| Submit your comments on this article |
| India-Pakistan |
| Pakistan scales back pursuit of Al Qaeda amid upheaval |
| 2007-09-24 |
| Political turmoil and a spate of brazen attacks by Taliban fighters are forcing President Gen Pervez Musharraf to scale back his government’s pursuit of Al Qaeda, according to US intelligence officials, who fear that the terrorist network will be able to accelerate its efforts to rebuild and plot new attacks, the Los Angeles Times reported on Sunday. It said the development threatens a pillar of US counter-terrorism strategy, which has depended on Pakistan to play a lead role in keeping Al Qaeda under pressure to reduce its ability to coordinate strikes. Musharraf vulnerable: President Musharraf, facing a potentially fateful election next month and confronting calls to yield power after years of autocratic rule, appears too vulnerable to pursue aggressive counter-terrorism operations at the behest of the United States, the Times quoted intelligence officials as saying. At the same time, it said, the Pakistan Army has suffered a series of embarrassing setbacks at the hands of militants in tribal areas bordering Afghanistan. US intelligence officials said the conditions that have allowed Al Qaeda to regain strength are likely to persist, enabling it to continue training foreign fighters and plot new attacks. “We are worried,” said a senior US counter-terrorism official who closely monitors Pakistan’s pursuit of Al Qaeda in the rugged frontier region. “I think the prospect for aggressive action ... is probably not good, no matter what,” said the official, referring to the Federally Administered Tribal Areas where Al Qaeda is particularly strong. If Musharraf is removed from office or agrees to a power-sharing arrangement with political foes, the “change in government could well mean a diminution of cooperation on counter-terrorism,” the official said on condition of anonymity. A senior US intelligence official said Pakistani retrenchment appears to have begun. “We’re already beginning to see some signs of that,” the official said, citing a recent series of reversals by the Pakistan military. “In the next few days, we’re probably going to see a withdrawal of forces that the Pakistanis put there,” the intelligence official said, adding that the move could solidify a “safe haven, where the [Al Qaeda] leadership is secure, operational planners can do their business, and foreigners can come in and be trained and re-deploy to the West”. Musharraf’s popular support has eroded rapidly this year, starting with a failed attempt to oust the chief justice of Pakistan, the Times said. Musharraf hopes to secure another presidential term in an October 6 vote by national and provincial lawmakers. In response to opposition calls that he give up his post as military chief, Musharraf said he would do so after being re-elected. “The developments have triggered new concern in the intelligence community that a six-year effort by the United States and Pakistan to root out Al Qaeda, which has had limited success, could further falter,” the paper said, and added that the intelligence official described it as a “cauldron of events” that has become a significant complication in efforts to rein in terrorism. Democratic Musharraf may not help: The prevailing view among US intelligence analysts is that Musharraf probably will remain in power, but in a significantly weakened position that may require him to embrace democratic reforms and share authority with one or more political rivals, the Times quoted US officials as saying. “Such an arrangement would deprive Musharraf of the dictatorial power he has wielded, which enabled him to contain the political cost of carrying out counter-terrorism operations at the behest of the United States,” the paper says.“From a domestic politics perspective, sustained Pakistani action against Al Qaeda in [the tribal areas] would be suicidal,” said Seth Jones, an expert on terrorism and Pakistan at Rand Corp. “It would only increase hatred against his regime at the precise moment when he is politically weakest.” US officials said the terrorist network was seen as increasingly isolated and in a financial crunch until Musharraf’s peace accord with the tribes last fall. “Since then, US intelligence has tracked an influx of fighters and funds into the region. And counter-terrorism officials have encountered a series of plots, mostly in Europe, linked to Al Qaeda and Taliban training camps in Pakistan,” according to the Times. “Without significant steps to clear and hold territory within [the tribal areas], I don’t believe Al Qaeda can be defeated or significantly weakened,” the paper quoted Jones, the Rand Corp expert as saying. “Consequently, the problem is likely to get worse before it gets better,” said Jones. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #2 Time to partition "pakistan" and end the farce once and for all. Divide it evenly between Afghanistan and India, and destroy the madrassahs, crush the tribal areas, and run the Punjabis to Soddy aRabida. Shoot anyone that objects, and that includes some of our "allies" and "citizens". |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2007-09-24 17:05 |
| #1 US officials said the terrorist network was seen as increasingly isolated and in a financial crunch until Musharraf’s peace accord with the tribes last fall. “Since then, US intelligence has tracked an influx of fighters and funds into the region Is it any surprise that Perv would give them breathing room when they were being strangled? Let us remind ourselves of the Official Motto of the Pakistani Army Iman-Taqwa-Jihad fi sabilillah Faith, Fear of Allah, Jihad in the way of Allah |
| Posted by: john frum 2007-09-24 08:06 |