Most Dangerous Trouble Spot In The World Update

I guess I shouldn't be surprised by this, considering how widespread attacks have been in Pakistan recently, but still, the idea that Al Qaeda has entrenched themselves THROUGHOUT the country and not just in the tribal areas is pretty scary.

WASHINGTON — Al Qaeda has strongholds throughout Pakistan, not just in the areas bordering Afghanistan that were emphasized in a terrorism assessment this week, according to U.S. intelligence officials and counter-terrorism experts who say Osama bin Laden's network is more deeply entrenched than described.

The National Intelligence Estimate on the Terrorist Threat to the U.S. Homeland, which reflects the consensus of all 16 U.S. intelligence agencies, described Al Qaeda as having "regenerated key elements" and freely operating from bases in northwestern Pakistan. But several officials and outside experts interviewed since the document's release this week say the situation is more problematic.

These analysts said the Bush administration was blaming Al Qaeda's resurgence too narrowly on an agreement that the Pakistani government struck in September with militant tribal leaders in the country's northwest territories.

In recent years, U.S. intelligence and counter-terrorism officials who focus on South Asia say they have watched with growing concern as Al Qaeda has moved men, money and recruiting and training operations into Pakistani cities such as Quetta and Karachi as well as less populated areas.

Well, when you have a government that makes peace deals with the likes of the Taliban, it's not surprising that such fundamentalism can spread. And bin Laden's groups have smartly championed the cause of Kashmir, which is sure to gain popular support in Pakistan, which has fought with India for that land for decades. And this is really not a new problem:

The signs of Al Qaeda's spread across Pakistan have been apparent for years. The 15 so-called muscle hijackers in the Sept. 11 attacks trained at an Al Qaeda hide-out in the southern port city of Karachi, according to the 9/11 Commission report.

Husain Haqqani, a former advisor to several Pakistani prime ministers, said that before the Sept. 11 attacks, Al Qaeda had hide-outs and logistical bases throughout Pakistan from where it moved foreign fighters into and out of Afghanistan.

"Once their headquarters in Afghanistan was shattered, they turned to making their logistical bases in Pakistan into operational bases," said Haqqani, director of the Center for International Relations at Boston University and author of "Pakistan: Between Mosque and Military."

Spencer Ackerman has more at TPM Muckraker. I really don't know what to do about any of this, it seems like we missed our moment to eradicate Al Qaeda in this region, and now we must sharpen our homeland security defenses as well as simultaneously support Musharraf and warn him to get tough with the militants in his midst. It's quite a tall order, made taller by an incompetent Administration that neglected this trouble spot for years.

UPDATE: Musharraf just lost a fight with a popular Supreme Court judge who he dismissed. The judge has now been reinstated by that same Supreme Court (they get to rule on their colleague?), which can now issue rulings on whether Musharraf will be able to hold the Presidency and the Army chief of staff position at the same time. Pro-democracy forces are looking to capitalize on this, but do they have popular support?