02 Jul 2010 15:43:07 GMT
Source: Reuters
* U.S. approves $33 billion funding for troop surge
* Three foreigners killed in raid on U.S. firm's office
* Petraeus hints at change in air support policy (Updates with Petraeus arrival; date of command ceremony)
By David Fox
KABUL, July 2 (Reuters) - The United States' top field commander arrived in Afghanistan on Friday to take charge of the faltering war, pledging to tackle the nine-year-old Taliban insurgency with a strategy he successfully pioneered in Iraq.
General David Petraeus landed a day after his appointment was confirmed by the U.S. Senate and just hours after the U.S. House of Representatives approved $33 billion in funding for a troop surge he hopes will turn the tide of the war. [ID:nN01180444]
An amendment demanding an exit timetable from Afghanistan failed, but got 162 votes -- the biggest anti-war vote in the House on Afghanistan to date.
Petraeus's appointment could be a last throw of the dice for Washington to end an increasingly costly conflict that is draining Western budgets as they emerge from one of the worst global recessions in history.
A formal change-of-command ceremony will be held on Sunday.
The surge will bring to 150,000 the number of foreign troops in Afghanistan just as the new strategy takes root. It entails tackling the Taliban in their strongholds while relying on the government to simultaneously improve local governance and development. <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
For more on Afghanistan click [ID:nAFPAK]
or see http://link.reuters.com/syx62d
Afghan blog: http://blogs.reuters.com/afghanistan/ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> The Taliban showed on Friday just how capable they are of operating outside their traditional strongholds by launching a daring commando-style raid on the office of an American company that provides logistical support for U.S. government aid in relatively peaceful Kunduz, in the north. [ID:nSGE66108Z]
A Briton, German, Filipino and two Afghans were killed in the pre-dawn attack, provincial officials said, as well as the six insurgents who mounted the raid. Also on Friday, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) that Petraeus now commands said two service members had died after separate insurgent attacks in the south and east.
TURN THE TIDE
Petraeus, who wrote the U.S. army's field guide on waging a counter-insurgency, used the tactics to help turn the tide of the Iraq war and the strategy was introduced to Afghanistan earlier this year by former commander General Stanley McChrystal.
McChrystal was sacked last week after he and some aides disparaged(To speak of in a slighting or disrespectful way; ) senior administration officials in a magazine profile.
While Petraeus has pledged to continue with the same strategy, he told NATO chiefs in Brussels on Thursday that some operational tactics would be reviewed -- including air strikes on suspected Taliban hideouts. [ID:nLDE6600X0]
The issue came to a head last year after a series of air attacks killed scores of civilians -- including 140 in one incident -- but McChrystal's arrival was credited with vastly reducing collateral damage.
Petraeus said on Thursday that any tactics that raised the possibility of more soldiers being killed needed to be reviewed.
More than 1,800 foreign troops have died in Afghanistan since the Taliban were overthrown in 2001 -- including more than 100 last month, the bloodiest since the war began.
"I have a moral imperative as a commander ... to bring all force that is available when our troopers -- and, by the way, our Afghan partners -- are in a tough position," he told NATO chiefs.
The last two weeks have thrown an especially harsh light on the war effort, with new reports of corruption in President Hamid Karzai's government and the change in command of foreign forces.
Doubts have also been raised over the commitment of the government to push governance and development alongside the military drive, and also the ability of Afghan forces to take over responsibility for security.
At the same time, Karzai has been wooing the Taliban with a series of modest peace overtures, all have which have been rejected by the hardline Islamist movement, which insists all foreign forces must leave before they will end the insurgency. (Additional reporting by Susan Cornwell in Washington; Editing by Nick Macfie) (david.fox@thomsonreuters.com; Kabul newsroom: +93 799 335 284) (If you have a query or comment about this story, send an e-mail to news.feedback.asia@thomsonreuters.com)
Friday, July 02, 2010
Khosa’s ‘removal’ puts PML-N’s political future at stake
Friday, July 02, 2010 E-Mail this article to a friend Printer Friendly Version
* Nationalists, lawmakers from S Punjab contacting Khosa family for a separate province
* PML-N leaders believe they will be isolated from national politics if South Punjab becomes province
* May launch re-conciliatory move with Khosas
By Afnan Khan
LAHORE: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s decision to remove Dost Muhammad Khosa from a key ministry over allegations of misconduct has jeopardised the party’s own future, as a number of nationalist parties and parliamentarians from southern Punjab have started contacting the Khosa family for the formation of a separate province.
On the other hand, mainstream parties such as the PML-Quaid were already pushing for the formation of a separate province in southern Punjab at the provincial and federal levels, while sources have told Daily Times that noted PML-Q lawmakers have also contacted the Khosa family to discuss the matter.
However, the issue is being viewed as a threat to the PML-N leadership, which seemed to be avoiding a debate in the provincial assembly on the issue by ‘wasting time’ supposedly allocated to a motion proposed by PML-Q MPA Imbisat Hamid. The PML-N MPAs allegedly “wasted” a lot of time by making speeches in favour of PML-N leaders Nawaz and Shahbaz Sharif on a point of order.
Isolation: PML-N sources told Daily Times that their leaders believed that they would be isolated from national politics if South Punjab became a separate province because the area is the PPP’s strongest hold in the province, as the prime minister and the foreign minister and many other senior PPP parliamentarians, belong to southern Punjab.
The sources added that the PML-N has also realised the situation and they might be launching a reconciliatory move between the Sharif and Khosa families in order to avoid a direct threat to the future of the party, as it could be restricted to the northern part of the province.
They said the PML-N realised that the Khosa family was one of the strongest political families of South Punjab and it would be a great blow to the party if they decided to split, and it is obvious that they might be offered a key position, such as chief ministership, if they supported the establishment of a new province.
The situation is likely to give a boost to the upcoming signature campaign and the move for the establishment of a new province in South Punjab, and a number of MPAs, especially those from the south, are likely to support the motion vigorously.
The sources from progressive and nationalists parties told Daily Times that the latest rift between the Sharifs and the Khosas after the removal of Dost Muhammad has proved a morale booster for smaller parties such as the Labour Party, Seraiki National Party and the Seraiki Party, while leaders of these parties have also started holding meetings to develop a future strategy for the strengthening of the campaign.
PML-Q spokesman Kamil Ali Agha told Daily Times that the unjust policies of the PML-N leadership were angering their own people. He said fair distribution of resources and an equal say in decision-making is the right of the people from southern Punjab, which is not possible without giving them more autonomy. He added that this is what the PML-Q has been struggling for.
Agha said the recent cabinet reshuffle by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has revealed that the PML-N leadership did not trust its own people and there was a dearth of competent people who could run the ministries.
He said the transfer of the powers of local government ministers to the CM had made it clear that the PML-N leadership was not sincere in holding local body elections any time soon.
PML-Q MPA Mohsin Leghari told Daily Times that the provincial government was supposed to hold local body elections within six months after the end of the previous local bodies’ tenure. He said the current tenure will expire in August, but there is no sign of holding the local body polls, despite the fact that the provincial government had promised to hold a debate over the issue in the provincial assembly, seminars and public meetings to inform all stakeholders about the elections and the LG system.
Commenting on Khosa’s removal from his ministry, Leghari said he considered the incident another discriminatory act against a prominent politician from South Punjab.
Labour Party Pakistan’s South Punjab-based leader and political analyst Suhail Javed told Daily Times that the Khosa family was significantly influential in Punjab and it would be a big blow to the PML-N if the family decided to split from the party despite the fact that chances of such a move are very thin.
Nationalist parties: He said all key political parties supported the demands of nationalist parties about the creation of a separate province, yet the PML-N is reluctant to do so because they are afraid of losing strength in Punjab as a result of the separation.
He said Seraiki leaders such as Taj Muhmmad Langa demanded the creation of a separate province consisting of Dera Ismail Khan, Mianwali, Khushab, Rahim Yar Khan, Rajanpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Multan, Bahawalpur and other linking districts, however key parties are talking about separating only a few districts such as Multan, Bahawalpur, Rajanpur and DG Khan.
* Nationalists, lawmakers from S Punjab contacting Khosa family for a separate province
* PML-N leaders believe they will be isolated from national politics if South Punjab becomes province
* May launch re-conciliatory move with Khosas
By Afnan Khan
LAHORE: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s decision to remove Dost Muhammad Khosa from a key ministry over allegations of misconduct has jeopardised the party’s own future, as a number of nationalist parties and parliamentarians from southern Punjab have started contacting the Khosa family for the formation of a separate province.
On the other hand, mainstream parties such as the PML-Quaid were already pushing for the formation of a separate province in southern Punjab at the provincial and federal levels, while sources have told Daily Times that noted PML-Q lawmakers have also contacted the Khosa family to discuss the matter.
However, the issue is being viewed as a threat to the PML-N leadership, which seemed to be avoiding a debate in the provincial assembly on the issue by ‘wasting time’ supposedly allocated to a motion proposed by PML-Q MPA Imbisat Hamid. The PML-N MPAs allegedly “wasted” a lot of time by making speeches in favour of PML-N leaders Nawaz and Shahbaz Sharif on a point of order.
Isolation: PML-N sources told Daily Times that their leaders believed that they would be isolated from national politics if South Punjab became a separate province because the area is the PPP’s strongest hold in the province, as the prime minister and the foreign minister and many other senior PPP parliamentarians, belong to southern Punjab.
The sources added that the PML-N has also realised the situation and they might be launching a reconciliatory move between the Sharif and Khosa families in order to avoid a direct threat to the future of the party, as it could be restricted to the northern part of the province.
They said the PML-N realised that the Khosa family was one of the strongest political families of South Punjab and it would be a great blow to the party if they decided to split, and it is obvious that they might be offered a key position, such as chief ministership, if they supported the establishment of a new province.
The situation is likely to give a boost to the upcoming signature campaign and the move for the establishment of a new province in South Punjab, and a number of MPAs, especially those from the south, are likely to support the motion vigorously.
The sources from progressive and nationalists parties told Daily Times that the latest rift between the Sharifs and the Khosas after the removal of Dost Muhammad has proved a morale booster for smaller parties such as the Labour Party, Seraiki National Party and the Seraiki Party, while leaders of these parties have also started holding meetings to develop a future strategy for the strengthening of the campaign.
PML-Q spokesman Kamil Ali Agha told Daily Times that the unjust policies of the PML-N leadership were angering their own people. He said fair distribution of resources and an equal say in decision-making is the right of the people from southern Punjab, which is not possible without giving them more autonomy. He added that this is what the PML-Q has been struggling for.
Agha said the recent cabinet reshuffle by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has revealed that the PML-N leadership did not trust its own people and there was a dearth of competent people who could run the ministries.
He said the transfer of the powers of local government ministers to the CM had made it clear that the PML-N leadership was not sincere in holding local body elections any time soon.
PML-Q MPA Mohsin Leghari told Daily Times that the provincial government was supposed to hold local body elections within six months after the end of the previous local bodies’ tenure. He said the current tenure will expire in August, but there is no sign of holding the local body polls, despite the fact that the provincial government had promised to hold a debate over the issue in the provincial assembly, seminars and public meetings to inform all stakeholders about the elections and the LG system.
Commenting on Khosa’s removal from his ministry, Leghari said he considered the incident another discriminatory act against a prominent politician from South Punjab.
Labour Party Pakistan’s South Punjab-based leader and political analyst Suhail Javed told Daily Times that the Khosa family was significantly influential in Punjab and it would be a big blow to the PML-N if the family decided to split from the party despite the fact that chances of such a move are very thin.
