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                        <title>The Express Tribune</title>
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                        <description>The Express Tribune keeps you up to date with all the latest happenings from Pakistan and across the world!</description>
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			<title>Kamra attack: Two relatives of slain terrorist arrested</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/442161/kamra-attack-two-relatives-of-slain-terrorist-arrested</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/442161/kamra-attack-two-relatives-of-slain-terrorist-arrested#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 25 Sep 12 10:53:31 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[web.desk]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[Two uncles of terrorist Faisal Shehzad arrested from Rawalpindi and Taxila.]]>
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				<![CDATA[Security agencies arrested two relatives of terrorist Faisal Shehzad who was killed during a militant attack at the Kamra Air Base in August, reported Express News on Tuesday.

Shehzad’s two uncles were arrested from Rawalpindi and Taxila and were identified through Shehzad’s bank account which revealed a transaction of Rs90 million. The transaction was done through the two men identified as Allah Ditta and Babar Malik.

Both the men had earlier refused to take Shehzad’s body and had expressed ignorance over the terrorist’s activities.

In the attack that led to increased security on army bases, militants had pounded the heart of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Base Minhas situated at Kamra — the place where the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC), a leading aviation and defence production centre of Pakistan is located.

The attack by militants on the PAF airbase and operation by security forces lasted for over four hours in which at least eight militants and one security official were killed.]]>
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			<title>Youth from Karachi among Kamra attackers</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/434146/youth-from-karachi-among-kamra-attackers</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/434146/youth-from-karachi-among-kamra-attackers#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 10 Sep 12 04:30:45 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[adil.jawad]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=434146</guid>
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				<![CDATA[Suspec­t, Taimur Butt Guddu, belong­ed to a poor, religi­ous family living in Landhi.]]>
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				<![CDATA[A youth from Karachi’s Landhi neighbourhood was also among those who attacked the PAF airbase in Kamra on August 16, sources said.


Taimur Butt Guddu belonged to a poor and religious family that had shifted to the city from Sialkot in the ‘90s and was living in Landhi. Guddu disappeared a year ago and two months before the Kamra attack, he contacted his family and inquired the well being of his mother and other family members, using someone else’s phone registered in the name of a resident of Bannu.

The person has been identified and investigators are expecting a breakthrough in finding out the mastermind and others involved in the attack and the rest of the network. Guddu was living in Sherpao Colony with his mother and three brothers. He attended school up to primary classes only. His elder brothers is said to be having religious inclination and the young Guddu was also influneced by him.

He was married to the sister of his brother’s wife but his marriage could not last more than a few months, after which he became mentally unstable and showed little interest in life.

Security agencies are questioning members of Guddu’s family in an effort to gather data and reach other persons in his contact.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 10th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Kamra attack: 3 attackers identified, PCNS told</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/432984/kamra-attack-3-out-of-9-attackers-identified</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/432984/kamra-attack-3-out-of-9-attackers-identified#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 07 Sep 12 11:17:41 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[web.desk]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Air commodore informs PCNS that three of the terrorists involved in the Kamra Air Base attack hailed from Punjab.]]>
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				<![CDATA[Air Commodore Muhammad Azam has said that three of the terrorists involved in the Kamra Air Base attack hailed from Punjab and one of the three was from Sialkot, Express News reported on Friday.

The air commodore was briefing the Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS) on the Kamra Base attack.

He informed the committee that three of the nine terrorists who attacked the Kamra Air Base hailed from Punjab.

Earlier, in the attack that led to increased security on army bases, militants pounded the heart of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Base Minhas situated at Kamra — the place where the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC), a leading aviation and defence production centre of Pakistan is located.

The attack by militants on the PAF airbase and operation by security forces lasted for over four hours in which at least eight militants and one security official were killed.

Minhas is home to two operational fighter squadrons, a search and rescue squadron and an air-surveillance squadron comprising the Saab-2000 Airborne Early Warning and Control Systems (AEW&amp;C).

Various villages are situated on the outskirts of the base.

The main road of the PAC, on which all four factories are located, was open to the public until the suicide attack in 2007. These reasons made Minhas a prized target.]]>
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			<title>North Waziristan and Kamra</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/426496/north-waziristan-and-kamra</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/426496/north-waziristan-and-kamra#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 26 Aug 12 17:15:29 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[shahzad chaudhry]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=426496</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Opening a front with Taliban Inc. when Pakistan is at its weakest is perhaps, not a good way forward.]]>
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				<![CDATA[Between war and dialogue the choice should be clear. Why then the news from home is not what one expects. Pakistan seems to have decided to go after some of the groups that have inhabited North Waziristan since the war started. It may even find reason and strategic justification to pursue the intended operation in North Waziristan as a facet of a longer term strategic direction that it must pursue even after America decides to shelve combat in Afghanistan. I have no quarrel with that, but is the timing right? Or, shall Pakistan have to contend with a more cumulative reaction from the combined strength of Taliban Inc. even when she declares only the Pakistani groups its intended quarry if operations are indeed initiated as touted? Will the Haqqanis inevitably be sucked into the vortex of such an operation even though they are not on the target list? Is Pakistan mixing its own war with that of America’s and fomenting a bigger front against itself? The contradictions are many and disconcerting. And here is, why.

Just when peace dominates the agenda in Afghanistan and more than two-thirds of America chooses peace and an end to armed action there, should Pakistan widen its own ambit of war? There are stages in a war against insurgency that must alternate: armed action meant to garner space that must give a chance to politicians to engage in dialogue. It remains a politico-military imperative to seek space; always through inducement — economic benefit, share of power — both consequences of a dialogue, and when these fail or need a resurgence in commitment, some helpful coercion through armed action. Has Pakistan exhausted all other options that it must graduate to war?

America has fought its 10-year war and wishes to give peace a chance. President Barack Obama promised to his people to bring a closure to the unnecessary wars that America was engaged in — and Afghanistan has relegated to one such. He is ready to follow up on his promise and show to his people in an election year that war indeed is now over and the boys are on their way back home. When re-elected, he will then have the space to focus more on the economic front. He, therefore, has a plan that suits America and his own political strategy. However, does this suit Pakistan and is this its desired strategy as well?

Opening a front with Taliban Inc. when Pakistan is at its weakest is perhaps, not a good way forward. If indeed the most reasonable route to bringing peace through dialogue is pursued — and with some reasonable inducements the process can urge the foreign groups to find shelter back within their own mainstream — Pakistan’s own load may simply become more manageable without creating perpetual hostility among those who simply get sucked into an operation because of co-location. Such resident sentiment among people that inhabit Pakistan’s border regions can only be self-defeating in the long run. When Pakistan begins its own internal push against homegrown elements, inimical groups from across the border are more likely to jump in support of their targeted cousins setting the tribal regions aflame, once again. The Haqqanis then should be won over by dialogue, rather than be pushed to choose sides. A sensible strategy suggests leaving doors open before the final act.

The attack on the Kamra base is more likely the harbinger of the things to come in response to Pakistan’s intention of initiating operations in North Waziristan. More of these will happen including something that may be intended to embarrass Pakistan even further in the eyes of the world; it might even include something as dastardly as another Mumbai with consequences that can push a war between Pakistan and India. With most of the region on a short fuse, especially India, is that a risk that Pakistan can afford?

