Government Plans to Charge al-Qaida Agent

Federal prosecutors plan to move an alleged al-Qaida sleeper agent out of a Navy brig in South Carolina and send him to federal court in Illinois to face trial. Two people familiar with the case of Qatar native Ali Al-Marri said Thursday the government plans to transfer him to the civilian court system. The transfer could avert a Supreme Court hearing in April and a subsequent ruling that would govern other cases against accused terrorists.

Al-Qaida's Hands Tied in Pakistan

The CIA has hampered al-Qaida's free rein in the tribal region of western Pakistan. Iran appears to be nearing a decision on whether to build a nuclear warhead according to departing CIA chief, Michael Hayden on Thursday. In what was probably his final briefing for reporters, Hayden said, "the great danger was that the border region between Pakistan and Afghanistan was a safe haven. My belief is that it is neither safe nor a haven."

President-elect Barack Obama has picked Leon Panetta, a former chief of staff to President Bill Clinton and a former Democratic congressman from California, to head the agency. There is a great deal of controversy over this appointment and many say he has no experience in this field and is not a good choice.

U.S. Fired at Insurgents in Pakistan

In Afghanistan, U.S. troops launched a barrage of artillery at insurgents attacking their position from inside Pakistan's volatile tribal region, This was in a cross-border strike coordinated with Pakistan's military according to U.S. and NATO officials.

Less than a mile inside Pakistan, the strike came after the militants fired rockets at a U.S. position in Afghanistan. Taliban and Al-Qaida militants have long found refuge in the border region, where they launch attacks on U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan. Sunday's operation highlights growing cooperation between Afghan, Pakistani and U.S. officers, according to military officials.

Mentally Disabled Attackers Reportedly Used in Market

Two women, described as mentally disabled and strapped with remote controlled explosives, were possibly used as unwitting suicide bombers. They brought carnage Friday to two pet bazaars, killing at least 91 people in the deadliest day since Washington flooded the capital with extra troops last spring.Iraq's chief military spokesman in Baghdad, said the women had Down syndrome and may not have known they were on suicide missions, but gave no further details on how authorities pieced together the evidence. He also said the bombs were detonated by remote control. The blasts were coordinated and came 20 minutes apart in different parts of the city. This seems to reinforce U.S. claims that al-Qaida in Iraq may be desperate and running short of able bodied men willing or available for such suicide missions. We should call them murder missions, because that is what they are.