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

shyamd · Post by **shyamd** » 23 May 2011 22:44

Ramanaji, TTP is obsessed with claiming credit for every single thing that goes on in TSP. God knows why. It becomes convenient for Isloo press to support it - since TTP are anti Isloo.

If I was a Raa boy, I would be calling my friends in Kabul to find out what the deal is with Mehran.

There were 6 meetings in the white house just on Pak today.

Jaspreet · Post by **Jaspreet** » 23 May 2011 22:45

Has anyone posted the law of beards here?

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 23 May 2011 22:48

Is there a list of the attackers and their names?

Venkarl · Post by **Venkarl** » 23 May 2011 22:51

Pak nuke security in focus again after naval base attack

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.

shyamd · Post by **shyamd** » 23 May 2011 22:52

Just spoke to a source - agrees with my assessment.

jaibhim · Post by **jaibhim** » 23 May 2011 22:53

Dear Mr.Rahul,
It is about just doing the bare minimum amongst the august company of more competent members, by keeping vigil a skill for which I am very grateful on how to discern and where to look to feel the pulse, from BR. My forte is the critical social sciences and my aspiration is that the power of economics,sociology and political economy be harnessed in a manner akin to the western think tanks in India to achieve cutting edge progress in ideas relating to strategic studies. Thanks for pointing out. I will avoid pasting comments henceforth. I am more concerned about the battle of minds.[something which is done very effectively through youtube's terror broadcasts] But it is just a wish that comes from someone who holds the idea of India as precious, to not miss anything of significance that might miss the lens understanding and insight, to keep a hawkish eye on the press and youtube[whose potency for propaganda the home ministry is yet to realise].

vijayk · Post by **vijayk** » 23 May 2011 22:58

Patni wrote:The Attackers were dressed like character from STARWARS

He said two of the attackers look to be around 22 years of age and one of the suicide bombers was around 25 years of age. He said they were dressed in black clothes “like they do in movies”.

‘They were dressed like Star Wars characters,’ said Malik.

They came from Mars.

Matian Jihadis

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 23 May 2011 22:59

Now Imran Khan the TIP(?) chief says the same that nooks are under threat....

Meanwhile Google cache of 2000 news reports on the raid.

Financial Times has couple of stories but under the paid subscription...

Anujan · Post by **Anujan** » 23 May 2011 23:09

Fellows this is IMPORTANT. Two reporters are live tweeting the Rana trial from Chicago. If you have twitter accounts, please follow them:

https://twitter.com/#!/Colinfreeze
https://twitter.com/#!/natashakorecki
This is from Colin Freeze, read the other lady's tweets in her twitter page

About 50 reporters assembled for Chicago court media briefing prior to the opening today's #Rana trial.

Finally inside #Ranatrial in Chicago. Tight security. US Marshals briefed media re:protocol. Things will happen soon ...

Rana enters nodding at family, some in hijabs. He's much thinner, his hair whiter than I recall seeing him, in court 1+ year ago. #Ranatrial

Jury enters. Multicultural cross-section of working class Chicago. How will lawyers argue the murky, twisty Mumbai plot to them? #Ranatrial

Prosecutors make it simple. This is a case about two terrorist plots. One that succeeded (Mumbai) on that failed (Denmark). #Ranatrial

Prosecutor to jurors: "You'll hear from David Headley... He's gonna give a rare insider's account of planning these atrocious attacks."

Prosecutor: Tahawwur Rana was David Headley's "best friend in the world." (@ProPublica reports today DH gave TR big big loan.) #Ranatrial

USDOJ tells jurors of key figure: Major Iqbal (MI). "Headley understood MI to be an officer in Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate..."

USDOJ: ISI's Major Iqbal and terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba trained Headley tasked him with Mumbai recce of Taj/ trains harbour etc #Ranatrial

USDOJ: Rana was warned to stay away from Mumbai.Afterward, he was heard saying dead gunmen "should get Pakistan's highest military honour."

USDOJ: Pakistan's Consul General in Chicago was a "classmate" of Rana/Headley. They duped him to get visas.

