[irish guard]

>>>>>>>>> one question I have - why are these AQ guys so close to the Afghan border? why aren't they deeper inside Pakistan, still in that tribal region, but at least further away from the border to make US operations harder?<<<<<<<<<<<<

With miles and miles of border and rough terrain, this is a darn good question. Are the AQ folk not welcome in other regions? I can't believe that is the issue....but this is odd.

[Dog]

The tribal area is very untamed...the Brits when they ruled that region even left it alone....... also it is very mountainous....I'm not talking small mountains....some of this region is at 14,000 ft and maybe higher....little villages are sprinkled here and there up on those summits.....very easy to hide in...if that village is in on Zawahiri being there.....good luch getting someone to turn him in..

Damadola is an example....that village knew who was there..and who was coming to dinner.

It would be easier to hide in a place like that..... than hide in a big city like Peshawar or Islamabad....or Chitral.

[SevenMinusOne]

With miles and miles of border and rough terrain, this is a darn good question. Are the AQ folk not welcome in other regions? I can't believe that is the issue....but this is odd.

Well one of the things we must understand is simply because a village is located "only" a few miles inside the Pak border region one shouldn't necessarily assume that means it is actually that short of a distance.

Yes, a given location might be only a "few miles" within the border region.....but that is a few miles as "the crow flies"...... yet in all actuality it would still be a several day hump (or more) to get to that said location.

And as Dog noted correctly above....there are additional reasons that go along with al Qeade rather choosing these locations other then the bigger cities.