Pak claims of foreign involvement slammed by world media

[King Tendulkar]

The joke claims of foreign hands behind the attack etc and the lack of an attempt to stop islamic fundies has been slammed by world media. In fact their laughable claims after mumbai attacks and now are just leading to humiliating themselves more and more. This is evidenced by The Times newspaper the leading paper in the UK , in their coloumn slating pak ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From The TimesMarch 4, 2009 The enemy within Pakistan's rulers have long failed to confront extremism; yesterday's hail of machine-gun fire in Lahore is the result The attack on Sri Lanka's cricket team yesterday could not have sent a more chilling message that militant Islam is as ruthless, dangerous and adroit as ever. It also demonstrated how Pakistan each day is inching nearer to becoming a failed state. Its politicians run scared from extremists, its security services are compromised by terrorist organisations and its streets are now unsafe for visitors who want to do nothing more than come and play a game of cricket. The twelve gunmen who ambushed the team's bus in Lahore and opened fire, killing six policemen and a driver, were formidably armed, co-ordinated in tactics and apparently had little fear of death or capture. In hitting a visiting cricket team, they could not have chosen a target more likely to outrage a cricket-mad nation, humiliate its hapless Government and send a defiant message not only to India, Sri Lanka and other neighbours but to the entire cricket world. Few doubt that al-Qaeda or its affiliates in Pakistan's tribal areas were the instigators. Suggestions that the Tamil Tigers were avenging their defeat in Sri Lanka are improbable: the tactics recall the attack on Mumbai three months ago. The timing was intended as a response to the recent deadly strikes by US drones on al-Qaeda leaders in villages on the Afghan border. And the political aim is transparent: to make it clear to the Pakistani Army and the political establishment that they are losing the war against religious extremism. A measure of that failure is the absurd initial claim by a Pakistani minister that the attackers were sent across the border by India in a “conspiracy” to defame Pakistan. President Zardari's principal enemy is within and, until he and his ministers understand this, there is little chance that they will find the will and means to deal with the terrorist threat. India's assertion that Pakistan has done next to nothing to pursue the masterminds of the Mumbai attacks has proven all too true. No real effort has been made to disband Lashka-e-Taiba, the extremist organisation implicated in Islamist terrorism. Pakistan's initial denials of knowledge or responsibility have been grudgingly followed by a few token arrests - and, on past form, those held will be quietly released in a few months. The truth is that the army, the compromised Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency and the political establishment have shown no serious interest in confronting the Islamists. They have too many sympathisers in their own ranks to risk a crackdown and too many fifth columnists ready to tip off the terrorists. Many Pakistanis still believe that India is the main enemy and that Islamist terrorists might always be useful to rekindle the conflict in Kashmir or strike at Indian targets abroad - as they did in Kabul. The politicians always have one fearful eye on the angry mood of Pakistan's impoverished masses, whose plight is exacerbated by the global downturn. With the political class, largely the beneficiaries of a feudal system, seen as a corrupt and self-serving group unable to set aside personal rivalries, those preaching an austere religious fundamentalism will always find support. Pakistan is now in grave danger. The latest atrocity increases tensions with India, weakens any hopes that America and the West will shore up the floundering democracy and makes it humiliatingly clear to ordinary people that their country is becoming ungovernable. Mr Zardari should use this attack to apply pressure to both the army and the ISI. Pakistan risks a global cricket boycott, a threat that means a great deal to the Pakistani people. To the millions for whom cricket is a religion, it should be a call to confront extremism before it destroys them and the ideals on which their state was founded.

[kumble_rocks]

It is laughable ....Paki insects are working up quite a bit of storm out there in print media as well as internet ! These delusional fools are blaming RAW for the attacks and of course they have solid proof ! :winky:

[King Tendulkar]

They are just humiliating themselves by not owning up to the problem. Their constant spin and denials and frankly support for terror groups is no secret anymore. World now knows all about pak and how they operate. The cat is out of the bag for pak. They cant keep this bull up , otherwise world will just pour scorn and ridicule upon them which they are doing now. However, pak continues to act as if the cat is still in the bag, losers. Clearly our policy of informing the world of the truth about pakistan and the country has succeded.

