Sad to see some of the knee-jerk responses here such as blaming Indian-American collaboration for the attack on the Indian personnel, and the blame against the embassy security.
It was definitely a very large bomb, and it killed, as we hear, 36 Afghan people and 4 Indians (the occupants of the car with the Brigadier and the Press officer + 2 guards at the gate?) The Embassy seems to have suffered a bad shake and probably all the glass is broken. But nowhere in this is a security lapse. The Americans, British and French would have closed off the streets on all sides of the US embassy, but India apparently does not do that, and I am proud of the people who work there for that policy.
The Indian presence in Afghanistan is to help Afghan people rebuild lives and a future for themselves, and the news articles are exactly correct in saying "India is one of Afghanistan's staunchest allies". In fact India IS Afghanistan's staunchest ally, and has been since 1947. The Indian presence there is NOT as part of the COW or GOAT, so the linking to cooperation with Americans, participation in military exercises etc. is plain "revenge for Gujarat - revenge for Babri Masjid" knee-jerk hate-mongering, sorry to have to say this, Philip. I am sure there is no lack of other events / policies where the GOI can be attacked for undue closeness to the US, to make it necessary to use this event for those venting needs?
I am not sure what the "Red Flag" point is. So is the IAF participating as a sample of the Al Qaeda, the US' present enemy? Or just as one of the best air forces that the USAF can joust against, to make the point that the US tactical fighter situation is becoming an area of strong concern? (See Aerospace America latest issue for more on that..)
My take is that the Su30MKI is the closest they can get to simulating the large numbers of Su30MKKs that the USAF will probably have to face in anger sooner or later.
Suicide Attack on Indian Embassy in Kabul
Re: Suicide Attack on Indian Embassy in Kabul
pakis have been demanding for some time now that India close its missions in
Jalalabad and Kandahar.
we must double and triple our headcount in the country and step up efforts to
train afghan army counter-intel, sigint and sabotage capabilities.
the highlands of hazarajat near kabul are where those most brutalized by taliban
rule live. towns were burnt, men were beheaded, crops ruined....we can get a
good number of recruits there. they are conservative but pro education and
hate the talibs.
Jalalabad and Kandahar.
we must double and triple our headcount in the country and step up efforts to
train afghan army counter-intel, sigint and sabotage capabilities.
the highlands of hazarajat near kabul are where those most brutalized by taliban
rule live. towns were burnt, men were beheaded, crops ruined....we can get a
good number of recruits there. they are conservative but pro education and
hate the talibs.
Re: Suicide Attack on Indian Embassy in Kabul
Any reaction from Unkil so far to this diabolical act by the Pakis? Of course, since none of his boys died, it will be the usual India alleges TSP denies kind of nonsense.
TSP has been having heartburn ever since India made its presence felt in Afganisthan. Recall the brutal murder of an Indian engineer from AP. The list goes on. Wonder if MMS will loose any sleep ovet this attack.
TSP has been having heartburn ever since India made its presence felt in Afganisthan. Recall the brutal murder of an Indian engineer from AP. The list goes on. Wonder if MMS will loose any sleep ovet this attack.
Re: Suicide Attack on Indian Embassy in Kabul
Phillip
There are times when you do not make any sense and this is one of them.
RED FLAG!!!!!
Bottom line is these jihadis and their puppet masters in Pindi will always target us and this is one area where we have to get more involved. Absolutely agree with Sinha. A lot of afghans hate the pakistanis and we need to make sure we recruit and keep
Casualties are bound to happen if we want to extend our reach.
Also pity the 36 innocent afghanis who got blasted.
There are times when you do not make any sense and this is one of them.
RED FLAG!!!!!
Bottom line is these jihadis and their puppet masters in Pindi will always target us and this is one area where we have to get more involved. Absolutely agree with Sinha. A lot of afghans hate the pakistanis and we need to make sure we recruit and keep
Casualties are bound to happen if we want to extend our reach.
Also pity the 36 innocent afghanis who got blasted.
Re: Suicide Attack on Indian Embassy in Kabul
Folks think logically
Does Uncle know the origins of Taliban?
Did uncle try to groom and make deals with Taliban?
Did unlce completely clear the mess of Taliban after 9-11?
Did uncle squeeze the balls of Paki ISI to desist from aiding Taliban?
Did uncle bomb the crap out of Taliban strong holds in Tribal Areas?
Did not uncle tell GOI to cut down the number of Indian consulates operating in Afghanistan?
Answer or research cooly you will get the correct picther.
Does Uncle know the origins of Taliban?
Did uncle try to groom and make deals with Taliban?
Did unlce completely clear the mess of Taliban after 9-11?
Did uncle squeeze the balls of Paki ISI to desist from aiding Taliban?
Did uncle bomb the crap out of Taliban strong holds in Tribal Areas?
Did not uncle tell GOI to cut down the number of Indian consulates operating in Afghanistan?
Answer or research cooly you will get the correct picther.
Re: Suicide Attack on Indian Embassy in Kabul
Let's get focussed.As I said,the issue here is not our pro-US stance or not,but the consequences for any action,which as the law says provokes a reaction.We are under the Congress led regime slanting teremdously towards the US.This is a fact.We have been warned by Al Q if you clearly remember,for quite some time, that if we joined forces with the US we would be attacked and so we have.We in any case being pro-Afghan under Karzai expected attacks,especially as there have been so many in the region involving car bombs with their devaststing effect.Take any car bomb in Iraq.At least 20-50 casualties occur.For supporting the US,Pak too has suffered with attacks in Islamabad under Mushy's very moustache! The fight today is not just for Afghanistan as a base or homeland for the Taliban,but an even greater one for the soul of Pakistan,which is being fought over by the moderates and the ISI led fanatics.The US and NATO's insensitive attacks in the region,involving large collateral damage only enrages the locals and increases the fundamentalist forces.Therefore,we have suffer too thanks to the actions of our friends.
We have been complacent about security in my opinion.This is because the govt. of the day takes security issues too lightly and does not view the threat to the country from our enemies with the attention that it deserves.All the security that our politicos think about is the security of their pampered backsides and how many black cats are part of their entourage! There have been enough of attacks against diplomatic missions against the major nations,especially those of the US and their allies over the last few years around the globe.Have we taken any lessons from them? What extra security precautions has the MEA installed in our missions worldwide?If you are perceived as being part of the US led anti-Islam front,you must expect to face the consequences.We've just taken the threats too lightly and have paid the price being a soft target.These attacks will continue.Floodding Afghanistan with Indians is not the answer.This will add to the number of targets.We have to be discreet,act covertly and more efficiently in supporting the Karzai govt. and combating the Taliban and ISI.As mentioned before,we should emulate the example of Israel,who never spare their enemies but take their own time and place in dispensing justice.
PS:Please understand that when we engage with the US in high profile military exercises like Red Flag and in the Indian Ocean,exercising with pro-US navies of countries whose troops are serving in Iraq or Afghanistan,you send the world a message as to where your sypmathies lie.Even China asked whether an anti-Chinese navl front was being established.Several analysts have described the nature of the exercises which were meant to integrate the IN with the USN and its allies.This is advertising your foreign/defence policy.Is the Indo-Israeli relationship being advertised in similar fashion?It exists,is well known but it is discreet.We don't (publicly) exercise with Israeli forces,but have a far greater defence relationship with it than the US.The Russians also support Karzai,but are they being attacked?Their troops aren't present in Afghanistan like India's.The more we "tilt" towards the US the more we endanger ourselves.We can as Mrs.Gandhi showed us,retain our independent thinking and foreign policy and still keep our enemies at bay.