USDOJ: When Lashkar wouldn't fund Denmark plot, Rana/Headley turned to al-Qaeda aligned Ilyas Kashmiri. #Ranatrial

Awaiting Rana's defence. USDOJ concluded with "not every player carries a weapon." Terrorist supporters "equally as critical." #RanaTrial

Defence begins: "David Headley is a master manipulator who made a fool of Doctor Rana." #Ranatrial

Defence:"Headley was living multiple lives with multiple people and he was very good at it." #Ranatrial (3 wives & wrking 4 ISI/LeT/USDEA!!)

Defence: Rana was a model student at Pakistan Military boarding school. Classmate Headley flunked out. #Ranatrial

Defence: Best buds. Rana put his house when Headley got busted for smuggling heroin in 1990s.Headley later loaned Rana $100,000. #Ranatrial

Rana's bio: Star Student. Pak Army doctor. Served in first Gulf War w/ coalition. Gets altitude sick when assigned to mountains. #Ranatrial

... Rana goes to Germany to heal, goes AWOL. Immigrates to Canada. Moves to Chicago to start businesses. #Ranatrial

Jurors look shellshocked. Trying to absorb twisty roles of Rana/Headley/Iqbal/Kasmiri/LeT/ISI/USDEA/Pasha/Mumbai/Denmark/etc. #Ranatrial

Defence opening is over. First witness -- likely David Headley -- expected after a break. #Ranatrial

David Headley takes a seat in the witness box and exchanges a meaningful look with his former best friend ... #Ranatrial

Headley doesn't faintly resemble a South Asian. Only vaguest traces of an accent speak to his Pakistani heritage.

Headley-Rana shared quarters in Pakistani miltary boarding school. Students used to talk about India/Indians there... #Ranatrial

Headley: "I disliked them (Indians). Dismembered Pakistan. ... My junior school was bombed (in 71 war)" etc. #Ranatrial

Headley lived in Lahore in 2000 when he first made contact with Lashkar-e-Taiba. "I went to a meeting. I listened to speeches." #Ranatrial

LeT head gave a speech at a house with 200+ people. "He said one second spend conducting jihad was superior to 100 years praying."#Ranatrial

Headley says LeT wages jihad to avenge civilian deaths and to force India to comply with UN resolutions re: Kashmir. #Ranatrial

Why does LeT wage Jihad? "They felt it was an obligation," Headley says. All LeT members are Salafis, he says.#Ranatrial.

Headley graduated through a series of training camps. First, Koranic studies. Then small arms training. AK47s etcs. ...#Ranatrial

Headley then learned spy and commando techniques. Deap drops. Safehouses. Hostage rescue. Breaching. Etc. #Ranatrial

Headley wanted to fight Indians in Kashmir but "I was told they (LET) would find something better and more suitable for me." #Ranatrial

By 2003 Headley attended LeT lunches with LeT Leader Hafez Saeed and operations commander "Zeki"... #Ranatrial

Headley suggested LeT sue US govt for designating it a terror org. LeT leaders Zeki said "he would have to consult with ISI..." #Ranatrial

"These groups operate under the umbrella of the ISI ... They coordinate with each other.": Headley #Ranatrial

"Pasha" -- Headley accomplice -- was a Pakistani Major retired early after he refused to seal off the Tora Bora border in 02 (!) #Ranatrial

Headley was arrested near Peshawar in 2005. "I said I was Pakistani they didn't believe me. They thought I was a foreigner." #Ranatrial

An ISI figure sprung Headley, and put him in touch with "Major Iqbal" (alleged co-conspirator) for the first time. #Ranatrial

Lunch break! (Phew. Hello to all my hundreds of new friends in India.)

Rangudu · Post by **Rangudu** » 23 May 2011 23:34

TSPN chief said at his press conference after he said that the attackers were very well trained and knew tactics etc. To this a reporter asked him

When are you going to send your people to them for similar training?

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 23 May 2011 23:46

Hindustan Times report:

Pre-Planned and Precise

An unidentified number of armed men entered the Mehran Naval Base in Karachi from three different points on Sunday night, officials have confirmed. Recreating the sequence of events, it seems the militants met little or no resistance from the Navy guards and immediately fired at the standing Orion PC -3 aircraft, destroying two and possibly damaging one more.

The main entry point was the rear portion of the base which runs parallel to a sewage drain and is considered most vulnerable. It is believed that the attackers had done their homework and were working on inside information, as they were aware of where the target was and managed to complete their operation under 20 minutes.