[King Tendulkar]

Another slamming piece on pak from The Telegraph in UK another top paper after the The Times. Cat is out of the bag paks. I swear these foreign journalists are reading our posts on pak and just cutting and pasting them:haha: Paks view in the world is zero. There is a world consensus now backing Indias frankly truthful view on pak ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Pakistan must confront its enemy within Telegraph View: Attack on Sri Lankan team is a blow to the country's reputation. Last Updated: 7:48PM GMT 03 Mar 2009 Comments 2 | Comment on this article Cricket is a national passion in Pakistan with a following of millions – like football in Europe or Latin America. The blow to the country's reputation dealt by the attack on the visiting Sri Lankan team could hardly be greater. The series has been aborted in the middle of a Test match and Pakistan has become a no-go area for international cricket. The cancellation of the Australia and India tours because of security concerns were warning shots, but yesterday's assault on sportsmen, reminiscent of the massacre of Israeli athletes in Munich in 1972, has catapulted the country into a completely new category of risk. Pakistan has disgraced itself. It can only be hoped that the right lesson will be drawn from this cause for national shame. For decades Pakistan has stoked the fire of Muslim radicalism, whether in Kashmir or Afghanistan. The reasoning of the security services has been that that is the only way to prevent encirclement by India. But that policy has now come home to roost. Islamabad has lost control of much of its northern border to the Pakistani Taliban, al-Qaeda and assorted jihadi movements. The siege of the Red Mosque in 2007 and the bombing of the Marriott Hotel last year were dagger thrusts at the heart of the state by people who would sweep away its secular attributes in favour of theocratic rule. And yet, what has been the reaction of those who run Pakistan? They blame America for dragging them into a war they do not want. They blame India for providing a launching-pad for terrorism. The state founded by Mohammed Ali Jinnah may be in extreme danger, but the security forces still harbour sympathy for its enemies, and the politicians continue to squabble, as if they had learned nothing from the failures of the previous period of democratic rule in the 1990s. It is no use blaming outsiders: the canker is within. Pakistan needs to wake up. One of the saddest aspects of the Sri Lankan cricketers' departure is that so many Pakistanis will be deprived of watching their team live. Those in power have a duty to them to make sure that the country is fit to co-host the World Cup in 2011. The generals must strip out misplaced support for jihadis. The political elite, currently at odds over the disqualification of the brothers Sharif for electoral office, must learn to work together. Pakistan is rightly regarded by the West as essential to curbing the resurgence of the Taliban and the effectiveness of al-Qaeda. As the Americans prepare for a much greater military commitment to the region, it is exasperating to see the leaders of a key ally fiddling while their country burns.

[EnterTheVoid]

Well well, who're they going to blame now? Martians from the craters of the red planet? Had this happened a few years ago, the blame would be placed on RAW, thus absolving themselves of any responsibility from home grown extremists. In all the major terrorist attacks, ranging from July 7th to Mumbai, Pakistan is either directly or indirectly involved. In the meanwhile, we have Pak in their own little bubble, claiming "Oh, its never our fault. Please give us another 10 billion in aid", most of which ends up in the pockets of politicians, with very little heading to the places where it's most required - > i.e. defense / security. Can we have a timer which counts down how long before America takes control of the nukes ? America would argue that Pak is ungovernable and it is in the subcontinents best interests to disarm Pak of their nuclear capabilities so that extremists wont get around to waging a nuclear jihad On a side note, Modi, stop being so pig headed and shift the IPL you juvenile prat as a few games of inconsequential 20 / 20 cricket is meaningless to the terrorist risk posed to the sub continent Top notch articles, King Tendulkar! No Pak takes notice if this was the Indian media, but the western media saying what we have long argued is a totally different ball game

[veer]

does RAW even exists anymore? are they even capable of pulling something like this in India? (nevermind about padosi land.. )

[King Tendulkar]

The sad thing is many paks believe these ridiculous conspiracy theories. From it being India, SL, Mossad, The Yanks, Martians, Elvis Presley and The loch ness monster, or as many believe a combination of the lot. This is the worrying thing they actually believe these internet theories wether its 9/11, mumbai attacks or Lahore. You will get muslims and paks ready to blame anyone else apasrt from muslims. Many inside themsleves must know the truth but there must be others who buy everyone of these internet conspiracy theories.