There is tactical resort and there is strategic sense; it is the latter that must govern our destiny — and timing is a part of it. Or else, the cost is borne by generations without recourse or remedy. The current state of the nation is in itself instructive to that end.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 27th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Govt tight-lipped over Kamra probe findings</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/425045/govt-tight-lipped-over-kamra-probe-findings</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/425045/govt-tight-lipped-over-kamra-probe-findings#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 23 Aug 12 04:41:11 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[zahid.gishkori]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=425045</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[There was a stony silence from the office of PAF Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal, says senior official of PAF.]]>
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				<![CDATA[The government on Wednesday remained tight-lipped over the probe into the attack on Kamra – one of Pakistan Air Force’s (PAF) key bases – after a group of militants attacked the military installation last week killing two security officials.


“There was a stony silence from the office of PAF Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt regarding findings of a high-level inquiry team,” said a senior official of the PAF.

A five-member probe committee, led by Air Marshal Athar Hussain Bokhari, is investigating how militants succeeded in targeting the airbase in Kamra — given the fact that the location had already been attacked twice before.

“We cannot share the findings of the inquiry on [Kamra] attack with anyone at the preliminary stage,” said PAF spokesperson Group Captain Tariq Mahmood. The spokesperson, who chose not to respond to the queries of The Express Tribune, only revealed that a team was investigating various issues which could not be revealed to civilians at this stage.

“Give us one or two more days for some concrete findings about the investigation,” he said when asked a question.

Inquiry reports of the two earlier periphery attacks on Kamra Airbase are yet to be made public and it has been over 18 months since the two high-level inquiries were ordered by then chief of air staff Marshal Rao Qamar Suleiman.

Officials associated with the probe committee told The Express Tribune that the central point of their investigation is to figure out who provided logistic support to the terrorists.

The preliminary investigation, a senior official said, has revealed clues that tell that four of the nine militants stayed in Makhan Suleman, the nearest village to Kamra Airbase. But the official refused to share any more details given the sensitivity of the matter.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 23rd, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Those who attacked Kamra were not American, they are from among us</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/424184/those-who-attacked-kamra-were-not-american-they-are-from-among-us</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/424184/those-who-attacked-kamra-were-not-american-they-are-from-among-us#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 19 Aug 12 17:27:25 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[raza.rumi]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=424184</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Pakistan’s political elites will have to work together to reverse the state patronage to extremists, their networks.]]>
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				<![CDATA[Two days after Pakistan’s powerful army chief made some startling observations in his address to the Pakistan Military Academy, the militants attacked a key strategic installation — the Kamra airbase. That the attack took place on the revered night of 27th of Ramazan is not without symbolism. For the brand of ‘Islam’ practised by the militants of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) violence precedes other imperatives of faith. General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani took a bold public position in his address by saying: “Any person who believes his opinion to be the final verdict, is an extremist…. A human claim to be the final word in judging right from wrong, is tantamount to a claim to divine attributes”. The lethal by-products of our strategic ‘games’ — the TTP — are not amenable to such a worldview. In Kamra, they battled the military for more than five hours. The foreign media highlighted the nebulous connection between the airbase and the country’s nuclear assets; but both the Pakistani and American authorities later affirmed that Pakistan’s nuclear programme was safe.

Much has been said about the impending operation by the Pakistani military in North Waziristan. The attack on Kamra has been construed as a reaction to the military’s resolve to clean up North Waziristan ostensibly under mounting US pressure. But there is a need to pause and re-read what General Kayani told his colleagues on Independence Day: “The war against extremism and terrorism is not only the army’s war, but that of the whole nation. We as a nation must stand united against this threat. The army’s success is dependent on the will and support of the people”. While an admission by Pakistan’s most powerful official of the ‘threat’ is welcome on the day when we celebrate our nationhood and Islamic republic status, perhaps it might be coming a bit late in the day.

For the past decade — and this is a long-term period — our domestic policy discourse has been the opposite. While hundreds of army soldiers have been killed by militants and thousands of civilians killed in terror attacks across the country, we continue to say that this is not our war. Public opinion constructed by the vernacular press, the religious lobbies and even the political parties has been critical of the overstated threat that General Kayani has clearly articulated. Pakistan’s strategy of ‘measured’ support to the US and Nato involvement in Afghanistan and drumming up of anti-Americanism has been counterproductive. A more creative approach could have been to oppose US excesses but not deny the home-grown militant outfits and arrest their direct and indirect patronage.

A recent (local) poll, notwithstanding its methodological limitations, says that 49 per cent of Pakistanis consider America an enemy while 26 per cent think India is the enemy. Slowly, the tables have turned since we constructed our faux identity as ‘not Indian’. This healthy view of the subcontinent by Pakistanis comes as a refreshing development but creates a bigger dilemma. The global construction of US as an enemy of Muslims by al Qaeda is gaining traction especially in the urban middle classes, the youth (which are the biggest segment of our population). Where would this lead us? By no means we should continue our policy to be US’s chief lackey in the region or be dependent on the civil-military handouts, but is drumming up hysteria against a global power a wise approach in our own interest?

Such has been the level of indoctrination that many Pakistanis are unwilling to accept that Muslims can kill Muslims or that we have internal enemies. The first reaction of otherwise sensible people to a terror attack is that Blackwater and other US contractors have hired the assassins killing Pakistanis. The material evidence on the other hand negates this impression. But no one wishes to hear ‘facts’ as they challenge the ideological fortress of denial that we have built around us. The perennial fear of India has been replaced by the US machinations to destroy us by taking our nukes out. The attackers of GHQ, PNS Mehran and Kamra were not American, Indian or Israeli agents but jihadists ostensibly working in league with radical elements within the state.

Perhaps the most dangerous kind of militancy concerns the growth and consolidation of the anti-Shia extremist groups, which reportedly are in league with the TTP. A few hours after the Kamra incident, two separate incidents of killings of Shias took place. One attack happened in Naran where at least 20 Shia passengers were dragged out of buses and killed on the spot. In Quetta, on the same day, three Hazara Shias were also killed. These are not stand-alone attacks. In recent years, hundreds of Shias have been killed and the murderers remain at large, too powerful to be nabbed by the executive or the judiciary. The chilling video circulated after the Naran incident showed terrorists chanting “Shia Kafir,” as if this were a horrific bloodletting ritual. This is nothing but genocide unfolding before us. The latest Pew poll indicates that nearly half the Sunni population thinks that Shias are not Muslim. The accuracy of this poll is debatable, but even if the numbers were lower, the Wahabisation project initiated by General Ziaul Haq is now becoming an existential danger. And this radicalisation has not been imposed by anyone, despite the Saudi influence, but a cynical and disastrous choice by Pakistan’s military junta in the 1980s and later. Political parties will need another decade of hard core reform consensus to fix the education system and other drivers of extremist ideology.

Is it the case that Pakistan’s strategic assets of yore are no longer under the control of the state? Or General Kayani’s policy statement is still a top-level diplomatic pronouncement not filtering down to the ranks of intelligence agencies, which have disastrously nurtured the jihadi groups and turned them into our mortal liabilities? The civilian governments — federal and provincial — appear to be clueless and devoid of the political will to counter these trends. Pakistan’s political elites will have to work together to reverse the state patronage to extremists and their networks.