However, their exit was blocked by navy guards who sealed the base with the help of paramilitary forces. By midnight, the base had been sealed, preventing the attackers from making their exit as planned.

In the ensuing firefight with Navy guards, two of the attackers were killed and the rest were forced into a main building at the base, where were holed up. It is believed that the attackers also shot dead two firemen who tried to extinguish the fire raging on the Orion aircraft.

The death toll till that pointhad been clocked at 12 with 14 injured.

Navy chief Admiral Noman Bashir confirmed that an operation was underway to flush out the terrorists and retake parts of the naval base. The operation was being led by the Navy's own marine force and backed up by a contingent of the Pakistan Army.

and

Reuters report in HT:

Pak Retakes naval base

Troops recaptured a Pakistani naval air force base on Monday after a 16-hour battle with as few as six Taliban gunmen who had launched their brazen attack to avenge the killing of Osama bin Laden. The assault casts fresh doubt on the military's ability to protect its bases following a raid on the army headquarters in the city of Rawalpindi in 2009 and is a further embarrassment following the surprise raid by U.S. special forces on the al Qaeda leader's hideout north of Islamabad on May 2.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik said just six militants were believed involved in the attack on the PNS Mehran base in Karachi late on Sunday, destroying or damaging two aircraft and laying siege to a main building in one of the most heavily guarded bases in the unstable, nuclear-armed country.

At least 10 military personnel were killed and 20 wounded in the assault that started at 10.30 p.m. on Sunday (1730 GMT), a navy spokesman said.

Malik said three militants were killed in the gunbattle while the body of a fourth was believed to be buried under the rubble of a collapsed wall. Two suspects were believed to have fled the scene, he added.

The Pakistan Taliban, who are allied with al Qaeda, said they had staged the attack to avenge bin Laden's death.

"It was the revenge of martyrdom of Osama bin Laden. It was the proof that we are still united and powerful," Taliban spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan told Reuters by telephone from an undisclosed location.

LADDERS, GUNS, ROCKET-PROPELLED GRENADES

Malik said the militants, aged between 20 and 25, used two ladders to scale the walls of the base and jumped in by cutting barbed wire. He said the the militants had used guns and grenades in their attack on the base, 15 miles (24 km) from the Masroor Air Base, Pakistan's largest and a possible depot for nuclear weapons.

PNS Mehran is ringed with a concrete wall with about five feet of barbed wire on top. An aircraft, armed with rockets, hangs on show on a stand outside.

As troops wound down their assault, some Karachi residents said they could not believe security could have been so lax.

"If these people can just enter a military base like this, then how can any Pakistani feel safe?" asked Mazhar Iqbal, 28, an engineering company administrator taking a lunch break in the shade outside the complex where a crowd had gathered.

"The government and the army are just corrupt. We need new leaders with a vision for Pakistan."

Malik said 17 foreigners -- including 11 Chinese and six Americans -- were inside the base at the time. All had been evacuated safely. One P-3C Orion, a maritime patrol aircraft supplied by the United States, had been destroyed and another aircraft had been damaged.

shyamd · Post by **shyamd** » 23 May 2011 23:55

Whatever it is - US really needs to get its act together. TSPA has just let the PRC in. US is more worried about the future of the region than India. US strategy and assets are under threat in the long run. So, Obama really needs to give TSPA an ass whooping. Even the PRC are like "errr OK" to the TSP proposal of mutual defence pact and letting the PRC into Gwadar etc. It really sounds like there is a gentlemens agreement with PRC and US to stay away from Pak, the little kingdoms. PRC knows it is going against this agreement and thats why it is telling pak "we won't replace US support/aid"and is treading carefully.

US has to pull something off now to protect itself from PRC. I get the feeling this is all happening due to US refusal to allow Haqqani's and others to control Afghanistan. So Pak saying, fine if you don't gaurantee our interests, why should we care about your interests? So TSP asking/begging chinese to enter militarily (beyond cooperation) and maintaining a presence. Lets see what US does next. Plenty that US could do to make Pak life a misery.

-----------------
Added later: From this episode I realised there are small number of TSP journo's who have some sense of common sense and understand that radicalisation and TSPA are the problem, not India/Mossad etc. But this number is very small.

