Every Major Terrorist Threat Has Ties to Pakistan

James Joyner · · 17 comments

CIA Director Michael Hayden told the Atlantic Council this afternoon that al Qaeda’s safe haven in Pakistan’s ungoverned tribal areas have provided a “sanctuary” that has “allowed it to recover some capacity lost when expelled from Afghanistan” nearly seven years ago. It has developed a “close, co-dependent relationship with Pashtun extremist and separatist groups” through very careful exploitation of cultural norms, respect for tribal leaders and, increasingly, intermarriage.

“Let me be very clear,” Hayden said, “Today, virtually every major terrorist threat that my agency is aware of has threads back to the tribal areas.”

Continued at New Atlanticist.

UPDATE: Ed Morrissey weighs in.