If we have to resist US ‘hegemony’ or the Indian influence in the region, it will not be done through oiling the jihad industry, sloganeering, media twists, and Friday rallies. For Pakistan’s sovereignty, substantial strides have to be made. By reforming our taxation structure, creating jobs, undertaking a massive education reform and building trade ties with the regional powers we could perhaps move towards becoming a strong ‘nation’. Before everything, we need to reset the narrative and explore what ails us. In the absence of such reflection and policy debate, Pakistan’s future remains murky and uncertain.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 20th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Kamra base attack: some thoughts</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/423860/kamra-base-attack-some-thoughts</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/423860/kamra-base-attack-some-thoughts#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 18 Aug 12 17:14:33 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[najam.khan]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=423860</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Kamra attack raises two major questions: why the Minhas Air Force Base? And why attack air surveillance systems only?]]>
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				<![CDATA[On the night of August 15, militants pounded the heart of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Base Minhas situated at Kamra — the place where the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC), a leading aviation and defence production centre of Pakistan is located.

It was a well-planned attack that was precisely executed and skilfully targeted. Unlike most of the earlier attacks on Pakistani forces, the targets were not soldiers. The terrorists adopted the same mission profile that they used in the attack on PNS Mehran on May 22, 2011. They were aided by modern equipment like night vision goggles for better situational awareness at night. This time, terrorists took advantage of strategic surprise by attacking on the 27th of Ramazan; the Arabs did the same with Israelis in the Yom Kippur War of 1973.

The Kamra attack raises two major questions: why the Minhas Air Force Base? And why attack air surveillance systems only?

Minhas is one of the most important airbases of the PAF. The major part of its geographic location is shared by the PAC, which comprises four factories: the aircraft manufacturing factory, avionics production factory, Mirage repair factory and aircraft rebuild factory. These factories build, repair and overhaul major weapons systems of the PAF.

Minhas is home to two operational fighter squadrons, a search and rescue squadron and an air-surveillance squadron comprising the Saab-2000 Airborne Early Warning and Control Systems (AEW&amp;C). Various villages are situated on the outskirts of the base. The main road of the PAC, on which all four factories are located, was open to the public until the suicide attack in 2007. These reasons made Minhas a prized target.

Just like the P-3 Orions of Pak Navy that were destroyed at Mehran, the Saab-2000 AEW&amp;C aircraft are very expensive air-surveillance systems. They provide battlefield pictures, information about land, air or sea enemy targets and enhance situation awareness of the PAF combat fleets by sharing target information.

The Saab-2000 AEW&amp;C is not a system to be used in the ongoing fighting in Fata. The long-range, high-endurance and deep radar coverage capability of the Saab-2000 AEW&amp;C can challenge India’s air superiority in the region. For India, achieving air superiority without getting the best of such air-surveillance systems is not possible. Air battles of today and of the future will not entirely rely on well-equipped fighter units penetrating enemy airspace. The network centric system of war, which includes AEW&amp;C systems sharing battlefield information with fighter units, ground units and battleships, will form the order of battle. AEW&amp;C systems are not much of a threat to militants. The question to ponder upon is: are the terrorists attacking Pakistan’s AEW&amp;C and surveillance systems at the behest of another country? This takes state sponsoring of terrorism to a whole new level. It is a manifestation of sub-conventional warfare. What would Pakistani decision-makers do to counter this strategic nightmare?

To address these challenges, Pakistani armed forces have to beef up the security of its military installations. Particularly, the bases with force multiplier systems and air-surveillance systems should be given extra security. The military bases with residential areas on their outskirts need to be monitored on a routine basis. In the present ongoing security situation, we cannot be relaxed at any time. Multilayered security should be made possible in all areas of bases because one thing is for sure: the attackers don’t use the front door anymore.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 19th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Analysis: The bigger questions surrounding Kamra</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/423709/analysis-the-bigger-questions-surrounding-kamra</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/423709/analysis-the-bigger-questions-surrounding-kamra#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 18 Aug 12 01:43:08 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Ejaz Haider]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=423709</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Could it be that the TTP’s references to Islam are a red-herring and it is actually serving someone else’s agenda?]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Kamra was waiting to happen, having been attacked on the periphery twice before. The attack this time was meticulously planned and targeted equipment, just like the more damaging attack at the Mehran Airbase in Karachi, which resulted in the complete destruction of two P3C Orion aircraft and, reportedly, left a third partially damaged.


The upgraded Orion aircraft were the Pakistan Navy’s foremost force-multiplier platforms, equipped with a Hawkeye 2000 AEW system.

The attack’s objective was to deprive the Pakistan Navy of its eyes.

Whatever secondary objectives the attackers might have planned to achieve with the attack on Kamra, their primary target was the Saab 2000 aircraft fitted with the Erieye AEW&amp;C (Airborne Early Warning and Control) system.

This time, it was an attack on the Pakistan Air Force’s eyes.

The Saab’s nose cone has been damaged and the aircraft will go to Sweden for repairs. The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) had pined for an early warning system for long. The platform is crucial for a number of reasons and can be used to counter many potential and emerging threats.

The obvious question: Why is the Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), its affiliate groups and al Qaeda interested in degrading a capability that is primarily meant to blunt the advantage of state adversaries? Except in some instances, aerial strafing and bombing have not been very effective against elusive TTP fighters during the military operations. In fact, the Cobra helicopter gunships, where and when employed correctly, have been more lethal.

Could it be that the TTP’s references to Islam are a red-herring and it is actually serving someone else’s agenda? Those who want to jaw-jaw with the TTP may want to ponder this question. They may also want to admit that the sectarian attacks are being mounted by groups affiliated with the TTP. Those attacks have nothing to do with the American presence in Afghanistan. They not only pre-date the US invasion but relate to denominational differences within Islam.

The Kamra attack did not go through well for the terrorists. Security at the base responded with alacrity, managed to contain the damage and kill the nine terrorists. From what has been reported, the base commander led from the front for which he must be commended. It could have been worse. Yet, questions remain. Consider some.

There was a warning that a base would be attacked. What was the level of alert? How was the report graded? What channels did the report go through? What action, if any, was taken? We do know that a number of intelligence agencies are spoiling the broth in the absence of any organisation that can collate and analyse information and intelligence coming from various sources, a vital exercise to develop a proper picture. There is, in one word, little to no coordination.

Add to that the fact that we have no information on inquiry reports following the GHQ and PNS Mehran attacks. It’s not enough to say action has been taken and lessons learnt internally. Organisation theory is clear on two aspects that inform large-scale bureaucratic organisations: bounded rationality and systematic stupidity. Given these constants, it is crucial to have external input and scrutiny of what’s going on and what is being done. There are ways in which this can be done, if there is a will to do it.

Here’s an example of how we are responding to this threat. Rewind to the night of August 13. There’s the Azadi Parade at Pakistan Military Academy (PMA). Regardless of what the army chief said there – though he had no business saying that if the civilian principals were not so inefficient – one has to ask the question of why we need another parade at PMA when the institution already has two designated passing out parades in a year. The parade was good, choreographed to a tee. But that is precisely the point: it takes a month-and-half to two months to make it so good, from getting the drill movements right to making all the administrative arrangements. Those daily rehearsals cut into training time.

And training time is a life-saver, given that we are at war. Consider the contrast: PMA offers two years of infantry training to all cadets. Those who join infantry regiments then go for a six-month Young Officers Basic Course at the School of Infantry and Tactics. Some, as from other arms too, would go on to the Special Services Group. Another nine months. All told, this is more than three years. The Taliban are producing a quality fighter in four to six months with map-reading, signals and field engineering skills, field craft, weapons handling, etc.

