Before we start getting too far ahead of ourselves in the war on terrorism and prepare to move on Iraq, we should ensure that the situation in Afghanistan is much more stable than it is currently. If that means we have to take military action in Pakistan, either with or without the co-operation of the Paki government, then so be it. A replay of the situation in Vietnam with enemy "sanctuaries" in Cambodia and Laos that were off limits for most of the war must not be repeated.
CIA director: Al-Qaida rallying followers:
Surviving leaders of the Al-Qaida network are rallying followers to conduct more attacks despite the arrest of hundreds of extremists worldwide, CIA Director George Tenet said Tuesday.
"Al-Qaida leaders still at large are working to reconstitute the organization
and to resume its terrorist operations," he told the Senate Armed Services Committee.
According to Taliban members and others familiar with the Islamic movement, as many as 1,000 Taliban and Al-Qaida leaders are in hiding in Pakistan and planning a comeback in Afghanistan.
Most of the fugitives live quietly in Pakistan's lawless frontier region, protected
by radical clerics and tribal leaders of their Pashtun ethnic group.
