AUGUST IS THE CRUELEST MONTH:

Pakistan Intelligence Claims Another Al Qaeda Scalp (Reuters, 8/07/04)

A senior al Qaeda operative who knew Osama bin Laden and was linked to assassination attempts on Pakistan's president has been arrested in Dubai and handed over to Islamabad, Pakistani intelligence sources said Saturday.

Qari Saifullah Akhtar, a leader of the radical Islamic group Harkat-ul-Jihad-e-Islami, was arrested by authorities in Dubai Friday after Pakistan had requested his detention, and handed over to Islamabad Saturday.

The capture was the latest breakthrough in a broadening offensive against terrorist groups in Pakistan that has netted over 20 suspects in recent weeks including computer engineer Mohammad Naeem Noor Khan and top al Qaeda figure Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani.

Al Qaeda is not a growth stock.

Posted by Orrin Judd at August 7, 2004 7:41 PM