WASHINGTON, April 30, 2008
U.S.: Al Qaeda Rebuilding In Pakistan
State Department Report Says Terrorist Attacks In Neighboring Afghanistan Up 16 Percent
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The report says Osama bin Laden's top deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, has emerged as the group's "strategic and operational planner." (CBS)
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Attacks in Pakistan doubled between 2006 and 2007 and the number of fatalities quadrupled, the State Department said in its annual terrorism report. In Afghanistan, the number of attacks rose 16 percent, to 1,127 incidents last year.
The report says attacks in Iraq dipped slightly between 2006 and 2007, but they still accounted for 60 percent of worldwide terrorism fatalities, including 17 of the 19 Americans who were killed in attacks last year. The other two were killed in Afghanistan.
More than 22,000 people were killed by terrorists around the world in 2007, 8 percent more than in 2006, although the overall number of attacks fell, the report says.
The report once again identifies Iran as the world's "most active" state sponsor of terrorism for supporting Palestinian extremists and insurgents in Afghanistan and Iraq, where it says elements of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps continued to provide militants with weapons, training and funding.
"In this way, Iranian government forces have been responsible for attacks on coalition forces," State Department counter terrorism coordinator Dell Dailey told reporters. Iranian forces are also giving weapons and financial aid to the Taliban in Afghanistan, he said.
About 13,600 noncombatants were killed in 2007 in Iraq, the report says, adding the high number could be attributed to a 50 percent increase in the number of suicide bombings. Suicide car bombings were up 40 percent and suicide bombings outside of vehicles climbed 90 percent over 2006, it says.
"The ability of these attackers to penetrate large concentrations of people and then detonate their explosives may account for the increase in lethality of bombings in 2007," the report says.
In Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere, al Qaeda and its affiliates remain "the greatest terrorist threat to the United States and its partners" despite ongoing efforts to combat followers of Osama bin Laden and his top deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, according to the report. It says Zawahiri has emerged as the group's "strategic and operational planner."
"It has reconstituted some of its pre-9/11 operational capabilities through the exploitation of Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas, replacement of captured or killed operational lieutenants, and the restoration of some central control by its top leadership, in particular Ayman al-Zawahiri," it says.
Dailey, however, stressed that al Qaeda is still weaker overall than it was before Sept. 11, 2001.
A primary reason for its resurgence was a cease-fire the Pakistani government reached with tribal leaders last year, the report says. That truce has since ended but Pakistan's new government is now renegotiating a similar agreement that some fear could have similar results and further undermine efforts to battle al Qaeda.
The earlier cease-fire and instability in the region appear "to have provided al Qaeda leadership greater mobility and ability to conduct training and operational planning, particularly that targeting Western Europe and the United States," the report says.
"Numerous senior al Qaeda operatives have been captured or killed, but al Qaeda leaders continued to plot attacks and to cultivate stronger operational connections that radiated outward from Pakistan to affiliates throughout the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe," it says.
U.S. officials are increasingly concerned about the growing power of an al Qaeda affiliate in North Africa known as al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, reports CBS News correspondent Bob Orr. The so-called AQIM carried out numerous suicide bombings in 2007 using suicide operatives ranging in age from 15 to 64. This group which formerly focused its hostilities on Algerian government targets is now expanding its reach to Western targets. The U.N. headquarters in Algeria, for example, was bombed in December.
In Pakistan, the State Department recorded more than 45 suicide bombings in 2007, up from a total of just 22 such incidents between 2002 and 2006. Among those logged last year were the December attack that killed former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and an October attack on her homecoming parade that killed more than 130 people, the worst suicide attack in Pakistani history.
© MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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See all 256 CommentsThe Quran teaches Muslims to kill all the non-believers of Islam and strike terror into their hearts.
Would you for the love of God please do your homework.
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Posted by libagenda at 10:39 PM : May 02, 2008
-libagenda/ricky you''re again spreadin'' your lies about this religion. It only says to do so, only in case they get attacked by the Jews and Christians! You''d do the same thing. Wouldn''t you kill a reputed Christian who tries to kill ya?
God''''s ways and thoughts are not our thoughts or ways....His ways are higher than ours.....His thoughts are higher. God''''s foolishness [if He could be foolish] is wiser than man''''s wisdom.
Posted by noseonurface at 11:51 PM : Apr 30, 2008
I know you''re not Implying that those Catholic Pedophiles are revealing a True spirit of Christianity ? See how retarded it quickly becomes when you pack everyone else into a very little box. Cheers!
We could go on about the history of the Bible & who wrote the stories & when, which ones where left out etc, it''''s an intresting subject.... But another night, good night.
Posted by j-whitman at 12:29 AM : May 01, 2008
+ report abuse
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you know what..what does the christians got to do with al queda????? HONESTLY..
+ report abuse
******
and of course you hate the christians you BED with the muslims...i hope you understand that this country is a compilation of several races, creeds, religions or lack there of...and you are willing to sacrifice all of that because you hate the christians..you are one UNlevel headed liberal
Posted by j-whitman at 12:53 AM : May 01, 2008
+ report abuse
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oh come on..I am sure the liberal masses deserves THAT credit..I mean you, the DNC, the liberal media had been working hard to make sure that our enemy can regroup..
that''s cool.....good nite. It''s the middle of the day here. Next time. Adios
We could go on about the history of the Bible & who wrote the stories & when, which ones where left out etc, it''s an intresting subject.... But another night, good night.
Posted by j-whitman at 12:17 AM : May 01, 2008
That''s only your opionion. "men wrote as they were moved (inspired) by the Holy Spirit".....what? you think God is not BIG enough or capable enough to see to it that what He wants in a book for men to read will be done?? How can you have such a small idea of Who God is?
The 5th Anniversary of "Mission Accomplished" is here, wood is the standared 5th anniversary gift. --- What are you getting Bush & McCain ???
Hey J - I''''''''m sure it will be something that they will treasure forever,
How about a great weekend trip to the massage parlor down in Little Rock ? for you and j-whitman.
No, someone has to keep an eye on you and Barney to make sure you two don''t get hooked up. I''ll have a bucket of water standing by,, just in case.
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Posted by jb01201a at 12:08 AM : May 01, 2008
Hey, you complain about the content of the comments, but then this.......I guess it''s easier to join them than fight them, huh?
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Posted by j-whitman at 11:57 PM : Apr 30, 2008
BTW, it should be "whether", not "weather".....(no harm done)
But, to nip in the bud the old testament comparisons with Islam and the law etc.....all of the law can be summed up in this, Jesus said, "to love oneanother as I have loved you"......love fullfills the entire law. So regardless of the similarities of the Old Testament and Islamic law....it''s irrelavant.
For example Jesus said, "YOU have heard it said, ''you shall love your neighbor and hate yout enemy'', but I say to you, ''love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you."(Matt.5:43-44).
Notice He doesn''t say anything about any circumstances where you should strap C4 on your body and blow you and your enemy up
Hey J - I''''m sure it will be something that they will treasure forever,
How about a great weekend trip to the massage parlor down in Little Rock ? for you and j-whitman.
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