Terrorist Islamic Republic of Pakistan (TSP): May 30, 2011

Gagan · Post by **Gagan** » 04 Jun 2011 11:17

The salim Shahzad interview has a few important points that I would like to highlight.
1. Gen Mahmood Ahmed, the ISI chief at the time of 9/11 - the guy who 'happened' to be in Washington DC on the day 9/11 took place, was sent to Kandhar to talk to Mullah Omar to ask the Taliban to extradite OBL. It is common knowledge that Mahmood Ahmed asked MO and the Talibs instead to fight the americans, and that Pakistan would give them all the support that they needed.

What SSS says now, is that Mahmood Ahmed, the then ISI chief also met Osama Bin Laden, and did a deal with the AlQaida where the Al Qaida would not attack Pakistan, and in return OBL and the Al Qaida guys could take shelter in Pakistan. SSS says that Mahmood Ahmed "Verbally Assured OBL" that pakistan would not attack AQ.

Now one has to look at OBL hiding in Abbottabad by taking that bit of information in perspective. Musharraf as Army Chief probably made this policy where OBL and the Top Al Qaida leadership were sheltered and protected by the ISI in its safe-houses in Pakistan, in return for them not attacking Pakistan. Pakistan could later on use their gratitude and their services to further its own goals against India.

To this end, in order to keep the US involved and hopeful, Pakistan 'sacrificed' the 9/11 plotters one-by-one so that the US was happy that Pakistan was co-operating in the GOAT hunt. But this stopped well short of handing over key AQ leadership to the US, because Pakistan saw them as assets that were kept safe in cold storage for future use.

2. SSS says that both KSA and Iran are funding various groups inside Pakistan, and these groups are fighting a war on the streets of Karachi and other Pakistani cities. So in effect Pakistan is now a battleground of the Middle east GCC vs Iran.

The recent killing of the KSA diplomat in Karachi is probably also a result of this war. The Iranians and their Shia brethren in Karachi didn't like what that diplomat was doing, and they took him out.

3. SSS further confirms that the possibility of a mutiny within Pakistan is always there. There is a rich history of discontentment taking the form of several mini-mutinies, assassination attempts in the past within the Pakistani Army.

Given these troubled times, when the armymen are under economic, theological, and pride-related pressures, and discontentment is said to be high, several mini mutinies might be brewing at this very moment.

And if AlQaida or Brigade 313 has penetrated the PN, PAF, and the PA, then it would be safe to assume that they have penetrated the SFC too. This means that what Pakistan describes as Nuclear weapons, are unsafe from within.

Lisa · Post by **Lisa** » 04 Jun 2011 11:29

anupmisra wrote:D'oh! moment in an average day in pa'astan. Used lube damaged 200 locos

200 Chinese locomotives were damaged by the use of substandard lubricant and overlooking the wear and tear
air filters and fuel filters of the engines were not changed for two years and used lubricants were injected in engines last year when the oil supply to the railways was ceased
Railway`s former officers said the Chinese engines were deliberately made non-functional to ensure the import of the US engines
Conspiracies, as always. But, used lubricants are dual-use technology. BENIS material.

pakistanis and lub. All sorts of images come to mind! Nevertheless incorrect use was blamed in many 777 fires. May be deliberately done to force pukis to buy ______ (please fill in the blanks) aircrafts, correct?

http://www.aviationtoday.com/regions/us ... _2165.html

Anindya · Post by **Anindya** » 04 Jun 2011 12:07

Does anyone have the reference of Hussain Haqqani threatening Indian cities like Bangalore many years ago. I remember GParthasarthy or perhaps KS mentioning it in one of their write-ups. Thanks for the help.

VikramS · Post by **VikramS** » 04 Jun 2011 12:22

http://www.dawn.com/2011/06/04/ilyas-ka ... trike.html
Looks like the Jernails were really read the riot act by Clinton. This is fast.
Or is it Just like the Sheikh who died in Tora Bora?

Suppiah · Post by **Suppiah** » 04 Jun 2011 12:22

Ilyas Kashmiri gets 72, but denied 28 peach bottom boys bonus because he did not go to heaven on Friday..

http://www.dawn.com/2011/06/04/ilyas-ka ... trike.html

Droneacharya spit on him

Gagan · Post by **Gagan** » 04 Jun 2011 12:33

Iliyas Kashmiri has 'met' his 72 before also.
On that occasion it was SSS who managed to get in touch with him and assured the world that he was still very much waging Jeehard on behalf of the ISI.
Now two things have changed:
1. SSS has met his 72.
2. The US wants Iliyas Kashmiri to meet his 72.

I will prefer to wait until I see proof that IK has met his 72, a body or DNA tests of the burnt out material proving that he is dead.

Gagan · Post by **Gagan** » 04 Jun 2011 12:34

Meanwhile the leftists in Undie TV, their hearts pain so much for TSP's economic woes, that they held a special program to "highlight TSP's economic crisis" and "How India can help them" (so that they can grow strong and stab us again)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVMDBQp4DQY

Patni · Post by **Patni** » 04 Jun 2011 12:36

Hope that the news is true and credible! just 2 days back news came out that "Headley revealed Tuesday that Kashmiri wanted to assassinate the chief executive of Lockheed Martin, which manufactures the Predator drone, as retaliation for the missile strikes that have killed scores of militants in Pakistan." and he gets dispatched by a drone.

Narad · Post by **Narad** » 04 Jun 2011 12:58

PESHAWAR: According to a BBCUrdu report, Ilyas Kashmiri, a Pakistani terrorist leader with ties to al Qaeda, was among those killed in the latest drone strikes in South Waziristan.

The report quoted locals as saying that Kashmiri was killed in the strike that killed at least nine militants.

Kashmiri was the chief of the Harkatul Jihad al-Islami (HJI), an organisation affiliated with al Qaeda.

He is widely believed to have masterminded the attack on the PNS Mehran naval base in Karachi.

A government official in Peshawar told BBCUrdu that although he had been receiving information regarding the death of Kashmiri in the drone strike, he could not confirm the information.

Moreover, an official in South Waziristan told BBCUrdu that a US drone attack targeted a group of armed militants 20 kilometres from Wana bazaar.

The official said the attack killed nine people and injured three others.

Moreover, the official said that those killed in the attack were believed to be militants from Punjab.

Locals and witnesses told BBCUrdu that Kashmiri had also died in the drone attack.

Witnesses said Kashmiri had arrived in South Waziristan from the Khyber tribal region.

LINK

Patni · Post by **Patni** » 04 Jun 2011 13:02

Mehran base mastermind killed in drone attack?

The report is in urdu but google translation says:

Publication Last Time: Saturday 4 June 2011, ‭ 06:31 GMT 11:31 PST
Officials in South Waziristan tribal area of Pakistan as a U.S. spy plane attack killed nine militants while three injured. Ilyas ksmry local people in the attacks is also maragya.
A gov government official in Peshawar told our correspondent Dilawar Khan Wazir drone attack that also reported the death of Elias Kashmir, but they still can not confirm the news.

A government official in South Waziristan told the BBC that between Friday and Saturday night, about twenty kilometers south of Wana bazaar East liman guakuah an American spy plane area from a group of armed militants shot at this time was made when he was drinking apple tea gard

Gagan · Post by **Gagan** » 04 Jun 2011 13:12

A news report describing how Pakistanis are training 10 yr old kids to be terrorists.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7FTXiCOPAo

Kashi · Post by **Kashi** » 04 Jun 2011 13:14

Who's next? Haqqani? Sajid Mir? Haafiz Sayeed?

Johann · Post by **Johann** » 04 Jun 2011 13:24

Gagan wrote:And if AlQaida or Brigade 313 has penetrated the PN, PAF, and the PA, then it would be safe to assume that they have penetrated the SFC too. This means that what Pakistan describes as Nuclear weapons, are unsafe from within.

Brigade 313 was trained, advised and supported by the Pakistani armed forces - they have strong ties to enlisted personnel in particular, which they have used to their own advantage.

This is part of the class warfare element of what is going on in Pakistan. PA/PN/PAF officers may have internalised a generic jihadi ideology and sometimes disagree with the COAS/CJCS, but they still see the military as their tanzeem.

Pakistani Other Ranks in connected to the Deobandis in comparison seem to be very willing to break chain of command. Their loyalties fundamentally lie outside the military. The Deobandis are very attractive to lower middle class and working class Sunni Pakistanis, and that is their real strength.

The Hamid Guls and the TTP/Bde 313 are not exactly on the same page, and until they are, conspiracies within the Pakistani military will only go so far before they hit very high walls. In fact even within the PN, its the prayer time clustering of this bad attitude that allegedly led to the initial arrests and AQT's retliatory attacks on PNS Mehran.

This is exactly the same problem that Takfiri/Salafi jihadis had within the Egyptian Army, which assassinated Anwar Sadat but failed to actually bring down the system.

Can this lower middle class actually seize and hold control of the elite's choices, or only constrict them? I would say its just the latter.

Dilbu · Post by **Dilbu** » 04 Jun 2011 13:37

National bird is extracting heavy price since a couple of months. Sovirginity is in tatters.. ouch.

Suppiah · Post by **Suppiah** » 04 Jun 2011 13:38

Kashi wrote:Who's next? Haqqani? Sajid Mir? Haafiz Sayeed?

How 'bout other terrorists like Zardari, Kiyani, Pasha, Groper Gilani, Nawaz Sharif, ?

arunsrinivasan · Post by **arunsrinivasan** » 04 Jun 2011 13:38

Question to the gurus, if Ilyas Kashmiri is actually dead - what is the impact on India, TSP, TSPA, etc.

Gagan · Post by **Gagan** » 04 Jun 2011 13:40

Pakistan seems to have this spectrum of Jihadi / Terrorist groups in terms of their closeness to the Army.

The pure non state actors would be the Al Qaida types, the ones truly without a country to call their own, ideology that spans nations.
Then Pakistan has these special non-state actors - the LET types, which are very closely related to the Pakistani army, are advised and controlled by the ISI, but includes mainly civilians as the foot soldiers.
The next level would be the 'state-non state actors' - The Brigade 313, headed by Iliyas Kashmiri. Former soldiers like Kashmiri himself. Nice post retirement employment for the jihad minded soldiers of the pakistani army.
Then finally the State actors - the Pakistani army and the ISI themselves. As soon as an ISI officers gets caught, he suddenly transitions to the 'non-state actor' level in a pre-dated fashion.

Pakistan also probably 'retires' some of its state actors so that they become non-state actors, but continue to receive the same emoluments as before, but from the Jihadi groups. All specially created to further terrorist activities and try to maintain plausible deniability.

Gagan · Post by **Gagan** » 04 Jun 2011 13:43

arunsrinivasan wrote:Question to the gurus, if Ilyas Kashmiri is actually dead - what is the impact on India, TSP, TSPA, etc.

In the short term a little bit.
But this is a dangerous form of employment for these guys. And Pakistan always has replacements ready to take over should the leader meet an untimely 72.

Brigade 313 might get reborn with a new leader and with a new name, but with much of the older foot soldiers intact.

It will be back to business very soon.

Lalmohan · Post by **Lalmohan** » 04 Jun 2011 13:45

its a bit like the mafia, there are always new dons to be waiting in the wings

Dilbu · Post by **Dilbu** » 04 Jun 2011 13:51

Isn't this a major shift in unkil policy if they have started targeting ISI munnas like Ilyas Kashmiri who are India specific strategic assets of TSP state? Are they burning a few bridges with eye ess eye?

abhijitm · Post by **abhijitm** » 04 Jun 2011 13:55

Bad Romance

They always ask him where he is from.Faisalabad,from where he emigrated to the US on the back of a Green Card lottery his uncle unexpectedly won for him,is hard for Americans to figure out.So he usually tells them hes from Pakistan.Well,not anymore.They dont like the country now.

A recent opinion poll in the US showed that three in four Americans did not consider Pakistan an ally

Among the few who depart from the Washington commentariats conventional wisdom and boilerplate solutions is a man named Ralph Peters,and expectedly,he lives outside the beltway.A former military official who calls himself an independent conservative,Peters solution to sort out Pakistan can be described in two words: kick ass .Not by military invasion;he recommends that the US pull its troops out of the region to end Pakistans hold on the Afghan lifeline;cut all aid to Pakistan,and back India in every way to sort out Pakistan.
The entire relationship with Pakistan has been built on lies and our enthusiastic self-delusion Treat Pakistan as exactly what it is: a lawless rogue state, he advised in a recent commentary.But dont hold your breath, he added as an afterthought.You can bet your life well go back to pretending that the Pakistani whore can be reformed for a successful strategic marriage.

good that americans are now openly calling paki a whore

Shrinivasan · Post by **Shrinivasan** » 04 Jun 2011 14:03

Patni wrote:Hope that the news is true and credible! just 2 days back news came out that "Headley revealed Tuesday that Kashmiri wanted to assassinate the chief executive of Lockheed Martin, which manufactures the Predator drone, as retaliation for the missile strikes that have killed scores of militants in Pakistan." and he gets dispatched by a drone.

This is surprising, Predator family of drones are made by General Atomics and this has got nothing to do with LockMart. Actually LockMart make P3C Orions and F-16 which were gifted to the Pukes by Khan!!! so Kya Takleef Hain!!

