Bin Laden In Pakistan?

February 27, 2006 --

Bin Laden is Welcome in Pakistan
When President Bush lands in Islamabad later this week, it may be the closest he ever comes to being in the same neighborhood as Osama bin Laden. His nemesis is probably only a few hours drive away in Pakistan's Pashtun belt, now considered to be al Qaeda Central and one of the world's most dangerous regions. (Washington Post)

Rioting Inmates Seize Afghan Prison
A top Afghan official on Monday warned the government could use force to end a standoff with prisoners who have taken Kabul's main prison, as authorities continued to try to negotiate with the rioters. (AP)

'Four Killed' in Afghan Jail Riot
At least four inmates have died in a riot at Afghanistan's main top-security prison, a human rights official has told the BBC. (BBC)

A Growing Afghan Prison Rivals Bleak Guantánamo
While an international debate rages over the future of the American detention center at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, the military has quietly expanded another, less-visible prison in Afghanistan, where it now holds some 500 terror suspects in more primitive conditions, indefinitely and without charges. (NY Times)

Saudi Forces Kill Suspected Militants after Siege
Saudi forces on Monday killed five suspected militants believed to be linked to an al Qaeda attack on the world's biggest oil processing plant, the Interior Ministry said. (Reuters)

Al Qaeda Vows Attacks after Foiled Bid on Oil Complex in Saudi Arabia
Al Qaeda Vows to Strike Again After Foiled Attempt on World's Biggest Oil Processing Complex. (AP)

Report: Yemen Prison Escapee Was Running al Qaeda Operations in Saudi Arabia
A Yemeni called Abdullah Ahmed al Rimi who recently escaped a prison in Yemen was one of the important al Qaeda suspects, according to Asharq al Awsat, as he was running the group's operations from outside of the country. The paper says al Rimi was the mastermind of the May 2003 attacks on compounds in Riyadh, but did not indicate whether he's believed involved in the recent attack on the oil complex. According to a security source, Saudi authorities have arrested 12 Yemeni suspects south of the country, including possibly some of the Yemen prison escapees. (Asharq al Awsat)

3 Escapees Held in Yemen
Three convicts linked to Al Qaeda who were among the 23 who tunneled out of a high-security jail earlier this month have turned themselves in, President Ali Abdullah Saleh said, according to a report on Sunday. (AP)