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2008-09-20 India-Pakistan

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Posted by 3dc 2008-09-20 10:28|| || Front Page|| [12 views ] Top

#1 AP: A huge explosion ripped through part of the heavily guarded Marriott Hotel in Pakistan's capital on Saturday. Many people, including foreigners, were seen running out, some of them stained with blood.

There was no immediate word on casualties at the site, which is a favorite place for foreigners to stay and is heavily guarded. Ambulances rushed to the scene, where a fire also burned.

Posted by ed 2008-09-20 10:51|| 2008-09-20 10:51|| Front Page Top

#2 At the risk of sounding like a smug, uncaring bastard I'll go ahead and say; The chikcens have come home to roost.

Posted by Lonzo Ulaitch4120 2008-09-20 10:51|| 2008-09-20 10:51|| Front Page Top

#3 Bomb rocks Islamabad hotel, at least 17 dead: TV
A suspected car bomb caused a huge explosion outside the Marriott Hotel in the Pakistani capital on Saturday and the Dawn television station said at least 17 people had been killed.

A reporter at the scene told CNN that as many as 200 people were feared to be inside the building. Television images showed flames and smoke pouring out of the hotel and bodies being carried away.

"The explosion happened as a car reached the barricade outside the hotel," a senior police official said, adding that it appeared to have been a suicide attack.

A Reuters witness said he could see fires in at least two places in the hotel and at least 20 cars parked on the street outside had been destroyed. Television pictures later showed flames spreading to other parts of the 290-room hotel, located close to the city centre and very popular with tourists.

Witnesses reported that ceilings in the hotel lobby and dining area had collapsed.

Posted by ed 2008-09-20 11:13|| 2008-09-20 11:13|| Front Page Top

#4 AP: Police say at least 40 people have died in a massive explosion that destroyed the luxury Marriott Hotel in Pakistan's capital.

Senior police official Asghar Raza Gardaizi said he fears there are dozens more dead inside. He said that the Saturday blast, which reverberated throughout Islamabad, was caused by more than a ton of explosives.

The blast left a crater some 30 feet deep in front of the main building.

Posted by ed 2008-09-20 11:50|| 2008-09-20 11:50|| Front Page Top

#5 Death toll up to 40 dead

The pictures here show a large part of the hotel on fire.

Posted by Frozen Al 2008-09-20 12:53|| 2008-09-20 12:53|| Front Page Top

Posted by 3dc 2008-09-20 12:53|| 2008-09-20 12:53|| Front Page Top

#7 Not that Mr. Wife has ever travelled to Pakistan, but it is partially for this kind of information that I read Rantburg. May the victims of yet another jihadi atrocity rest in peace, and the jihadi murderers quickly meet their just reward.

Posted by trailing wife ">trailing wife 2008-09-20 13:33|| 2008-09-20 13:33|| Front Page Top

#8 now where would someone get a ton of explosives in a sovereign stable state with border integrity? Oh, yeah, this is Pakland. My bad. Seems like the Pakis have more to worry about than the occasional drone attack, hmmmm?

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2008-09-20 13:47|| 2008-09-20 13:47|| Front Page Top

#9 This was an attack on Westerners IN Pakistan, not really on Pakistan itself. Though am sure that is only a minor difference to those who carried it out.

Posted by Glenmore">Glenmore 2008-09-20 14:58|| 2008-09-20 14:58|| Front Page Top

#10 "The Marriott is the most prestigious hotel in the capital, and is popular with foreigners and the Pakistani elite."

A two-fer for the islamonazis.

"Can you hear us now, President Zardari?"

Posted by Barbara Skolaut">Barbara Skolaut 2008-09-20 15:05|| http://ariellestjohndesigns.com/]">[http://ariellestjohndesigns.com/] 2008-09-20 15:05|| Front Page Top

#11 where would someone get a ton of explosives in a sovereign stable state with border integrity?

Now Frank, um, we got a Oklahoma sized mote herein.

