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Posted By: Bob Pomilla

Pretty fair amount of sympathy for militant Islam in the Pakistani military. To fully what extent, we can't be sure. So, if we are "back-channeling" with them, there's still no guarantee that they will take aggressive steps against the radicals.



How much support do radical Islamists have within Pakistan's army?


Experts disagree. While Gannon says there is "a great deal of sympathy within the army for the radical religious right," Weinbaum doubts there is a large group "sympathetic to the most radical of groups." On the other hand, if even a small percentage is willing to block Musharraf's orders to crack down on militants, it can greatly undermine the army's effectiveness. Pakistani military officers have recently been arrested for alleged ties to al Qaeda, according to press reports. Disloyal army and intelligence officials can also provide information to militants to help Musharraf's assassins. Pakistani investigators, for example, suspect that the Christmas Day attackers may have had inside information about the president's route and schedule.

The above was excerpted from:

http://www.cfr.org/publication/7743/pakistan.html#14>