So, we’re right back where we started. al-Qaeda leaders are long believed to be regrouping in a number of countries including Kenya, Sudan and Chechnya, and are preparing to unleash multiple strikes over a short period to prove the network is still viable.
However, in Pakistan one of the strong holds the picture is always somewhat different. As al-Qaeda rebuilds in Pakistan’s tribal areas, a new generation of leaders has emerged under Osama bin Laden to cement control over the network’s operations, according to American intelligence and counterterrorism officials.
The debate seems never ending within the US administration about how best to deal with the threat and it is yet to yield any good solutions.
The debate about the seriousness of Pakistan’s commitment too seems never ending. As it has been known that American officials were focusing on a band of al-Qaeda training camps in Pakistan’s remote mountains, but a clearer picture is emerging about those who are running the camps and thought to be involved in plotting attacks.
Undoubtedly, elements of Pakistan’s military still support the Taliban but they have a reason- the rise of al-Qaeda is a valuable proxy to counter the rising influence of India, Pakistan’s long regional rival.
Pakistan returns to its strategy of brokering truce with tribal leaders in Waziristan instead of troubling them militarily. And so much for US’s dismay they can’t even invade Pakistan as it isn’t politically justifiable, nor, quite possibly, militarily sustainable.
To conclude one can only say that US is caught up in an invincible war that leaves it vulnerable to more terrorist attacks.
