Posted on 10/23/2001 1:39:52 PM PDT by callisto
| Pakistan struggles to contain protests | |
| Southern city tense as militants vow to march on U.S. base | |
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JACOBABAD, Pakistan, Oct. 23 — Police erected blockades and sandbag bunkers across the southern city of Jacobabad on Tuesday, girding for mass demonstrations after Islamic militants vowed to storm a Pakistani air base being used to support U.S. military personnel. MORE THAN 100 people had been arrested and 14 injured by midmorning after a protest inside Jacobabad, site of Shahbaz Air Base, though the unrest was not widespread. Most shops were closed and many streets were deserted except for police, army and paramilitary troops. Most roads to the city have been blocked and patrolled for days to prevent mass entry, though some were reported open Tuesday. During the morning, about 200 militant Muslims appeared inside the city, chanting anti-government slogans, as well as “Osama is our hero” and “U.S. should stop atrocities on Afghanistan.” They made no immediate move toward the base three miles away. Police rushed them with batons, ordering them to disperse. Nearly all were arrested, according to an Associated Press photographer on the scene who said at least five protesters appeared to have been injured by batons. Two more small groups of demonstrators — one of 25 people, the other of about 15 — were arrested shortly afterward when they started to march toward the base. Authorities said they had been hiding in houses and were emerging sporadically. On Monday, violence marked the opposition as two U.S. helicopters came under fire in Pakistan as their crews attempted to retrieve the wreckage of another helicopter that had crashed during a covert weekend commando raid, the Pentagon said Tuesday. The retrieval crews were transporting a Black Hawk helicopter that had crashed, killing two Rangers Friday, the same night that more than 100 special forces raided an airfield and a Taliban compound in southern Afghanistan. Officials have said the Black Hawk was at the ready to swoop into Afghanistan to rescue any special forces that might get into trouble. The retrieval crew Monday returned fire and left the area, also leaving behind the Black Hawk wreckage it was trying to pick up, said Lt. Col. George Rhynedance, a Pentagon spokesman. He said the small-arms fire was believed to have come from a small radical group that he did not further identify. MILITANT LEADER THREATENS OUSTER The leader of Jamaat-e-Islami, Qazi Hussain Ahmed, who was barred from attending Tuesday’s protest, threatened to lead a march on the capital Islamabad to oust the military government. “I warn (President Gen. Pervez) Musharraf to withdraw support for the United States. Otherwise our members and those from other religious parties will mount a march on Islamabad to oust his government,” Ahmed told his supporters in Jacobabad by telephone from Mansehra in northwestern Pakistan. “This government has handed over Jacobabad air base to the enemies of Islam,” he said. Shahbaz air base in Jacobabad is one of at least three being used by the U.S. military as part of Pakistan’s pledge to provide the United States with non-combat logistical support for its strikes on Afghanistan. “We don’t want to fight in the streets but if Musharraf’s government falls, the policy will automatically change,” Ahmed said. EARLIER ARRESTS Earlier, Jacobabad Police Chief Akhtar Shah said authorities had also arrested about 100 activists since Sunday to prevent air-base-related demonstrations. The militants claim to have thousands more ready. “We will reach the air base at any cost,” said Maulana Abdul Hafeez Bajarani, a Jamaat-e-Islami spokesman in Jacobabad. On Tuesday, all roads leading to Jacobabad were blocked — some with barbed wire barricades and felled trees — virtually shutting down the city, witnesses said. But witnesses said some people were still trickling into the town, renowned as the hottest in Pakistan and where the most common means of transport is still a horse or donkey-pulled cart. The local administration had called at least 2,000 additional police from nearby towns to tighten security and police set up at least 200 new checkpoints at entry points, witnesses said. The military has mounted machine guns on homes of people living around the airport and they have been offered alternative accommodation — at government expense — if they want. ONGOING PROTESTS The radical Islamic group said police had arrested at least 1,100 supporters over the past two days; authorities say the number is far lower. Other activists have gone into hiding, determined to avoid arrest until they make it to Jacobabad for the protest, Jamaat-e-Islami said. • Bin Laden: Alleged targets, operations, and colleagues On Oct. 14, Islamic militants fought running street battles with police in Jacobabad. One protester was killed as mobs fought to reach the air base. Hundreds of activists were arrested before that rally as well, though most were freed afterward. Three leading Islamic clerics were placed under house arrest at the start of the campaign, another pre-emptive move to block opposition. One has since been released. Musharraf has insisted for weeks that most of Pakistan is behind him, and protests — while loud and sometimes violent — have been scattered and have included only a sliver of Pakistan’s population. “Yes, there are risks,” Musharraf said Monday on CNN.” “But I know that a vast majority of the country is supporting whatever decision I took.” U.S. WARNED ON ATTACKS Separately, Asian Muslim leaders warned the United States