The Al-Qaida’s core in Pakistan and its affiliates in Africa remain the biggest threat to the United States of America, according to a new US government report.

The report says the Federally Administered Tribal Areas along the porous Pakistan-Afghanistan border, Baluchistan, the North West Frontier Province, southern Punjab, and other parts of Pakistan continue to serve as safe havens for Al-Qaida terrorists, Afghan insurgents, and other terrorist groups. It describes these militants as the “foremost security threat” to the US homeland. The Al-Qaida is seen as an “adaptable and resilient terrorist group whose desire to attack the United States and US interests abroad remains strong”.

The report says the Lashkar-e-Toiba has added “a further dimension to the terrorist threat landscape since its activities have made clear its deepening commitment to undertake bold, mass-casualty operations against American and other western targets”. The LeT was behind the attacks in Mumbai in 2008 and since then analysts have expressed growing concern that the anti-India group could evolve into a genuine global threat.

In recent months, the LeT has spread its web of terror to Afghanistan. “The anti-India group has added coalition forces to its enemies list. The fact that Indians are present in Afghanistan means the group can kill two birds with one stone,” says Stephen Tankel, a visiting scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

David Coleman Headley, the Pakistani-American who has pleaded guilty to helping the LeT plot the attacks in Mumbai, is cited in the report as an indicator of the “diversity, mobility and versatility of self-selecting recruits whom organisations can pick to meet strategic goals”.

“Organisations may set these goals, but their training resources and recruits are increasingly modular and interchangeable,” the report says.

India was the focus of many attacks from both externally and internally based terrorist organisations in 2009, the period covered by the report. The growing Maoist insurgency within India finds special mention. Repeating an observation made in last year’s terrorism report, this year’s document says that while India is clearly committed to combating terrorism, its counterterrorism efforts remain hampered by its “outdated and overburdened law enforcement and legal systems”.

In Afghanistan, the report finds the Taliban-led insurgency resilient in the south and east and having expanded its presence into the north and west. And while the insurgency suffered heavy combat and leadership losses, its ability to recruit foot soldiers from its core base of rural Pashtuns remained undiminished. The Al-Qaida provided training and funding while maintaining its safe haven in Pakistan.

The largest number of reported terrorist attacks in 2009 occurred in South Asia, which also had, for the second consecutive year, the greatest number of fatalities, the report said. It acknowledges that Pakistani military operations in 2009 dealt several significant setbacks to the Al-Qaida in 2009. As a result, the Al-Qaida found it tougher to raise money, train recruits, and plan attacks outside of the region.

But the Al-Qaida’s threat was more evenly distributed among its affiliates — Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), Al-Shabaab and Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb -- which have been actively plotting against the US. The AQAP was behind a failed December 25 attempt to blow up a US airliner flying to Detroit. “The attempt demonstrated that at least one Al-Qaida affiliate has developed not just the desire but also the capability to launch a strike against the United States,” the report says.

On Thursday, the Justice Department indicted 14 persons in Minnesota, Alabama and California with terrorism violations for providing money, personnel and services to the Al-Shabaab. Two persons were arrested. Attorney General Eric Holder said the indictments and arrests had “shed further light on a deadly pipeline that has routed funding and fighters to the Al-Shabaab from cities across the United States”.

Some of the men were charged with leaving the United States to join the Al-Shabaab as foreign fighters. “While our investigations are ongoing around the country, these arrests and charges should serve as an unmistakable warning to others considering joining or supporting terrorist groups like the Al-Shabaab: if you choose this route, you can expect to find yourself in a US jail cell or a casualty on the battlefield in Somalia,” Holder said. Several Al-Shabaab leaders have publicly proclaimed loyalty to the Al-Qaida.

On Iran, which along with Cuba, Sudan and Syria is designated a state sponsor of terrorism by the US, the report said the Islamic republic continues to provide financial, material and logistical support to Hezbollah, Hamas and other militant groups active in West Asia and Central Asia.

Nepalese Parliament’s fourth bid to elect a Prime Minister fell flat today as both Maoist chief Prachanda and his NC rival Ram Chandra Poudyal failed to win simple majority in the 601-strong House, plunging the country into a deeper political crisis in the absence of a government.

Prachanda, a former Prime Minister, managed to bag only 213 votes, with 99 members opposing his candidature. Interestingly, 26 Maoist MPs did not turn up for the voting, which came more than five weeks after Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal resigned following intense Maoist pressure.

Poudyal, 65, also failed to touch the magic figure of 301, receiving just 122 votes in favour and 245 against, forcing the House to fix another round of voting for August 18.

Today’s election came a day after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s special envoy Shyam Saran held hectic parleys with top leaders of Nepal in an effort to defuse the political tension in the country.

During the third round of voting on August 2, Prachanda had secured 259 votes while Poudyal got 124.

Hours before the fourth round of voting today, a smaller Communist party having nine members in Parliament witnessed a split. The new party named CPN-ML (Socialist) was formed after the split of the CPN-Marxist Leninist led by CP Mainali, who accused the Maoists of hatching conspiracy to divide his group.

Ahead of the voting, the CPN-UML with the strength of 109 and the Madhesi alliance with the combine strength of 84 and other smaller parties decided to remain neutral.

The Madhesi alliance of four parties - Madhesi People’s Rights Forum (MPRF), MPRF-Democratic, Terai Madhes Democratic Party and Sadbhavana Party - had maintained they would back the party that provided a clear roadmap to conclude the peace process and addressed demands of the Indian-origin community from the southern Terai region, including greater economic and political rights for them.

However, the two major parties in the fray have refused to give a clear commitment to the Madhesi parties on declaring the southern plains as a single autonomous region. The country has been in political limbo since the June 30 resignation of Madhav Kumar Nepal, who is currently heading a caretaker government.

The CPN-Maoist is the single largest party with 238 seats in the Assembly. 

London, August 6
Pakistan and Britain today sought to bury a stormy diplomatic row as Prime Minister David Cameron met Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, with the two declaring that bilateral ties were "unbreakable" and based on "mutual respect".

Shaking hands with Zardari after a formal meeting at picturesque Chequers country retreat, Cameron said, that they had discussed how to "deepen and enhance" their strategic partnership.

Speaking after their hour-long meeting, both leaders sought to present a picture of cordiality even as Cameron said the talks included efforts to work with Pakistan to combat terrorism and keep people safe on the streets of Afghanistan and Britain.

But the two steered clear of any mention in public of Cameron's remarks in India that Pakistan should not be allowed to "promote export of terror whether to India, whether to Afghanistan or anywhere else in the world." They read out televised statements, but refused to take any questions.

"We dealt with all the issues where we want to make progress," the British Prime Minister said as he offered more help to Pakistan to cope with devastating floods.

Zardari who had vowed to confront Cameron head on over his remarks of Pakistan exporting terror said, "This is a friendship that will never break, no matter what happens." — PTI

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Julia Roberts converts to Hinduism
London: ‘Pretty Woman’ Julia Roberts has converted to Hinduism in the hope of having a peaceful life in her next incarnation and the Hollywood superstar regularly visits temples with her family to “chant, pray and celebrate”. The 42-year-old American actress, who was born to a Baptist and Catholic couple, is now a practising Hindu after visiting India while shooting her upcoming movie ‘Eat Pray Love’, reported Daily Telegraph. — PTI