July 8: The Obama administration has maintained that it is receiving significant counter-terrorism contribution from Pakistan, even as a fresh chargesheet filed by the US department of justice revealed that Al Qaeda is still running terrorist training camps in that country.
The plot to bomb New York’s subway system, uncovered in September 2009, was directed by the Al Qaeda leadership in Pakistan, the justice department said. The eleven-page chargesheet, which was filed in a New York federal court, said that five of the accused had received training from Al Qaeda in Waziristan in 2008 and early 2009.
US prosecutors have accused Al Qaeda leadership of directing the accused to attack the New York subway system in 2009. State department spokesman Mark Toner, however, said the US has received “significant counter-terrorism co-operation” from Pakistan.
David Kris, assistant attorney-general for National Security, said these charges underscore the global nature of the terrorist threat. “They further reflect the effectiveness of mutual investigations and cooperation with our global partners in disrupting terrorism threats,” he said. Sean Joyce, executive assistant director of the FBI’s National Security Branch, said: “The threat posed by terrorists around the world is a threat to security and a threat to the rule of law.” The transnational nature of the conspiracy underscores the importance of international coordination to do everything to ensure public safety, the official said.