Ambar · Post by **Ambar** » 04 Jun 2011 14:07

Dilbu wrote:Isn't this a major shift in unkil policy if they have started targeting ISI munnas like Ilyas Kashmiri who are India specific strategic assets of TSP state? Are they burning a few bridges with eye ess eye?

Illyas Kashmiri had stepped out of unkil's 'Lakshman rekha' - i.e. he was fast embroiled in coordinating attacks on western targets (esp NATO soldiers and assets in afg) through LeT and AQ. Remember he was also rumored to be in the running as a replacement for OBL ? Not to mention, he was in the list of 'top 5' that Hillary handed over to Pakistan last week. The Americans have kept their words, they did say either Pakistan apprehends these guys and hands them over to US or US has sources to take them out on their own.

Whatever the US perfidy maybe when it comes to India, they were right when they said "In a way we are indirectly fighting India's war". We couldn't do jack about Kashmiri and his like, droneacharya on the other hand has been busy handing the faithfools their ticket to 72. Next stop - Haqqanis !

Shrinivasan · Post by **Shrinivasan** » 04 Jun 2011 14:12

Still Hallaling IK is a very welcome news, a Friday gift from Khanland.

Shrinivasan · Post by **Shrinivasan** » 04 Jun 2011 14:15

Ambar wrote:Whatever the US perfidy maybe when it comes to India, they were right when they said "In a way we are indirectly fighting India's war". We couldn't do jack about Kashmiri and his like, droneacharya on the other hand has been busy handing the faithfools their ticket to 72. Next stop - Haqqanis !

Interesting point Ambar, let us wait and see if this is an one-off case or will US take out more anti-India Jihadiis? Kya "Ye hi the quid-pro-quo from Khan to desh for the Chai-Biskoth", if true then we can have more discussions like this, every week!!!

Patni · Post by **Patni** » 04 Jun 2011 14:22

Drone Attacks Split U.S. Officials

Pakistani activists in the northwestern city of Peshawar burned a mock drone in a protest in May against U.S. strikes in the region

WASHINGTON—Fissures have opened within the Obama administration over the drone program targeting militants in Pakistan, with the U.S. ambassador to Pakistan and some top military leaders pushing to rein in the Central Intelligence Agency's aggressive pace of strikes.

Such a move would roll back, at least temporarily, a program that President Barack Obama dramatically expanded soon after taking office, making it one of the U.S.'s main weapons against the Pakistan-based militants fighting coalition troops in Afghanistan.

The program has angered Pakistan, a key ally in the fight against Islamist militants. The debate over drones comes as the two sides try to repair relations badly frayed by the shooting deaths of two Pakistanis by CIA contractor Raymond Davis in January, a wave of particularly lethal drone strikes following Mr. Davis's release from Pakistani custody in March, and the clandestine U.S. raid that killed Osama bin Laden on May 2.

The White House National Security Council debated a slowdown in drone strikes in a meeting on Thursday, a U.S. official said. At the meeting, CIA Director Leon Panetta made the case for maintaining the current program, the official said, arguing that it remains the U.S.'s best weapon against al Qaeda and its allies.

The result of the meeting—the first high-level debate within the Obama administration over how aggressively to pursue the CIA's targeted-killing program—was a decision to continue the program as is for now, the U.S. official said.

Another official, who supports a slowdown, said the discussions about revamping the program would continue, alongside talks with Pakistan, which is lobbying to rein in the drone strikes.

Most U.S. officials, including those urging a slowdown, agree the CIA strikes using the pilotless aircraft have been one of Washington's most effective tools in the fight against militants hiding out in Pakistan. The weapons have killed some top al Qaeda and Taliban leaders and left militants off balance in a swath of mountainous territory along the Afghan border with Pakistan where they once operated with near impunity. No one in the administration is advocating an outright halt to the program.

Yet an increasingly prominent group of State Department and military officials now argue behind closed doors that the intense pace of the strikes aggravates an already troubled alliance with Pakistan and, ultimately, risks destabilizing the nuclear-armed country, said current and former officials familiar with the discussions.

U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter, backed by top military officers and other State Department officials, wants the strikes to be more judicious, and argues that Pakistan's views need to be given greater weight if the fight against militancy is to succeed, said current and former U.S. officials.

Defenders of the current drone program take umbrage at the suggestion that the program isn't judicious. "In this context, the phrase 'more judicious' is really code for 'let's appease Pakistani sensitivities,' " said a U.S. official. The CIA has already given Pakistani concerns greater weight in targeting decisions in recent months, the official added. Advocates of sustained strikes also argue that the current rift with the Pakistanis isn't going to be fixed by scaling back the program.