Posted by .5MT 2008-09-20 15:06|| www.cybernations.net]">[www.cybernations.net] 2008-09-20 15:06|| Front Page Top

#12 The spiral is intensifying: The Taliban/NWTA and Pakistani Government are locked in a fight to the death. Not unlike AL Queada in Iraq and the Anbar councils.

Let's watch.

Posted by Minister of funny walks 2008-09-20 15:37|| 2008-09-20 15:37|| Front Page Top

#13 New Claim: that senior CIA officials were believed to be at the hotel at the time, and it was an assassination attempt.

http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/india-news/senior-cia-officers-were-target-of-islamabad-blast_10097943.html

Posted by Anonymoose 2008-09-20 16:33|| 2008-09-20 16:33|| Front Page Top

#14 FG: now where would someone get a ton of explosives in a sovereign stable state with border integrity?

Fertilizer bombs have been used in China and Indonesia (including the Bali bombs).

Posted by Zhang Fei 2008-09-20 17:22|| http://timurileng.blogspot.com]">[http://timurileng.blogspot.com] 2008-09-20 17:22|| Front Page Top

#15 I was being sarcastic (how unusual?). I have no doubts the explosives, if found undamaged, would bear ISI fingerprints, even if this were not an ISI-directed mission

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2008-09-20 17:37|| 2008-09-20 17:37|| Front Page Top

#16 I'm certainly glad they didn't find out about our alternate site at Ramna-4.

Address: Embassy of the Russian Federation, Diplomatic Enclave, Ramna-4, Islamabad, Pakistan
Phone: +92 51 278-671, 278-670
Fax: +92 51 826-552
Telex: (82) 54241 USSRE PK
E-mail: russia2@isb.comsats.net.pk

Posted by Besoeker 2008-09-20 17:48|| 2008-09-20 17:48|| Front Page Top

#17 Isn't that Ranma 1/2?

Posted by Anonymoose 2008-09-20 19:04|| 2008-09-20 19:04|| Front Page Top

#18 All you need is ammonium nitrate fertilizer and fuel oil mixed in (ANFO). Then you need a detonator charge go give it the shock it needs to go off. Fast, cheap, and easily stows in a delivery truck.

Posted by Alaska Paul back home 2008-09-20 20:25|| 2008-09-20 20:25|| Front Page Top

#19 this likely wasn't Abu Timothy. This was a TTP/Taliban effort with backing, indirectly from the ISI. Time for the ISI to have several "casualties"?

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2008-09-20 20:50|| 2008-09-20 20:50|| Front Page Top

#20 Past time, Frank.

Posted by Barbara Skolaut">Barbara Skolaut 2008-09-20 20:52|| http://ariellestjohndesigns.com/]">[http://ariellestjohndesigns.com/] 2008-09-20 20:52|| Front Page Top

#21 I stayed at this hotel several times in the early '90s. It is right next to the US Consulate in the tony Clifton section of Karachi.

Posted by remoteman 2008-09-20 22:02|| 2008-09-20 22:02|| Front Page Top

#22

That's one big mofo hole.

Posted by Oztralian 2008-09-20 22:41|| 2008-09-20 22:41|| Front Page Top

#23 you're talkin' about the Karachi Marriot, remoteman. This is the Islamabad clone.

The explosive of choice for these guys tends to be RDX. lets see what it turns out to be this time. its not all that difficult to buy PETN and dynamite and blasting caps around here, by the way.

Posted by proud porkistani 2008-09-20 23:45|| 2008-09-20 23:45|| Front Page Top

23:57 3dc
23:54 3dc
23:45 proud porkistani
23:38 Sherry
23:13 OldSpook
23:13 Frank G
23:12 Eohippus Uleter1840
23:09 General_Comment
23:07 Elminesh the Grim3043
23:06 General_Comment
23:03 Barbara Skolaut
22:54 FOTSGreg
22:53 badanov
22:49 Frank G
22:47 General_Comment
22:46 General_Comment
22:44 bigjim-ky
22:41 Oztralian
22:36 General_Comment
22:28 General_Comment
22:28 Barbara Skolaut
22:02 remoteman
21:41 bigjim-ky
21:27 Frank G