Free Republic

Does anyone swallow the Pakistani government's claim that Osama bin Laden lived in that Abbottabad villa for at least six years without anyone getting wind? As it happens, I know Abbottabad rather well, having visited it on several occasions since 1971. Situated in the lower recesses of the Pakistani uplands, the small town was used for centuries to keep a watch on the Khyber Pass. The British, who liked to recruit soldiers from the nearby Pathan and Punjab regions, built a garrison town there -- and then a military school to train Pathan and Punjabi non-commissioned officers, the backbone of...

Recently, U.S. UAVs made three attacks in one day in Pakistan’s tribal territories. The Hellfire missiles were hitting targets in North Waziristan, where Taliban and al Qaeda forces are taking shelter with Pushtun tribes that are, at best, neutral in the war between the Pakistani government and the Pakistani Taliban. One of the dead terrorists is believed to be a key leader, Hussein al-Yemeni. He was believed as the planner for the attack on a CIA base across the border last December, which killed seven CIA personnel. Pakistani and American intelligence is getting a lot more information out of North...

Political forces in Pakistan want the powerful Inter-Services Intelligence agency to be placed under civilian control but the matter has been put on the backburner for the time being, President Asif Ali Zardari has said. "The political forces want the ISI should be brought under civilian control but for the time being, this matter has been shelved," Zardari said in an interview with a TV news channel. He did not give the reasons for the issue being shelved. The government led by Zardari's Pakistan People's Party had attempted to place the ISI under the control of the interior ministry in...

In Pakistan, police have engaged the population to identify Islamic terrorist cells and prevent more bombing attacks (which are killing mostly civilians). As a result, police have recently seized 2.5 tons of explosives and interrupted at least six terrorist bombings. In the tribal territories, 700 retired members of the Frontier Corps (the border police) were called up to help deal with the terrorist threat. For over a decade, the Pakistani government has been split over how to deal with Islamic radical groups. Until the last few years, those officials and institutions who sought to protect Islamic radical groups, were able...

Pakistan government has made it mandatory for all foreigners to have security clearance by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The Government has declared that security clearance by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is a prerequisite for all foreigners entering Pakistan, a private TV channel was reported by Daily Times as stating on Friday. The decision is said to have been taken in the wake of prevailing law and order situation in Pakistan. 'The decision was made due to the prevailing law and order situation in the country. The decision is also applicable to all those people who have acquired other citizenships after...

Senior US officials are pushing to expand CIA drone strikes beyond Pakistan's tribal region and into a major city in an attempt to pressure the Pakistani government to pursue Taliban leaders based in the city of Quetta, The Los Angeles Times reported late Sunday. The newspaper said the prospect of Predator aircraft strikes in Quetta signals a new US resolve to decapitate the Taliban. But it also risks rupturing Washington's relationship with Islamabad. The concern has created tension among officials in the administration of President Barack Obama over whether unmanned aircraft strikes in a city of 850,000 are a realistic...

Billions of rupees of loans written off from Pakistan's state-owned banks...Army led institutions plundered the Army Welfare Trust, Rs14.49 million. General Kuli Khan, two Allied Bank loans written off: Rs1.8 million and Rs1.6 million against Janana De Malucho Textile Mills, owned by his father General Habibullah Khan. His brother Gohar Ayub Khan, Rs7.2 million written off against Rehana Woolen Mills.Lt General Azhar, Rex Breen Batteries, Rs16 million, Major General Mumtaz, Lt Colonel Shaukat, Major Tajuddin Rs1.2 million, Major General Ghaziuddn, Major General Umar, Rs8.5 million written off, Agriculture Development Bank.Air Marshal Azeem, Rs15 million written off, Pakistani Kuwait Investment Co....

Hillary Clinton faced anger during her visit to Pakistan after she attacked the failure of the government to tackle al-Qaeda. The US Secretary of State also faced angry questions about America's use of drone attacks inside Pakistan as she ended her three-day visit on Friday. Mrs Clinton was earlier forced to soften her criticism of Islamabad for its failure to capture of kill al-Qaeda's leaders.

DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan – More than 30,000 Pakistani soldiers launched a ground offensive against al-Qaida and the Taliban's main stronghold along the Afghan border Saturday, officials said, in the country's toughest test yet against a strengthening insurgency. The United States has long pushed the government to carry out an assault in South Waziristan, and it comes after two weeks of militant attacks that have killed more than 175 people across the nuclear-armed country. That has ramped up pressure on the army to act. Pakistan has fought three unsuccessful campaigns since 2001 in the region, which is the nerve-center for...