A new study has found that it is not likely that Al Qaeda has explicit and dedicated infrastructure to recruit Pakistanis for its operations, rather it relies upon a web of informal relations with groups based in Pakistan to gain access to operational collaborators and individuals to execute attacks within Pakistan.
| I'd call that a pretty fine distinction, myself... |
The study was made by Dr Christine Fair of the US Institute of Peace and is due to appear in an academic journal. The research for the study was carried out while she was with the Rand Corporation. The investigation found that historically individuals in Pakistan have been drawn to militant outfits (tanzeems) mostly due to dynamics in the Indo-Pakistan security competition. However, many observers believe that this may be changing and suggested that the pervasive anti-US sentiment may motivate new cadres to join militant outfits as well. There are groups that are traditionally focused on Kashmir such as Jaish e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LT); and groups that have traditionally been sectarian in nature, such as each of these groups has received state support in various guises over the years. The study found that Kashmir-focused outfits have enjoyed extensive and enduring patronage of the ISI and the Pakistan Army.
| I think we've noticed that, despite the repeated denials from the parties concerned... |
Sectarian groups have also been engaged by various state and central governments. Gen Pervez Musharraf's participation in the US-led global war on terrorism has led to an extensive set of efforts to counter militancy within Pakistan. There is no evidence to suggest that Pakistan has made a strategic decision to abandon militancy in Jammu and Kashmir. It will attempt to both maintain this reserve capability while seeking to restrict their activities to a threshold that will not prompt Indian, US, or other international response.
| Perv and ISI still haven't caught on to the fact that you just can't domesticate terrorists. That single fact could likely be Perv's downfall, to the detriment of the rest of the world. |
|