Pakistan in the war on terror
- v
- t
- e
in Pakistan (since 2001)
‡ indicates attacks resulting in more than 100 deaths
Underline indicates the deadliest terrorist attack/s to date
- 1st Bahawalpur
- 1st Karachi
- 1st Quetta
- 2nd Quetta
- 1st Multan
- 1st Mandi Bahauddin (Ahmadiyya)
- 4th Karachi
- Dargai
- 1st Dera Ismail Khan
- 1st Charsadda
- July bombings ‡
- 2nd Rawalpindi
- 5th Karachi ‡
- 2nd Charsadda
- 3rd Rawalpindi (Bhutto assassination)
- 3rd Charsadda
- 2nd Parachinar
- 1st Swat
- 1st Islamabad
- 2nd Islamabad
- 2nd Dera Ismail Khan
- 1st Wah
- 1st Peshawar
- 3rd Islamabad
- 1st Orakzai ‡
- 2nd Peshawar
- 4th/5th Dera Ismail Khan (January violence)
- 6th Dera Ismail Khan
- 2nd Lahore (Sri Lankan cricket)
- 1st Khyber
- 3rd Lahore
- Chakwal
- 7th/8th Dera Ismail Khan (May attacks)
- 4th Lahore
- 3rd Peshawar
- 5th Lahore
- Usterzai
- 4th Peshawar
- 4th Rawalpindi
- Alpuri
- 6th Lahore
- 5th Islamabad
- 5th Peshawar ‡
- 5th Rawalpindi
- 6th Peshawar
- 6th Rawalpindi
- 7th Lahore
- 1st Dera Ghazi Khan
- 1st Lower Dir
- 6th Karachi
- 1st Lakki Marwat ‡
- 1st Bajaur
- 2nd Lower Dir
- 7th Karachi
- 2nd Khyber
- 3rd Khyber
- 8th, 9th & 10th Lahore
- U.S consulate/Timergarah attack
- 2nd/3rd Kohat
- 8th Peshawar
- 11th Lahore (Ahmadiyya)
- 9th Dera Ismail Khan
- 12th Lahore (Sufi)
- 1st Mohmand ‡
- 13th Lahore (Shia)
- 3rd Quetta
- 2nd Darra Adam Khel
- 8th Karachi (CID)
- 2nd Mohmand
- 2nd Bajaur
- 12th Karachi (Chaudhry Aslam assassination)
- 1st Bannu
- 2nd Mastung
- 20th Peshawar
- 13th Karachi (Jinnah International Airport)
- 14th Quetta
- Wagah border
- 21st Peshawar (school massacre) ‡
- Shikarpur
- 22nd Peshawar
- 15th Lahore
- 14th Karachi
- 3rd Mastung
- Attock
- Camp Badaber
- Taunsa Sharif
- 15th Quetta
- Jacobabad
- 6th Parachinar
- 16th Quetta
- 5th Charsadda (Bacha Khan University)
- 23rd Peshawar
- 16th Lahore
- 17th Quetta
- 3rd Mohmand
- 18th Quetta
- 2nd Khuzdar
- 13th Dera Ismail Khan
- 7th Parachinar
- 17th Lahore
- 24th Peshawar
- Sehwan
- 6th Charsadda
- 8th Parachinar
- 18th Lahore
- 25th Peshawar
- 4th Mastung
- 19th Quetta/9th Parachinar
- Chaman
- 19th Lahore
- 20th Lahore
- 4th Bajaur
- 20th Quetta
- 1st Harnai
- 14th Dera Ismail Khan (Ataullah Shah)
- Jhal Magsi
- 27th Peshawar
- 21st Quetta
- 28th Peshawar
- 5th Mastung/2nd Bannu ‡
- 15th Dera Ismail Khan
- 2018 election violence
- 2nd Orakzai
- 15th Karachi (Chinese consulate)
- 31st Peshawar
- 20th Karachi
- Barkhan
- Bolan
- Havelian
- 3rd Lakki Marwat
- 8th Khyber
- 31st Quetta
- Muslim Bagh
- 32nd Peshawar
- Zhob
- 1st N Waziristan
- Bara
- Khar
- 2nd N Waziristan
- 6th Mastung
- Hangu
- 16th Dera Ismail Khan
- 2nd Gwadar
- Mianwali
- Chilas
- Daraban]
Pakistan's role in the War on Terror is a widely discussed topic among policy-makers of various countries, political analysts and international delegates around the world. Pakistan has simultaneously received allegations of harbouring and aiding terrorists[1][2][3][4][5] and commendation for its anti-terror efforts.[6][7][8] Since 2001, the country has also hosted millions of Afghan refugees who fled the war in Afghanistan.[9][10]
Major developments
The Saudi born Zayn al-Abidn Muhammed Hasayn Abu Zubaydah, was arrested by Pakistani officials during a series of joint U.S. and Pakistan raids during the week of 23 March 2002. During the raid, the suspect was shot three times while trying to escape capture by military personnel. Zubaydah is said to be a high-ranking al-Qaeda official with the title of operations chief and in charge of running al-Qaeda training camps.[11]
Later that year on 11 September 2002, Ramzi bin al-Shibh was arrested in Pakistan after a three-hour gunfight with police forces. Bin al-Shibh is known to have shared a room with Mohamed Atta in Hamburg, Germany and to be a financial backer of al-Qaeda operations.
