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OP-ED: Reconsidering a military solution in Waziristan Abbas Rashid May 18, 2004 There is little doubt that the issue of foreign militants using Pakistani territory for launching operations against a neighbouring country has to be addressed Serious differences between the United States and Pakistan seem to be emerging over the ‘hammer and anvil’ strategy that had been elaborated by the US recently to confront, capture or eliminate Al Qaeda and allied Taliban elements in the border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan. The US and the Karzai government sought military action from Pakistan to flush out militants in the area so...

ISLAMABAD (CNN) -- A tribal leader accused of harboring Al Qaeda militants in Pakistan's western border region was killed Thursday night in a targeted missile strike, according to Pakistan intelligence sources. The Associated Press quoted an army spokesman Friday as identifying the tribal leader as Nek Mohammed, a former Taliban fighter. He was killed late Thursday at the home of another tribal chief, the spokesman said. "We were tracking him down and he was killed last night by our hand," Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan told The Associated Press.