India-Pakistan: January 16, 2002

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Pakistan's new anti-terrorism campaign has so far closed 615 offices (of terrorist or pro-terrorist organizations) and arrested 1,957 men suspected of terrorist activities. The arrested includes many leaders of fundamentalist and terrorist organizations, including those that actively support fighting against Indian troops and non-Moslem civilians in Kashmir. Of particular interest was president Musharraf's order to ISI, the intelligence agency that supports so many terrorist organization, to supply information on people to be arrested. There was apparently some degree of compliance with that order. It was also noted that there has been a decline in the terrorist attacks across the Line of Control into Indian Kashmir. India is still not satisfied, as most of the 20 terrorists on a list India drew up are still at large. But most of these men have international warrants out on them, so their unavailability is somewhat understandable. Meanwhile, police are also investigating the thousands  of foreigners  (11,000 in Sindh province alone) studying in religious schools (madrassas). A crackdown on the madrassass has been going on for nearly a year.