We have been complacent about security in my opinion.This is because the govt. of the day takes security issues too lightly and does not view the threat to the country from our enemies with the attention that it deserves.All the security that our politicos think about is the security of their pampered backsides and how many black cats are part of their entourage! There have been enough of attacks against diplomatic missions against the major nations,especially those of the US and their allies over the last few years around the globe.Have we taken any lessons from them? What extra security precautions has the MEA installed in our missions worldwide?If you are perceived as being part of the US led anti-Islam front,you must expect to face the consequences.We've just taken the threats too lightly and have paid the price being a soft target.These attacks will continue.Floodding Afghanistan with Indians is not the answer.This will add to the number of targets.We have to be discreet,act covertly and more efficiently in supporting the Karzai govt. and combating the Taliban and ISI.As mentioned before,we should emulate the example of Israel,who never spare their enemies but take their own time and place in dispensing justice.
PS:Please understand that when we engage with the US in high profile military exercises like Red Flag and in the Indian Ocean,exercising with pro-US navies of countries whose troops are serving in Iraq or Afghanistan,you send the world a message as to where your sypmathies lie.Even China asked whether an anti-Chinese navl front was being established.Several analysts have described the nature of the exercises which were meant to integrate the IN with the USN and its allies.This is advertising your foreign/defence policy.Is the Indo-Israeli relationship being advertised in similar fashion?It exists,is well known but it is discreet.We don't (publicly) exercise with Israeli forces,but have a far greater defence relationship with it than the US.The Russians also support Karzai,but are they being attacked?Their troops aren't present in Afghanistan like India's.The more we "tilt" towards the US the more we endanger ourselves.We can as Mrs.Gandhi showed us,retain our independent thinking and foreign policy and still keep our enemies at bay.
Re: Suicide Attack on Indian Embassy in Kabul
India condemns attack, sends team to Kabul
New Delhi - An Indian team left for Kabul Monday to bring back bodies of the two Indian diplomats and two security personnel killed in the terror attack on its mission in Kabul. India condemned the bombing, which also killed 40 Afghans, as 'dastardly'.
The Indian team is headed by Nalin Surie, secretary (west) in the external affairs ministry, and includes two senior officials of the ministry for external affairs (MEA) and two officials from the home ministry.
T.C.A. Raghavan, joint secretary in charge of Afghanistan, Pakistan and India in the foreign office, is part of the delegation that also includes doctors and paramedical staff.
The dead in the attack include Defence Attache Brigadier Ravi Datta Mehta and Counsellor V. Venkateswara Rao. Constable Ajay Pathania and Constable Roop Singh of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), which protects the Indian mission, were also killed. Neamatullah, an Afghan driver employed by Indian embassy, also died.
Three other ITBP personnel and a local employee were critically injured, Jayant Prashad, the Indian ambassador to Afghanistan, told IANS over telephone from Kabul.
'Dozens of visa seekers and Afghan nationals located adjacent to the embassy have also been killed or injured in the attack after a suicide member blew up his vehicle at the entrance to the embassy,' he said.
'The Indian embassy has been fully mobilised and the remaining personnel are safe,' the envoy added.
Underlining India's determination to carry on with multi-faceted work aimed at rebuilding the violence-torn country, Prashad said: 'The morale of my colleagues in the embassy is good and nothing is going to shake them in their commitment.'
There was shock and consternation in South Block - the seat of the Indian foreign office - over the first direct attack on the Indian embassy in Afghanistan and the first such incident in which Indian diplomats have been killed.
Shortly before the team left, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee 'strongly condemned' the 'cowardly terrorist attack' on its mission in Kabul that killed at least 44 people and left over 100 injured.
Mukherjee held an emergency meeting with Defence Minister A.K. Antony and officials of the defence and external affairs ministries.
Expressing condolences to the families of the victims, the minister underlined that such violence will not deter India from undertaking reconstruction projects in Afghanistan ranging from building roads and bridges to power stations.
Reading out a statement from the ministry, Mukherjee said: 'The government of India strongly condemns this cowardly terrorists' attack on its diplomatic mission in Afghanistan.
'Such acts of terror will not deter us from fulfilling our commitments to the government and people of Afghanistan.'
Mon, Jul 7 05:15 PM
New Delhi - An Indian team left for Kabul Monday to bring back bodies of the two Indian diplomats and two security personnel killed in the terror attack on its mission in Kabul. India condemned the bombing, which also killed 40 Afghans, as 'dastardly'.
The Indian team is headed by Nalin Surie, secretary (west) in the external affairs ministry, and includes two senior officials of the ministry for external affairs (MEA) and two officials from the home ministry.
T.C.A. Raghavan, joint secretary in charge of Afghanistan, Pakistan and India in the foreign office, is part of the delegation that also includes doctors and paramedical staff.
The dead in the attack include Defence Attache Brigadier Ravi Datta Mehta and Counsellor V. Venkateswara Rao. Constable Ajay Pathania and Constable Roop Singh of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), which protects the Indian mission, were also killed. Neamatullah, an Afghan driver employed by Indian embassy, also died.
Three other ITBP personnel and a local employee were critically injured, Jayant Prashad, the Indian ambassador to Afghanistan, told IANS over telephone from Kabul.
'Dozens of visa seekers and Afghan nationals located adjacent to the embassy have also been killed or injured in the attack after a suicide member blew up his vehicle at the entrance to the embassy,' he said.
'The Indian embassy has been fully mobilised and the remaining personnel are safe,' the envoy added.
Underlining India's determination to carry on with multi-faceted work aimed at rebuilding the violence-torn country, Prashad said: 'The morale of my colleagues in the embassy is good and nothing is going to shake them in their commitment.'
There was shock and consternation in South Block - the seat of the Indian foreign office - over the first direct attack on the Indian embassy in Afghanistan and the first such incident in which Indian diplomats have been killed.
Shortly before the team left, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee 'strongly condemned' the 'cowardly terrorist attack' on its mission in Kabul that killed at least 44 people and left over 100 injured.
Mukherjee held an emergency meeting with Defence Minister A.K. Antony and officials of the defence and external affairs ministries.
Expressing condolences to the families of the victims, the minister underlined that such violence will not deter India from undertaking reconstruction projects in Afghanistan ranging from building roads and bridges to power stations.
Reading out a statement from the ministry, Mukherjee said: 'The government of India strongly condemns this cowardly terrorists' attack on its diplomatic mission in Afghanistan.
'Such acts of terror will not deter us from fulfilling our commitments to the government and people of Afghanistan.'
Re: Suicide Attack on Indian Embassy in Kabul
timing of the blast seems to be carefully planned by ISI.
Nuke deal and vote of no confidence etc... all that stuff will snatch the limelight from this incident in news media. Its already off the top headlines from IBN and NDTV. Parties who are more worried about coming to power in the center will give two hoots about it. Since media will forget it when left pulls the plug on UPA, it will go off people's mind.
