Topic: Pakistan Rejects U.S. Claims About Al-Qaeda's Presence

USA Today
March 1, 2007
Pg. 10


Pakistan's interior minister rejected U.S. claims that Osama bin Laden and his deputy are hiding in northwestern Pakistan and that al-Qaeda is setting up camps near there. Aftab Khan Sherpao said U.S. officials had not provided any intelligence to back up those claims. "We will act on any such intelligence," he said. Mike McConnell, the U.S. director of national intelligence, told a Senate panel Tuesday that "we're very concerned" that al-Qaeda is setting up operations in Pakistan's lawless tribal areas near the Afghan border. The Bush administration has raised the possibility of cutting aid to Pakistan unless tougher steps are taken.