Al Qaeda in Pakistan

More from the article I referenced below:

After the Sept. 11 attacks, President Bush committed the nation to a “war on terrorism” and made the destruction of Mr. bin Laden’s network the top priority of his presidency.

But it is increasingly clear that the Bush administration will leave office with Al Qaeda having successfully relocated its base from Afghanistan to Pakistan’s tribal areas, where it has rebuilt much of its ability to attack from the region and broadcast its messages to militants across the world.

[snip]

The story of how Al Qaeda, whose name is Arabic for “the base,” has gained a new haven is in part a story of American accommodation to President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan, whose advisers played down the terrorist threat. It is also a story of how the White House shifted its sights, beginning in 2002, from counterterrorism efforts in Afghanistan and Pakistan to preparations for the war in Iraq.

We need to be thinking about Pakistan and Afghanistan, and what must be done about Al Qaeda - how we can use Special Forces in collaboration with Pakistani security forces to eliminate the jihadists.

The focus on Iraq has warped our view of the war in Afghanistan; all the phony claims and propaganda about Iraq has dulled our ability to see the real threat posed by Al Qaeda, and sapped the will to press the fight.

| +Save/Share | |