And Now Pakistan?

Yesterday was a huge news day, as commentators tried to unpack the President's speech from Wednesday, and absorb Hill testimony from Sec of State Condi Rice and Sec of Defense Robert Gates, together with Congressional reaction to the surge/escalation itself.

However, lost in the US coverage of the events was disturbing testimony from National Intelligence Director John Negroponte accusing Pakistan of turning a blind eye to al Qaeda's 'rebuilding' within that country's borders. So far, only the BBC is seeming to feature the story prominently, with this comment:

The BBC's James Westhead in Washington says that until now the US has not been so specific about where it believes al-Qaeda's leaders are hiding.

Such a claim will be embarrassing for Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf, who Mr Negroponte described as a key partner in America's war on terror, our correspondent says.

Putting pressure on Pakistan (which has been described as a key ally in the region since 9/11) would seem to be risky when so many other parts are moving at the same time.