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Islamabad Marriot Terrorist Bombing

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Islamabad Attack: Time To End Pakistani Role In America’s War


Pakistan is being punished for refusing to allow U.S. military boots on Pakistani soil, for the bombings in India, for the July 7 attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul, and for the failures of the American military in Afghanistan. The attack is a clear message to the Pakistani ruling elite: We will bring the war to your home. The Americans are now accusing army chief Gen. Ashfaq Kayani of complicity in bombing the Indian embassy in Kabul, an accusation that even the Indians dared not make. The General is a suspicious man now in the eyes of the Americans and the Zardari government. After its bungled attempt on the ISI, there is a possibility that the pro-U.S. Zardari government might try to remove Gen. Kayani and replace him with a more pliant army chief who can subordinate the Pakistani military to Washington’s agenda in the region. To end this mess, Pakistan needs to say goodbye to the coalition that Washington assembled in 2001 to occupy Afghanistan, a coalition that has shrunk in seven years to only U.S., U.K. and Pakistan.


By AHMED QURAISHI

Sunday, 21 September 2008.

Ahmed Quraishi-Pakistan/Middle East politics, Iraq war, lebanon war, India Pakistan relations


ISLAMABAD, Pakistan—The massive attack on the Marriott hotel in the heart of the federal Pakistani capital is a punishment for Pakistan for refusing to allow U.S. military boots on Pakistani soil, for the bombings in India, for the July 7 attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul, and for the failures of the American military in Afghanistan.


The attack is a clear message to the Pakistani ruling elite: We will bring the war to your home; we will convince you and the world that your situation is worse than Iraq and Afghanistan and that you are unable to handle it alone and need foreign intervention.


Pakistan stands accused of attacks in both Afghanistan and India. The Americans have gone as far as blaming Pakistan in advance for future attacks against United States. In fact, in a calculated leak, The New York Times on Sept. 11 accused Pakistani army chief Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani of complicity in the July 7 bombing of the Indian embassy in Kabul, something that even the Indians didn’t dare do. And on Sept. 7, President Bush delivered a speech at the National Defense University in Washington where he almost called Pakistan a terrorist state.


The Americans had hoped that the pro-U.S. Zardari government in Islamabad would move to neutralize or disband the ISI and check the Pakistani military. They waited enough. The Zardari government did make a failed attempt on July 27 to clip the wings of ISI, which would have ended the agency’s external counterintelligence operations, crucial for the world’s sixth declared nuclear power and an important regional power that has legitimate security and strategic interests to protect. But it seems Mr. Zardari has decided not to risk alienating the country’s powerful military. Hours before the attack, President Zardari told a joint session of Parliament “We will not tolerate the violation of our sovereignty and territorial integrity by any power in the name of combating terrorism.” This statement ended the confusion, at least for now, on Zardari’s apparent reluctance to endorse army chief Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani’s stern warning to Washington not to attack Pakistani soil.


The punishment for Pakistan is not limited to the Marriot hotel, which was more of a symbolic target, close to the houses of the President, Prime Minister, federal ministers and senior federal bureaucrats. Hours earlier, explosives-laden cars attacked two military convoys in the tribal belt. Eight hours after the Marriot attack, the power grid in Swat, northern Pakistan, was blown up. The frequency and intensity of attacks inside Pakistan have exceeded the attacks that U.S. military is facing in Afghanistan.


Which is in itself a strange thing. If the U.S. accusations are true and Islamabad is behind Afghan Taliban’s resurgence in Afghanistan, then why are the ‘Pakistani Taliban’ attacking Pakistani military targets? They should be happy that Pakistan is allegedly supporting the Afghan Taliban? But what is happening is the opposite: The so-called ‘Pakistani Taliban’ is punishing Pakistan, exclusively. The question is: Who benefits?


According to one Pakistani source, there are close to 8,000 foreigners in the country’s tribal belt at the moment. Before 9/11, they were under 1,000, and most of them were peaceful leftovers from the anti-Soviet war in the 1980s, grownup, aging, with local wives and children. Yes, Pakistan did have a domestic religious extremism problem but it consisted of small groups and not armies with endless supplies of money and sophisticated weapons and, apparently, advance knowledge of Pakistani military movements.


