Posted on 05/18/2002 3:24:27 PM PDT by Shermy
n early April, an intelligence agency in its report warned the Sindh government against impending terrorist attacks on Western nationals and advised it to take necessary precautions in this regard.
Just a week prior to the May 8 suicide-bombing attack that killed 11 French nationals and three Pakistanis, security agencies recovered some explosives, arms, and material used for making explosives from the house of an alleged terrorist in Karachi. But while the man’s wife was detained for a few hours, he could not be arrested and remains at large.
The news about the recovery of weapons and explosives remains a secret. Intelligence sources say this terrorist, member of a banned sectarian organisation, is also wanted in various other cases. “Interestingly, this man at one time worked as informer for some intelligence agencies,” an insider told TFT. He added: “He is now a wanted man, though it is premature to say if he has anything to do with the suicide bombing attack against the French nationals.” Meanwhile, scores of activists of this banned sectarian group have been arrested by the law enforcement agencies in a countrywide crackdown.
Intelligence officials admit the suicide bombing seems to be the beginning of more violent incidents. “What is worrisome is the trend of suicide bombing. It is extremely difficult to protect against such attacks,” says an official. He told TFT that Karachi, with its 14-million population, can throw up lots of desperados as well as hundreds of victims. In the last decade, the city has lost over 5,000 people, mostly killed in ethnic and sectarian violence and target shootings.
In 1995, unknown people ambushed and killed two US diplomats on the city’s main artery, Shara-e Faisal. Later, four American employees of Union Texas were gunned down at the PIDC bridge, not far from the Sheraton hotel where the latest attack occurred. In ethnic and sectarian killings, which have become a routine affair, extremists have targeted doctors, academics and lawyers with abandon. In most cases, the police has either been unable to nab the culprits or has been unable to get them convicted. “Anyone can be targeted any time. In many ways Karachi is an anarchic city now,” says a political analyst.
He said: “We are sitting on a volcano. It can explode any time.” May 8 would always be remembered as the most horrifying day for the Karachiites, even as they have become used to bomb blasts. Although the worst incident remains the 1987 bomb blast in Karachi Saddar, which killed over 100 people, the latest attack is scary because of the involvement of a suicide bomber.
While the police and other intelligence agencies are working on the theory that the French national were indeed the bomber’s target, they have not dismissed other possibilities. The French were working on the Pakistan-French navy project for the Agosta 90B submarine. The Pakistan Navy plans to have three Agosta subs in its fleet. The deal was finalized in the mid-nineties.
Officials also say that Sheraton hotel itself could have been one of the targets. “Exploding a powerful bomb on the ground floor of the hotel could have caused a lot of damage, besides killing scores of foreigners, including Americans, British and Germans. “For any bomber, they are all legitimate targets since these countries are part of the US-led coalition in the war on terrorism,” says an investigating officer.
Some officials also say it is possible that the French became easy targets at the last minute. “The other target could be the New Zealand cricket team, which was staying at Pearl Continental hotel opposite Sheraton. The team was to leave for the National Stadium to play the second test against Pakistan just 10 minutes after the blast occurred,” he says.
Some of the New Zealand players were in the lobby as were the media with their team. This is why the story of the blast was broken by a private radio correspondent, who immediately reached the scene of the crime.
Still, the most obvious theory the investigators are working on is that the bomber indeed wanted to target the French. The Navy van used to pick five or six employees from Sheraton each day at 7.45 a.m. This was the routine for the past two years. Until the Danny Pearl incident, the French engineers and technicians would only have one navy guard with them.
But the navy beefed up security after the Pearl incident and the grenade attack on an Islamabad church in March. TFT has learnt that last year the navy offered the French company accommodation at the Naval Dockyard, which is a protected area, but the French declined it saying they did not think they were under threat.
Now, after the Wednesday’s blast, the remaining French nationals working on the project have been shifted to unknown but safer places. “They also do not move in groups now,” an official familiar with new security measures told TFT. Top officials say Islamabad is relieved by Paris’ decision to continue with the project and not shelve it. The assurance was given by the visiting French defence minister.
Most observers, however, say the suicide bombings and target killings are not likely to stop because the government agencies are incapable of handling terrorism. Over the years senior police officers have been sent to the United States and other countries for training in this field. But many of them upon return were sent on postings that do not require counter-terrorism expertise.
“Pakistan has thousands of committed militants, followers and supporters of Al Qaeda. They are not Arabs but Pakistanis since the Arabs are still in Afghanistan. The suicide bomber most probably was a Pakistani. The government has ditched these groups and rolled back the jihad policy. This has generated much bad blood between the government and these groups. They want to draw blood now,” says a senior intelligence officer.
The suicide bombing was different for Pakistan - factional strife inside the country (not Kashmir) usually does not involve suicide. Sounds like Al Qaeda.
Kofi Annan will be publicly flogged in Times Square.
Hell, do it from Vegas and make it pay-per-view. Think of the money we could raise!
Better yet, put him in the ring with Mike Tyson...
Sounds reasonable. It may be necessary.
After seeing an interview on 60 Leftists with some young Pakistani nuclear engineering students, I would do it as soon as humanly possible with any means available...
the infowarrior
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