Key Al Qaeda suspect killed in shootout in Pakistan

Producer: Valarie Tan
First broadcast: 27 September 04, Radio Singapore International

Pakistani Security Forces say they have killed a major al-Qaeda millitant on Monday, September 27.

Amjad Farooqi was killed after a shootout with Pakistani Security Forces.

He’s considered Pakistan’s most wanted terrorist who was also allegedly behind 2 assassination attempts on President Pervez Musharraf’s life.

Farooqi was in charge of Al Qaeda operations in Pakistan and was also wanted over the murder of American journalist Daniel Pearl in 20-02,

Will his death mean the beginning of the end of the terrorist network in the country?

A question Valarie Tan put to Dr. Rifaat Hussein, a defence analyst from Pakistan.

RH: Well I will not go that far. But this is definitely a landmark achievement in terms of Pakistani Security forces’ ability to derail the Al Qaeda network. And he is the person who was the mastermind behind 2 failed attempts on President Musharraf’s life. And he was the one who was organizing and recruiting members for Al Qaeda inside Pakistan. So I think that marks the end of Al Qaeda’s continued ability to recruit people inside Pakistan.

Some skeptics might say that there are many young successors ready replace the captured or killed Al Qaeda leaders. Do you agree with that?

RH: Well definitely. Al Qaeda does have a lot of local appeal here particularly in the border areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan. But the very fact that those who were involved in the leadership positions, they’ve been hunted down, will have a demoralizing impact on all those who might be thinking of joining Al Qaeda or even those who would be pronouncing sympathies for Al Qaeda.

3 accomplices and important documents were also picked after the shootout with Amjad Farooqi. Will Pakistan’s security forces share these information with the US security forces as well?

RH: Oh definitely. There has been a wide range of intelligence sharing between the security agencies of the 2 countries. And whatever little bit of information is gathered by either side, does get shared at the official levels. I’ve no doubt in my mind that whatever leads or clues that they’ve gotten from the seized documents, will be shared with the American if that has not already happened.

So we can expect the 3 accomplices captured at the shootout to be sent to US custody like the nearly 600 Al Qaeda suspects previously captured in Pakistan.

RH: Well I’m not sure. Ultimately, they may end up doing that. But I’m sure Pakistan will like to complete its own investigations because these are the people who have been involved President Musharraf’s life in attempts and also in various international acts of terrorism. So Pakistan would like to exhaust and finish its queries and then subsequently if the need be, will send them over to the US authorities.

Having eliminated one of the Al Qaeda associates, will President General Pervez Musharraf’s image be improved internationally?

RH: Well it will definitely come as a great relief for him personally, because this person was the mastermind behind the attempts to kill him and he’s been hunted down. And I think it will be only stiffen and strengthen his resolve to deal with whatever remnants of this outfit in Pakistan.

At home in Pakistan, there has been talk pressing President Musharraf to shed his job as army chief. Will this latest security success prompt him to do so?

RH: I don’t think the 2 are interrelated because there’s more of a political decision rather than a military or security issue. If the war on terrorism has to be brought to its logical conclusion, then President Musharraf needs all the military authority that he can muster and in that context perhaps that will strengthen his resolve to actually keep the uniform and not to take it off.