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| Terror Networks |
| Al-Qaeda serves as a continuing threat in Asia |
| 2005-12-25 |
| From senior Al Qaeda commanders killed or arrested in Pakistan, to multiple bombings in Bangladesh and new attacks on tourists in Bali, the terror threat in Asia is more diffused and difficult to combat than ever. Experts say the Al Qaeda network has been definitely weakened but the four-year US-led war on terror has not brought to its knees the network of world's most hunted, Osama bin Laden, whose fate remains unknown. More than 800 people have been killed, mostly in Asian countries, in more than 14 attacks blamed on Al Qaeda since 9-11 attacks. Analysts say the terror group has won to its side several local and regional Islamist militant groups, particularly in Asia. Al Qaeda has been providing them with finances, training and counselling in target selection. "The Asian, Middle Eastern, African and Caucasian Groups within Al Qaedas ideological orbit of global jihad that received support now emulate Al Qaeda," Rohan Gunaratna, head of the terrorism research centre in Singapore, said. "They conduct co-ordinated simultaneous mass fatality bombings including suicide attacks, hallmark of Al Qaeda attacks," he said. Since its formation, Al Qaeda has supported some of the key Mujahideen groups who were forced out of Afghanistan in the aftermath of US-led invasion and created a network of support and hideouts for the group's hardcore members in Pakistan. "Many top leaders of Al Qaeda have been arrested, their safe heavens busted but the capability of Al Qaeda to regenerate new crop of militants has remained intact," said a top Pakistani anti-terrorism official. Its link-ups in Southeast Asia "are creating a situation where groups with purely local and regional agenda have now started contributing to Al Qaeda's global efforts," said Pakistani security analyst M A Niazi. Gunaratna said Al Qaeda, dispersed from its Afghanistan-Pakistan core, was increasingly relying on the Southeast Asian groups for sanctuary, support and strike operations. "As the intentions and capabilities of Southeast Asian groups to target regional governments and Western interests have not diminished, the region is likely to witness more attacks in the immediate future," he added. He said bombings in Bali, Casablanca, Djerba, Chechnya, Mindanao and Karachi had demonstrated the threat from Al Qaeda's regional associates was as lethal as their parent group. "Despite being aggressively hunted worldwide, Al Qaeda's greatest success has been to provide ideological direction. Today, the threat is more diverse, dispersed and diffused," the Lanka-born terrorist expert said. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |