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"Islamic radicals are being trained at terrorist camps in Pakistan and Kashmir as part of a conspiracy to send hundreds of operatives to 'sleeper cells' in the United States, according to U.S. and foreign officials." This from the Washington Times:
The intelligence and law-enforcement officials say dozens of Islamic extremists have already been routed through Europe to Muslim communities in the United States, based on secret intelligence data and information from terrorists and others detained by U.S. authorities.A high-ranking foreign intelligence chief told The Washington Times in an interview last week that this clandestine but aggressive network of training camps "represents a serious threat to the United States, one that cannot be ignored." The official said as many as 400 terrorists have been and are being trained at camps in Pakistan and Kashmir.
U.S. intelligence officials said the camps, located in the remote regions of western Pakistan and in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, are financed in part by various terrorist networks, including al Qaeda, and by sources in Saudi Arabia. ...
Several other camps are being operated by an anti-U.S. Muslim group known as Lashkar-e-Taiba, according to U.S. and foreign intelligence officials. Listed by the State Department in 2001 as a terrorist organization, Lashkar-e-Taiba is the armed wing of the Pakistan-based religious organization Markaz-ud-Dawa-wal-Irshad.
Eleven men, including nine U.S. citizens, were arrested last year in Virginia in what authorities called the "Virginia jihad." The men were accused in a 41-count grand jury indictment of engaging in "holy jihad" to drive India out of the disputed Kashmir territory. Six have since pleaded guilty.
The indictment said some of the men traveled to Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist camps in Pakistan, where they were trained in the use of various weapons, including small arms, machine guns and grenade launchers. The indictment also said the trips occurred both before and after the September 11 attacks.
Posted by Robert at February 10, 2004 9:49 AM
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When are we going to start taking a close (read more critical) look at "sources" that are clearly increasingly generated for the specific intent of getting our balls in an uproar (read Code Orange)? The failure to support Area Studies at the undergraduate and graduate level makes us increasingly vulnerable to being duped by an enemy whose only real strength is its ability to be over-estimated. Start funding our universities instead of cutting their budgets...
//CDR//
Smitty, that is absolutely hilarious! hehe
Posted by: Doug at February 10, 2004 8:34 PMHow ironic that the very same day of the Virginia Jihad article there was a special "education supplement" in the Washington Times from the "Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee". This propaganda piece tells us such gems like "Islam is a religion of peace and prayer.” "Islam does not support terrorism", "The word Islam is derived from the Arabic word "salaam " which means peace.” "Islam teaches respect for other religions.” etc. It also preaches to us infidels that it is wrong to stereotype muslims as terrorists just because of a few bad people.
I think I'm going to keep this around just in case I ever run out of toilet paper
How in the world is possible ,after 9/11 for 400 muslim terrorist to gain entry into the US?!
Are we completely incompetent,stupid,or plain suicidal?!
President Bush and Secretary Powell also tell us that Islam is a religion of peace. Repeatedly. Remember, terrorism is the enemy, and those who support it, whatever race, religion, sexual orientation, creed, or physical or mental, or emotional handicap, will be brought to justice.
Posted by: Monty Rock IV at February 11, 2004 1:15 AMYes,terrorism is the ennemy,but then you have to ask the next question...and if you answer that question,you will come the full circle:
why is the terrorism happening,what is the cause of it,what motivates it?!!
It is the islamic doctrine that causes and praises terrorism.
We cannot combat terrorist,without eradicating its cause,ISLAM.
A big amen to universities needing better funding. And thanks to some of the later comments that display the hatred and ignorance that tend to crop up without much of a quality education.
To make such sweeping inditements of Islam is ludicrous at best. If you fancy yourself better as a Christian, you might want to take a look at some of the human rights track records when extremist, militant abuses of Christianity went awry. Thank goodness your faith doesn't get judged as a whole for that, eh? Maybe you should consider that before casting the first stone.
Posted by: john at February 11, 2004 3:36 AMUniversities need better funding?? With what they charge for tuition these days!!!??
OH PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!
Posted by: Sal_45 at February 11, 2004 3:52 AMI think the point of the article was to address the concern of Islamist Extremist Terror Cells threatening the United States, not university funding or inherent evil of Islam. It is well known and documented that Saudi Arabia has funded significant amount of Wahhabist-based mosques to support such Islamist extremism.
The first commentator immediately "questions" the idea of sleeper cells in 40 states? This is very credible information for anyone who has done any reading or research here.
For example, in Steve Emerson's book "American Jihad" of 2 years ago (2002) he readily points to 21 states where such Islamist extremist and terrorist organizations have been known to exist. If commentators are not reading source material on this subject, they are doing themselves a grave disservice.
I know that we have found more than 21 states with such terrorist groups (and we are not counting cities) since 2002, because I have seen many other states with Islamist terror groups referenced since then.
The idea of 40 states with sleeper cells is highly credible, and if anything, perhaps an underestimate of the true threat.
To get a sense of what was public knowledge 2 years ago, I suggest you look at Steve Emerson's book in Appendix A.
I believe the Times article yesterday of the sleeper cells is simply providing some context. What must be understood is that is long-standing public knowledge that such Islamist terror cells have been in nearly EVERY MAJOR USA CITY for at least 2 years.
Taking that into context, as Americans, don't we have an obligation to more practically discuss ways to share this information of the threat to our society and refrain from bickering?
The question is what can the USA citizens and government do about this growing threat?
Among several things I have worked on, my personal efforts to cut back USA use of foreign oil funding Saudi Arabia.
John,
True. Christianity has spawned some terrible abuses. But on a historical scale, they tend to be self-correcting. And modern Christianity does not advocate killing those who disagree with it. And, also historically, the trend with respect to human rights and personal freedom is upward.
Radical Islam, on the other hand, and its institutional violence has been increasing over the past 20 or 30 years. And it has now reached the transnational stage.
jay
Posted by: Jay Stevens at February 13, 2004 4:08 AM
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