More Marines in Al Qaeda Hunt

Given Pakistan’s recent problems along the border I think this is a good move. I don’t even think any of the Pakistani’s necessarily did anything wrong, I just think they struggled against some fairly fierce resistance. Given the world events of today, and especially in Fallujah, (yea, I know, different hot spot), its good to see our continued efforts to rout out the bad guys.

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) – A force of 2,000 Marines has begun arriving in Afghanistan as part of a stepped-up mission to crush Taliban-led insurgents and flush out al-Qaida fugitives.

Its a pretty neat picture too.

An American soldier mans a gun on the top of an armored vehicle in Khost area, near the Pakistani border, in the early morning on Tuesday, March 30, 2004, about 250 kilometers (156 miles) southwest of Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. U.S. troops are sweeping through the hardscrabble villages in this rugged border region, searching for weapons and information as part of the military’s effort to cut off hiding places for al-Qaida and Taliban fugitives. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

]]>< ![CDATA[

Also Pakistan has backed down on claims that they nailed a high Al Qaeda official.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) – Pakistani officials on Tuesday again backed off claims that they killed or captured a major al-Qaida fugitive, saying a man they believed had been an intelligence chief for Osama bin Laden’s organization was in fact a much less senior local figure.