Now we should be careful, with Independence day around the corner something may happen against our interests in our mainland. Pukes may take maximum advantage of soft situation at the center.
Nuke deal and vote of no confidence etc... all that stuff will snatch the limelight from this incident in news media. Its already off the top headlines from IBN and NDTV. Parties who are more worried about coming to power in the center will give two hoots about it. Since media will forget it when left pulls the plug on UPA, it will go off people's mind.
Now we should be careful, with Independence day around the corner something may happen against our interests in our mainland. Pukes may take maximum advantage of soft situation at the center.
Re: Suicide Attack on Indian Embassy in Kabul
incident seems to have very high press in western media.
lead story on nyt site now.
pic: indian staffers pulling out a dead body from car wreckage
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/200 ... an-600.jpg
lead story on nyt site now.
pic: indian staffers pulling out a dead body from car wreckage
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/200 ... an-600.jpg
Re: Suicide Attack on Indian Embassy in Kabul
deleted.
Last edited by Rahul M on 08 Jul 2008 02:42, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Deleted on author's request.
Reason: Deleted on author's request.
Re: Suicide Attack on Indian Embassy in Kabul
A mistake on the part of Religious fanatics. A chance for India to improve strategic depth in the region.
Re: Suicide Attack on Indian Embassy in Kabul
Philip,
You probably needed to wait a while before posting your anti-American stuff here. The blood isn't even dry for heaven's sake.
The reflexive and knee-jerk anti-Americanism simply makes me shake my head. This isn't even about America. This is about India defending her interests in her neighborhood. And people bring in the n-deal and what not!
You probably needed to wait a while before posting your anti-American stuff here. The blood isn't even dry for heaven's sake.
The reflexive and knee-jerk anti-Americanism simply makes me shake my head. This isn't even about America. This is about India defending her interests in her neighborhood. And people bring in the n-deal and what not!
Re: Suicide Attack on Indian Embassy in Kabul
Wasnt an Indian diplomat attacked and killed by terrorists in UK in the 80s? I dont see why the MEA is in state of shock at the attack on Ind Embassy in Kabul. There were numerous reports of TSP asking the closure of consulates in Jalalabad and Kandahar. Not to mention the kidnappings and killings of Indian workers on road building projects. Kabul is a hardship posting. More efforts should have been spent on security cordons etc.
So there seems to be CD on the part of MEA about the safety of all Indian personnel in Afghanistan.
So there seems to be CD on the part of MEA about the safety of all Indian personnel in Afghanistan.
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Re: Suicide Attack on Indian Embassy in Kabul
XPost from Afghanistan thread...
I think India should start working closely with US/Nato/Russia to ensure that this doesnt happen. If it means India stepping up its direct presense, it is the tough decision India should make soon. India should join the west (strategic embrace) overtly and escalate and resolve the pakistan issue once and for all.
The main reason for Taliban's resurgance is Pakistan's (perceived) need for strategic depth. Pakistan should be made understand very clearly once and for all that: it doesnt have the strategic depth and doesnt need one because pakistan is split into pieces.
This whole strategy has to be planned in next 2-5 years timeframe with clear objectives such as -
1. Complete annihilation of Taliban forces on both sides of durand line. Inda/Russia/US/EU should offer $10B (1+2+4+3) annual budgetory support for Afghanistan for next 20 years
2. India recaptures POK. Revokes Article370. And buys over the small tract of Afghanistan with direct access to CAR.
3. Balochistan is freed and IBI (Iran-Balochistan-India) pipeline gives enough economic support to sustain this new country. India should provide $1B per year annual budgetary support to Balochistan if needed for next 20 years.
4. Pakistan is made nuke-nude either by US or by India forcebly. It might be reasonable interms of economic/life costs to have a all-out war with Pakistan even if it results in a small-scale nuclear war.. do a cost benefit analysis. Use the BMD extensively to avoid this scenario.
The strategic outlook for India should be:
1. Reawakening of Indian nationalism. Unfortunately (really very sadly) India needs an atomic attack for its population to realize the clear and present dangers and renounce petty-politics/social-desorders/cultural-apathy/civilizational-prejudice.
2. Permanent solution to Pakistan problem. Clear message to muslim-separatism in India.
3. Direct access to CAR energy resources
4. Force china to show its cards. Demostrate what India can do.
5. Make clear to the world that India's right at the highest table.
Rishi wrote:http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news ... ul/332396/
28 dead, 141 hurt in blast near Indian Embassy in Kabul
US pulling off its forces from Afghanistan will make Taleban invincible. That will make the Ummah think (rightly or wrongly) that they defeated both the 20th centure super powers in Afghanistan. This would embolden them and make life hell for the entire world in general and for India in perticular.Neshant wrote:Either I am reading too much into theiir difficulties or they are indeed struggling to contain the Taliban.
Another 3 to 5 years of this and they (the US) will be totally exhausted and demoralised fighting the Taliban.
If history repeats itself, at some point they will just withdraw their forces like the Soviets did and leave the Afghan govt to fend for itself.
I think India should start working closely with US/Nato/Russia to ensure that this doesnt happen. If it means India stepping up its direct presense, it is the tough decision India should make soon. India should join the west (strategic embrace) overtly and escalate and resolve the pakistan issue once and for all.
The main reason for Taliban's resurgance is Pakistan's (perceived) need for strategic depth. Pakistan should be made understand very clearly once and for all that: it doesnt have the strategic depth and doesnt need one because pakistan is split into pieces.
This whole strategy has to be planned in next 2-5 years timeframe with clear objectives such as -
1. Complete annihilation of Taliban forces on both sides of durand line. Inda/Russia/US/EU should offer $10B (1+2+4+3) annual budgetory support for Afghanistan for next 20 years
2. India recaptures POK. Revokes Article370. And buys over the small tract of Afghanistan with direct access to CAR.
3. Balochistan is freed and IBI (Iran-Balochistan-India) pipeline gives enough economic support to sustain this new country. India should provide $1B per year annual budgetary support to Balochistan if needed for next 20 years.
4. Pakistan is made nuke-nude either by US or by India forcebly. It might be reasonable interms of economic/life costs to have a all-out war with Pakistan even if it results in a small-scale nuclear war.. do a cost benefit analysis. Use the BMD extensively to avoid this scenario.
The strategic outlook for India should be:
1. Reawakening of Indian nationalism. Unfortunately (really very sadly) India needs an atomic attack for its population to realize the clear and present dangers and renounce petty-politics/social-desorders/cultural-apathy/civilizational-prejudice.
2. Permanent solution to Pakistan problem. Clear message to muslim-separatism in India.
3. Direct access to CAR energy resources
4. Force china to show its cards. Demostrate what India can do.
5. Make clear to the world that India's right at the highest table.
Re: Suicide Attack on Indian Embassy in Kabul
whats happing on BRF? Are we afraid of what talib or AQ will think of us? We need to double the staff, and put boots on ground. India's bond to afghanistan is older then founding of USA. This isnt about MMS or GOI. Its about putting fear, and making India pay for commitment India
made to Afghan people.
We shouldnt forget 40+ afghan lost their life, along with 4 Indian.
made to Afghan people.
We shouldnt forget 40+ afghan lost their life, along with 4 Indian.
