Mumbai terror suspects live openly in Pakistan

Chicago Tribune:

For a suspected terrorist watched by Washington and wanted in New Delhi, Hafiz Mohammed Saeed seems remarkably carefree.

He lives openly in Lahore, and on Friday, he led prayers at his group's mosque, lecturing about sacrifice to almost 10,000 followers as three armed men stood behind him.

The extradition of Saeed, founder of the Islamic militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba, or "army of the pure," was demanded by Indian authorities after the 60-hour siege in Mumbai that killed at least 171 people. He is a suspect in several other attacks in India; the U.S. has listed both Lashkar and its parent group, Jamaat-ud-Dawa, as terrorist organizations.

But Saeed's apparently lax treatment in Pakistan highlights the challenge facing the fledgling civilian government of President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani: how to restrain militant groups once supported by the security forces but now refueling animosity with Pakistan's archfoe India and immense new pressure from the U.S.

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For many Pakistanis, Saeed, 63, is a hero. His group, which reverted to its original name of Jamaat-ud-Dawa after being banned, now professes to perform only charity work. His group's spokesman claims that Saeed is barely involved with Lashkar and describes the group as based in India. And while he has been placed under house arrest several times in the past, Saeed is allowed to go wherever he wants nowadays.

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Since winning power, the civilian leaders, have tried to rein in the ISI. Last summer they attempted, without success, to place the agency under the control of the Interior Ministry. They also nominated a new ISI chief, considered a U.S. ally, and pushed to dismantle the agency's political wing.

Analysts said that it was extremely unlikely that Pakistan would turn over Saeed or 19 other men on India's wanted list, or two Lashkar leaders Indian authorities say masterminded the Mumbai attacks. If they did so the already weak government would face a major backlash.

Saeed and the Jamaat group are very popular in Lahore. On Thursday, the group's spokesman offered reporters a tour at the group's elaborate compound outside the city.

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The Pakistan double game continues as the masters of doing the minimum attempt to minimize the blow back from a mass murder operation in Mumbai. As the post below notes, Pakistan has indicated it will arrest these guys and shut down their operation. There is nothing like giving your target a head start.

It will be a real test of Pakistan's seriousness.