Militants Overrun Pakistan Army Base
As many as 25 troops were missing and feared dead after Islamic militants armed with rockets overran a remote military outpost close to the Afghan border, the military said Wednesday. It claimed 40 attackers were killed in the fight.
"About 200 militants charged the fort from four sides" late Tuesday, said army spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas. "They broke through the fort's wall with rockets."
"Fifteen of the troops in the base escaped and they have reached (the town of) Jandola while 25 others have scattered and there is no news how many of them were martyred or fled," he said.
The border region has emerged as a front line in the war on terror since Pakistan allied itself with the U.S. following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Washington has given Pakistan billions of dollars in aid to help government forces battle militants.
A total of 40 members of the paramilitary Frontier Corps were manning the post at the time of the attack, Abbas said, adding that government artillery was shelling the region.
Forty attackers died in the assault, he said. It was not immediately possible to verify the army's claim. In the past, the rebels have given much lower figures for their own casualties.
The outpost is one of several dozen such bases located along South Waziristan's mountainous border with Afghanistan.
The U.S. hopes that elections set for Feb. 18 will help stabilize Pakistan as it faces rising attacks by militants. On Tuesday, Pakistan's government urged opposition leaders to refrain from holding rallies ahead of the elections, citing an escalating terrorist threat.
Opposition leader Nawaz Sharif's party quickly rejected the recommendation, accusing officials of trying block the campaign against Musharraf.
The squabble follows the Dec. 27 assassination of Benazir Bhutto, whose Pakistan Peoples Party is expected by many to emerge as the parliament's largest after the Feb. 18 elections.
The Interior Ministry issued guidelines to political leaders Tuesday "for their safety and security." These included recommendations to inform authorities of their movements.
"It is of paramount importance that the political leadership is sensitized about the looming threat and asked to adopt a security conscious approach," Interior Ministry spokesman Javed Iqbal Cheema said. "Big rallies should be avoided as much as possible."
Large rallies have traditionally been the main way to drum up support in election campaigns.
Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League party denounced the guidelines. Party spokesman Ahsan Iqbal accused authorities of "playing with terrorist threat to stop opposition parties from reaching out to the people."
"This is a failure of Pervez Musharraf. If he resigns, the law and order situation will become normal," Iqbal said. "This is intended only to stop the opposition from campaigning."
© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report. "About 200 militants charged the fort from four sides" late Tuesday, said army spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas. "They broke through the fort's wall with rockets."
"Fifteen of the troops in the base escaped and they have reached (the town of) Jandola while 25 others have scattered and there is no news how many of them were martyred or fled," he said.
The border region has emerged as a front line in the war on terror since Pakistan allied itself with the U.S. following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Washington has given Pakistan billions of dollars in aid to help government forces battle militants.
A total of 40 members of the paramilitary Frontier Corps were manning the post at the time of the attack, Abbas said, adding that government artillery was shelling the region.
Forty attackers died in the assault, he said. It was not immediately possible to verify the army's claim. In the past, the rebels have given much lower figures for their own casualties.
The outpost is one of several dozen such bases located along South Waziristan's mountainous border with Afghanistan.
The U.S. hopes that elections set for Feb. 18 will help stabilize Pakistan as it faces rising attacks by militants. On Tuesday, Pakistan's government urged opposition leaders to refrain from holding rallies ahead of the elections, citing an escalating terrorist threat.
Opposition leader Nawaz Sharif's party quickly rejected the recommendation, accusing officials of trying block the campaign against Musharraf.
The squabble follows the Dec. 27 assassination of Benazir Bhutto, whose Pakistan Peoples Party is expected by many to emerge as the parliament's largest after the Feb. 18 elections.
Musharraf has been criticized for alleged security lapses that let suspected Islamic militants launch a gun and suicide bomb attack on former Prime Minister Bhutto as she left a campaign rally. It was one of more than 20 suicide bombings in Pakistan in the past three months.
The Interior Ministry issued guidelines to political leaders Tuesday "for their safety and security." These included recommendations to inform authorities of their movements.
"It is of paramount importance that the political leadership is sensitized about the looming threat and asked to adopt a security conscious approach," Interior Ministry spokesman Javed Iqbal Cheema said. "Big rallies should be avoided as much as possible."
Large rallies have traditionally been the main way to drum up support in election campaigns.
Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League party denounced the guidelines. Party spokesman Ahsan Iqbal accused authorities of "playing with terrorist threat to stop opposition parties from reaching out to the people."
"This is a failure of Pervez Musharraf. If he resigns, the law and order situation will become normal," Iqbal said. "This is intended only to stop the opposition from campaigning."
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If you think the Democrats are not just as dedicated as the Republicans in carrying out the wars for Oil, Israel and Opium, just look at the increase in troops strengths they have allowed, the anti-war promises they have broken and the threats that their candidates have made towards other Arab countries.....
Even now a draft bill is beginning its trip through Congress....Good News!! Young Neo-Scum!! If you end up tagged and bagged, you won''t have to worry about paying off your college loans...lets just hope there are no college deferrments...Sign up now, before the rush.
http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/january2008/160108_wound.htm
If the US intervenes in Pakistan, the region will explode--this is exactly what the ''order out of chaos crowd desires''.
Johnnie get your gun, get you gun, get your gun,
Take it on the run, on the run, on the run,
Hear them calling you and me;
Every son of Liberty
Hurry right away, no delay, go today,
Make your daddy glad to have had such a lad
Tell your sweetheart not to pine,
To be proud her boy''s in line.
Chorus:
Over There, Over There
Send the word, send the word,
Over There
That the Yanks are coming,
The Yanks are coming,
The drums rum tumming everywhere
So prepare,
Say a Prayer
Send the word,
Send the word to beware
We''ll be over, we''re coming over.
And we won''t be back till it''s over over there!
Johnnie get your gun, get you gun, get your gun,
Johnnie show the Hun, you''re a Son-of-a-Gun,
Hoist the flag and let her fly
Like true heros do or die
Pack your little kit, show your grit, do your bit,
Soldiers to the ranks from the towns and the tanks,
Make your Mother proud of you and to Liberty be true.
Chorus:
Over There, Over There
Send the word, send the word,
Over There
That the Yanks are coming,
The Yanks are coming,
The drums rum tumming everywhere
So prepare,
Say a Prayer
Send the word,
Send the word to beware
We''ll be over, we''re coming over.
And we won''t be back till it''s over over there!
You''re correct about the big picture but don''t hold your breath waiting for prinzowhales to acknowledge it.
Yo lars008, why you change your handle? CBS cancel it? LOL Whats this terrorislam6 stuff? Takes some getting use to!
British Muslim computer geek, son of diplomat, revealed as al Qaeda''s top cyber terrorist http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=508543&in_page_id=1770
hahaha