Partner in 'War Against Terror'

Who says Pakistan doesn't take its international obligations seriously?  Deportation of Osama bin Laden's family is imminent.  After all, the al-Qaeda leader is no longer present and accounted for, what need to shelter his wives and his children?  Besides which, their presence, so openly acknowledged because it can no longer be kept under wraps, represents a peculiar embarrassment.

His three widows, nine children and his grandchildren have been under house arrest for almost a year.  Well taken care of, no doubt.  Interrogated, of course.  Cautioned that they will be permitted to leave for whatever destination they desire - Yemen has accepted his youngest wife's return; Saudi Arabia has rejected the return of the other two - as long as they maintain discretion.

They have been charged, formally, with illegal entry to the country.  And a $110 fine levied.  And they are expected to serve 45 days of imprisonment - perhaps, on the other hand, two weeks.  And then, deportation when their sentence has been served.  Amal Ahmed Abdel-Fatah al-Sadeh, Osama bin Laden's last and youngest wife had wanted to marry a mujahadeen.  Happily for her, she got the cream of that crop.

Returning to Yemen, this adorer of jihad will represent an inspiration to those who wish to follow in her husband's footsteps.  She will proudly serve as her husband's living inspiration to ongoing jihad in the sacred name of Islam.  As he was martyred, so will they all aspire to martyrdom.  Could there conceivably be a more noble, more honourable role for a faithful Muslim?

And the official Pakistan that is preparing to rid itself of this embarrassment, along with the hollow claims of 'illegal entry', openly hosts another terror central, integral to the interests of the government itself, integrated in part, like al-Qaeda, with the Taliban, with the Pakistan military and its Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate. 

Pakistan's partner in the 'war on terror', a partner which generously funds the country's military to the tune of billions annually, has had ample reason to distrust the sincerity of its partner in the 'war on terror', since Pakistan has well established that it represents a crucible for the formation of groups dedicated to terror, groups complicit with those official government agencies, the military and the ISI.

While the United States has come forward with a $10-million reward for information leading to the capture of Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed, and another $2-million for his brother-in-law, he openly operates within the country as a popular speaker.  The group was originally formed at the instigation of the government to operate in Kashmir, to contest India's claim, through fighting the Indian army there, and uphold Pakistan's counter-claim to Kashmir.

During the 2008 bombings and killings in Mumbai, the attackers had direct cellphone contact with Laskhar-e-Taiba and highly-placed members of the Pakistan military with ties to Hafiz Saeed.  Its charity wing is the largest in Pakistan with national popularity for its charitable work. 

A winning formula that militant Islamist groups have perfected, separating themselves into military-political and social charity arms, the latter aiding and assisting the poor, the former pursuing the Islamist agenda.

The popularity of the social charity arm, as in Hamas and Hezbollah and the Muslim Brotherhood, helps the political-jihadist arm assume power by popular acclaim.  And in Pakistan, where jihadist groups flourish and present a danger to civilization, the country is in possession of a nuclear arsenal.