ISLAMABAD/LONDON - Pakistani security forces have arrested a British Muslim believed to be linked to the London bombings, Pakistani intelligence sources said on Wednesday as Britain outlined plans to tackle radical Islamism. A Pakistani minister officially denied that Haroon Rashid Aswad had been detained but several intelligence sources said he had been picked up earlier this week during a crackdown on militants in Pakistan that has netted more than 150 people. | I thought he denied it a little too strongly |
Pakistan has been a focus of the investigation into the July 7 attacks which killed more than 50 people because three of the four suspected suicide bombers had visited the country. The three were all British Muslim men of ethnic Pakistani origin. At least one of them visited Islamic schools, or madrasas, some of which are seen as militant breeding grounds. The fourth suspect was a Jamaican-born British Muslim. Police say they expect to find a clear link between the bombing and Osama bin Ladenâs Al Qaeda network.
One Pakistani security official told Reuters Aswad had been arrested three days ago at a house in Sargodha, 150 km (90 miles) south of Islamabad. âWe strongly believe he has links with the bombers,â the official said. Officials said Aswad had been taken from Sargodha and was being held in Lahore, the capital of Punjab province. Other intelligence sources also stood by their comments on Aswadâs arrest, despite a denial by Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed. âWe have arrested nobody called Haroon Rashid,â the minister told Reuters.
| "Who's to say what his name really is? I mean, this is Pakistan" |
| Hell, that could be anyone in Pakiland |
The newspaper quoted unnamed sources as saying Aswadâs name had come up in the investigation based on information from the cellphone of one of the London bombers.
| Just can't keep away from those phones, can they? Thank goodness. |
It also said a man named Aswad Rashid Haroon figured in US intelligence databases as having ties to the Al Qaeda network.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair has said governments must not only take security measures to crack down on militants but also tackle the root causes which help them flourish. Madrasas have come under particular scrutiny. Blair said his government planned an international conference to address the causes of radicalism. âThe roots go deep. They are often not to be found in this country alone and therefore international action is also necessary,â he told parliament in London.