The debate has largely been muted until now, in part because the details of the program are classified and because drone strikes against militants have generally been popular with the White House and most Republicans and Democrats in Congress.

Pakistani officials have always publicly condemned the drone program; only in private have they consented to the campaign and acknowledged to having helped the CIA pinpoint targets.

Now Islamabad is lobbying Washington in public and private to curtail the strikes because of Pakistani complaints that they take a high civilian death toll.

Lt. Gen. Asif Yasin Malik, who commands Pakistani forces fighting militants in the country's northwest, said in an interview that drone strikes are making it harder to win allies among tribal leaders.

"It's a negative thing in my area of responsibility. It causes instability and impinges on my relationship with the local people," Gen. Malik said.

Advocates for reining in the program argue that the pace and scope of strikes have become politically unsustainable because of their unpopularity in Pakistan.

In a series of recent closed-door meetings, according to current and former U.S. officials, Ambassador Munter and some senior military officials argued that more selective targeting will maintain the strikes' effectiveness while easing the political blowback in Pakistan, making it easier for officials there to work with Washington.

"You can't take your foot off the gas completely—the drones have a suppressing effect on them," a U.S. official said of militant groups in the border areas. "On the other hand, the Pakistanis need some breathing space."

Pakistan has given some indications it would ramp up efforts to root out militants, following a renewed U.S. request to do so by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen during a visit to Pakistan last week.

National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor declined to discuss the covert program or any internal debate over its future.

"The president has issued a clear directive to disrupt, dismantle and defeat al Qaeda, and the United States government is completely united behind that goal. I think the results speak for themselves," Mr. Vietor said.

The CIA's targeted killing program, ramped up by President George W. Bush in July 2008, was initially designed to target high-level al Qaeda leaders. Strikes averaged roughly one a week in the last half of 2008.

Mr. Obama has overseen a dramatic expansion of the program. The drones were originally used against specifically selected "high-value" targets, a list drawn up with Pakistani help.

But in the past year, the CIA has been targeting lower-level fighters after tracking their activities and movements.

The CIA last year conducted more than 100 strikes. The pace has slowed to roughly 30 in the first five months of 2011, partly over concerns about Pakistani reaction, a U.S. official said.

The latest drone strike came Friday, hitting three compounds in Pakistan's South Waziristan region and killing at least four people, according to an official familiar with the matter.

There is disagreement over how many civilian bystanders the strikes have killed. The Pakistanis say hundreds of civilians have died in the strikes, which is part of the reason they want them scaled back. The U.S. says 30 civilians have been slain. Both sides agree hundreds of militants have been killed.

The pushback by some U.S. officials against the drone program comes as U.S. diplomats and officials serving in Pakistan express dissatisfaction with what they see as the generally hostile tenor of the U.S.'s policy toward Pakistan.

These diplomats and officials say the deep vein of anti-Americanism that runs through Pakistani society forces its elected and military leaders, including army chief Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, to distance themselves from Washington to avoid a popular backlash.

"What's worrying a lot of us is whether we're turning people who should be our natural allies into our adversaries," said a U.S. diplomat in Pakistan.

A senior U.S. official said the key is figuring out what level of drone strikes can satisfy U.S. security needs and at the same be tolerated by the Pakistanis. "I think we underestimate the importance of public opinion in Pakistan to our detriment," the official said. The Pakistanis have "a legitimate concern."

Islamabad has proposed narrowing the scope of the CIA program to target militants that have been agreed to by both sides, a Pakistani official said.

—Tom Wright contributed to this article.

Seems like state department is doing all it can to save its munna but that kafir Panetta wont listen!! The comment section also is worth a read..

SATISH SHARMA:It appears to me, that since 1914 US state department has ALWAYS been wrong on EVERY international development - this one just is continuation of the same brain dead policy.

State department hires the best-inbreds from intellectually bankrupt schools and let's them loose on this world -- ruining american reputation, bankrupting THIS country and making EVERYONE hate US.

Only thing that seems to work is where State Department is NOT involved administration( depublicans remocrats ) not withstanding.

Capturing UBL did more to boost US reputation than $100000000000000BN in aid would have done.

Here is what US should do; stop the drones, they are becoming ineffectual and will take another 100 years to fix this problem -- use B1s instead - start at Islamabad and go west.

DAVE Burr:The drone program is a rare initiative the disastrous Obama administration has gotten right. That it is unpopular among the citizens of Pakistan proves the overwhelming support and harbor these people give to terrorists. As long as they and their duplicitous government shelter terrorists on their land, we should maintain rigorous pursuit of the enemy, no let-up in sight. The people of Pakistan can minimize civilian casualties by not hanging around their terrorist friends.

