08-31-2006, 12:58 AM
<b>UK poses biggest terror threat to America</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->They single out British Pakistanis as a "danger" to the United States, prompting suggestions last night that the system that allows UK passport holders to travel freely across the Atlantic needs to be reviewed urgently.
The explosive allegations come amid growing concerns in Washington about what has been dubbed "Londonistan" - Britain's reputation as a breeding ground for Islamic extremism
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An article in the New Republic magazine details how this summer's terror alert has left a question mark in the US over the trustworthiness of young Asians in Britain who trace their roots back to Pakistan and in particular Kashmir.
It highlights how extremists with links to Pakistan have been implicated in a string of attacks and plots against Western targets, often after attending training camps run by terror organisations.
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The article, headlined "Kashmir on Thames", declares: "For terrorist organisations like al-Qa'eda - which, in the years since American troops deposed the Taliban, has reconstituted itself in Pakistan - ethnic Pakistanis living in the UK make perfect recruits, since they speak English and can travel on British passports.
"Indeed, in the wake of this month's high-profile arrests, it can now be argued that the biggest threat to US security emanates not from Iran or Iraq or Afghanistan but rather from Great Britain, our closest ally."
It points out that up to 400,000 British Pakistanis travel back to the country each year, and that many of them have links with Kashmir, which has been the target of a violent militant movement designed to end Indian control of the territory.
Its authors, Peter Bergen and Paul Cruikshank, are well-established experts on Islamic extremism, and the New Republic is an influential voice in Washington.
They say: <b>"The danger to the United States of the nexus between British Pakistanis, al-Qa'eda and Kashmir is becoming clear," </b>adding: "Of more concern...is the likelihood that British Pakistanis will continue to target Americans, both in the US and abroad."
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The explosive allegations come amid growing concerns in Washington about what has been dubbed "Londonistan" - Britain's reputation as a breeding ground for Islamic extremism
.....
An article in the New Republic magazine details how this summer's terror alert has left a question mark in the US over the trustworthiness of young Asians in Britain who trace their roots back to Pakistan and in particular Kashmir.
It highlights how extremists with links to Pakistan have been implicated in a string of attacks and plots against Western targets, often after attending training camps run by terror organisations.
........
The article, headlined "Kashmir on Thames", declares: "For terrorist organisations like al-Qa'eda - which, in the years since American troops deposed the Taliban, has reconstituted itself in Pakistan - ethnic Pakistanis living in the UK make perfect recruits, since they speak English and can travel on British passports.
"Indeed, in the wake of this month's high-profile arrests, it can now be argued that the biggest threat to US security emanates not from Iran or Iraq or Afghanistan but rather from Great Britain, our closest ally."
It points out that up to 400,000 British Pakistanis travel back to the country each year, and that many of them have links with Kashmir, which has been the target of a violent militant movement designed to end Indian control of the territory.
Its authors, Peter Bergen and Paul Cruikshank, are well-established experts on Islamic extremism, and the New Republic is an influential voice in Washington.
They say: <b>"The danger to the United States of the nexus between British Pakistanis, al-Qa'eda and Kashmir is becoming clear," </b>adding: "Of more concern...is the likelihood that British Pakistanis will continue to target Americans, both in the US and abroad."
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