It is said Ramzi bin al-Shibh was supposed to be another hijacker in September 11 attacks, however the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services rejected his visa application three times, leaving him to the role of financier. The trail of money transferred by bin al-Shibh from Germany to the United States links both Mohammad Atta and Zacarias Moussaoui.[12]
On 1 March 2003, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed was arrested during CIA-led raids on the suburb of Rawalpindi, nine miles outside of the Pakistani capital of Islamabad. Mohammed at the time of his capture was the third highest-ranking official in al-Qaeda and had been directly in charge of the planning for the 11 September attacks.[13][14] Other events Mohammed has been linked to include: ordering the killing of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, the USS Cole bombing, Richard Reid's attempt to blow up a civilian airliner with a shoe bomb, and the terrorist attack at the El Ghriba synagogue in Djerba, Tunisia. Khalid Shaikh Mohammed has described himself as the head of the al-Qaeda military committee.[15]
Amidst all this, in 2006, Pakistan was accused by NATO commanding officers of aiding and abetting the Taliban in Afghanistan;[16] but NATO later admitted that there was no known evidence against the Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) or Pakistani government of sponsoring terrorism.[17]
The Afghan government also accuses the ISI of providing help to militants, including protection to the Mullah Dadullah, Taliban's senior military commander killed in 2007, a charge denied by the Pakistani government.[18] India, meanwhile continues to accuse Pakistan's ISI of planning several terrorist attacks in Kashmir and elsewhere in the Indian republic, including the 11 July 2006 Mumbai train bombings, which Pakistan alleges is due to "homegrown" insurgencies.[19] Many other countries like Afghanistan and the UK have also accused Pakistan of State-sponsored terrorism and financing terrorism.
The upswing in American military activity in Pakistan and neighbouring Afghanistan corresponded with a great increase in American military aid to the Pakistan government. In the three years before the attacks of 11 September, Pakistan received approximately $9 million in American military aid.
In the three years after, the number increased to $4.2 billion, making it the country with the maximum funding post 9/11. Such a huge inflow of funds has raised concerns that these funds were given without any accountability, as the end uses not being documented, and that large portions were used to suppress civilians' human rights and to purchase weapons to contain domestic problems like the Balochistan unrest.[20][21]
In December 2016, The Spectator reported that Pakistan is winning its war on terror.[22] The article reported the major steps taken by the Nawaz Sharif, during his third term as the Prime Minister of Pakistan, which has resulted in an overall drop in violence.[22]
The Guardian reported that in 2016, Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India referred to Pakistan as the "mothership of terrorism", as part of a reprised campaign to increase international pressure on Pakistan for allegedly harboring and supporting militant groups.[23]
In August 2017, The Guardian reported that as part of a new US strategy in Afghanistan by the Trump administration, more pressure was to be put on Pakistan over alleged support for insurgent groups, with President Trump saying in a televised statement that "we can no longer be silent about Pakistan's safe havens for terrorist organisations, the Taliban and other groups that pose a threat to the region and beyond." The new strategy was supported by Afghan government officials, a spokesman for the Afghan president said that "this is the first time the US government is coming with a very clear-cut message to Pakistan to either stop what you're doing or face the negative consequences." Pakistani security officials rejected the statements, stating, "They are shifting blame to Pakistan" and "Pakistan itself is the victim of terrorism. We are fighting militants and have conducted many ground and aerial operations and destroyed their sanctuaries. We want to eradicate them physically and ideologically.". As part of a regional approach, Trump said he would encourage India to play more of a role (whom are already providing economic and humanitarian aid to Afghanistan), former officials and analysts have pointed out that the fear of a greater Indian presence in Afghanistan was the justification used by Pakistan's military and intelligence leaders to maintain backing for Afghan militants, as a buffer against Indian influence.[23]
Northwest Pakistan
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa the Pakistani Army captured or killed numerous al-Qaeda operatives such as Khalid Shaikh Mohammed.[24] Pakistani authorities have noticed a relatively greater presence of IS influence in Balochistan, confronts growing threat from Khorasan Province group.[25]
Training ground for European militants
In 2009, a politically unstable Pakistan emerged as a new global hub for anti-West militancy, but, because of the constant threat of US attacks, recruits were reportedly more likely to spend their time under instruction and in training than carrying out assertive action. In his report on the matter, focusing on an alarming influx of European extremists, Reuters security correspondent William Maclean wrote,
Long a favored destination of British militants of Pakistani descent, Pakistan's northwestern tribal areas are now attracting Arabs and Europeans of Arab ancestry who three years ago would probably have gone to Iraq to fight U.S. forces.
