Pakistan's Terror Camps:

I have found the German media to be quite conservative in thinking and forthright in their assessment of what Pakistan is all about.

See a translation of a Die Welt newspaper article at the end. courtesy The News.

If we do not change, there are others willing to take the decision out of our hands and change things for us.

Happy Browsing

Contrarian

Der Tagesspiegel, Germany

Pakistan's Terror Camps:

What's Inside Them and

How Many are There? …

"The creation of camps offering 'crash courses,' is a new development … it appears that members of this third generation of Jihadis - converts and migrants, living amongst us - have again switched back from virtual training camps to real ones."

By Michael Schmidt

Translated By Ulf Behncke

September 7, 2007

Germany - Der Tagesspiegel - Original Article (German)

According to findings by German security experts, there are between 50 and 70 training camps for Islamic terrorist recruits in Pakistan. They are located along the border with Afghanistan in remote areas, which have served as safe-havens for the al-Qaeda terror network and the radical Islamic Taliban. Since being driven from power in Afghanistan, this border region has developed into a new breeding ground for global terrorism. The USA observes the area via satellite and the Pakistani government, according to its own statements, has mobilized 80,000 soldiers for the fight against Islamic fighters - but nevertheless - the so-called tribal areas of North and South Waziristan remain in the hands of warlords and tribal clans. Army, police and secret services have little or no control over the 1,500 mile border [2,400 kilometer-long border].

According to Rolf Tophoven of the Essener Institute for Terrorism Research [Essener Institut für Terrorismusforschung erläutert], these terror camps are not of a permanent nature. Rather, these are small, interim camps of "up to half a dozen tents," which can be put up over night and taken down just as quickly. The trainees are instructed in "basic terror know-how," including the firing of Kalashnikov rifles, the use of hand grenades and explosives as well as conspiratorial behavior. And at the center of this training are not only ideological indoctrination and the stirring up of fanaticism, but Jihad against the "disbelieving ones" and how to prepare suicide attacks. In charge of these Islamic camps are battle-hardened and experienced veterans of the Jihad. Although not always members of al-Qaeda, they are nevertheless inspired by its ideology. Among those who fill the ranks in these camps are members of the Islamic Jihad Union - to which the Terror suspects arrested in Germany Tuesday belong . German intelligence officials are aware of now aware of about twelve people of German origin or with German passports who attended these training camps in Pakistan.

The trainees traveled to either Pakistan or Afghanistan and attended Madrassas as a gateway for being recruited into the camps. Or, says Tophoven, they are recruited in German mosques by missionaries of militant Islam or are simply enlisted from their already-existing social networks. What makes the camps so attractive to these violent converts is that by training in them, they are able to establish themselves in a respected position in their newly-found community, "improving one’s image" Tophoven says. "This is most easily accomplished by attending these camps."

In describing the development of camps offering "crash courses," Tophoven is alluding to a "new development within militant Islamism." The first generation of Jihadists were recruited from veterans of the Afghanistan war against the Soviet Union. The second generation, consisting of 20,000 to 30,000 Arabs and Muslims from around the world, was trained in the Hindu Kush. After the attacks of September 11, 2001 and the defeat of the Taliban, the third currently active generation of so-called home-grown terrorists - "converts and migrants, living amongst us" - at first taught themselves via the Internet. Now however, it appears that members of this generation have once again switched back from virtual camps to real ones to complement and intensify their training.

Pakistan's negative image

Thursday, September 20, 2007 Palvasha von Hassell "No one can wish for the exercise of the popular will (in Pakistan) as long as it is unclear that this will won't lead to Islamist-motivated mass destruction, both near and far. Pakistan is a nuclear state and a�.pit of snakes between the Stone Age and armed modernity. Thousands of religious schools send messengers of terror to the West and those in power can press the red switch any time." The above is a translation from a well-known German national daily "Die Welt" (The World) of Sept. 11 which holds Nawaz Sharif's previous government for the "medieval phantasies of violence" of the Pakistani population at large, approves of his recent expulsion and questions the EU's condemnation of that outrageous exercise of illegitimate power. It is, of course, oblivious to the fact that he marginalized the religious parties by capturing the conservative vote when he was prime minister. Criticism of the selective and distorted reporting and comment of the German media on Pakistan in general is justified, but must be exercised here in Germany. The problem this article deals with is how the army and whoever it co-opts into ruling Pakistan find it very useful to project the image of Pakistan abroad as a country of fanatics in need of a strong hand.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=72837