[King Tendulkar]

Guardian in UK another major paper gives its damming verdict on Pak ==================================================== Pakistan needs to take responsibilityThe attack on the Sri Lanka cricket team is a result of the monsters the country has created Wednesday 4 March 2009 12.30 GMT Article historyThe sociologist Ashis Nandy once described cricket as an essentially Indian game that was accidentally discovered by the English. In the fractious Indian subcontinent cricket has always been the great unifier: loyalty to the game transcends all divisions. In a region where terror has tainted virtually everything, cricket has retained an enviable immunity, making the stadium an unlikely but reliable venue for what became known as "cricket diplomacy" between India and Pakistan. Matches can turn ugly, but very often seemingly insurmountable tensions melt away by the time trophies are handed out, and touring spectators marvel at the hospitality of their hosts. In the subcontinent, this much is indisputable: no one does hospitality like the Pakistanis. Indians who have experienced it speak nostalgically about it and wonder aloud if they will ever be able to match the generosity and warmth of their hosts. The attack yesterday on the visiting Sri Lankan team must be mortifying to ordinary Pakistanis, not least because the Sri Lankans agreed to visit after India called off its scheduled tour in response to the Mumbai attacks. India's cancellation generated some criticism among concerned commentators, but as the Indians were celebrating their victory against the New Zealand team in Napier, Sri Lankans were paying the price for their gallantry in Lahore. To be sure, at least seven Pakistani security officials died rescuing the cricketers, and Pakistanis have come forward with unusual vigour to express their outrage. But the future of Pakistani cricket – a real source of pride for the people of that crumbling country – is now in doubt. Sri Lankan authorities are already being attacked for sending their team to Pakistan. In spite of assurances from Islamabad, it is unlikely that another country will take the same risk. This is a huge blow to Pakistan, because cricket was the one area where Pakistan engaged with the world on equal terms; it was the strongest weapon in Pakistan's soft power arsenal. Where previous attacks elicited platitudes proclaiming Pakistan to be a victim of terror like others, this time responses have been tempered with the long-overdue realisation that Pakistan is at least partly to blame for what has happened. Even repeated assaults on India did not deter New Delhi from affirming its position that both Pakistan and India are equal victims of terrorism; but on this occasion the ruling Congress Party's spokesman, Manish Tiwari, refused to repeat the line. "Pakistan," he said, "is not a victim of terror. It is a victim of its own policies. The problem is not what is happening in Pakistan; it is what is happening to the rest of the world because of Pakistan." This toughness – or, more accurately, forced apathy – may owe itself to the fact that general elections in India take place next month. But still, one has to be wilfully blind to ignore reality: the monsters which Pakistan's rulers – including the venerated Benazir Bhutto – created and nurtured have come back to consume the people of Pakistan. Repeated concessions to terrorist groups have not resulted in the recession of terrorism; they have only emboldened terrorists to carry out even more audacious attacks. And as Mumbai demonstrates, if they are not contained within Pakistan, they will spread out and destroy the entire region. The Pakistani people – particularly the educated middle-classes – must now do some serious introspective work. Twenty-five years into its creation, the original Pakistan ceased to exist; 35 years after that, it has become even more unmanageable. Their governments have doubtless failed them, but over the last decade, as Pakistanis protested against the cartoons in Denmark, the riots in Kashmir, the raids in Gaza, and even against the knighthood of Salman Rushdie, substantial portions of Pakistan have slipped away into the hands of extremists who now threaten to destroy it and others beyond. It is time for Pakistanis to discard the reflexive impulse to blame outsiders for their problems. It is time for them to find answers – because if they don't, those affected by the collapse of their country will be compelled to seek answers of their own.

[EnterTheVoid]

Apparently they were aware of the attack but still goofed up :hysterical: What incompetent security, hardly "presidential" like. Obviously, none of the other countries are gullible / foolish enough to buy this nonsense

[King Tendulkar]