Hari Seldon · Post by **Hari Seldon** » 04 Jun 2011 14:30

Unkil seems to be coming to the same belated realization that gurus on BRF were long dispensing for free that there are no 'guaranteed anti-India only' terror assets in TSP.

By its very nature, terror capability (like $$$) is fungible. And lucrative too. Can't be long before the revolving door pakjabi talibs hopping from one group to another (TTP, LeT, JeM, SSP, 313 etc) manage to strike western targets here and there, now, can it, eh?

Patni · Post by **Patni** » 04 Jun 2011 14:34

cheenum wrote:
Patni wrote:Hope that the news is true and credible! just 2 days back news came out that "Headley revealed Tuesday that Kashmiri wanted to assassinate the chief executive of Lockheed Martin, which manufactures the Predator drone, as retaliation for the missile strikes that have killed scores of militants in Pakistan." and he gets dispatched by a drone.
This is surprising, Predator family of drones are made by General Atomics and this has got nothing to do with LockMart. Actually LockMart make P3C Orions and F-16 which were gifted to the Pukes by Khan!!! so Kya Takleef Hain!!

Yes well the dronacharya's prasad droppings in form of hellfire missile is the one causing pious 72 hoor seekers meet their goal with a bang of flash! and I believe LockMart makes those National bird droppings!

Ready, Aim, Fail: Terrorists Target Wrong Company for Drone Revenge

Updated June 2, 2011 at 5:50 p.m. EDT

Memo to all al-Qaida personnel: You might want to start doing a little more research about whom precisely you’re exacting retribution from.

Mumbai attack plotter David Coleman Headley told a federal court in Chicago this week that al-Qaida commander Ilyas Kashmiri directed him to dig up info on the CEO of Lockheed Martin for an assassination plot.

On the stand, he said Kashmiri singled out Lockheed because drone strikes were getting frustrating and Kashmiri wanted to take it out on the manufacturer. Headley was testifying again his erstwhile pal Tahawwur Rana, who also stands accused of aiding the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

“My research is more in-depth than Googling someone a couple of times,” Headley told the court of his methodology in the Lockheed assassination plot.

Al-Qaida may want to offer some remedial Googling tips or hold a Wikipedia intro class at its training camps. Headley’s research and Kashmiri’s plan had a small but fundamental flaw: Lockheed Martin doesn’t actually make the killer drones that zap terrorists in Pakistan. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems does.

Jihadis have long been pissed at the persistent drone strikes against them in Pakistan. In the summer of 2009, al-Qaida rising star Abu Yahya al-Libi published a book in PDF format: The Ruling Concerning Muslim Spies. In it, he weighs in against the spies that help American drones target the “murderous and destructive missiles whose wrath is inflicted on the Mujahedeen and the weak.”

More recently, Ustadh Ahmad Farooq, a leading al-Qaida propagandist in Pakistan, bemoaned the fact that drones are helping to shrink the group’s territory there, saying “There were many areas where we once had freedom, but now they have been lost.”

Faisal Shahzad, the would-be Times Square bomber, was also a drone hater and the Pakistani Taliban claimed his failed attack as revenge for the aerial strikes.

But apparently al-Qaida’s hatred for American drones hasn’t translated into an especially informed curiosity about them. Given the personnel involved in this plot, you might expect a little more terrorist competence. Headley helped Lashkar-e-Taiba in the horrifically effective Mumbai attacks of 2008 and Kashmiri was involved in a number of terrorist attacks in Pakistan and India.

All of which yields a useful lesson about laughing too much at bouts of jihadi stupidity: It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt.

Update: Headley said Lockheed’s CEO was targeted “because he was making drones,” although as commenter Ben Grocholsky points out, al-Qaida’s wrath wasn’t completely out of left field. Lockheed makes the Hellfire missiles used by U.S. drones.

Patni · Post by **Patni** » 04 Jun 2011 14:41

Ambar wrote:
Dilbu wrote:Isn't this a major shift in unkil policy if they have started targeting ISI munnas like Ilyas Kashmiri who are India specific strategic assets of TSP state? Are they burning a few bridges with eye ess eye?
Illyas Kashmiri had stepped out of unkil's 'Lakshman rekha' - i.e. he was fast embroiled in coordinating attacks on western targets (esp NATO soldiers and assets in afg) through LeT and AQ. Remember he was also rumored to be in the running as a replacement for OBL ? Not to mention, he was in the list of 'top 5' that Hillary handed over to Pakistan last week. The Americans have kept their words, they did say either Pakistan apprehends these guys and hands them over to US or US has sources to take them out on their own.