One was seen complaining that TSPA won't go into NWFP/FATA to prevent a massacre of shia because Haqqani are strategic assets.

-------------------
ISI is busy "interrogating"/coaching Major Amir Aziz - OBLs neighbour.

---------------------
Apparently, they destroyed TSPN naval fire extinguishers the moment these "terrorists" got in there. Sound dodgy and went with a plan?

hnair · Post by **hnair** » 24 May 2011 00:18

"One Oinky destroyed and one damaged"? H&D excersize - that damaged one looks like it is going nowhere. burnt out shell. It is not like you can coat it with snowcem and take it around arabian sea again.

From reports, the freedomfighters went exactly towards the Oinky planes and not to any Panda Express food court inside the base. Considering Khan paranoa about its weapon systems, what were the chinese doing so close to these airframes that they tried to steal a few years back during Hainan Incident? There is no reason for any chinese to be near that plane, unless they have been working on fitting it out with chinese nuclear depth charges against IN subs.

ramana-saar is right. Parts of the US Govt is doing what it did in the past. It is looking the other way while its own tax-payer paid weapon systems given to Pak are being jury-rigged by the chinese for nuclear delivery.

And US Govt seem ok with it, while it sells us P8s with markedup prices to go after the PLAN subs. Another thing is the visceral hatred of joe-sixpacki towards napaquis have come down in news boards. A day of sacrifices and tactical victory for pakis

Anujan · Post by **Anujan** » 24 May 2011 00:22

Following the tweets. This "Major Iqbal" guy seems to be the central ISI character who planned, financed and executed the Mumbai attacks. Headley and Rana were merely "workers" for "Major Iqbal". I hope Headley spills the beans on this fellow more.

Headly is talking freely about ISI/LeT/Hafiz Saeed. Letting may cats out of the bag.

shaardula · Post by **shaardula** » 24 May 2011 00:28

Anujan thanks for the lead. we should post in parts....
https://twitter.com/#!/Colinfreeze

Colin Freeze
Eyewitness: As trial begins, Canadian recalls surviving 2008 Mumbai Massacre tgam.ca/C1qo /via @globeandmail @colinfreeze
1 hour ago

Back reporting on trial now. Sorry had too file.
20 minutes ago

Headley says he came up with immigration-office front but ISI's "Major Iqbal" gave the plan his blessing. #Ranatrial
18 minutes ago

"He thought it was very suitable for the work he wanted me to do," said Headley. He told LET handlers he was now with ISI too #Ranatrial
16 minutes ago

Headley says ISI's Maj. Iqbal tasked him to set up in Mubai and befriend influential people "who live in military facilities." #Ranatrial
14 minutes ago

Headley and Maj. Iqbal conspired to radicalize Rana. Gave him Salafi teachings, Jihad tapes, to enlist his help, Headley says. #Ranatrial
12 minutes ago

Rana was not initially OK with attacks on non-combattants, Headley testifies. Rana said Koran precludes such attacks. #Ranatrial
10 minutes ago

Headley's LeT handlers told him to "prostrate lightly" during prayers lest he get a mihrab (forehead scar) and blow his cover. #Ranatrial
8 minutes ago

This is key Headley testimony about Rana. The whole trial turns on this ... #Ranatrial ...
7 minutes ago

Setting up Mumbai firm"I explained to him I had been drafted, as it were, by the ISI, ... But I still had contacts with Lashkar." #Ranatrial
5 minutes ago

"I asked if he would allow us to use his office as a front ... He agreed." #Ranatrial
4 minutes ago

"I was instructed too take general video of the city (Mumbai) .... I took many many hours.". Headley now being shown pix of Taj. #Ranatrial
3 minutes ago

"An immigration consultant is a person of great influence in India," Headley says. Before recce mission he was 2 cozy up 2 important people.
46 seconds ago

In 06 Headley tells Rana of ISI $ backing. "I told him that Major Iqbal would be providing me with $25,000...." #Ranatrial
12 minutes ago

Headley rented Mumbai apt. from an elderly couple. Presented himself as "South Asian Regional Director" for Chicago consultancy. #Ranatrial
10 minutes ago

What happened when clients turned up at the Mumbai consultancy? "I sometimes spoke to them myself. ... #Ranatrial.
4 minutes ago

"... I sometimes arranged conference calls with Dr. Rana ... I would see if it was worthwhile." #Ranatrial
3 minutes ago

Rana was financially beholden to Headley at time of the conspiracy. Owed him up to $50,000 at the time from a 2001 era debt. #Ranatrial
3 minutes ago

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 24 May 2011 00:47

Also populate the DCH and Rana Trail threads for completeness.