More slamming of pakistan by world media this time from the respected telegraph newspaper in UK ---------------------------------------------------------------- Nowhere to hide from the killing Will yesterday's attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team finally force the Pakistani people to confront the terror in their midst, asks Dean Nelson Dean Nelson Last Updated: 8:40AM GMT 04 Mar 2009 Comments 4 | Comment on this article Pakistan protests: Yesterday's attack confirms Pakistan as one of the most dangerous places on earth Photo: AP The commando-style terrorist attack on Sri Lanka's cricket team in Lahore yesterday confirms Pakistan as one of the most dangerous places on earth. It is all the more dangerous for appearing so civilised, especially in cities such as Lahore, where fine Gothic Victorian architecture, white colonial bungalows, and the people's passion for cricket, polo and tea conspire to make visitors feel safe. Yesterday's attack on the city that was once home to Rudyard Kipling means all of Pakistan's largest metropolitan centres have suffered devastating terrorist "spectaculars" and none can now be considered safe. In the past two years, terrorists have struck the Rawalpindi headquarters of the country's ISI intelligence service, Benazir Bhutto's return-from-exile procession in Karachi, and Rawalpindi again in December 2007 when she was assassinated. In September last year, a truck-bomb drove into the security gate of the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad, where ministers and diplomats meet, killing more than 50. The Swat Valley, once an idyllic mountain retreat in the North West Frontier Province, has effectively been handed over to a Taliban leader whose followers have bombed girls' schools, while Peshawar lives in fear of Taliban gunmen. Since last November's attack on Mumbai, which Pakistan ministers now admit originated in Karachi, the patience of international allies such as Britain and the United States has worn thin. Gordon Brown revealed that 75 per cent of advanced terrorist plots against Britain were hatched in Pakistan. President Obama has turned his focus on fighting terrorism in Pakistan, especially in its lawless tribal areas such as Waziristan. That this state of affairs has come to pass is due to the country's parochial world view and foreign policy, the past indulgence and short-sightedness of the United States and its western allies, and the passivity of ordinary Pakistanis, who have been in denial over the internal threat to their country for too long. Its officials and generals look east in envy at India's rise as a global power, and west in anger at their dwindling influence in Afghanistan, but hardly ever further. And only too late have they looked within at what their country has become. In short, Pakistan is a mess. The country's tribal areas have always been a hotbed of Islamic rebellion, which viceroy Lord Curzon noted at the turn of the 19th century. "No patchwork scheme – and all our present recent schemes… are mere patchwork – will settle the Waziristan problem. Not until the military steam-roller has passed over the country from end to end, will there be peace. But I do not want to be the person to start that machine," he thundered. But the modern-day promotion of radical Islam began under General Zia ul Haq in the 1970s. As president, he enjoyed American patronage to recruit volunteers for a holy war to oust Soviet forces from Afghanistan. In Kashmir, groups such as Lashkar e-Taiba and others were trained and funded as a proxy force to attack India. The Mujahideen victory over the Soviet invaders in Afghanistan soon gave way to chaos and civil war, and America and Pakistan, under Benazir Bhutto's leadership, backed the Taliban to restore order and open up lucrative oil pipelines and trade routes. The Taliban's brutality made the West wince, and its hosting of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda leadership would eventually have seismic consequences: the stage was set for the war on terror. But ordinary Pakistanis have never seen it as their war. Their antipathy to the United States is such that many liberal and highly intelligent Pakistanis genuinely believe the September 11 attacks of 2001 were a CIA and Israeli plot to demonise the Islamic world. Pakistan's reluctance to force the Taliban to hand over their "guest" Osama bin Laden was such that the country's then-president, General Pervez Musharraf, was reportedly told Pakistan would be bombed "back to the Stone Age" if it did not support the American invasion of Afghanistan. Musharraf complied, but elements in his ISI intelligence service, which had fostered the Taliban, had misgivings, and were accused of duplicity. When, following the invasion, Musharraf was shown evidence that al-Qaeda was rebuilding its global headquarters and training camps in Pakistan's tribal areas close to the Afghan border, he denied it and dragged his heels on taking action. Taliban leaders had long been regarded as "strategic assets" in the regional rivalry with India. Benazir Bhutto, in exile, spelt out to the Americans the perils of Musharraf's "hot and cold" approach and persuaded them she could pacify the lawless tribal areas with political reforms, while leading a national campaign to persuade ordinary Pakistanis that the war on terror was also a battle for the country's survival. She was killed before she could launch her campaign, and General Musharraf limped on until he was eventually forced to stand down by an alliance between Ms Bhutto's widower and successor as Pakistan People's Party leader, Asif Ali Zardari, and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif of the Pakistan Muslim League. Each step forward in Pakistan has been followed by two steps back. Domestic power plays have defined the country's politics to such an extent that real opportunities to address the root causes of terrorism have always been missed. For example, Indian and Pakistani officials recently confirmed the two countries were within a hair's breadth of a deal over Kashmir when Musharraf stalled to shore up his own position at home. There was yet another missed opportunity early in 2008, when the new, democratically elected government, led by the late Benazir Bhutto's PPP, took power. Instead of addressing the grievances in the tribal areas and striking at al-Qaeda bases, it wrangled with its coalition partners over the restoration of judges sacked by Musharraf. It is this kind of power politics that has bred "cynicism and apathy" in which the Taliban has survived and prospered, said one senior PPP leader, who asked not to be named. "Successive governments, from General Zia to Musharraf and beyond, have made big promises but have been low on delivery. There is just so much fear which dictates people's actions," he said. "Now there is despair in the cities." It is a tragedy for Pakistan – which only last year overwhelmingly rejected the country's Islamic parties in the general election and even returned a secular party to run the North West Frontier Province. But while the voters reject extremism at the ballot box, they have yet to actively fight against it, as Benazir Bhutto pointed out shortly before her assassination. The current government has, like Musharraf before it, blown hot and cold, offering peace deals to "good Taliban" with local "demands" and taking firmer action against those fighting a global jihad against the West. It has followed Curzon's advice in Bajaur, where helicopter gun-ships have bombarded villagers to bring the Taliban there to the point of surrender. The current thinking appears to be a "horses for courses" approach, exploiting differences between those Taliban who can be "tamed" and the holy warriors who must be wiped out. Yesterday's attack on Lahore, however, confirmed that the Taliban's war is raging not just in barren wastelands along the Afghan border, but in the heart of Pakistan's cities too. Could it be that by their attack on Sri Lanka's cricket team, which will inevitably bring about the end of international cricket in Pakistan, the militants have finally pushed the patience of the people too far? "Make no mistake, cricket in this country has suffered a big blow," said one PPP leader. "I shed tears when I heard the news. Hopefully now people will wake up."

