US National Intelligence Director (NID) John Negroponte says that Al Qaeda has found "a secure hideout in Pakistan, from which it is rebuilding its strength." The BBC reports that Mr. Negroponte, who will soon resign as NID chief and become the deputy secretary of state, said Al Qaeda was "strengthening its ties across the Middle East, North Africa and Europe." The strong statement caught Pakistani officials offguard.

The BBC's James Westhead in Washington says that until now the US has not been so specific about where it believes al-Qaeda's leaders are hiding.

Such a claim will be embarrassing for Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, who Mr. Negroponte described as a key partner in America's war on terror, our correspondent says.

Afghanistan has welcomed the comments. President Hamid Karzai's chief-of-staff, Jawed Ludin, told the BBC that Afghanistan had long maintained that the Islamic militants operated from within Pakistan, and that Mr Negroponte's statement was refreshing in its honesty.

In written testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee, Negroponte also said "Pakistan is our partner in the war on terror and has captured several Al Qaeda leaders. However, it is also a major source of Islamic extremism."

The Kuwait News Agency reports that Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesperson, Tasnim Aslam, said the US and the international community have "appreciated" the country's efforts to fight terrorism, and that "the focus must always remain on cooperation instead of questionable criticism." She called on Negroponte to acknowledge that Pakistan has done more than "any other country in the world" to fight Al Qaeda.

"It is also a fact that there are Al Qaeda elements active in the Middle East, North Africa and Europe, as Mr. Negroponte has said but it would be incorrect to link them to any remnants of Al-Qaeda in Pakistan," she added.

CBS News reports that the US and Pakistan seem to he headed for another "bitter disagreement over the extent to which Al Qaeda has positioned itself in the south Asian country, making it the hub of its activities."

Diplomats based in Islamabad said Negroponte's remarks seemed to underline US frustration over Pakistan in spite of Washington's recognition of the support it has received from Pakistan. Last year, a growing number of suicide attacks in Afghanistan prompted claims from western officials, including US officials, that Pakistan had failed to curb the flow of "Taliban" suspects who allegedly routinely cross over the border with Afghanistan ...

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