Sarge Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 About ****ing time. I wonder how hard we had to squeeze their balls to get them to do this? http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20061030/wl_asia_afp/pakistanafghanistan_061030170400 KHAR, Pakistan (AFP) - Pakistani helicopter gunships have destroyed an Islamic school allegedly used as an Al-Qaeda-linked training camp near the Afghan border, killing up to 80 suspected militants. Local leaders however insisted that most of the dead were teenage students, many of whom were "reduced to bits and pieces", and protests erupted against the Pakistani government and its ally the United States. The airstrike that targeted a madrassa in the troubled Bajaur tribal agency was one of the biggest ever in Pakistan's frontier region, where many Al-Qaeda and Taliban insurgents have sought sanctuary since 2001. "Information we have received from certain local sources and intelligence sources suggests that there may be about 80 dead," chief military spokesman Major General Shaukat Sultan told AFP. "We had information about the presence of 70 to 80 miscreants, including some foreigners, who were engaging in militant training in this madrassa and we carried out an operation using gunship helicopters and precision weapons," he said Monday. "Most of the compound was destroyed." A local Taliban commander known as Maulvi Liaqat, who ran the madrassa and was wanted by the authorities for sheltering insurgents, was among the dead, a senior security official and witnesses said. Sultan said the madrassa compound was far from any civilian areas and added that no women or children were inside at the time of the attack, which happened at around 5:00 am (0000 GMT). "There was no collateral damage," he added. Witnesses said at least three army helicopters had hovered over the madrassa in Chingai, near Khar, the main town in Bajaur agency. Then they heard a huge explosion before the choppers flew off. Most of the occupants were asleep while some had awoken for pre-dawn prayers, they said. Twenty bodies wrapped in sheets were laid out for funeral prayers and people pulled dozens more from the rubble and put them in sacks, an AFP correspondent said. Siraj-ul-Haq, the deputy chief minister of North West Frontier Province, which borders the area, said after attending the funeral that he was resigning "to express solidarity with those innocent 80 students who died." "This attack has been launched by America and its allies which includes Pakistan," he told reporters in the provincial capital Peshawar. "Only 45 bodies were in shape. The rest have been reduced to bits and pieces." An Islamist legislator who also attended the prayer service, Haroon Rashid, said 83 people had been killed. Three injured people were taken to hospital. There was a complete strike in Khar and tribesmen planned a major protest on Tuesday, the correspondent said. Meanwhile around 200 bearded Islamist students burned a US flag in the southern port city of Karachi. The attack came two days after thousands of pro-militant tribesmen gathered in Bajaur agency and chanted their support for Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden and Taliban leader Mullah Omar, security sources said. Sultan said the attack was not linked to the meeting and was based on prior intelligence. But Maulvi Faqir Mohammed, a wanted hardline cleric who led the rally and who had links with the dead cleric Liaqat, said that the dead were civilians and vowed that their deaths would be "avenged". Al-Qaeda's Egyptian deputy leader Ayman al-Zawahiri was said to have escaped a US missile attack about two kilometres (over a mile) away at Damadola village in Bajaur agency in January. Pakistan's lawless northwestern tribal areas became a sanctuary for Al-Qaeda and Taliban militants who fled Afghanistan after US-led forces ousted the ultra-Islamic Taliban regime five years ago. Pakistani forces have since launched a series of military operations throughout the semi-autonmous tribal zones in which more than 1,000 militants and 600 soldiers are said to have died. Monday's raid came on the first full day of a visit by Britain's Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, during which the British heir to the throne thanked President Pervez Musharraf for helping fight terrorism. Charles is also scheduled to visit a madrassa in Peshawar during his five-day tour as part of an focus on "inter-faith harmony". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dreamingwolf Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 "A local Taliban commander known as Maulvi Liaqat, who ran the madrassa and was wanted by the authorities for sheltering insurgents, was among the dead, a senior security official and witnesses said." that is good news. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midnight Judges Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 I think Musharraf undertstands the threat. This is for his Government's good just as much if not more than for us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 But Maulvi Faqir Mohammed, a wanted hardline cleric who led the rally and who had links with the dead cleric Liaqat, said . . . I wonder how nervous the folks at the rally were. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkinsOrlando Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 This is good news, we need more of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarge Posted October 30, 2006 Author Share Posted October 30, 2006 Looks like we did it! Yaaaaaahhhooooooooo! Bout time we opened up on some of the sanctuaries in Pakistan http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2006/10/zawahiri_was_ta.html Ayman al Zawahiri was the target of a Predator missile attack this morning on a religious school in Pakistan, according to Pakistani intelligence sources. ABC News has learned the raid was launched after U.S. intelligence received tips and examined Predator reconnaissance indicating that al Qaeda's No. 2 man may have been staying at the school, which is located in the Bajaur region near the village that is thought to be al Qaeda's winter headquarters. Despite earlier reports that the missiles had been launched by Pakistani military helicopters, Pakistani intelligence sources now tell ABC News that the missiles were fired from a U.S. Predator drone plane. Between two and five senior al Qaeda militants were killed in the attack, including the mastermind of the airliners plot in the U.K., according to Pakistani intelligence sources. No word yet on whether or not Zawahiri was killed in the raid, but one Pakistani intelligence source did express doubt that Zawahiri would have been staying in a madrassa, which is an obvious target for strikes against militants. That source, however, did express confidence that Pakistani intelligence is closing in on Zawahiri's location. One of the clerics who is believed to have been killed today, Maulana Liaquat, was one of the two main local leaders believed to be protecting Zawahiri. Pakistani intelligence sources tell ABC News they believe they have "boxed" Zawahiri in a 40-square-mile area between the Khalozai Valley in Bajaur and the village of Pashat in Kunar, Afghanistan. They hope to capture or kill him in the next few months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thiebear Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 Between two and five senior al Qaeda militants were killed in the attack, including the mastermind of the airliners plot in the U.K., according to Pakistani intelligence sources. very nice... Bush to Pakistan.. I need it, and I need it NOW, were down 19 in the House and barely breaking even in the Senate.. Pakistan to Bush.. Got you covered... NY Times/Wash Post etc..: Shhhh, we'll report it in 9 days... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 Um, the first article said "Witnesses said at least three army helicopters had hovered over the madrassa in Chingai, near Khar, the main town in Bajaur agency. Then they heard a huge explosion before the choppers flew off." Now granted, the first report from eyewitnesses in a combat situation isn't always reliable information. Even ignoring some places' elevation of the Staged Attrocity to an Art Form. But I'm wondering if what happened here was that Pakistan did it, and the US is telling the Pak Pres "Blame it all on us if it'll keep your people happier". People lie in wars. (Funny thing, huh?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raperry2 Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 Between two and five senior al Qaeda militants were killed in the attack, including the mastermind of the airliners plot in the U.K., according to Pakistani intelligence sources.very nice... Bush to Pakistan.. I need it, and I need it NOW, were down 19 in the House and barely breaking even in the Senate.. Pakistan to Bush.. Got you covered... NY Times/Wash Post etc..: Shhhh, we'll report it in 9 days... :laugh: so sad and so true Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prosperity Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 Um, the first article said "Witnesses said at least three army helicopters had hovered over the madrassa in Chingai, near Khar, the main town in Bajaur agency. Then they heard a huge explosion before the choppers flew off." Now granted, the first report from eyewitnesses in a combat situation isn't always reliable information. Even ignoring some places' elevation of the Staged Attrocity to an Art Form. But I'm wondering if what happened here was that Pakistan did it, and the US is telling the Pak Pres "Blame it all on us if it'll keep your people happier". People lie in wars. (Funny thing, huh?) Musharaf is in a lose lose situation I don't see how he can really benefit from saying the US did it. If he didn't do it then he acknowledges that Pakistan has pretty much lost its sovereignty, and will appear weak. If he did do it then he will lose in more popularity with the people. Both situations are pretty crappy for him, but if he actually did do it then he would appear stronger, and strength is what he really needs now to keep his power. My take is that the US tried to give credit to Pakistan and it may have been leaked by Pakistanis who are not so much in favor of Musharaf. But who knows... either way at least it looks like there are some dead people that are better off dead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Posted October 31, 2006 Share Posted October 31, 2006 I think I agree with you. Based on my vast experiance with Pakistani Politics, he comes off looking better, domestically, if his position is "Heck, yeah, I killed 'em. Eff with me, will you? You wanna piece of me?