Posted on 09/20/2008 8:04:13 AM PDT by Red Boots
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — A huge explosion ripped through part of the heavily guarded Marriott Hotel in Pakistan's capital Saturday, damaging buildings in a wide radius, killing at least two people and wounding at least 25.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Fox News reports a big explosion, possibly a car bomb, hit the Marriot Hotel in Islamabad, Pakistan. It looks bad. Prayers for all concerned.
Foreigners among 24 killed in Islamabad suicide attack
ISLAMABAD: At least 24 people were killed, including foreigners and scores others injured, many of them seriously, when an explosives laden truck rammed into Marriot Hotel here on Saturday.
Over 50 people have been brought to the local hospitals.
The powerful explosion caused fire in many parts of the hotel besides damaging the buildings around the hotel.
Emergency has been declared in the hospitals of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
The Marriott in Islamabad is a favorite place for foreigners to stay and gather, and it has previously been targeted by militants.
Ambulances rushed to the scene, where a fire also burned, smoke hovered and the carcasses of vehicles were scattered. Windows in buildings hundreds of meters away were damaged.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, and its exact cause was unclear. But Pakistan, a U.S. ally in the war on terror, has faced a wave of militant violence in recent weeks following army-led offensives against insurgents in its border regions, though the capital has avoided most of the bloodshed.
Well they let al Queda into their nation.
So as the old saying goes: you get what you pay for....
Odd way for the Muslims to celebrate Ramadan.
I’m watching on Fox. The hotel looks like it is almost completely engulfed in flames. There is an enormous crater in front of the hotel, so a truck bomb seems likely.
How long will "Mr. Ten Percent" last?? Isn't he in Washington, DC just now -- extra motivation for the murderous b@stards who did this. "Praise be to Allah" indeed.
The BBC reported that 2/3 of the hotel was engulfed in flames. I’d expect the death toll to rise.
Just another step along the way of us eventually taking control of their nukes..
The BBC’s Barbara Plett who is at the scene says the blast created a 20ft (6m) deep crater.
Wow.
Pakistan, again..
Pay attention folks - to where the violence and barbarism of Islam is focused and originating from.....
Pakistan is the “exile state” created to house Muslims who couldn’t live peacefully along side the non-Muslims in India.
Dump truck bomb...
Senior CIA officers were target of Islamabad blast
Islamabad , Sept 20 (ANI): Several senior officers of Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) who are reported to be currently visiting Islamabad were the target of the blast at the Marriott Hotel which took place here tonight.
Well placed sources said that Marriott Hotel is usual hotel choice of the US officials and it seems that militants tipped off that certain high level US intelligence officers were currently staying at the hotel.
While no confirmation was available but Pakistan sources said it was clear that the explosion was aimed at specific targets based on a tip off.
AQ usually does several big bombings at a time...
(holding breath and praying)
That’s sad. It’s the only decent western hotel in Islamabad.
OMG....I was afraid of something like that!
Prayers UP!!
Probably the ISI's handiwork.
Go here: http://www.homelandsecurityus.com/20080919RT
I tried to post this last night but FR doesn’t allow articles from them. Too bad. It seems he was right. The patterns on AQ forums, etc... during the past few weeks were like deja vu before the 2005 London bombings. I think more is coming.
Classic jihad stuff. Yemen now here. Expect more. The Religion of Body Pieces strikes again.
Wow..
sw
Religion of peace at it again.
There you go, jumping to conclusions, you Zionist pig. Don't you know, it had to have been Israel? Muslims killing other Muslims wouldn't make any sense.
Real Player/Media Player Classic link to live Pakistan Television
rtsp://real2.pakistanvision.tv:7070/broadcast/mp/broadcast/ptvworld.rm?PTV
Houston as a target sounds pretty ominous!! The place is crawling with National Guardsmen right now and in a bit of chaos due to the storm....not to mention the hub of our oil industry in America(their reason for wanting to hit it).
SCARY TIMES!! Thanks for the link.
Check post 23!!
I saw that. I’m skeptical of some of these sites- but will read it carefully.
GEO TV's Hamid Mir, who was at the explosion site, said he saw at least 52 bodies. Most of the dead appeared to be drivers who were waiting with their cars outside the hotel, and hotel staff -- most of them security guards.
Mir said a witness saw the gates of the hotel rammed open by a small car, followed by an explosive-laden truck that detonated.
The blast caused a natural gas leak that set the top floor of the five-story, 258-room Marriott Hotel on fire. The blaze quickly engulfed the entire structure. More than a dozen cars were reduced to twisted steel.
((ping))
Next time you’re in Islamabad, stay at the...
Pat Buchanan on msnbc calls Pakistan the most dangerous country on earth. (Muslim nation. Nukes.)
I’ve stayed several times at that hotel....
In the TV pictures it appeared that the bomb hit the close but detached Men’s only exercise facility next door totally devastating it. Although the Hotel didn’t get the brunt of the blast, it appeared to be on fire.
There was a great Chinese resturaunt in the little shop area off the lobby to the left closer to where the blast was. There was also a fur shop that you could buy a full length russian sable coat for about $3K.
Prayers for all.....
BTW, a lot of Saudi’s (including their royalty) stay there.
Cable outlets not covering this much...wouldn’t want to remind voters about the dangers of AQ right now! The voters might decide that Obama is too risky for this country. (eye roll)
Per FOX- 55 dead as of now.
Pakistanis have been among the biggest supporters of al Qaeda style terrorism. Now, this they are getting to see this terrorism up close and personal. Iraqis decided they didn’t like it, let’s see how Rage Boy and other Pakis like it.
Heck, we aren’t even covering it much here given posts 18 & 23 and can’t get the headline updated to reflect the new death toll. Either most are sleeping in or checking their portfolios. Its all about my bottom line, you know.
Has anyone asked the mods to update the headline- 55 now dead?
Funny how you never see OBL and BHO at the same time.../sarcasm
I tried via the abuse button and it hasn’t happened.
It looks like it is going to be pretty bad. Just hope none of our guys got caught up in it. Also wondering if the gas line rupture that is reportedly spreading the fire was ‘opened’ before the bomb hit.
If our CIA was targeted in this, we need to bomb away..no holds barred...in the tribal regions ASAP!!
gates of the hotel rammed open by a small car, followed by an explosive-laden truck that detonated.
Classic technique, developed after we started putting up barricades. Looks like it works on walls, too. Sure made a great point, didn’t they? Those civilians’ll learn not to fight against...wait...no, I can’t think of a single valid point that was made here.
Colonel, USAFR
AQ overplaying their hand again. Maybe the PAKI’s will finally turn on them.
Hope springs eternal.
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