MEANWHILE, BACK IN PAKISTAN...

The war on terror isn't going so well in Pakistan's tribal territories and according to McClatchy, the extremists have increased their power in the entire country. The wingnuts are too busy trying to gin up a war with Iran to notice this.

Al Qaida's attack on Danes reveals its grip on Pakistan
By Saeed Shah | McClatchy Newspapers
posted on Thursday, June 5, 2008

Pakistan is currently negotiating peace deals with Taliban extremists based in its northwest tribal territory, a policy that Washington already has criticized. The evidence of al Qaida activity in the heart of the country could further undermine U.S. confidence in Pakistan's new anti-terror approach.

On Thursday, al Qaida took responsibility for an attack on the Danish mission in Pakistan, chillingly warning that the blast will "only be the first drop of rain". The statement praised the efforts of Pakistani jihadists in the operation.

"This (al Qaida claim) means that Pakistan is under great threat. It has to be bloody careful," said Talat Masood, a retired general who is now a security analyst. "For al Qaida, Pakistan is a soft country, anyone can do anything here, the unprofessional way we do our security."

More worrisome than al Qaida's influence in the tribal belt is its network across major cities in Pakistan, experts believe.

There are allegations that sections of Pakistan's extensive intelligence network are sympathetic to the jihadists. ... It is thought that al Qaida has linked up with myriad Pakistan former sectarian groups, such as Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, which have now adopted the ideology of global jihad. These banned groups, and their multiple splinter organizations, have a well-developed network of cells across Pakistan, including in the mega-city of Karachi and the most populous province, Punjab.