Posts Tagged ‘Pakistan’s Double Game’

Really?

Washington • U.S. officials say Pakistan has apparently tipped off militants at two more bomb-building factories in its tribal areas, giving the terror suspects time to flee, after U.S. intelligence shared the locations with the Pakistani government.

U.S. officials believe Pakistan’s insistence on seeking local tribal elders’ permission before raiding the areas may have most directly contributed to the militants’ flight. U.S. officials have pushed for Pakistan to keep the location of such targets secret prior to the operations, but the Pakistanis say their troops cannot enter the lawless regions without giving the locals notice.

All officials spoke on condition of anonymity. Read the rest of this entry »

Religion of Peace? Officials and volunteers search through comb through debris and body parts as a market bomb in Peshawar, North West Pakistan kills dozens and leaves even more injured

At least 34 people have been killed and 90 wounded after two explosions ripped through a market in the north-western Pakistani city of Peshawar, police say.

The blasts occurred just after midnight in an area of the city that is home to political offices and army housing.

The number of attacks by militants in Pakistan has risen sharply since al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden was killed in a US commando raid last month.

On Thursday, a bombing on the outskirts of Peshawar left four people dead.

An explosive device was planted in a pile of rubbish by the roadside in the Matani area, police said. The victims included a woman and a child. Read the rest of this entry »

Corruption and Islam, not poverty, fuel extremism in Pakistan

Spending millions of pounds on development in Pakistan will do nothing to keep young men out of the clutches of the Taliban, according to an extensive survey of Pakistani attitudes towards extremism which will deepen the row over Britain’s aid budget.

The study, conducted by researchers from prestigious American universities, found no link between poverty and support for militant groups.
The findings undermine a central pillar of the Conservative government’s radical new policy on aid, which will deliver almost £1.4bn to Pakistan over the next five years as part of a strategy to protect Britain from terrorist attack.

On Wednesday, Theresa May, the Home Secretary, spelled out the policy to a jeering audience of police officers, who face pay cuts while extra cash is earmarked for Pakistan. Read the rest of this entry »

We’ve reported on the selling of children for Jihad before- but this latest Wikileaks cable adds much substance to suspicions as to where the money comes from:

Donors in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are estimated to have been sending up to $100 million annually to radical Islamic schools in Pakistan that back extremist groups, according to a leaked US diplomatic cable.

The cable alleged that financial aid for a “sophisticated jihadi recruitment network” was coming from “missionary” and “Islamic charitable” organisations in the Gulf, ostensibly with the direct support of the Saudi and UAE governments. Read the rest of this entry »

Political arrogance is the hallmark of the Obama presidency and it will be its undoing:

Nearly three in four Americans (73%) are opposed to sending foreign aid to Pakistan until it demonstrates a deeper commitment to the war against terrorism, an opinion poll here has revealed , even as senior Obama administration officials are making a qualified case for continuing assistance to a shifty ally.

In a clear sign that Washington is swimming against the tide of popular distaste for Pakistan, a Fox News poll released on Wednesday showed 73% of voters against aid to Islamabad, and only 19% saying US should continue funding. Read the rest of this entry »