Jan 30 2009
Pakistan Nabs Terrorist Cell As It Deploys For Suicide Attacks
Great news coming out of Pakistan as security forces were able to uncover a distributed suicide/bombing attack on two major Pak cities before it could be executed. The terrorist cells had connections to the top al Qaeda leader in Pakistan who was recently killed in a predator strike:
“We have busted a gang of nine high-profile terrorists, who were involved in several high-profile attacks in recent times,” said Rao Iqbal, police chief in Rawalpindi — the twin city of the Pakistani capital, Islamabad.
A senior police investigator told AFP that the nine alleged militants had links to Al-Qaeda and Taliban insurgents in Pakistan’s lawless tribal areas.
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According to senior police officers the gang was linked to Osama al-Kini, Al-Qaeda’s top commander in Pakistan, who was killed in a US missile strike earlier this year in South Waziristan.
Iqbal said police recovered 100 kilograms of potassium chloride, 50 detonators and 20 kilograms of ball bearings, which militants pack in suicide vests to maximize carnage.
City Police Officer (CPO), Rawalpindi, Rao Muhammad Iqbal, while addressing a hurriedly-called press conference in his office on Thursday, said the Rawalpindi police had foiled the plans of the terrorist outfit.
The radicals, who belonged to a Kenyan terrorist outfit named Azmaray, had a plan to target sensitive installations as well as important political personalities on 23rd March, he disclosed. Rao Iqbal said the Rawalpindi police and the CID, in a joint venture, busted the group of extremists involved in various terrorist activities in Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
The terrorists were involved in the killing of Lt Gen (Surgeon) Mushtaq Baig in a suicide attack on February 25, 2008 near the Nadra Kiosk at the Mall, Rawalpindi. They were also involved in the suicide attack on a bus of the Army Medical Corps on February 4, 2008 near the NLG Building in the jurisdiction of R A Bazaar Police Station claiming lives of seven Army officers and injuring 45 Army officials, the CPO said and added that they had confessed to their involvement in the Melody Market and the Denmark Embassy suicide attacks and the blast in an Italian Restaurant in Islamabad Supermarket.
Hopefully these killers are also confessing where authorities might find their masters.
In the SWAT region of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP), the Pakistanis are taking strong action against the militants as well:
Prime Minister’s Adviser on Interior Affairs Rehman Malik told the Senate on Thursday that a new strategy had been worked out to combat militancy in Swat.
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He said the organisations behind the trouble in Swat included Al Qaeda, Tehrik-i-Taliban led by Maulana Fazlullah, Tanzeem-i-Islami, Tora Bora group and Qari Mushtaq group.
He said that a Taliban ‘commander’, Qari Hussain Ahmed, ran a training camp for suicide bombers in Waziristan and Maulana Naamdaar had a role in bringing suicide bombers from Waziristan to Swat.
Qari Hussain was reported killed in January 2008 when his house was destroyed in an air strike.
Mr Malik said the objective of the militants was not to enforce Shariat, but to destroy Pakistan.
He said the new strategy would effectively deal with elements challenging the government’s writ.
In a blunt warning to the terrorists, he said: “We are after you. We will not let you do what you want to do.â€
Remember everyone, these actions against these killers are due to the diligence and the determination of President George Bush to not falter or fail in his promise to bring justice to these thugs. They do not deserve to be elevated to negotiating partners after the horrific crimes they have committed against their fellow human beings (usually unarmed women and children of course).
“Remember everyone, these actions against these killers are due to the diligence and the determination of President George Bush to not falter or fail in his promise to bring justice to these thugs.”
Except for when Bush redeployed our troops hunting Al Qaeda in Afghanistan so he could invade Iraq, got bogged down for several years because he listen to that buffon Rumsfled who didn’t properly plan for or provide enough troops for the post-war occupation, didn’t provide enough troops/resources in Afghanistan/Pakistan despite public pleas from commanders there for more and allowed Al Qaeda to set up a new sanctuary in Pakistan – a nuclear armed Muslim country with a weak and feeble government. Except for that, Bush is responsible for these actions – except for the fact that he is no longer Commander and Chief when these actions took place.
AJ, I love your reasoning. Bush is not responsible for any of the blunders that happened on his watch (9-11, economic meltdown, Katrina) but he gets all of the credits for good things that will happen after he leaves.
Con,
Your reasoning is handicapped by the mythology that Bush caused: “9-11, economic meltdown and Katrina.” The Dem responsibility for each of these is much heavier.
And still, you haven’t recognized the nexus between Iraq and Al Qaeda.
The monumentum can’t be expected to last very long. It will take them some time to recover from the bloody nose and black eye they took in Iraq. Expect few direct attacks for a year or more. After that is anyones guess.
Obama is cutting DOD by 10%, I wonder which other budget lines he is cutting 10%?