[EnterTheVoid]

Anybody remember Hamid Gul? He was the former head of Pakistan's intelligence agency. A big fan of Taliban ideology it seems. Watch the following video from 1:57 onwards [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTPeLgA4P0w]YouTube - Pakistan's A Q Khan : Father of Nuclear Jihad 4 of 5[/ame] Don't ever believe anything reported in the Pak media as they're full of s * . Pakistani government officials / nuclear scientists have joined the Taliban who are now busy waging a war against the present administration. The Taliban have infiltrated every part of their country and roam around freely as if it was their own private beach. I really wouldn't be surprised if this was an inside job

[Sachinism]

It says European and Indian teams have cancelled tours Are Australia European now? Incompetence - knowing there would be an attack with specific details of locations and nothing was done Why? Why were there no police around to protect the umpires and players?

[King Tendulkar]

Anybody remember Hamid Gul? He was the former head of Pakistan's intelligence agency. A big fan of Taliban ideology it seems. Watch the following video from 1:57 onwards YouTube - Pakistan's A Q Khan : Father of Nuclear Jihad 4 of 5 Don't ever believe anything reported in the Pak media as they're full of s * . Pakistani government officials / nuclear scientists have joined the Taliban who are now busy waging a war against the present administration. The Taliban have infiltrated every part of their country and roam around freely as if it was their own private beach. I really wouldn't be surprised if this was an inside job

Well worth viewing. And this Gul was head of the ISI!!! Sums up the problem in a nut shell.

[Sachinism]

No doubt that ISI and Taliban work together

[King Tendulkar]

No doubt that ISI and Taliban work together

ISI and LET also hand in hand or what ever other names the jihadis in kashmir etc call themselves. We all know this for yonks. Just rest of the world now fully realises the way of the paks. Paks name is in the mus and their further Bull **** just adds to their humiliation and scorn upon therm worldwide. Cat is totally out of the bag, yet they still think its in the bag. jack asses:hysterical:

[zubinpepsi]

surprise surprise...... i dont see these articles elsewhere.... but wat i see is this.. http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2009/mar/05/pakistan-cricket-lahore-attacks-sri-lanka :giggle: Pakistan's blameless cricketers are in desperate need of allies Who will step forward to save cricket in Pakistan in the wake of the attacks on the Sri Lanka team?