This is no time to be ceremonial

The state is not responding well at any level: motivation, clarity of purpose, operational capabilities, effective intelligence and pre-emption. The war, after a lull, is about to ramp up. The state cannot afford enervation if it doesn’t want to lose.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 18th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Kamra infiltrators: 4 Minhas base attackers identified, says Malik</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/423705/kamra-infiltrators-4-minhas-base-attackers-identified-says-malik</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/423705/kamra-infiltrators-4-minhas-base-attackers-identified-says-malik#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 17 Aug 12 21:59:22 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[umar.draz]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=423705</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[One more soldier succumbs to injuries; Air chief visits the base.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[A day after a brazen assault at Pakistan Air Force’s largest base was repulsed by security forces, Interior Minister Rehman Malik claimed that four of the nine militants killed in the attack have been identified.


Meanwhile, a second soldier died of injuries sustained in the attack, raising the overall death toll to 11.

‘Not a security lapse’

The attack at PAF Base Minhas was not a security lapse, Malik told a news conference on Friday.

The interior ministry issued warnings regarding a possible attack at air force installations in advance, and as a result of this intelligence-sharing, PAF personnel were able to foil this attempt, Malik said.

He said four of the nine attackers killed during the operation have been identified, and added that the attack could be traced back to North and South Waziristan agencies.

In an attempt to dispel international concerns, Malik insisted that nuclear assets of the country “are fully secured.”

“If we can develop nuclear assets, we know how to protect them,” the minister said, adding that a similar propaganda was unleashed when Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto launched the nuclear programme back in the 70s.

Another soldier dies

PAF spokesman Tariq Mahmood told AFP that a second soldier died of his injuries from the assault in a hospital on Friday morning.

According to a PAF press release, Sepoy Muhammad Iqbal had accidentally fallen off a truck when the security personnel were rushing to counter the militants.

Air chief visits Kamra

Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt visited the Minhas airbase on Friday and was briefed about the sequence of operations against the militants.

Base Commander Air Commodore Muhammad Azam, who was injured during this operation, also accompanied him during the visit.

Addressing a joint gathering of the base personnel and army troops deployed at the base, the air chief said: “We must understand and realise that we are in a state of war, that too against a hidden enemy. These cowardly attacks cannot weaken our resolve to defend our motherland.”

The air chief attended the funeral parade of Sepoy Muhammad Iqbal. He also visited the PAF Hospital Kamra to enquire about the health of three security officials who received injuries from the detonation of suicide jacket during the operation.  All three were discharged Friday evening, a press release said.

Background

Nine heavily-armed militants dressed in military fatigues and armed with rocket-propelled grenades and suicide vests stormed the PAF base on Thursday, sparking heavy clashes that killed one security official and nine attackers at the base, which is a vital installation located in Kamra, outside Attock.

The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan promptly claimed responsibility for what was the worst attack on a military base for more than a year.

PAF Minhas has been attacked twice before, but on previous occasions the militants had not managed to penetrate the compound.

(With additional input from AFP)

(Read: Kamra attack — living in denial)

Published in The Express Tribune, August 18th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Airbase attack: ‘Maybe a reaction to restoration of NATO supplies’</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/423556/airbase-attack-%e2%80%98maybe-a-reaction-to-restoration-of-nato-supplies%e2%80%99</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/423556/airbase-attack-%e2%80%98maybe-a-reaction-to-restoration-of-nato-supplies%e2%80%99#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 17 Aug 12 21:23:44 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=423556</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Concerned Citizens say attack on Kamra airbase, killings of 22 people headed for Gilgit govt’s failures.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[“The Kamra airbase attack could be a reaction to the restoration of NATO supplies and the operation planned in North Waziristan,” Jamaat-i-Islami Ameer Syed Munawar Hasan said on Friday.


He was addressing a programme held to mark the (Ramazan 27) Independence Day at Mansoora. Urging the government to review its decisions and to refrain from a military operation in North Waziristan, the JI chief said it would increase terrorist activities in the region. He condemned the Kamra airbase attack and said that it was the worst terrorism incident after the attack on the GHQ and the Mehran Air base. “I advise the government to pull out of this war immediately in the larger interest of the country and the nation,” he said. Hasan said that Pakistan’s support for the US in the war had ruined the country.

CCP condemns airbase attack, killings in Naran 

The Concerned Citizens of Pakistan has condemned the incidents of killing of 22 people enroute to Giligit and the attack on the Pakistan Air Force base in Kamra.

In a statement released on Friday, the CCP termed the two incidents signs of the government’s failure to secure the life and property of the citizens.

The CCP urged the parliament to legislate appropriate amendments to the Anti Terrorism Act to punish those responsible for incidents of terrorism.

It said perpetrators of such incidents should be arrested and penalised to make an example for others.

It said such incidents could be prevented if the government diverted some of the resources from security of the politicians and the bureaucrats to that of national assets and citizens.

The CCP expressed shock over the government’s failure to provide security for buses considering killings of people headed for Gilgit in similar attacks in the past.

As many as 22 passengers were shot and killed by unidentified assailants who stopped these buses near Naran on Thursday.

The CCP lamented that security at the airbase in Kamra was not beefed up despite intelligence reports about the possibility of such an attack.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 18th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Kamra attack — living in denial</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/423395/kamra-attack-%e2%80%94-living-in-denial</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/423395/kamra-attack-%e2%80%94-living-in-denial#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 17 Aug 12 16:30:15 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[editorial]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[Editorial]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=423395</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[TV discussions embraced Taliban point of view that Pakistan was suffering due to following orders from Washington.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Minhas base at Kamra near Attock was attacked by the Taliban during the early hours of August 16, the 27th of Ramazan. Nine attackers died after killing one guard, injuring a senior officer and damaging a surveillance plane. This was the fourth attack involving the base, which was foretold by intelligence reports in great detail, naming names and locating the germinating spot in North Waziristan under the leadership of the Taliban chief, Hakimullah Mehsud. The assailants were killed but not before they had penetrated the outer wall of the base and entered the facility.

Unlike the attack on the Mehran naval base earlier, which took 17 hours to clear, the suicide bombers were not able to hold the base but were quickly disposed of in 20 minutes. The worrying fact, however, was that despite very detailed intelligence, the terrorists were able to climb over the wall. The Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) proudly owned the attack, timing it with reports that Pakistan was getting ready to launch an operation in North Waziristan.

The TV discussions that followed ignored a whole lot of straightforward information and chose instead to repeat the charge that the TTP was working for Pakistan’s external enemies. Retired military officers and TV anchors trundled out the usual frog-chorus of how the Americans were paying the likes of Hakimullah Mehsud and getting his suicide bombers to attack Pakistan’s military installations. A report in The New York Times, which had pointed to a rumour that Pakistan was storing its nuclear arsenal at Kamra, was made the basis of how Americans were converging to a strategy of  ‘taking out’ Pakistan’s nuclear deterrence. What was ignored was an official statement from Washington that Pakistan’s nuclear weapons were safe because they were not at Kamra.

The designation of the ‘enemy’ was arrived at all over again in the face of years of hard evidence to the contrary. It was America, the eternal enemy of the Muslims in general and Pakistan in particular. Tagged to the US were two other ideological and religious enemies: India and Israel. All the previous attacks were also attributed to America, making the discussion absurd. Without proof, the miracle of concocting a mindset of our choice has been achieved. Now, the entire nation believes that its tormentor is not the Taliban who continue to shout from rooftops that they are staging attacks because Pakistan continues to be an ally of the US. Amazingly, the TV discussions after the Kamra attack embraced the Taliban point of view that Pakistan was suffering because of its abjectly slavish policy of following orders from Washington.

