posted on Jul, 7 2009 @ 04:31 AM
Text Blue
Terrorism and Pakistan's Nexus
WHEN Saudi Arabia’s ruler King Fahd died after a prolonged illness on August 1, his last rites were performed according to strict and austere Wahabi
traditions. But one person who reacted as though his beloved uncle had died and mourned publicly, was Pakistan’s General Musharraf, who promptly
declared one week’s state mourning and became the first non-Arab ruler of a Muslim country to rush to Saudi Arabia for the last rites of the Saudi
monarch.
Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are now in the same boat on issues of global terrorism. The ISI continues to provide support to the Taliban and jihadi
groups like the Lashkar-e-Toiba and the Jaish-e-Mohammed, whose cadres are being arrested worldwide for inciting and promoting terrorism. There is
also evidence that Saudi “charities” like the Al Harmain Islamic Foundation, the International Institute for Islamic Thought and the International
Islamic Relief Organisation continue to fund extremist and terrorist activities worldwide, undermining peace and harmony in pluralistic societies.
King Abdullah, who has just ascended the throne in Saudi Arabia, is respected as a moderate. The same, however, cannot be said of other members of the
royal family, including those of the powerful Sudairi clan who have controlled the levers of power and defied Abdullah even when he was the
kingdom’s de facto ruler. Influential royals of the Sudairi clan like the Governor of Riyadh, Prince Salman, have funded extremist Islamist causes
worldwide. Prince Salman channeled large funds to Islamic extremist groups in Bosnia. He also provided arms and training to Chechen rebels. King
Fahd’s “favourite” son, Prince Abdul Aziz sent millions of dollars through a known associate of Osama bin Laden to “slaughter Russian
soldiers and civilians alike” in Chechnya. Azouzi also transferred huge sums of money to countries like Germany, Spain and the US for Wahabi Islamic
causes that preach hatred of the West.
Rather than coming down heavily on the Saudi elite after 9/11, the Bush Administration has chosen to tread cautiously. Humanitarian causes dear to
influential people like Mrs Barbara Bush and Mrs Nancy Reagan have been funded by the Saudi royals. Influential Americans like Vice-President Dick
Cheney, Mr George Schultz, Mr James Baker, Mr Colin Powell and Dr Henry Kissinger have all been associated with companies like the Carlyle Group and
Haliburton that deal extensively with Saudi Arabia.
Zubaydah further revealed that Al-Qaeda had also struck a deal with the Pakistani military. Pakistan’s Air Chief Marshal Mushaf Ali Mir was informed
of the impending attacks on the US on 9/11. The Bush Administration has remained silent on these allegations. More ominously, Prince Ahmed died
mysteriously in his sleep a few weeks after Zubaydah’s revelations. His cousin Prince Sultan bin Turki died the next day in a “car accident”.
Prince Fahd bin Turki died mysteriously a week later of “thirst” while he was said to be driving in the desert. Finally, Air Chief Marshal Mir
died in a mysterious air crash in Pakistan. According to Posner, the air crash is believed to have been an act of sabotage.
Just as Pakistan and China are partners in nuclear and missile proliferation, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are partners in global terrorism. Terrorist
groups like the Lashkar-e-Toiba have links in Saudi Arabia. But the Pakistani-Saudi nexus goes beyond terrorism.
Robert Baer has reported that the US has known about nuclear cooperation between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia since 1994. Defence Minister Prince Sultan
was given unprecedented access to Pakistan’s nuclear facilities in Kahuta in May 1999. Dr. A.Q. Khan visited Saudi Arabia shortly thereafter.
General Musharraf’s visit to Saudi Arabia on June 25-26 was primarily to discuss how deny the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) access to
information about about the Pakistan-Saudi Arabia nuclear nexus !