Free Republic

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) - A senior al-Qaida leader has been seriously wounded and is on the run, Pakistan's military spokesman said Saturday, while claiming that an operation to rid the western border areas of suspected terrorists has been a success. But observers critical of the massive military sweep called it a political failure, citing the high number of troop casualties and officials' failure to capture any so-called "high-value targets." Recently gathered intelligence and eyewitness accounts indicate that al-Qaida commander Tahir Yuldash was badly wounded and is in hiding, military spokesman Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan said. He admitted, though, that Pakistani...

Pakistan Says Senior al-Qaida Leader Hurt 1 hour, 11 minutes ago By CHRIS TOMLINSON, Associated Press Writer ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Pakistan's military badly wounded a senior al-Qaida leader, who is now hiding out in the country's western tribal area, a military spokesman said Saturday.Al-Qaida commander Tahir Yuldash — also known as Tahir Yuldashev — had been mentioned earlier as one of two possible "high-value targets" cornered when Pakistan's military began a sweep of South Waziristan on March 16. In a statement, military spokesman Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan said only that recent intelligence indicated that Yuldash was severely wounded and in...