Terrorist Islamic Republic of Pakistan (TSP): May 8, 2011

sum · Post by **sum** » 23 May 2011 21:28

^^ Refuse to believe only 12 TFTA met their 72 .

SSS reports in his Asia Times report that 12 SSG-N kammandus got hallaled and when the SSG ( PA) stepped in, even they took hits. So, just the SSG alone seems to have lost atleast 15-16 guys.( If SSS sources are reliable). He had also mentioned "many aircraft" + 1 P3C as being destroyed...So far, all news seems to be only on the P-3C

sum · Post by **sum** » 23 May 2011 21:29

As expected, some of the freedom fighters conveniently escape even when surrounded from all sides by "elite Kammandus". Only in Pak do such miscreants have djinn powers.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 23 May 2011 21:31

"We are concerned with the safety of Pakistan's nuclear installations," senior officials traveling with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Africa were quoted as saying on Monday. "The real risk is internal - who guards the guardians." - cited by news.google.com from ToI.

Christopher Sidor · Post by **Christopher Sidor** » 23 May 2011 21:32

One good news from this mess in Karachi. 2 Orion P3C aircraft were lost. Thank you Taliban. Thank you sooo much.

Now if you were to be so kind please eliminate one other weapon systems, the three Pakistan Navy's agosta submarines.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 23 May 2011 21:33

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/05 ... aval-base/

Let’s pause for the message here. The Orions are supplied by the United States, something of a bribe for Pakistan’s counterterrorism aid. They play absolutely no role against al-Qaida: Orions hunt submarines — Indian submarines. It’s possible that the bin Laden killing prompted the Taliban to target any U.S.-supplied spycraft. But they attacked a navy base, not the Shamsi airfield used for the drone war. The Pakistani Taliban appear to be saying: Continue your alliance with the Americans, and your struggle with the Indians — Islamabad’s major strategic concern — will be a casualty.

Dilbu · Post by **Dilbu** » 23 May 2011 21:34

This is the last one in a long series of recent attacks on TSPN. Why TSPN??

sum · Post by **sum** » 23 May 2011 21:36

The Pakistani Taliban appear to be saying: Continue your alliance with the Americans, and your struggle with the Indians — Islamabad’s major strategic concern — will be a casualty.

More power to the Paki talibs. Please contact BRF if you need exact location of the Agosta subs also. We will gladly oblige.

abhijitm · Post by **abhijitm** » 23 May 2011 21:40

IMO talibs this time acted smartly. They struck where it really hurts for pak military. I think they have realized that killing pashtu, baloch army men does not bring a real sense of fear in pak mil. Less guarded PN base could be an easier target with the help of inside help. Blowing high profile mil assets is far better strategy than dispatching some hapless pashtuns.

What astonishing is within couple of weeks of OBL killing they got their act together, planned and executed a spectacular successful attack on pak military. Now kiyani must be browning his pants. His military is just not good enough to guard all sensitive installations on high alert at all the time.

I don't think talibs draw any differentiation in navy or army. JMHO onlee.

amdavadi · Post by **amdavadi** » 23 May 2011 21:41

Only person having good night sleep in porkiland is 10%..rest are worried about getting qadrified.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 23 May 2011 21:42

getting a strange feeling this week is going to be a gory one...one can get migraine imaging all the possible angles within TSP, who is allied with who and who is trying to kill who. perfect example of a insane madhouse with nuclear weapons and two wild dogs (US and China) pulling it from opposite directions.

somethings gotta give way.

Muppalla · Post by **Muppalla** » 23 May 2011 21:44

A_Gupta wrote:http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/05 ... aval-base/

Let’s pause for the message here. The Orions are supplied by the United States, something of a bribe for Pakistan’s counterterrorism aid. They play absolutely no role against al-Qaida: Orions hunt submarines — Indian submarines. It’s possible that the bin Laden killing prompted the Taliban to target any U.S.-supplied spycraft. But they attacked a navy base, not the Shamsi airfield used for the drone war. The Pakistani Taliban appear to be saying: Continue your alliance with the Americans, and your struggle with the Indians — Islamabad’s major strategic concern — will be a casualty.

