ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Sept. 22, 2008
Officials: Pakistan Fires On U.S. Copters
U.S. Denies Incursion By Helicopters; Afghans Want Joint Military Force At Pakistan Border
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Afghanistan wants to set up a joint military force that would have the power to operate on both sides of the border with Pakistan, where militants have found safe haven. (AP)
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Pakistan Truck Bomb Video
Authorities in Pakistan released dramatic video of the truck bombing that destroyed a Marriot Hotel in the capital, Islamabad. The attack killed at least 53 people. Elizabeth Palmer reports.
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Pakistani Marriot Hotel Bombed
Often home to Western guests, the Marriot Hotel in Pakistan's capital city of Islamabad was destroyed by a truck bomb believed to have been set by terrorists. Sheila MacVicar reports from London.
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Islamabad Hotel Blast
More than 50 killed, hundreds wounded as terrorists strike luxury hotel in Pakistan.
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The U.S. denied there was any incursion but the reports threatened new rifts between Washington and its key anti-terror ally days after a truck bomb killed 53 people at a luxury hotel in Islamabad.
Nuclear-armed Pakistan is under growing U.S. pressure to act against al Qaeda and Taliban insurgents sheltering in its border region and blamed for rising attacks on coalition troops in Afghanistan as well as suicide bombings in Pakistan.
Afghanistan wants to set up a joint military force that would have the power to operate on both sides of the border with Pakistan, where militants have found safe haven.
Afghan Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardaksaid said Monday that he has proposed creating a joint force to include coalition forces operating on Afghan territory and Pakistanis operating on their side.
"A terrorist does not recognize any boundaries," Wardak said. "So to fight them I think we have to eventually come up with some arrangement together with our neighbor, Pakistan - that we should have a combined and joint task force of coalition, Afghan and Pakistanis to be able to operate on both sides of the borders regardless of which side."
U.S. officials believe that al Qaeda's leaders, including Osama bin Laden, are hiding somewhere along the border.
Late Monday, Dubai-based TV channel Al-Arabiya said it had received a tape from a shadowy group calling itself "Fedayeen Al-Islam" - Arabic for "Islam commandos" - claiming responsibility for the bombing and calling on Pakistan to end cooperation with the United States.
A spate of suspected U.S. missile strikes into the lawless border region and a Sept. 3 raid by U.S. commandos said to have killed 15 people have highlighted U.S. impatience and angered many Pakistanis.
In the latest such alleged breech, two U.S. helicopters crossed one mile late Sunday into Pakistan in the Alwara Mandi area in North Waziristan, two intelligence officials said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
Citing informants in the field, they said Pakistani troops and tribesmen responded with small arms fire, but it was not clear whether the bullets were aimed at the choppers or were warning shots.
The helicopters did not return fire and re-entered Afghan airspace without landing, the officials said.
That account was denied by Pentagon officials.
"There was no such incursion, there was no such event," said Defense Department spokesman Col. Gary L. Keck.
Pakistan's army said it had no information on the reported incursion across the poorly demarcated border.
Pakistan's military chief and newly elected President Asif Ali Zardari have said the missile strikes and incursions were violations of the country's sovereignty and only fueled extremist violence.
Zardari, who is expected to meet U.S. President George W. Bush in New York on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly this week, reiterated that he welcomed U.S. intelligence help, but not its troops.
"Give us the intelligence and we will do the job," he said in an interview with NBC television. "It's better done by our forces than yours."
Some 270 people were wounded in the Saturday night attack on the heavily guarded Marriott hotel in the capital Islamabad, while the dead included the Czech ambassador and two U.S. Department of Defense employees.
Most of the victims were Pakistanis, a fact that could bolster government efforts to present the struggle against the militants as its own battle, not one foisted upon it by Washington as many here think.
Al-Arabiya television said the group that claimed responsibility for the attack demanded an end to Pakistani-American cooperation against the militants and a halt to U.S. military operations in Pakistani tribal regions.
The U.S. Embassy in Islamabad warned its employees to limit their movement to travel to and from the Embassy and to shopping for essential items only.
