Pakistan gets it (one hopes)

Odd that it took a civilian government to acknowledge this; good on them and the actions they're taking:

Pakistan's top security official declared yesterday that the country's Taliban militants are the "new face of al-Qaeda," in a move that linked the country's struggle against extremism directly to Washington's "war on terror."

In the past, Pakistan has been heavily criticized for rejecting evidence that al-Qaeda was largely based in the country and denying that the tribal territory was used as a haven for Afghan insurgents.

Rehman Malik, the Interior Ministry chief, vowed that Pakistan had the determination to use force against the extremists based across its tribal borderland with Afghanistan, where the most powerful fighters are in the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, an umbrella group.

"There's no doubt in my mind that the Tehreek-e-Taliban and al-Qaeda are the same thing," Mr. Malik told reporters. "They have not only connections, I would say Tehreek-e-Taliban is an extension of al-Qaeda. ... The mouthpiece is now Tehreek-e-Taliban."

In the past, Pakistani authorities sought to draw a sharp distinction between home-grown militants and al-Qaeda, which is led by Arabs. Mr. Malik also conceded that the fighters "operate on both sides" of the border...

...Mr. Malik's remarks came amid signs that Washington is more comfortable with Islamabad's role in the terrorism fight, after years of accusing Pakistan of not doing enough and being too ready to enter into peace negotiations with the militants.

U.S. military chief, Admiral Mike Mullen, after a meeting last week with Pakistani counterpart General Ashfaq Kayani, sounded a much more positive tone. "I'm encouraged that he's [Gen. Kayani's] taken action and I also think it's going to take some time," Adm. Mullen told a Pentagon press conference.

"We either hand over Pakistan to these Taliban or we fight back," Mr. Malik said yesterday. "I can assure you that they [the militants] are on the run, either they can surrender or die."

It's not just rhetoric, analysts said. In recent weeks, Pakistan has launched military offensives in two parts of the tribal territory, Khyber and Bajaur, and a neighbouring area of Swat. Over the weekend, Mr. Malik announced a ceasefire in Bajaur, to mark Ramadan, the month of fasting for Muslims. Yesterday, responding to criticism that this would give the extremists breathing space, he stressed that the truce would last only a month and the security forces would crack down on any militant activity during that period...

Mr. Malik, a politician who was put in charge of the Interior Ministry after his Pakistan Peoples Party emerged as the largest group in a coalition government that formed after elections in February, revealed that top al-Qaeda leadership moved freely in and out of the country.

Ayman al-Zawahiri, deputy head of the terror group, was tracked in Mohmand, part of the tribal area, as was his wife, though he was mainly in Afghanistan's Kunar and Paktia provinces, he said.

"We certainly had traced him [Dr. al-Zawahiri] at one place, but we missed the chance. So he's moving in Mohmand and, of course, sometimes in Kunar, mostly in Kunar and Paktia."

In another break from Pakistan's recent approach, the Interior Ministry chief said that Islamabad plans to use the tribes in its border area to fight the extremists, indicating that a 15,000-strong militia of volunteers would be assembled.

Meanwhile, on another important front:

Selling the Taliban

And I wonder if this is true (h/t to Celestial Junk):

The US targeted another al Qaeda safe house in South Waziristan on Aug. 30, according to reports from Pakistan.

At least five al Qaeda operatives were reported killed in the attack, which appears to have been launched by unmanned Predator aircraft hovering over the area. "Two Canadians of Arab origin" were among those killed [emphasis added]. Two Punjabis were reported wounded...

Maybe things would have turned out differently if this Canadian has achieved this wish:

Client wanted to be an enemy combatant, trial told

Update: A topic thread at Milnet.ca wonders why the Canadian media have almost totally ignored the story.

Upperdate: A story about the dead possible Canadians is on the front page of the Globe and Mail. Nothing in National Post, Toronto Star or Ottawa Citizen.