There is no question that many of these 8,000 foreigners are agents of foreign intelligence agencies who have infiltrated the Pakistani tribal belt from Afghanistan. This is not Hollywood. During the 2001 war against the Taliban government in Kabul, U.S. military used special ops teams made up of Pashtun look-alikes complete with perfect Pashtun accents, assisted by local help, purchased in U.S. dollars, in the areas of their deployment.


In Pakistani tribal belt, the numbers of foreigners dramatically increased in the years 2002 to 2004. These foreigners used the natural local anger at Pakistani military’s alliance with U.S. to work up the locals against Islamabad. The area remained quiet for most of the time after the 2001 war until it finally erupted in insurgency led by a series of ‘rebel Mullahs’ who caught the Pakistani government and military by surprise.


Karzai’s security and intelligence network is populated with strongly anti-Pakistan officers. The Indians received an American nod to establish an elaborate intelligence and military training setup in Afghanistan. Indians and Karzai’s men are directly involved in training, arming and financing rebels and insurgents and sending them into Pakistan. There is a full backing for an ethnic insurgency in southwestern Pakistan where China is building a strategic seaport. There are reports that the Israeli intelligence, the Mossad, is helping the Indians and Karzai’s security in destabilizing Pakistan’s western parts. The Israeli ambassador in New Delhi admitted in February that Israel offered crucial help to India during the Kargil war in 1999 which was the only reason India managed to repeal what appeared to be a surprise Pakistani victory. The Israelis have built a close defense relationship with India ever since and are also helping India perfect its occupation methods in Kashmir.


Pakistanis don’t have evidence that shows direct U.S. involvement in this anti-Pakistan campaign. But the circumstantial evidence is more than overwhelming. Afghanistan could not have turned into a staging ground for anti-Pakistan covert operations involving several players with out Washington’s nod. U.S. military has also been deliberately attacking those militant tribals inside Pakistan who are pro-Islamabad, and sparing those militants who only fight Pakistani military. Also, U.S. government has refused to designate the ethnic insurgency in southwestern Pakistan as terrorism. One very interesting piece of information that points the fingers to both India and U.S. is that these shady ‘Pakistani Taliban’ have focused their efforts in the past four years on attacking Chinese citizens and Chinese interests inside Pakistan. No U.S. or NATO citizens have been attacked.


The Afghan Taliban –who are the real Taliban before this American-orchestrated insurgency in Pakistani border areas was deceptively termed ‘Taliban’ – have never attacked Pakistan despite Islamabad’s policy change after 9/11. In fact, senior Taliban officials, like its ambassador to Islamabad Mullah Abdul Salam Zaeef, never said anything against Pakistan despite having been captured and handed over to the Americans by Islamabad.


There is no question that Washington destabilized Pakistan using the same methods it had perfected in South America in the 1970s. As Pakistan faced instability on the border, Washington moved in late 2006 to destabilize the country from the inside. A discredit former prime minister, Benazir Bhutto, was convinced to end her self-exile and enter into a U.S.-brokered deal with a weakened President Musharraf in exchange for endorsing the U.S. agenda and having her stolen millions whitewashed. The fast paced political change threw Pakistan off-balance and resulted in massive internal upheaval that continues until today, almost ending Pakistan’s remarkable economic rise of the past decade.


Once Pakistan was trapped, U.S. media sprung into action and mounted a massive propaganda about Pakistan becoming ripe for an Iraq-like U.S. intervention to neutralize its nuclear weapons and to ‘save’ the country from turning into a haven for al-Qaeda.


The entire purpose of this anti-Pakistan campaign is to remove the Pakistani hurdle that stands in the way of Washington’s plans for the region: China, Russia, Central Asia and Iran, and also to help pave the way for India to assume a bigger role, which it can’t in the presence of Pakistan. This is what the planners in Washington might be thinking. The Indian thinking, however, is more short term. India is more interested in disorienting Pakistan and using all possible opportunities to make hurt Pakistanis and deprive Islamabad of any strategic advantage, whether in Afghanistan or with regards to the Chinese-built seaport near the Gulf.


