Washington, June 17: Pakistan, USA's ally in the battle against al-Qaeda, has in effect replaced Afghanistan as a command-and-control centre for Osama bin Laden's terrorist network, American officials say. Hundreds of al-Qaeda operatives are hiding in Pakistan's cities after forming or renewing alliances with local Muslim extremist networks that have helped provide shelter for communications, training and logistics, the officials are quoted as saying by Los Angeles Times.

In some cases, US officials say, Pakistani militants and even some members of ISI have openly supported al-Qaeda and used an informal underground railroad to help fleeing terrorists.

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"The ISI is filled with extremists and I don't think they're trying very hard to find these people," said a recently retired US counter-terrorism official who is familiar with the manhunt. "In fact, they're actively trying to hide them." US officials privately voice concern that Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's crackdown on local terrorist groups this year has by and large failed and several banned groups have spawned virulent offshoots that have launched several attacks against Westerners this year.

Tashbih Sayyed, the Pakistani-born editor of Pakistan Today, published in Southern California, said the war in Afghanistan only "destroyed an outpost" of terrorism. "The main infrastructure remained intact," he said. Pakistan, he warned, "is kind of a meeting place now for all the radical forces in the world."
Bureau Report