Article

2006-08-18 India-Pakistan

Suspects said al-Qaeda leaders sanctioned London terror plot

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Posted by Steve 2006-08-18 00:00|| || Front Page|| [10 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Looks like Paks are up to mischief with the investigation and the Brits are not buying their story

B Raman comments

* FACT 1: Four or five of those detained by the British Police had gone to Pakistan after the earthquake of October,2005, in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK) and in the Balakote area of the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) to do humanitarian relief work in camps run by the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JUD), the parent organisation of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LET).

* FACT 2: The Jundullah (Army of Allah), a pro-Al Qaeda organisation, took them to its training camp in the Waziristan area, trained them in the fabrication and use of explosives and dropped them back in the JUD quake relief camps.It is not clear whether they contacted the Jundullah and sought training or whether Jundullah contacted them and motivated them to join its jihad against the West.

* FACT 3: Before returning to London, they met Omar Sheikh, who master-minded the kidnapping and beheading of Daniel Pearl, the US journalist in January-February,2002, in his jail in Sindh.Since nobody can meet him without the permission of the jail authorities, the latter must have been aware of their meeting with him and what was discussed. One does not know whether they immediately alerted the British authorities

The Pakistani authorities, in their official account, have sought to corroborate the British version of a Bojinka-type plot. At the same time, they have tried to project the whole plot, which, according to them, was to have been co-ordinated by Rashid Rauf, a British citizen of Mirpuri (Punjabi-speaking Kashmiri) origin, who has been arrested by them, as having originated in the mind of Afghanistan-based Al Qaeda elements. This claim has been rebutted by the Afghan authorities, who have rightly pointed out that the remnants of the Al Qaeda are in Pakistani territory in Waziristan and not in Afghanistan.The Pakistani authorities have denied any role of Maitur Rehman, the Amir of the Jundullah, who is a Pakistani citizen, in the plot as alleged by some British and American experts.

Whenever the Pakistani authorities had arrested any foreign terrorist suspect in the past, they had immediately handed him over to the US authorities, who flew him out of Pakistan for interrogation. The only instance in the past in which the Pakistani authorities did not do this was in respect of Omar Sheikh. For reasons which are not clear till now, they have adamantly refused to hand him over to the US for questioning in connection with the kidnapping and murder of Pearl.It may be recalled that police sources in Sindh had alleged that this was because he had told them during his interrogation that during a visit to Kandahar in the beginning of 2001 to meet Osama bin Laden, he had come to know of Al Qaeda's plans for the 9/11 terrorist strikes in the US and he had conveyed this to Lt.Gen.Ehsan-ul-Haq, the then Corps Commander at Peshawar, who subsequently became the Director-General of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The ISI authorities did not want him to mention this to the Americans.

15. Surprisingly, in the case of Rashid Rauf also, the Pakistani authorities have not taken action to immediately hand him over to the British for interrogation. Instead, they have produced him before a court, which they never did in the past in the case of terrorist suspects handed over to the Americans. One would have thought the British would have been eager to question him immediately in order to find out whether there are other members of the plot, who might be still at large.Similarly, one would have thought that the Americans would have been equally eager to take him into their custody and question him regarding the whereabouts of bin Laden and his No.2 Ayman al-Zawahiri. But till now, neither the British nor the Americans have shown any alacrity in wanting to do so. Why?

Posted by john 2006-08-18 08:07|| 2006-08-18 08:07|| Front Page Top

#2 The indications till now are that whatever be the nature of the Bojinka-2006 plot, it was jointly mounted by British citizens of Pakistani origin and Pakistani nationals belonging to the Jundullah (operational command and control) and the Lashkar-e-Toiba (funding). They are close to Al Qaeda, but not Al Qaeda.Omar Sheikh had also been in the picture. To divert attention from these inconvenient realities, the Pakistani authorities have been trying to project that the plot was conceived in Afghan territory by British nationals of Pakistani origin in which there was no involvement of any Pakistani national or Pakistani jihadi organisation. They have been claiming credit for having discovered this plot.

17. To find out the truth and to prevent a repeat of July,2005, in the UK or Denmark, it is important that the British and the Americans take Omar Sheikh, Rashid Rauf and Prof.Hafeez Mohammad Syeed of the LET into their custody, fly them out of Pakistan and question them without the presence of Pakistani officials.

Posted by john 2006-08-18 08:08|| 2006-08-18 08:08|| Front Page Top

#3 We have been told that MI6 are present at all Pakistani interrogations of 'Brits' arrested in Pakland... I presume that this may not have been the case with Omar Sheikh? John - I am rather out of touch with this business - are your facts about Sheikh sourced? Makes you wonder what's coming...

Posted by Howard UK 2006-08-18 08:37|| 2006-08-18 08:37|| Front Page Top

#4 Omar Saeed Sheikh is one of ISI's prime resources. I don't recall ever reading that Brit or American officials were ever present at his interrogations, and I'd be surprised if they had been.

I doubt that Omar will ever be executed. I keep waiting to hear he's made a "daring escape." I think his occasional transfers between prisons are the setup for that.

Posted by Fred 2006-08-18 12:13|| 2006-08-18 12:13|| Front Page Top

#5 I'm clearly off form - the old east London connection, of course - in this case Wanstead. Thanks Fred.

Posted by Howard UK 2006-08-18 13:16|| 2006-08-18 13:16|| Front Page Top

#6 Too bad there's not some convenient way to immediately declare Pakistan a terrorist sponsor. It is what they are and nothing less. Their nuclear proliferation and ongoing escalation of the Kashmir conflict all point to a nation set upon causing constant strife. We need to confiscate their nuclear weapons, off the entire ISI, raze all of their madrassahs and place the nation under a protective administration.

Posted by Zenster 2006-08-18 14:20|| 2006-08-18 14:20|| Front Page Top

#7 I presume that this may not have been the case with Omar Sheikh?

Sheikh was an ISI operative and knows far too much to be exposed to US and UK.

Some of his activities are known from the "robust" interrogations he experienced during his time in Indian custody.

He knows who in the ISI ordered the death of Daniel Pearl and that is something the pak authorities will not allow to see the light of day.

Posted by john 2006-08-18 18:53|| 2006-08-18 18:53|| Front Page Top

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