Washington, Mar. 12; The United States feels the next offensive from the Taliban against it would emanate from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan.

“The central nervous system for the planning (of an attack on the US soil) would emanate from FATA,” the Dawn quoted Senator Evan Bayh, an Indiana Democrat, as asking during a hearing on current and future worldwide threats to the national security of the United States.

Washington, Mar. 12: US Senator from Missouri Claire McCaskill has blamed the Lashkar-e-Taiba for the terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore, the Nov. 26 terrorist attacks in Mumbai and the subway killings in London.

According to the Dawn, she claimed that despite the Lashkar’s involvement in such major attacks, Pakistan was protecting the group and refused to help the US investigate its deeds.

“I don’t think the picture with Pakistan’s cooperation is quite as bleak as you portrayed,” Admiral Blair responded.

He noted that since the Mumbai attacks Pakistan had arrested Lashkar leaders and was taking steps to prosecute them.

Kabul, Mar. 10: The Taliban has squarely rejected US President Barack Obama’s call for negotiating with its ‘moderate’ arm to bring the ‘War on terror’ in the region to end.

A self styled spokesperson of the outfit, Qari Mohammad Yousuf termed Obama’s tactics of adopting a strategy similar to that of Iraq, as ‘illogical’.

“This does not require any response or reaction from us as this is illogical," The News quoted Yousuf in a media report, as saying.

Washington, Mar 10: The killing of innocent civilians, including women and children in Afghanistan, has forced a commander of America''s Special Operations force to order a two-week halt on commando missions.

According to the New York Times, the stand-down was ordered by Vice Admiral William H. McRaven, the head of the military''s Joint Special Operations Command, which oversees the secret commando units.

The order covered all commando missions except those against the highest-ranking leaders of the Taliban and Al Qaeda, military officials said.

Washington, Mar. 10: Pentagon and US Navy officials have lodged a strong protest with the Chinese Government over the latter’s aggressive shadowing of a U. S. Navy ocean surveillance ship in international waters Sunday.

Calling for greater respect for maritime law, a Pentagon statement claimed that five Chinese vessels "surrounded" the USNS Impeccable in the South China Sea and closed within 50 feet of it.

The statement also claimed that Chinese crew members waved Chinese flags and told personnel of the USNS Impeccable to leave the area.

Washington, Mar. 10: The United States has once again asked Pakistan to act sincerely in its probe into the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, and bring the perpetrators to book.

Talking to media persons at a regular press briefing here, State Department Spokesman, Robert Wood said the Mumbai investigations was far from over, as more concrete evidences were required to put the perpetrators behind bars.