Posted on 07/25/2005 3:57:35 AM PDT by Wiz
SHARM EL-SHEIK, Egypt - Police investigators said Monday that they were searching for six Pakistani men as the probe into the weekend's terrorist attack at this Red Sea resort widened.
Police were circulating photographs of the six, who have apparently been missing since before the attacks, at checkpoints in and around this southern Sinai resort city. An Associated Press correspondent who saw the images said the men appeared to be between the ages of 20 and 30.
The involvement of Pakistanis in the attack in Sharm el-Sheik would be unprecedented, as non-Egyptians have rarely been linked to attacks here. It would also be extremely difficult for a group of young Pakistanis not to be noticed in Sharm, one of the heaviest policed cities in Egypt and a favorite place of residence for President Hosni Mubarak.
An official at the Pakistan Embassy in Cairo said his embassy was in contact with Egyptian authorities over the issue of the missing Pakistanis.
"But they have not officially informed us that the Pakistanis are suspected of involvement in the bombing. They are only saying: 'We are searching for them. We cannot trace them,"' said Khalid Ahmed, a counselor at the Pakistani mission.
"It is very difficult for us to confirm whether any Pakistani was in Sharm el-Sheik but it is possible that someone may have been there. I have a strong belief that Pakistanis cannot be involved in terrorism here," he said.
Many Pakistanis use Egypt as a route to travel to Europe to find jobs, he said. Last week, police arrested between 40 and 45 Pakistanis in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria for being illegal immigrants.
Police have detained more than 70 people in Sharm and other parts of the Sinai Peninsula during the investigation, which is also following different threads, including possible Palestinian involvement and whether the attacks were linked to last October's bombings in two other Sinai resorts.
The investigators, who spoke only on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the inquiry, said they are looking into whether the six men had any involvement in carrying out Saturday's attack, Egypt's deadliest ever.
Police were to conduct DNA testing on the remains of a suicide bomber found in a car that rammed into the Ghazala Gardens Hotel in Naama Bay, the city's main tourist area, early Saturday. Two other blasts rocked a car park near the hotel and an area about two miles away called the Old Market.
According to local hospitals, Saturday's pre-dawn bombings killed at least 88 people; Egypt's Health Ministry put the death toll at 64. Hospitals said the ministry count does not include a number of sets of body parts. At least one American was killed.
If independently confirmed, any involvement of Pakistanis would suggest that those behind Saturday's bombings belong to a much wider terror network than previously thought.
Until the latest news broke Monday, suspicions had primarily focused on a Sinai-based network thought responsible for bombings in the area last October that also targeted tourist sites.
The involvement of the Pakistanis, if proven, would also increase suspicions that Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida may have been involved in the attacks. The Saudi-born bin Laden is popular among militant Pakistani groups and is known to enjoy support in tribal areas close to the Afghan border.
On Sunday, security officials said the bombers appeared to have entered Sharm in two pickup trucks loaded with explosives hidden under vegetables and that police were searching for three suspects believed to have survived the bombings. It was unclear if police were linking those three in any way to the six Pakistanis being sought.
Before the attacks, the militants rubbed serial numbers off the trucks' engines, the officials said. Such serial numbers had been a key clue Egyptian investigators had used to track down those behind similar vehicle bombings last October against two resorts further north in the Sinai Peninsula, Taba and Ras Shitan.
Investigators were also examining whether the suicide bomber who set off the blast at the Ghazala was one of five suspects still at large from the October attacks that killed 34 people.
Police took DNA samples from the parents of the five Taba suspects to compare with bodies found at the Ghazala, a police official said in el-Arish, where the parents were briefly detained.
Egyptian authorities portrayed the Taba bombings as an extension of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, rather than a homegrown Islamic militant movement or an al-Qaida-linked operation. They said a Palestinian who died in the attacks had recruited Bedouins and Egyptians to plot the bombings.
But the sophistication of the Sharm bombings and their timing on the heels of two rounds of explosions in London raised worries of a wider international connection and possible al-Qaida links.
Two rival claims of responsibility have emerged for the Sharm bombings, but neither statement could be authenticated. One was by the Abdullah Azzam Brigades of al-Qaida in Syria and Egypt, which also claimed responsibility for the October bombings. The other was by the previously unknown Holy Warriors of Egypt.
Sad, isn't it? Every day, moree and more terror acts are being traced back to PAKISTANI madrassas, and yet people come up to support them?
I'm still waiting for Pakistan to prod their nefarious ISI (the same ones who ordered the beheading of Daniel Pearl for having gone to investigate and photograph Jehad camps in Pakistan ) to hand in the head of UBL and his coterie of b@stards. I wonder why it is taking so long! /sarc.
If you had followed news lately, India WAS moments away from cleaning up Pakistan. Ever wondered why Powell rushed to New Delhi in late 2002? Did you even know about this?
Iraq is essential to the GWOT (for America) - Saddam was every bit a threat to not only America (but to much of the World) - He was a reckless dictator in the heart of the Middle East, a man who had used WMD's (prior) and had been unwilling to allow inspectors the job of finding out for sure if he was trying to reproduce them.
After Sept 11th, America could no longer sit back and watch Saddam as the gathering threat he was. This was a man who had started two wars, over took Kuwait (unprovoked), had thumbed his nose at over 17 U.N. Resolutions, continually fired missiles at U.S. Aircraft! (an act of war), was a State sponsor of terrorism, and had a long history of Gov't sponsored anti-American actions.