Re: Suicide Attack on Indian Embassy in Kabul
America isnt pulling out of Afghnistan in next 3-5years. They will stay as long as it takes, but GOI needs to work with afghan govt to provide more safer enviorment for Indian working to built roads,and other infrastructure that directly helps afghan people.
I know lot of afghan in bay area who cant stand paki or trust pakis even their life was on the line. We need to develop closer relationship with second,third afghan society. We are pussy footing, appeasing small crowd of people who doesnt have influance, who wants to put fear in India's heart of being a soft state.
I know lot of afghan in bay area who cant stand paki or trust pakis even their life was on the line. We need to develop closer relationship with second,third afghan society. We are pussy footing, appeasing small crowd of people who doesnt have influance, who wants to put fear in India's heart of being a soft state.
Re: Suicide Attack on Indian Embassy in Kabul
Philip-saar,Rangudu wrote:Philip,
You probably needed to wait a while before posting your anti-American stuff here. The blood isn't even dry for heaven's sake.
I am not flamebaiting, but it is my humble opinion that speculating about the consequences of India's tilt in the form of increased terror attacks is a bit irrelevant here. As Lalmohan-saar pointed out,
A suicide bombing on a highly protected embassy with huge civilian casualties. If you read the press reports carefully, Afghan interior ministry is on the same road and was not attacked. There were police roadblocks on the road which the car cleared and it did not even enter the embassy. Neither were the visa seekers in the embassy primary targets. OTOH, just rammed our defense attache's car and exploded. This is not some random talibunny or Al-Q hit, it is a meticulously planned ISI hit. Then why talk about the consequences of our US policy ? US tilt or no tilt, this kind of bombing will go on till Pakiland exists.Lalmohan wrote:C'mon guys, this is a targetted hit. The Defense Attache and the Press Secretary - this is not random, this is not Unwashed Abdul Ops, this is a planned ISI operation with a specific aim related to something specific going on.
I wonder what sort of explosives were used. If instead of rigged artillery shells (most carbombs in Afghanistan are rigged artillery shells), they used RDX, it is a dead giveaway.
I do not know why, but ISI ops seem to have increased. It could be one of many things (a) The civvies are more rabid islamists than the army types and are giving a free hand to the ISI (b) Assphuck is more islamist than mushy and it is a return to the classic roots of Paki army (strategic depth) (c) The army types, knowing that responsibility wont be pinned on them, now that the civvies are in power is bolder in their ops (d) The army types are not islamists, dont have a goal per se, but are purposely discrediting the civvies in the eyes of Unkil by increased destabilization activities (e) Mushy is trying to use ISI's increased activities are a signal that he is not irrelevant yet (after me, the flood) and it is he alone who can control the ISI
Last edited by Anujan on 07 Jul 2008 21:46, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Suicide Attack on Indian Embassy in Kabul
Those five minor blasts in Karachi were ISI's feeble attempt to divert the attention
from its handiwork in Kabul Indian embassy blast. "Oooo, look we are are also victims
of terror...."
from its handiwork in Kabul Indian embassy blast. "Oooo, look we are are also victims
of terror...."
Re: Suicide Attack on Indian Embassy in Kabul
Testing Times for Supreme national interests!
But then I must be dreaming!
But then I must be dreaming!
Re: Suicide Attack on Indian Embassy in Kabul
It was expected.
Our own defence were down!
Our own defence were down!
Re: Suicide Attack on Indian Embassy in Kabul
from Orbat.comMandeep Singh Bajwa reports that Pakistan 324 Military Intelligence Battalion with Pakistan XI Corps (Peshawar) is behind the suicide car-bomb attack against the Indian Embassy. CNN quotes off-record Indian officials to say two Indian diplomats including a defense attaché were among the 41 killed, along with 2 security guards and six Afghan police. The rest were civilians waiting for visas and shopkeepers who ply their trade along the same street.
Re: Suicide Attack on Indian Embassy in Kabul
What is the problem? Why this constant ref to orbat? Cant they have a life of their own? Besides Mandeep is a BRF member and posts regularly in the Mil forum.
Re: Suicide Attack on Indian Embassy in Kabul
Karzai calls it like he sees it:
GIVE PEACE A CHANCE...President Hamid Karzai condemned the bombing and said it was carried out by militants trying to rupture the friendship between Afghanistan and India.
The Afghan Interior Ministry hinted that the attack was carried out with help from Pakistan's intelligence service, saying that "terrorists have carried out this attack in coordination and consultation with some of the active intelligence circles in the region." The Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi, said Pakistan condemned the attack and terrorism in all forms.
Re: Suicide Attack on Indian Embassy in Kabul
Condolences to the deceased and their family members.
Looking at the incident this is I believe 3rd major incident effecting Indians in Afghanistan besides the 2 incidents involving the BRO officers involved in the construction. So we knew that we were already on their hit list. I don't know how many such incidents happened and were suppressed by our forces but this incident happened after a long time, given the situation on ground, since those kidnappings and killings of BRO engineers.
Recently there was an attack on Karzai which made him issue threats against TSP. Then there is turmoil and confusion at Durand line with all those once-a-day-peace-deals with Taliban commanders. Is that charade being done to hide something much more grave?
Threats have been issued against Indian consulates in Jalalabad and Khandhar. These two area are located in the Taliban-stronghold areas and were the places where Taliban was the strongest when it controlled Afghanistan in 90s. I believe they are still strongest there. Then why not attack these consulates and make the job little more difficult for India rather than attacking Kabul embassy? The pain threshold to hold onto these periphery consulates would be much less than the threshold to hold onto Kabul. They don't expect India to leave just because of the attack. So this was obviously done to send a message. But what was the message?
Before we comment on the "targetted" nature of attack since it took on military attache and PRO, we need to ask whether it was a standard protocol for both of them to be together in a car like they were when the incident took place. If not then I would place this more along the lines of opportunistic attack, i.e. key personnel from the embassy were monitored and opportunity presented to take out a HVT they took out the hit.
So the unanswered questions are:
0) Who is trying to send the message?
1) What is the message they are trying to send us?
2) Why are they trying to send the message now?
3) What is it that we are doing that is irritating them, in other words what are the cards that we are holding that they are dying to take away from us?
Looking at the incident this is I believe 3rd major incident effecting Indians in Afghanistan besides the 2 incidents involving the BRO officers involved in the construction. So we knew that we were already on their hit list. I don't know how many such incidents happened and were suppressed by our forces but this incident happened after a long time, given the situation on ground, since those kidnappings and killings of BRO engineers.
Recently there was an attack on Karzai which made him issue threats against TSP. Then there is turmoil and confusion at Durand line with all those once-a-day-peace-deals with Taliban commanders. Is that charade being done to hide something much more grave?
Threats have been issued against Indian consulates in Jalalabad and Khandhar. These two area are located in the Taliban-stronghold areas and were the places where Taliban was the strongest when it controlled Afghanistan in 90s. I believe they are still strongest there. Then why not attack these consulates and make the job little more difficult for India rather than attacking Kabul embassy? The pain threshold to hold onto these periphery consulates would be much less than the threshold to hold onto Kabul. They don't expect India to leave just because of the attack. So this was obviously done to send a message. But what was the message?
Before we comment on the "targetted" nature of attack since it took on military attache and PRO, we need to ask whether it was a standard protocol for both of them to be together in a car like they were when the incident took place. If not then I would place this more along the lines of opportunistic attack, i.e. key personnel from the embassy were monitored and opportunity presented to take out a HVT they took out the hit.