Shockingly, Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, who had said on August 14 that Pakistan’s crisis was internal, related to a general embrace of extremism and violence, was indirectly attacked for presumably planning to stage an operation against the terrorists in North Waziristan. He was guilty of telling us the truth: that the trouble in Pakistan was of our own making and had to be tackled internally. The discussants countered that by saying that if the army chief wanted to confront the terrorists in North Waziristan, he must approach the elected government and ask it to ‘go to the people’ and take their consent to the operation. Reference was made to earlier parliamentary resolutions mandating the army to stop drone attacks on Pakistani territory and demand that US-Nato forces respect Pakistan’s territorial sovereignty.

The main opposition party, the PML-N, has already told the army chief not to attack the terrorists in North Waziristan despite intelligence reports that the Taliban will attack the PMLN-ruled Punjab in the near future. Punjab’s inspector general of police, after receiving the reports, conveniently took off for umrah in Saudi Arabia. Parliament has not framed laws that could prevent the acquittal of killers in the court of law; now, the politicians feel that North Waziristan should not be attacked by the army. If you ask the people, the reply is likely to be not in support of any operation — without any blame attaching to the ordinary Pakistani, poisoned by the lies pouring out of a section of our manipulated media and mainstream curricula.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 18th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Kamra base attack: Soldier succumbs to injuries, takes death toll to 2</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/423315/kamra-base-attack-soldier-succumbs-to-injuries-takes-death-toll-to-2</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/423315/kamra-base-attack-soldier-succumbs-to-injuries-takes-death-toll-to-2#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 17 Aug 12 05:57:11 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[web.desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=423315</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Muhammad Iqbal fought against nine heavily-armed militants who attempted to infiltrate the Minhas base.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Death toll from the attack on Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Minhas base reached two when another soldier succumbed to his injuries at Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) Hospital, Express News reported Friday.

The soldier, Muhammad Iqbal, fought against nine heavily-armed militants who had attempted to infiltrate the Minhas base, a vital installation located in Kamra, outside Attock on Thursday.

However, the audacious raid inflicted little physical damage compared to similar endeavours in the past few years.

The militants had moved through a nearby village, Pind Makhan, and had climbed a nine foot wall strung with barbed wire to break into the base, sources said.

However, they were immediately engaged by a security personnel, deployed at a watchtower along the boundary wall, who informed his colleagues.

The militants, most of whom were strapped with suicide bomb vests, were unable to cross the inner security cordon. They were engaged in an operation that lasted about 20 minutes, sources in the PAF said.

The attack left one air force security guard, sepoy Asif Ramzan dead, besides the nine militants, and an aircraft slightly damaged.]]>
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			<title>Lingering questions: Is something being hidden about the militants’ approach?</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/423252/lingering-questions-is-something-being-hidden-about-the-militants%e2%80%99-approach</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/423252/lingering-questions-is-something-being-hidden-about-the-militants%e2%80%99-approach#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 16 Aug 12 23:39:03 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[irfan.ghauri]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=423252</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Militants used another road that links Attock with GT road, which is less security presence.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Despite the relative success of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) in repelling a militant raid, some lingering questions remain about the militants’ approach and choice of targets.


The official version of the PAF is different from what sources told The Express Tribune. According to a PAF spokesman, the militants climbed the boundary wall to enter the premises of the base and were intercepted by Sepoy Asif Ramzan, who was guarding a post. Ramzan suffered bullet injuries and later died.

However, sources said that, apparently aware of the heavy security presence on the main route that passes through the GT Road, the militants used another road that links Attock with GT road.

Dressed in military uniform, they travelled in a double-cabin jeep similar to the ones used by security officials and passed through some army installations, including an army check post before entering the premises. When their vehicle was stopped at the second check post in the vicinity of PAF Minhas, the militants exited the car all guns blazing. One source added that the driver of the vehicle managed to escape in the jeep. The footage of the vehicle was recorded by a CCTV camera located on the post, the source claimed. Surprisingly, there is no mention of this vehicle in PAF’s official version so far.

Then there was the apparent knowledge of what they were attacking.

According to insiders, Kamra airbase is one of the most sophisticated installations of PAF and the major overhauling facility for all types of fighter jets used by the air force. “The militants chose the base side where the Saab-2000 aircraft were parked,” they said.

Pakistan has a total of three Sweden manufactured Saab-2000 aircrafts, the most sophisticated surveillance aircraft the country has now. Saab-2000 look like 737 passenger planes but are equipped with state-of-the-art radar systems for surveillance.

It is not clear if it was a Saab-2000 that was damaged during the attack. “I can tell you that one plane was damaged and it suffered a substantial damage. I cannot reveal the name of the craft… please wait for the inquiry report,” said Tariq Mehmood, the PAF spokesman.

All PAF installations are guarded by the Defence Services Guard, including Minhas base, which is an elite wing of the PAF.  After similar attacks on security establishments, the PAF deployed its special services wing personnel to guard all its bases. They are specially trained commandos like SSG commandos of the Pakistan Army.

Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt, Chief of the Air Staff of PAF has constituted a board of inquiry headed by Air Marshal Syed Athar Hussain Bukhari to probe the various key aspects of the brazen assault.


Published in The Express Tribune, August 17th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Alert air force repels militant raid on key base</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/423248/alert-air-force-repels-militant-raid-on-key-base</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/423248/alert-air-force-repels-militant-raid-on-key-base#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 16 Aug 12 22:51:16 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[rashid.ali]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=423248</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[One solider martyred, nine militants killed; TTP claims responsibility.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[While militants were previously successful in storming an army installation (GHQ) and a Naval base (Mehran), which were both held hostage for a number of hours, the third and often-ignored branch of the military, the air force, effectively stymied a similar raid on its key base.


Nine heavily-armed militants attempted to infiltrate Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Minhas base, a vital installation located in Kamra, outside Attock. However, the audacious raid inflicted little physical damage compared to similar endeavours in the past few years.

The Pakistan Air Force said nine attackers, dressed in military fatigues and armed with rocket propelled-grenades and suicide vests, targeted the base and the adjacent Pakistan Aeronautical Complex at 2am, local time.

The militants moved through a nearby village, Pind Makhan, and climbed a
nine foot wall strung with barbed wire to break into the base, sources said. However, they were immediately engaged by a security personnel, deployed at a watchtower along the boundary wall, who informed his colleagues.

The militants, most of whom were strapped with suicide bomb vests, were unable to cross the inner security cordon. They were engaged in an operation that lasted about 20 minutes, sources in the PAF said. The attack left one air force security guard, sepoy Asif Ramzan dead, besides the nine militants, and an aircraft slightly damaged.

The pre-dawn assault, promptly claimed by the Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP), came days after reports surfaced of Pakistan’s willingness to launch an operation in the restive and largely-untouched North Waziristan agency – known to be a hotbed of local and foreign militants.

The operation

“There was an announcement by megaphone for soldiers not to move from the barracks,” said an officer. Special forces and police scrambled to the scene.

Security forces opened fire when militants approached aircraft hangars, prompting other militants to fire rocket-propelled grenades from outside the base’s walls, said the air force spokesperson.

