The US was at the center of a new diplomatic row yesterday after refusing to rule out military action against al-Qaeda leaders sheltering inside Pakistan, one of its closest "war on terror" allies.
The US director of national intelligence, Mike McConnell, said al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was in all likelihood alive and sheltering in a frontier zone where pro-Taliban Pakistani tribal leaders hold sway.
"My personal view is that he's alive, but we don't know because we can't confirm it for over a year," he told NBC television on Sunday. "I believe he is in the tribal region of Pakistan."
Senior US officials maintained that Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf remained a linchpin of the campaign against terrorism.
But their comments signaled frustration over what US intelligence chiefs say is al-Qaeda's resurgence in lawless parts of Pakistan bordering Afghanistan.
Asked if the US could take action inside Pakistan, Homeland Security Adviser Frances Townsend said: "There are no tools off the table and we use all our instruments of national power to be effective."
Fighting along the frontier has intensified amid a countrywide wave of bloodshed that has killed more than 200 people, sparked by the army's storming of the Red Mosque in Islamabad this month.
"Instead of pushing al-Qaeda out, the people who live in these federally administered tribal areas, they made a safe haven for training and recruiting," McConnell said.
The US administration's latest remarks sparked a curt response from Islamabad.
"Our stance is that Osama bin Laden is not present in Pakistan," Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao said in Islamabad. "If anyone has the information he should give it to us, so that we can apprehend him.
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A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck off Yilan at 11:05pm yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The epicenter was located at sea, about 32.3km east of Yilan County Hall, at a depth of 72.8km, CWA data showed There were no immediate reports of damage. The intensity of the quake, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, measured 4 in Yilan County area on Taiwan’s seven-tier intensity scale, the data showed. It measured 4 in other parts of eastern, northern and central Taiwan as well as Tainan, and 3 in Kaohsiung and Pingtung County, and 2 in Lienchiang and Penghu counties and 1
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Taiwan is gearing up to celebrate the New Year at events across the country, headlined by the annual countdown and Taipei 101 fireworks display at midnight. Many of the events are to be livesteamed online. See below for lineups and links: Taipei Taipei’s New Year’s Party 2026 is to begin at 7pm and run until 1am, with the theme “Sailing to the Future.” South Korean girl group KARA is headlining the concert at Taipei City Hall Plaza, with additional performances by Amber An (安心亞), Nick Chou (周湯豪), hip-hop trio Nine One One (玖壹壹), Bii (畢書盡), girl group Genblue (幻藍小熊) and more. The festivities are to
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