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How exactly does the brilliantly Machiavellian Musharraf keep finding all these volunteers willing to spend the last fifty years of their miserable lives in isolation in an American prison?

Good question. There are three reasons.

A significant number of mid-level AQ folks have always been living in Pakistan. Remember that Karachi was the planning hub for most AQ attacks before, after and including 9/11. These guys use safe houses and underground networks created by Pakistani jihadist groups and Islamists with the help of the ISI.
Another groups of AQ elements escaped the siege of Tora Bora and Op. Anaconda and spread out in Pakistan through the Quetta-Karachi axis. This group is likely made up of low to mid level elements - the foot soliders and their commanders
A HUGE group of Al Qaeda and Taliban leaders were airlifted from Kunduz in late 2001. This is the now infamous "Kunduz Airlift" when we allowed the Paks to airlift their senior Army officers trapped by Northern Alliance siege of Kunduz. Rumsfeld was dead against it but the State department prevailed as it wopuld have been embarassing if the NA captured Pakistani Generals along with Al Qaeda. But as was reported later, many *top* Al Qaeda folks escaped with the Pak army. It is very much possible that these guys are under ISI's close watch to be delivered when necessary

There is no question in my mind that if Musharraf gives the green signal, the ISI can produce a "Al Qaeda #3" within hours. Of course, setting the stage like the Ghailani "arrest" drama takes a bit more time. First you have to move them from the safehouse to another city and then stage the arrest in a reasonably convincing manner.

Do you think next week's #3 might object before his staged arrest?

What other choice does he have? Call 911?

I don't think AQ's Numero Uno is still drawing breath. And I don't have any confirmation that number two is even in Pakistan. Neither do you.

It's probably 50-50 that OBL is alive. But Al Zawahiri isprobably in Pakistan, but as you said we don't know. But what I do know is that the Paks have enough #3s in their kitty to keep us occupied for a long time. If not, they will just invent him - like the Abu Farj Al-Libi guy who they are touting as the next KSM.

That seems to be where the relationship stands for now. You seem to think we should be doing something else at this time, but what?

Invade a nuclear armed Muslim country?

Work for the overthrow of Musharraf or put a bullet in his head? Then who's to follow?

Musharraf is certainly duplicitious, but he's the best option for now. As I said, the situation is always fluid, but, to me, our best option is smile and pat him on the back, while working to build up our own independent intelligence infrastructure in the country, in preparation for his eventual and inevitable downfall. I don't think he'll even last as long as we'd like to get that job done.

Pakistan's a bomb that this Administration inherited. It's going to be a tricky one to diffuse. Bush can't just close his eyes and start snipping wires.