Arrests of al-Qaeda-Taliban terrorists ineffective: Papers

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal">new delhi: the rounding up of some al-qaeda operatives in pakistan would "only have a limited effect" on the terrorist outfit''s activities, with reports about their regrouping in the tribal areas of pak-afghan border pouring in, media reports have said. "even if senior al-qaeda operatives are among a group of about 60 people rounded up in pakistan last week, their arrests would only have a limited effect on their operations against united states'' interests, such as those in pakistan and afghanistan," hong kong-based <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">asia times</span> said quoting pakistani intelligence officials.it said a mauritian citizen, who was "arrested while trying to flee afghanistan into pakistan and handed over to the us authorities, had told his interrogators that "al-qaeda had set up bases in several pakistani cities from where they would attack us interests and that they would also finance a new war in afghanistan by using mercenaries". an agency report quoting british military intelligence officer major tony de reya, who is based in afghanistan''s bagram air base, said there were "large groupings of al-qaeda- taliban in certain areas of operation". reya said these operatives and mercenaries "will either turn to limited conventional attacks" or strike isolated targets. "ambushes, assassinations and kidnappings were also possible," the british military officer was quoted as saying. us central command spokesman, navy commander frank merriman, was also quoted as saying that despite the major battlefield losses, al-qaeda "is far from being wiped out ... central command would never say al-qaeda and taliban have lost their effectiveness". among the 600-odd al-qaeda-taliban operatives caught by the us-led coalition are five sudanese nationals who had received pilot training at a flying club in peshawar town of pakistan, who reportedly had links with the september 11 terror strike in the us. even the afghan minister for frontiers amanullah zadran had recently told us daily <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">boston globe</span> that the interim government in kabul had information that pakistan''s inter- services intelligence (isi) had provided "haven to taliban and al-qaeda fighters who fled us military offensives in eastern afghanistan". zadran, while stating that pakistan was no longer sending its own troops due to us pressure, told <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">boston globe</span> that pakistani intelligence agents "who remain sympathetic" to these militants "are helping taliban leader mullah mohammad omar to destabilise afghanistan" and added that "these people have offices in pakistan", the us daily said. </div> </div>