Al-Qaeda Sanctuary in Pakistan Must Be Eliminated

From Al-Qaeda Sanctuary in Pakistan Must Be Eliminated :

U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that al-Qaeda is growing stronger and that the threat that it will stage another major attack against the U.S. homeland is a serious one. That al-Qaeda has established a sanctuary in Pakistan’s tribal areas has been known and discussed since last year. The Sept. 11 commission said the U.S. government must disrupt such bases in the future “using all elements of national power.” If Pakistani forces cannot – or will not – eliminate the sanctuary, President Bush must order targeted strikes or covert actions by American forces. Such actions run the risk of further destabilizing Pakistan. Yet those risks must be weighed against the consequences of another large-scale attack on U.S. soil.