A lot of times it is called CT here. But if we all pause and read things, it is both US and Chinese workers working on the same naval base. That is a fact and no CT there. It could probably US workers helping Chinese to mate the Chin-Nooks on US-Onoins. Now MUTUs will call this as CT but this is what India-interests specific BRF needs to analyze and ponder over.

Who triggered this attack? Why? Blaming it on Talibs and Al-Queda is easy. Very easy.

Jarita · Post by **Jarita** » 23 May 2011 21:44

^^^^ Or maybe the message could be something else

- Chinese engineer missing

Could there be another party involved in this drama - Iran/ Russians? Those 4 terrorists seemed awfully well prepped and more like covert groups than a ragtag guerrilla army.

Nandu · Post by **Nandu** » 23 May 2011 21:45

Pakistan's karma has run over its dogma.

Or is it the other way around?

amdavadi · Post by **amdavadi** » 23 May 2011 21:46

Ye to trailer hai picture abhi baki hai.

green on green
green on brown
green on red...
red on green

All means same siht...pakis getting 72 as they deserve.

Jarita · Post by **Jarita** » 23 May 2011 21:47

Muppalla wrote:
A_Gupta wrote:http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/05 ... aval-base/

[

A lot of times it is called CT here. But if we all pause and read things, it is both US and Chinese workers working on the same naval base. That is a fact and no CT there. It could probably US workers helping Chinese to mate the Chin-Nooks on US-Onoins. Now MUTUs will call this as CT but this is what India-interests specific BRF needs to analyze and ponder over.

Who triggered this attack? Why? Blaming it on Talibs and Al-Queda is easy. Very easy.

Muchas Gracias. Blaming Talibs is bloody easy. And the so called Taliban has many factions. I have a hypothesis that there is a third party involved which is trying to send a message - Iran and maybe Russia. The outcome from this benefits all. It is a message to the occupiers in the region and possibly has something to do with Gwadar. A proxy war maybe
I am afraid jingos that it is not India. The outcome would not benefit us at this point in time.

Dmurphy · Post by **Dmurphy** » 23 May 2011 21:48

Nandu wrote:Pakistan's karma has run over its dogma.

Or is it the other way around?

Pak is being runover by dogs

abhijitm · Post by **abhijitm** » 23 May 2011 21:49

sum wrote:As expected, some of the freedom fighters conveniently escape even when surrounded from all sides by "elite Kammandus". Only in Pak do such miscreants have djinn powers.

also the reported far low number of attackers is suspicious. c'mon, agreed that the base was not sufficiently guarded but hell it wasn't deserted either. So many hostages, then so much of damage and 13 hrs of fighting against the enemy virtually everywhere. There has to be few more fighters than reported and hence I think many more have escaped.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 23 May 2011 22:01

Sum, your are not paying attention to what could be the role of PRC technicians on a PN airbase with US supplied aircraft? And no surprise from US on this.

Start with quo bono? Who benefits form this attack? TTP gets a breather.

Onions destroyed.

PRC-US cooperation on PN base exposed.

TSP military (Naval, k(SSG)omandus, TSPA higher direction) all in the dust bin.

Rehman Malik making after event statements is the lowest blow.

Most likely there were insider elements that joined and melted away.

AmberG & Shiv,
Need you to name this group of rogue elements in the Periodic table. Gorup 9 for Jihadi Elements?

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 23 May 2011 22:02

Dilbu wrote:This is the last one in a long series of recent attacks on TSPN. Why TSPN??

why FC ? why TSPN ? both are soft targets.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 23 May 2011 22:02

Dmurphy wrote:
Nandu wrote:Pakistan's karma has run over its dogma.

Or is it the other way around?
Pak is being runover by dogs

Maybe suar dogs emerging from Sewers?

What possibilites for cartoons!

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 23 May 2011 22:03

sum wrote:[More power to the Paki talibs. Please contact BRF if you need exact location of the Agosta subs also. We will gladly oblige.

