US Chinooks over Karachi Today

[HAIDER]

Incorrect. She is NOT a US citizen. She is a Pakistani citizen. She was never naturalized when she had a green card as the process requires.

I wonder if she rode a Chinook from Karachi to Bagram after she was apprehended by Pakistani agencies on the streets of Karachi?

I read her husband's book. According to her husband, she went to Afghanistan when her last meeting set up by Rtrd Gen Mohindduin Haider with US official in Defence bungalow, Karachi. Chinook has no role in lift-off . Her husband now lives in KSA and doctor in a hospital.

 

[Sohail Niazai]

My Father told me, he saw 3 Apaches (American Helicopter with 2 big rotors) over sheikhupura 2 days ago... I corrected him that these are chinook and I was like it is not possible for them to be in Pakistan (even less Sheikhupura because there is no army/AF base). And searched forum if there was any new of chinooks in Pakistan.. Now I am convinced.

 

[VCheng]

She can identify them when she is back home in Karachi.

Sure, but we will have to wait for that identification parade for a long time.

I read her husband's book. According to her husband, she went to Afghanistan when her last meeting set up by Mohindduin Haider with US official in Defence bungalow, Karachi. Chinook has no role in lift-off .

She was apprehend by Pakistani agencies in Karachi. How she got to Bagram has not been made known. On topic, maybe she rode a Chinook?

 

[El Sidd]

Sure, but we will have to wait for that identification parade for a long time.

like who dropped jinnahpur map from the chinook?

 

[HAIDER]

Sure, but we will have to wait for that identification parade for a long time.



She was apprehend by Pakistani agencies. How she got to Bagram has not been made known. On topic, maybe she rode a Chinook?

No, she never rode Chinook. Khalid Shiekh Mohammad helped her escape from Pakistan to Afghanistan. Later US army captured her in the raid on a Taliban hideout. Musharraf or his govt has nothing to do with her arrest.

 

[Meengla]

The Indian lobby can try all it wants. USA will do whatever serves its national interests, as we can see with the continued channels of co-operation with Pakistan. As I have said all along, I am sure both countries will find a suitable path forward that serve both sides' national interest as well as possible.

I wish you are correct in your assessment of the influence of the Indian Lobby. Ultimately, it is the Lobbies and their money which are increasingly deciding even the strategic policies of America and THAT should be the number one concern for all Americans. As I said in another thread, various Lobbies and pressure groups worked together to nullify years of hard work of the Obama administration on the Iran Nuclear deal when Trump came to power. And I don't even want to go into to what extent the Israeli Lobby has steered America's Middle East policies for Israeli interests; I encourage you to look up 'The Israel Lobby' (2006) by Walt and Mearseihmer. Bottom line: Politicians' interests are to stay in power and powerful Lobbies help them a lot! For example, Rep. Alexendra O. Cortez (AOC) is in the Israeli Lobby's crosshair for speaking up for the Gazans in the last conflict.
But, yes, as of now, the Indian Lobby is not quite there in America.

 

[DJ_Viper]

There is still a LOT of behind the scene cooperation going on between America and Pakistan and I certainly see it continue going forward. Currently, it is politically not good for either America or Pakistan to highlight the cooperation between the two, especially about the crucial Pakistani help in getting America out of Afghanistan and for the evacuation process. More coopertion is coming up for sure about intelligence-sharing with specific goals and more evacuations. So gone may be the embraces which happened in three distinct periods (50s-60s, 80s, 2000s) and that's for the better for both but now the cooperation is limited and with limited gain for both countries. As for the influence of the Indian lobby in America, it is not quite to the level of the Israel Lobby where there is a veto on any American policy against Israel. But Indians are making rapid in-roads, sometimes working with the Israel Lobby to Pakistan's detriment.

I agree with you on the cooperation part and there are times, when even Iran might've cooperated with the US even during a hostile environment. That's the world we live in. India has a lot more influence on the US than Israel at this point. The US never saw itself sort of depending on a nation. It sees it that way with India. Common sense, a 1.2 billion country producing 900K graduates a year, all speaking English and tech / medial savvy, will only take another 10-15 years to come half way or more to the US economy. So without going into more details, the most recent example of Indian influence was FAATF, another couple, when the US refused to deliver Cobras or the additional 18 F-16's! But the readers can think the way they want to, can't change it.

 

[VCheng]

No, she never rode Chinook. Khalid Shiekh Mohammad helped her escape from Pakistan to Afghanistan.

KSM. Another Pakistani citizen who probably took a ride in another Chinook too.

