Love is in the air... (Pakistan rides to Bush's rescue)

[NV1962]

http://mediaprima.com/nv1962/archives/2004/08/pakistan_to_the.html

According to an article in Spanish newspaper El Mundo, based on French news agency AFP reporting from Islamabad, Pakistan, 'an unnamed high-ranking officer' of Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI states that al Qaeda was preparing an attack in the US to influence the elections in November. The intelligence officer was quoted as saying:

"The network sought to deliver a major attack before the elections. Al Qaeda wanted to strike against the United States or its British and Pakistani allies."

The same source also said:

"The period preceding the Presidential elections is highly critical."

<Note: I translated those statements from the Spanish article - nv1962> According to that article details for the plan were obtained by Pakistani intelligence following the arrest of Muhammad Naeem Noor Khan on July 12; in the following weeks, more arrests were made in Pakistan and the UK.

So in essence, although not that explicitly, the source suggests that al Qaeda seeks (or sought) to 'repeat' the train bombings in Madrid, just a few days before the general elections, on March 14. Frankly, I'm not entirely sure this 'announcement' is not simply the latest attempt to tinker with public perception. With the ongoing scandal of the fumbled identity of Khan, presumably in a botched attempt to lend credibility to the latest, widely criticized 'terror alert,' the Bush administration is direly in need of external 'validation' of the latest alert of a looming terrorist attack.

And this report, in an amazing conveniently timed coincidence, fits that need just perfectly. Too perfectly, I suspect.

First, within mere days of the Democratic National Convention -- and its ensuing wave of media attention -- the Bush administration announces a widely broadcast alert. Then, news breaks that the bulk of the information on which that alert was based is several years old. Next, Howard Dean voices the suspicions of many, when he suggests political motives underlying that alert.

In response, a panicking Bush administration seeks to 'stiffen' the credibility of that alert by revealing the name of a highly valuable and currently cooperating al Qaeda member, botching investigative operations in the UK and Pakistan and possibly wasting an opportunity to go after the head of that terrorist network.

When that news breaks, a severely annoyed British government huffs that the Bush administration is too loose-lipped for its own good. One can almost hear Tony Blair fuming: "That Howard Dean chap was absolutely spot on! The far right Republicans not only can't be trusted with money - they can't be trusted with secret information whatsoever, by Jove!"

Well, that leaves Pakistan as the escape hatch. Sure enough, Condoleezza Rice and Frances Townsend go on a charm offensive, praising Pakistan as the next best thing after sliced bread - the Brits be damned! Tickled pink, the Pakistani government understands, nods, and winks back:

Pakistan's Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad downplayed the effect of the U.S. "outing" of Khan, saying Islamabad is looking forward and not back.

"We are moving towards the positive side," he said. "We've got positive information and we believe there will be positive results."

And now, this announcement about plans to attack before November 2.

Am I really the only one smelling something funny?

[Old and In the Way]

1. Do you think forgiving $500MM in loans has anything to do with it?

We all know Pakistan is run by a democratically elected leader and does not have an intelligence agency that works with AQ. Pakistan also does not make nuclear weapons for export to wacko country's like North Korea, either. Our foreign policy is so consistant these days....