al Qaeda's resurgence on Pakistani soil
Black Hawks Over Islamabad
By Sean Osborne
Northeast Intelligence NetworkTuesday, February 27, 2007
Vice President Cheney was not alone in his visit with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf. The Deputy DIRCIA was with him apparently carrying cold hard facts. Must have been some sight for the locals to take in.Heavily armedAmerican Black Hawk gunships were circling directly overhead during the unannouncedvisit to Musharraf's office in Islamabad.I suppose an unannounced visit conducted inthis manner had the precise desired effect,a not-so-diplomatic version of "shock and awe," orthe 2007 versionof "talk softly with a big stick" hovering nearby.
CIA Evidence Used to Confront Musharraf; Showdown in Pakistan
February 26, 2007 6:13 PM
Brian Ross Reports:
In a highly unusual move, the deputy director of the CIA, Stephen R. Kappes, was flown to Pakistan to personally present President Pervez Musharraf today with "compelling" CIA evidence of al Qaeda's resurgence on Pakistani soil, U.S. officials say.
Kappes joined Vice President Dick Cheney for the surprise showdown meeting in Musharraf's office in Pakistan.
The CIA evidence reportedly included satellite photos and electronic intercepts of al Qaeda leaders operating in Pakistan.
"President Musharraf is the kind of man who doesn't move until he sees the hard facts in front of his face," said Mansoor Ijaz, a counterterrorism analyst who has dealt with Musharraf.
As ABCNews.com reported earlier this month, al Qaeda training camps have re-emerged in the Waziristan territory of Pakistan near the border with Afghanistan.
"We are now seeing the recreation of al Qaeda central," said ABC News consultant Richard Clarke, the former White House counterterrorism chief.
U.S. officials say Musharraf has been in denial about the comeback of al Qaeda on his soil, ignoring evidence presented to him by NATO commanders in Afghanistan.
Musharraf pulled his Army troops out of Waziristan last September as part of a "peace deal" with tribal leaders. In an appearance with President Bush at the White House on Sept. 22, Musharraf vowed he would not tolerate "al Qaeda activity in our tribal agency or across the border in Afghanistan."
Since, then, al Qaeda and Taliban attacks on U.S. and NATO troops across the border have more than tripled.
February 26, 2007
Efforts urged to curb Al Qaeda: Cheney, on surprise visit, holds talks on Fata situation, AfghanistanBy Iftikhar A. Khan
ISLAMABAD, Feb 26: During a surprise visit on Monday, US Vice-President Dick Cheney conveyed US apprehensions to President Pervez Musharraf about "regrouping of Al Qaeda in the tribal areas of Pakistan" and called for concerted efforts to counter the threat.
President Musharraf told Mr Cheney that Pakistan had done the maximum in the fight against terrorism and that joint efforts were needed for achieving desired results, said an official press release issued after more than two hours of talks between them.
The US vice-president arrived unannounced, coinciding with the arrival of British Foreign Secretary Margaret Becket. Their visits were heralded by constant hovering of US Black Hawk and Chinook helicopters over Islamabad which alarmed the people.
Intelligence about an impending Taliban and Al Qaeda 'spring offensive' in Afghanistan was causing concern to allied forces there, said the US leader.
He appreciated Pakistan's pivotal role in the fight against terrorism and said that sustainable and mutually-beneficial multi-faceted ties should be further augmented.
President Musharraf said that the international community was collectively responsible for defeating the scourge of terrorism and curbing militant activities in Afghanistan.
He expressed concern over the proposed discriminatory legislation regarding US aid to Pakistan and stressed the need for removing misperceptions being created by the western media about the country's vital efforts in the fight against terrorism.
The president emphasised that most of the Taliban activities originated from Afghanistan and the solution to the issue lay within that country.
He said Pakistan was a victim of the spillover of Taliban influence in Fata and Afghan refugee camps in Balochistan.
He stressed that Pakistan, Afghanistan, US forces, Nato and Isaf would have to shoulder the joint responsibility of stopping illegal crossings along the over 2,400km-long border in an inhospitable terrain.
He said Pakistan had deployed over 80,000 troops and set up 1,000 checkposts along the porous border in contrast to only 100 posts on the Afghan side.
About the peace agreement with tribal elders in North Waziristan, President Musharraf said it was a way forward.
He said political and administrative steps taken in the tribal areas would help curb Al Qaeda and Taliban activities and prevent any Talibanisation in the area.
He stressed the need for weaning away the majority of moderates from the militants and that could be achieved only through intensified economic activities coupled with strong administrative and political measures.
He called for swift establishment of Reconstruction Opportunity Zones (ROZs) in Fata to generate more economic activity for job creation and poverty reducti on "which will strike at the core of extremism and terrorism".
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