Suicide bombers assault mosque in Rawalpindi, kill 40, Islamic World News, NewAgeIslam.com

Islamic World News

Suicide bombers assault mosque in Rawalpindi, kill 40

The Taliban have struck again in the heart of Pakistan's military garrison city of Rawalpindi. A Taliban suicide assault team estimated at between three to five men entered a mosque in the city and opened fire on the worshippers and detonated their vests, killing 40 and wounding 83 more. The attack killed a senior general and wounded another.

Two of the members of the suicide assault team have been killed. The assault team was not interested in taking hostages or negotiations, according to the Pakistani military.

"They exploded bombs inside the mosque," Major General Athar Abbas, the top military spokesman told AFP. "They opened fire on the worshippers... There is no hostage situation. Two terrorists have been killed."

The blasts caused parts of the roof of the mosque to collapse.

The attack took place in a mosque that is used by Army officers on a day when the mosque is sure to be filled; Friday is the Muslim day of prayer.

"There were about 200 or 300 worshippers in the hall," an eyewitness told AFP. "Army officials mostly offer their Friday prayers in this mosque."

Major General Bilal Omar Khan, who had served as the commander of the Pakistani Rangers, and the son of the Peshawar Corps commander were both killed in the attack, according to Samaa. General Mohammad Yousuf, the retired former Vice Chief of Army Staff, was wounded.

The Taliban and allied terror groups have struck at the military and police forces in Pakistan's major cities to counter the ongoing military operations in South Waziristan, Khyber, Arakzai, Kurram, and Swat.

Today's Rawalpindi attack is the latest in a wave of Taliban violence that emerged in the beginning of October. Suicide bombers have struck in Islamabad, Peshawar, Shangla, Kohat, and Charsadda, and assault teams have targeted police in Lahore and Peshawar as well as the Army General Headquarters in Rawalpindi. Just two days ago, a suicide bomber detonated outside the gate of the Naval headquarters in Islamabad.

The Oct. 10 assault on Army General Headquarters shut down Pakistan's military command for nearly a day, as hostages were held. The Taliban are reported to have obtained sensitive data from computers and files during that assault.

http://newageislam.com/suicide-bombers-assault-mosque-in-rawalpindi,-kill-40/islamic-world-news/d/2189

Those who do not attend Friday prayers “should simply be killed. Slit their throats!”: Deoband, Islam and Tolerance, NewAgeIslam.com

Islam and Tolerance

Those who do not attend Friday prayers “should simply be killed. Slit their throats!”: Deoband

A matter of faith

By Salman Tarik Kureshi

Sept 05, 2009

The frequent discourse of the Pesh Imam who leads the prayers here concerns the Houris in Paradise, in praise of whom he becomes quite ecstatic, extolling their various charms in terms that are vividly physical. His other pet topic relates to the valiant warriors in Swat and Waziristan who are battling against the forces of Evil (he is not, let it be noted, referring to the armed forces of our Islamic Republic). He also sometimes speaks of a certain “tall Ghazi” in the mountains, on whom he invokes the Almighty’s blessings.

Some among the regular congregation at this particular place of worship do find these perorations excessive. But the mosque in question was set up by a certain friendly Islamic country (one known to give royal welcomes to former dictators) and is managed by their Consular Office. Its affairs are therefore beyond intervention by mere members of a congregation. Or is it merely the superstitious guilt of our tax-evading, bribe-negotiating elite that ensures the passive silence of the congregation?

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Taliban’s anti-state agenda in Pakistan needs early response: Afrasiab Khattak, Radical Islamism and Jihad, NewAgeIslam.com

Radical Islamism and Jihad

Taliban’s anti-state agenda in Pakistan needs early response: Afrasiab Khattak

Daily Times, Lahore, Staff Report

Experiments: He said the Taliban were trying to replicate the same model in Pakistan they had experimented in Afghanistan. “Mullah Omar could become ameerul momeneen after the failure of the Afghan state and that is what they are trying to do in Pakistan,” he warned. “Those who support them for ‘strategic reasons’ should think 100 times before going ahead with this policy,” Khattak said, but did not elaborate.

Asked how he views the US incursions in South Waziristan, the peace envoy said Afghanistan had long been ‘complaining’ against “sanctuaries of militants on Pakistan’s soil”. “The real problem is that we have not taken those complaints seriously. We face a serious situation and we have to deal with it seriously,” Khattak, who also heads the ruling Awami National Party at the provincial level, said.

“While we are justifiably sensitive to US incursions into our territory, we should be equally sensitive to the loss of sovereignty to the militants in FATA.” “A myth has been created that the violence we have is because we support the US. This duality has created the problem. Militant sanctuaries should be disbanded. They are the root cause,” Khattak said.

http://newageislam.com/taliban%E2%80%99s-anti-state-agenda-in-pakistan-needs-early-response--afrasiab-khattak/radical-islamism-and-jihad/d/755

Pakistan: The new frontline in US 'war on terror', War on Terror, NewAgeIslam.com

War on Terror

Pakistan: The new frontline in US 'war on terror'

Anti-American feelings are high in Pakistan

The newly-elected Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has said the Taleban has "the upper hand" and he has vowed he will defeat the Islamic militants.

His task is complicated by the differing nature of the insurgency in different tribal areas. Al-Qaeda is thought to be most active in North Waziristan and Bajaur.

The Pakistan Taleban meanwhile has control of most of South Waziristan and is using its base there to launch suicide attacks throughout Pakistan.

Strategic

In Kurram tribal agency the Islamic militants are mostly motivated by sectarian divisions between Sunnis and Shias, whilst in Khyber tribal agency there are criminal gangs posing as Islamists as well as an intra-Sunni sectarian dispute.

Although it is relatively peaceful at the moment, Khyber is probably the most strategically significant of all the tribal areas.

It has the historic trade route that leads from the Pakistani city of Peshawar, through the Khyber Pass, and on to Kabul in Afghanistan.

Today it is a vital supply line used to transport 85% of the fuel used by the Western forces in Afghanistan.

Earlier this week the Pakistani authorities were forced to close the road for a few hours amidst warnings of imminent Taleban attacks.

http://newageislam.com/pakistan--the-new-frontline-in-us--war-on-terror-/war-on-terror/d/771

HOTBED OF TERROR: The threat that is Pakistan’s tribal region, Radical Islamism and Jihad, NewAgeIslam.com

Radical Islamism and Jihad

HOTBED OF TERROR: The threat that is Pakistan’s tribal region

By Daniel Markey

Accepting the army’s poor capacity to manage a lengthy occupation of the Waziristans, and sensitive to the prospect of further alienating tribal populations, Musharraf’s regime undertook a series of controversial settlements with militants and local leaders. These included, notably, the South Waziristan accords of April 2004 and February 2005, as well as the North Waziristan accord of September 2006. On paper, these accords obligated locals to cease their anti-state activities. Early on, however, it became clear that the settlements suffered from weak enforcement, permitting the continued sanctuary of foreign terrorists and cross-border infiltration of militants into Afghanistan. The United States alleged cross-border infiltration increased 300% after the 2006 North Waziristan agreement went into effect.

The politically tumultuous events of 2007 also brought the Pakistani army into action in settled parts of the country. In July, army commandos stormed the Lal Masjid, or Red Mosque, in Islamabad to crush an anti-state uprising, sparking terrorist attacks against government facilities as well as innocent civilians. Over 700 Pakistanis have died in suicide bombings in the year since July 2007. The army also undertook major combat operations post-3 November [when Musharraf declared a state of emergency] to break TNSM’s [Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi] hold over the Swat Valley.

http://newageislam.com/hotbed-of-terror--the-threat-that-is-pakistan%E2%80%99s-tribal-region/radical-islamism-and-jihad/d/484

God bless America, long live Pakistan: In the national interest, War on Terror, NewAgeISlam.com

War on Terror

God bless America, long live Pakistan: In the national interest

By Kamal Siddiqi

We are warned that there are tough times ahead. The month has seen much action on our border with Afghanistan. Our prime minister has said that he fears another 9/11 if foreign militants are not dealt with “sternly”. At the same time, his government seems to have lost the plot on the war on terror. The whole idea of a ‘homegrown’ policy lies abandoned. Once again, we are being told what to do.

But things are heating up. NATO recently retaliated over what it said was attacks from North Waziristan. One fears this is just the beginning. Many want to know who is in charge. While there is talk of coordination and consultation, the recent attacks on a Pakistani border post by American planes which led to several deaths is a case in point. The US says that it was never informed of the presence of such a post. Pakistan says that this is not true. In the confusion, precious Pakistani lives were lost.

One thing is for sure, however. The US administration feels, as usual, that the Pakistanis are not doing enough. We are being blamed for the faults and near-sightedness of others, apart from ourselves. President Bush says he is troubled by the consistent intrusions from the Pakistan side and so we have to do more. Not only do we have to stop the militants from causing havoc in Pakistan, we need to also stop them from crossing over into Afghanistan. Are we up to this challenge?

http://newageislam.com/god-bless-america,-long-live-pakistan--in-the-national-interest/war-on-terror/d/277