Free Republic

It is rare to get an insider's perspective on the emergence of al-Qaeda. It is also rare to get a glimpse of the world of spies and agents. To provide both is incredibly unusual. Omar Nasiri - not his real name but one chosen to protect his identity - says he spent seven years working as an agent for European intelligence services and as an al-Qaeda operative, part of the time in the UK. He provides a unique insight into how al-Qaeda was far more organised, coherent and determined in the 1990s than was appreciated at the time. Jihad militants...

Pakistan says there will not be an early handover to the United States of the recently captured Libyan al-Qaeda suspect, Abu Faraj al-Libbi. Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri said that Libbi would remain in Pakistani custody until "all issues are cleared". Mr Kasuri said that Pakistan had a "very strong vested interest" in any handover because he is suspected of attempts on President Musharraf's life. Libbi was arrested earlier this month in north-western Pakistan. Pakistan and the US have described Libbi as the number three in al-Qaeda. Security analysts say his status is hard to confirm. On the move "Pakistan has...

The capture this month of one of Al Qaeda's top commanders has led to the arrests of at least 17 more suspects, including a trusted "courier" for the group's top leaders. The courier, terrorist hunters hope, may bring them one step closer to Osama Bin Laden. A notebook seized during the May 2 capture of Abu Faraj al-Libbi had coded entries, including names, and is being analyzed by a joint FBI and CIA exploitation unit in Virginia, sources said. Al-Libbi has clammed up since his arrest, but at least 17 people - including some named in the notebook - have...