Nationalist parties: He said all key political parties supported the demands of nationalist parties about the creation of a separate province, yet the PML-N is reluctant to do so because they are afraid of losing strength in Punjab as a result of the separation.
He said Seraiki leaders such as Taj Muhmmad Langa demanded the creation of a separate province consisting of Dera Ismail Khan, Mianwali, Khushab, Rahim Yar Khan, Rajanpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Multan, Bahawalpur and other linking districts, however key parties are talking about separating only a few districts such as Multan, Bahawalpur, Rajanpur and DG Khan.
Thursday, July 01, 2010
+45 dead in suicide bombings @Data Darbar (Data Gunj Bakhsh) in Pakistan
Q+A: Who is behind the Lahore attacks and why?
By Chris Allbritton
ISLAMABAD | Fri Jul 2, 2010 3:56am EDT
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Two suicide bombers struck the biggest Sufi shrine in Pakistan in the eastern city of Lahore on Thursday night, killing at least 41 people and wounding more than 175, officials said.
It was the second major attack in a month in the city, capital of the heartland Punjab province where many militant groups are becoming increasingly active, following twin attacks on a minority sect that left more than 80 people dead.
Below are some questions and answers about the latest attack in Lahore and who might be responsible.
WHO MIGHT BE BEHIND THE ATTACK?
Militants drawn from Punjab who have joined ranks with Taliban in their northwestern bastion -- some of the most feared groups in the country -- and are likely to be high on the list of suspects.
These militants, sometimes called the "Punjabi Taliban," are especially troublesome because they pose a threat to stability in Punjab, Pakistan's most economically important province and the country's traditional seat of power.
Sunni Muslim Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), a notorious al-Qaeda-linked organization which has forged ties with the Taliban, is one of the most well-known groups.
LeJ emerged as a sectarian group in the 1990s targeting minority Shi'ite Muslims but later graduated to more audacious attacks, and is suspected of being behind the truck bombing of Islamabad's Marriott Hotel in 2008 which killed 55 people. Analysts say the group was behind last year's brazen attack on the army headquarters in Rawalpindi, in which more than 20 people were killed.
HOW IS THIS ATTACK DIFFERENT?
It's the first attack on a major shrine in Punjab, the country's heartland, and the first attack on a major Sufi shrine - although there have been attacks on Sufi shrines before in Baluchistan, Islamabad, Peshawar and Swat.
It's not the first attack on a religious site in Lahore. Almost exactly a month ago, twin teams of suicide bombers attacked two mosques in Lahore belonging to Ahmadis, a minority sect who believe they are followers of Islam and that Mohammad was not the final prophet, but whom most Muslims consider to be a heretic sect.
But this attack is likely to hit Pakistanis harder because the Data Gunj Bakhsh shrine is the most popular in Pakistan and most Pakistanis adhere to the Sufi strand of Islam. It's a direct attack on the religious identity of the majority of the country.
WHY ARE THEY ATTACKING RELIGIOUS SITES?
The attackers, assuming they're part of the constellation of radical Sunni groups operating in Pakistan, are violently opposed to differing views of Islam. Shi'ites, Ahmadis and Sufis are all considered heretics or apostates to most of the militant groups, and thus worthy of being killed.
At the same time, mosques and shrines are popular gathering places for Pakistanis and often have poor security, making them soft targets. Attacking mosques sends a powerful message in deeply religious Pakistan, showing that no place is safe and that the government and security forces are powerless to protect people, weakening their already shaky credibility.
WHAT WILL THE RESPONSE BE?
The Punjab government has been slow to recognize the growing threat of militant groups such as LeJ based in there. After the Ahmadi attacks, several provincial officials ruled out any kind of military operation against militant groups along the lines of the army's push into the frontier areas to the west and northwest along the Afghan border to root out the Taliban.
Reprisals for the twin Ahmadi bombings was muted because they are a reviled minority group. But an attack on a popular religious shrine will mean the Punjab government, led by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the main opposition party in parliament, will now be under immense pressure to act.
Punjab officials say they already have 4,000 young men under watch who have to notify police officials if they leave their villages. But analysts have said this is just "rounding up the usual suspects" and not going after the heads of the militant groups. That may be about to change, although the risks to the PML-N and the security forces are great.
The PML-N draws followers from the same pool of supporters of Islamist groups, and moving against them could mean losing votes in future elections. Also, given the strength of the militant groups in Punjab and the level of support they enjoy among the people, there are fears the government forces might lose.
(Writing by Chris Allbritton, editing by Miral Fahmy)
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/SGE6600KY.htm
01 Jul 2010 20:00:56 GMT
Source: Reuters
* Second major attack in the city in recent weeks
* Dead bodies scattered all over
* 'Sickening poison of extremism will be driven out'
(Raises death toll, adds colour, details)
By Mubashir Bukhari
LAHORE, Pakistan, July 1 (Reuters) - Three suicide bombers struck a Sufi shrine in Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore on Thursday, killing at least 35 people and wounding more than 100, officials said, the second major attack in the city in a month.
Hundreds of devotees were visiting the shrine of the Persian Sufi saint, Syed Ali Hajwairi, commonly known as Data Gunj Bakhsh, in the heart of the city when the attacks occurred. Muslims in Pakistan visit shrines and mosques in large numbers on Thursday nights and Friday.
One of the attackers blew himself up at the gate of the sprawling, marble shrine while two other attacks took place in the basement of the shrine where people were washing for prayers.
Khursro Pervez, a senior government official, said at least 35 people were killed and 125 wounded.
Militants linked to al Qaeda and the Taliban have unleashed a wave of attacks across Pakistan in revenge for military offensives in their bastions in the northwest of the country near the Afghan border.
While most of the reprisal militant attacks have taken place in the northwest, militants have also stepped up attacks in the heartland of the country, mainly the central province of Punjab. Lahore is the capital of Punjab.
Officials have blamed attacks on the "Punjabi Taliban", a term used for militants drawn from Punjab who have joined ranks with Taliban in the northwest.
