WAR: The Terrorists Have Been Wiped Out In Pakistan Claims Musharraf

telegraph.co.uk
The terrorists have been wiped out in Pakistan claims Musharraf

By Toby Helm and Anton La Guardia
(Filed: 07/12/2004)

The al-Qa'eda network has been virtually wiped out in the mountains of Pakistan, General Pervaiz Musharraf, the country's president, claimed yesterday during a visit to Downing Street.


General Musharraf

After talks with Tony Blair, the general said that in Pakistan - where the semi-autonomous, mountainous border areas provided a refuge for al-Qa'eda after the September 11 attacks and the resulting war in Afghanistan assaults on the network's outposts had yielded impressive results.
"We have cleaned them up from the mountains. We have broken the back of al-Qa'eda in Pakistan and I say this with total conviction and authority," said Gen Musharraf. "They are on the run, their control structure is broken, their bases smashed."
More than 600 al-Qa'eda terrorists had been apprehended by the Pakistani authorities, he said. As a result there should "no longer be any doubt" that the country was winning its battle against Osama bin Laden's network.
Earlier this year, Gen Musharraf announced an offensive to rein in "foreign elements" known to have been operating in the lawless tribal areas on the Afghan-Pakistani borders. While his claims suggest there has been real progress, they will be greeted with some skepticism until there is independent verification.
Gen Musharraf, a key ally of President George W Bush and Mr. Blair in the war on terrorism, earned praise in Washington last week for his co-operation in the hunt for bin Laden - despite the Pakistani leader's acknowledgment that he had no idea where the terrorist leader was.
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