Topic: Waziristan

Pakistan jails doctor who helped find bin Laden: why the US may not intervene

The doctor who helped the CIA find Osama bin Laden has been sentenced to 33 years in jail. But perhaps US-Pakistan relations have fallen so low that the US doesn't care anymore. 

Pakistan moves to reopen NATO supply lines, but US ties remain frayed

Parliament outlined how US-Pakistan relations ought to proceed, but gave an unofficial okay to reopening NATO supply lines to Afghanistan.

French gunman had no Al Qaeda connection, says official

Mohamed Merah claimed to have Al Qaeda contacts and training in Pakistan. French officials say there's no evidence of an Al Qaeda connection.

NATO drivers to US, Pakistan: Keep us truckin'

As Pakistan's blockade on NATO's Afghanistan supply lines enters day 20, truckers in Karachi are struggling to make ends meet.

Pakistan's military and legislators plan peace talks with Taliban

In the midst of bad and worsening relations with Washington, Pakistan considers new round of peace talks with Pakistan-based Taliban, arguing that 'military solutions' are making things worse.

Pakistan: We're scapegoats for US frustration over Afghan war

Pakistan's prime minister warned Tuesday that if the US didn't stop lobbing accusations at Pakistan, it would be difficult to tamp down anti-American sentiment in his country.

Toughest US accusation in years angers Pakistanis

The relationship between Pakistan and the US reached a new nadir when Admiral Mullen accused Pakistan’s spy agency of aiding insurgents who attacked the US Embassy in Kabul.

Who's really behind the Kabul attacks?

The Taliban claim responsibility for recent Kabul attacks, but the US pins blame specifically on the Pakistan-based Haqqani network in what some see as a bid to salvage Taliban peace talks.

Killing of top Al Qaeda militant Ilyas Kashmiri only a small US victory

Efforts to chip away at the most wanted list and chase militants from one Afghanistan-Pakistan border region to the next come with high costs and are not yet putting militant outfits out of business, say experts.

Bin Laden bodyguard's satellite phone calls helped lead US forces to hiding place

Pakistani intelligence sources told the Monitor that US intelligence intercepted satellite phone calls made by Osama bin Laden's bodyguard, which helped lead US forces to his hiding place.

US and Pakistan: allies with mutual disgust

The Raymond Davis incident shows the fault lines in the US-Pakistan relationship. The real battle being fought between the two 'allies' is in Afghanistan – the battle for influence.

Why Admiral Mullen is talking tough with Pakistan over Haqqani militants

In an uncharacteristically blunt move, US Adm. Mike Mullen said publicly that Pakistan had a 'longstanding relationship' with the Haqqani militant group. The US appears to be both prodding Pakistan to finally root out militants in its border region and attempting to set the parameters for Afghan peace talks.

Pakistan says alleged Taliban ties are US 'negative propaganda'

Admiral Mike Mullen said Pakistan's intelligence agency has ties to a Taliban faction, sparking a new row in the troubled US-Pakistan relationship.

Pakistani Taliban go for 'the jugular' with attack on Karachi police compound

The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for ramming a truck laden with some 1,000 kilograms of explosives into Karachi's Crime Investigation Department compound today, killing 18 people.

Was a Mumbai-style terror attack really 'foiled'?

Public evidence out so far of a Mumbai-style terror attack contains claims that a group of men was hoping to kill people in London, but had no operatives in place, no weapons, and little in the way of logistics.

5 key players in Pakistan's tribal belt

Pakistan’s security forces have conducted military operations in many of the tribal regions bordering Afghanistan, except North Waziristan, causing the area to become something of a haven for militants.

Tribal and local intelligence sources say some 15,000 militants take shelter in this semiautonomous tribal belt.

“It’s a cobweb,” says former Pakistani diplomat Ayaz Wazir.

Based on interviews with local tribesmen and intelligence sources, here’s a list of the five biggest players in the region:

US drones are pounding Pakistan's North Waziristan. Here's why.

US drones have stepped up bombing raids to combat new alliances cropping up between disparate militants coming to Pakistan's North Waziristan region.

Why Germany closed mosque where 9/11 plotters met

German authorities say the mosque, which is where the 9/11 plotters met and reportedly was host to Muslims from many nations, was still a 'central attraction' for militants. European officials are concerned about the growing transnational nature of Islamist groups.

Norway bomb plot shows reach of Al Qaeda-linked groups

An Uzbek, a Uighur, and a Kurdish Iraqi were arrested Thursday in a Norway bomb plot described as linked to Al Qaeda – and to planners of foiled attacks in New York and in the UK.

Pakistani Taliban helped Faisal Shahzad, it's not on US list of terrorists?

Monday's confession from attempted Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad has put the spotlight on the Pakistani Taliban's absence from the official US terrorist list.

Faisal Shahzad, Times Square car bomber, details his chilling plot

Faisal Shahzad, who attempted to detonate a car bomb in New York's Times Square, eagerly explained how he plotted to murder Americans.

Faisal Shahzad calls Times Square bomb plot 'war,' pleads guilty

Faisal Shahzad, the Pakistani-born US citizen accused of attempting to detonate a car bomb in New York's Times Square May 1, defiantly told a New York court he considered himself a 'Muslim soldier.'

Counterterrorism help from Pakistan is insufficient, report finds

US officials recently praised Pakistan for taking the fight to extremist groups in its midst. Now, a report from the RAND Corp. says some official elements in Pakistan are still thwarting counterterrorism efforts – and that the US should withhold some aid as a result.

Pakistani Taliban paid $12,000 to Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad

The Pakistani Taliban paid $12,000 to attempted Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad, according to a federal indictment released Thursday. Further evidence of their involvement showcases the lengthening reach of Pakistan-based militants.

Afghan Taliban hone hit-and-run tactics, assassination campaign

The Afghan Taliban is waging an assassination campaign against government officials in Kandahar. Their hit-and-run fight marks bid to draw NATO forces into a war of attrition.