Al-Qaeda coming back to Afghanistan: report

[Dance]

---

---

WASHINGTON: Al-Qaeda militants are gradually returning to eastern Afghanistan and setting up bases for the first time in years, exploiting a withdrawal of US troops in the area, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.

The trend has alarmed and discouraged US officials who had seen Al-Qaeda as a seriously weakened force in Afghanistan with only a couple of dozen fighters on the ground, the newspaper reported, citing unnamed US, Afghan and Taliban sources.

In September, the United States bombed an Al-Qaeda training camp in the Korengal valley, killing two senior Al-Qaeda figures, a Saudi and Kuwaiti, the NATO-led coalition told the Journal. One of Saudi Arabia’s most wanted militants was also reportedly killed in the strike by US fighter jets.

The bombing raid illustrated the revival of Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan that has occurred over the past six to eight months, just as the US military has pulled troops back from remote eastern outposts that had been deemed strategically irrelevant.

Instead, US and coalition commanders have said they want to focus their troops on populated areas in the east while handing over security duties in more rural areas to Afghan forces.

US officers expected the Taliban to move out of the areas to fight the coalition elsewhere. But the militants have stayed put, a senior US military officer told the paper, and “Al-Qaeda is coming back.”

The newspaper report said it was unclear how many Al-Qaeda fighters had moved back to Afghanistan, but that the militants were operating in Kunar province, Nuristan province and parts of Nangarhar province, home to the city of Jalabad and a key route from Pakistan.

To hit back at Al-Qaeda, coalition forces are making regular forays to search out the militants in eastern valleys and US special operations forces also were carrying out covert manhunts, the paper reported.

The Pentagon declined to comment on the report.

Al-Qaeda coming back to Afghanistan: report | World | DAWN.COM

[Dance]

And then the U.S has the nerve to say Pakistan isn't doing enough toward militants and haven't been successful.

[JayAtl]

And then the U.S has the nerve to say Pakistan isn't doing enough toward militants and haven't been successful.

the US cannot cover every mile of every land...its simple I don't know - common sense? and what it is asking of pakistan is to go into a region, and not just some small stretch of land to defend ( rather an offensive attack on well known terror havens)

[Dance]

the US cannot cover every mile of every land...its simple I don't know - common sense?

Yeah and Pakistan is supposed to magically control every inch of FATA with a war going on, while the US doesn't have to do the same in Afghanistan.

Theres only a very few parts of Pakistan that are not in government control, while places in Afghanistan seem to be falling to the taliban/ al qaeda frequently. The U.S has no right to say Pakistan hasn't done enough or hasn't been successful when they still can't get control of Afghanistan!

[JayAtl]

Yeah and Pakistan is supposed to magically control every inch of FATA with a war going on, while the US doesn't have to do the same in Afghanistan.

Theres only a very few parts of Pakistan that are not in government control, while places in Afghanistan seem to be falling to the taliban/ al qaeda frequently. The U.S has no right to say Pakistan hasn't done enough or hasn't been successful when they still can't get control of Afghanistan!

you don't have a clue of the region that is being asked to be attacked by the US do you?

[Dance]

you don't have a clue of the region that is being asked to be attacked by the US do you?

Yeah you as an indian sitting in America would know so much about Waziristan/ FATA

[Ammyy]

Yeah you as an indian sitting in America would know so much about Waziristan/ FATA

Stick to finding anti-China articles

Same like all Pakistani members are expert of Indian foreign affairs

[Dance]

Same like all Pakistani members are expert of Indian foreign affairs

Not really, I don't think Pakistanis know too much or care about india. The only time Pakistanis will "interfere" in indian affairs is when IOK is the subject or some politician in india mentions Pakistan.

Anyways please stick to the topic

[Ammyy]

---

---

Not really, I don't think Pakistanis know too much or care about india. The only time Pakistanis will "interfere" in indian affairs is when IOK is the subject or some politician in india mentions Pakistan.

Anyways please stick to the topic

I wish they can do same in the case for P O K and Tibet

Anyways please stick to the topic