Al Qaeda and Taliban Openly Operating in Pakistan

Al Qaeda and Taliban Openly Operating in Pakistan

Al Qaeda and Taliban Openly Operating in Pakistan

November 28, 2006 4:18 PM

Alexis Debat Reports:

The Taliban and al Qaeda have become so emboldened by recent events in Pakistan that senior al Qaeda operatives have been spotted "walking and talking openly" in the market of Mir Ali in North Waziristan, according to analysts at the British Joint Intelligence Committee.

North Waziristan is where the Pakistani military withdrew its troops following a peace agreement with the government of Pakistan in September. That event coupled with the recent U.S. Predator strike in Bajaur has given the Taliban and al Qaeda a new and growing vitality, according to British intelligence sources.

British and U.S. intelligence have also noted the increasing presence of foreigners in Waziristan, Bajaur and Dir, as well as up to Chitral, further north at the border with Afghanistan, where British intelligence sources tell ABC News that the Taliban are "recruiting openly" for the jihad in Afghanistan.

Pakistani militants have also opened several offices in Khar, the main city of Bajaur, to recruit volunteers for combat or suicide missions against NATO and U.S. forces in Afghanistan, according to intelligence sources.