Al Qaeda threatens to use Pakistan nukes against the US

October 7th, 2009 WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama has vowed to continue targeting the Al Qaeda that is threatening the US from Pakistan and beyond, even as the terror network is said to have "lost operational capacity" after a series of recent missile strikes. "We know that Al Qaeda and its extremist allies threaten us from different corners of the globe-from Pakistan but also from East Africa and Southeast Asia; from Europe and the Gulf," Obama said in a visit Tuesday to the National Counterterrorism Centre just outside Washington in McLean, Virginia.

September 25th, 2009 Lahore, Sep.25 (ANI): Former Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf has said that if the US pulls out from Afghanistan then it would create more problems for both Pakistan and India. In an interview to ABC News, Musharraf said in case the US decides to call off its 'war on terror' in Afghanistan, the Al-Qaeda would then create great problems for the region.

September 1st, 2009 LAHORE - Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan Bajaur Agency chief Maulvi Faqir has said that Al Qaeda and the Afghan Taliban had no role in the appointment of new Pakistan Taliban chief. He said the Tehreek-e-Taliban council had independently chosen and appointed Hakimullah Mehsud as Baitullah's successor.

July 25th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Expressing concerns over the expanding terror threat, US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen has said Al-Qaeda is trying to get hold of nuclear weapons to wreak havoc across the world particularly in America. Speaking at the Junior Statesman Summer School Programme, Admiral Mullen said the leadership of both Al-Qaeda and the Taliban is desperately trying to acquire nukes to target Western countries.

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'.

June 16th, 2009 LAHORE - Pakistan's Ambassador to the United States has urged Washington to respect Pakistan's sovereignty and not cause civilian casualties while launching drone against Al Qaeda leaders in its tribal regions. "There is no doubt that the drones have eliminated many top Al Qaeda terrorists.

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 4th, 2009 LONDON - Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden's latest audio tape, in which he has threatened the United States for supporting the Pakistan military's Swat offensive against the Taliban, suggests that both Al-Qaeda and the Taliban are closely associated. The tape, which went on-air almost simultaneously with Barack Obama's arrival in Saudi Arabia, accused the United States of sowing 'new seeds of hatred against America' for supporting Pakistan's fight against the Taliban.

June 4th, 2009 KARACHI - At least seven trained Al Qaeda commanders have entered Pakistan to carry out attacks on President Asif Ali Zardari and other important personalities in the country, Pakistan intelligence agencies have learnt. According to the Daily Times, a meeting between the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and top al-Qaeda commanders took place in Afghanistan's Paktiya province on May 3, where it was the decided that both outfits would carry out joint terror strikes across Pakistan.

May 27th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Chairman General Tariq Majid has said that the country's nuclear weapons are in safe custody and the world wide concerns about it being falling into the Taliban's hands are 'unfounded'. General Majid assured a US delegation here that Pakistan's nukes were absolutely safe and that there is an immaculate multilayered security arrangement guarding the country's nuclear assets.

May 23rd, 2009 WASHINGTON - Pakistan has said that it is ready to phase out its nuclear weapons if India too agrees to do the same. Terming Pakistan's nuclear arsenal as a 'deterrent' against India, Pakistan's Ambassador to the United States, Hussain Haqqani said Islamabad is willing to ink an accord with New Delhi in order to destroy the nukes possessed by the two neighboring countries.

May 21st, 2009 LAHORE - Seven highly trained Iraqi Al-Qaeda masterminds have entered Pakistan, the country's intelligence agencies have revealed here. According to sources, the government has directed law-enforcement agencies to take immediate action against the militants to nab them.

May 15th, 2009 LONDON - The United States has in place a detailed emergency plan to secure Pakistan's mobile arsenal of nuclear warheads, in case the nukes are in danger of falling into the hands of the Taliban, Al-Qaeda and other extremist groups. According to the US intelligence sources, the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), the super-secret commando unit headquartered at Fort Bragg, has been given orders to remain prepared for action at short notice.

May 7th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - The Pakistan Foreign Office on Thursday rubbished reports that Islamabad has shared information about its nukes with US authorities. Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit told reporters here that information about Pakistan's nukes is sacrosanct and could not be shared with any other country.

March 27th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The U.S. President Barack Obama on Friday said Al-Qaeda is 'actively planning' attacks on US from safe havens in Pakistan.