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slateman Posted October 31, 2006 Share Posted October 31, 2006 Between two and five senior al Qaeda militants were killed in the attack, including the mastermind of the airliners plot in the U.K., according to Pakistani intelligence sources.very nice... Bush to Pakistan.. I need it, and I need it NOW, were down 19 in the House and barely breaking even in the Senate.. Pakistan to Bush.. Got you covered... NY Times/Wash Post etc..: Shhhh, we'll report it in 9 days... lol, thats kinda funny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarge Posted October 31, 2006 Author Share Posted October 31, 2006 Well,I thought this was too good to be true Wouldn't want to offeeeeeend anyone, would we? :doh: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061030/ap_on_re_as/pakistan_militants_attacked ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Pakistani helicopter gunships on Monday destroyed a religious school the military said was fronting as an al-Qaida training camp, killing 80 people in the country's deadliest military operation targeting suspected terrorists. Islamic leaders and al-Qaida-linked militants blamed the United States for the airstrike and called for nationwide demonstrations to condemn the attack that flattened the school — known as a madrassa — and ripped apart those inside. Furious villagers and religious leaders said the pre-dawn missile barrage killed innocent students and teachers. U.S. and Pakistani military officials denied American involvement. Among those killed in the attack in the remote northwestern village of Chingai, two miles from the Afghan border, was a cleric who had sheltered militants in the past and was believed associated with al-Qaida's No. 2 leader, Ayman al-Zawahri. The raid threatens efforts by President Gen. Pervez Musharraf to persuade deeply conservative tribespeople to back his government over pro-Taliban and al-Qaida fighters, who enjoy strong support in many semiautonomous regions in northern Pakistan. The planned signing of a peace deal between tribal leaders and the military was canceled Monday in response to the airstrike. Musharraf has been under intense pressure, particularly from the United States and Afghanistan, to rein in militant groups, particularly along the porous Pakistan-Afghan frontier, where Osama bin Laden and al-Zawahri are believed to be hiding. The Pakistani leader, along with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, met with President Bush in Washington last month to address the issue. Protests were held from the northwestern city of Peshawar to the southern city of Karachi, the largest taking place in Chingai and the Bajur district's main town of Khar, where 2,000 tribesmen and shopkeepers chanted "Death to Musharraf! Death to Bush!" Amid fears of unrest, Britain's Prince Charles, who arrived in Pakistan on Sunday for a five-day stay, canceled a visit planned for Tuesday to Peshawar. The raid was launched after the madrassa's leaders, headed by cleric Liaquat Hussain, rejected government warnings to stop using the school as a training camp for terrorists, said army spokesman Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan. "These militants were involved in actions inside Pakistan and probably in Afghanistan," Sultan told The Associated Press. Militant groups in Bajur are believed to ferry fighters, weapons and supplies to Afghanistan to target U.S. forces there and Pakistani soldiers on this side of the ethnic-Pashtun majority tribal belt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thiebear Posted October 31, 2006 Share Posted October 31, 2006 Furious villagers and religious leaders said the pre-dawn missile barrage killed innocent students and teachers. Kinda like Gitmo, one persons terrorist is anothers innocent student and bystanders... Thats the problem with fighting people that will dress as women and blow up civilians, with religious leader sheltering them. It is impossible to tell unless they give up ALL of the intelligence leading up to it. And they can't do that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Posted October 31, 2006 Share Posted October 31, 2006 Kinda like Gitmo, one persons terrorist is anothers innocent student and bystanders...Thats the problem with fighting people that will dress as women and blow up civilians, with religious leader sheltering them. It is impossible to tell unless they give up ALL of the intelligence leading up to it. And they can't do that. Agreed. I've said for some time that this "war" isn't so much about force as it is about intelligence. (Public Relations is a big part in that, too. Hammas knows that, which is why they're doing schools and hospitals and things in Palestein. (That, and because orphanages and hospitals make great ammo dumps.)) (Sometimes I wonder if there aren't some technological solutions to some of these problems. Could the Paks (with some support from some 'contractors') have, say, bugged the school, so that after the attack, they can release footage of 'religous studies' involving AK-47s? Maybe they could have, after the strike, landed several squads, with some imbedded reporters, who could have then filmed the troops siezing weapons chaches?) (I wondered the same thing during the Hammas-Israli war recently. At one point, for example, the Isralis blew up a convoy which they claimed was delivering rockets to Hammas. Hammas swore it was carrying humanitarian aid. If the Isralis could have landed some troops and pulled some rockets out of the shot-up truck, with TV coverage, it really would've helped their 'case' in the media.) (The impression I get is that, after one of these attacks, the locals immediatly head for the wreckage, to check for wounded, but also to set the stage for the media. What the audiences are seeing is a press conference from some General saying that the building 'was believed to contain someone associated with' some terrorist, but they're also seeing pictures of wailing mothers holding up a bloody baby (who actually died yesterday, in a hospital) and wailing. If the 'Good Guys' could get some 'on the ground footage' it'd really help the PR war. (At least with the people who aren't fanatics.)) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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