Anti-terrorism forces in Pakistan have been told to brace themselves for a wave of atrocities. Intelligence officials warned that the security situation is now more precarious than it was before the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington.
Senior officers say they are "back to square one" in their fight against international terrorist groups after the release of dozens of militants by Pakistani courts. High-ranking police officials say that as many as 80 hard-core militants are on the loose after being cleared by the courts or released on bail.
They are believed to have been involved in crimes including the attempted assassination of President Pervez Musharraf and a suicide attack on the American consulate in Karachi.
A memo sent by Pakistan's interior ministry to law enforcement agencies around the country warns of a plot to use suicide bombers to target Britons and Americans, including diplomats, in a coordinated campaign involving some of the country's most notorious terrorist groups. The ministry warned that the bombers were also believed to be looking at high-profile individuals and military installations as potential targets.
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The deputy leader of al-Qaida accused moderate Arab leaders of being traitors for cooperating with the United States and its allies in a taped message posted on militant Web sites Saturday.
Ayman al-Zawahri lashed out at Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and his Fatah movement, saying "they cannot be brothers to the Muslims, but they are their enemies."
"Those who have sold Palestine, the secular traitors, cannot be your brothers," said al-Zawahri in the 15-minute audiotape posted on a Web site commonly used by Islamic insurgents. "Do not recognize their legitimacy. ... And don't sit with them ... and do not sign with them the documents that will make you lose Palestine."
The tape, released on Id al-Adha, the most important Islamic holiday, could not immediately be verified. But a banner posted on the Web site said it came from al-Qaida's media production house, al-Sahab.
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Fearing terrorist attacks, UNIFIL raises level of alert
Dec. 31, 2006
Fearing attacks by Global Jihad and Hizbullah, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has raised its level of all alert around bases in southern Lebanon, a high-ranking officer in the multinational force told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday.
According to the officer, warnings transmitted recently by the IDF regarding potential threats, were "taken seriously" and were being handled with extreme caution. The officer refused to reveal if changes had been made to security procedures in UNIFIL bases, but said that necessary measures were taken.
"This threat is serious," the high-ranking officer said, "and we are taking the necessary precautions."
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