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India-Pakistan
US report voices concern at al-Qaeda links with J&K terror outfits
2003-11-08
I know this usually Paul’s department, but I figured I’d give it the old college try ...
A new report prepared for the US Congress points to a rise in terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and has raised concerns over Al-Qaeda’s reported forging of alliances with terrorist outfits that are active in J&K.
Most of these "alliances" are 5-10 years old, as most the "new" terrorist orgs that have shown up in Kashmir are the same old ones that joined bin Laden’s International Islamic Front years ago under new names.
"Separatist violence in the Indian Jammu and Kashmir state has surged in recent months," says a report by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). It also notes how Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf "adamantly insists" that Islamabad has done all it could to stem cross-border infiltration. But then the report unmasks the claims vis-a-vis the terror outfits. It says, "Though officially banned, these groups continue to operate under new names: LeT (Lashkar-e-Taiba) is now Jamaat ad-Dawa; JeM (Jaish-e-Mohammed) is now Khudam-ul Islam; and Harakat-ul Mujahideen is now Jamiat-ul Ansar."
It’s that childish delight with false moustaches and assumed names ...
It also notes that Musharraf has provided "little concrete evidence" of his promised crackdown on the "more extremist madrassas" that are inculcating "militant anti-Western, anti-American and anti-Hindu values."
Right now Pakistan appears to be playing a double (triple?) game in regards to how it handles terrorist organizations. On one hand, they cooperate with the US at least when it seems to come to the al-Qaeda bigs because they plan on ruling Pakistan in place of Musharraf. OTOH, they also want to keep the jihadi infrastructure intact to bleed India dry and to retain their assets in the event of a war. OTOH (that’s three hands!) the MMA and Co up in the north appear to have their own lunatic agenda that seems to run counter to that of the more pragmatic nuts in the military and the ISI.
"Pakistan’s powerful and largely autonomous ISI is widely believed to have provided significant support for militant Kashmiri separatists over the past decade in what is perceived as a proxy war against India," says the report. It also refers to India as providing the US "solid documentary proof" last March about 70 terrorist camps in Pak-occupied Kashmir.
We probably have our own satellite photos to go with what the Indos gave us...
Put together from different sources, the report comes close on the heels of a special hearing on terrorism in Asia that was conducted by a panel of the House International Relations Committee. Its predominant focus, however, is on the regrouping of Al-Qaeda and Taliban in northwest Pakistan. "Al-Qaeda forces that fled from Afghanistan with their Taliban supporters remain active on Pakistani territory, and Al-Qaeda is believed to have links with indigenous Pakistani terrorist groups that have conducted anti-Western attacks and that support separatist militancy in Indian Kashmir," it says. Though Islamabad provided "vital assistance" in the Afghan operation, the report voices growing American concern over the "haven" that Al-Qaeda and Taliban operatives have found in Pakistani cities and rugged border areas. This has helped the dreaded groups to "at least partially regroup."
I’m pretty sure that most of the Taliban leadership and maybe even their Cyclops supremo himself can be founded in either Quetta or Peshawar these days.
The report goes on to say, "There remain doubts about Islamabad’s commitment to core US concerns in the vast ’lawless zones’ of the Afghani-Pakistani border region where Islamic extremists find shelter. Especially worrisome are indications that the Taliban receive significant logistical and other support inside Pakistan."
This is where the MMA does its stuff, raising a stink every time the Pak military makes a pretense of operations within the tribal areas. If the feds are kept out, then the areas are effectively under the control of Qaeda and the Talibs, hosted by the tribal leaders. Commerce can take place — bringing in groceries and fresh turbans and arms and ammunition — but not policing. What they've done is set up their own autonomous areas, outside the control of the government.
Posted by:Dan Darling

#2  preferably to gitmo.

we don't need any info they have to offer anymore . Kill.Them
Posted by: Frank G   2003-11-8 9:08:02 AM  

#1  I believe you are right sir,Taliban are in "packiwackistan"(no offense meant,I can't help myself) imho they need to get the boot.
preferably to gitmo
Posted by: chriskarma   2003-11-8 3:33:42 AM  

00:00