If the U.S. or Israel strikes Iran, fringe elements of the Pakistani intelligence apparatus that allegedly work with Al Qaeda may attempt to coordinate terrorist attacks internationally, including using non-conventional weapons, according to information obtained by Arab diplomats in Pakistan.
The Arab diplomats, speaking to this column, said they did not have specifics on the non-conventional nature of the attack, such as whether the purported threat involves chemical, biological or nuclear weapons. The diplomats also said they did not have specifics about the exact location of any possible terrorist threat.
They did say, though, that there is little fear that Pakistan itself would get directly involved in any conflict involving Iran.
Elements of Pakistan’s intelligence agencies have long been accused of working with Al Qaeda, a charge parroted worldwide after Osama bin Laden was discovered living in Pakistan near a military facility and less than two hours from the country’s capital.
It is unknown whether Al Qaeda itself possesses unconventional weapons. In 2009, there were unsubstantiated reports that an Al Qaeda affiliate in Algeria closed a base after an experiment with unconventional weapons went awry, according to a senior U.S. intelligence official.
Many terrorism analysts have reported on Al Qaeda attempts to purchase or obtain unconventional weapons over the years, or to steal material from nuclear sites. Just last year, Reuters reported that radioactive material was stolen from the site of a nuclear power plant in Egypt during protests outside the site.
Some fear that Al Qaeda, working with a state actor such as Iran, could theoretically carry out electromagnetic pulse, or EMP, attack off America’s coastline, if the terrorist group should ever obtain both a nuclear device and a missile.
Middle East Christians Facing Increased Persecution
As Islamic groups gain power throughout the Middle East, Christians fear for their safety and are concerned about their role with regard to the future of the volatile region.
“I fear for the Christians of the Middle East because it’s a bad situation for them,” Lebanese parliamentarian Samy Gemayel told KleinOnline.
Gemayel, a senior member of the Phalange party, said he received information last week about a specific assassination plot against him. “I just got the information from the head of security and he asked me not to go to a specific place because he had information that something was going to happen there,” he said.
While the exact nature of the purported assassination plot remains unclear, Gemayel, who descends from an historic Lebanese Christian family, said he is taking the new threats seriously. His older brother, Pierre, was a member of parliament and government minister before his assassination on November 21, 2006. His uncle, former President-elect Bachir Gemayel, was also assassinated.
Christians have been a minority in numerous Middle East countries for several decades, facing routine mistreatment and occasional persecution for much of that time. However, for the last year, the so-called Arab Spring has sparked intensified concern, with reports of an increase in attacks against Christians in several countries. Islamists have already ascended to power in Egypt, Libya and Tunisia. Jordan, Morocco, Syria, Yemen and other countries face similar prospects.
Ever since the downfall of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Coptic Christians have been facing a wave of Islamic attacks, including murders, rapes, church burnings and institutional intimidation. Some reports say over 200,000 Copts already fled their homes. When Copts attempted to protest last October, security forces reportedly fired at the protesters, killing 24 and wounding over 300 people.
Last weekend, the Global Post quoted numerous Syrian Christians, speaking on condition of anonymity, expressing deep concern that if the secular regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad collapses, Islamists may gain power and persecute Christians.
Senator Inhofe: Obama Is Disarming America
President Obama is an “extreme liberal” whose proposed defense cuts are aimed at “disarming America,” contended Oklahoma Sen. Jim Inhofe, a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Speaking on “Aaron Klein Investigative Radio,” Inhofe also accused Obama of using his economic policies for “social engineering.”
“He is an extreme liberal,” said Inhofe. “And let’s face it. And this is going to sound maybe a little hysterical, but someone who really is an extreme liberal doesn’t think we need a military anyway.”
He added, “[Extreme liberals] think if all countries will stand in a circle and hold hands and unilaterally disarm the threats will go away. That’s what we’ve got for a president.”
The senator slammed Obama’s recently outlined $525 billion military budget for next year that is $6 billion less than the current level. The proposal is the first step in a deficit-cutting plan that calls for a reduction in projected defense spending of $487 billion over 10 years.
Stated Inhofe: “Now we see he is cutting a half a trillion dollars out of our military over ten years and he has agreed to sequestration which is another half trillion. That’s a trillion dollars, Aaron, that comes out. He is disarming America”