Title: Two Pak groups behind suicide bombing
Author:  
Publication: Intelligence Online
Date: May 10, 2002
URL:  http://www.intelligenceonline.net/allintelligencefull.asp?id=1592152051531&recno=931

9 May 2002: The suicide bombing of 11 French submarine technicians and three Pakistanis in Karachi is part of a broad Al-Qaeda strategy to oust Americans from Pakistan, Western diplomats said.

Two recently-formed Islamist terrorist groups are suspected to have played a key role in the car bombing of a mini-bus carrying the French technicians building Agosta submarines for the Pakistan navy.

There is strong evidence that the suicide bomber wanted to target US servicemen and mistakenly blew up French technicians, a diplomat said.

An alerted US government withdrew a quarter of its diplomatic staff from Pakistan and ambassador Wendy Chamberlain left days before ostensibly to be with her family.

The British secret service, MI6, monitoring Pakistan-based terrorist groups for the last four months had similar information impelling Britain to also quietly withdrew a fifth of its diplomats.

Diplomats said that the Jamiat-e-Milli and Al Jehad had been created some three months ago during a religious conference held at Miramsar 40 km from Peshawar that was attended by all top terrorist and fundamentalist organisations.

Both terrorist outfits are operating inside Pakistan and suspected to have played a key role in the suicide attack in Karachi.

The Jamait-e-Milli and Al Jehad have recruited former Taliban fighters, Al-Qaeda activists, retired ISI cadres and fundamentalists.

Diplomats said that both organisations have commenced opening offices in Punjab, the North West Frontier Province and Baluchistan without using their names while Al Jehad is also backed by suspected Daniel Pearl killer Omar Sheikh.

Sheikh had engaged Al Jehad to carry out terrorist activities and to collect intelligence on foreigners residing in Pakistan.

Western diplomats said that the Al Jehad had secretly prepared a list of foreigners in Pakistan some two months ago and handed it over to Sheikh.

The foreigners’ list was discovered when Sheikh surrendered to authorities.

Both Jamait-e-Milli and Al Jehad have exhorted Pakistani youth to join them for ousting foreigners, particularly Americans, from Pakistan.