US senators visit onetime al-Qaida stronghold in Pakistan

Pakistan says a U.S. Senate delegation has paid a rare visit to a tribal region along the Afghanistan border that has long been considered a stronghold of al-Qaida, the Taliban and other insurgents.
The Foreign Office said in a statement that the delegation led by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. And chairman of the Armed Services Committee, visited the North Waziristan tribal region today.
Foreigners are largely banned from the tribal region, where Pakistan has been waging a military offensive to root out insurgents for two years. The U.S. Frequently carries out drone strikes in the region targeting Taliban and al-Qaida leaders.