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“Al-Qaeda rebuilds capabilities in Pakistan”

Washington: Buoyed by a ceasefire deal negotiated by Pakistan in 2007, the Al-Qaeda has rebuilt some of its pre-September 11 capabilities, leading to major spike in attacks within Pakistan and Afghanistan, the United States State Department’s latest annual terrorism report says.

Attacks in Pakistan more than doubled from 375 to 887 between 2006 and 2007, and the number of fatalities jumped by almost 300 per cent from 335 to 1,335, the report said.

In Afghanistan, the number of attacks rose 16 per cent, to 1,127 incidents last year, killing 1,966 people, 55 per cent more than the 1,257 who died in 2006.

The ceasefire negotiated by Pakistan in 2007 gave the Al Qaeda leaders “greater mobility and ability to conduct training and operational planning, particularly that targeted Western Europe and the United States,” it said.

“Numerous senior Al Qaeda operatives have been captured or killed, but the Al Qaeda leaders continued to plot attacks and to cultivate stronger operational connections that radiated outward from Pakistan to affiliates throughout the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe,” the report said.

Highest priority

But senior U.S. officials voiced cautious support for Pakistan’s new government led by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani, who has vowed that rooting out terrorism in the country’s lawless tribal areas would be Islamabad’s highest priority. “This government has a chance to really move forward in its own security internally,” Dell Dailey, coordinator of the State Department Office for Counter-terrorism, said.

“We think that all the tools are in place for this treaty to have the successful outcome. They certainly know the United States is watching it. And we’ll articulate our concerns if it turns out to be not as successful as the one in the past,” Mr. Dailey said. — PTI

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