Afghan-Pakistani Area A 'Danger,' Hayden Says

Team Infidel

Forum Spin Doctor
USA Today
March 31, 2008
Pg. 6
By Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The situation in the border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan where al-Qaeda has established a safe haven presents a "clear and present danger" to the West, the CIA director said Sunday.
Michael Hayden cited the belief by intelligence agencies that Osama bin Laden is hiding there in arguing that the United States has an interest in targeting the border region. If there were another terrorist attack against Americans, Hayden said, it would most certainly originate from that region.
"It's very clear to us that al-Qaeda has been able for the past 18 months or so to establish a safe haven along the Afghan-Pakistan border area that they have not enjoyed before, and that they're bringing in operatives into the region for training," he said on NBC's Meet the Press.
Those operatives "wouldn't attract your attention if they were going through the customs line at Dulles," Hayden said, referring to the airport outside Washington.
The United States has sought reassurance that Pakistan's new coalition government will keep the pressure on extremists using the country's northwest frontier as a springboard for attacks.
Over the weekend, Pakistan's new prime minister, Yousaf Raza Gilani, pledged to make the fight against terrorism his top priority. He also said peace talks and aid programs could be more effective than weapons in fighting militancy in tribal areas along the Afghan border.
On Sunday, Hayden declined to comment on reports that the United States might escalate strikes against al-Qaeda out of concern that the influence of Pakistan's pro-Western president, Pervez Musharraf, might be waning. Hayden would say only that Pakistan's cooperation has been crucial to U.S. anti-terrorism efforts there.
 
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