Islamabad: This is a case of dangerous transplantation. The US-led war in Afghanistan may have toppled the Taleban and ousted al-Qaeda terrorists from their long-time sanctuary, but it also flushed the problem into neighbouring Pakistan where local extremists are now working alongside bin Laden's outfit, putting US installations and the small American community under constant threat of attack.

"This is now the epicentre of terrorism," says Michael Evanoff, who oversees security for the American Embassy and its consulates. "It really is. This is the only country I know in the world that has so many groups that are against the US or western ideals," 'Christian Science Monitor' quoted him as saying.

In 2002 alone, these groups launched seven strikes against the US community, including a church bombing (in March) in Islamabad that killed five-among them an American woman from the Embassy and her daughter- and a truck bomb (in June) at the Karachi consulate that killed 14 Pakistanis.

The Karachi outpost in May avoided another major attack when the police arrested Yemeni national Waleed bin Attash and five other alleged al-Qaida members with 300 pounds of explosives. It's believed that Attash, suspected of playing a leading role in the USS Cole attack, planned to bomb the consulate.

The routine attacks and constant threats have turned the US installations into virtual fortresses. The sprawling compound in Islamabad is surrounded by thick brick ramparts, topped with razor wire, and reinforced by steel pillars to keep a vehicle from smashing through.

Staff members have been trained to check their cars for bombs and their residences for suspicious behavior. In 2001, two diplomats found small explosive devices attached to their cars using magnets. They also undergo drills routinely, practising scenarios that range from car bombs to a sudden attack by an angry mob.

Ambassador Nancy Powell travels through town in an armored car, with two diplomatic security agents always at her side. When she visits consulates in Peshawar, Lahore, and Karachi, she is trailed by pickup trucks packed with elite, US-trained Pakistani forces.

The US paper adds that diplomatic security agents also review a daily flood of threats. And they've had some success averting tragedy. A bomb attack planned for another Protestant church on Christmas eve never took place after Evanoff and his staff got wind of the scheme and contacted local officials.

The state department has dramatically reduced staff in Pakistan, even though President Pervez Musharraf has became a valued ally in the US war on terror. That means temporary personnel often make up the bulk of the staff. More than 7,000 temporary staffers have come through Pakistan since September 11, a state department record, the daily reported.

ANI