With American soldiers increasingly rare on the streets of Iraq, suicide bombers have developed a dark attachment to serial attacks with distinctive local themes.

But denying a Pakistani refuge to Mr Haqqani, the prime suspect in all suicide-bombing in Afghanistan, would still be a big boost to the NATO-led effort.

According to senior officials, a growing band of men wanted on suspicion of planning suicide bombings and murdering settlers is being sheltered in the compound, known as the Mukata.