Whatever the US perfidy maybe when it comes to India, they were right when they said "In a way we are indirectly fighting India's war". We couldn't do jack about Kashmiri and his like, droneacharya on the other hand has been busy handing the faithfools their ticket to 72. Next stop - Haqqanis !

Am sure Kashmiri lost his "Good Taliban" cover when US found out about his ambition to strike western interests in Europe and worse planning to target CEO of US MIL-IND stalwart Lockheed Martin!

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 04 Jun 2011 14:48

each such strike increases the mistrust between jernails and talibs because the talibs can always wonder if the jernails sold them out. hence kill some jernails in revenge.

sanjeevpunj · Post by **sanjeevpunj** » 04 Jun 2011 14:52

Ambar wrote:
Dilbu wrote:Isn't this a major shift in unkil policy if they have started targeting ISI munnas like Ilyas Kashmiri who are India specific strategic assets of TSP state? Are they burning a few bridges with eye ess eye?
Whatever the US perfidy maybe when it comes to India, they were right when they said "In a way we are indirectly fighting India's war". We couldn't do jack about Kashmiri and his like, droneacharya on the other hand has been busy handing the faithfools their ticket to 72. Next stop - Haqqanis !

I agree, US has benefitted India by doing the Dronacharya roleplay. According to the rules of war, the glory also goes to US. If we Indians want a share, we have to do our bit.

CRamS · Post by **CRamS** » 04 Jun 2011 15:20

Dilbu wrote:Isn't this a major shift in unkil policy if they have started targeting ISI munnas like Ilyas Kashmiri who are India specific strategic assets of TSP state? Are they burning a few bridges with eye ess eye?

I was luaghing my ass off litsening to NPR report this alleged downing of Kashmiri with the mother of all equal equal. They said Illiyas Kashmiri was the leader of most dreaded extremist group with links to Al Queda targeting Afganisthan, India, and Paaaakistaaaan. Knowing the obsessive compulsilve India obsession TSP RAPE have with India, they won't mind sacrificing any precious goat as long as the goras do an equal equal

. I recall the late Holbrooke's snake oil: for the first time since independence, India, US, and Paaaaakistaaaaan face the same enemy

.

Suppiah · Post by **Suppiah** » 04 Jun 2011 15:21

Even though the issue of 72 tickets to more and more pureland strategic assets by Unkil is a favor to India., let us not go overboard praising the khan...because he is NOT doing it as a favor to us, it could even be argued that he waited so long because it may end up as a favor to us..

Hope the lower echelons of govt. and the Digvijjay types make some periodic noise about 'outside powers' interfering in this region and how it is so sad etc., that will rub salt into the wounds of the pure and make them even more angry against their ex coach jernails...this is where the WKKs do a stellar job, without of course, realising they are doing it.

shyamd · Post by **shyamd** » 04 Jun 2011 15:26

It would be convenient for ISI to put out disinfo on IK (to save IK from US onslaught or forced TSP action, TSP need to keep IK there to speak TSP interest in AQ shura). I guess for everyone now, it would be trying to seek confirmation of his death.

Only way we will know if this is true is if AQ start some revenge attacks on a big scale.

saadhak · Post by **saadhak** » 04 Jun 2011 15:43

Drone Attacks Split U.S. Officials
"What's worrying a lot of us is whether we're turning people who should be our natural allies into our adversaries," said a U.S. diplomat in Pakistan.

The 'natural allies' rings a bell!

Now this does satisfy the transitivity law though.
India = US natural ally
Pakistan = US natural ally
Therefore, India = Pakistan.
There you go. Why do SDREs get so worked up when Amir Khan does ==?

On the 'misinformed' targeting of Lockheed Martin CEO -- if the plot would have been carried out on the nuke capable F-16 sellers, it would have been sweet justice for India.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 04 Jun 2011 15:57

US losing Pak?

http://the-diplomat.com/2011/06/04/the- ... -pakistan/

The US and Pakistani governments seem to be heading for a divorce full of recriminations. So great are the divergent objectives and lack of trust between them that Pakistan seems to be contemplating moving out of the United States’ orbit altogether and into China’s embrace.