For Poaklurkers,
As part of the Scorpene deal and strategic relation building measures, French has supplied all the equipment and information to track Agosta on24/7 basis to evenge the death of their engineers by Poaks. Agostas are as good and leathal as ducks and OBL in the water.

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 23 May 2011 22:05

Singha wrote:getting a strange feeling this week is going to be a gory one...one can get migraine imaging all the possible angles within TSP, who is allied with who and who is trying to kill who. perfect example of a insane madhouse with nuclear weapons and two wild dogs (US and China) pulling it from opposite directions.

somethings gotta give way.

So good chances of a dirty phataka going off first in TSP than anywhere else. USA is trying to prevent it going off in USA, India trying to prevent it in India, China must be doing the same. So where else it is easy for the dhamaka to happen?

Lalmohan · Post by **Lalmohan** » 23 May 2011 22:08

this is hurting TSPA in the wallet... thats where it always hurts most

sum · Post by **sum** » 23 May 2011 22:11

Sum, your are not paying attention to what could be the role of PRC technicians on a PN airbase with US supplied aircraft? And no surprise from US on this.

Could it be that the Taller than barrel friends were on the base to take care of the few Z-9s parked there and not related to the P-3s which Unkil might be keeping a eagle eye on? Just a pooch...

Lalmohan · Post by **Lalmohan** » 23 May 2011 22:11

us engineers are signing off P3 usage
chini engineers are signing off z-9 whatever helicopter usage
both were in mess having a few yum-sings together and eating bacon...
just got caught in the middle of green-on-green-love-dhamaka

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 23 May 2011 22:13

you know, I am starting to feel disappointed by the TTP. they did this with 12-15 men, they must have at least a couple of thousand on their payroll, could they have attacked all the military installations in karachi area ? masroor, naval base, faisal and of course mehran.

_________________________
sum, quite possible and likely. I think we are going overboard with the china + P3c story. it's good for psy-ops but let's not fall for it ourselves.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 23 May 2011 22:14

Rediff:

No Chinese hostage in raid

China denied reports that some its nationals were taken as hostage by militants who attacked the Karachi naval base on Sunday.

"No Chinese nationals were taken hostage in a terrorist attack on an air force base in Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi late Sunday night," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said in a statement.

Jiang said, as a friendly neighbour of Pakistan, China supports the efforts of Pakistani government and people in maintaining the country's social stability.Chinese military personnel are among many others taken hostage by gunmen who attacked the Mehran naval aviation base in Karachi, Pakistan.

At least 12 soldiers have keen killed in the attack. The Pakistani Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Meanwhile, Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik [ Images ] has said that the gunmen have been confined to one building. "We have been able to confine them to one building and an operation is underway either to kill or capture them," he added.

The base is located next to the Shahrah-e-Faisal Karachi's main road.

Eyewitnesses have claimed that the militants used rocket-propelled grenades to damage and destroy several warplanes, including the navy's premier anti-submarine attack jet -- the US made P-3C Orion.

At least two of these multi-million dollar aircraft were set ablaze, they said.

The gunmen then opened fired, and killed several naval personnel. Subsequently, navy commandos and marines launched a counter assault.

China denies any of its citizens were taken hostage and all are accounted for.

sum · Post by **sum** » 23 May 2011 22:14

they did this with 12-15 men, they must have at least a couple of thousand on their payroll, could they have attacked all the military installations in karachi area ? masroor, naval base, faisal and of course mehran.

Sabka number aayega ( ek ke bad ek)...

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 23 May 2011 22:15

a simultaneous attack would have thrown the response machinery out of gear.

abhijitm · Post by **abhijitm** » 23 May 2011 22:17

I would be surprised if found only chinese engineers on the base. THAT would be something. sigh.. not every wish is granted

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 23 May 2011 22:18

Great things start from small beginings.

MMS was very alert and not sleepless to make the statement about concern for Paki nooks.

C. Rajghatta of TOI reports from Washington:

WASHINGTON: It's a subject Americans can't stop discussing and one Pakistan hates talking about. The terrorist attack on the Pakistani military facility in Karachi has once again focused world (and Washington's) attention on the security of the country's fast-growing nuclear arsenal.