“Eight miscreants were killed inside the Minhas base boundary wall and one miscreant exploded himself outside the perimeters where he was hiding,” the air force said. It said there had been a shootout “for more than two hours” and 10 hours after the assault began, spokesperson Tariq Mahmood confirmed the base was “totally safe”.

About an hour later, a series of small explosions could be heard as improvised explosive devices planted on the base by the militants were successfully control-detonated by the military. Base commander Air Commodore Muhammad Azam, who led the operation against the attackers, was shot in the shoulder, but is in stable condition, said spokesman Captain Tariq Mahmood.

Responsibility

The Pakistani Taliban promptly claimed responsibility for the attack and said the planes at the base were being used to kill its fighters.

Spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan dedicated the attack to late al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and claimed four Taliban fighters were killed after destroying three aircraft and killing a dozen soldiers.

“We are proud of this operation. Our leadership had decided to attack Kamra base a long time ago,” Taliban spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan said by telephone from an undisclosed location.

Attack repelled

Despite the infiltration, the militants were able to inflict little damage at the key base. Sources said that was possibly because the base was already on red alert due to intelligence reports of imminent attack received earlier. Previous Taliban assaults on Pakistani military bases have exacted far higher casualty tolls. In May 2011, for instance, it took 17 hours to quell an attack on an air base in Karachi claimed by the Taliban. The complex, located halfway between Islamabad and Peshawar on the GT Road, assembles Mirage and, with Chinese assistance, JF-17 fighter jets.

It also houses the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex, a major air force research and development centre. Other installations in the area include the AK Regiment camp in Mansar, the SSG base and Artillery headquarters in Attock.

The air force spokesman, however, said that the Minhas air base did not house nuclear weapons.  “No air base is a nuclear air base in Pakistan,” he said. The base at Kamra has previously come under attack twice, once in 2007 and then in 2009. A suicide bomber had killed eight people in an attack on a check post outside the base on October 23, 2009. In December 2007, a suicide bomber had targeted a school bus and injured at least five children of employees at the base.

Inquiry

Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt appointed a five-member inquiry committee headed by Air Marshal Syed Athar Hussain Bukhari. He also announced Rs1 million for the family of martyred sepoy Asif Ramzan.

Correction: An earlier version of the aircraft was incorrectly captioned as the photo of  an IL-78 aircraft. The correction has been made.

(Read: Attack on PAF base in Kamra)

Published in The Express Tribune, August 17th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Pre-warned: Attack was expected</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/423235/pre-warned-attack-was-expected</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/423235/pre-warned-attack-was-expected#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 16 Aug 12 22:47:00 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[asad.kharal]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=423235</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Report claimed the terrorists are likely to use guise of smartly-dressed businessmen.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Thursday’s brazen attack on a Pakistan Air Force (PAF) airbase was accurately predicted by intelligence agencies, a report of which was published in The Express Tribune on August 10.


It was suggested on Thursday that the reports were the reason PAF base Minhas was able to ward off the attack.

According to the report, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) was planning attacks on a PAF base and other military and security establishments before Eid.

The detailed intelligence reports revealed that at least two TTP teams had already made arrangements for the attacks – both of which were based in North Waziristan, where an operation is being mulled by the Pakistan military. According to one report, members of the Qari Yasin Group, initially a part of the Harkatul Mujahideen, based in Miramshah, North Waziristan, were planning to attack a PAF base and other installations, on 27th or 28th Ramazan.

Another report stated that a team, led by Qari Aslam, also based in Miramshah, was planning its attacks towards the end of Ramazan.

Their main target was likely to be the PAF base. Reconnaissance of the targets has already been done, the report stated. It further revealed that the plots had been financed through the kidnapping of doctors from Taunsa Sharif, Dera Ghazi Khan, which had netted Rs2.5 million in ransom.

Another report revealed that the Ilyas Kashmir group had resurfaced and was planning terrorist activities in reaction to the reopening of Nato supply routes. Terrorist organisations made contacts with local facilitators including Lal Masjid leftovers in this regard, the report further revealed.

According to the reports, the preferred targets of terrorists include key installations in the Red Zone – the President and PM house and secretariats, Parliament House, Kahota Research Laboratory, Pakistan Air Force (PAF) base Chaklala, police academies, as well as other military and security agency’s installations.

Furthermore, the report stated that parties of five to six terrorists for each of the targets have been detailed, and claimed the terrorists are likely to use guise of smartly-dressed businessmen.

Another intelligence report revealed that terrorist linked with the Bannu jailbreak episode are planning to attack on a military convoy moving out of the Jhelum–Kharian cantt and the PAF base in Kamra.

After receiving the reports, the National Crisis Management Cell of the Ministry of Interior forwarded them to provincial home departments, provincial police chiefs, heads of other LEAs and other officials, directing them to immediately tighten security.

Attacks on Eid predicted 

Quoting more intelligence agency reports, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said on Thursday that terrorists may attack vital installations across the country on Eidul Fitr.

In the wake of the threat, security of important public and non-public establishments would be beefed up, he added.

Chairing a meeting of heads of security agencies, police, and civil administration of Islamabad and interior ministry officials, Malik decided to increase the strength of existing Rangers and Frontier Constabulary personnel in the federal capital. (WITH ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY UMER NANGIANA IN ISLAMABAD)

(Read: Attack on PAF base in Kamra)

Published in The Express Tribune, August 17th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>US confident of Pakistan nuclear security</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/423242/us-confident-of-pakistan-nuclear-security</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/423242/us-confident-of-pakistan-nuclear-security#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 16 Aug 12 19:50:02 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[afp]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=423242</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[State Department spokesperson says US does not doubt Pakistan's account that Minhas base was free of nuclear weapons.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The United States said on Thursday it was confident of the safety of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal after heavily armed militants stormed an air force base in clashes that left 10 people dead.

State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland offered condolences over the attack claimed by the Taliban. She said the United States had no reason to doubt Pakistan's account that the Minhas base was free of nuclear weapons.

"We have confidence that the government of Pakistan is well aware of the range of potential threats to its nuclear arsenal and has secured its nuclear arsenal accordingly," Nuland told reporters.

"We do talk about these issues and support Pakistani efforts to keep them secure -- we have for quite a long, long time. And we don't have any reason to be concerned at this moment," she said.

"Pakistanis have suffered more than their share at the hands of terrorists inside Pakistan, which speaks to our efforts to address this threat together," Nuland said.

Earlier the US Department of Defense (DoD) spokesperson had said that they have no indication that the Kamra airbase attack endangered Pakistan's nuclear assets.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Commander Bill Speaks, a spokesperson for the DoD, commended Pakistani security forces in repelling the attack at the PAF base in Kamra, however said that it was a concern, and that they were saddened by it.

"We would also commend Pakistani security forces for their efforts in repelling the attack," said the Commander.

Reports in the press had indicated that the PAF base in Kamra is home to Pakistan's nuclear arsenal.

Responding to a question on the safety of Pakistan's nuclear assets, Commander Speaks said, "We obviously work closely on a regular basis with our Pakistani counterparts to discuss the safety of their nuclear program, and it's our sense that the Pakistani government maintains good security around their nuclear arsenal. We have no indication that this particular attack endangered Pakistani nuclear assets."

Earlier on Thursday, Pakistan rejected US concerns that its nuclear assets may fall into the wrong hands, insisting the country’s strategic assets were safe and sound.

