Positive development
The arrest of Younis al-Mauritani from Quetta is yet another blow to the Al-Qaeda after the reported killing in drone attacks of Atiyah Abd al-Rahman last month and of Ilyas Kashmiri in June. While Atiyah was described as a senior member of Al-Qaeda and Kashmiri as OBL’s possible successor, the status of al-Mauritani in the organisation remains to be determined. He has been variously described as a senior Al-Qaeda operative, the organisation’s number 3 and the ‘foreign minister’ of Al-Qaeda. What has been confirmed by the White House is that al-Mauritani was involved in planning attacks against the interests of the United States and many other countries. He was arrested along with two other operatives just before they were to set off for an African destination from where they were to execute the planned attacks on US targets, including strikes on ships and oil tankers, with the help of explosive-laden speed boats in international waters. Their arrest is, therefore, a major achievement.
Equally significant is the way the arrest was reported by the ISPR. It was described as the result of the ongoing cooperation between the CIA and ISI. There was not only a reiteration of close cooperation between the two agencies in the past but also a confirmation that they ‘continue to work closely together to enhance the security of their respective nations’. Coming as it does, after more than half a year of cooling off of relations and highly acrimonious statements from both sides, the statement indicates a positive development in the ties. A senior military leaders is reported to have observed that ISI and CIA cooperated ‘at a very high level’ for al-Mauritani’s arrest.
The Al-Qaeda and its affiliates treat both the US and Pakistan as their prime targets. They have launched terrorist attacks both inside the US and Pakistan, killing thousands of civilians and troops. The networks continue to plan further lethal attacks. To defeat the terrorists, there is a need for revival of cooperation between the two countries and their security agencies. To fight the menace effectively, the two countries have to repair their frayed ties and pool their resources.