The Obama administration on Monday did not publicly go beyond "strongly" condemning the attack on Pakistan Naval Station (PNS) Mehran and appreciating the "service and sacrifices of their brave Armed Forces," but the incident has re-ignited the simmering debate about vulnerability of its nuclear weapons. US analysts noted that Mehran is only 15 miles away from the Masroor Air Base, where Pakistan is believed have a large depot for nuclear weapons that can be delivered from the air.

While Pakistan insists that its "crown jewels" are under foolproof security, at the heart of the debate is worry that they are vulnerable to internal pilferage or attack by a "jihadized" military, judging by multiple attacks on military facilities by terrorists who seemingly have the inside track on security, including in the Mehran strike. A recent Wikileaks cable citing Pakistani military officials admitting sabotage of F-16s by "Islamists amongst the enlisted ranks" has added to the concern.

Pakistani militant attacks over the last five years include strikes against three nuclear facilities, in Wah, Sargodha, and Kamra, according to Prof Shaun Gregory, a security specialist at Bradford University. But each time, the Pakistan military establishment, which has itself suffered attacks at its General Headquarters and training and recruitment centers, insists that there was no danger to its nuclear assets.

But Gregory says the attacks illustrate "a clear set of weaknesses and vulnerabilities" in Pakistan's nuclear security regime, a danger brought home by the ease with which militants are now penetrating military installations. Concern is growing in the west about the internal dynamics in a military that was once thought to be "westernized and professional."

Washington is leery of expressing its views openly, but New Delhi, which has more proximate reasons to be troubled by a nuclear heist, isn't holding back. "We are concerned with the safety of Pakistan's nuclear installations," senior officials traveling with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Africa were quoted as saying on Monday. "The real risk is internal – who guards the guardians."

The US has forked out over $ 100 million to improve Pakistan's nuclear security but Washington now admits it has no idea how the money was spent. There is consternation in Washington about the speed with which Pakistan is ramping up its nuclear arsenal with some analysts predicting that it could soon have the world's fourth largest nuclear arsenal, behind US, Russia, and China, and ahead of France and UK.

So TSP is set be P-4 and some accounts say its P-3!}

.........

Washington is thick with speculation about American contingency plans in the event of a nuclear heist in Pakistan, notwithstanding assurances (most notably by Senator John Kerry) that the US has no designs on Pakistani nukes. But every U.S statement is dissected in Pakistan for hidden meanings amid fears that Washington is planning to neutralize its nuclear arsenal.

....

The pledge came after Wikileaks cables revealed that US special forces have been embedded with Pakistani troops in joint operations since September 2009.

sum · Post by **sum** » 23 May 2011 22:19

Rahul saar, there was hardly any response as is.....am sure that most of the folks ( including SSG Kammandus) were probably just hiding in the base as they are afraid of hurting a true ghazi like the TTP. They probably started coming out once guns went quiet for some time and then, ran out and informed the media about how they had fought off the "terrorists" etc.

That would explain how so many attackers just vanished since no one was even trying to challenge them and the entire TSPN base was theirs for the taking but the guys had come with specific targets and walked out without any resistance once it was achieved.

jaibhim · Post by **jaibhim** » 23 May 2011 22:19

<snip>

there is really no need to copy paste page long comments by deluded people, especially if they are more of the same.

shyamd · Post by **shyamd** » 23 May 2011 22:20

On Mullah O killing. I agree with SSS assessment. Afghan intel is playing games with Talebs/ISI during fighting season.
Taliban leader reported killed

By Syed Saleem Shahzad

ISLAMABAD - The Taliban on Monday denied a report in the Afghan media that Taliban leader Mullah Omar had been killed in Pakistan.

"Reports regarding the killing of Amir-ul-Moemineen [Mullah Omar] are false. He is safe and sound," spokesman Qari Muhamad Yousaf told the Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press news agency.

Earlier in the day, privately owned Afghan Tolo TV reported, "Mullah Omar was killed on way from Quetta to North Waziristan." Several other Afghan TV channels including Shamshad, Ariana and Noor also reported his death. Quetta is the provincial capital of Balochistan province in Pakistan and lends its name to the Quetta shura - the Afghan Taliban's inner

council. The North Waziristan tribal area on the border with Afghanistan is a militant stronghold.