More than 80 people were killed in twin attacks on the mosques of the minority Ahmadi sect in May.
The shrine at Data Darbar is one of the most famous in Pakistan, attracting hundreds of devotees every night, with Thursdays being the most popular nights. The complex includes a mosque and a police station in the basement.
Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani said the attack on the shrine showed that "terrorists have no consideration for any religion, faith and belief". (Additional reporting by Mohsin Raza, Kamran Haider, Augustine Anthony and Chris Allbritton; Writing by Zeeshan Haider; Editing by Chris Allbritton and Myra MacDonald)
(For more Reuters coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan, see: http://www.reuters.com/news/globalcoverage/afghanistanpakistan)
----
LAHORE: Three suicide bombers have killed 37 devotees and wounded another 175 at Data Darbar Shrine here late Thursday night, DCO Lahore Sajjad Bhutta and Commissioner Khushro Pervez told media.
25 among injured devotees are said to be critical in condition, hospital sources said adding that emergency has been put in place in all city hospitals.
Two attackers blew themselves up inside the shrine while the third one outside it before hurling hand grenades, he added.
Relief and rescue activities are underway at the blasts site.
A hand grenade has been found near Wazoo Khana of Shrine while police has cordoned off the area.
All the injured, some of them in critical condition, have been shifted to nearby hospitals where emergency has been clamped.
Data Darbar has five doors out of which four were closed. The only door kept open had a body scanner installed with it and it is still unknown how the bombers made their way inside the shrine.
There were a large number of devotees at shrine due to Thursday while ‘Langer’ was happening at the time of explosions.
Following the triple suicide blasts, furious mob also staged protest and pelted security forces with stones, which police took under control by resorting to baton charge and firing teargas.
Police also claimed recovery of two heads and bodies of alleged suicide bombers, adding that three 10 kg suicide jackets were used to carry out suicide blasts.
The situation is under control, police sources confirmed to media.
Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, strongly deploring the triple suicide bombing at Data Darbar, has issued directives to law enforcement agencies to probe into heinous crime for submission of a report.
Also, Quaid Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has strongly condemned suicide bombings at Data Darbar, calling government for bringing to involved elements to justice.
Elderly men, women and young children were also among killed and injured, witnesses and rescue workers told media.
---
Triple suicide attacks kill 40 at Data Darbar
* 175 injured as three suicide bombers blow themselves up inside shrine
* Death toll likely to rise
* 10-15 kilogramme explosives, ball-bearings used in each bomb
Staff Report
LAHORE: Over 40 people were killed and another 175 injured when three suicide attackers blew themselves up inside the shrine of Lahore’s patron saint Syed Ali Hajwairi popularly known as Data Gunj Bakhsh, late on Thursday night.
The death toll was expected to rise further as the compound was jam-packed at the time of the blast due to the special prayers that are offered every Thursday night in the shrine.
Eyewitnesses told Daily Times that a suicide bomber blew himself up in the basement of the building at about 11pm when thousands of visitors, including women and children, were present in the compound.
In the ensuing panic, people started running towards the upper part of the compound and towards the main exit doors. Five minutes later, another suicide bomber detonated himself inside the crowd on the upper portion of the compound. A third bomber blew himself up near the main gate of the shrine.
“At least 35 people were killed and 175 injured in the blasts,” Lahore Commissioner Khusro Pervez said.
At least 25 of those wounded in the attacks are in critical condition, he said.
After minutes of the attacks, rescue officials reached the scene and started the rescue operation.
A heavy police contingent and officials of the bomb disposal squad also reached the spot. Lahore District Coordination Officer Sajjad Bhutta and Capital City Police Officer Aslam Tareen were supervising the rescue efforts.
Police immediately cordoned off the entire area and started a search operation, while officials from bomb disposal squad also checked the entire shrine for explosives.
Police say the bombers had used 10 to 15 kilogrammes of explosives in each blast along with ball-bearings.
Rescue officials shifted more than 175 injured to city’s various hospitals.
Police sources confirmed that the city administration had been receiving threats about such an attack for the last one year. Police had beefed up security at the shrine, but the attackers managed to enter the compound undetected.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani have strongly condemned the attack. Both leaders have expressed deep grief and shock over the loss of precious human lives in the attack.
By Chris Allbritton
ISLAMABAD | Fri Jul 2, 2010 3:56am EDT
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Two suicide bombers struck the biggest Sufi shrine in Pakistan in the eastern city of Lahore on Thursday night, killing at least 41 people and wounding more than 175, officials said.
It was the second major attack in a month in the city, capital of the heartland Punjab province where many militant groups are becoming increasingly active, following twin attacks on a minority sect that left more than 80 people dead.
Below are some questions and answers about the latest attack in Lahore and who might be responsible.
WHO MIGHT BE BEHIND THE ATTACK?
Militants drawn from Punjab who have joined ranks with Taliban in their northwestern bastion -- some of the most feared groups in the country -- and are likely to be high on the list of suspects.
These militants, sometimes called the "Punjabi Taliban," are especially troublesome because they pose a threat to stability in Punjab, Pakistan's most economically important province and the country's traditional seat of power.
Sunni Muslim Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), a notorious al-Qaeda-linked organization which has forged ties with the Taliban, is one of the most well-known groups.
LeJ emerged as a sectarian group in the 1990s targeting minority Shi'ite Muslims but later graduated to more audacious attacks, and is suspected of being behind the truck bombing of Islamabad's Marriott Hotel in 2008 which killed 55 people. Analysts say the group was behind last year's brazen attack on the army headquarters in Rawalpindi, in which more than 20 people were killed.
HOW IS THIS ATTACK DIFFERENT?
It's the first attack on a major shrine in Punjab, the country's heartland, and the first attack on a major Sufi shrine - although there have been attacks on Sufi shrines before in Baluchistan, Islamabad, Peshawar and Swat.