If Rana was Arrmy medic he must be trained at Abortabad Military medical college?

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 24 May 2011 00:50

Let the twitter stream end - we need to consolidate and place it in a single thread for future reference (just the tweets, none of our discussions). Slowly the mango abdul of the Western world is coming to know about the real face of Paki terrorism.

shaardula · Post by **shaardula** » 24 May 2011 00:52

ok bosebabu, do you know how to consolidate streams efficiently? if you tell me how i will do it.

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 24 May 2011 00:52

ramana wrote:If Rana was Arrmy medic he must be trained at Abortabad Military medical college?

Yes he was. Plus both Headley and Rana were at the same military school - Abottabad perhaps?

@Colinfreeze
Colin Freeze
Rana's bio: Star Student. Pak Army doctor. Served in first Gulf War w/ coalition. Gets altitude sick when assigned to mountains. #Ranatrial

shaardula mian, No idea about consolidating multiple teetar feeds in real-time - I am not a teetar person. But we can wait till the stream gets over in order to archive it.
PS: Apparently there is something called Yahoo Pipes which does it (maybe there is a g-chacha version too). Perhaps the teetar clients can do it and this http://www.cloudpreservation.com/

shaardula · Post by **shaardula** » 24 May 2011 00:57

some pakistani....

http://twitter.com/#!/HumaImtiaz

HumaImtiaz
Doob ke mar jao. Headley just said "we feel.." Lawyer: "Who's we?" Headley: "Most pakistanis..." Fml
7 minutes ago

Also, startling how Headley keeps saying Zaki sahab and Hafiz Saeed sahab. Deference and respect still there.
1 hour ago

David Headley is giving me the heebie jeebies
2 hours ago

At Tahawwur Rana trial. Packed courtroom.
5 hours ago

Surya · Post by **Surya** » 24 May 2011 01:03

Admins

maybe we should post the tweets in a seperate thread

i have no faith in american media covering the details properly

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 24 May 2011 01:06

Wonder if defence will ask him(DCH) about his DEA links and what was he doing in TSP?

Also I have this odd feeling that something is odd between these Daoud Gilani and Tawahur Rana since their childhood.

1)And why would a retired medic setup a travel agency in US? and not something medcial related for which he has the expertise?
2)Why would he immigrate to Canada and setup agency in Chicago and not in Toronto? All press accounts call him Canadian!

One guy told me that he would change his name twice. I asked why two times? He said they always ask whats your former name? They never ask all of your former names!

3)I think Rana is also ISI covert operator and all this is cover story of being recruited by Daoud Gialni. He was sent to setup shop in Canada and then on to US to handle North American ops for ISI. He is Pak military through and through. And didn't he have high connections in TSP military/elite too?

--Surya, Since when did you a former admin need permission to start a thread? Do the honors and let it survive.

hnair · Post by **hnair** » 24 May 2011 01:14

Wondering if some Djinn-bolding happen above?

Kalainger-e-baki is but the "purest of Star Wars fan". So y'all got it wrong!! He meant they were dressed up as "Sand People". What with NVG, robes, long RPGs et al....

Next he will present a case in front of ICJ that these Sand People were lead by a bumbling, scared, shivering yindoo Bengali agint (dressed as an Ewok with a stainless-steel tiffin carrier of rice/fish) and a constantly bartering yahudi with shiny eyes (dressed as a Jawa). K-e-P is dusting up his Alec Guinness gown and talk before boarding flight to Hague....

On to lighter side of this saga. How are they going to fire the LACM Harpoons they altered with tacit American Govt connivance? Shoulder launched by ghazi?

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 24 May 2011 01:16

ranjbe wrote: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.

