Pakistan detains 3 al-Qaida suspects

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan's spy agency arrested three senior members of al-Qaida in an operation assisted by American intelligence, the army said Monday.

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An army statement identified the most senior detainee as Younis al-Mauritani, who it said had been tasked by Osama bin Laden with targeting Western economic interests worldwide.

Potential targets included gas and oil pipelines, power-generating dams, and oil tankers through the use of explosive-laden speed boats in international waters, NBC News’ Amna Nawaz reported from Pakistan.

A Pakistani military spokesman called al-Mauritani's arrest "critical" and that it had dealt "another fatal blow" to al-Qaida, Nawaz reported.

The military statement said the arrests took place in the southwestern city of Quetta, but did not say when.

Strained relations
Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency has cooperated with the CIA over the last 10 years to arrest scores of al-Qaida suspects, but ties between the two agencies have suffered greatly in recent months over CIA drone strikes inside Pakistani territory and the unilateral American raid that killed bin Laden.

The unusual announcement of the arrest of the three appears to signal that the relationship could be warming.

"This operation was planned and conducted with technical assistance of United State Intelligence Agencies with whom Inter-Services Intelligence has a strong, historic intelligence relationship. Both Pakistan and United States Intelligence agencies continue to work closely together to enhance security of their respective nations," the statement said.

Many top al-Qaida commanders are believed to live in Pakistan, and getting Islamabad's cooperation in cracking down on the network has been a top American goal since the Sept 11, 2001, attacks. U.S. officials have recently claimed al-Qaida's capabilities have been seriously weakened due to drone strikes and arrests in recent years.

U.S. officials have said al-Qaida's deputy chief, Libyan national Atiyah abd al-Rahman, was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Pakistan near the Afghan border on Aug. 22. But Pakistan officials have not confirmed his death.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

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New al-Qaida chief praises Syrian protesters (AP)

CAIRO – Al-Qaida's new leader praised Syrian protesters seeking to topple the regime of President Bashar Assad while trying to portray the uprising as an Islamic battle against American and Israeli interests.

The video message posted on extremist websites Wednesday is Ayman al-Zawahri's first since al-Qaida named him its new leader in June following the death of Osama bin Laden in a U.S. commando raid in Pakistan.

The Egyptian-born al-Zawahri, who long served as bin Laden's top deputy, directly addressed the Syrian protesters who have risen up against Assad's rule despite a bloody government crackdown. The message appeared to be an attempt to place al-Qaida firmly on the side of the anti-government demonstrators.

"You are an example, explaining lessons to your Arab and Muslim nation in sacrifice, steadfastness and the struggle against oppression," al-Zawahri said of the protesters. "How could you not? You are the sons of the Levant, the front for jihad and martyrdom."

In the past, al-Qaida leaders, including bin Laden himself in a video released after his death, have sought to associate themselves with the uprisings sweeping the Arab world this year, offering guidance on how the protests should be led to serve al-Qaida's extremist version of Islam.

Many experts, however, think the uprisings have shown how out of touch the terror group has become with the aspirations of Arab youth who have been the uprising's main activists. Most seek greater freedom from dictatorial regimes, not the Islamic rule al-Qaida advocates.

And in Syria, activists have said religion has played little role in their uprising to topple Assad.

In the video, Zawahri — dressed in a white robe, large glasses and a turban, with an assault rifle at his side — also warned the Syrian protesters not to believe that President Barack Obama and the United States stand with them.

"Tell America and Obama: ... we are waging a battle of freedom and liberation, freedom from corrupt tyrants and the liberation of the religion of the Muslims," al-Zawahri said.

Al-Zawahri claimed that Washington wants to replace Assad with "a new ruler who follows America, protects Israel's interests and grants the (Muslim) nation a few freedoms."

The U.S. administration has toughened its rhetoric toward Assad's regime, declaring recently that the Syrian leader has lost all legitimacy as a leader.

Al-Zawahri also attacked Assad, calling him "the leader of the criminal gang, descendant of the traitors, biggest of those who spread corruption, head of the executioners, America's partner in the war on Islam in the name of terrorism, and border guard for Israel."

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