During the Foreign Ministry weekly press briefing, spokesperson Moazzam Ali Khan said, “Pakistan’s strategic assets are safe and sound and we have a robust command and control in place, so nobody should worry about the safety and security of our nuclear assets.”

The statements were in reaction to recent remarks made by US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, who feared that Pakistan’s nuclear assets were in danger of falling into the hands of terrorists if terrorism was not controlled in the country.]]>
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			<title>This is not our war? Still?</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/422937/this-is-not-our-war-still</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/422937/this-is-not-our-war-still#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 16 Aug 12 16:28:34 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[kamran.shafi]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=422937</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Till when will we live in denial, friends, till when will we call these murdering brutes our  ‘assets’?]]>
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				<![CDATA[So then, our ‘assets’ have attacked the extremely high security installation, the Kamra Airbase and Pakistan Aeronautical Complex killing one soldier and damaging an aircraft or two. Whilst earlier reports said that one terrorist had been captured alive, we are now being told that all eight, some say nine, have been killed.

If I had anything to do with the investigations, I would certainly look into the matter of the death of the terrorist caught alive, because you see, just like Mehran, I suspect that this was an inside job too.

There is a report also that says all the attackers were foreigners while others say only one was. Be which as it may this only proves the point that there is a collection of terrorists from across the Muslim world congregated in Fata and comfortably embedded with said ‘assets’.

Now then, after all of the attacks this country has suffered at the Taliban’s hands: Kamra; POFs; Sakesar; GHQ; Hamza Camp; ISI buses; Parade Lane; ISI HQs in Lahore and Faisalabad; Moon Market; Marriott; Lahore Cantonment; Mehran airbase; Lt Gen Mushtaq’s brutal murder in Rawalpindi; Peshawar Meena Bazaar and many others,  this is still not our fight; not OUR war? Till when will we live in denial, friends, till when will we call these murdering brutes our  ‘assets’?

Are things changing though? Is there a fresh breeze blowing? There might well be, considering General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani’s speech at the PMA, in Kakul. First, kudos to him for clearly stating that Pakistan needed to crush the terrorists without exception. And more for saying all of us are at fault for bringing the country to its present pass. He particularly named the armed forces, read army. He also said, to his credit, that no single institution had all the answers.

Whilst one would have hoped that he had also said that the major blame lay on the faulty strategic thinking of our army brass, e.g., strategic depth in Afghanistan and mollycoddling terrorists of all stripes in the hope that they would help this country face its perceived enemies, I would like to build upon what he did say.

Well, general, this is good and well as our regimental mate Brigadier Ashraf Afridi used to say, now let’s all of us put our shoulders to the wheel and try and get our country out of the morass it is in. For starters, please order the immediate closing down of the media cell in the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) — ISPR is more than equal to the task — and then open a civilised dialogue with lay Pakistanis on the way forward.

And please, please become less India-centric. I can assure you that if it dares to attack our country every Pakistani will stand by you.

And now for contempt. The majesty of the Supreme Court that comes to the fore every time a prime minister is ordered to appear before it is truly awe-inspiring. Indeed, the alacrity with which PMs have presented themselves (under notice of contempt) before the Court: Nawaz Sharif twice; Yousaf Raza Gilani thrice; Raja Pervaiz Ashraf (the Lord only how many times he will appear), convinces one like nothing else that the superior judiciary in our country is truly superior.

Indeed, this judiciary hanged an elected PM, committing judicial murder, no less. Indeed, whilst Nawaz Sharif escaped punishment while he was PM, he was given a life sentence after the Commando’s coup. And Yousaf Raza Gilani was kicked out of his elected office even though he was chief executive of the country. If this isn’t majesty and superiority all rolled into one, what is?

Which is why, it grates upon one’s sensibilities when uniformed servants of the state either refuse to appear at all, or if they condescend to (as in the one appearance of the DG Frontier Corps, Balochistan), appear in civvies. Perish the thought that any general will be summoned like ordinary PMs.

What brought the subject to mind was the re-appearance of the case of the Adiala Eleven, now reduced to Seven, four of them being tortured/starved to death and their bodies strewn hither and thither. If I recall, the last time we heard about these unfortunates was some months ago when the Mother of All Agencies was forced to produce them in the Supreme Court, and the Court handed them over to the K-P government for safe custody.

This is part of the latest report of the matter in a section of our press: “The Supreme Court sought the record from the intelligence agency’s counsel regarding the seven prisoners of Adiala Jail, allegedly abducted by the intelligence agencies. Appearing on notice, Raja Muhammad Irshad, counsel for the intelligence agencies, told the court that the seven prisoners had been arrested for attacking Hamza Camp of the ISI. He said the cases could not be lodged under the Army Act against former prisoners in the Adiala Jail due to the lack (sic) of evidence.

“The chief justice reminded the learned counsel that the report prepared by the Punjab chief secretary was with the court according to which 11 missing persons were picked up by intelligence agencies from outside the Adiala Jail.

“Raja Muhammad Irshad told the court that they had presented their written reply on the issue. The chief justice commented that it was a serious matter and had progressed beyond just statements.”

Now then, according to the lawyer of the ‘Agencies’, the ISI and the MI, there were only seven people who were ‘arrested’. He has conveniently forgotten that there is every evidence, including a report from the Punjab government (as stated by the CJ himself) that 11 prisoners were taken away by the ISI and the MI from Adiala Jail after they were released by the Lahore High Court, both agencies admitting that they had joint custody of them.

Is this not contempt of the worst kind, to lie before the court in the face of the court? Why does the Court not summon a general or two so that this cruel charade is ended?

I have to end with this link and request the Chief Justice to watch the clip himself from 4:04 to 4:20, just 16 seconds. In it Shiekh Rashid ‘Tulli’ is calling on the CJ to commit murder. Suo motu, any of you, My Lords?

Published in The Express Tribune, August 17th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Kamra attack: 'Minimal damage, militant deaths clear proof of preparedness'</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/422902/minimal-damage-militant-deaths-clear-proof-of-preparedness-naveed-qamar</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/422902/minimal-damage-militant-deaths-clear-proof-of-preparedness-naveed-qamar#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 16 Aug 12 06:57:31 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[sidrah.moiz]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=422902</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[We challenged militants on different parameters; one soldier posted at security tower was martyred, says Qamar.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Hours after a Pakistan Air Force (PAF) base in Kamra was attacked, Defence Minister Naveed Qamar said that the death toll of the militants and the minimal damage caused to the base is clear proof of the preparedness of the forces.

The attack by militants on the PAF airbase and operation by security forces lasted for over four hours in which at least eight militants and one security official were killed. The base was attacked during the early hours of Thursday. 

Speaking to the media in Islamabad, Qamar said, “The security of the air force was alert to retaliate in case of a possible attack and they did. We challenged the militants on different parameters, in which one of our soldiers who was posted at the security tower was martyred.”

“They had suicide vests clasped around them and were carrying heavy weaponry. They had attacked the base with an intention of having a do or die battle. However, with minimum damage caused to the base – with only one plane destroyed – the security forces were able to eliminate the terrorists.”

The defence minister said that the actual number of militants involved in the attack can only be ascertained once the inquiry is concluded.

When asked whether the attack was a result of an intelligence failure, he said that such attacks could only be defended to a certain extent and that the base is located in an urban residential area which always poses a threat of a possible infiltration.