If you leave out his equal-equal, Lieven is quite an acute observer of Pakistan. His problem is that he has a definite purpose, as he even mentions in his book. It is to promote the idea that Pakistan is not in danger of collapse, and that it should be helped. To paraphrase, the US and China should work together to prop up Pakistan. To this end, Lieven does a rather dishonest equal-equal. For each Pakistani problem, he points out that India has a similar problem. So if you believe India is viable, doing well, then, his logic is - so must Pakistan!

The dishonesty lies in

(a) not mentioning the difference in severity of the problem
(b) not mentioning the difference in trajectory (improving fast, slow, getting worse)
(c) not mentioning the difference in asset bases available to solve the problem.
(d) not mentioning the difference in diversity/containment of the problem (e.g., India's problem might be in one part of the country, while Pakistan's may be all over the country)

-Arun

pgbhat · Post by **pgbhat** » 24 May 2011 01:18

These court records and testimony will all be made public no? anybody can get a copy no?

What will be missing is the tone of the language used in the court by all the players and the reaction of the Jurors. If only this trial was in camera.

Chinmayanand · Post by **Chinmayanand** » 24 May 2011 01:19

Chicago trial puts ISI in spotlight amid Pak terror drama

Even DDM can see through it. Shame on pakis.

Mahendra · Post by **Mahendra** » 24 May 2011 01:22

Malik said 17 foreigners -- including 11 Chinese and six Americans -- were inside the base at the time. All had been evacuated safely

17 = 11+6+?

sampat · Post by **sampat** » 24 May 2011 01:28

He said two of the attackers look to be around 22 years of age and one of the suicide bombers was around 25 years of age. He said they were dressed in black clothes “like they do in movies”.

‘They were dressed like Star Wars characters,’ said Malik.

Star Wars Warriors

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 24 May 2011 01:36

Who is Jabba the Hutt! Badmash?

Meanwhile Pioneer Editorial

Mayhem in Karachi

{Rhymes with panic in Bangkok, an old thriller of the sixties!}

May 24, 2011 1:54:06 AM

Pakistan gets a taste of terror it has spawned

Pakistan is clearly imploding, with jihadis raised and nurtured lovingly by that country’s Army and its super terrorist outfit, the ISI (politicians of all shades have been complicit in this criminal enterprise) turning on their masters with increasing audacity and frightening ferocity. The perpetrators of cross-border terrorism are now getting a taste of the murder and mayhem they have exported with impunity all these years, sniggering at the sorrow and plight of their victims. The boot, truly, is now on the other foot and it ill suits Pakistan to complain: It’s time for just deserts. Nor should the US, of which Pakistan is a pampered major non-Nato ally whose manifest vices miraculously transmogrify into virtues when perceived by American eyes, have reason to feel upset. After all, to paraphrase a popular adage, those who live by terror are bound to be struck down by terrorists — sooner or later. As much was demonstrated in Karachi on Sunday night when a group of Pakistani Taliban desperadoes sneaked into Faisal Airbase using a riverine route (in a manner remarkably similar to Pakistani terrorists sneaking into Mumbai) and ran amok, blowing up at least two US-supplied P3C Orion maritime surveillance aircraft and other facilities. The high-security area where the attack occurred houses the Pakistani Air Force’s Southern Air Command, Air War College and museum, as well as PNS Mehran, which is the main naval air station in Karachi. Since nothing that the Government of Pakistan says can be relied upon for veracity, we will never get to know the exact extent of damage inflicted by Pakistanis on what their Navy chief has described as “national assets”. What we do know is that at least 10 security personnel have died in the attack; whether there were casualties among the Chinese and American citizens present at the base remains unknown. It has been claimed that four of the six terrorists involved in the attack have been killed; the other two have escaped to wage jihad another day.

Much as it is true that Pakistan has invited jihadi violence upon itself and is undeserving of either sympathy or pity, there is, however, cause for concern if not alarm. The ease with which the Taliban secured access to what is supposed to be a high-security zone under surveillance by special forces indicates that other military bases are equally vulnerable. Which, in turn, would suggest that fears of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal falling into the hands of the Taliban and Al Qaeda are not entirely misplaced or unjustified. In the past on two ocassions there have been unconfirmed reports of terrorists trying to gain access to sites where missiles, and possibly nuclear warheads, are based. Those attacks may have failed but it is obvious that with time the jihadis have further honed their skills. Hence, any assurances that emanate from either Islamabad or Rawalpindi about Pakistan’s nuclear weapons stockpile being “safe and secure” should be taken with a generous fistful of salt. Interestingly enough, the US Administration, despite putting up a brave face, knows well enough that the danger of jihadis gaining access to Pakistani nuclear weapons is very real. Yet, there is little or no American pressure on Pakistan to secure its armoury. On the contrary, the Americans continue to let the Pakistanis add more bombs to their nuclear arsenal!

