Pakistani Arrests 20 in Bin Laden Hunt

[rodbarnett]

WANA, Pakistan -- Pakistani forces backed by helicopters and artillery leveled three houses and detained at least 20 people Tuesday, sweeping through villages in a remote border region where Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida militants are believed to be hiding.

The searches near the town of Wana, just a few miles from the border with Afghanistan, began after dawn, as paramilitary and army troops moved into areas where the fugitives are believed to have taken refuge among local tribes. Using artillery, troops leveled homes belonging to three tribesmen who were allegedly sheltering fugitives.

Three Arab women were among those detained, though it was not immediately clear if they were under arrest.

<snip>

The operation, which included more than a dozen helicopter gunships, began in the village of Zarkai, a village in Pakistan's strategic South Waziristan tribal region. It is located about 190 miles west of Pakistan's capital, Islamabad.

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-pakistan-border-operation,0,4061524.story?coll=sns-ap-nationworld-headlines

[Ganja Ninja]

1. It's a desperate search.

It wasn't important when bin Laden was threatening to kill Americans but now Bush's election chances are going up in smoke. He needs Osama to save his ass.

[kcwayne]

2. How much do the Pakistani generals get from the RNC re-selection fund

for each arrest they make that gets reported on CNN?