(2)These aren't the Pakistani terrorists you're looking for
Business as usual in Pakistan. Security forces round up known members of Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, and "other organisations linked with al Qaeda," only to cut them loose. Keep in mind that Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi are banned in Pakistan, although the status of "other organisations linked with al Qaeda" is unclear. From Daily Times:
Intelligence agencies have released several alleged militants who were detained over their potential links with Faisal Shahzad, arrested by US authorities for an attempted car bombing in New York's Times Square, Daily Times learnt on Friday.Two Jaish-e-Mohammad (JM) members, Shahid and Inam, who were arrested from Sector 11, Orangi Town were among those released.
They were sent back to their homes on Friday night after they were found innocent, the sources said, adding that besides the JM men, some others had also been released.
...Those released included members of the Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and other organisations linked with al Qaeda.
From Reuters, more on the Bat'ha Mosque, a known Jaish-e-Mohammed headquarters in Karachi that is linked to the failed Times Square bomb attack:
It is blamed for numerous attacks against Pakistani civilian and military targets and has also been blamed for the murder of U.S. journalist Daniel Pearl.It has links to Afghanistan dating back to the war against the Soviet occupation and still recruits and trains thousands of young men to fight Western forces in Afghanistan.
The US response, of course, is to offer even more aid to Pakistan.
You can go about your business. Move along.
READER COMMENTS: "These aren't the Pakistani terrorists you're looking for"
Posted by BraddS at May 8, 2010 6:25 AM ET:
Excellent Star Wars (original) reference, hope everyone gets it!
Posted by Ellison at May 8, 2010 10:40 AM ET:
The Pakistani aid article linked in this blog entry may have been moved. The link below provides details on the aid (notice the timing):
May 5, 2010
KARACHI: Pakistan's central bank said on Wednesday it had received $468 million from the United States in compensation for some of its costs in battling militancy.
The US embassy in Islamabad said on Tuesday it had released $656 million to Pakistan from its so-called coalition support fund (CSF) for some costs incurred last year, with $188 million transferred last week and another $468 million on Monday.
"We received $468 million last night," said Syed Wasimuddin, chief spokesman for the State Bank of Pakistan.
The bank said on Tuesday it had received the first $188 million last Friday.
The CSF is a US programme to reimburse allies that have incurred costs in supporting counter-terrorist and counter-insurgency operations.
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More details (IMF details) at the link below:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/04-pak-receives-468-mn-csf-qs-04