They havent comemnted on what were the Chinese doing to US aircraft on a Paki airbase?

negi · Post by **negi** » 24 May 2011 01:39

Re-wiring Harpoons for land attack role ?

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 24 May 2011 01:41

Also didn't Gen. Kiyani say they broke the back of terrorists in April speaking at PMA in Kakul? And soon after OBL got his goats across the street.
Now what does Gen Kiyani say about the terroists after PNS Mehran got attacked?

Mahendra · Post by **Mahendra** » 24 May 2011 01:47

I guess the Gen forgot to add 'mountain' to broke back while referring to his tellolist friends

Christopher Sidor · Post by **Christopher Sidor** » 24 May 2011 01:51

Will it be possible for Indian intelligence to quietly put on the internet, where Taliban and its supporters can locate it, info regarding the new Pakistani subs? Like when they are berthed. Or the layout of the base. Or the security schedule of the base where they are housed so on. If Taliban manage to wreak even one of the submarines, it would be great. After all we only have to nudge them in the direction, due to ideological reasons they might pounce on it.

We might even spread some dis information like these subs have intact nuclear warheads, which will make these subs more enticing to Taliban and its associated groups.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 24 May 2011 01:52

Folks what if the Chinese personnel were working on modifying the Harpoons that the onions carry for special payloads? More delivery options for Pakis..

hnair · Post by **hnair** » 24 May 2011 01:58

negi-saar, the harpoon LACM project seems complete a while ago. Khan made sure he kept quiet till it got over. This sounds more and more like a fizziks package project by Butt and Wang. And someone probably developed coldfeet that the target might not be India alone.

hnair · Post by **hnair** » 24 May 2011 01:58

ouch! we both were typing the same, ramana-saar

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 24 May 2011 02:00

Mahesh Butt's munna finds a mention...

LET told Headley not to "take his (Mumbai) friends in his heart. Specific mention of a "Rahul." Still his enemies.. #Ranatrial

anupmisra · Post by **anupmisra** » 24 May 2011 02:03

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 24 May 2011 02:21

hnair wrote:ouch! we both were typing the same, ramana-saar

Well great minds think alike and all that.

One possibility is TSPA staged a self terrorist raid to destroy the Onions as they had already transferred the electronics pacakges on the birds to PRC. Maybe its time for the EUMA inspections and hence the US personnel were there. So planes got destroyed to prevent the inspections.

If so we need to wait for reports of such being the case.

If not its back to the more scary scenario of PRC depth charges. Now that TSP is said to be the P-4 nook power flush with fizzle material and they can afford to waste such CZ jewels.

Vivek_A · Post by **Vivek_A** » 24 May 2011 02:21

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/24/world ... nted=print

“This is a security failure,” Shehzad Chaudhry, a retired air vice marshal, said on the show. The need of the hour was to focus on the security forces and their capability, instead of focusing on the question that who could possibly be behind those Taliban, who are attacking Pakistani military, he said. “There is a need to develop national counterterrorism policy and bring our own house in order first.”

Talat Masood, a retired Lt. Gen and defense analyst, said on the same show: “We should not go into self denial. This insurgency is against you. They want to destabilize the state of Pakistan.”

Same rat in 2008

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.as ... 2008_pg3_2

Pakistan is unlikely to completely give up the jihadi tool against India unless the Kashmir dispute finds a satisfactory resolution. Washington pays scant attention to Pakistan’s security and strategic concerns either with respect to India or Afghanistan, giving rise to the duality in Pakistani policy looked at with such distrust by the US. Pakistan’s new government will find it relatively easier to shut down jihadi networks and dismantle them in due course based on the future of the Kashmir issue. Given that, India has a major responsibility in stabilising the region.