WHAT ISLAMABAD CAN DO


Pakistan will continue to face instability as long as it continues to be part of the war on terror on Washington’s terms. Pakistan’s legitimate security interests have been so damaged and ignored by Washington that it is time to tell the Americans to go and deal with Afghanistan on their own. This is the only way for Islamabad to regain respect in the eyes of its own people. Pakistan can say that it will help Washington where possible but that it is no longer part of the coalition that Washington assembled to occupy Afghanistan 2001, a coalition that only includes three nations now: U.S., U.K., and Pakistan. In this regard, Pakistanis can renegotiate the terms of letting U.S. use Pakistani soil and airspace for the transport of supplies. Pakistan can ask U.S. military to vacate the remaining Pakistani airbase under American use. Also, Islamabad can revoke the permission that former President Musharraf granted CIA to establish outposts in Pakistan’s tribal belt and the permission to recruit local assets. Meanwhile, Pakistan can continue eliminating the shady foreign and local criminals who call themselves ‘Pakistani Taliban’. This is what the Pakistani military has been doing recently, wiping off all these foreign assets. Which probably explains some of the recent American panic.


This way Pakistan can regain some of the stability and also the confidence of other countries in the region, especially China which has been watching with concern how Islamabad has allowed itself to be dragged by Washington into this mess.


KAYANI’S FUTURE


Of immediate interest is how the Zardari government will balance its strong pro-U.S. stance with the military’s resolve to stop U.S. belligerence. Mr. Zardari did try to please Washington by his risky July 27 move on ISI. But now, with Gen. Kayani’s strong statements, it is fair to say that the army chief might become the new target of American’s and this government’s anger. There is a possibility that Mr. Zardari might try to replace the army chief, using powers that Mr. Musharraf left in the hands of the new president. Gen. Kayani is the last standing roadblock in Zardari government’s way to seize control of the military and spy agencies and subordinate them to U.S. policy interests in the region.

Ahmed Quraishi.com
P.S: perhaps one of the best articles written by ahmed quraishi. well done, touche mr. quraishi, touche!
 
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Islamabad Attack: Time To End Pakistani Role In America’s War

I'm afraid I do not see the point in surrendering to a bunch of fanatics, for whatever perverted reason they envision justifies these acts.

For the longest time I had some respect for A Quresihi that he was at least a patriot who supported Musharraf's moderation and the war against extremism, though he went overboard sometimes.

Now I am beginning to lose even that, as he shows himself to be a yellow bellied coward.

This war ceased to be 'America's war' the day the militants started attacking security forces and civilians, and their interests in FATA and elsewhere.

It is now Pakistan's war - it has been for a while now.
 
‘Hotel to be rebuilt in three months’

Monday, September 22, 2008
Marriott owner assures employees of job security

By Rauf Klasra

ISLAMABAD: Sadruddin Hashwani, the owner of the Marriott Hotel, has assured employees that not one of them will be rendered jobless, as he plans to reconstruct the hotel within the next three months at an estimated cost of over half a billion rupees.

His assurance must have come as a great relief to some 1000 employees of the hotel who were suddenly faced with the prospect of becoming jobless after the hotel was destroyed in Saturday's suicide attack.

"Let me make it very clear to you that not a single employee would be rendered jobless as they will all be getting their salaries during the period of reconstruction of the hotel", said Mr. Hashwani while talking to The News.

He said one of the employees who died in the blast had five small daughters. From now onwards, he said, they are his daughters and he would take care of them. Hashwani said that all these employees would be actively taking part in the rehabilitation of the hotel. But, he said, there is another possibility that they might be given them two months leave with pay. He said he had already started working on the rehabilitation plan.

Replying to a question about the cost of rehabilitation, Hashwani said although it was too early to give an exact amount, according to initial estimates it would cost Rs600-700 million. He said although he had set a three-month deadline to reconstruct the hotel, his major concern would be to arrange furniture within this short time.

Mr Hashwani observed that had the fire brigade reached there on time, the hotel might have been saved from complete destruction. Replying to a question about the Americans staying in his hotel, he wondered why this was being cited to justify the attack. He said all over the world hotels do not refuse stay to anybody and it was wrong to focus on a few Americans, as there were people from other countries present at the hotel as well. He said he was so sorry to see the loss of human lives on such a scale and repeatedly said he would not let any one become jobless.

‘Hotel to be rebuilt in three months’

---------------------------------------

Wonderful - let us not be cowed by this barbarism, rather rebuild with zeal and strength after every attempt.
 