So the unanswered questions are:
0) Who is trying to send the message?
1) What is the message they are trying to send us?
2) Why are they trying to send the message now?
3) What is it that we are doing that is irritating them, in other words what are the cards that we are holding that they are dying to take away from us?
Re: Suicide Attack on Indian Embassy in Kabul
But can GOI say that with credibility and make super duper powers see the light?
Re: Suicide Attack on Indian Embassy in Kabul
ISI involvement in embassy blast suspected
New Delhi (PTI): The involvement of Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI is suspected in the terror strike at the Indian Embassy in Kabul, whose main targets appear to have been the two senior officials, including the Defence Attache killed in the attack.
An explosive-laden car rammed into the Indian embassy gate in the Shahr-i-Naw area as two cars carrying Brigadier Ravi Dutt Mehta and Counsellor V Venkateswar Rao were entering the embassy compound, official sources said here.
Brig Mehta was just beginning his tenure in Kabul having been posted to the city nearly five months back on February 15, 2008. He was an air defence artillery officer who was commissioned into the armed forces in June 1976.
Two ITBP personnel Ajai Pathania and Roop Singh were also among the 41 people killed in the strike in which 141 were injured.
Rao's body was flung over the roof by the impact of the explosion that blew off the embassy's gates and outer structure and damaged buildings inside the compound. Two Indian embassy vehicles were also damaged, an official said, adding over 140 people were injured in the blast.
Wounded people lay on the road wailing for help amid blood and severed limbs after the blast as a cloud of dust and smoke billowed from the site.
Mehta had recently taken his wife Sunita and two children -- Flight Lieutenant Udit Mehta, M S Bhawiya Mehta -- to Kabul to spend their summer vacation.
Before being posted to the troubled city of Kabul, Mehta had done prolonged tenures in anti-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir and north-east.
His son, who is flying back with the body of his father in the special Indian Air Force IL-76 plane, is a MiG fighter pilot at frontline Jodhpur air base.
The aircraft carrying doctors left for Kabul at 1600 hours and is expected to return to New Delhi past midnight, bringing back the dead bodies of four Indians killed in the blast and scores others injured.
Re: Suicide Attack on Indian Embassy in Kabul
More to addJohn Snow wrote:Folks think logically
Does Uncle know the origins of Taliban?
Did uncle try to groom and make deals with Taliban?
Did unlce completely clear the mess of Taliban after 9-11?
Did uncle squeeze the balls of Paki ISI to desist from aiding Taliban?
Did uncle bomb the crap out of Taliban strong holds in Tribal Areas?
Did not uncle tell GOI to cut down the number of Indian consulates operating in Afghanistan?
Answer or research cooly you will get the correct picther.
Was ISI downsized and Pakistan put under scanner for removing links to jehadi groups.
Re: Suicide Attack on Indian Embassy in Kabul
India's presence a worrying factor in Afghanistan
Monday, July 7, 2008 (Kabul)
On Monday, there was a powerful suicide attack just outside the Indian Embassy in Kabul, in which 40 people were killed including India's Defence attach Brig RD Mehta and an IFS Officer, the press councilor V V Rao.
But this attack is not for the first time as there have been attacks against Indian workers in Afghanistan earlier also.
M Kutty, a driver with the BRO, telecom engineer Suryanarayana were among the killed but perhaps there is no more targeting of top officials.
It clearly signals that India's presence is clearly much more than worrying.
A Taliban spokesperson has denied Monday's attack but just to look at groups like the Taliban, the al-Qaida, the Hizb-I-Islami, their presence is extremely significant in southern and eastern Afghanistan.
Mobile training camps are operating in Kandahar, Uruzgan, Helmand, and Taliban with closer links to al-Qaida, the HiG, and HQN Haqqani Network in the east and Pakistan, as well as across the border in NWFP.
Apart from the embassy in Kabul, India extends its reach through Afghanistan with its consulates in Mazar-e-Sharief, in Herat near the Iranian border and Kandahar and Jalalabad near the Pakistan border.
India's strategic interest in Afghanistan is because it sees it as a gateway to energy rich Central Asia and prevents an anti-India bloc extending westward from Pakistan.
One of the most important developmental projects that has huge strategic implications is the 218-kilometre Zaranj-Delaram road project.
The link in the southwest will reduce Afghanistan's dependence on Pakistan for over-land access, as it is land-locked. It also provides an alternate route for Indian goods.
The road will link Zaranj on Afghanistan's border with Iran to Delaram on what is called the Garland highway or ring road across Afghanistan. The Garland highway links Kabul, Kandahar, Herat, Mazar-e-Sharif and Kunduz.
Since 2003, India and Iran have been cooperating in developing the Chabahar Port and the road project will open up through the port, a shorter route than the one currently available through Pakistan.
Iran has extended huge concessions to Afghanistan to attract it to use Chabahar port rather than the port that Pakistan is developing with Chinese help at Gwadar in Balochistan province.
So it's strategically and economically in India's interest.
Aid to Afghanistan
# India has promised 850 million dollars in aid to Afghanistan, that's New Delhi's second biggest foreign aid commitment
# There are over 4000 Indians in various infrastructure projects
# About 300 BRO personnel involved in the Zaranj-Delaram highway
# Nearly 400 ITBP personnel provide inner security for India's assets. Two of them were killed on Monday
# 23 companies, public and private sector, operate in Afghanistan
Re: Suicide Attack on Indian Embassy in Kabul
As others said, this was definitely an attack by the terrorist organization ISI. The pakistanies were whining routinely about having a large of Indian consulates near pakistan border. I don't know how the car escaped the road block and how the embassy got attacked being on the same road as the afghan's interior ministry. I pay my condoloences to the victims, R.I.P.
Re: Suicide Attack on Indian Embassy in Kabul
0)TSP through its TSPA and ISI networks.Ananth wrote: So the unanswered questions are:
0) Who is trying to send the message?
1) What is the message they are trying to send us?
2) Why are they trying to send the message now?
3) What is it that we are doing that is irritating them, in other words what are the cards that we are holding that they are dying to take away from us?
1)Keep out of Afghanistan.
2) They are facing internal turmoil and it hurts their ego as they see India remaining in Afghanistan. So its is to back off and slow down the engagement in Afghanistan.
3) Indian presence in Afghanistan takes away from their concept of the strategic depth in Afghanistan. They think that Afghanistan is their munna. On the contrary their pet jihadis think partsof TSP are their strategic frontyard. Indian presence in Afganistan is itself the big card. During the Taliban years India was not there in Kabul.
Re: Suicide Attack on Indian Embassy in Kabul
If ISI/PA/GoP thinks that more violence and killing will get it out of the tight situation that it has gotten itself into, they are gravely mistaken.
For last 2 decades India was telling the world that Pakistan is the epicenter of the terrorism in the world, it seems we underestimated them they actually are ‘the center’ of the world terrorism and everyone sees it and accepts it. Pakistan has no escape route now either they'll have to amend their ways or they will implode under world pressure. This is the first phase of world pressure where a lot of carrots are being thrown with a few sticks, progressively intensity of sticks would increase and carrots would be few and far.
