US claims aiding SIC for anti-Taliban rallies

However, the group later demonstrated in support of an extremist who killed a leading liberal politician, the U.S. Embassy in Pakistan said Wednesday.Last month, The Associated Press reported that the US Embassy had created a counter-extremism unit to perform that mission.U.S. government website Usaspending.gov shows that the group, the Sunni Ittehad Council, received $36,607 from Washington in 2009.A U.S. diplomat said that the embassy had given money to the group to organize the rallies, but that it had since changed direction and leadership. He said it was a one-off grant, and wouldnt be repeated. He didnt give his name because he wasnt authorized to speak about the issue on the record.The grant was first reported by the Council of Foreign Relations on its website.The Ittehad council was formed in 2009 to counter extremism. It groups politicians and clerics from Pakistans traditionalist Barelvi Muslim movement, often referred to as theological moderates in the Pakistani context.The American money was used to organize nationwide rallies against militants and suicide bombings, the embassy official said. The demonstrations received widespread media coverage, and were some of the first against extremism in the country.The rhetoric at the rallies was mostly focused on opposing militant attacks on shrines, which Barelvis frequent but are opposed by Deobandis.Deobandis dominate the ranks of the Taliban and other extremists, the report said.In 2011 and also this month, however, the council led demonstrations in support of the killer of Salman Taseer, governor who was killed a year ago for his criticism of anti-blasphemy laws. --AP