Pakistan president: Al-Qaida in disarray

Pakistani forces have destroyed al-Qaida-linked militants’ sanctuaries and communication systems along the Afghan border, but still have no clue as to Osama bin Laden’s whereabouts, President General Pervez Musharraf said today.

Musharraf said Pakistan had captured 700 terror suspects in cities, and “eliminated” hundreds in military campaigns in tribal regions on the border.

“We have broken their communication system. We have destroyed their sanctuaries,” Musharraf said of militants fighting in the lawless South Waziristan region.

“Now some of them are hiding in mountains. They are not in a position to move in vehicles and go to Lahore or Karachi,” he said, referring to two major cities. “They are unable to contact their people.”

“I’m not saying we have achieved a 10% success, but this is definitely a success in the war against terrorism,” he said.

Musharraf said this month’s launch of US government-funded advertisements on Pakistani television and radio – offering multi-million pound rewards for bin Laden and other top terror suspects – did not mean they had information about the al-Qaida leader’s whereabouts.

“The publication of these ads does not mean they are here,” Musharraf said. “Neither the Americans nor we know they are here.”