US’ Europe terror alerts exaggerated for political gain in mid-term polls, says Pak diplomat
By ANIFriday, October 8, 2010
LONDON - Wajid Shamsul Hasan, Pakistan’s High Commissioner to London, has said that America’s warning of Mumbai-style al-Qaeda attacks in western Europe might have been exaggerated to ensure political gain in next month’s midterm elections.
According to The Telegraph, Hasan further said that Obama was under pressure to demonstrate that his Afghan war strategy and this year’s troop surge, which are unpopular with the American public was effective, ahead of the elections, in which the Republicans are expected to make big gains.
“There may be internal political dynamics, including the forthcoming midterm American elections. If the Americans have definite information about terrorists and al-Qaeda people, we should be provided with that and we could go after them ourselves,” he said.
The White House, however, has defended its alerts, saying that the statements warning of a “credible but non-specific threat”, spoke for themselves.
On Thursday, a Sufi shrine in Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city, was attacked by suicide bombers, which killed at least eight people and wounding 65.
The attack came amid tensions over the US drone attacks in Pakistan, which was criticised by Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari saying, any attack on the country’s sovereignty would not tolerated. (ANI)
