From Gertz - SUB REQ Excerpted
Pakistan’s government is limiting U.S. military and intelligence forces from pursuing Al Qaida terrorists on Pakistani territory, according to U.S. officials.The restrictions have curbed operations aimed at locating and capturing Osama Bin Laden and his deputy, Ayman al Zawahiri. The Al Qaida leaders have been able to avoid capture ever since U.S. forces ousted the Taliban regime from Afghanistan in October 2001Instead of conducting unilateral operations in the largely ungoverned border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan, the special operations troops and CIA paramilitary officers have been forced to supply intelligence to Pakistan troops and security forces.
The limitations mean that U.S. expertise cannot be brought to bear on the key mission of capturing or killing top Al Qaida leaders. U.S. air strikes have been allowed, but they are less effective because U.S. personnel are not on the ground to follow up.
Current operating procedures require the U.S. to give Pakistani forces information about suspected Al Qaida operatives that flee from Afghanistan to Pakistan. However, in many cases the Pakistani troops are inexperienced and untrained and are no match for the terrorists.
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