Bruce Riedel says terrorism, a cancer in Pakistan

Washington, Jan 17 (ANI): US political analyst Bruce Riedel has termed the Mumbai attacks, a vintage of Al Qaeda's global jehad mission targeting Americans, Indians and Israelis.

Speaking at a function in Washington, Bruce Riedel of the Brookings Institution, said, "The attack in Mumbai by Al Qaeda ally Lashkar-e-Taiba was a vintage Al Qaeda global jehad mission. It had the targets of the global jehad, Americans, Israelis and Indians."

He said, the crisis emanating from the attacks was still unfolding as it created a prospect of conflict between India and Pakistan to the designs of the militants.

"This crisis from their perspective is also very useful because it is still unfolding. There remains the prospect of conflict between India and Pakistan something that Al Qaeda and Lashkar-e-Taiba and others would love to see actually occur," said Reidel.

The Mumbai attacks have cast a shadow over the relations between the two countries. The peace process, which had started between India and Pakistan in 2004, has been strained and tension is mounting between the two countries.

Commenting on Pakistan President Zardari's statement over several months, Reidel said, finally Zardari understood that the global jehad, the Frankenstein, which Pakistan helped nourish, was threatening to hijack his country.

"I think Zardari understands that global jehad, the Frankenstein which Pakistan helped to nourish and create is indeed now a Frankenstein that threatens to hijack the Pakistani state," Reidel said.

He said terrorism is a cancer in Pakistan.

He said that India is not our immortal enemy and on the eve of the Mumbai bombings, he even said that Pakistan should move to adopt a policy of no first use of nuclear weapons, which is a dramatic change in Pakistani policy.Urging for US action against Al Qaeda, Reidel said that America would have to make use of all its resources and also of its allies to put an end to Al Qaeda's jehad mission.

"US should try to bring together all the parts of American power and those who are allies, not just military, not just intelligence, not just law enforcement, but military, economic, political and diplomatic power in order to under cut the narrative and message of Al Qaeda," said Reidel.

Pakistan, after initial hesitation, said on Thursday that its security forces had closed five training camps run by Lashkar-e-Taiba, and arrested 124 of its leaders and those of a related charity organisations. (ANI)