During an interview with journalists in Lahore, Pakistan, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed her puzzlement over why certain al-Qaida leaders believed to be harbored within the country’s borders haven’t been caught. She did not address the issue of missile attacks from U.S. drones that had earlier fueled student protest. –KA

BBC:

Mrs Clinton said: “The world has an interest in seeing the capture and killing of the people who are the masterminds of this terrorist syndicate. As far as we know, they are in Pakistan.”

She said: “Al-Qaeda has had safe haven in Pakistan since 2002 … I find it hard to believe that nobody in your government knows where they are and couldn’t get them if they really wanted to.

“Maybe that’s the case; maybe they’re not gettable. I don’t know.”

US Ambassador Anne Patterson said Mrs Clinton’s remarks were similar to what the administration of President Barack Obama had told Pakistani officials privately.

“We often say, ‘yes, there needs to be more focus on finding these leaders’,” Ms Patterson said.

Read more

WAIT BEFORE YOU GO...

This year, the ground feels uncertain — facts are buried and those in power are working to keep them hidden. Now more than ever, independent journalism must go beneath the surface.

At Truthdig, we don’t just report what's happening — we investigate how and why. We follow the threads others leave behind and uncover the forces shaping our future.

Your tax-deductible donation fuels journalism that asks harder questions and digs where others won’t.

Don’t settle for surface-level coverage.

Unearth what matters. Help dig deeper.

Donate now.

SUPPORT TRUTHDIG