I wish you are correct in your assessment of the influence of the Indian Lobby. Ultimately, it is the Lobbies and their money which are increasingly deciding even the strategic policies of America and THAT should be the number one concern for all Americans. As I said in another thread, various Lobbies and pressure groups worked together to nullify years of hard work of the Obama administration on the Iran Nuclear deal when Trump came to power. And I don't even want to go into to what extent the Israeli Lobby has steered America's Middle East policies for Israeli interests; I encourage you to look up 'The Israel Lobby' (2006) by Walt and Mearseihmer. Bottom line: Politicians' interests are to stay in power and powerful Lobbies help them a lot! For example, Rep. Alexendra O. Cortez (AOC) is in the Israeli Lobby's crosshair for speaking up for the Gazans in the last conflict.
But, yes, as of now, the Indian Lobby is not quite there in America.

The influence of the lobbies is there, no doubt, but not as much as is often portrayed. Besides, nothing is stopping Pakistan from making its own lobby more potent. It is a fair game, open to all, equally, with the same set of rules.

like who dropped jinnahpur map from the chinook?

No idea.

 

[HAIDER]

KSM. Another Pakistani citizen who probably took a ride in another Chinook too.




The influence of the lobbies is there, no doubt, but not as much as is often portrayed. Besides, nothing is stopping Pakistan from making its own lobby more potent. It is a fair game, open to all, equally, with the same set of rules.


No idea.

Chinooks and other heli use Baluchistan airspace regularly ... flying from AC to Afghanistan for deployment purpose etc .. but the route is usually off public eyes. Yes , KSM was HVT and lift off Blackhawk ..not sure Chinook... lolz

 

[Meengla]

I agree with you on the cooperation part and there are times, when even Iran might've cooperated with the US even during a hostile environment. That's the world we live in. India has a lot more influence on the US than Israel at this point. The US never saw itself sort of depending on a nation. It sees it that way with India. Common sense, a 1.2 billion country producing 900K graduates a year, all speaking English and tech / medial savvy, will only take another 10-15 years to come half way or more to the US economy. So without going into more details, the most recent example of Indian influence was FAATF, another couple, when the US refused to deliver Cobras or the additional 18 F-16's! But the readers can think the way they want to, can't change it.

I will grudgingly admit that Indians are actually earning their influence in sort of mutually beneficial way. In contrast, Israel has not been that important at least since the end of the Cold War. But Israel relies on its powerful rich people, various kinds of blackmails, and large, powerful groups like Christian Zionists to further the Israel Causes. Israel has caused a lot of damage to America via steering American Middle East policies.
On the other side, at this point, I don't see India damaging America the same way. Yes, Pakistan suffers because of the Indian Lobby, but overall the relationship is mutually beneficial for both India and America.

 

[El Sidd]

No idea

will these chinook help with people stuck in urban flooding down below?

 

[SQ8]

Why do people make Aafia out to be what she is not. Though I highly doubt the US version that got her imprisoned (her Rambo like attempt at escape), she is not the saint people make her out to be.

There are millions of Pakistanis who consider Nawaz Sharif and Asif Zardari to be saints and leaders - there are millions who supported Swat Taliban and TTP in principle.. this is an unstable and extremist population section that isn’t going away.

 

[DJ_Viper]

I will grudgingly admit that Indians are actually earning their influence in sort of mutually beneficial way. In contrast, Israel has not been that important at least since the end of the Cold War. But Israel relies on its powerful rich people, various kinds of blackmails, and large, powerful groups like Christian Zionists to further the Israel Causes. Israel has caused a lot of damage to America via steering American Middle East policies.
On the other side, at this point, I don't see India damaging America the same way. Yes, Pakistan suffers because of the Indian Lobby, but overall the relationship is mutually beneficial for both India and America.

You are right on many things. Just to sum this up, Israel's relationship with the US, even influential, has been for protection. So Israel depends on American protection and support. Now with India, the US is realizing that it depends on India. As we speak, the entire American corporate and lots of government functions, back office is all being done in India. That's dependency of an entire economy on a foreign nation. Secondly, the Chinese factor. The US has recognized that tomorrow's super powers will include India and China. With vast majority of Indian talent and influence all across the world (soft image, not the image the US has that of a policeman), the US is depending on India to build a block (the QUAD) and run the world. So the relationship with India is deeper than any relationship the US currently has as it's for US's dependence, both business and in the future, military wise. I hope think tanks in Pakistan are taking this seriously as more issues will grow out of this in the future.

 

[RangeMaster]

but isn’t Karachi much more of a major city?

Yes.... A true megacity of 20 million.
But the area we are discussing (Kati Pahari) is more of a ghetto/suburb, not the city center. Most cities in South Asia present the same picture when we move away from downtown.

 

[VCheng]

Chinooks and other heli use Baluchistan airspace regularly ... flying from AC to Afghanistan for deployment purpose etc .. but the route is usually off public eyes. Yes , KSM was HVT and lift off Blackhawk ..not sure Chinook... lolz

It is not just the routes, much else is off public eyes, and thankfully so.

will these chinook help with people stuck in urban flooding down below?

It is a very versatile platform that do many jobs.