For last 2 decades India was telling the world that Pakistan is the epicenter of the terrorism in the world, it seems we underestimated them they actually are ‘the center’ of the world terrorism and everyone sees it and accepts it. Pakistan has no escape route now either they'll have to amend their ways or they will implode under world pressure. This is the first phase of world pressure where a lot of carrots are being thrown with a few sticks, progressively intensity of sticks would increase and carrots would be few and far.
Rubin: Attack on Indian Embassy in Kabul
Barnett Rubin has comments on the attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul.
Do read the whole thing, a couple of excerpts are below.
http://icga.blogspot.com/2008/07/attack-on-indian-embassy-in-kabul.html
Do read the whole thing, a couple of excerpts are below.
http://icga.blogspot.com/2008/07/attack-on-indian-embassy-in-kabul.html
andAfter the attack on the Indian Embassy in Kabul this morning, I wrote the following comment in response to a query from a journalist:
The war in Afghanistan is often depicted as a battle between jihadi groups and the U.S. or the west. But Afghanistan is also a theater for the struggle between India and Pakistan and for the domestic struggles of Pakistan. This is the second major terrorist attack on an Indian target since the election of a civilian government in Pakistan. Nine synchronized bombs killed 63 people in the Indian city of Jaipur on May 13, just before the first high-level diplomatic meeting between India and Pakistan after the elections. Part of the context of this attack is also the Afghan official, public charges that the Pakistani intelligence agency, ISI, organized the attempted assassination of President Karzai in Kabul in April. These attacks seem designed to sabotage any improvement of relations between Pakistan and either of its two neighbors, India and Afghanistan, to assure that Pakistan has no alternative but to continue to support militant organizations as part of its foreign policy.
I might add that there is also a consistent pattern of attacks on Indian road construction teams in southwest Afghanistan. These teams are constructing a road linking Afghanistan to the Persian Gulf via the Iranian rail and road network, which would bypass both Karachi and Pakistan's new port in Gwadar. This road also passes through the Baluch parts of Afghanistan and Iran, next to the Pakistani province of Baluchistan, where Pakistan charges India with supporting nationalist/separatist insurgents.
UPDATE: Now I heard on NPR that the "Taliban" have denied responsibility. Let me stick my neck out here: I don't believe that the Kandahari Taliban leadership would mount an attack like this against the Indian embassy. The idea of such an attack came from some combination of all or some of the following: the Haqqani group (as part of a campaign for Pakistani support), Pakistani Taliban, al-Qaida, and the Pakistani security agencies, or private entities under their supervision.
Re: Suicide Attack on Indian Embassy in Kabul
A_Gupta thanks for Rubin's ruminations. That gives couple of more tidbits about the different Taliban franchises and their differences.
B. Raman's take on the incident He is also asking whether the attack on the defense attache was targetted or not:
In Ahmed Rashid's interview that was linked on BR, he spoke about a large number of officers from ISI retiring and forming an NGO type organization for providing plausible deniability for any terrorist related acts committed by them. Are they the main actors who are leading TSP's ops against Indian workers?
TSP knows that these attacks are just pin pricks and India is not going to leave Afghanistan with the 90s still fresh in our memory. So I don't buy the arg. that they did it to force India to leave Afghanistan. However they did it to increase India's operating cost in Afghanistan. That is for sure. And they were doing it continuously. As Raman points out TSP was not shy in expressing its displeasure about Indian presence. So what is new in this message? The only way India would abandon Afghanistan is if TSP can manage to take over the whole country just like in 90s.
One of the interesting thing in Rubin's assessment is his "confidence" that Quetta Shura led by Mullah Omar has nothing to do with this blast. What gives him this confidence? How are we able to deter Omar from attacking BRO and other construction activity in southern AF?
Ramana, TSPA and ISI are too generic. More often than not they actually mask and should I say disrupt any insight into the specific actors, thereby hinder the analysis.ramana wrote: 0)TSP through its TSPA and ISI networks.
1)Keep out of Afghanistan.
2) They are facing internal turmoil and it hurts their ego as they see India remaining in Afghanistan. So its is to back off and slow down the engagement in Afghanistan.
3) Indian presence in Afghanistan takes away from their concept of the strategic depth in Afghanistan. They think that Afghanistan is their munna. On the contrary their pet jihadis think partsof TSP are their strategic frontyard. Indian presence in Afganistan is itself the big card. During the Taliban years India was not there in Kabul.
B. Raman's take on the incident He is also asking whether the attack on the defense attache was targetted or not:
Unlike Rubin, Raman seems to see Al Qaeda's signature in the attack. However Rubin sees Haqqani's faction just as Rangudu also pointed out. Is Haqqani merely acting as a mercenary or will this successful op increase his stature in the eyes of ISI's Afghan cell compared to the rest of the Taliban's franchises. Now by my count there are 3 major franchises of Taliban operating: Quetta Shura or Khandhari Talibs led by Mullah Omar, The Haqqani gang in Waziristan and the neo Talibs led by Baitualla and his gang. All HQ in TSP's deniability regions.From the indications available so far, it is evident that it was a targeted attack on the Indian mission. Was it also a targeted attack on the defense attache? This question arises from the fact that the vehicle-borne suicide bomber reportedly rammed his vehicle against two cars of the mission as they were about to enter the mission. This would indicate the possibility that the primary targets were the occupants of the two cars. The rest of the fatalities were apparently collateral.
In Ahmed Rashid's interview that was linked on BR, he spoke about a large number of officers from ISI retiring and forming an NGO type organization for providing plausible deniability for any terrorist related acts committed by them. Are they the main actors who are leading TSP's ops against Indian workers?
TSP knows that these attacks are just pin pricks and India is not going to leave Afghanistan with the 90s still fresh in our memory. So I don't buy the arg. that they did it to force India to leave Afghanistan. However they did it to increase India's operating cost in Afghanistan. That is for sure. And they were doing it continuously. As Raman points out TSP was not shy in expressing its displeasure about Indian presence. So what is new in this message? The only way India would abandon Afghanistan is if TSP can manage to take over the whole country just like in 90s.
One of the interesting thing in Rubin's assessment is his "confidence" that Quetta Shura led by Mullah Omar has nothing to do with this blast. What gives him this confidence? How are we able to deter Omar from attacking BRO and other construction activity in southern AF?
Re: Suicide Attack on Indian Embassy in Kabul
I said its TSP through its TSPA and ISI. Its very specific that its TSP not any mullah Jihadi outfit. Those guys dont have the angst to do this. Look at who benefits- quo bono? It doesnt matter that some jihadi of pahlana/pahlana outfit did it. The outfit got its orders from TSP. What is so difficult about this? Even theat Rubin guy is saying the same when he exonerates the Omar faction.
Pioneer, 8 july 2008
and
Most likely it will be categorised as one of the many attacks on Indian personnel in Afghanistan and thus swept under the rug.
What was the NSA doing around this time? Trying to arm twist Sri Bhim Singh of J&K Assy. Long time ago I said Sri Narayanan is the National Insecurity Adviser.
And worse
Pioneer, 8 july 2008
In the end the trail will lead to TSP and ISI. They are the ones that would target India. India in AlQ's eyes is a distant third even if its most vulnerable. Need to look deep into their psyche.