It also warned all Americans to stay away from crowds, keep a low profile, and avoid setting patterns by varying times and routes for all required travel.
In Washington, State Department spokesman Robert Wood said the attack showed the need for Pakistanis, Afghans, and the U.S. to redouble efforts against extremists in the region.
"This was a heinous act that was committed by terrorists who have no interest in anything other than maiming and killing innocent civilians. And we're going to step up our efforts and work with the Pakistanis to do what we can," he said.
Interior Ministry chief Rehman Malik said Zardari, the prime minister and other top government officials were due to dine at the Marriott on Saturday, but they decided to change venue at the last minute.
However, a spokesman for the hotel owner denied this.
"We didn't have any reservation of such a dinner that the government official is talking about," Jamil Khawar told The Associated Press.
Malik told reporters that "perhaps the terrorists knew" that the Marriott was the venue of the government dinner, saying the decision to switch venues "saved the entire leadership."
Malik had said Sunday the Marriott was likely targeted because the attack would get tremendous attention. But Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said the bomber attacked the hotel only after security kept him from reaching Parliament or the premier's residence, both less than a mile away.
Pakistani officials and analysts have said they expect the investigation into the hotel to lead to the border regions.
But Amir Mohammad, an aide to prominent Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud, said his chief was not involved and shared the nation's grief.
"We have our own targets and we execute our plans precisely with minimal loss of irrelevant or innocent people," Mehsud was quoted as saying by his spokesman.
Mehsud has also been blamed for the suicide attack that killed Zardari's wife, the pro-U.S. politician Benazir Bhutto.
Underscoring the deteriorating security, gunmen kidnapped Afghanistan's ambassador-designate Monday and killed his driver in the northwestern city of Peshawar.
Also in the northwest, a suicide bomber killed nine security officers at a checkpoint in the Swat valley, while police killed at least 10 militants in a gunbattle elsewhere, officials said.
British Airways said Monday it was temporarily suspending its flights to the country following the hotel attack.
The airline, which offered six flights to Pakistan each week, did not face a direct security threat, company spokesman Suhail Rehman said.
Meanwhile, Pakistan's army says a suicide car bomber killed nine troops in the country's volatile northwest. Army spokesman Maj. Murad Khan said the attacker detonated an explosives-laden vehicle at a checkpoint in Madian, a town in the Swat valley, on Monday. Three troops quickly succumbed to their injuries, and six more died despite the efforts of medics.
© MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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See all 81 CommentsWhat would we do without him?
That''s correct. So I guess we have to go to war with every country that has a terrorist in it at any point, which is ALL OF THEM. Bush and cronies dream, a new world war and a New World Order.
Posted by roytherobot at 03:52 PM : Sep 22, 2008
It IS their home and we or at least that incompetent LOSER a few still call President, agreed NOT to cross the boarder. This is the MOST screwed up operation in the history of the American Military that''s for sure.
Posted by guyfrompa49 at 03:33 PM : Sep 22, 2008
Do YOU live on another PLANET? Clinton LOCKED UP those responsible for the FIRST attack... THEY are in JAIL... CLINTON did NOT have our MILITARY in AFGANISTAN with those who attacked it the SECOND time there. BUSH not CLINTON told us that AL Queda didn''t matter anymore and HE, GEORGE BUSH, didn''t care where Bin Laden was. IT''s ALL THERE and ON TAPE! Good grief what grade did you complete? My 12 year old Grand Daughter knows more about this than YOU do.
its liberalism''''s biggest weakness..they do not want to offend the ones that wants to kill them
Posted by libluv2spit at 03:37 PM : Sep 22, 200
I spent FIVE years in the UNITED STATES MARINES Sparky and what we have watched the last 7 years is NOTHING short of a Cluster Fu@K!! But as usual you poor fools have to blame someone OTHER than the FOOL who walked away with the ENEMY still ALIVE. Defend the Guy who ALLOWED them into those MOUNTAINS AND agreed not to go in after them. You are what we called a walking body bag in Nam.
Man - when the Republicans take a dump on America, they don''t even wipe.
