Al-Qaeda continues to operate from FATA: Pentagon

WASHINGTON: Al-Qaeda continues to operate from Pakistan's tribal areas, a top Pentagon commander has said while adding that the long-lasting tensions between India and Pakistan over Kashmir are a threat to regional stability. "Long-standing tensions between Pakistan and India also threaten regional stability as both states have substantial military forces arrayed along their borders and the disputed Kashmir Line of Control," General Lloyd J Austin, Commander of the US Central Command said in his testimony before House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday. He said that the US faced a host of challenges in Pakistan that have long hindered the efforts of the Pakistan government to fight terrorism and America's ability to provide needed assistance. "Central to Pakistan's struggles is its poor economy and burgeoning "youth bulge." Given these conditions, radicalism is on the rise in settled areas and threatens increased militant activity and insurgency in parts of Pakistan where the sway of the state traditionally has been the strongest," he said. "At the same time, terrorist attacks and ethno-sectarian violence threaten the government's tenuous control over some areas. Further compounding these internal challenges are Pakistan's strained relationships with its neighbors," he added.