| Submit your comments on this article |
| Afghanistan/South Asia |
| Hunt begins for al-Qaeda supporters in the Pakistani army |
| 2005-05-08 |
| With the capture in Pakistan of Libyan Abu Farraj Al Libbi of Al Qaeda, wanted in connection with two assassination attempts against President Pervez Musharraf in 2003, Pakistani authorities are stepping up investigations into Al Qaeda's investment in the Pakistan Army, Asia Times Online reported on Saturday. It reported that information gleaned from well-connected military analysts suggested that army officials connected with the Afghan cell during the Taliban period in Afghanistan (1996-2001) were likely to be in the firing line and that action was expected soon against several serving and retired army personnel. "Abu Farraj is expected to be handed over to the US soon and is likely to be kept in a US detention centre in Jordan or Morocco. Abu Faeraj was deeply connected with Al Qaeda's North African cells before becoming involved in Pakistan a few years ago. The North African cells are Al Qaeda's most preserved, and are believed to be key to any future strikes on the US," it reported. Asia Times Online reported that Abu Farraj was a trainer at al-Farooq camp in Afghanistan during Taliban rule and rose in prominence and became popular among the trainees as well as with the Inter-Services Intelligence's (ISI) Afghan cell. "Abu Farraj's interaction with Pakistanis, whether they were private militants or military men, was deep," it added. It said Abu Farraj had been used as a facilitator between Al Qaeda's cells in North Africa and their support system in the UK and that his first field operation was the assignment to kill President Musharraf, which was delegated to him because of his proven abilities and his connections among Pakistani jihadis and members of the armed forces, some of whom participated in the two attempts on President Musharraf's life. "Al Qaeda had invested in Pakistan well before the US invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, anticipating the consequences of the September 11 attack, that is, that they would be driven out of Afghanistan. It was that goodwill among military men and jihadis that Abu Farraj tapped into to carry out his attacks on President Musharraf," Asia Times Online reported. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #3 '...investigations into Al Qaeda’s investment in the Pakistan Army..." Shouldn't that be the other way around? The ISI and Pakistan Army invested in Al Qaeda and the Talaban. As far as I can tell they are still funding and protecting. This is from the highest levels. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet 0’ Doom 2005-05-08 22:05 |
| #2 Interesting, yet somehow unfullfilling. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-05-08 17:09 |
| #1 This should be interesting. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2005-05-08 05:10 |