With the Iraq war apparently winding down, security sources say, the lure for these young men is to fight U.S. forces in neighboring Afghanistan or to gain the skills to carry out attacks back home in the Middle East, Africa or the West.
One consequence: Western armies in Afghanistan increasingly face the possibility of having to fight their own compatriots.[26]
He added that the matter was likely to surface in a meeting on 6 May 2009 between United States President Barack Obama, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Afghan President Hamid Karzai, the first-mentioned looking to bring an end to the employment of Pakistan's tribal zones as a launching pad for al Qaeda activity around the world.[27]
See also
References
- ^ Entous, Adam; Barnes, Julian E.; Rosenberg, Matthew (4 May 2011). "Signs Point to Pakistan Link to bin Laden". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
- ^ Antaleva, Natalia (9 May 2011). "Obama presses Pakistan over Bin Laden's support network". BBC News. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
- ^ Watt, Nicholas (3 May 2011). "Osama bin Laden must have had support network in Pakistan – Cameron". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
- ^ "CIA Chief: Pakistan Would Have Jeopardized Operation", Time, 3 May 2011, archived from the original on 4 May 2011, retrieved 5 May 2011
- ^ Caldwell, Dan; Williams, Robert (2011). Seeking Security in an Insecure World (2nd ed.). Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 103–104. ISBN 978-1442208032.
- ^ "Pakistan's anti terror efforts lauded. - Free Online Library". Thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
- ^ "Pakistan's anti-terror efforts lauded | Pakistan". DAWN. 24 February 2011. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
- ^ "Pakistan's Role in War Against Terror Lauded". Arab News. 22 March 2003. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
- ^ Dilawar, Ismail; Mangi, Faseeh (28 August 2017). "Trump Afghan Strategy Poised to Fail, Pakistan Premier Says". Bloomberg. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
- ^ "Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS), Independent Think Tank in Pakistan, but in reality Pakistan is the one who made Taliban and Al-Qaida". PAK Initiative. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
- ^ "Officials: Captured man says he's al Qaeda brass". CNN. 1 April 2002. Archived from the original on 16 December 2006. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
- ^ "Financier of 9/11 attacks arrested". English.pravda.ru. 15 April 2002. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
- ^ Warren Richey (5 May 2011). "Did harsh interrogation tactics help US find Osama bin Laden?". CSMonitor.com. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
- ^ "Pakistan's role in the War on Terror « Pakpasban". Pakpasban.com. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
- ^ "Top al Qaeda operative caught in Pakistan". CNN. 1 March 2003. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
- ^ "NATO faces defeat in Afghanistan". Asiantribune.com. 16 November 2006. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
- ^ "No evidence against Pakistan: NATO". The Hindu. India. 11 October 2006. Archived from the original on 3 November 2006. Retrieved 4 June 2007.
- ^ Taliban military leader killed by Nato forces Belfast Telegraph, 14 May 2007
- ^ "Pakistan spy agency behind Mumbai bombings". CNN. 30 September 2006. Retrieved 30 September 2006.
- ^ Billions in Aid, With No Accountability Center for Public Integrity Posted: 31 May 2007
- ^ An alliance of convenience By Burhanuddin Hasan The News International, Pakistan Archived 16 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b "Pakistan is winning its war on terror". The Spectator. 2016. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
- ^ a b "Trump's Afghan shift praised in Kabul but leaves Pakistan wary". The Guardian. 22 August 2017.
- ^ "Top al Qaeda operative caught in Pakistan". CNN. 1 March 2003.
- ^ "Pakistan aims to curb ISIS-K influence as terrorists attempt to recruit educated youth". Pakistan Forward.
- ^ Maclean 2009. Dennis Blair, US national intelligence director, declared in February that the main threat posed by Europe-based extremists was members of al Qaeda and its affiliates who "returned from training in Pakistan to conduct attacks in the West", a prominent concern since mid-2006. Official Western estimates put at several hundred the number of non-Afghan militants receiving training in tribal areas. Little was known about the details of the training and whether or not numbers had increased or held steady in recent months. Many assumed, though, that increased activity in Pakistan was in large part a result of American success in Iraq (Maclean 2009).
- ^ Maclean 2009.