Terrorism in South Asia - University of Maryland School of Law
Terrorism in South Asia - University of Maryland School of Law
Terrorism in South Asia - University of Maryland School of Law
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CRS-4<br />
<strong>in</strong>digenous Pakistani groups. 15 Dur<strong>in</strong>g 2003, Pakistan’s domestic terrorism mostly<br />
<strong>in</strong>volved Sunni-Shia conflict, and a March 2004 mach<strong>in</strong>e gun and bomb attack on a<br />
Shia procession <strong>in</strong> Quetta killed at least 44 and <strong>in</strong>jured more than 150 others. 16 Some<br />
analysts believe that, by redirect<strong>in</strong>g Pakistan’s <strong>in</strong>ternal security resources, an <strong>in</strong>crease<br />
<strong>in</strong> Pakistan’s sectarian violence may ease pressure on Al Qaeda and so allow that<br />
group to operate more freely there. 17 There have been past <strong>in</strong>dications <strong>of</strong> collusion<br />
between some elements <strong>of</strong> Al Qaeda, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and <strong>in</strong>fluential Pakistanis.<br />
For example, <strong>of</strong> the three major Al Qaeda figures captured <strong>in</strong> Pakistan, one (Abu<br />
Zubaydah) was found at a Lashkar-e-Taiba safehouse <strong>in</strong> Faisalabad, suggest<strong>in</strong>g that<br />
some LeT members have facilitated the movement <strong>of</strong> Al Qaeda members <strong>in</strong><br />
Pakistan. 18 Another (Khalid Sheikh Mohammed) was seized at the Rawalp<strong>in</strong>di home<br />
<strong>of</strong> a member <strong>of</strong> the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), one <strong>of</strong> Pakistan’s lead<strong>in</strong>g religious Islamist<br />
political parties. In fact, at least four top captured Al Qaeda suspects had ties to JI. 19<br />
In a landmark January 2002 speech, President Musharraf vowed to end<br />
Pakistan’s use as a base for terrorism, and he criticized religious extremism and<br />
<strong>in</strong>tolerance <strong>in</strong> the country. In the wake <strong>of</strong> the speech, about 3,300 extremists were<br />
arrested and deta<strong>in</strong>ed, though most <strong>of</strong> these have s<strong>in</strong>ce been released (<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g one<br />
man who later tried to assass<strong>in</strong>ate Musharraf). 20 Among those released were the<br />
founders <strong>of</strong> both Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Muhammad. Though <strong>of</strong>ficially<br />
banned, these groups cont<strong>in</strong>ued to operate under new names: LeT became Jamaat<br />
al-Dawat; JeM became Khudam-ul Islam. 21 In November 2003, just two days after<br />
the U.S. Ambassador expressed particular concern over the cont<strong>in</strong>u<strong>in</strong>g activities <strong>of</strong><br />
banned organizations, Musharraf moved to arrest members <strong>of</strong> these groups and<br />
15<br />
Among these <strong>in</strong>cidents was the January 2002 kidnap<strong>in</strong>g and ensu<strong>in</strong>g murder <strong>of</strong> Wall Street<br />
Journal reporter Daniel Pearl. Also occurr<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> 2002 were a March grenade attack on a<br />
Protestant church <strong>in</strong> Islamabad that killed five, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g a U.S. Embassy employee and her<br />
daughter, likely was the work <strong>of</strong> LeT; a May car bomb<strong>in</strong>g that killed 14 outside a Karachi<br />
hotel, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g 11 French defense technicians, was l<strong>in</strong>ked to Al Qaeda; and a June car<br />
bomb<strong>in</strong>g outside the U.S. consulate <strong>in</strong> Karachi that killed 12 Pakistani nationals also was<br />
l<strong>in</strong>ked to Al Qaeda. There have been arrests and some convictions <strong>in</strong> each <strong>of</strong> these cases.<br />
See U.S. Department <strong>of</strong> State, Patterns <strong>of</strong> Global <strong>Terrorism</strong> 2002, April 30, 2003.<br />
16<br />
About three-quarters <strong>of</strong> Pakistan’s Muslims are Sunnis. Major sectarian violence <strong>in</strong> 2003<br />
<strong>in</strong>cluded a July strike on a Quetta mosque that killed more than 50 Shiite worshipers<br />
(blamed on the militant Sunni SSP), and the October assass<strong>in</strong>ation <strong>of</strong> Maulana Azam Tariq,<br />
leader <strong>of</strong> the SSP and member <strong>of</strong> the Pakistani parliament, who was gunned down with four<br />
others <strong>in</strong> Islamabad.<br />
17<br />
“Pakistan: A New Wave <strong>of</strong> Sunni-Shiite Violence?,” Stratfor.com, October 7, 2003.<br />
18<br />
U.S. Department <strong>of</strong> State, Patterns <strong>of</strong> Global <strong>Terrorism</strong> 2002, April 30, 2003.<br />
19<br />
“Pakistan Asked to Expla<strong>in</strong> Islamic Party L<strong>in</strong>k to Al Qaeda Suspects,” Agence France-<br />
Presse, March 3, 2003.<br />
20<br />
Paul Watson, “A Delicate Balance <strong>of</strong> Rule for Pakistan’s Musharraf,” Los Angeles Times,<br />
March 5, 2004.<br />
21<br />
Paul Watson, “Revolv<strong>in</strong>g Doors for Pakistan’s Militants,” Los Angeles Times, November<br />
17, 2002; “Musharraf Says Heads <strong>of</strong> Two Extremist Groups Did Noth<strong>in</strong>g Illegal,” Agence<br />
France-Presse, March 2, 2003; “Militant Suspects Freed <strong>in</strong> Pakistan,” BBC News, January<br />
31, 2003.