Al-Qaeda Might Redeploy Resources: Patraeus
Al-Qaeda might be contemplating becoming less prolific in Iraq and redeploying its resources in order to become more active in Afghanistan, according to comments made by General David Patraeus on Saturday 19th July.
Speaking to news agency AP, Patraeus - the head of US forces in Iraq - highlighted how there were indications that the militant organisation was placing less priority on Iraq than before. No evidence, however, existed to suggest that Al-Qaeda would abandon the country entirely, he added.
Al-Qaeda, Taliban
Al-Qaeda is strongly linked to Afghanistan, and had a close relationship with the Taliban regime, which allied forces overthrew nearly seven years ago.
As Iraq turned into the principal Middle Eastern battle zone, so Al-Qaeda attacks there became greater in number.
"We do think that there is some assessment ongoing as to the continued viability of al-Qaeda's fight in Iraq", General Patraeus told AP, adding, however: "They're not going to abandon Iraq."
"What they certainly may do is start to provide some of those resources that would have come to Iraq to Pakistan, possibly Afghanistan", he added.
Al-Qaeda, Foreign Fighters
Indications were there, Patraeus said, that foreigners enlisted by Al-Qaeda to fight in Iraq were being relocated to sites on the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan - areas that are predominantly not ruled over.
Frequently, the US has highlighted its concern over the progress of militants into Afghanistan via the two countries' borders.
Indeed, Robert Gates, the US Defense Secretary, has spoken of how he is "working very hard" to come up with a means of preventing these transmigrations from taking place.
Source - Armed Forces International's US Correspondent
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