on Monday that if strikes against Afghanistan stretch into the the holy month of Ramadan, which begins in mid-November, it could inflame Islamic opinion across the globe and drive many moderates into the hard-line camp. But U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said the U.S. could offer no assurance. “There continue to be terrorist threats in the world,” he said. Islamic religious and community leaders say attacks during the holiest month of the Islamic calendar, beginning in mid-November, would be unacceptable and would trigger big and potentially violent protests among the world’s billion Muslims. “Moderate Muslim countries would not stand this,” Niti Hasan, secretary-general of the Council of Muslim Organizations of Thailand. Whether it's seeking help in freezing suspect bank accounts or building a new military alliance, the United States is seeking support from around the globe. Click above to find out where various countries stand in offering support. European Union The 15-nation alliance held an emergency summit on Sept. 22 and agreed to support a "targeted" military response by the United States. Britain Prime Minister Tony Blair has emerged as America's strongest international ally, reaffirming the special relationship between the two English-speaking countries. Britain has taken part in the airstrikes on Afghanistan while its special forces have reportedly been on the ground in the Central Asian nation. France France has opened its airspace to U.S. military planes and indicated its willingness to offer troops and military hardware to the anti-terror campaign. Germany Germany has supported the military campaign against targets in Afghanistan and the country's military is expected to make a contribution "shortly," the government said. Russia Russia has offered its airspace to humanitarian flights by the anti-terrorist coalition led by the United States and permitted the former Soviet states in Central Asia to offer air bases to U.S. forces. President Vladimir Putin also said Russia would intensify its support of Afghan opposition forces fighting the ruling Taliban regime. China Beijing has offered cautious support for the U.S. campaign, stressing that all measures should follow international law. India The government has offered support to the United States, including using its territory as a staging ground for attacks on Afghanistan. However, the government has been upset by Washington's courting of arch-rival Pakistan, which shares a border with Afghanistan. Pakistan The government of President Pervez Musharraf has given the United States permission to use its airspace and has promised to help with intelligence gathering and logistics. The decision has triggered widespread protests in the Muslim nation, where there is sympathy for Osama bin Laden, named by the United States as the main suspect in the Sept. 11 attacks. Tajikistan The former Soviet republic has offered to help the United States. It also received the approval of regional power Russia to offer use of its military facilities to the U.S.-led force expected to target Afghanistan. Uzbekistan The United States has accepted Uzbekistan's offer to use some military bases for its anti-terrorism campaign. Officially, the bases are only to be used for humanitarian and search-and-rescue missions although sources said they also could be used as a springboard for strikes by U.S. special forces. Egypt The government has vowed to work with the global community to fight terrorism but President Hosni Mubarak has warned of the dangers in targeting Afghanistan, citing the potential loss of civilian life. Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf states Saudi Arabia and the gulf states have pledged to work with the United States, especially in intelligence work. And under pressure from Washington, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, two of just three countries to officially recognize the Taliban, severed ties with the rulers of Afghanistan. But Saudi Arabia, host to an array of U.S. Air Force combat planes, has balked at allowing the United States use the combat operations center at Prince Sultan Air Base for attacks on Afghanistan. Israel and the Palestinian Authority Israel has offered to join the war on terrorism and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has expressed irritation over Washington's courtship of Arab nations that are hostile to Israel. Iran While criticizing the U.S. campaign, Iran has agreed to help any American military personnel who might end up in distress in its territory during operations in neighboring Afghanistan. Washington and Tehran have no diplomatic ties and the U.S. State Department has named Iran as a "sponsor" of terrorism. Iran shares a 580-mile border with landlocked Afghanistan and lies between it and the Persian Gulf, where many U.S. forces are located. Jordan Jordan's King Abdullah was the first Arab leader to visit the White House after the Sept. 11 attack and has expressed his willingness to help with the investigation. The monarch also sought, but did not receive, a commitment from the United States that it would not target an Arab country. There has been speculation in the Arab world that Washington would strike at Iraq during its war on terrorism, aggravating an already tense Middle East situation and launching a broader conflict. Source: MSNBC research; The Associated Press The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report. |
I don't know how I missed that one before, Steve. That's funny-as-hell. Stay well and vigilant, pally....FRegards
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