Responding to a question regarding moving the complex away from the residential area, Qamar said it is not easy to move such big complexes that are built with massive investments. However, he said that the idea of sifting the complex will be reviewed.

The base is home to the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex that assembles Mirage and, with Chinese support, JF-17 fighter jets. It has previously come under attack twice, once in 2007 and then in 2009.

Qamar revealed that no arrests were made.

When asked about the security steps taken after Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan had threatened to attack military bases, he said, “Everyone did what they were supposed to do. The security forces challenged the militants and eliminated them. These are actually what you call security steps.”

Disengage from war on terror: Imran Khan

Putting the blame of an early morning attack on a PAF airbase in Kamra on the army fighting war on terror for United States, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan said that Pakistan needs to disengage itself from the war and then should consider launching military offensives.

Speaking to the media at Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, Khan said that every now and then, US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta gives statements and it appears as if the Pakistan Army is “deaf and dumb.”

“People will say that it is a rented army and we take money from the US to fight their wars.”

He said that a military offensive carried out in North Waziristan will have its implications on Pakistan, including a rise in terror attacks and will threaten the national security.

Expressing grief over the attack, Khan said that the civilian government should take responsibility of a democratic government and if it cannot do so, then it should hold elections. “The government proclaims that it is a democratic government, however, it refuses to take responsibility of the situation in Balochistan and FATA.”]]>
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			<title>Tehreek-i-Taliban claim 'revenge' attack on Kamra airbase</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/422821/attack-on-paf-airbase-live-updates</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/422821/attack-on-paf-airbase-live-updates#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 16 Aug 12 03:20:40 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Shaheryar Popalzai]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=422821</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[TTP spokesperson says attack was revenge for the killings of Baitullah Mehsud and Osama bin Laden.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has claimed responsibility for the attack on a Pakistan Air Force (PAF) base in Kamra during the early hours of Thursday. At least eight militants and one security official were killed in the attack and the operation which lasted for over five hours.

TTP spokesperson Ihsanullah Ihsan has said that four suicide bombers had carried out the attack to take revenge for the killings of Baitullah Mehsud and Osama bin Laden. He claimed that the attackers had succeeded in achieving their targets and had given a “lethal blow”.

Claiming that dozens of personnel had been killed in the attack, Ihsan said that the Taliban can attack at will and will also target other locations.

A five-member inquiry committee, headed by Air Marshall Akhtar Hussain Bukhari, was constituted to investigate the attack.

Sepoy Muhammad Asif was killed during the operation. Air Commodore Muhammad Azam, who was leading the operation, was injured.

A statement from the air force said that the attack began at 2am and that the militants were equipped with RPGs and automatic weapons. It says that seven to eight militants had attacked the base.

Militants present outside the base had also fired RPGs, damaging one aircraft.

The PAF said that six militants were wearing suicide jackets. One of the militants had blown himself up while in hiding.

Search operations were also carried out in the nearby residential areas.

Eight suspects were arrested during the search operation.

The mobile phone of one of the militants was also recovered from the attack site.

Two blasts were also heard from the base during and after the operation. The first one early morning and the second one around 12:30pm.

A PAF statement said that a number of Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) had been found during the search operation and those that could not be safely removed were being detonated in a controlled environment.

The base is home to the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex that assembles Mirage and, with Chinese support, JF-17 fighter jets. It has previously come under attack twice, once in 2007 and then in 2009.

A suicide bomber had killed eight people in an attack on a check post outside the base on October 23, 2009. In December 2007, a suicide bomber had targeted a school bus and injured at least five children of employees at the base.

End of live updates

8:50am

Pakistan Army personnel and police officials are still conducting a search operation. The search operation is reported to be in its final stages.

Bomb Disposal Squad personnel are also present in the area.

8:45am

Chinese officials, who were giving training to local personnel, were also reported to be present at the base.

8:20am

Express News reports that the shifts at the base change at 2am and firing had begun during that time. Personnel present at the base had managed to hold the militants.

8:15am 

Express News correspondent Imran Asghar reports that the militants had entered the base from Pind Makhan.

The correspondent traveled to the location, showing an area with no proper roads and very little population. Video shots on Express News clearly showed a plane parked on the runway.

7:35am

Air Commodore Muhammad Azam, who had earlier been injured, rejoined the operation after receiving treatment.

7:30am

PAF authorities have ordered an inquiry into the incident.      

7:25am

Express News reports that two blasts have been heard from the airbase. There is no confirmation on the nature of the blasts as yet.

The bodies of four militants have been shifted to an unknown location.

7:00am

Express News reports that the operation at the base has come to an end. A search operation in nearby areas is still under way.

According to Reuters, two soldiers and six militants were killed in the attack and operation that followed.

6:50am

A search operation of the residential area is currently under way.

A spokesperson of the PAF has said all six militants who attacked the base have been killed. There were earlier reports that the number of attackers could have been between nine to ten.

6:35am

Irfan Ghauri reports that the entire area is considered to be sensitive. Besides the airbase and Kamra Aeronautical Complex, other installations in the area are the AK Regiment camp in Mansar, the SSG base and Artillery headquarters in Attock. All of these are located within a few kilometres from each other.

Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) vehicles have also arrived at the base.

6:20am

The Express Tribune correspondent Irfan Ghauri reports that sources have said one senior PAF officer injured in the attack is in critical condition. One plane was damaged in the attack.

The security of the base is handled by the Defence Services Guard.

Express News reports that seven militants have been killed and a number of officials have been injured. An air commodore who was supervising the operation was injured in the attack.

6:15am

A search operation has also been launched in the Pind Makhan area. The terrorists had reportedly entered the base from that side.

6:10am

A search operation is currently underway at the base and there are reports that three militants are possibly in hiding.

There are reports that aircraft present at the base were not damaged during the attack.

5:50am

Reports from the area state that firing has stopped for now and no blasts have been heard.

No vehicles, including fire brigades and ambulances, are being allowed to enter the base.

Reports state that firing had earlier been going on from nine different points.

5:45am

Express News reports that sources claim up to six militants have been killed so far.

One official speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity from within the base said he could hear gun and rocket fire, and the sound of hand grenades.

5:35am

A statement from the PAF says that the body of a suicide bomber strapped with explosives was found close to the “impact area”.

5:25am

Express News reports that five militants have been killed so far. There were reports that nine militants had attacked the airbase.

An operation is still under way at the airbase.

No ambulance has exited the airbase so far.

A senior officer who was reported to have been injured in the attack has been shifted to the hospital.

5:20am

Intelligence reports from the Punjab Home Department had earlier warned that the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) was planning attacks on a Pakistan Air Force Base and other military and security establishments in Lahore before Eid.

5:15am

There are reports that the AWAC could have been the target of the attack.

Sources have also stated that the number of militants is between nine to eleven.

A team of SSG commandos has reached the airbase.

There are also reports of PAF officials being killed in the attack.

5:05am

AFP reports that witnesses have said they could hear gun and rocket fire coming from the facility, which contains a number of aircraft factories.

5:00am

Express News reports that nine militants wearing suicide vets had attacked the airbase around 2am. The militants had crossed three check posts and were also reported to be wearing army uniforms.

Three squadrons present at the airbase were targeted.

Aircraft present at the base are being shifted to the hangers.

4:55am

A Pakistan Army squad has arrived at the base to take part in the operation.

4:45am

The army has been called in to control the situation. The militants also hurled hand grenades, sources added.]]>
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