Agnostic, I think there's been a misunderstanding. you're first perception of mr. quraishi was correct, he was and is always against these takfirists, he makes that clear in the article,

"Meanwhile, Pakistan can continue eliminating the shady foreign and local criminals who call themselves ‘Pakistani Taliban’. This is what the Pakistani military has been doing recently, wiping off all these foreign assets. Which probably explains some of the recent American panic."

further more, he brings out another interesting idea. the recent military operations resulting in the mass slaughter of these miscreants has been totally ignored by the US administration and seems to have caused some setback for, what he claims, their goals for the region.

I think his stance is that of neutrality, which I doubt Pakistan can and will be able to take. That includes denying US bases in our territory just like Uzbekistan did in 2006, cutting off NATO supply lines, etc. I think we all realize now that some powers that be have sent us a clear message which mr. quraishi has put forth,

"The attack is a clear message to the Pakistani ruling elite: We will bring the war to your home; we will convince you and the world that your situation is worse than Iraq and Afghanistan and that you are unable to handle it alone and need foreign intervention."

so far, this is what I see as well. a truck packed with 1000kg of explosives managed to terrorize the nation's capital, that's just too much.
 
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Agnostic, I think there's been a misunderstanding. you're first perception of mr. quraishi was correct, he was and is always against these takfirists, he makes that clear in the article,

"Meanwhile, Pakistan can continue eliminating the shady foreign and local criminals who call themselves ‘Pakistani Taliban’. This is what the Pakistani military has been doing recently, wiping off all these foreign assets. Which probably explains some of the recent American panic."

further more, he brings out another interesting idea. the recent military operations resulting in the mass slaughter of these miscreants has been totally ignored by the US administration and seems to have caused some setback for, what he claims, their goals for the region.
Assad,

Where exactly are we fighting "America's war" then?
 
Indeed a very sad day for Pakistan. My condolences to those killed in the blast and may Allah give they families the strength to bear this loss.

Now coming to who might have carried out the bombing I believe that this might not be the work of TTP or Alqaeda. To understand what happened we shall have to go back to the time when USSR was in Afghanistan. In 1986-87 USSR was hard pressed by the so called mujahideen and was lossing the war. In order to pressurize Pakistan a serious of very deadly explosion rocked Pakistan and a lot of people were killed. Now look at the present scenario. USSR has been replaced by the those fighting the so called WOT and they are loosing instead of winning. So the players have changed however the tactics are the same. I hope you all get my point.
 
‘Hotel to be rebuilt in three months’

Monday, September 22, 2008
Marriott owner assures employees of job security

By Rauf Klasra

ISLAMABAD: Sadruddin Hashwani, the owner of the Marriott Hotel, has assured employees that not one of them will be rendered jobless, as he plans to reconstruct the hotel within the next three months at an estimated cost of over half a billion rupees.

His assurance must have come as a great relief to some 1000 employees of the hotel who were suddenly faced with the prospect of becoming jobless after the hotel was destroyed in Saturday's suicide attack.

"Let me make it very clear to you that not a single employee would be rendered jobless as they will all be getting their salaries during the period of reconstruction of the hotel", said Mr. Hashwani while talking to The News.

He said one of the employees who died in the blast had five small daughters. From now onwards, he said, they are his daughters and he would take care of them. Hashwani said that all these employees would be actively taking part in the rehabilitation of the hotel. But, he said, there is another possibility that they might be given them two months leave with pay. He said he had already started working on the rehabilitation plan.

Replying to a question about the cost of rehabilitation, Hashwani said although it was too early to give an exact amount, according to initial estimates it would cost Rs600-700 million. He said although he had set a three-month deadline to reconstruct the hotel, his major concern would be to arrange furniture within this short time.

Mr Hashwani observed that had the fire brigade reached there on time, the hotel might have been saved from complete destruction. Replying to a question about the Americans staying in his hotel, he wondered why this was being cited to justify the attack. He said all over the world hotels do not refuse stay to anybody and it was wrong to focus on a few Americans, as there were people from other countries present at the hotel as well. He said he was so sorry to see the loss of human lives on such a scale and repeatedly said he would not let any one become jobless.

‘Hotel to be rebuilt in three months’

---------------------------------------

Wonderful - let us not be cowed by this barbarism, rather rebuild with zeal and strength after every attempt.

All those asking about the Americans staying at the hotel are essentially trying to give a pass to these extremists. Hashwani is exactly right, this is about the loss of human lives...does not matter if they were Pakistani, American, Czech or any others.

Kudos to Mr. Hashwani for not laying off people. His actions are the need of the hour.