ISI's shadow on Kabul
B Raman
Pakistan has been protesting against India's assistance to the Karzari Government for rebuilding Taliban-ravished Afghanistan. Thus Islamabad has a strong motive to target Indian nationals and interests in Afghanistan through its surrogate Taliban
Forty-one people are reported to have been killed by a suicide bomber with a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device outside the gates of the Indian Embassy in Kabul on Monday morning. Four of the victims are Indian nationals, including India's defence attaché, the counsellor for political affairs and two security guards. The remaining were Afghan nationals, many of whom had come to the Indian mission for visas.
From the indications available so far, it is evident that it was a targeted attack on the Indian mission. Was it also a targeted attack on the defence attaché? This question arises from the fact that the car-borne suicide bomber reportedly rammed his vehicle against two cars of the mission as they were about to enter its premises. This would indicate the possibility that the primary targets were the occupants of the two cars. The rest of the fatalities were apparently collateral.
There has been a sharp increase in acts of terrorism in Afghanistan since the new Government headed by Prime Minister Yousef Raza Gilani assumed office in Islamabad in the last week of March, 2008. NATO officers in Afghanistan have spoken of a 40 per cent increase in the infiltration of jihadi terrorists from the tribal belt of Pakistan into Afghanistan since the new Pakistani Government suspended military operations against the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and entered into peace negotiations with them. Even as acts of terrorism - including suicide terrorism - have increased in Afghan territory, there has been a sharp decrease in acts of suicide terrorism in Pakistani territory. This indicates that the new Government has made a deal with the Taliban, allowing it to operate freely in Afghanistan in return for its stepping down its operations in Pakistan.
The increasing Indian presence in Afghanistan for assisting in the economic development of Afghanistan and for strengthening the capability of the Afghan Government in various fields has been a constant source of criticism by Pakistan, which has taken up the issue repeatedly with the US and other NATO countries. Sections of the media and the religious parties in Pakistan have also been critical of the close relations of the Karzai Government with India.Urdu newspapers in Pakistan had even accused India of fomenting trouble in Baluchistan from covert bases in Afghan territory.
Pakistan thus has a strong motive to target Indian nationals and interests in Afghanistan through surrogate Taliban. During the last three years, there has been a steep increase in acts of suicide terrorism by the neo Taliban of Afghanistan headed by Mullah Mohammad Omar. Initially, the suicide attacks were by individual suicide bombers who carried the IEDs on their person. Subsequently, they increasingly started using car bombs. During the recent attack on the Kandahar prison, they used a car bomb to break open the gates.
The modus operandi using car bombs, which causes many more fatalities than individual bombers carrying the explosive device on their person, was and is still being used with devastating effect in Iraq by Al Qaeda. Training in the use of this modus operandi has been imparted by Al Qaeda to the neo Taliban volunteers in the training camps of Al Qaeda, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and the Islamic Jihad Group, another Uzbek organisation, in North Waziristan in the Federally-Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan.
The successful attack outside the Indian mission has been made possible by poor security on the road on which the Indian mission is located. It has been reported that the Afghan Interior Ministry is also located on the same road. One would have, therefore, expected the level of security and control on access to this road to have been high. This was apparently not so as is evident from the fact that a car bomb was able to come up to the vicinity of the Indian mission without being stopped and checked anywhere by Afghan security barriers.
The details available so far do not speak of any specific physical security deficiency in the Indian mission itself. Despite this, the physical security set-up in all Indian missions and offices in Afghanistan, whether located in Kabul or other places, need to be urgently examined and the required security enhancements undertaken. A vulnerability assessment of all Indian missions and offices is urgently called for.
An operation of this type would have been undertaken by the neo Taliban -- even if instigated by Pakistan -- only with the knowledge of and in close consultation with its Al Qaeda mentors. Al Qaeda has been looking for opportunities for a major terrorist strike against the US and Israel. Even if Al Qaeda has no motive at present for targeting Indian nationals and interests, it badly needs a successful terrorist strike against the US or other Western powers in order to prove to its followers and admirers that its capability for action against the US and Israel remains strong.
In his confessional statement before the US military tribunal trying him, Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, who allegedly masterminded the 9/11 terrorist strikes in the US, has stated that Al Qaeda wanted to strike the Israeli Embassy in New Delhi, but could not do so. It would still be looking for opportunities to attack US and Israeli targets in India. This has to be constantly factored into our vulnerability assessments.
and
I note very little is being said about the IFS man Sri V. Venkateshwar Rao. This article atleast blames TSP's ISI and identifies the two as the targets. So its an attack on GOI premises and its officials.Pakistan ISI role suspected
Pioneer News Service | New Delhi
The involvement of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is suspected in the terror strike at the Indian Embassy in Kabul on Monday, which remains the guiding force for executing terror attacks in Afghanistan through the Taliban.
India had supported the Northern Alliance in its fight against the Taliban and the latest terror attack could be in retaliation to that, a senior intelligence official said, adding that the pro-India stance of Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai and his Government could have motivated the ISI to frustrate India's reconstruction work there.
As many as 3,000 Indian personnel are engaged in reconstruction work there and Taliban has also attacked them in the past. ISI's complex funding structure is heavily supported by the poppy cultivation in Afghanistan for which it needs the Taliban.
The main targets in the Monday's offensive appear to have been the two senior officials, Defence Attache Brigadier Ravi Dutt Mehta and Counsellor V Venkateswar Rao, who were killed in the terror attack.
An explosive-laden vehicle rammed into the Indian Embassy gate in the Shahr-i-Naw area at 10 am on Monday as two cars carrying Brigadier Mehta and Counsellor Rao were entering the embassy compound, official sources said here.
Brigadier Mehta suffered severe injuries owing to his proximity to the blast incident and later succumbed. He was just beginning his tenure in Kabul having been posted to the city nearly five months back on February 15, 2008.
A Mumbaikar, he was commissioned into the Army forces in June 1976 and had served in counter-insurgency operations in North East and Jammu & Kashmir. His wife Sunita, daughter Bhavya and son Flight Lieutenant Udit Mehta were reported to be in Kabul to spend summer vacations with him.
Two ITBP personnel Ajai Pathania and Roop Singh were also among the 41 people killed in the strike in which 141 were injured.
Most likely it will be categorised as one of the many attacks on Indian personnel in Afghanistan and thus swept under the rug.
What was the NSA doing around this time? Trying to arm twist Sri Bhim Singh of J&K Assy. Long time ago I said Sri Narayanan is the National Insecurity Adviser.
And worse
Very sad.Brigadier predicted attack, died in it
PTI | New Delhi
The latest security advisory by the Indian Embassy in Kabul on the possibility of a suicide strike in the Afghan capital against a high-profile target was ironically given by the very Brigadier who perished in Monday's attack on the mission.
The Embassy has been apprehending a threat for quite some time as reflected in the advisories issued by it from time to time.
The last security advisory was issued on May 27 by Brigadier Ravi Datt Mehta, Military Attache at the Embassy, who was among the 41 killed when a suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden car into the mission gates this morning.
"As per available information, there is a possibility of a suicide attack in Kabul city against a high profile target," said the advisory.
Another advisory warned Indian nationals in Afghanistan of attempts by militants to attack some important compounds in Kabul.
Mehta had also not ruled out use of Global Positioning System to trigger explosives planted in vehicles as had been the case in blasts in Lahore in March.
