Pakistani Taliban Threaten Foreign Flood Relief Workers

(Aug. 26) -- American and other foreign aid workers in Pakistan have been warned they could be in danger of attacks from the Taliban even as the country faces devastating floods that have left millions homeless, sick and short of food.

A U.S. official told the BBC that the Pakistani Taliban were planning to "conduct attacks against foreigners participating in the ongoing flood relief operations," adding that "federal and provincial ministers" might also be at risk.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, did not give further details about the source of his information.

Today, however, a Taliban spokesman, Azam Tariq, told The Associated Press that the presence of foreigners was "unacceptable," and strongly hinted that the insurgents could use violence.

"When we say something is unacceptable to us, one can draw his own conclusion," Tariq told the AP by telephone from an undisclosed location. He said that although foreigners were talking about helping the victims, "behind the scenes they have certain intentions."

In a similar statement quoted by Reuters, Tariq said: "We will not tolerate American aid. They want to use it for their own interest and don't want to help the people of Pakistan. They have their own nefarious designs."

The spokesman for the Pakistan Army, Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas, agreed that if the threats delay aid reaching victims in remote areas, "then yes, the people will become restive."

But he said he thought attacks by the Taliban were unlikely, because he believed they would set off a huge backlash. "The local people are all out to welcome" the aid workers, he said. "In this distressed situation, anyone is welcome."

The BBC said that the World Health Organization, a U.N. agency, was reviewing its security measures and that its aid efforts had already been affected by safety concerns.

A spokesman, Ahmed Farah Shadoul, said: "Now with this threat it means either we have to downsize the operation -- which means less access to the affectees -- otherwise we have to take more mitigation measures in order to reduce the security risk, which means more resources."

He added: "This will definitely delay the operation in certain areas."

But a spokesman for the U.N. said it could not let threats from insurgent groups stop its relief efforts.

"There is a lot of work ahead and millions of people who need our assistance," Maurizio Giulano told the AP. "We would find it inhumane for someone to target us and our work, effectively harming the millions of people whose lives we strive to save."

The U.N. estimates that more than 17 million people have been affected by the floods, brought on by an unusually long and strong monsoon season. Some 1.2 million homes have been destroyed and 5 million people left without a place to live.