:pakistan:
 
Pakistan is allowing the US, bases on its soil. NATO's supply lines also pass through Pakistan. I think the point is just to temporarily send a shock or jolt to the US administration. Due to the lack resistance on part of the Pakistani govt., it's allies have grown more bold and daring.

to be quite honest with you, I think it's just a last attempt by the Bush administration to get "something" done. you may have noticed the recent "opening up" of new relations with Libya and Gaddafi. I think/hope these things will simmer down a bit after the new elections.
 
Indeed a very sad day for Pakistan. My condolences to those killed in the blast and may Allah give they families the strength to bear this loss.

Now coming to who might have carried out the bombing I believe that this might not be the work of TTP or Alqaeda. To understand what happened we shall have to go back to the time when USSR was in Afghanistan. In 1986-87 USSR was hard pressed by the so called mujahideen and was lossing the war. In order to pressurize Pakistan a serious of very deadly explosion rocked Pakistan and a lot of people were killed. Now look at the present scenario. USSR has been replaced by the those fighting the so called WOT and they are loosing instead of winning. So the players have changed however the tactics are the same. I hope you all get my point.

The driver blew himself up - an American is not going to do that.

Whoever you may consider to be the financier behind the terrorism in Pakistan, the fact is that it is being done through Pakistanis, Takfiris, who adhere to a venomous and hateful interpretation of Islam.

I'll say it again, we need to eradicate this cancer from within - do not for a moment think that those who will kill themselves and murder innocent children and civilians in their twisted aims will settle into a peaceful coexistence with us.
 
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Pakistan is allowing the US, bases on its soil. NATO's supply lines also pass through Pakistan. I think the point is just to temporarily send a shock or jolt to the US administration. Due to the lack resistance on part of the Pakistani govt., it's allies have grown more bold and daring.

to be quite honest with you, I think it's just a last attempt by the Bush administration to get "something" done. you may have noticed the recent "opening up" of new relations with Libya and Gaddafi. I think/hope these things will simmer down a bit after the new elections.

Asaad another point you might wanna think about is this...the Pakistani people have used "democracy" to vote in a man who has no ability to "shock" the U.S. as he is beholden to them.
 
Asaad another point you might wanna think about is this...the Pakistani people have used "democracy" to vote in a man who has no ability to "shock" the U.S. as he is beholden to them.
I know, I know, you don't have to remind me. this is just a thought from an arm-chair general, nothing more. I know whatever I said or whatever Quraishi said is not going to happen.:hitwall:
 
I think its a very sober well written article from a man who articles mostly strech the truth!!
However to blame the US without any proof is a bit too much at this moment.
The real question is how can a truck (not a car) carrying 600kg of explosives can ride along unchallenged on roads closed to the Pakistan parliament ?
Who would blow up a zero military target like the Marriot. I cant see the US targeting western interests in the country!
I think Pakistani intelligence will learn a lot more in the following days/months !
I feel that this was a last minute target (seeing how clumsy the suicide bomber was) . The attack was to target the Pakistani parliament to create a terror effect with 600kg explosives.
I dont feel RAW is involved. Zardari will be more engaged with India especially with Kashmir. If Zardari dies and Gen Kayani takes over or Mussharaf via the back door, then it would be a backward step for India.
 
I think its a very sober well written article from a man who articles mostly strech the truth!!
However to blame the US without any proof is a bit too much at this moment.
The real question is how can a truck (not a car) carrying 600kg of explosives can ride along unchallenged on roads closed to the Pakistan parliament ?
Who would blow up a zero military target like the Marriot. I cant see the US targeting western interests in the country!
I think Pakistani intelligence will learn a lot more in the following days/months !
I feel that this was a last minute target (seeing how clumsy the suicide bomber was) . The attack was to target the Pakistani parliament to create a terror effect with 600kg explosives.
I dont feel RAW is involved. Zardari will be more engaged with India especially with Kashmir. If Zardari dies and Gen Kayani takes over or Mussharaf via the back door, then it would be a backward step for India.


I think India was more ok with Musharraf then any one else and this has been clearly stated by the indians on many occasions. Zardari no matter how far willing to go in bed with the Indians, inreality cannot go beyond a certain point. Reason is him being in a collation government has to take into account the P.O.V of other collation partners as well most notably the Baadmash sharif who will not let a single change skip where he can give Zardari a bad name and zardari is well aware of this fact.
 

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