Afternoon:
9°c
Britain is blaming Pakistan for its home-grown terrorists, says diplomat
Paul Waugh, Deputy Political Editor9 Sep 2009
Britain is scapegoating Pakistan for its own failure to tackle home-grown terrorists, a diplomat warned today.
In a blow to Gordon Brown's claims about the threat to the UK, the Pakistani official said his country was being blamed for harbouring extremists.
The senior diplomat said Pakistan was being treated as a "whipping boy" by Britain and stressed key terrorists - including those convicted on Monday for the airlines plot - were "born and brought up" in Britain.
Three Britons were convicted this week of conspiring to explode liquid bombs on planes heading from London to north America. A fourth was found guilty of conspiracy to murder.
The diplomat said Pakistani intelligence tipped the UK off about the plot, saving 1,500 lives aboard seven transatlantic jetliners and thwarting one of al-Qaeda's biggest planned attacks.
However, British and US counter-terrorism officials believe Pakistan-based cells played a central role in the plot.
Birmingham-raised Rashid Rauf, the suspected architect of the attacks, was arrested in Pakistan.
The diplomat told the Guardian: "Britain has to take responsibility and they have to look into the issues driving these youth to extremism, which is the third-generation British - they weren't brought up in Pakistan."
Reader views (4)
Immigration from Pakistan must be reduced and restricted to the bare minimum. A STRICT immigration policy must be set up and all countries with high security risks / link to terrorism; Their citizens should be barred from entry, it's that simple. Time to get tough and smart with these people.
- Dirk Diggler, Soho, London, 09/09/2009 14:49
Report abuse
The Pakistanis in this country only seem to become British when they've been locked up in Pakistan and "allegedly" tortured. Before that as Raj points out, they think of themselves as Pakistani. However, there is a fair point that most of these idiots were born and brought up here, but we (ie the government and local councils) allow them to exist in a cultural vacuum that celebrates a mediaeval view of the world. Only when they are guaranteed to lose the next election do they stop the continual flow of uneducated peasants (and I mean that literally) to keep the level of ignorance and lack of language skills constantlyata constant level.
- Jon, london, 09/09/2009 13:11
Report abuse
Let's not forget that the Taliban is the bastard child of Pakistan. Pakistan nurtured it, funded it and encouraged it, all with Saudi money.
Now that the child has turned against its parent, Pakistan doesn't know how to deal with it.
- Peter, Harrow, UK, 09/09/2009 11:47
Report abuse
Read any of the Asian forums, including BBC Asian Network messageboard and you will learn that British Pakistanis mostly have allegiance to Pakistan. Their Imams come from there. Most refer to Pakistan a BACK HOME. Their loyalities lie first and foremost with Pakikstan. By religion, culture and tradition and emotionally, loyalties lie with Pakistan. Wives and grooms are sent from from Pakistan. Big amounts of monies are remitted to Pakistan relatives from UK. The Pakistani diplomat must know all this. Why does he seek to minimise the strong links that UK Pakistanis have with Pakistan?
- Raj, London, 09/09/2009 10:41
Report abuse
