Free Republic

"Now regarding the antrax-laced letters mailed in the united states, this may have been mailed by terrorists currently slipped into USA who are supported by Bin Laden who is supported by Taleban in turn who is funded and supported by Pakistani government. Thus we reached to the dead end and thus probably to the very source of this terror. Again it's not yet proved but may be."

Please read the following abstract between Pakistan's Ambassador to the United Nations, Shamshad Ahmad and MARGARET WARNER from www.PBS.ORG

Internal policy on terrorism

MARGARET WARNER: Now, you spoke earlier about Pakistan and terrorism, and, as you know, the State Department and maybe other critics have in fact charged that Pakistan does harbor terrorists, that your intelligence service in fact armed and trained the Taliban, that you armed and trained Islamic fighters in Afghanistan, some fight with bin Laden, some fight up in Kashmir against India.

And my question is: Is Pakistan prepared to change any of those policies now as part of this global fight against terrorism?

SHAMSHAD AHMAD: Well, I think you are forgetting that Pakistan is itself a victim of terrorism.
We have been suffering from terrorism for years, almost every day there have been bomb blasts, explosions in Pakistan. It is another matter that these incidents of terrorism have never been publicized in the western media. But there have been heavy losses of innocent lives in Pakistan, and these acts of terrorism have been perpetrated from outside. And not only this -- we are located in a geography, which is a region which is volatile, and which has been scene of instability for the last more than two decades. So you cannot choose your geography, you cannot choose your neighbors.
We have been there, and we share a very long border with Afghanistan and a very long and hostile border with India in our East. So all these allegations about Pakistan's involvement in alleged terrorism, they are just baseless and preposterous allegations, which have been made by our enemies for their self-serving reasons.
And I must say here that the other day, I saw on this very program India's foreign minister answering your questions. While I do respect Mr. Jaswant Singh as the foreign minister of a neighboring country with which---despite our best efforts for the last 50 years---we have not been able to have good neighborly relations, although we are doing our best to resumption of a meaningful dialogue----but I must question a couple of claims --.

MARGARET WARNER: So you aren't prepared to say whether you know where bin Laden is?

SHAMSHAD AHMAD: Oh, he's not in Pakistan.

MARGARET WARNER: All right. Thank you, Mr. Ambassador, very much.

SHAMSHAD AHMAD: Thank you.

You can read the full interview details at http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/terrorism/july-dec01/pakistan_10-3.html

Clearly Pakistan's Ambassador to the United Nations, Shamshad Ahmad had no answer to Margaret Warner question and he deviated by saying Pakistan is also facing terrorism.

This is not a coincidence that pumacan and others on this post are trying to justify that may be Pakistan is involved. Well I say they are you fools.

When Pakistan's Ambassador to the United Nations, Shamshad Ahmad cannot justify Pakistani innocence. How can you expect pumacan to justify it.

This is a good move considering the hostile remarks US is facing from Pakistan to slow down and stop bombing Taliban.

I agree with you ..it may not be true..sounds illogical to let him go free

Looks like we allowed him to strike first. So that we can destroy the entire terrorist organization in return.
I don't think anyone will buy that excuse if found true...

Hmm...So we left the Bin Laden go scot free to create Sep 11th horror.

"But he made that decision, and he's implementing it fully. It is still a tremendously difficult time for Pakistan, but it is essential that we support Musharraf and not betray him."

As You Sow, So Shall You Reap They have came a long way in spreading terrorism and so they have got no option left but to support the US against terrorism.
Our President made it clear to Pakistan that you are either with us or against us.

What do you think will happen if US asks them to stop supporting the terrorism across their border or face the American troops? Don't you think the peace will return to Asia?. They can't stand and say they are not supporting terrorism. And still we are trying to remove all sanctions and give billions of dollars in loan to improve their economy.
That's our committment to show them that (Before 9/11/01 and even after that)we are always with them.
We have always taken Pakistan side.

In return what we have got is TO FACE TERRORISM ON OUR HOMELAND.

Things have changed in Pakistan since 9/11. You cannot deny that they have been cooperating with us in extraordinary ways, including arresting individuals that we want and turning them over without any formal extradition.

Well I agree with you that Pakistan is supporting us in extraordinary ways in the fight against terrorism.
But I am more furious to see that why in the first place we didn't listen to other nations cry to end the terrorism before it happened in our own homeland. Anyway I know we can't turn the clock back but atleast we should make a clear distinction on who can be trusted and who cannot be.

But how can we remove the terrorism from the world while sheltering the very root of terrorism.
At some point we have to ask them to stop playing double games or else we will always live in fear.
Don't you see the Pakistan is not under democratic government now and the support is coming from the military who is controlling the Pakistan and not from the Pakistan people.

There is a big difference between the people of a nation supporting us and the nation ruled by militaty supporting us. Taliban is a creation of Pakistan. If you don't agree with me on this than I don't know what to say.

"We believe for such a dialogue to resume an atmosphere conducive for this has to be created by Pakistan."

Comeon guys. I totally disagree with India that Pakistan is not creating a conductive atmosphere for talks.

Pakistan is promoting terrorism not only to India but to many other nations through so called muslims jihadi militant groups..

