Pakistan Captures Top al-Qaeda Figure

It's another sour note in US-Islamabad relations

(NEWSER) - CIA chief and soon-to-be defense chief Leon Panetta remains in Pakistan today for talks on shoring up US-Islamabad relations. The Washington Post illustrates just how hard that might be with two examples that suggest Pakistan can't be trusted with intelligence findings. Last month, the US handed over surveillance video showing two locations where insurgents were making bombs. By the time Pakistani troops raided the sites, the insurgents had fled. More»

Two US strikes reportedly kill 18 today

(NEWSER) - A Reuters report that two US drone strikes killed 18 people in Pakistan today could become a common refrain: The CIA has significantly increased its drone attacks in the country over the last month, thanks to a secret diversion of weapons from the US military in Afghanistan, according to the Wall Street Journal . The move comes as tensions with Pakistan are at a dangerous high. More»

Expect more drone attacks in coming months

(NEWSER) - It looks like Yemen is about to get a lot more attention from the CIA. Both the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal have front-page stories declaring that the US sees the nation's al-Qaeda offshoot as a serious threat to American security, perhaps even bigger than Pakistan's. The result will likely be stepped-up drone attacks—like those in Pakistan that have sent al-Qaeda leaders there into hiding. More»

'Fast and furious' drone campaign hits Qaeda, Taliban hard

(NEWSER) - Stepped-up CIA drone attacks in the Pakistani region of North Waziristan have hit al-Qaeda and the Taliban hard in recent months, forcing many militants to retreat to mountain tunnels and placing the Haqqani leaders under increasing pressure. Bombardment of the militant stronghold has become "fast and furious" this year, the New York Times reports in an article that offers a rare look at the situation in the inaccessible region. More»

(NEWSER) - US and Pakistani officials say they're all but certain they killed Baitullah Mehsud, yet one of his fellow Taliban commanders says that's just a bunch of "ridiculous" propaganda. Mehsud, he insists to the BBC, is alive and will stay underground for a few days before issuing a public statement. He offered no proof, however, and some analysts suggest he may be buying time to take over the Pakistan Taliban himself, notes Reuters. More»