Pakistan's Awkward Balancing Act on Islamic Militant Groups

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- For the past five years, Pakistan has pursued a risky, two-sided policy toward Islamic militancy, positioning itself as a major ally in the Western-led war against global terrorism while reportedly allowing homegrown Muslim insurgent groups to meddle in neighboring India and Afghanistan.

Now, two high-profile cases of terrorism -- a day of gruesome, sophisticated train bombings in India in mid-July and a plot foiled this month to blow up planes leaving Britain for the United States -- have cast a new spotlight on Pakistan's ambiguous, often starkly contradictory roles as both a source and suppressor of Islamic violence, according to Pakistani and foreign experts.

A man inspects damage after a bomb attack at a railway station in Bombay in July. Pakistan has denied any knowledge of local militants' links to bombings in India and Afghanistan. (Associated Press) Who's Blogging? Read what bloggers are saying about this article. Worldwide Sawdust :: Main Page Full List of Blogs (1 links) � Most Blogged About Articles On washingtonpost.com | On the web Save & Share Tag This Article  Saving options 1. Save to description