The best example is attack on our homeland on 9/11/2001 where there is enough evidence that the money was routed and funded through terrorist based in Pakistan And rest of the world is still united not to term Pakistan as a terrorist state.

I do believe that our CIA is also fully responsible to feed Pakistan and Osama Bin Laden.

What are we talking about here? Are we waiting for these muslim outfits to drop a nuke bomb before we say that the conductive atmosphere is now set for talks.

I am sick of this political propaganda. Just bomb these terrorist sponsoring nations like Pakistan and ask questions later.

Pakistan denies that militants killed were Pakistani.

"Israel is preparing to attack Syrian military positions and installations in Lebanon, according to the US ambassador in Beirut"

Every nation facing the terrorism must take action now. It's time to get rid of terrorism.

Israel is doing the right thing. If it waits for USA to do the job then nothing will be done. As USA is fighting their own war.

Every nation has to fight their own war.

US helicopter came under fire in Pak: Pentagon

WASHINGTON: A US military helicopter came under hostile fire in Pakistan over the weekend while refuelling at a Pakistani airfield during an operation to recover a second helicopter that had crashed on the night of a commando raid into Afghanistan, the Pentagon disclosed on Tuesday.

The helicopter was hauling the disabled helicopter from the site where it had crashed on Friday night and had stopped to refuel at a Pakistani airfield en route to a forward base, said Pentagon spokeswoman Victoria Clarke, who said the incident occurred on Saturday.

"While there, they took hostile fire, aborted the refuelling, returned fire and departed," she said. "There were no casualties among the US crew and no reports of casualties on the ground."

The shooting incident was the first and only time US aircraft have come under fire outside Afghanistan either in Pakistan or other countries where US forces are operating, said Rear Admiral John Stufflebeem, deputy director of operations of the Joint Staff.

The MH-60 Blackhawk helicopter that it was carrying was left at the airfield, Pentagon officials said.

The Pentagon has said the special forces Blackhawk crashed Friday night as a result of an accident that occurred while landing at an undisclosed location inside Pakistan.

The helicopter was on standby in case it was needed to assist a commando raid launched that night against an Afghan airfield south of Kandahar and a compound of Mullah Mohammad Omar, the supreme leader of the ruling Taliban militia.

http://www.nypost.com/apstories/V4763.htm

PAKISTAN MILITANTS VOW TO STORM BASE

JACOBABAD, Pakistan (AP) . Police erected blockades and sandbag bunkers across a southern city 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 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.

Islamic militants summoned by Jamaat-e-Islami, Pakistan's largest and most influential religious party, vowed to seize the base Tuesday afternoon. The party had vowed to marshal thousands of supporters.

It wants to expel U.S. personnel supporting the U.S.-led military campaign designed to root out terrorist installations in Afghanistan belonging to Osama bin Laden, top suspect in the Sept. 11 terror attacks on the United States.

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. 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.

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 Monday, the head of Jamaat-e-Islami was barred by police from traveling . an attempt to defuse the planned demonstrations. The leader, Qazi Hussain Ahmed, was visibly angry.

``The days of this government are numbered, and Musharraf will no longer be in power after a few days,'' he said at the airport in the eastern city of Lahore. He wouldn't elaborate.

Jamaat-e-Islami 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.

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.

President Gen. Pervez Musharraf's government says Pakistan is lending only logistical support to the United States. He has promised that no attacks on Afghanistan will be staged from Pakistani soil.

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 Tuesday on CNN's ``Larry King Live.'' ``But I know that a vast majority of the country is supporting whatever decision I took.''

There is a another thread to this. It is been learnt that China alongwith Pakistan is assisting the Taliban to fight against US.

According to reports from Islamabad, Haqqani, who was in the Pakistani capital to hold talks with officials, told reporters that "China is still assisting Taliban in the war against the United States". He also said the Afghan militia "continued to be in touch with Beijing".

Time to teach China a lesson too now.

Pak is the father of Taliban. If we want to get rid of terrorism then at some point we need to target the Pakistan and Pakistani terrorist camp.

US is in very good position to nail the Pakistan down for its open support to terrorism from its soil.

Time for the whole world to cut the links with Pakistan and let the Pakistan pay for all his terrorist activities.

China has always been against US. They can opt for any means to cause a damage to American interest.

Time to teach China a lesson too alongwith with Afghanistan.

Those who support and harbour terrorism must be punished.

Why should they blame us for this? Islamic terrorist may have had a hand in this. May be Bin Laden himself.

Terrorism doesn't recognizes any religion,state or freedom.

Guys we are going to see more action.

Pak - India war would be great to watch as it may turn out to be a nuclear war. I think Pak will lose this war diplomatically as we all know Ismalic terrorists have always been supported and promoted by Pakistan. There is a little hope of anyone supporting Pakistan for its dual standards. Militarywise time will tell the story.

I heard Israel and Palestine are now fully engaged in the war like situation. US-Afghanistan,US-IRAQ, Israel-Palestine and Pak-India....boy it's going to be a bloody war.

Well said Mr. President "War will be fought on all front and may take couple of years but the justice will be delivered".