Pakistan arrests more than 20 al-Qaida members, officials say.(Chicago Tribune)

Byline: Kim Barker and Noreen S. Ahmed-Ullah

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan _ More than 20 al-Qaida members have been arrested in Pakistan in the past three weeks, partly because of efforts to flush out foreign fighters in the country's tribal areas, officials said Wednesday.

Almost half those arrested are from other countries, Interior Minister Faisal Saleh Hayyat said Wednesday night. He said the recent arrests should silence critics who say Pakistan has been harboring terrorists and has not done enough to fight al-Qaida.

"Pakistan has shown how strong its will is and how effective its results have been," Hayyat said. "Pakistan has gone many an extra mile."

In recent weeks, the battle against al-Qaida has appeared to be heating up in South Asia. Not only has Pakistan stepped up its fight, but also just over the border, Afghan soldiers backed by the U.S. coalition killed as many as 50 …