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A new generation of Islamic militancy

M Abdul hafiz
NOW an anathema but both Taliban and Al-Qaeda were once the darlings of the America's CIA under the rubric of Afghan Mujahideens fighting the Soviet occupation during the eighties. The fanatic mullahs of the deeply conservative country were lured to undertake Jihad against the infidels of another hue by their CIA and ISI handlers. Encouraged by the US and its Saudi lackey the Muslims from all over Arab-Islamic world flocked to Afghanistan to fight the holy war and, if possible court martyrdom. Fired by an indomitable spirit of Jihad a redoubable Osama bin Laden, a Saudi fugitive also chose to hole up in Afghanistan and take the helm of an emerging Islamic militancy although his al-Qaeda terrorist network was already in existence by then.
The mainstay of the Mujahideen could not be anything other than their fanaticism and raw courage to fight. Given their background they, of course, fought bravely but perhaps purposelessly. So, once they won the war with the Soviet occupiers they didn't know how to take it to some useful consequence. Many of them, however, became hardened Al-Qaeda operative while others joined the ranks of
Taliban trained in the religious seminaries of bordering NWFP and Balochistan of Pakistan the role of which in supporting and pushing them into Afghanistan is amply testified. The intrepid Taliban fighters fought tenaciously against the West's anti-terror coalition forces and refused to capitulate en masse. This is in spite of their many limitations -- they being uneducated, poor and without a world view of their own.
Now well educated youngmen
from middle class background with an outlook of their own join the rank of the new breed of Islamic militants, remnants of Taliban, an extended network of Al-Qaeda, extremists, freedom fighters, angry youngmen -- call them what you will. But they are much different from the fanatics reared up by the Us, saudi Arabia or Pakistan. They will not certainly fight to become gun-toting bandits as their predecessors.
Of course many of the CIA or IsI trained Mujahideens were later indoctrinated and became hardened adherents to their beliefs they fought for. They have now been joined by another breed of Jihadis: the educated young professionals -- the cardiologist, the orthopedic surgeons, the computer engineer and so on. The computer whiz kids abandon their promising career for the call of Jihad. Pakistan, the front-line state of the West's war on terror has, interestingly, been the breeding ground of the terrorists linked with international Al-Qaeda network. This is in tandem with Pakistan's U-turn with regards to Taliban.
The new cadre however boasts of highly qualified professionals, and university graduates. These children of opportunity, rather than deprivation are masterminds behind many of the recent terrorist
attack both the Pakistan and elsewhere. The Pakistani engineer who was recently arrested had been responsible for Al-Qaeda's communication in Lahore from where he relayed the coded messages on internet from Al-Qaeda leadership hiding in Pakistan's tribal areas to operations abroad.
The emerging generation of Islamic militants -- or a new face of Al-Qaeda is described as crucial cog in the organisation's operative machinery in Pakistan and abroad. Naeem of Karachi's NED engineering university, for example, played a central role in planning new terrorist attack in the Us and other Western countries. His arrest in July last exposed an intricate web of Al-Qaeda contacts in Pakistan, Britain and United states. The computers and CDs seized from his possession provided a 'trea-
sure trove' of information about Al-Qaeda's terrorist plan. His interrogation led to the tracking down of Ahmed Khaifa Ghailani, a Tanzanian national indicted for murder in connection with 1998 bombing of US embassies in East Africa and the arrests of several other Al-Qaeda operatives in Britain. Ghailani's recent arrest in Pakistan's Gujrat city is considered one of the most prized catch.
These setbacks notwithstanding, the new breed of Al-Qaeda and
its merger with battle hardened IsI-trained Mujahideen -- remnants of the Afghan war -- point to its enhanced potency, skill and versatility and above all a purpose of each of its enterprise. A calibrated approach to terrorism based on its cost-effectiveness is what is the hallmark of the metamorphosis both in the organisation and its strategy by infusing new blood.
Attaur Rahman, another new face in Islamic militancy, was arrested in June last for masterminding a series of terrorist attacks in Karachi. A graduate of Karachi University he founded 'Jundullah' his own militant outfit which draws its cadres from the educated and professional class. According to police, Jundullah is closely associated with Al-Qaeda's network in Pakistan which continues to grow in strength in spite of close surveil-
lance and widescale arrests of its operatives -- thanks to the supports of well-knit cells like Jundullah which is rated as one of the fiercest militant groups behind recent spate of violence in Karachi. The group hit the headlines after a daring attack last month on the motorcade of Karachi's corps commander.
Jundullah is but one of the many small terrorist cells now operating in Karachi alone. According to Karachi police chief the members
of the cells who are small in number for the convenience of effectiveness in operation received their training in the camps of Waziristan --believed to be a sanctuary of fugitive militants.
Even the Pakistanis appear askance as to what has led to this unity of the old and new and the communion of their thoughts and actions wreaking havoc for the government of Musharraf who is in any case suspect in the eye of the country's common people. In his desire to fight the American war on terrorism on Pakistani soil Musharraf has, in Pakistani perception, compromised national interests. A growing anger, impatience and frustration with Musharraf's domestic and foreign policies and his pro-Us tilt bordering on servility have indeed promoted the militants of all shades
who suffered the government's blanket crackdown in the name of so-called enlightened moderation to close their ranks.
In fact there has been tremendous upsurge in moral and intellectual anger among the radical Muslim youths in Pakistan against military establishment for hunting down Al-Qaeda fugitives at the Us' behest. Consequently the rise of splinter cells has made the task of the authority in Pakistan difficult indeed. The terrorist groups are multiplying as the government crackdown intensifies. They are increasingly targeting western assets and security forces including the country's military ruler.
In December last year there have been two attempts on the life of General Musharraf who narrowly escaped. The focus of the terrorists' interest is widening to include any one considered close to the Us interest like Prime Minister shaukat-Aziz, believed to be implanted by the Us. He also escaped an attack on him.
Pakistan government describes the capture of high profile Al-Qaeda operatives like Ghailani, Musaad Aruchi and Dawood Badani as its triumph in the war on terror. But that has not tamed the new generation of Al-Qaedas. They struck back by targeting the heavy weights of both military and civilian leadership. The failed assassination attempt on shaukat Aziz came hours after Pakistan announced Ghailani's capture.
According to police the attack on shaukat Aziz carried all of Al-Qaeda's hallmarks. In a quick riposte it was a tit for tat of sorts.
Brig ( retd) Hafiz is former DG of BIISS.