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| India-Pakistan | |
| Mumbai suspect lives freely in Pakistan | |
| 2008-12-07 | |
| LAHORE, Pakistan -- For a suspected terrorist watched by Washington and wanted in New Delhi, Hafiz Mohammed Saeed seems remarkably carefree. He lives openly in Lahore, and on Friday, he led prayers at his group's mosque, lecturing about sacrifice to almost 10,000 followers as three armed men stood behind him. The extradition of Saeed, founder of the Islamic militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba, or "army of the pure," was demanded by Indian authorities after the 60-hour siege in Mumbai that killed at least 171 people. He is a suspect in several other attacks in India; the U.S. has listed both Lashkar and its parent group, Jamaat-ud-Dawa, as terrorist organizations. But Saeed's apparently lax treatment in Pakistan highlights the challenge facing the fledgling civilian government of President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani: how to restrain militant groups once Without directly pointing fingers on her visit to Islamabad last week, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice demanded Pakistan actively respond to India's allegations that Lashkar or other Pakistani militants were responsible for the Mumbai attacks. Lashkar and other groups were founded in the 1980s and early 1990s with the help of the military and spy agencies to fight in the conflict over Indian-controlled Kashmir, disputed since the independence of Pakistan and India in 1947. Although Pakistan banned the groups in 2002, most kept operating and just took new names. For many Pakistanis, Saeed, 63, is a hero. His group, which reverted to its original name of Jamaat-ud-Dawa after being banned, now professes to perform only charity work.
The country's powerful spy agency, Inter-Services Intelligence, or ISI, helped create most of the Kashmiri groups, experts say. But it's not clear what role the ISI or the army have had with the groups recently. Most analysts doubt any government agency had a role in the Mumbai attacks, although rogue and former government operatives may have been involved. Since winning power, the civilian leaders, have tried to rein in the ISI. Last summer they attempted, without success, to place the agency under the control of the Interior Ministry. They also nominated a new ISI chief, considered a U.S. ally, and pushed to dismantle the agency's political wing. Analysts said that it was extremely unlikely that Pakistan would turn over Saeed or 19 other men on India's wanted list, or two Lashkar leaders Indian authorities say masterminded the Mumbai attacks. If they did so the already weak government would face a major backlash. Saeed and the Jamaat group are very popular in Lahore. On Thursday, the group's spokesman offered reporters a tour at the group's elaborate compound outside the city. At Friday prayers, everyone waited quietly to hear every word Saeed said. According to a Pakistani journalist who heard the sermon, Saeed said Muslims should not fear bloodshed nor sacrificing themselves for Islam but denied that Jamaat-ud-Dawa had anything to do with the attacks in Mumbai. He is hardly the only militant wanted by the Indian government who appears to operate freely in public in Pakistan. Maulana Masood Azhar, a militant leader released by India in exchange for hostages on a hijacked airliner in 1999, is building a giant mosque in Bahawalpur. Jamaat also seems more out in the open than ever, even though many experts say the group uses relief work to recruit new militants. Last month, it held two large meetings in Lahore's Punjab province, the first large meetings Jamaat held since Lashkar was banned. Saeed talked about the idea of jihad, and some women were so impressed with his speeches that they gave the group their gold jewelry, said Jamaat spokesman Muhammad Yahya Mujahid. There are now also posters, even in relatively moderate Lahore, advertising the group. One billboard proclaimed: "We can sacrifice our lives to preserve the holiness of the prophet." | |
| Posted by:john frum |
| #1 Perhaps now would be a good time to help our Indian friends learn to fly drones. Just like Allah's Angels of Death, these things rain down from on high and they is no way to escape their destruction. |
| Posted by: Richard of Oregon 2008-12-07 10:24 |