Posted by skyk239
Sounds like typical liberal mentality, there''s a;ways somebody saying I was in nam, I was in Iraq, nobody knows if you were or weren''t, it just makes you sound disingenuous because anybody can say that. You do however display the typical liberal vocabulary though, always at a loss for words so you throw in profanity to kind of fill the gaps. As far as the fool goes, you might want to look at yourself first. Your boy clinton was the one that let bin laden go after he was offered to us on a silver platter. Once again clinton''s bad judgement as a leader came back to haunt the rest of the world in general. I think you''ve been watching too many low intelligence hollywood movies, try reading a little more and educating yourself on a subject before you accuse others.
Posted by guyfrompa49
Need I point out that the marine bombing was a suicide mission, all the operatives involved in the first Trade Center bomb are in Supermax and those responsible for the Cole are in jail in Yemen and Saudi. Meanwhile, Bush has bin Laden''s taxi driver in jail for another 4 months and a bunch of other maybe''s in a Gulag in Cuba. Now who''s done the better job?
Posted by BajaJohn1
Oh, shy''s buddy, great addage there. Nothing but insults and childish talk, typical liberal mindset. Never anything useful to contribute to a conversation, just verbal attacks and insults. Way to go, is that all you have? Try helping solve issues with contructive ideas for a change.
Posted by usclimey
Typical liberal mentality once again. Your all looking bad today. Of course, did you think they would be let go after what they did. What''s your point?
Posted by skyk239
You must be sky, the liberal planet I guess. How ignorant can you make yourself sound? It had nothing to do with clinton, they would have been prosecuted by established law. It was already there.
Posted by billarynfl
The problem with dealing with people like you and guyfrompa is that there is no real language that describes you. You lie willy-nilly without a thought. You believe whatever the right wing radio or Internet feed you absolutely and without question even though Supermarket tabloids wouldn''t print the stories. You have not a clue about history, politics, geopolitics, or anything else that really matters in the world. And you expect those of us with positive IQ''s not to use invective against you when you constantly besmirch knowledge gained thorough experience, study and understanding. I guess we should just ignore the lot of you.
Posted by usclimey
You''ve repeated the same things I''ve said in here many times. You liberals can never think up anything on your own, you have to use other peoples words. So you have to lose the liberal " whatever you say is what you are mentality " . Your making fools of yourselves.
Posted by billarynfl
My point was plain if you could read; what happened on Bill''s watch was quickly, quietly and legally taken care of. As it has in the UK, Spain, France and Italy, where al Quaeda''s have been legally tried, convicted and imprisoned. Under Bush''s misguided "secret military hearings" we have a taxi driver and a whole buch of illegally held "I don''t know if they''re a terrorists." You wonder why Bush is so reviled abroad???
Posted by generey
Typical liberal once again. You never stay on top of the subject. Again, I implore all liberals to read as often as they can. Pakistan was, note the key word here, WAS. They had a change in the leadership and now they appear not to be so friendly. Understand? Try and read a little more.
Posted by usclimey
I don''t think you have a point, your not listening. I''ll repeat it. Of course it was taken care of, by the process that was already in place, it had nothing to do with clinton as your implying, as a second thought I might add.
Posted by billarynfl
So they got rid of the miltary dictator who agreed with Bush a lot and put in a democratically elected leader from family who has long ties to Pakistani leadership who disagrees with Bush more and this is a bad thing hunh? So much for the spread of democracy. There''s a typical conservative mindset; democracy''s fine provided out side wins.
Posted by usclimey
OUR side wins - my error.
Posted by usclimey
If you''d read what you just wrote, that is a good example, I noticed you couldn''t get through it without profanity once again. See, typical liberal mindset. You always turn things around, never take responsibility for your own actions. The dem party is the one that is ant-progress. The rest of your statement was as usual very incoherent. The last part might explain why you haven''t progressed, you need to understand that liberal is a bad word. You just haven''t figured it out yet.
Posted by BajaJohn1
Oh, shy''''s buddy, great addage there. Nothing but insults and childish talk, typical liberal mindset. Never anything useful to contribute to a conversation, just verbal attacks and insults. Way to go, is that all you have? Try helping solve issues with contructive ideas for a change.
