Pakistan Sees Afghanistan Rid of Al Qaeda in 10 Years...

[Gloria]

From the new World Media Watch up now at http://www.zianet.com/insightanalytical
Tomorrow at Buzzflash.com


2//The Daily Times, Pakistan Wednesday, June 15, 2005

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_15-6-2005_pg7_37



PAKISTAN SEES AFGHANISTAN RID OF AL QAEDA IN 10 YEARS



CANBERRA: The militant Al Qaeda network should be dismantled and sustainable democracy achieved in Afghanistan within 10 years, allowing foreign troops to leave, President General Pervez Musharraf said on Tuesday.

Musharraf said that a sustainable democracy with a central authority needed to be achieved in Afghanistan, its militia removed and a strong Afghan army created, before foreign troops could leave.

“All this is do-able in 10 years and I am very sure that the way we are going we will be able to dismantle the Al Qaeda organisation totally (within Afghanistan in 10 years),” Musharraf said during the first visit by a Pakistan president to Australia.

“I think in 10 years we should be able bring a semblance of democracy that is sustainable, ensuring the integrity of Afghanistan.” He said Pakistan was committed to the Bonn process and had contributed significantly to reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts in Afghanistan.

(snip)

“We have broken (Al Qaeda’s) cohesion, their lateral and vertical cohesion (in Pakistan). That’s a great achievement because they cease to exist as a homogenous body able to execute operations in a command and control environment,” Musharraf said.

Musharraf said that Al Qaeda mastermind Osama Bin Laden was alive and probably living in the rugged mountains bordering Afghanistan. “Maybe he is in the border region in hiding wherever he sees a vacuum. It’s very easy for a person to hide,” he said. He said that Abu Farraj Al Libbi, Al Qaeda’s alleged number three who was captured in Mardan on May 2, had not provided information that could lead them to Bin Laden.



(MORE)





3//The Pakistan Tribune, Pakistan Tuesday June 14, 2005 (1429 PST)

http://paktribune.com/news/index.php?id=109280



OSAMA IN IRAN, NOT PAK: US OFFICIALS



WASHINGTON: Terror mastermind Osama bin Laden is in eastern Iran and not the rugged tribal areas of Pakistan's northwestern frontier where many believe him to be on the run, US intelligence officials said on Monday.



In interviews to the Washington Times, the US officials said the Iran theory, which is held by a minority, is based on bits of intelligence information and the fact that months of CIA operations, along with search-and-destroy sweeps by thousands of Pakistani troops have failed to find the al-Qaida chief.



Asked whether the US intelligence community thinks bin Laden may be in Iran, a senior administration official told the paper: "Some people think he is." END ITEM

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. Oh, only 10 years? OK then.

I feel so much better now. :sarcasm:

And of course Osama is in Iran. Osama is in whatever country BushCo decides to invade.

[varun]

2. What about the Al-Qaeda in Pakistan?

Because thats the new safe haven for Al Qaeda now.

[lakeguy]

5. how long does it take to move to pakistan anyway?

i guess when you travel by foot...

[Media_Lies_Daily]

3. Does that mean they're moving back to Pakistan?

[daleo]

4. The Soviets lasted 10 years too.

Until they gave up. Afghanistan has a way of tiring foreign armies.

[fujiyama]

6. Mushy

is talking out of his ass again.

He helped create the Taliban. It's his and the ISI's baby. Pakistan will just shift Al Qaeda from Afghanistan through Pakistan and over to Kashmir.

And who the hell trusts American intelligence? They helped the Pakistanis create what became Al Qeada. Yeah sure, Osama's runnin around Iran now. How does one tall guy travel between three countries undetected for so many years? Isn't that fuckin convenient. :eyes: