Thread: Updated News
View Single Post
  #545  
Old Sunday, September 21, 2008
Princess Royal's Avatar
Princess Royal Princess Royal is offline
Super Moderator
Medal of Appreciation: Awarded to appreciate member's contribution on forum. (Academic and professional achievements do not make you eligible for this medal) - Issue reason: Best Moderator Award: Awarded for censoring all swearing and keeping posts in order. - Issue reason: Best Mod 2008
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: K.S.A.
Posts: 2,115
Thanks: 869
Thanked 1,764 Times in 818 Posts
Princess Royal is a splendid one to beholdPrincess Royal is a splendid one to beholdPrincess Royal is a splendid one to beholdPrincess Royal is a splendid one to beholdPrincess Royal is a splendid one to beholdPrincess Royal is a splendid one to beholdPrincess Royal is a splendid one to behold
Default Sunday, September 21, 2008

We must eliminate ‘ugly heads of terror’: Zardari


* Pakistan in critical phase, president tells parliament
* Seeks in-camera ‘national security briefing’ for parliament
* Says Pakistan will defend sovereignty, won’t allow terrorists to operate from its soil

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is passing through a critical phase and must root out all forms of terrorism and extremism from its soil, President Asif Ali Zardari told a joint session of parliament on Saturday.

“We must root out terrorism and extremism wherever and whenever they may rear their ugly heads,” he said in his maiden address to the parliament.

Briefing for parliament: The president said he would ask the government to hold a national security briefing for an in-camera joint session of parliament.

“Let everyone have an opportunity to make an informed judgment about the risks to our beloved country and about how we should move forward with responsibility and clarity of vision.”

Sovereignty: “We will not tolerate the violation of our sovereignty and territorial integrity by any power in the name of combating terrorism,” Zardari said, without naming the United States.

But at the same time, Pakistan must stop militants from using its territory for attacks on other countries, he said. Reforming the Tribal Areas and bringing them into the mainstream could no longer be delayed, he said.

‘We will not be deterred’


ISLAMABAD: Pakistanis will not be deterred by ‘cowardly acts of terrorism’ and will purge their country of ‘this cancer’, President Asif Zardari said in a television address late on Saturday. He said he was aggrieved by the losses in the massive bomb attack earlier on Saturday and that he knew how it felt to lose a loved one. He asked Pakistanis to ‘turn their grief into power’. Zardari said the country would not forget the sacrifice the victims had made, and the terrorists would bow before Pakistan one day. Those who had carried out the attack in the holy month of Ramazan were not Muslims, he said. The president said the terrorists had turned the happy moment of the restoration of democracy into that of grief, and asked all political parties to unite against terrorism.

Here is what happened


* Suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden truck into the main gate of Marriott Hotel around 8pm

* The explosion left a 25-foot deep and 30-foot wide crater

* Entire area turned to rubble

* Gas pipeline burst keeping the hotel building ablaze for hours

* Buildings within a 3-km radius were damaged, including Frontier House and PTV building

* Powerful explosion heard as far as 30 kilometres away

Eyewitness account


ISLAMABAD: We had just begun our Iftar when the bomb went off. Around 300 people had just begun their dinner. Along with dozens of panic-stricken Pakistanis and foreigners, we waded through the devastated building. We could only imagine the damage’s extent on finally finding our way out through the back of the hotel – the front walls of the hotel, dozens of concrete blocks, and about two dozen cars, including mine, were destroyed and charred beyond recognition.

‘Pakistan’s 9/11’ kills 60, injures 200; Nation mourns; Terrorists hit back hours after Zardari’s warning


This is Pakistan's War

* Explosives-laden truck rammed into Marriott Hotel
* US national among the dead, several foreigners injured
* Nearby Frontier House, Chief Justice’s House, IT Towers and PTV building damaged
* Rehman Malik says government received intelligence reports two days ago
* 14-year-old suspect arrested from the scene

ISLAMABAD: A suicide bomber detonated a truck packed with explosives at the Marriott Hotel in a brazen attack in the heart of Islamabad on Saturday, killing at least 60 people.

At least 200 people, including a PPP legislator, were injured in the massive explosion, which ruptured a gas pipeline and triggered a huge blaze.

A US national was killed and several foreigners were injured, hospital officials told AFP. Many victims leapt to their deaths from the upper floors of the hotel to escape the fire, a senior security official said. Officials were worried that the hotel, a key meeting place for foreigners, would collapse.

Nearby buildings: The explosion was heard throughout Islamabad and left a 25-foot crater. Some of the victims were in the adjacent Frontier House, Chief Justice’s House, IT Towers and the PTV building, which were severely damaged.

Sixteen US nationals were inside the hotel at the time of the attack, an official said, adding they included diplomats. The PIMS spokesman said four Germans, two Saudis and two British nationals were injured. Hotel owner Sadruddin Hashwani told Geo News most of the foreigners were rescued through the rear exit.

President Asif Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani condemned the attack.

Intelligence reports: “We had intelligence reports two days ago that some incident might take place,” Interior Adviser Rehman Malik told reporters.

Suspect: ARY One World said police arrested a 14-year-old suspect outside the hotel.


Source: Daily Times.


‘Pakistan won’t tolerate incursions’

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will not tolerate infringement of its territory in the name of the fight against militancy while the biggest challenge facing the government is the economy, President Asif Ali Zardari said yesterday.

In his first address to the joint session of the Parliament President Asif Ali Zardari called for peace with neighboring countries, end of terrorism and reiterated that his government was committed to the supremacy of Parliament and complete restoration of democracy.

Zardari, the widower of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, also said in his first address to a joint sitting of Parliament Pakistan needed peace with its neighbors and relations with old rival India should be “creatively reinvented.”

Zardari won a presidential election this month to replace firm US ally Pervez Musharraf who stepped down in August under threat of impeachment.

He said in order to eradicate terrorism his government would adopt a threepronged strategy — to negotiate with those militants who intend to surrender and wish to live in peace, to provide sufficient funds for the development of tribal areas and establishment of education and health care and to use force against those who do not wish to live in peace.

Frustrated by an intensifying Taleban insurgency in Afghanistan, the United States has stepped up attacks on militants in Pakistan with six missile attacks by pilotless drones and a helicopter-borne ground assault this month.

The US attacks have infuriated many in Pakistan, which is also battling militants, and the army has vowed to stand up to aggression across the border.

But a senior Pakistani official told Reuters earlier the latest missile strike, which killed five militants on Wednesday, was the result of better US-Pakistani intelligence sharing.

Zardari did not refer to the US strikes but said territorial violations were unacceptable. “We will not tolerate the violation of our sovereignty and territorial integrity by any power in the name of combating terrorism,” Zardari told Parliament. At the same time, Pakistan must stop militants from using its territory for attacks on other countries, he said.

Zardari said the biggest challenge for the government, which is led by his party, was the economy. The most urgent task was food security for the poor burdened by rising prices, he said, but added that would not be enough.

Acting Finance Minister Naveed Qamar unveiled a package on Friday that included eliminating fuel subsidies, cut its development budget, more privatization and slashing net borrowing from the central bank to zero.

Pakistan’s current account deficit widened to $2.57 billion in July and August, the first two months of the 2008/09 fiscal year. That is equivalent to about 1.6 percent of gross domestic product, compared with a full-year target of 6.0 percent.

Foreign reserves have fallen below $9 billion, having hit a record high of $16.5 billion in October last year, while inflation is more than 25 percent. Pakistani stocks have fallen 35 percent this year and the rupee has weakened by 20 percent.


Source: Arab News.


Huge Blast Strikes Pakistan Capital


ISLAMABAD -- Over 50 people were killed and hundreds wounded when a massive truck bomb devastated the Marriott hotel in a high-security neighborhood of the Pakistani capital Saturday, engulfing the building in flames.

The terrorist attack, one of the worst in Pakistan's history, occurred just a few blocks away from the prime minister's residence, where the country's top civil and military leaders were attending a dinner after President Asif Ali Zardari addressed a joint session of parliament. With many people trapped inside the hotel, the death toll is expected to rise. Three Americans were among the wounded.

Pakistan Taliban Movement, a little-known Islamist militant outfit, claimed responsibility. The attack came as Pakistani forces stepped up an operation against militants in Pakistan's tribal region and areas in northwestern Pakistan.

The hotel was a popular place for foreign tourists, journalists and businesspeople, as well as with well-heeled Pakistanis. It has been the target of less devastating attacks in the past. Anti-American sentiments are running high in Pakistan after an increase U.S. missile attacks from pilotless drones against suspected militant hideouts inside Pakistan's tribal region. The attacks also have killed civilians. And there was widespread outrage, among Pakistani civilians as well as politicians and military leaders, at a U.S. commando raid across the border on a suspected militant hideout.

Witnesses and police said the bomber rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into the front gate of the hotel; the bomb left a crater about 30 feet deep and 15 feet wide. The hotel has tight security for vehicles.

"The bomber fired several shots in the air when his entry inside the gate was blocked," said Mohammed Ismail, a security guard who was on duty at the hotel. "There was a massive explosion shaking the entire structure. Several guards were blown to pieces."

A driver standing in the hotel parking said people rushed out from the building crying for help. Many more were trapped inside at the hotel burst into flame to the point where police warned that the building could collapse. "The entire area was enveloped under heavy smoke. Bodies were scattered all around," said Mohammed Farooq, the driver. "Scores of people, including foreigners, were running out, some of them stained with blood."

Senior police official Asghar Raza Gardaizi estimated the bomb carried more than 2,200 pounds of explosives. He said in the midst of the rescue operation that at least 40 people were killed and many more feared buried in the rubble.

However, Kamal Shah, a senior Interior Ministry official, said early Sunday he knew of only 38 confirmed deaths.

The five-story hotel is blocks away from parliament, the president's house and the prime minister's house.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Zardari said the government's was determined to combat tackle the increasing terrorist problem. He also said Pakistan would not tolerate any infringements of its sovereignty, a reference to the recent U.S. incursion. And he outlined a series of measures the government would take shortly to shore up Pakistan's ailing economy. There has been a sharp rise in capital flight from the country because of the deteriorating security situation.

"We will start a new beginning and effective measures will be taken soon to redress the economic woes," Mr. Zardari said.

Pakistan's fiscal deficit has ballooned because of higher oil subsidies and an increase in defense spending. Inflation has also shot up while growth is slowing, prompting nervous investors to dump local stocks and in turn punish the Pakistani rupee, which is currently trading near all-time lows against the U.S. dollar.

The government has removed all subsidies on oil and plans to introduce steps to restore the confidence of domestic and foreign investors in the local financial markets, Mr. Zardari said, without elaborating. The federal government will also take steps to improve agricultural output and crop acreage to protect the interests of farmers, he said.

Islamabad has seen a series of terrorist attacks over the last year, targeting security forces and foreign nationals. In July, a suicide bombing killed at least 18 people, most of them members of the security forces. In June, a suicide car bomber killed at least six people near the Danish Embassy. A statement attributed to al Qaeda took responsibility for that blast. In mid-March, a bomb exploded at an Italian restaurant, killing a Turkish woman.

Mr. Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani strongly condemned the attack, saying the bombing will strengthen the government resolve to fight terrorism.



Source: The Wall Street Journal.
__________________
Regards,
P.R.
Reply With Quote