The reports did not give details of how or by whom the one-eyed Mullah Omar, in his early fifties, had been killed.

Asia Times Online contacted two usually very credible sources immediately after the news broke. Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid refuted the report. Another important Taliban source based in the southwestern Pakistan and Afghanistan area and who is part of the shura also said the news "was baseless".

"If he had been killed by the Americans, why didn't they broadcast the information?," the shura member asked. "And why did the Afghan government not broadcast the news - why was such important information leaked to a section of the Afghan media secretly?

"All this suggests that the Americans and the Afghan government want to plant such news and put pressure on Pakistan," he added. He was speaking on the condition of anonymity as he is not authorized to broadcast statements.

A senior Tolo TV correspondent told Asia Times Online that Afghan intelligence had leaked the information to the channel and insisted that they did not disclose their names.

Pakistani security force officials also expressed a lack of information. "It is not possible that such a high-profile operation could happen two days ago and go unnoticed," the security official commented.

Mullah Omar has been wanted by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation since October 2001, for sheltering al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda militants in the years prior to the September 11, 2001, attacks on the US. He has a US$25 million bounty on his head.

United States Special Forces on May 2 killed Bin Laden in the town of Abbottabad 60 kilometers north of Islamabad on May 2.

Syed Saleem Shahzad is Asia Times Online's Pakistan Bureau Chief and author of upcoming book Inside al-Qaeda and the Taliban: Beyond Bin Laden and 9/11 published by Pluto Press, UK. He can be reached at [email protected]

(Copyright 2011 Asia Times Online (Holdings) Ltd. All rights reserved. Please contact us about sales, syndication and republishing.)

SSS confirms initial reports that this was indeed the first official attack by Ilyas Kashmiri.

Pakistan's military under al-Qaeda attack

By Syed Saleem Shahzad

ISLAMABAD - The brazen al-Qaeda-linked attack on the Pakistan navy's Mehran air base in the southern port city of Karachi on Sunday night marks the violent beginning of an internal ideological struggle between Islamist elements in the Pakistani armed forces and their secular and liberal top brass.

More than 10 heavily armed militants attacked the base from three sides, blowing up several sensitive aircraft including a United States-manufactured surveillance plane. At least 20 security personnel are known to have been killed and as of late Monday morning the militants were still holding hostages in the facility.

The attack has been claimed by the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (Pakistan Taliban), but Asia Times Online contacts are adamant that the operation was orchestrated by al-Qaeda to avenge the

killing of Osama bin Laden this month by US Special Forces and carried out by 313 Brigade - the operational arm of al-Qaeda that is headed by Ilyas Kashmiri.

Following Bin Laden's killing in the town of Abbottabad 60 kilometers north of Islamabad on May 2, Asia Times Online wrote that the reaction of the militants would be carefully planned attacks on installations of the armed forces:

This would be the beginning of real fireworks within the military establishment should mid-level cadre - rogue elements - aligned with Sunni militants instigate attacks along the lines of the militant assault on the Indian city of Mumbai in 2008 that resulted in the deaths of more than 150 people. Trouble ahead in Pakistan's new US phase , May 18.

The attack began at about 10.30pm on Sunday night when the militants, carrying guns, rocket-propelled grenades and hand grenades, stormed the base. They blew up guard rooms before heading for a hanger, where they targeted P-3 Orion aircraft with rockets, recently supplied by the US to Pakistan, on which some American officials were working.

A senior security official in Karachi told Asia Times Online that the militants showed a lot of resilience and had pinned down security forces, which have to date made three attempts to eliminate the attackers and release the hostages. Some unconfirmed reports suggested that Chinese workers were among the hostages. A navy spokesman denied this.

The first move against the militants was made on Sunday night by Sindh police and Rangers, but they were immediately repulsed. Then navy commandos entered on early Monday morning, but they took at least 12 casualties. Later, the Special Services Group of the army was deployed and it has also received some casualties.