It's not the first attack on a religious site in Lahore. Almost exactly a month ago, twin teams of suicide bombers attacked two mosques in Lahore belonging to Ahmadis, a minority sect who believe they are followers of Islam and that Mohammad was not the final prophet, but whom most Muslims consider to be a heretic sect.
But this attack is likely to hit Pakistanis harder because the Data Gunj Bakhsh shrine is the most popular in Pakistan and most Pakistanis adhere to the Sufi strand of Islam. It's a direct attack on the religious identity of the majority of the country.
WHY ARE THEY ATTACKING RELIGIOUS SITES?
The attackers, assuming they're part of the constellation of radical Sunni groups operating in Pakistan, are violently opposed to differing views of Islam. Shi'ites, Ahmadis and Sufis are all considered heretics or apostates to most of the militant groups, and thus worthy of being killed.
At the same time, mosques and shrines are popular gathering places for Pakistanis and often have poor security, making them soft targets. Attacking mosques sends a powerful message in deeply religious Pakistan, showing that no place is safe and that the government and security forces are powerless to protect people, weakening their already shaky credibility.
WHAT WILL THE RESPONSE BE?
The Punjab government has been slow to recognize the growing threat of militant groups such as LeJ based in there. After the Ahmadi attacks, several provincial officials ruled out any kind of military operation against militant groups along the lines of the army's push into the frontier areas to the west and northwest along the Afghan border to root out the Taliban.
Reprisals for the twin Ahmadi bombings was muted because they are a reviled minority group. But an attack on a popular religious shrine will mean the Punjab government, led by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the main opposition party in parliament, will now be under immense pressure to act.
Punjab officials say they already have 4,000 young men under watch who have to notify police officials if they leave their villages. But analysts have said this is just "rounding up the usual suspects" and not going after the heads of the militant groups. That may be about to change, although the risks to the PML-N and the security forces are great.
The PML-N draws followers from the same pool of supporters of Islamist groups, and moving against them could mean losing votes in future elections. Also, given the strength of the militant groups in Punjab and the level of support they enjoy among the people, there are fears the government forces might lose.
(Writing by Chris Allbritton, editing by Miral Fahmy)
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/SGE6600KY.htm
01 Jul 2010 20:00:56 GMT
Source: Reuters
* Second major attack in the city in recent weeks
* Dead bodies scattered all over
* 'Sickening poison of extremism will be driven out'
(Raises death toll, adds colour, details)
By Mubashir Bukhari
LAHORE, Pakistan, July 1 (Reuters) - Three suicide bombers struck a Sufi shrine in Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore on Thursday, killing at least 35 people and wounding more than 100, officials said, the second major attack in the city in a month.
Hundreds of devotees were visiting the shrine of the Persian Sufi saint, Syed Ali Hajwairi, commonly known as Data Gunj Bakhsh, in the heart of the city when the attacks occurred. Muslims in Pakistan visit shrines and mosques in large numbers on Thursday nights and Friday.
"Dead bodies are scattered all over the courtyard of the shrine," Reuters photographer Mohsin Raza said from the scene. "There is blood everywhere. Two of the dead were my friends. It's very horrifying," he said in a choked voice.
One of the attackers blew himself up at the gate of the sprawling, marble shrine while two other attacks took place in the basement of the shrine where people were washing for prayers.
Khursro Pervez, a senior government official, said at least 35 people were killed and 125 wounded.
Militants linked to al Qaeda and the Taliban have unleashed a wave of attacks across Pakistan in revenge for military offensives in their bastions in the northwest of the country near the Afghan border.
While most of the reprisal militant attacks have taken place in the northwest, militants have also stepped up attacks in the heartland of the country, mainly the central province of Punjab. Lahore is the capital of Punjab.
Officials have blamed attacks on the "Punjabi Taliban", a term used for militants drawn from Punjab who have joined ranks with Taliban in the northwest.
More than 80 people were killed in twin attacks on the mosques of the minority Ahmadi sect in May.
The shrine at Data Darbar is one of the most famous in Pakistan, attracting hundreds of devotees every night, with Thursdays being the most popular nights. The complex includes a mosque and a police station in the basement.
Farahnaz Ispahani, spokeswoman for President Asif Ali Zardari, condemned the attack. "This sickening poison of extremism will be driven out of our nation and we will not be cowed."
Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani said the attack on the shrine showed that "terrorists have no consideration for any religion, faith and belief". (Additional reporting by Mohsin Raza, Kamran Haider, Augustine Anthony and Chris Allbritton; Writing by Zeeshan Haider; Editing by Chris Allbritton and Myra MacDonald)
(For more Reuters coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan, see: http://www.reuters.com/news/globalcoverage/afghanistanpakistan)
----
LAHORE: Three suicide bombers have killed 37 devotees and wounded another 175 at Data Darbar Shrine here late Thursday night, DCO Lahore Sajjad Bhutta and Commissioner Khushro Pervez told media.
25 among injured devotees are said to be critical in condition, hospital sources said adding that emergency has been put in place in all city hospitals.
Two attackers blew themselves up inside the shrine while the third one outside it before hurling hand grenades, he added.
Relief and rescue activities are underway at the blasts site.
A hand grenade has been found near Wazoo Khana of Shrine while police has cordoned off the area.
All the injured, some of them in critical condition, have been shifted to nearby hospitals where emergency has been clamped.
Data Darbar has five doors out of which four were closed. The only door kept open had a body scanner installed with it and it is still unknown how the bombers made their way inside the shrine.
There were a large number of devotees at shrine due to Thursday while ‘Langer’ was happening at the time of explosions.
Following the triple suicide blasts, furious mob also staged protest and pelted security forces with stones, which police took under control by resorting to baton charge and firing teargas.
Police also claimed recovery of two heads and bodies of alleged suicide bombers, adding that three 10 kg suicide jackets were used to carry out suicide blasts.
The situation is under control, police sources confirmed to media.
Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, strongly deploring the triple suicide bombing at Data Darbar, has issued directives to law enforcement agencies to probe into heinous crime for submission of a report.
Also, Quaid Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has strongly condemned suicide bombings at Data Darbar, calling government for bringing to involved elements to justice.
Elderly men, women and young children were also among killed and injured, witnesses and rescue workers told media.
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Triple suicide attacks kill 40 at Data Darbar
* 175 injured as three suicide bombers blow themselves up inside shrine
* Death toll likely to rise
* 10-15 kilogramme explosives, ball-bearings used in each bomb
Staff Report
LAHORE: Over 40 people were killed and another 175 injured when three suicide attackers blew themselves up inside the shrine of Lahore’s patron saint Syed Ali Hajwairi popularly known as Data Gunj Bakhsh, late on Thursday night.
The death toll was expected to rise further as the compound was jam-packed at the time of the blast due to the special prayers that are offered every Thursday night in the shrine.
Eyewitnesses told Daily Times that a suicide bomber blew himself up in the basement of the building at about 11pm when thousands of visitors, including women and children, were present in the compound.
In the ensuing panic, people started running towards the upper part of the compound and towards the main exit doors. Five minutes later, another suicide bomber detonated himself inside the crowd on the upper portion of the compound. A third bomber blew himself up near the main gate of the shrine.
“At least 35 people were killed and 175 injured in the blasts,” Lahore Commissioner Khusro Pervez said.
At least 25 of those wounded in the attacks are in critical condition, he said.
After minutes of the attacks, rescue officials reached the scene and started the rescue operation.
A heavy police contingent and officials of the bomb disposal squad also reached the spot. Lahore District Coordination Officer Sajjad Bhutta and Capital City Police Officer Aslam Tareen were supervising the rescue efforts.
Police immediately cordoned off the entire area and started a search operation, while officials from bomb disposal squad also checked the entire shrine for explosives.
Police say the bombers had used 10 to 15 kilogrammes of explosives in each blast along with ball-bearings.
Rescue officials shifted more than 175 injured to city’s various hospitals.
Police sources confirmed that the city administration had been receiving threats about such an attack for the last one year. Police had beefed up security at the shrine, but the attackers managed to enter the compound undetected.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani have strongly condemned the attack. Both leaders have expressed deep grief and shock over the loss of precious human lives in the attack.
Fake Degree Crisis-Parliament & PIA; PPP;PML-N
PIA sacks 200 employees for holding fake degrees
Updated at: 2015 PST, Thursday, July 01, 2010 ShareThis story
KARACHI: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has terminated the services of its 200 employees for holding fake degrees.
According to the spokesman of the National Airline, the employees were sacked for submitting fake degrees for getting jobs.
Sources have learned that 750 employees of the National Flag carrier were identified in 2008 who had submitted fake credentials for obtaining jobs. However, they had been given two years to complete their education.
After the expiry of the deadline, PIA sacked 200 such employees who failed to complete the required education
Updated at: 2015 PST, Thursday, July 01, 2010 ShareThis story
KARACHI: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has terminated the services of its 200 employees for holding fake degrees.
According to the spokesman of the National Airline, the employees were sacked for submitting fake degrees for getting jobs.
Sources have learned that 750 employees of the National Flag carrier were identified in 2008 who had submitted fake credentials for obtaining jobs. However, they had been given two years to complete their education.
After the expiry of the deadline, PIA sacked 200 such employees who failed to complete the required education
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Taliban claim killing of 20 coalition troops
Despite UAVs, the Taliban are winning!
In Vietnam the Americans killed 3 million people using all types of sophisticated weapons. At the end, US savages had to leave clinging to their helicopters.
Using American-supplied cluster and phosphorus bombs, all types of F-s warplanes and thousands of missiles the Israelis were unable to reach the Litani river and had to leave Lebanon in August 2006 licking their wounds.
In Afghanistan, the Taliban have refused the Americans call for negotiation. No power on earth can defeat people when they
Like many Jews who were on this forum before, Raging bull must have gone on a failed MOSSAD mission. Iraq became the graveyard for Israeli agents venturing south of the Kurdish-controlled North of the country. Or he may have been wounded after landing on the Turkish Freedom Flotila!
Recently, Rahm Emanuel, Obama Chief of Staff, was called to Israel as his unit was put on alert. Mr Emanuel is a reserve IDF officer who served in Israel during the first Gulf war on Iraq in 1991.
Iran has already started to flex its muscle. With sophisticated weapons in Kandahar, Lebanon and Syria the USraeli soldiers and their allies will enjoy the wrath of Arabs and Muslims if they ever dared to attack Iran. Iran is not a disarmed Iraq.
Adnan Darwash, Iraq Occupation Times
Updated at: 1420 PST, Wednesday, June 30, 2010
JALALABAD: Foreign troops repulsed a commando style-attack on Wednesday by Taliban insurgents against an airfield in eastern Afghanistan, officials claimed, however, Taliban claimed killing of 20 coalition troops.
The blast wounded an Afghan soldier and a foreigner, while a group of other militants equipped with rocket propelled grenades and small arms clashed with Afghan and foreign forces.
"The airfield's perimeter was not breached and several insurgent were killed during the attack," the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said in a statement.
A Taliban spokesman said six-suicide commandos were involved in the attack, which he said killed more than 20foreign and Afghan forces.
Since being overthrown in 2001 the Taliban have gone from strength to strength and are engaged daily in clashes with Afghan security forces and around 150,000 foreign troops.
In Vietnam the Americans killed 3 million people using all types of sophisticated weapons. At the end, US savages had to leave clinging to their helicopters.
Using American-supplied cluster and phosphorus bombs, all types of F-s warplanes and thousands of missiles the Israelis were unable to reach the Litani river and had to leave Lebanon in August 2006 licking their wounds.
