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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2456037/posts
THE LONG ARM OF LASHKAR-E-TAIBA
WASHINGTON INSTITUTE.org - PolicyWatch No. 1631 ^ | February 17, 2010 | By Stephen Tankel
Posted on February 20, 2010 10:49:29 PM PST by Cindy
SNIPPET: “In his February 2 testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair highlighted the growing danger posed by Pakistani militant organization Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Calling the group a “special case,” he asserted that it is “becoming more of a direct threat and is placing Western targets in Europe in its sights.” He also expressed concern that it could “actively embrace” a more anti-Western agenda. Given its global capabilities with regard to fundraising, logistics, support, and operations, LeT could pose a serious threat to U.S. interests. Consequently, weakening it should be a high priority for Washington.”
SNIPPET: “Lashkar also boasts operatives in a number of Western countries, including Britain and the United States.”
SNIPPET: “LeT’s main enemy remains India, but it is clearly becoming more of a threat to the West.”
SNIPPET: “Convincing Pakistan to ramp up its efforts against LeT should remain a priority for the United States and its allies. In the short term, Islamabad must use its leverage to keep the group from executing any attack against India that could trigger a war and destabilize South Asia.
The United States should also push Pakistan to provide information necessary to degrade LeT’s transnational networks. Although Islamabad’s assistance is critical in this regard, so too is the cooperation of U.S. allies in the Persian Gulf, where more could be done to disrupt Lashkar’s activities.”
Note: “Stephen Tankel is a visiting scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and author of the forthcoming book Storming the World Stage: The Story of Lashkar-e-Taiba.”
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtoninstitute.org ...
“’ISI, LeT getting Indian jihadis together in Karachi for attack’”
Shishir Gupta
Posted: Feb 01, 2010 at 0349 hrs IST
SNIPPET: “New Delhi The ISI has put together a team of Indian jihadis in Karachi, and is waiting to launch them into the country on a terrorist project, alleged terror suspects David Coleman Headley and Mohammad Amjad Khwaja have told their interrogators.
Headley was arrested by the FBI in Chicago in October last year, and is accused of recceing Mumbai and other Indian cities for the Lashkar-e-Toiba as part of the preparations for 26/11. Khwaja, belonging to the Harkat-ul Jihad-i Islami, was arrested on January 18, and is being held in Hyderabad.
Headley has described the “Karachi project” to FBI interrogators, details of which have been shared with New Delhi, sources said. He is believed to have said that both the ISI and the Lashkar have been training Indian nationals in terrorist activities, and using them for anti-India.”