Pakistan gunmen 'take hostages'

[demoleft]

Source: bbc

A number of militants who earlier attacked Pakistan's military HQ near Islamabad have taken security personnel hostage, reports say.

Military officials said the attackers were surrounded, and efforts were being made to recover the hostages safely.

Six soldiers and four militants were killed in the initial attack as gunmen attacked the compound in Rawalpindi.

The military first said the situation was under control, but two militants were later reported to have escaped.


Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8300745.stm

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damn.
the attack is said to be led by Tahrik-e-Taliban group, confirms italian newspaper.

[napi21]

1. Isn't this going to convince the Pakistanis to sside with the US against the Taliban?

Maybe I'm missing something but we've been trying to get the Paks to help us. Won't this help convince them?

[sledgehammer]

2. Despite initial mistakes, Pakistan has taken huge strides in this battle

Yes, they were responsible for creating the Taliban and promoting them. But it came back to bite them, just like the Muhajideen turned against their creators - the US.

In recent months though, Pakistan has taken a huge risk by battling Taliban (and Talibanish groups) in Swat and also in the tribal areas. There's been extensive damage to the infrastructure and people (including millions of internally displaced people, a near catastrophe), yet Pakistan is not relenting in its battle. Public opinion is strongly in favor of such action.

Pakistan has also given the US virtually unfettered access to drone bomb any place the US feels like if it suspects militants are there. This though is very unpopular with the people as lots of civilians have been killed. Pakistan has also rounded up almost anyone the US has wanted, and created its own secret detention facilities where people have virtually disappeared.

In a span of 18 months, Pakistan's most famous/prestigious hotel was nearly destroyed, the former Prime Minister and most popular leader was killed, and a visiting sports team was attacked by gunmen. This is in addition to almost daily attacks on bazaars and mosques.

So it's no fun and games for Pakistan. Thanks primarily to its own poor decisions, but also because of the poor policies of the US and others, Pakistan finds itself as the battleground for terrorism and is incessantly taken hostage. There's no doubt that Pakistan has made some horrible decisions. But there should be some credit for the efforts in the recent past. I don't think people need to question whose side Pakistan is on.

[EFerrari]

15. The Pakistanis are split internally. nt

[bemildred]

3. Gunmen hold soldiers hostage inside Pakistan army HQ

Militants are holding up to 15 soldiers hostage inside Pakistan’s army headquarters today after they and others attacked the complex earlier in the day, killing at least six soldiers.

Army spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas says no army or intelligence leaders are among those being held.

The militants, armed with assault rifles and grenades and wearing military uniforms, stormed the heavily guarded compound in the city of Rawalpindi.

They arrived in full camouflage kit in a white van and opened fire on checkpoint guards.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6869256.ece

[Flaneur]

4. Wow. A brazen assault on army headquarters.

The Pakistan Taliban responds to army talk about going into Waziristan.

[timo]

5. Pakistan army got PWNED

all that money we sent them is really starting to pay off, what a waste................

[YouTakeTheSkyway]

6. Actually

I'd say the fact that the Taliban are resorting to such acts is proof that Pakistan's actions against them are a threat. As another poster noted earlier, the kind of violence the Taliban is unleashing in Pakistan undermines their credibility and further shores up the alliance we've created with the Pakistani government to counter this threat. Apparently the Taliban learned absolutely nothing from al-Qaeda in Iraq, whose massive bloodletting helped turn much of Iraq's population against the insurgency... Good. Let's use that to our advantage.

[timo]

13. high above the busy one way

the fact that the taliban was able to capture a paki "headquarters" the pakis got pwned!!!! the money we sent to pakistan was a waste hardly any of it got to where it needed to be, so I guess we got pwned too!!

[YouTakeTheSkyway]

14. I Mean, To Some Degree, Sure

But the group of Taliban who conducted the operation were dealt with. Four out of five of them were killed (two by their own hand, it seems), and the vast majority of the hostages were released safetly. When you couple this action with the other stunts the Taliban has been conducting (mainly, the mass slaughter of innocents in crowded markets) it's clear they're on the defensive in Pakistan - for the first time ever.

[pettypace]

7. No holding back now for Pak

If anything should incentivize the Pak rulers to mobilize, this event should.

Forget about a threat from India, they need to send the entire force to Waziristan and go Metallica on those terrorist fucks!

KILL 'EM ALL!

[Alamuti Lotus]

8. Gunmen hold up to 15 hostages in Pakistan army HQ

Source: AP

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan – Heavily armed militants were holding up to 15 soldiers hostage inside Pakistan's army headquarters early Sunday after they stormed the complex in an audacious assault on the heart of the most powerful institution in the nuclear-armed country.

Ten people were killed in the attack, including two ranking officers.

The standoff was continuing 12 hours after assailants wearing military uniforms bundled from a white van and launched the strike, which appeared to be a warning to the military that its planned offensive on the insurgents' stronghold along the Afghan border would be met with attacks against targets across Pakistan.

After a 45-minute gunfight, four of the attackers were killed, said Abbas.

He initially told Geo news television channel the assault was over and the situation "under full control."

But more than an hour later, gunshots rang out from the headquarters compound, and Abbas then confirmed that other gunmen had eluded security forces and slipped into the compound. The city is filled with security checkpoints and police roadblocks.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091010/ap_on_re_as/as_pakistan

[tomm2thumbs]

9. ironic that they had prior knowledge, in pretty good detail...

'A police intelligence report in July obtained by the Associated Press on Saturday warned that members of the Taliban along with Jaish-e-Mohammed, a militant group based in the country's Punjab province, were planning to attack army headquarters after disguising themselves as soldiers. The report was given to the AP by an official in the home affairs ministry in Punjab's home department.'

[LuckyLib]

10. Pakistan is going to be our great problem. Everyone has military uniforms, half the

government is on the take, and the other half doesn't know which way to turn.

[bemildred]

11. Pakistan army HQ attack exposes extremist threat: Clinton

A definite "No Shit Sherlock!" award candidate.

LONDON — US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the militant attack on Pakistan's army headquarters Saturday served to underline the extremist threat to the Islamabad government.

Clinton, who arrived in London late Saturday as part of her five-day European tour, said the measures being taken to root out extremists in Pakistan were "very important".

Militants were holding up to 15 people hostage after a bid to storm the army headquarters in the garrison town of Rawalpindi left six soldiers and four attackers dead, Pakistani officials said.

Clinton told reporters she had been briefed about the attack.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iFcpbWG7ItYUzUvBs7a8VUn36tqQ

[Babyserendip]

12. The only way to save Pakistan...is to Carve it up.

The Afghanpashtuns want to be a part of Afghanistan...........anything else is slavery.

Where will America .....stand.....fall.....


(For those who do not understand ....all Pashtuns are Afghan.)