Re: Suicide Attack on Indian Embassy in Kabul
From Deccan Chronilce, 8 July 2008
Must have been very tough on that lady to inform the parents. Very very bad.TV gave kin hope
Hyderabad/ Rajahmundry, July 7: For a moment, the parents of the IFS officer, Mr V. Venkateswara Rao, who was killed in a suicide bomb attack on the Indian Embassy in Kabul, thought their son had the blast. Mr Vadapalli Appalachar-yulu and Mrs Subhadramma who stay at the Housing Board Colony in Lalacheruvu, Rajahmundry, first heard news of the blast on television. TV channels then reported the name of the victim as ‘Venkat Rao’, giving hope to the couple.
Venkateswara Rao’s wife, Mrs Malathi, later called them from New Delhi and confirmed his death. Rao, 45, was a native of Rajahmundry in East Godavari district and the youngest son in the family. “Last week he called us and said he would come here to celebrate his birthday on August 26,” said Mr Appalacharyulu. “He asked me what he should bring from Kabul. I never expected he would come back in this manner,” Ms Subhadramma said.
Re: Suicide Attack on Indian Embassy in Kabul
Do not drag in al qaeda, taliban et al. This is Pak Army doing what they are best at: "shikhandi warfare". Use an impotent RAPE led govt as the front and indiscriminately kill Indian citizens from behind. The only complaint against US is that they like this surreptitious killing arrangement, because it is convenient for them.
Also, what is wrong with ITBP guarding the embassy? It is a professional, well-trained and highly capable organization in its domain. Also it is trained to deal compassionately with the locals, unlike hardcore military units. No one has heard of a complaint about ITBP acting like jerks in Afghanistan. A far cry from the oakley festooned Blackwater's "Pretty Boy" groups that guard their SD officials. All of us need to appreciate what we have.
And that is one of the reasons why Karzai is saying what he is saying against the Pakis. He has the confidence that we are not there to kill his people. A Pak "civilian govt" is good only for Pentagon to push grants through COTUS , but deep trouble for us. Not for Afghans and certainly not for India.
Also, what is wrong with ITBP guarding the embassy? It is a professional, well-trained and highly capable organization in its domain. Also it is trained to deal compassionately with the locals, unlike hardcore military units. No one has heard of a complaint about ITBP acting like jerks in Afghanistan. A far cry from the oakley festooned Blackwater's "Pretty Boy" groups that guard their SD officials. All of us need to appreciate what we have.
And that is one of the reasons why Karzai is saying what he is saying against the Pakis. He has the confidence that we are not there to kill his people. A Pak "civilian govt" is good only for Pentagon to push grants through COTUS , but deep trouble for us. Not for Afghans and certainly not for India.
Re: Suicide Attack on Indian Embassy in Kabul
I am amazed at the quick grasp , anaysis, assesment, conjecture, deduction, attribution, motivation,execution actors behind each terror attack on Indians, Indian assets, and Indian interests but have never seen retaliation, retribution or justice extracted.
I am 400 o/o sure we will simply wash it down the statistics. What a cowardly act!
I am 400 o/o sure we will simply wash it down the statistics. What a cowardly act!
Re: Suicide Attack on Indian Embassy in Kabul
Well, I'm unhappy with the US support for Pak in this so-called "War on Terror"narayanan wrote:Sad to see some of the knee-jerk responses here such as blaming Indian-American collaboration for the attack on the Indian personnel, and the blame against the embassy security.
As B Raman tells us, the US seems to have too many skeletons in the closet in regards to past complicity in building the jihadi terror machine, so that it prefers to coopt Pak for fighting the "long war" on terror, rather than going for the quicker victory by busting up Pak itself.
This seems to be the same for Pak's nuclear proliferation activities, too.
Every time a dastardly attack like this happens (sad to say this won't be the last) we need to drive home to Uncle their responsability in upholding their "ally" Pakistan, which is working at cross purposes with the war.
This whole "long war" strategy seems like a ruse anyway, to perpetually defer any decisive action, in favour of peddling some illusory and imagined gradualist victory. It's ridiculous, and therefore this notion of "long war" must be vigorously attacked by us.
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Re: Suicide Attack on Indian Embassy in Kabul
Philip wrote:Let me clarify.This is a dastardly attack against India and my heartfelt sympathies are with the families of those killed and wounded.However,we have been too casual about vital matters.Ever since we opened a "strategic partnership" with the US,that too very publicly ,with joint military exercises,etc.,there were open warnings from Al Q and the Taliban about the emerging Indo-US-Israel alliance and warnings that India would be attacked as a result.This was some time ago.With these warnings made openly,plus the numerous almost daily attacks made against US/allied targets in Iraq and Afghanistan,even in Pakistan against Pak targets,our embassy in Kabul should've had better protection or should've been relocated.You need to live/work in a veritable fortress when faced with such suicide vehicle attacks,where huge amounts of explosives are carried.In fact,ALL Indian embassies,high commissions,consulates,etc.,worldwide should be strengthened/fortified.We are now perceived by the Islamist terrorists as being another poodle of Bush & co.,our PM's determination to keep his "nuclear" promise to Dubya Bush only highlighting the relationship!
The issue here is not the debate about our pro-US or independent foreign policy, but the hard, inescapable truth that we are now perceived by the ungodly as being firmly in the US camp and therefore we must take all measures to protect ourselves and our missions.
Secondly,I am one who has always said (in previous posts) that our need is to strengthen the Karzai govt. and see that it survives so that the Taliban and Al Q can be destroyed or at least marginalised.I have never called for any disengagement from Afghanistan of Indian support.However,if you read the roster,you will find many other nations supporting Karzai to the hilt morally,militarily and economically,without their missions and personnel being targeted.They keep a lower profile and use more covert assistance than overt ones.Discretion as they say is the better part of valour.
We are now sending the IAF to take part in the "Red Flag" exercises in the US.Everyone knows what "Red Flag" exercises were all about during the Cold War.They were exercises meant to replicate Soviet/Warsaw Pact forces as close as possible and devlop tactics as how to defeat them.They have huge symbolic meaning still to many nations and India taking part in "Red Flag" exercises today underscores the new growing military relationship between the US and India, which this has not been missed by the Islamist terror groups who see the possibility of more pro-active Indian military support along with US forces against them in the future.This dastardly attack is a direct warning to us that if we become Uncle Sam's poodle,we will have to face the consequences.
Good post, even if i disagree with the views.
1 Al quida, LET, Deoband and the average mulla in India and abroad, view the India its constitution (secularism) and way of life, as a violation of the Koran. It is their proclaimed longterm strategy to convert India and the rest of the world, into followers of their theocratic mindeset.
So far, the Deoband has remained peaceful, and the Jamaat i Islami (india) has remained unpolitical. The reasons for all this is simple. They do not have the political or military power to challenge India. But do not get fooled about their ultimate aims. Weather India sends "red flag" to US/Israel or not, makes no difference. The fundamentalists long term planning, is to stay peaceful, so that they get a chance to grow strong enough to challenge India. In the mean time, all efforts are focussed on keeping the Islamic population seregated from rest of the society.
2
Should India allow itself to be dictated by the Islamic fundamentalist, as to whom we can have as friends?
Only way forward it to take on, the enemy of the free and secular world. The soner the better.