Hayden says Qaeda being less welcomed in Pak FATA

WASHINGTON: The tribal regions in northwest Pakistan have become a lot less welcoming to the al-Qaeda terrorist network and its allies, CIA Director Michael Hayden said today. The Islamic militants are “beginning to realize, beginning to think, this is neither safe nor a haven,” Hayden said in a farewell interview with reporters at Central Intelligence Agency headquarters in Langley, Virginia. He said the agency and Pakistan’s military have put increasing pressure on al-Qaeda. The U.S. has carried out a series of missile strikes in recent months in these areas, and Hayden today said he’s seen progress “since last summer” in curbing the militants. Al-Qaeda fighters sought shelter in this rugged mountainous region after the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, which ousted the ruling Taliban militia. Hayden and other U.S. intelligence officials have said al-Qaeda and their Taliban supporters use bases there to plan and carry out attacks on coalition forces across the border in Afghanistan. Hayden said that confronting al-Qaeda must remain a priority for the next CIA director. President-elect Barack Obama has nominated Leon Panetta, former chief of staff to President Bill Clinton, for this post.