Here is more indication of how energetic the tottering Musharraf regime has been in fighting jihadists in Pakistan. More on this story: “Terror in UK sourced in Pakistan: MI5 chief,” by Prasun Sonwalkar for Indo-Asian News Service :
Over the last five years, much of the command, control and inspiration for attack planning in the UK has derived from Al Qaeda’s remaining core leadership in the tribal areas of Pakistan, according to the head of Britain’s intelligence service MI5.
In a rare speech to the Society of Editors’ annual conference in Manchester Monday titled ‘Intelligence counter terrorism and trust’, Jonathan Evans, the MI5 chief, said that often the planning used young British citizens to mount the actual attack.
The earlier MI5 chief, Eliza Manningham-Buller, had pointed out last year that the service had identified 1600 individuals who it believed posed a direct threat to national security and public safety. The number, Evans disclosed, had now risen to 2000.
He said: “As I speak, terrorists are methodically and intentionally targeting young people and children in this country. They are radicalising, indoctrinating and grooming young, vulnerable people to carry out acts of terrorism.
“This year, we have seen individuals as young as 15 and 16 implicated in terrorist-related activity…Over the last five years much of the command, control and inspiration for attack planning in the UK has derived from Al Qaeda’s remaining core leadership in the tribal areas of Pakistan – often using young British citizens to mount the actual attack”.
Evans singled out Al Qaeda and its associated groups as the “main national security threat” faced by Britain. Al Qaeda, he said, was conducting a deliberate campaign against Britain.