Recently, all blame for Pakistan’s extremist problem has been pointed towards FATA. The area has been blamed for all ills and terrorist activities in Pakistan. While might be easy for some to place the blame on one part of the country, the reality – supported by facts is quite different. Some excerpts:
Al Qaeda widespread in Pakistan
Anti-terrorism officials and experts say a U.S. report incorrectly focuses on the group's strength in border areas.
By Josh Meyer, Times Staff Writer
July 20, 2007
WASHINGTON — Al Qaeda has strongholds throughout Pakistan, not just in the areas bordering Afghanistan that were emphasized in a terrorism assessment this week, according to U.S. intelligence officials and counter-terrorism experts who say Osama bin Laden’s network is more deeply entrenched than described.
In recent years, U.S. intelligence and counter-terrorism officials who focus on South Asia say they have watched with growing concern as Al Qaeda has moved men, money and recruiting and training operations into Pakistani cities such as Quetta and Karachi as well as less populated areas.
Militant Islamists are still a minority in Pakistan, commanding allegiance of a little more than 10% of the population, judging by election results. But Al Qaeda has been able to widen its sway throughout the country by strengthening alliances with fundamentalist religious groups, charities, criminal gangs, elements of the government security forces and even some political officials, these officials said.
Top Al Qaeda operative Abu Zubeida was captured in Faisalabad in 2002 and reputed Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, who also had close ties to Karachi, was caught in 2003 in the city of Rawalpindi, headquarters of Pakistan’s military. Mohammed’s replacement, Abu Faraj Libbi, was arrested in 2005 in Mardan, about 75 miles northwest of Islamabad, the capital.
Al Qaeda’s No. 2 and chief propagandist, Ayman Zawahiri, has released numerous tapes in recent months, each of them issued with increasing speed after a significant event. After Pakistani troops stormed the Red Mosque in Islamabad, killing and capturing Islamist militants, Zawahiri’s professional-looking video was in cyberspace in a matter of days.
“When you look at the quality of these propaganda tapes, they are not being produced in some primitive area but where you can get access to news media on a regular basis,” Riedel said.