Security for airports in Pakistan increased to highest level

Hindustan Times ^ | Februari 28 2004 | Associated Press

[knighthawk]

Pakistani authorities said they stepped up security at airports to the highest level on Saturday, but insisted there was no specific threat of any attack.

Additional security forces have been deployed, Airport Security Force spokesman Zahid Hussain Malik said. Security will be particularly tight in Karachi, which has the nation's largest and busiest airport.

"The Airport Security Force received instructions from higher authorities to increase security at all airports, especially Karachi," Malik said.

The move comes amid operations this week against Al-Qaida suspects in Pakistan's tribal region along the Afghan border, and also coincides with Muharram, a month of mourning for Shiite Muslims.

Extremist Sunni Muslims have been accused of attacks against the government and Shiites during Muharram in the past.

[knighthawk]

Ping

[Dog]

Wonder what is up for them to increase security.

[swarthyguy]

http://www.cbc.ca/cp/world/040228/w022830.html

Didja see this little tidbit?

Speaking to the AP in Tehran, Hossein identified one of the sources for the bin Laden report as Shamim Shahed, editor of the English-language Pakistani newspaper The Nation in Peshawar. Hossein said Shahed told him Friday night that bin Laden was arrested "a long time ago."

But Shahed, who is The Nation's Peshawar bureau chief and not its editor, denied telling the Iranian radio station that bin Laden had been captured.

"I never said this," Shahed said in a telephone interview with the AP's Islamabad bureau. "But I have for the last year been saying that he is not far away. He is within their (the Americans') reach, and they can declare him arrested any time."

Hossein said he had a second source for his report that bin Laden had been captured, but he declined to identify him except to say he was "a man with close links to intelligence services and Afghan tribal leaders."

Homayoun Jarir, son-in-law of Afghan warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, said he could not confirm the report.

The Iranian news agency IRNA was first to report the capture of Saddam Hussein.

[Dog]

No I didn't see that ....Hekmatyar's son-in-law.....Hmmmmmmmm!

[Cap Huff]

I think Coffer Black had some eye-popping information for the Pakistanis. I think the added security is a direct result of the exchange of information that must have taken place during that visit.

Why their airports? All I can think of right off is that some form of retaliation is what is feared. A far less likely idea is that they expect information and/or key people to be using the airlines to get in and out of Pakistan in a hurry. In other words, couriers or mid-level types scattering. Using the airlines for those purposes seems foolish to me, but maybe they are fools, and desperate fools at that.

[mewzilla]

I bet we got him...

[Dog]

We got someone .....but who?

[mewzilla]

Can't believe One-Eye or UBL's sidekick, the doc, could be confused for UBL. If we don't have UBL, maybe this is a rumor to smoke him out.

[cmsgop]

Hey, Just Got Home, Was Up with all the OBL stuff? I just checked DU and they think somethings up and they are pissed! LOL!

[Dog]

Dude....I follow this stuff and I'm confused. The Pakistani's have increase the security at all airports today..... to the highest level. Something is in the wind.

[unixfox]

Pakistani authorities said they stepped up security at airports to the highest level on Saturday, but insisted there was no specific threat of any attack.

Well, if you INSIST, then I believe it.

[mewzilla]

Exqueeze me? PO'ed at the prospect of our having bagged UBL??

They are truly despicable.

[cmsgop]

Not only that but some question if Bin Laden was even involved in 9/11......

[hershey]

Please, God, let it be true. That monster, bin Laden, in chains, getting his lice and dental checkup. That would cook Kerry's goose, but good.