In the same context,read this also.

http://the-diplomat.com/2011/05/31/how- ... dium=email

How to Track China’s Naval Dreams

Is the talk around the port of Gwadar a sign that China is considering a string of pearls strategy? Anti-air missile batteries will be the first sign.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 04 Jun 2011 16:27

ibnlive

20 injured in grenade attack at Karachi hotel
Press Trust Of India
Posted on Jun 04, 2011 at 09:48am IST

Karachi: At least 20 people were injured on Saturday after unidentified miscreants lobbed hand grenades at a hotel in this southern port city, police said.

At least four men came to the hotel on the busy Napier road and threw grenades causing explosions and damage to the building, leaving around 20 people injured who were rushed to different hospitals for treatment, they said.

"The condition of three of the injured is precarious," a police official said.

The explosion in the hotel also damaged a gas pipeline and panic spread in the area when gas and smoke started leaking out profusely.

"The incident took place around midnight at the hotel on Thakkar road which is frequented by people till late in the night. Police and rangers personnel reached the spot and were cordoning off the affected area," he said.

According to some media reports, the hotel also doubles as a gambling den.

In the last two months, there have been two attacks on illegal gambling dens in the old areas of the city with the last one occurring on May 7 when two men lobbed grenades in Chakiwari area killing three people and injuring 21.

Earlier in April in another attack on a Rummy club in the Ghas Mandi area of Lyari, 18 people were killed and 35 injured.

"We suspect these attacks to be part of ongoing gang warfare in the old areas," the police official said.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 04 Jun 2011 16:32

for US diplomats pakistan, afghanistan, iraq are non-family postings, but they get paid heavily enough to put aside a lot of money to cover down payments for homes back in mainland khan. in afghanistan I believe its a 1 yr only stint living in a trailer park inside the consulate, tiny bed, tiny tv, no windows, AC . its a kind of siachen posting that improves chances of promotions. iraq also is similar nature, albeit much safer now.

in india also they get hardship pay but its a preferred family posting as domestic help is cheap (each diplo can keep 3-4), and the country is safe and cheap for americans and dollars. they get offices here which would be cubes back in mainland khan. there are even residences within the dilli consulate walls that some lucky enough to get, else the rented places like defence colony, GK or jor bagh are hardly hardship postings.

the only diplomats out in pak are cia types, those on punishment postings and those looking for the extra bonus money of a dangerous post. I dont think anyone has their heart set on the pakistan marriage in emotional terms...but they get plenty of cash for hearts n mind things like distributing books to needy kids...not sure whats the impact of that.

Patni · Post by **Patni** » 04 Jun 2011 16:35

Key al Qaeda operative seen in Pakistan village hit by drone

ISLAMABAD, June 4 | Sat Jun 4, 2011 6:35am EDT
(Reuters) - Senior al Qaeda operative Ilyas Kashmiri, regarded as one of the world's most dangerous militants, was seen in a Pakistani village where five of his supporters were later killed in a U.S. drone strike, two intelligence officials said on Saturday.

The BBC quoted residents of the village in South Waziristan region in the northwest as saying that Kashmiri had been killed late on Friday. The officials said the Pakistani militant was seen at a militant compound there on Thursday night.

Intelligence and security officials have said they had no information confirming that Kashmiri was killed. A spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban, which has strong ties to al Qaeda, said he was alive.

(Reporting by Saud Mehsud; Writing by Michael Georgy; Editing by Robert Birsel)

Hmmm seems someone is trying to obfuscate the news to create doubts or maybe a ploy to create a sensation and then monitor and track for "interesting" communications!

Key al Qaeda operative killed in U.S. drone strike in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, June 4 | Sat Jun 4, 2011 7:09am EDT
(Reuters) - Senior al Qaeda operative Ilyas Kashmiri, regarded as one of the most dangerous militants in the world, was killed by a U.S. drone aircraft missile strike in Pakistan, an intelligence official and local media said on Saturday.

The death of the Pakistani militant was another intelligence coup for the United States after U.S. special forces killed Osama bin Laden in a town close to Islamabad on May 2. (Writing by Michael Georgy; Editing by Robert Birsel)

Ryan Maguire · Post by **Ryan Maguire** » 04 Jun 2011 16:36

India should diplomatically declare - "Chinese military base at Gwadar or POK will be taken as an act of War. We consider sub-continent as our legitimate area of influence."

Two reasons -
- This is the right time to set this red-line. Unkil is actively involved in the region right now.
- This will be nice litmus test of Unkil's future intentions/plans in region. Unkil won't afford objecting this stand of India, because that will put them in open hostility towards their public policy of pro-Indian stand. And, this test can test if there is any hidden alliance between US and Chipanda.

What you say guys? we need to be pro-active & assertive.