Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Afghanistan

Pakistani General Denies Bin Laden Comments

Bin Laden photographed near Jalalabad, Afghanistan, in 1989 (epa)

September 6, 2006 -- Pakistan's top army spokesman has denied a U.S. news report that quoted him as saying Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden would not face capture in Pakistan if he agrees to live peacefully in the country.

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September 06, 2006

Major General Shaukat Sulta told the Associated Press that the ABC News report was "fabricated" and "absurd" and he never said the words attributed to him.

Some experts believe bin Laden may be hiding in tribal areas of Pakistan, near the border with Afghanistan.

(AP)

Afghanistan And Pakistan

Afghan President Hamid Karzai (left) with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf in Islamabad in October 2005 (epa)

ACROSS A DIFFICULT BORDER. The contested border between Pakistan and Afghanistan is some 2,500 kilometers long and runs through some of the most rugged, inhospitable territory on Earth. Controlling that border and preventing Taliban militants from using Pakistan as a staging ground for attacks in Afghanistan is an essential part of the U.S.-led international coalition's strategy for stabilizing Afghanistan. Officials in Kabul have been pointing their fingers at Pakistan for some time, accusing Islamabad or intelligence services of turning a blind eye to cross-border terrorism targeting the Afghan central government. Many observers remain convinced that much of the former Taliban regime's leadership -- along with leaders of Al-Qaeda -- are operating in the lawless Afghan-Pakistani border region.... (more)