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Flier circulates seeking Musharraf's death BASHIRULLAH KHAN / AP | May 8 2006 MIRAN SHAH, Pakistan - A pamphlet purportedly from Osama bin Laden circulated among border tribesmen Sunday, saying the al-Qaida chief was praying for the assassination of Pakistan's president and calling him a "slave" of President Bush. Some doubts were cast on the statement's authenticity, but it follows a spurt of high-profile militant messages and highlights simmering tensions between Pakistani forces and the insurgents they are battling along the Pakistan-Afghan border. It also came a day after a top U.S. counterterrorism official said that parts of Pakistan are a "safe haven" for militants and Islamabad needs to do more to clamp down on al-Qaida. Islamabad dismissed the assertion that it was not doing enough as "absurd." The pamphlet was distributed by militants in Mir Ali, a town in the North Waziristan tribal region. The text said it was reaching out to tribesmen living in the area whose homes were destroyed during recent Pakistani military operations for "American pleasure." It begins with a paragraph in Arabic mentioning bin Laden's name. It then says in Urdu, Pakistan's primary language: "(A) new message by Sheikh Osama bin Mohammed bin Laden to Muslims about the atrocities by the Pakistani army on the tribes of Waziristan, the bloodshed and destruction of their homes." Then it singled out the U.S. president and his and Pakistani counterpart, Gen. Pervez Musharraf. "I pray to God ... that Bush, Pervez and his army meet the fate that they deserve, and give someone among the lions of God the opportunity to kill this slave of Bush in Pakistan," the pamphlet said. Pakistan's army spokesman, Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan, declined to comment on the statement's authenticity, but urged the media not to "spread" it. Security analyst Talat Masood, an ex-Pakistani army general, said he was unsure of the statement's legitimacy, adding some of bin Laden's followers may have drafted and distributed it in his name. "These messages are of a political nature and meant to subvert the present government and its policies and win over sympathies of those people who are unhappy with the way the war on terror is going in the tribal and other areas," Masood told The Associated Press. Musharraf has survived at least three known assassination attempts - all blamed on al-Qaida-linked militants - since joining forces with the United States in its war on terrorism launched following the Sept. 11 terror attacks. Since then, Pakistan has detained more than 750 al-Qaida militants and turned many - including top militant figures - over to the United States. Bin Laden and his top aide, Ayman al-Zawahri, have both this month issued audio and video statements calling for jihad against U.S.-led forces. Al-Zawahri, an Egyptian, also denounced Pakistan for its fierce anti-militant campaign along the border region, where some 80,000 troops are stationed. The two al-Qaida chiefs are believed to be hiding in the Pakistani tribal regions along the Afghan border. Henry Crumpton, the U.S. ambassador in charge of counterterrorism, lauded Pakistan Saturday for arresting "hundreds and hundreds" of al-Qaida figures but said it needed to do more. Crumpton said U.S. officials continue to believe that bin Laden is somewhere along the Afghan-Pakistani border, and was more likely to be on the Pakistani side. Sultan, the Pakistani army spokesman, dismissed Crumpton's assertion that Islamabad was not doing enough. "No one has conveyed this thing to Pakistan, and if someone claims so, it is absurd," he told reporters in Afghanistan. Pakistan was a key supporter of Afghanistan's Taliban militia before it was ousted from power by a U.S. military campaign in late 2001 for harboring al-Qaida. But it quickly distanced itself from the Taliban following the Sept. 11 attacks and aided the Americans. Pakistani officials believe Arab, Central Asian and Afghan militants are present in Pakistan's northwestern border region. But in recent weeks, local tribal militants - allegedly linked with the Taliban - have been blamed for deadly fighting with security forces. More than 300 militants and 50 security personnel have reportedly died in clashes in the region. ---------------------------------------------------
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