Tony Blair was accused of squandering taxpayers' cash on a failing war on terror last night after a weekend of handouts worth nearly £1billion to Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq. The Prime Minister announced an extra £250million of aid for the reform of Pakistan's Islamic schools, which have been accused of breeding terrorists. He also confirmed a £500million aid package to Afghanistan.Pakistan has been under pressure to crack down on Islamic schools, or madrassas, the privately-funded institutions believed to play a key part in radicalising potential terrorists. Three of the four suicide bombers in the July 7 attacks last year that killed 52 people in London travelled to Pakistan and two are believed to have attended a madrassa. Several other suspects arrested in Britain in connection with terror plots are known to have attended madrassas.
The Pakistani government banned foreign students from attending such schools two years ago, but the estimated one million British citizens of Pakistani origin enjoy dual nationality and are exempt from the restriction.