Washington, May 12 (IANS) Almost nine years after the Sep 11 2001 terror attacks, a worrying number of American citizens and longtime US residents are becoming radicalised and training to be terrorists in Pakistan, US counter-terrorism officials say.
Brainwashed by Al Qaeda's extremist ideology, many are also learning the bomb-making skills necessary to become potentially dangerous terrorists, CNN said in a special report citing officials. They are training in the mountains of Waziristan in northwestern Pakistan, where Al Qaeda still enjoys significant safety, it said.
That's where, according to the US government, alleged Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad was trained by the Pakistani Taliban, a group with close ties to Al Qaeda.
Shahzad's case has strong similarities to that of another American, Bryant Neal Vinas, who plotted with terrorist groups in Pakistan to attack the US, CNN said.
Vinas, a Catholic convert to Islam from Long Island, New York, who became radicalized, travelled to Pakistan to join up with Al Qaeda and helped Osama bin Laden's terrorist organization plot a bomb attack on New York City.
CNN said both Vinas and Shahzad were well-integrated into American life before becoming radicalised. Both travelled to the heart of Al Qaeda's operational command in Pakistan's tribal region along the border with Afghanistan.
And both allegedly met with the most senior leaders of the Pakistani Taliban in the weeks before allegedly plotting against the United States.
Several top US counter-terrorism officials cited by CNN had the same message: Americans radicalised at home and trained in Pakistan represent a new and disturbing threat to the American homeland.
In the last year, 16 Americans or American residents were implicated in Islamist terrorism, a surge in such cases. The Times Square plot is case No. 17.
While it is still unclear whether Shahzad had radical associates in the United States, counterterrorism officials are concerned that others like him may be being radicalized through personal contact with proselytisers, CNN said.
Most serious plots directed at the West in the last six years saw plotters either trained or directed by established jihadist groups in Pakistan, according to a recent study conducted for the New American Foundation.
In recent months, videos have emerged purporting to show two Americans fighting with militants along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. One of the alleged Americans, going by the name Sayfullah Amriki, was featured with his face blurred in a video produced by the propaganda arm of the Islamic Jihad Union, an Al Qaeda-affiliated Uzbek group.
In the video, Amriki said he was not the only American who had joined up with militants in the area. He also made a plea in English for new recruits to fight American forces in Afghanistan.
"We must rush to the lands to jihad. It is an obligation on us," he said.
"How can we lose when we wish for death?"
But it's what happens when fighters like Amriki come home that most worries US counterterrorism officials, CNN said.
Comment on this article
EDWARD, MANGALORE
Wed, May 12 2010THE TERM USING ALWAYS IN SOME GROUPS "THE JIHAD" OR SO CALLED "THE HOLY WAR" IT IS TOTALLY MEANING LESS. IN-FACT THERE IS NO "HOLY" IS "WAR". WAR MEANS TOTAL DISTRUCTION, INNOCENT MANKIND WILL BE KILLED SO WHERE IS "HOLY" IN THIS. LOVE ONE-ANOTHER, LIVE PEACEFULLY. IF OUR COUNTRY IS DEVELOPPING, THAT IS PURELY BECAUSE OF EDUCATION, GOOD PEOPLE, GOOD GOVERNECE, POSITIVE APPROACH, GOOD TALENTS. IF OTHERS FEEL JEALOUS, THEN INDIA CAN'T HELP, BECAUSE THERE IS NO MEDICINE FOR THIS. SO INDIA WILL KEEP ON PROGRESSING.
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Rajesh-kumar, Udupi
Wed, May 12 2010Without much political or bilateral overtones this much seems to be true.... When India suffered ( still suffers), when India protested at the neighbouring country to be consumed with the obsession of trying to harm India and Indian interests without any sort of provocation or ill feeling towards its neighbour the world laughed at Inda. Every one said it is India`s internal problem.
When the State of Kashmir paradise in Indian land and its tourism was destroyed and people lost lives and livelyhood there and crime inreased in India as a result of the neighbours open support to and acknowledgement of all the crimes the world said it is India`s problem and the world has nothing to do with it.
Sure enough India is engulfed by the troubles and the troules have over flowed into the lands that had nothing to do with it. It only goes to say that cancer can not be left alone, cn not be isolated and can not be just left to engulf one part.
India has endured and will surely endure because life in India is not much of value as it is a third world country?? Or is it becoming powerful that the world is tking notice of India or Is it that the world has realised that Life is precious in India and elsewhere? And Troubles in and of India today will be troubles in and of the world soon inough with world becoming a Global village. It is really sorry state of affairs or the whole world not to realise the troubles of the other, not to heed to the cries of the other.Address trouble
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yousuf, Qatif/KSA
Wed, May 12 2010UNLESS AMERICA CHANGE ITS FOREIGN POLICY THESE INCIDENTS WILL KEEP HAPPENS.
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Babuti Alvaris, Mangalore
Wed, May 12 2010MSN,SENA they will not come in power NOR they don't want to come in power in future also only they want to destroy everything! Only destruction!
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Jacob, Bangalore/Dubai
Wed, May 12 2010Why Shiva sena,MSN always strike and spoil the peace of the citizens,trubling innocent people,even innocent people lost their life because of Raj takre's Mumbai bund!,One person from BRC killed by MSN stone feling on the same bus,One school boy from Brivali ded on the road accident while their school bus returned the students back home since schools were closed for Raj Takrey and Parents are not known that their childrens are returning back from school because of so called Bandh!it was later learnt that that boy was killed because same bus which ped him hit while turining and even they ed in a wrong place!
Why MSN,sena doing this becuase they are freedom fighter! NO! NO! NO! some external agency is from US funding them why they don't want Bombay to come up and these people are totally taking full advantage of any situation and calling Mumbai Bundh,Train Bundh,Airport Bundh! they are not fighting for the Indian people,Some external force is using them against India.We better understand who is Funding them?
Otherwise do you think they can live luxurious life having latest cars like AUDI,BMW,MERCEDIS? anybody is checking them from where funds come in!
My dear Indians AWAAS UTAHOO!
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EDWARD, MANGALORE
Wed, May 12 2010WITHIN INDIA NEED TO TRACK DOWN ALL THOSE INTERNAL ELEMENTS OF SUPPORTING-FUNDING-PROVIDING LOGISTIC SUPPORTS TO ALL THESE EXTREME GROUPS.
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EDWARD, MANGALORE
Wed, May 12 2010WITHIN INDIA NEED TO TRACK DOWN ALL THOSE INTERNAL ELEMENTS OF SUPPORTING-FUNDING-PROVIDING LOGISTIC SUPPORTS TO ALL THESE EXTREME GROUPS.
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siddarth, mangalore
Wed, May 12 2010its already happening in India . Its up to us now to respect every relegion and consider every thing to be true . Nation comes first
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Hamid, Mangalore - KSA
Wed, May 12 2010This is very dangerous development for concerning India too. Indian also must be very careful about terrorist groups. According to this statement, they can use our own citizen for destroy our economy irrespective religion.
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SAM, BERMUDA
Wed, May 12 2010most of these people are convicts, th ese fenetics go there in the name of freedom of religion and convert them, recently sheik yahha from california says , bring black street guys , teach them Islam and let them on the streets of USA
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