According to eye witnesses reports, the militants acted in a calm and relaxed way, firing at intervals. They appeared to have complete knowledge of the base and frequently changed their position. Very much like the Mumbai attack, the militants were well-equipped with arms, ammunition, food and drink.

"It was shown several months ago that the Pakistan navy is vulnerable to Islamists when a marine commando unit official was arrested," the security official said. "He was a member of the Mehsud tribe from South Waziristan [tribal area] and was completely indoctrinated by militants. Naval Intelligence never shared the information with the ISI [Inter-Services Intelligence] or any other security agency that during interrogation he confessed that militants planned to attack installations during the visit of a foreign delegation. Now, they [intelligence] realize how the organization [navy] is riddled and vulnerable to the influence of militant organizations," the official said.

The attack is similar to other major ones in the South Asian war theater:
# Mumbai on November 26, 2008 - 10 militants went on a three-day rampage.
# Police Academy in Lahore in 2009 - least 23 people dead and hundreds injured.
# The Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore in 2009 - six policemen killed and several injured.
# General Headquarters Rawalpindi in 2009 - several hostages taken and then released.
# Parade Lane Mosque Rawalpindi in 2009 - at least 40 killed.

Pakistani security forces confirmed that at least three of these attacks were carried out by 313 Brigade led by Ilyas Kashmiri while the others were blamed on Pakistani militants trained by Kashmiri (See al-Qaeda's guerrilla chief lays out strategy Asia Times Online, October 15, 2009.)

Military out of step
After the September 11, 2001, attacks on the US, Pakistan's top brass took a policy turn and joined in the US's "war on terror", but a large chunk of officers took retirement and with serving colleagues they helped the Taliban. This changed the dynamics of the Afghan war theater (see Military brains plot Pakistan's downfall Asia Times Online, September 26, 2007).

This collection of former and serving officers was responsible for a number of attacks on the military, including on military headquarters in 2009 and against ex-president General Pervez Musharraf.

Now, this nexus could become active again to revive regional operations, in addition to a possible mutiny against the top military brass. (See Trouble ahead in Pakistan's new US phase May 18.)

Before the incident in Karachi, Asia Times Online was contacted by militants by telephone to confirm future attacks in the following words: "We don't want any trouble inside Pakistan or in the Pakistan army, but we do want to create an environment in which it would be conducive for pro-Islam and patriotic elements in the armed forces to dislodge incompetent and pro-American military officials."

This is the third attack on a naval installation in the past 30 days - two were launched before Bin Laden's assassination.

"The Pakistan navy constituted a high-level inquiry committee after their bases were targeted last month," a senior security official told Asia Times Online on the condition of anonymity. "The teams arrived to Karachi last month and asked for our input. They were wondering why militants were targeting the navy as they were not involved in any anti-terror operations. We told them that the navy's own staff were hand-in-glove in those two attacks," the official said.

Kashmiri's 313 Brigade, which was earlier focused on Afghanistan, has clearly now turned its sights on Pakistan, where Kashmiri is known to have powerful connections among retired and serving officials in the armed forces. More attacks are inevitable.

Syed Saleem Shahzad is Asia Times Online's Pakistan Bureau Chief and author of upcoming book Inside al-Qaeda and the Taliban: Beyond Bin Laden and 9/11 published by Pluto Press, UK. He can be reached at [email protected]

My take: Ilyas Kashmiri is asserting his independence - most likely. If this was staged by ISI-D as some are suggesting, they would have just targeted other things - not strategic assets like P3Cs. But on the other hand, it is entirely possible that Pak could be using this as an excuse to say - oh look our navy is incredibly weak, we need PRC help to maintain minimum defence against India now that our P3Cs are gone. US's hands would be tied. It is also clear to say that this is isn't the first time that Paki 'militants' have used 26/11 techniques - FIA HQ raided, GHQ raid all used similar techniques. These boys who entered Mehran knew what they were there for. Torched the P3Cs. There were Turks, Amriki's, & PLAN personell in the vicinity. It is interesting that not many were killed or taken hostage. Very few navy personel have been killed considering there were 10- 20 in the initial reports. Initial reports had also suggested that they knew the base well - so obviously PN personel have given info. There were also reports which I read about PAF Air Marshall ridiculing an AF officer for having a beard and asked him to leave his job. THe whole base apparently stood with him against Senior officer. So, there are issues going on within the establishment. I am surprised that the death toll was so small. SSG lost men, Marine Commando's lost men. 1 Fire service man and some soldier died - but these were during the clear up operations. IF you had 1 or 2 hours to kill people, surely the death toll should have been higher - mystery?