To suggest he wasn't a threat because he didn't have WMD's (or we can't find them) is childish -
We could have searched every INCH of Afghanistan and every INCH of every al Qeade training camp...and we would have NEVER found the weapons al Qeade used to his us.....a passenger jet liner...(let alone an American jet liner)....therefore to suggest that because we haven't found WMD's means Saddam wasn't a threat is intellectually empty!!
al Qeade didn't have WMD's...but would anyone deny they were most certainly a threat! - Of course not!
Saddam was a threat and he was dealt with - India choose not to be part of the coalition of the willing (to make the Middle East a better place) - That is India's choice and you will have to live with it (but don't cry to us now every time you want more help).
Bringing freedom and self worth to the the heart of the Middle East (Iraq) and Afghanistan is the correct path in the GWOT.
A war with Pakistan then (in 2001) was NOT the correct choice. Deal with it.
Yawn (please) - Yeah, we (America) continue to fight a war in Iraq for 2 years now (a Country with far less people...millions and millions less people) - But India was going to take out Pakistan (clean them up) in short order. (get out of here - India can hardly win a mortar throwing war with Pak rebels).
See post 43 -
Wow! That's a very intelligent assessment. Read up some history.
And I am worried about your usage of the MSM's favourite word 'rebel' for terrorist. Just for the asking, are you Muslim by any chance?
Iraq needed to be dealt with.
But Pakistan and Suadi Arabia are two countries sitting on a powder keg of extremists. Both the governments are talking out of both sides of their mouths.
Syria and Iran make no bones about their support of terrorism. These two should be next on the list. IMHO
How was India going to "clean up" Pakistan in 2002 (this time) when they have no history of being able to do it.
Again, to suggest India could clean up Pakistan (in short order without the need of assistance) is a joke.
We (America) continue to fight an extremely successful war in Iraq (yet war is hard, and we have been systematically doing this now for 2 years in Iraq) - Pakistan has millions and millions more people than Iraq - (millions more who won't be supportive of any war there on their behalf...as much of Iraq was to the Coalition).
A War in Pakistan was not a good option for America in 2001 (nor is it today) - Nor would India "clean up" Pakistan in any war (history shows this).
Furthermore go read my post #43 (for additional comments on the subject).
What, now you have a problem with grammar also? Where did I mention India's war with Pakistan would be short, genius? I said it wouldn't take too long for India to START a war with Pakistan. Being a neighbour to this excuse of a nation, India's military is expected to be prepared for war on short notice.
Agree with everything you said - Another reality of the real world is we can't fight a "war" with every Nation at the same time.
One of the ways we are trying to fight this war (which will take years) is to bring the allies of freedom and self worth into play.
Moving on Saddam and Iraq (after removing the Taliban) was precisely the correct path for the GWOT. Bringing freedom to the heart of the Middle East will strike a huge blow (which is why you see the terrorists fighting so hard - They see the end coming).
Well isn't that great - How would starting a war with Pakistan be helpful at this time (if India couldn't win it without the need of American assistance - Which at this time we aren't completely able to give?)
While there are many within Pakistan that our terrorists or terrorists supporting...the fact is since Sept 11th Musharraf has done about as good a job as we (America) can expect from him. From the leadership of a Gov't perspective (with Pak) That is the bottom line (India doesn't have to like it.....Just like we didn't like that India didn't step up and fight with us in Iraq).
Musharraf is in an extremely difficult situation. That is the reality. Like him or not. Trust him or not (which I don't completely) - But regardless the man is in an extremely difficult position.
Furthermore the border region (where many of al Qeade / taliban hide - going back and forth into Stan) is mostly autonomous from the Pak Gov't (and has been that way for nearly a century).
I think the same thing could happen in Iran. There seems to be a large group of people that want a better life.
I don't think you can liberate Pakistan and Syria. They like the 8th century too much.
You dont understand the abc's of India-Pak situation.
Oh, he does alright.
Point is, the administration is stuck. Having propagated the value of Musharraf as trumping free and fair elections( a double edged sword, granted, but renders US highblown rhetoric about democracy laughable, if not treated contemptuosly), and buying into Musharraf's schtick while ignoring Paki Nuke Proliferation, support for Jihad while proclaiming his value as an ally, we are in stasis, at the mercy of events.
I'm sure that despite the recent lovefest all around, the Indian and Pakistani armies are keeping their powder dry.
But the thing about Musharraf is those damn nine lives. He's wily, clever, plays America as Stradivarius, and has ingratiated himself so well into America that he's considered indispensable.
Now to admit that the entire Paki strategy from 911 onwards was wrong is a huge step. But events will force our actions eventually.
In the meantime, at least India's nuclear alliance with Bush is on track. Considering the howls raised in the American press from both the Left and Right, it's a brilliant geostrategic move, and shows that Bush, despite the hollowness of the democracy rhetoric at times, understands the necessity of the India relationship.
And he's willing to go beyond lip service. Very commendable, that.
Ping.
dude i guess u know there r more than 100,000 pakis in the united states.hope u get the point.
Thanks for the ping. It's time for the US and the UK to let go of our Cold War commitments and admit it: the Pakistanis are evil incarnate. Oh, and try to find a moderate Pakistani who's pro-American. They're as rare as hen's teeth. Islam has vitrified their brains.
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