Musharraf confirms London bomb suspect visited Islamic school

One of the suspects in the July 7 bombings in London briefly visited a Pakistan school linked with militants, President General Pervez Musharraf confirmed for the first time today.

But Musharraf, in an interview with The Associated Press, dismissed suggestions that the trip to a madrassa in Lahore influenced the beliefs or motivations of Shahzad Tanweer, saying it was too short and that Tanweer’s “indoctrination” was likely the result of his lack of assimilation into British society.

Tanweer, fellow Pakistan native Mohammed Sidique Khan and two accomplices set off bombs in the London transport system on July 7, killing 56 people, including themselves. Both Tanweer and Khan visited Pakistan last year.

After the attacks, Pakistan faced renewed criticism from some Western leaders and experts who said the Pakistani government had not done enough to curb Islamic extremism in madrassas. Pakistan recently launched a crackdown that led to the arrests of hundreds of suspected militants.

Musharraf said he did not know if the alienation of Tanweer, who became a British citizen, was his own fault or the result of difficult socio-economic conditions combined with images of Muslims being killed around the world.

“Quite clearly, the British government has to investigate why he was not assimilated into society,” Musharraf said. “Maybe it was unequal treatment.”

He said an investigation into Tanweer’s activities in Pakistan was ongoing, and that any information would be shared immediately with London and Washington.

“We would like to move against any organisation that helped him in any way,” Musharraf said.

He said he believes al-Qaida does not provide a central command for terror groups around the world, but added that he believes the groups have an underground network of contacts, particularly in sharing finances.

“I personally think, yes, there is an underworld of these organisations linked to each other,” Musharraf said.

“Most dangerous is the financial underground. These linkages should be cut,” he added.

He said he had no fresh information on the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden, but said the al-Qaida leader likely is still hiding out on either side of Pakistan’s rugged border with Afghanistan and not in an urban area where he could be recognised and arrested.

Al-Qaida once provided a variety of capabilities to terrorists – finances, logistics, training and the technology to build sophisticated bombs and booby traps, Musharraf said.

“All those capabilities have been crippled. They are very restricted, very limited now,” he said. “I think they’re looking for financial support themselves.”

Still, he said al Qaida’s leaders have clout of a different kind.

“They have become symbols, a phenomenon,” Musharraf said. “The militants carry their photographs. They idolise them. They’re the motivating factor for them.”

Musharraf said tackling terrorism requires a multi-track approach of resolving political disputes, ending poverty and illiteracy and ensuring that all ethnic and religious groups are assimilated into society and not alienated.

Prime in the political arena is establishing a Palestinian state, Musharraf said, calling it the core of numerous problems, including Iraq’s ongoing insurgency.