WASHINGTON — The top U.S. military officer warned Tuesday that al-Qaeda leaders operating in Pakistan’s tribal areas are planning new terrorist attacks against the U.S., making it imperative that Pakistan’s new government take action to eliminate their sanctuary there.
Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the al-Qaeda threat from Pakistan represents a “huge challenge” for the United States but said Pakistan has been lacking in its execution of a strategy to eradicate the safe havens for terrorists and insurgents in the lawless region known as the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.
Mullen called on Pakistani authorities to enforce any deals they strike with tribal leaders in the region and require not only the expulsion of al-Qaeda but also a halt to the flow of insurgents across the border into Afghanistan.
