Final Draft Thesis Paper.pdf - Brandeis University

ultimateenemy,athreattohisreligion,andhiscorebeliefs.HefeltthatthePakistanileaderatthetime,alongwiththeEgyptianPresident,wasnotdoingthejobssuccessfullyandinthetruepathofIslam.Thenetworksthattheseindividualswereanactivepartofprovidedthestructureandconfirmationoftheirbeliefsandactions(Chaliand&Blin,322).ThefoiledplannedattackinTimesSquarehighlightsthenewambitionsofPakistaniterroristorganizations.Lashkar‐e‐Taibaisincreasinglyworkingoninternationalterrorplots:“Lashkar'sfingerprintshavebeenfoundonanti‐WesternattacksandplotsfromAfghanistantoIraq,DhakatoCopenhagen…Shortlyafter[the]Mumbai[terroristattacks],PakistaniauthoritiesarrestedallegedLeTcommunicationsspecialistZararShahandreportedlydiscoveredonhislaptopalistof320potentialtargets,mostofthemoutsideIndia‐‐includingsitesinEurope”(Kahn,1).Furthermore,notlongaftertheMumbaiattacks,DavidColemanHeadley,anAmerican‐PakistaniwasaccusedofgatheringsurveillanceforLeTduringtheMumbaiattacks.AftergatheringinformationfromHeadley,U.S.authoritiesfoundfurtherevidenceofaplannedLeTterroristattacks,targetingtheDanishNewspaperofficethatpublishedthe2005cartoonofMuhammad.Notlongafterthearrest,otherLeTmemberswerechargedwithplanningattacksontheUnitedStatesandUnitedKingdomEmbassiesinDhaka(Kahn,1).Gatheringfromtherecentarrests,theexecutedterroristattackinMumbaiandtheplannedterroristattacksagainstWesterntargets,LeTandotherPakistanimilitantgroupsaregoingtoincreasinglyposeaterroristriskathome,intheUnitedStates,andabroad.50