Lessons from the Terror Arrests of Americans in Pakistan
The leadership of both JEM and JUF are based in Lahore, Pakistan, and both are connected to Harakat ul-Mujahideen, the group from which JEM found much of its membership. They share a focus on Kashmir and have longstanding links with the Pakistani government. A high-ranking JEM member was arrested for involvement in the killing of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl. Sheikh Gilani, the leader of JUF, was detained for his suspected involvement in the same murder but was released. He maintains today that Daniel Pearl is still alive and was part of an assassination plot against him.
The second lesson is that a narrow definition of what the enemy is will lead to further attacks. We cannot focus only on al-Qaeda, but must recognize that radical Islamic terrorism comes from a conglomerate of interconnected groups pooling their resources. JEM, for example, has given training to other terrorists, including organizations and radicalized individuals.
“The U.S. and British governments have both acquired overwhelming evidence that ‘homegrown’ terror cells seeking instruction at ‘real’ terror training camps frequently end up at either facilities run by LET [Lashkar-e-Taiba] or JEM. JEM is essentially seen as an equal substitute for LET if the latter is unavailable,” says terrorism expert Evan Kohlmann.
The five Americans were arrested at a safe house owned by a member of JEM, which they were using on their way to North Waziristan to train and fight with the Taliban and al-Qaeda. Just because JEM and other groups weren’t the ones that carried out 9/11, it doesn’t mean they don’t share responsibility by acting as part of the infrastructure that enables such attacks to occur.
One more lesson is due. The Pakistani military has more than a few more offensives to begin if it wants its country to stop being a safe harbor for terrorists. The Pakistani police say that the five Americans were first rejected by Jaish-e-Mohammed and Jamaat ud-Dawa because they didn’t have any “references” from people they trusted. If true, then that means the providing of a safe house represents the decision of one JEM member and not the group as a whole. These two organizations still have networks operating in Pakistan with the knowledge of the authorities and any downplaying of JEM and JUD by those authorities should be expected. To indict them in this case is to indirectly indict the Pakistani government. After all, the group first tried to join JEM by approaching one of their madrassas. The Associated Press reported in March how JEM is operating two indoctrination schools that teach students as young as eight years old in Bahawalpur, as well as a facility for martial arts and horse riding. If the AP knows about it, you better believe the Pakistani government knows about it.
Don’t let the successful arrest of these five Americans fool you. Our counterterrorism apparatus is good, but it isn’t perfect. If a blind man is given unlimited darts and enough time, he’ll eventually hit the dartboard. And right now, radical Islamic groups such as these may be disabled from the blows they’ve suffered, but the dartboard will be struck unless they are dismembered.
Muslims in the West are supporting Jihad? No surprise here. It is a religious duty of all Musims without exception to wage war on non-Muslims until the entire world is Islamic or acknowledges Islamic supremacy. This is a clash of civilizations between Islam and the West, and if the West does not want to lose people had better start taking this conflict more seriously. Stopping Islamic immigration would be a good place to start.
Understand that jihad is part of Islam. It’s in the Koran, if you care to read something that sure won’t help you go to sleep. Jihad is also known as the 6th Pillar of Islam. Get used to the idea that the madrassas in Virginia are creating the very thing we are trying to stop. I do not see how we can continue as a civilization with all the craziness disrupting modern life and commerce. We will be spending billions just to keep this violent crap to a minimum instead of spending it on human/social needs such as education, health care, etc. It is sad and pathetic to me to hear these sob sisters whine and cry over treating barbarians and religiously dysfunctional people who are psychopaths and destructive with some sort of PC crap that just isn’t going to work.
Lesson is: they weren’t Ameicans — unless you think whelping animals on our soil gets Americans. All the media, including yours continues the fiction: “5 American terrorists…” instead of FIVE AMERICAN MUSLIMS.
Sometimes we can’t help who we are, but we CAN have better teachers.
Mr. Mauro, please stop referring to these dirtbags as “five Americans”. They are not Americans. They are merely five walking talking pieces of excrement. Ideally, Pakistan will execute all of them and do both of our countries a huge favor. While we’re at it, their families that are here in the US should be rounded up and deported.
This report is racist. You ought to be ashamed! Where are all the photos of the white terrorists?
Oh…
The question is how did these 5 get together? Did they attend the same mosque? Did they share a mentor? Meeting over the internet would seem to invite infiltration by authorities.
Five moon god worshipers with American passports want to murder in the name of allah. Their not extremists, they are following Mohammed.
BTW, search the Mosque, Imam, family, and friends of these so called Americans. I suspect where there are 5 cockroaches, there may very well be 500.
Keep letting in the ROP America. They can’t help but prove me correct.
ROPMA!
What makes these guys Americans? Strip them of their citizenship and send them to Afghanistan dressed in Taliban sheets and let the US Army take ‘em out.
100 years from now Americans will be paying in blood for our allowing Islam into the USA.
Any doubts?
9@ehunter:
>100 years from now Americans will be paying in blood for our allowing
>Islam into the USA.
Probably the same people who let you in.
Kochevnik
Fair enough..lets see if the “new immigrants” can pass the test my ancestors did..ready? My grandparents emigrated from Scotland in 1920.
1. They spoke English.They were Presbyterian.
2. They came from Christian, white, Europe and understood the USA, and loved it. They were patriotic..no matter how hard life was in the USA.
3. My Grandfather came with a valuable skill..ie. Master Mason.
4. They came in legally and were self supporting from the start.
5. Even during the Great Depression they refused any Govt welfare whatsoever.
6. Their son..my father fought in 3 wars WWII, Korea, Vietnam for the USA
Not an uncommon story..now compare it to what Islam brings to the USA.
ehunter,
Cool story. Please tell your Father,(if alive), thanks for his service to our country. He was part of the solution.
Islam is part of the problem.