humiliation' in the video in Arabic and said it will face more Mumbai-style attacks, BBC News reported.

January 27th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan has no agreement with the US that allowed drone attacks inside its territory, a foreign ministry spokesperson said Wednesday. 'There is no understanding between Pakistan and the United States on predator attacks,' said Muhammad Sadiq in response to the statement by US Defence Secretary Robert Gates that US would continue such attacks against militants and that Pakistan was aware of this.

December 31st, 2008 ISLAMABAD - Four Al Qaeda militants were killed and several others injured Thursday in a suspected US drone attack in northwestern Pakistan, an official and residents said. The drone fired two missiles targeting a vehicle carrying several Islamist insurgents at around 11:15 a.m.