While Senate hearings focus on the resurgence of the Taliban and al-Qaeda along the border regions of Pakistan, the Pakistani government has both denied al-Qaeda’s presence in Pakistan and acknowledged the evidence as accurate. President Musharraf stated that “These people should leave and go, otherwise we will have to deal with them and we are dealing with them.” His Interior Minister Aftab Khan Sherpao said “We deny it” in an interview with the AP, specifically speaking to allegations of bin Laden being in Pakistan.

While US, NATO and Afghan leaders press the issue of confronting the Taliban and al-Qaeda in Pakistan ahead of any ‘spring offensive’ the Taliban’s senior commander Mullah Dadullah confirms bin Laden is alive and that “hundreds more” suicide bombers are prepared to attack NATO forces in Afghanistan.