Reports of Europe terror plots 'speculative,' says army

[Aeon]

Reports of Europe terror plots 'speculative,' says army
Wednesday, 29 Sep, 2010

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's army on Wednesday dismissed as “very speculative” media reports that this month's upsurge in US drone strikes on militants in the country's northwest sought to disrupt attacks on European cities.

Sky News on Tuesday reported that militants based in Pakistan were planning simultaneous strikes in London akin to the 2008 militant assault on Mumbai as well as attacks on cities in France and Germany.

It said a month of strikes by pilotless drone aircraft focused on Pakistan's North Waziristan region, in which more than 100 militants were killed, was intended to disrupt the plot.

Pakistani military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas told Reuters: “We don't have any information or intelligence that militants had gathered there (in North Waziristan) and were plotting attacks. There is absolutely no intelligence on that.”

“Basically it's very speculative,” he said of the Sky News report. “It's a very speculative story. It does not quote any credible source.”

US security officials said they could not confirm that a plot had been disrupted. But they said they believed that the threat of a plot or plots remained.

While no senior-ranking militants were reported killed, Pakistani intelligence officials say a number of others of different nationalities are believed to have died.

On Sept 26, a senior al Qaeda leader, identified as Shaikh al-Fateh, also known as Shaikh Fateh al-Masri, was believed to have been killed, Pakistani intelligence officials said.

'Not Surprised At Surge'

There have been 21 strikes carried out by the remotely piloted drones in September, the highest number in a single month.

Pakistan's Tehrik-e-Taliban (TTP), or Taliban Movement of Pakistan, has made several threats against American and European targets, but has so far failed to carry out any overseas attacks.

US counter-terrorism agencies are poring over intelligence reports suggesting a major attack plot is currently in the works against unspecified targets in Western Europe or possibly the United States, US security officials said.

Four US security officials, who asked for anonymity, said that initial intelligence reports about the threat first surfaced two weeks ago, around the time of the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.

British security sources declined to comment on the Sky News report. Britain in January raised its international terrorism threat level to “severe” - the second highest level in the five-tier system.

In Germany, the interior ministery said that while Berlin had information on the alleged plots, there were no firm signs of an imminent attack.

“The current pointers do not warrant a change in the assessment of the danger level,” the ministry said in a statement.

A Serious Risk of Attack

The head of Britain's MI5 Security Service, Jonathan Evans, said on Sept. 16 there remained “a serious risk of a lethal attack taking place”.

“As we have repeatedly said, we know al Qaeda wants to attack Europe and the United States. We continue to work closely with our European allies on the threat from international terrorism, including al Qaeda,” US intelligence chief James Clapper said in a statement.

One US official said militants in Pakistan were “constantly” planning attacks in the region and beyond, and the United States would react to that.

“It shouldn't surprise anyone that links between plots and those who are orchestrating them lead to decisive American action. The terrorists who are involved are, as everyone should expect, going to be targets. That's the whole point of all of this,” the official said. – Reuters

 

[Aeon]

CIA chief due to hold Pakistan talks
Wednesday, 29 Sep, 2010

ISLAMABAD: CIA chief Leon Panetta is due to hold talks with Pakistani leaders following a report that Western intelligence uncovered a major European terror plot hatched in Pakistan, an official said Wednesday.

“Panetta will call on President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, army chief General Ashfaq Kayani and ISI chief Lieutenant General Ahmad Shuja Pasha,” a senior Pakistani official told AFP, requesting anonymity.

Talks will focus on “bilateral counter-terrorism cooperation, the Afghan situation and other regional issues,” the official said. There was no comment from the US embassy.

The spy chief's visit comes as a covert American drone war steps up missile strikes on Al-Qaeda-linked commanders in North Waziristan, Pakistan's most notorious stronghold of Taliban and Al-Qaeda linked militants.

Pakistani officials have reported at least 21 drone strikes in the country's tribal belt along the Afghan border so far in September -- the highest ever such number in a single month.

Local security officials say a US drone strike on Saturday killed Al-Qaeda's operational chief for Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Panetta's visit to Islamabad also coincides with Western intelligence reports carried by British and US media that Pakistani extremists were planning an Al-Qaeda attack in London and major cities in France and Germany.

Pakistan, which is under US pressure to do more to crackdown on Al-Qaeda-linked extremists holed up in its semi-autonomous tribal belt, dismissed the reports.

“We don't have any credible information from sources that any such planning is taking place or terrorists are planning anything in North Waziristan,”military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas told AFP.

Local officials believe the alleged leaked terror plot could increase pressure on Pakistan to fight in North Waziristan, a vortex of Afghan, Pakistani and Arab militants, and a possible hiding place of Osama bin Laden.

Despite US pressures, Pakistani forces have been reluctant to launch an operation in North Waziristan, fearing a backlash of increased attacks on civilians by Islamist militants. -AFP

 

[muse]

“Basically it's very speculative,” he said of the Sky News report. “It's a very speculative story. It does not quote any credible source.”

US security officials said they could not confirm that a plot had been disrupted. But they said they believed that the threat of a plot or plots remained.

Look at how this thing has been set up - if there is no attack, the CIA/ISAF/NATO whatever, can claim that their actions have helped prevent the attack and had Pakistan done more, the masterminds could have been eliminated.

If there is a attack, the CIA/ISAF/NATO whatever, can assert that their action have helped prevent a larger attack and Pakistan "must do more"

Unfortunately the lame ISPR can only highlight that the CIA is acting on speculative information - for instance, the ISPR failed to highlight that the CIA does not have a record that inspires confidence, after all, the whole bit with the Jordanian doctor and then the Wikileaks stuff which highlights how the US pays for information it wants to hear -- on the other hand, this would be matching the ante the US has put up and may raise, are Pakistan willing to play the American raise? Or do they intend to make the American think about whether they, the American, want to play the raise game with Pakistan?