This episode shows that Afghan intel are just pouring a bit of fuel to the fire of talebs who are incredibly unhappy with ISI selling out OBL. Shows us that we still have friends in the KHAD.

jiteshn · Post by **jiteshn** » 23 May 2011 22:21

shyamd · Post by **shyamd** » 23 May 2011 22:32

Forgot to add: its evident that this operation was drilled for some time, if we are to believe reports that these kids were comfortable and looking comfortable holding off SSG and commandu's.

Possible - Mohammed Al Makkawi (Saif Al ADel) Ilyas collaboration - MAK is a egyptian SF soldier. Ilyas - involved in 26/11.

Paul · Post by **Paul** » 23 May 2011 22:35

But on the other hand, it is entirely possible that Pak could be using this as an excuse to say - oh look our navy is incredibly weak, we need PRC help to maintain minimum defence against India now that our P3Cs are gone.

and at the same time, take out key electronics before burning the planes....if this is plausible, has shades of the ojhri blast in 1998.

Anything is possible in Pakiland...All in all, this is tied to who has control of the key access points overlooking the Arabian sea, hence may have to do with shadow boxing between Unkil and PRC.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 23 May 2011 22:36

ShyamD, if this is Illyas Kashmiri and the modus operandi does look like his handiwork, then why is the TTP claiming credit?

Maybe they all went to same school for miscreants?

Also might be useful for US to quiz David Headley of other plans to set TSP on fire by his old f(r)iends.

And SSS is spreading ISI propagan(d)a about big bad wolf!

ranjbe · Post by **ranjbe** » 23 May 2011 22:42

Anatole Lieven, the new supreme South Asian expert of the WASP chatterati, and the latest white hope in solving the nasty third-world Indo-Pak problem, is currently appearing on a number of news channels while promoting his new book.

Putting things in perspective, Lieven points out that Pakistan is not alone in the region in suffering from armed insurgency: Sri Lanka and Burma have faced rebellions that have lasted far longer; and India has been fighting the Naxalite uprising in vast swathes of its territory for decades. As he writes in the introduction:
“Pakistan is in fact a great deal more like India or India like Pakistan — than either country would wish to admit. If Pakistan were an Indian state, then in terms of development, order and per capita income it would find itself somewhere in the middle, considerably below Karnataka but considerably above Bihar. Or to put it another way, if India were only the `cow-belt` of Hindi-speaking north India, it probably wouldn`t be a democracy or a growing economic power either, but some form of impoverished Hindu-nationalist dictatorship, riven by local conflicts.”

This character is a really nasty equal-equal twit. He also has claimed that he is involved with Track II diplomacy in the Indo-Pak context. The blabbermouth is either a liar, or if he was indeed involved needs to be given the Richard Holbrooke tratment by our babus. Remember, our babus told the US that if Holbrooke was named India-Af-Pak ambassador, India would consider him personna non grata, and not grant him a visa. Uneven Cohen among others, has complained bitterly in the past about Indians sitting on visa applications from him/his students for ever.
A primary prerequisite for diplomacy is keeping your lips sealed. Even Kasuri, Pak FM, started talking about his involvement in Track II during the Gola regime many years after the fact. Indian babus have a very long memory, and young Anatole is not winning any favors in that part of South Asia which has 70% of the population and 75% of the GDP.
Maybe his next assignment is as a Track II diplomat in solving the population transfer problem between Nepal and Bhutan?

Venkarl · Post by **Venkarl** » 23 May 2011 22:43

That dancing woman worshiped Pashupati long time ago..hence blasphemy..