Osama's No. 2 may not be target

WANA, Pakistan -- On a remote plain dotted with mud fortresses and ringed by steep mountains, Pakistani soldiers are waging their fiercest battle yet in the 2 1/2-year-old war against terrorism. At least 100 prisoners have been taken and casualties are mounting after five days of fighting between 7,000 Pakistani troops and an estimated 400 to 500 local Pashtun tribesmen and suspected foreign militants that showed no sign of abating Saturday. Pakistani officials now are backing down from speculation that the senior al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri is among the fighters hunkered down in a cluster of fortified mud-brick compounds west of Wana, the administrative capital of the semi-autonomous tribal agency of South Waziristan. Instead, officials said, it appears that soldiers who set out last Tuesday to detain three local tribesmen suspected of helping al-Qaida fugitives stumbled into a stronghold of al-Qaida-allied Central Asian militants.

"Although some of those militants are Arabs, a number of fighters belonging to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, a radical Islamic group that had close relations with the Taliban regime and with bin Laden's al-Qaida network, are known to be hiding in the area. "

Dont say Tohir Yuldash and 9/11

Instead, officials said, it appears that soldiers who set out last Tuesday to detain three local tribesmen suspected of helping al-Qaida fugitives stumbled into a stronghold of al-Qaida-allied Central Asian militants.

Good enough for me. Loan the Pakistanis a MOAB and get it over with.

2 posted on 03/21/2004 3:35:20 AM PST by dirtboy (Howard, we hardly knew ye. Not that we're complaining, mind you...)

IMHO, The "BBC HIT piece" (the piece above) does seem to be a "gem of Mis/Dis-information."...courtesy of the Marxist/Leftist BBC...trying to help Shrillary and her DNC Lackeys.

..I'm not trying to offend you, but the BBC does have a Marxist slant. :)

3 posted on 03/21/2004 8:26:23 AM PST by skinkinthegrass (Just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean they aren't out to get you :)

Good enough for me. Loan the Pakistanis a MOAB and get it over with.

..more, the better..every "armoured" Mud Hut/Hamlet!..the most effective (anti-terrorism) Foreign Aid...."terror is a two-way street." :)

4 posted on 03/21/2004 8:34:36 AM PST by skinkinthegrass (Just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean they aren't out to get you :)

There are way too many recorded allegations to tips before 9/11. I've never heard of this one regarding the Uzbek IMU group. Do you think it is a coincidence that the contact called for a "Mountain Storm" to remove the guests from Afghanistan, and what do we ave going on there now? Operation Mountain Storm! It has government irony all over it.

5 posted on 03/21/2004 4:28:08 PM PST by endthematrix (To enter my lane you must use your turn signal!)

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