In Afghanistan, the Taliban have refused the Americans call for negotiation. No power on earth can defeat people when they
Like many Jews who were on this forum before, Raging bull must have gone on a failed MOSSAD mission. Iraq became the graveyard for Israeli agents venturing south of the Kurdish-controlled North of the country. Or he may have been wounded after landing on the Turkish Freedom Flotila!
Recently, Rahm Emanuel, Obama Chief of Staff, was called to Israel as his unit was put on alert. Mr Emanuel is a reserve IDF officer who served in Israel during the first Gulf war on Iraq in 1991.
Iran has already started to flex its muscle. With sophisticated weapons in Kandahar, Lebanon and Syria the USraeli soldiers and their allies will enjoy the wrath of Arabs and Muslims if they ever dared to attack Iran. Iran is not a disarmed Iraq.
Adnan Darwash, Iraq Occupation Times
Updated at: 1420 PST, Wednesday, June 30, 2010
JALALABAD: Foreign troops repulsed a commando style-attack on Wednesday by Taliban insurgents against an airfield in eastern Afghanistan, officials claimed, however, Taliban claimed killing of 20 coalition troops.
The blast wounded an Afghan soldier and a foreigner, while a group of other militants equipped with rocket propelled grenades and small arms clashed with Afghan and foreign forces.
"The airfield's perimeter was not breached and several insurgent were killed during the attack," the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said in a statement.
A Taliban spokesman said six-suicide commandos were involved in the attack, which he said killed more than 20foreign and Afghan forces.
Since being overthrown in 2001 the Taliban have gone from strength to strength and are engaged daily in clashes with Afghan security forces and around 150,000 foreign troops.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Latest developments G8, G20
View from Toronto
(Canadian Press)
* Blog: G20 Street Level
* Map: Toronto security zones
* G20 summit flyover (requires Google Earth)
The G8 leaders meet this morning in Huntsville, Ont., to discuss two of the world's nuclear trouble spots, Iran and North Korea, along with global economic issues.
Canada has pledged $1.1 billion to its global initiative on maternal and child health for developing countries, announcing the money on the first day of the G8 summit near Huntsville, Ont.
Meanwhile, police forces in charge of security for the G20 in Toronto have been granted special powers for the duration of that summit. Under the new regulations, anyone who comes within five metres of the security fence is obliged to give police their name and state the purpose of their visit.
The first sizable protest during the G20 summit began Friday afternoon, with at least 2,000 people gathering at a park east of downtown Toronto before taking to the streets. A few hundred people later set up tents at the same park, where they said they will camp for the weekend.
A judge has dismissed a motion that sought to ban police use of so-called sound cannons to control crowds during the G20 summit in Toronto. While Friday's decision allows police to use the devices, it also places limits on how they can use them.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/05/26/f-g8-huntsville-g20-toronto.html#ixzz0rxteED7p
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Police arrest more than 500 at Toronto summit
AP
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A protester kicks a burnt-out car as a police vehicle burns in the background during an anti-G20 demonstration Saturday, June 26, 2010 in Toronto. (AP AP – A protester kicks a burnt-out car as a police vehicle burns in the background during an anti-G20 demonstration …
* G-20 Summit Protests Slideshow:G-20 Summit Protests
By ROB GILLIES, Associated Press Writer Rob Gillies, Associated Press Writer – 1 hr 16 mins ago
TORONTO – Police conducted a large raid and rounded up more protesters Sunday in an effort to quell further violence at the global economic summit after black-clad youths rampaged through the city, smashing windows and torching police cruisers.
Police said they have arrested more than 500 demonstrators, many of whom were hauled away in plastic handcuffs and taken to a temporary holding center constructed for the summit.
Thousands of police in riot gear formed cordons to prevent radical anti-globalization demonstrations from breaching the steel and concrete security fence surrounding the Group of 20 summit site.
Toronto Police Sgt. Tim Burrows said police made at least 50 arrests in a Sunday morning raid on a building on the campus of the University of Toronto, where they seized a cache of "street-type weaponry" such as bricks, sticks and rocks.
"We think we put a dent in their numbers with this and with the arrests that happened overnight," Burrows said.
The disorder and vandalism occurred just blocks from where U.S. President Barack Obama and other world leaders were meeting and staying.
"What we saw yesterday is a bunch of thugs that pretend to have a difference of opinion with policies and instead choose violence to express those so-called differences of opinion," Prime Minister Stephen Harper's chief spokesman Dimitri Soudas said Sunday.
The streets of downtown Toronto were quiet at daylight, but protesters gathered Sunday morning at a park near the detention center — about 2.5 miles (four kilometers) east of where the leaders are meeting.
Police went into the crowd and made some arrests, adopting a more aggressive strategy than the previous day when they stood back as protesters torched four police cars and broke store windows.
Thee protest outside the temporary holding facility was quickly broken up by riot police, who set off a warning device that created a cloud of smoke before they chased the group down the street.
About 100 demonstrators chanted, "The whole world is watching! The whole world is watching!'"
Burrows said many of those involved in the violent protests were Canadian. He added that authorities had known of their plans for some time.
"We're not sure we have the leaders, but we have a large proportion of those people and the people who decided they wanted to be influenced by these violent protesters and join with their cause," Burrows said. "A lot of them were home grown. There's a lot of Canadian talent in the group."
Two security guards at a downtown department store witnessed two men emerging from a manhole around 1:30 a.m. more than four blocks north of the security perimeter. The windows of the Hudson's Bay Company store had been damaged earlier during the protests.
"I noticed the manhole cover pop up off the ground and I saw two guys pop up," security guard Peter Panagopoulos said. "My partner saw the police, waved them down. ... In about two minutes there were about 30 to 40 police officers here and they just were all over the boys."
Panagopoulous said he was "freaked out."
"You never know what the hell is going down — there could be bombs. Who knows what is down there."
Police later welded the manhole cover.
