He said French airstrikes had chased away the militants without harming any civilians, a claim echoed by other residents.
Since then, it continues to track and kill individual militants without public comment on the specific cases.
He had to communicate fearsome resolve to Palestinian militants without being so bellicose that he scared American, European or Arab leaders.
Yet armed intelligence agents apparently turned up at the prison and simply spirited them away.Late last month, at a Supreme Court hearing, the authorities admitted to holding 700 suspected militants without trial in "internment centres".
Malaysian authorities are holding 49 suspected Islamic militants without trial after arrests dating to before Sept. 11, saying they belong to a regional network seeking a conservative Muslim state.
General McNeill said Pakistan's failure to act against militants in its tribal areas and its decision to hold talks with the militants without putting pressure on them had led to an increase in insurgent attacks against United States and NATO forces in eastern Afghanistan.
One problem for security services is that individuals who have only supported militants without acting violently themselves can easily and swiftly become bombers or gunmen in certain circumstances – such as the detention of a key member or orders from more senior commanders perhaps outside of the country.
Yet such expansion has been a feature of the drone campaigns in Yemen and Pakistan before it: intelligence and military officials have succeeded in both countries to launch strikes against suspected militants without even knowing their names, something known by the shorthand "signature strikes".
Washington says it is considering further assistance to Iraq in fighting the militants, without giving details.
The US says it is considering further assistance to Iraq in fighting the militants, without giving details.
