Musharraf Denies Helping Al Qaeda

General Pervez Musharraf is furious over the leak of a report by a British Ministry of Defence think tank that suggests Pakistani intelligence forces colluded with Al Qaeda terrorists, including indirect support for extremists who targeted the UK. The report also described Pakistan, a state with nuclear weapons, as on “the edge of chaos.” UK Prime Minister Tony Blair assured the president that the report, which outlines a strategy for deposing Musharraf in favor of a more democratic government, does not reflect official British policy. The leak comes on the heels of a US intelligence report – also leaked – claiming the war in Iraq has rallied Islamic extremists globally. Both the US and UK governments downplay findings of the two reports, yet troubling contents, tone and secretiveness raise serious questions about the costly war on terror. The UK report paints a gloomy picture of a war on terror “going nowhere with no end in sight” – in part, perhaps, because Western governments resist acting against terrorists in Pakistan. But as an angry Musharraf points out, Britain has plenty of terrorists, too. – YaleGlobal