Posted on 10/09/2010 1:57:36 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
The U.S. has been accused by a top Pakistani diplomat of exaggerating the terror threat from Al Qaeda for political ends.
Intelligence officials also suggested the White House has tried to 'stitch together' rumours of attacks to ramp up security fears.
The U.S. warned last weekend of an increased risk of terrorist attacks in Europe and possibly an assault on transport infrastructure.
Security agents in Britain, France and Germany also warned Al Qaeda terrorists were planning a Mumbai-style atrocity in Europe.
Britain raised the terrorism alert level in its advice from travellers to Germany and France to 'high' from 'general' but the home level was kept at 'severe'.
France also issued an extreme warning, claiming an attack in Britain was 'very likely' - particularly in top tourist sites such asTrafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus or London transport.
But Wajid Shamsul Hasan, Pakistan's high commissioner to Britain, claims the U.S. warning was a bid to justify drone attacks in his country.
And he also raised the prospect Washington was trying to show its strength ahead of next month's mid-term congressinal elections.
Mr Hasan told the Guardian: 'I will not deny the fact that there may be internal political dynamics, including the forthcoming midterm American elections.
'If the Americans have definite information about terrorists and Al Qaeda people, we should be provided that and we could go after them ourselves.
'Such reports are a mixture of frustration, ineptitude and lack of appreciation of ground realities.'
European intelligence experts have also questioned the likelihood of a co-ordinated plot targeting Britain, France and Germany.
'To stitch together [the terror plot claims] in a seamless narrative is nonsensical,' one source told the paper.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Why wouldn't they say this - they are using US aid money to fund the Taliban/AQ alliance, through the ISI, which is what keeps the war going.
Pakistan doesn't want the aid money to stop, so they fund the Talees just enough to keep up from pulling out but not enough to discourage us.
Staying in Afghanistan is killing our troops and their morale - because Obam refuses to let them off a tight leash.
Pull out - and periodically carpet bomb the Paki/Afghan border [both sides] to let them know we still care!!
I’m about halfway through Woodward’s book, and what he has to say about Pakistan is very enlightening and deeply disturbing. Nothing new in the Pakis whining about American UAV attacks, and the ISI is still an enormous part of the problem.
Are we observing a paradigm shift in Pakistan policy regarding fighting Islamic terrorist organizations within their own country. Perhaps I answered my own question.
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