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| 15 June 2004 | Tuesday | 26 Rabi-us-Saani 1425 |
US cautiously hails Al Qaeda arrests
WASHINGTON, June 14: US officials on Monday reacted cautiously to the news that authorities in Pakistan have arrested a key Al Qaeda suspect, saying that "if true" it's a major catch.
Senior government officials announced in Pakistan at the weekend that they have arrested ten Al Qaeda suspects including Masoob Aroochi, who has a $1million bounty on his head.
He is a nephew of Khalid Shaikh Mohammad, the alleged planner of the Sept 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States. Shaikh Mohammad was arrested in Pakistan more than a year ago and is now in US custody.
"If it is true, if he is the person arrested, we certainly welcome it," a State Department official told Dawn while confirming that Aroochi is one of the most wanted men on the FBI list. "It is one example of Pakistan's successful efforts in the global war on terrorism," the official added.
The US media has also been equally careful in reporting the arrests in Pakistan. Some major newspapers totally ignored the news while others carried brief stories on inside pages.
Diplomatic observers in Washington say that although Aroochi's arrest is a major news, most media outlets would wait for a confirmation from their government before giving it the importance it deserves.
They say the media still remember the mistake they made in reporting the March military operation in Wana when almost all major news outlets reported that Pakistan was close to arrest Osama bin Laden or his second-in-command.
Their speculations were based on an interview President Gen Pervez Musharraf gave to CNN saying that Pakistani troops had surrounded "some big fish" in South Waziristan Agency.
Official circles in the United States are still reluctant to confirm Aroochi's arrest, saying that although they believe Islamabad has managed to arrested him there have been instances when arrests in Pakistan did not prove to be as spectacular as the authorities tried to make them look.
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