Pakistani Troops Launch Fresh Assault Against Al Qaeda:

WANA, Pakistan -- Pakistani troops and paramilitary forces using artillery and helicopter gunships launched a new assault Thursday against al Qaeda and Taliban suspects in a tribal region near Afghanistan, two days after a fierce assault that left dozens dead.

In a report from Islamabad, CNN said Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf told them Pakistani forces had surrounded a "high-value target" that was being protected by al Qaeda fighters. CNN said the identity of the target was not known.

The fresh offensive launched Thursday used heavy guns to flush out suspected al Qaeda fighters and their Pakistani tribesmen allies hiding in a remote area near the Afghan border.

While Pakistan is far from a perfect ally, they're certainly proving to be better ones than France, Germany, and Belgium, to name a few.