Posted by billarynfl at 04:42 PM : Sep 22, 2008
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Bush apologists have been posting name-calling insults and subterfuge since the Iraq fiasco began and, as billarynfl proves with this comment, hypocrisy is one of their most glaring character faults.
Posted by usclimey
I''m not a liberal so I can''t comment on what you said, because I''m not sure who you were talking about. You''ll have to be more specific.
Posted by jn122736
Once again, you just want to wallow in the mud. Please be more specific if you can, quit making general slurs, there''s no way to reason with you if you don''t.
I don''t have time for this. You''re being purposely obtuse now. I''ll leave you with some dictionary definitions of conservatiev and liberal as you seem to have no clue what either of them mean:
conservative; resistant to change;
having social or political views favoring conservatism; button-down; unimaginatively conventional.
liberal; broad; showing or characterized by broad-mindedness; having political or social views favoring reform and progress; tolerant of change; not bound by authoritarianism, orthodoxy, or tradition.
I''d rather be LIBERAL.
Cheney''s pretty handy with a gun... well, a shotgun anyway.
Posted by jn122736
Once again, you just want to wallow in the mud. Please be more specific if you can, quit making general slurs, there''''s no way to reason with you if you don''''t.
Posted by billarynfl at 05:11 PM : Sep 22, 2008
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My point was very clear to most reads on this sight.
Your every post is filled with personal and/or general insults.
Try this for specificity: billarynfl = hypocrisy personified.
BTW,
Only culprits consider the truth a slur.
Posted by billarynfl at 05:11 PM
Uh. Hon. You *are* the mud.
Uh. Hon. You *are* the mud.
Posted by Toby2957
Typical, great comment there, very insightful. Libs have such a way with words.
Your every post is filled with personal and/or general insults.
Try this for specificity: billarynfl = hypocrisy personified.
BTW,
Only culprits consider the truth a slur.
Posted by jn122736
Typical. An out right lie now. I haven''t done any of those things. Typical liberal response when they have nothing to offer, just BS, nothing of substance.
Neither does the U S A.
but we shouldn''t mention that.
Posted by generey
What is? Please be specific.
Posted by onemoretim
How about a couple of imtelligent questions. Maybe someone can help you then.
If that is all you are able to yap on and on about, GET A LIFE.
Posted by generey
What is? Please be specific.
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Posted by billarynfl at 06:09 PM : Sep 22, 2008
Everything "reported" by the gov''t. Like the WMD''s in Iraq for example. "Pakistan" is an important "ally". "Policing" the world is in the best interest of OUR national security. Specific enough?
Funny thing is, I can remember when crude was $25 a barrel....
Posted by onemoretim at 06:20 PM : Sep 22, 2008
The U.S. petroleum industry''s price has been heavily regulated through production or price controls throughout much of the twentieth century. In the post World War II era U.S. oil prices at the wellhead averaged $24.98 per barrel adjusted for inflation to 2007 dollars. In the absence of price controls the U.S. price would have tracked the world price averaging $27.00. Over the same post war period the median for the domestic and the adjusted world price of crude oil was $19.04 in 2007 prices. That means that only fifty percent of the time from 1947 to 2007 have oil prices exceeded $19.04 per barrel.
http://www.wtrg.com/prices.htm
If Bush wants to violate their sovereignty---and the law---he''s going to have to do it in a way he doesn''t get caught!
And, pardon me ladies and gentlemen, a point here!
Field commanders are NOT authorized to make these kind of decisions and are NOT in Afghanistan, either!
These decisions ARE being made by the commander-in-chief---you know, The Decider---the onus of guilt falls on his head!
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Posted by stn_sage at 06:46 PM : Sep 22, 2008
Allies are supposed to be fighting against the same thing you twit. The problem is that Islam sticks together no matter what country they are in and Pakistan wants to please everybody at the same time. They don''t want to lose U.S. aid coming into the country that no one is the U.S. has the balls to turn off the spikit of funds rolling into countries that don''t even like us.
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