Thousands of police headed to Toronto to reinforce security there after the smaller Group of Eight summit ended Saturday in Huntsville, Ontario, about 140 miles (225 kilometers) away. Security was being provided by an estimated 19,000 law enforcement officers drawn from across Canada, and security costs were estimated at more than US$900 million.
Saturday's protests began with a peaceful march, sponsored by labor unions and dubbed family friendly, that was the largest demonstration planned during the summit weekend. Its organizers had hoped to draw a crowd of 10,000, but only about half that number turned out on a rainy day.
Police in riot gear and riding bikes formed a blockade, keeping protesters from approaching the security fence a few blocks south of the march route. Police closed a stretch of Toronto's subway system along the protest route and the largest shopping mall downtown closed after the protest took a turn for the worse.
The black-clad demonstrators broke off from the larger crowd of peaceful protesters and began torching police cars and smashing shop windows.
Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair said the goal of the militant protesters was to draw police away from the security perimeter of the summit so that fellow protesters could attempt to disrupt the meeting.
Some police officers were struck by rocks and bottles and assaulted, but none was injured badly enough to stop working, Blair said.
"We have never seen that level of wanton criminality and vandalism and destruction on our streets," Blair said.
Previous global summit protests have turned violent. In 1999, 50,000 protesters shut down World Trade Organization sessions in Seattle as police fired tear gas and rubber bullets. There were some 600 arrests and $3 million in property damage. One man died after clashes with police at a G-20 meeting held in London in April 2009.
At the September G-20 summit in Pittsburgh, police fired canisters of pepper spray and smoke and rubber bullets at marchers.
____
Associated Press Writers Ian Harrison and Charmaine Noronha contributed to this report.
---
Toronto police fire tear gas on G20 protesters
Reuters
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Activists march during a protest ahead of the G20 Summit in downtown Toronto Reuters – Activists march during a protest ahead of the G20 Summit in downtown Toronto, June 25, 2010. About 2,000 …
By Cameron French and Pav Jordan Cameron French And Pav Jordan – 1 hr 45 mins ago
TORONTO (Reuters) – Police in Toronto fired tear gas on protesters for a second straight day on Sunday as new violence surrounding the G20 summit erupted and the arrest tally climbed above 500.
The latest clashes occurred as several hundred protesters marched on a temporary detention center for demonstrators arrested in riots on Saturday during which police used tear gas against the public for the first time ever in Canada's most populous city.
A police spokeswoman confirmed that officers on Sunday fired what are known as muzzle blasts, or "individual applications of tear gas" that are used typically against individuals at close range.
A Reuters witness in front of a former film studio in Toronto's port area where police are detaining protesters said he heard a loud "thunk" and saw clouds of smoke billow before police charged, scattering the crowd.
The weekend violence started on Saturday afternoon after groups of masked anarchists broke away from a larger, peaceful demonstration against the Group of 20 summit of rich and emerging economies, which ends on Sunday.
Protesters, many dressed in black gear, smashed windows of downtown stores and banks and torched police cars in a protest that police finally brought under control with tear gas and mass arrests.
"What we're prepared for today is more of what we saw yesterday," a police spokesman said. "We'd like to see demonstrations remain peaceful."
'BUNCH OF THUGS'
After a day when police admitted losing control of a violent and fast-moving crowd, the arrests came fast on Sunday.
Among those detained, for charges ranging from mischief to assaulting police, were four people who climbed through the sewer system and emerged near the lock-down area where world leaders were attending the summit. Police said they were urgently sealing sewer access near the zone.
A "large number" of people were detained in a raid at the University of Toronto's downtown campus, and police said they seized weapons, including bricks, rocks and sticks.
"What we saw yesterday ... is a bunch of thugs that pretend to have a difference of opinion with policies and instead choose violence in order to express those so-called differences of opinion," Dimitri Soudas, spokesman for Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, told a news conference.
Anti-G20 groups started demonstrating in Toronto before the summit, which followed a smaller meeting of Group of Eight industrial nations in a resort town north of Toronto. The security bill is set to come in at about $1 billion.
Such international meetings have been the target of protest groups for years, including demonstrations that disrupted trade talks in Seattle in 1999.
(Additional reporting by David Ljunggren and Claire Sibonney; Editing by Peter Cooney)
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Democratic US Military Coup In Iraq
By hook or crook the Americans want their man in Iraq, Dr Azad Allaw, to take over the country. By his admittance, Dr Allawi has been working for years as an agent for MI-6 and CIA. The CIA has established an Iraqi inteligence agency headed by Dr Allawi which has been carrying out dirty works on CIA behalf. In all his current negotiations to form a government Dr Allawi insisted on having the security and defence ministries under his control. If things do not go the American way, Dr Allawi is expected to take over the country supported by US-paid mercenaries.Right now, his house in Baghdad is protected by double high-concrete walls and guarded by US marines.
The problem is how to place the electrodes before losing your balls. I wish they US military show you what we see on the ground in Iraq. The poor US soldiers body parts had to be collected in Jalawala recently. The Americans have been paying dearly for marching on Baghdad to Israeli drums. Keep going and repeat the same on Tehran. The USraeli bubble is about to burst when they attack Iran, Syria, Lebanon and Gaza. The American soldiers will be mauled in Iraq and in Afghanistan, because of Obama support for Israeli designs. I wrote it will be a hot summer. Try to study carefully what I have wrote.
Adnan Darwash, Iraq Occupation Times
The problem is how to place the electrodes before losing your balls. I wish they US military show you what we see on the ground in Iraq. The poor US soldiers body parts had to be collected in Jalawala recently. The Americans have been paying dearly for marching on Baghdad to Israeli drums. Keep going and repeat the same on Tehran. The USraeli bubble is about to burst when they attack Iran, Syria, Lebanon and Gaza. The American soldiers will be mauled in Iraq and in Afghanistan, because of Obama support for Israeli designs. I wrote it will be a hot summer. Try to study carefully what I have wrote.
Adnan Darwash, Iraq Occupation Times
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