Someone with that bounty on his head would normally have to be in
hiding. Not Hafiz Mohammed Saeed, the leader of Pakistan's Jamaat-ud-Dawa
(Party of Truth), considered a terrorist organization by the United States. Saeed
made headlines in the wake of Superstorm Sandy after he offered to send aid to
its victims in the United States, which Washington quickly rejected. "This
particular offer strikes us as very hollow," State Department spokesman
Mark Toner has said.
India and Washington accuse Saeed of being directly responsible for the
November 2008 attacks in Mumbai that killed 166 people, and the U.S. government
offered the handsome bounty for information leading to his capture. Despite his
high profile, he says he does not live in seclusion, and he runs 150 madrassas
and schools across the country. The U.N. Security Council even published a
street address for him in Lahore in 2008.
CNN sat down to record an interview with him in a building across from
his home. But Saeed takes security seriously and
required that the crew first meet with one of his men on the outskirts of
Lahore then follow him into town. Checkpoints lined the block around his house.
He agreed to the interview with a Western news organization, only because he
wanted to talk about his offer to Sandy's victims. "We have differences
with the American government's policies, but the American people are only
human; we are all human. It's not their fault," Saeed told CNN.
In a sermon, which can be found on the Internet, he has blasted the West
as being the real terrorists. Saeed has repeatedly denied any involvement with
the Mumbai killings or support for terrorism despite accusations he has
masterminded numerous attacks. "I condemn this attack and the innocent
lives that have been lost," he said. "I don't support this attack or
any violence of this kind, but you don't even seem to believe me; I've said it
so many times."
He highlighted charitable activities by Jamaat-ud-Dawa. The U.S. State
Department describes JuD's mission as the establishment of Islamist rule in
India and Pakistan. Saeed softened his stance on Sharia law when speaking to
CNN, saying he did not want to impose the strict laws by force but encourage it
by raising awareness instead. It was a departure from past radical positions.
To the U.N. Security Council, Saeed's party is synonymous with the
terrorist group Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, and he is its leader, who also actively
supports al Qaeda and the Taliban. Even Lashkar-e-Tayyiba as denied
responsibility for the Mumbai attacks, which saw the Taj Mahal Hotel set
alight, according to the Council on Foreign Affairs. The outlawed group, whose
name translates to "army of the pure," has a reputation for being
particularly active in the conflict region of Kashmir. Both India and Pakistan
place varying claims on it. China lays claim to a small part of it as well.
India's National Investigation Agency is to carry out inquiries in
Pakistan into possible connections with the Mumbai attacks. Saeed told CNN he
would speak with them. He said he has written letters to the U.N. and the
European Union in attempts to clear his name, even offering to cooperate with
investigations -- to no avail. Until then, Hafiz Saeed - surrounded by armed
guards - says he will continue to provide moral support, but no more, in the
cause of liberating Kashmir. And he will deliver relief aid to the people of
Pakistan, as the United States will not accept his offers.
Source: CNN News
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