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Qaeda still recruits madrassa students in Pakistan: CNN
Al Qaeda is still active in Pakistan and recruiting madrassa students to carry out terrorist activities around the world, a CNN special report, Pakistan-The threat lies within, said.The report referred to the 7/7 London bombings suspect Shahzad Tanveers suicide message in which Al Qaeda deputy chief Aiman Al Zwahri had said that Tanveer was a madrassa student in Pakistan and that he was trained for the attack in an Al Qaeda training camp. Besides supporting the Taliban and Al Qaeda ideology, madrassas are spreading sectarian and religious violence, said Harvard University fellow Hassan Abbas, a former police officer. The report also showed Lal Masjid deputy cleric Abdul Rasheed Ghazi saying that his ideology was similar to Osama Bin Ladens. Jihad is an integral part of Islam and we cannot deny it because we cannot amend Islam, Ghazi said. Although Musharraf claimed that Pakistan came first, but in reality he held US interests dear, he said. Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Aitzaz Ahsan said Musharrafs actions against the seminaries were half-hearted, as they had not shown any results. When Musharraf goes to America he convinces the Americans that mullahs will take over if he doesnt remain in power, but on his return he tries to convince mullahs that the US will come if he quits, Ahsan added. NWFP Governor Ali Muhammad Jan Orakzai said the war on terror was damaging Pakistans interests, and pressed for the need to review Pakistans strategy saying, We should weigh our gains and losses in the war on terror. The US and Britain consider Pakistan a key ally in the war on terror, but at the same time Al Qaeda and Taliban fighters still call it their home, CNN reported. Posted by: Fred 2007-07-09 |
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