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BY RW Spisak
The question needs to be posed in the aftermath of one more example of wanton destruction of human life. Another so-called Terror attack. Cui Bono? Who benefits? from this casual slaughter, from the shedding of more innocent blood? This the contemporary currency of political exchange, when the relatively powerless confront empires, using the blood of innocents. The song remains the same, through the centuries. Carefully selected targets, carefully selected populations. What is written in this awful message.
The question remains, if we are to understand the purpose of these murderous acts, we must get beyond the politically easy answers offered by the political spokesmodels. Hundreds of deaths and mayhem in a modern city happens for reasons as readily calculated as insurance benefits or the price of a Congressperson's vote.
Conventional wisdoms suggests Al Quaida or Al Quaida out-riders intent on damaging US Indian relations. Slightly subtler analysis suggests that Claimants are not always what or who the adverts suggests. The fine print must be examined. There is a name offered and claims made and a new email threatening a repeat attack at Indira Ghandhi Airport. The name "Deccan Mujahideen" has been offered but it is reported that the dialect used by the murderous team, was not Deccan but Punjabi.
The information that calls were made to Pakistan from a cellphone found on one of the gunman, and testimony from one of those captured is reported to detail extensive training in Pakistan. None of this represents final conclusive evidence of a formal Pakistan government operation. Skepticism would rightly indicate any initial testimony should be taken at face value until additional details are collected and analyzed.
Cui Bono Mumbai? We have seen reports of speeches from the ungovernable tribal regions of Pakistan that now that open war (we hope, we hope) has broken out with India all is forgiven, they further suggest that the Karachi government can remove the army from troubling them and they (the tribal chiefdons) will generously take care of the border with Afghanistan, without the Pakistan Army to trouble them.
>From the Times of India we learn (excerpted)
..."The outlawed Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan too offered unconditional support to the Pakistani government if hostilities broke out with India.
If India attacked Pakistan, the local Taliban would set aside its differences with the government and defend the frontiers, militant leader Maulana Faqir Mohammad told reporters in Bajaur tribal region. Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, a key leader of the ruling coalition, said the government should not succumb to Indian pressure as the entire nation was with it. Addressing a news conference in Lahore, he said the allegations made by India about a Pakistani link to the attacks in Mumbai were baseless. "Call back the troops from the tribal areas, end the military operation and deploy the forces on the eastern border," he said. "...
There were reports that the owners of the Taj Hotel were special targets because of their involvement in India's Nuclear Power Industry. There were also reports out that Security had been beefed up for weeks, and no sooner had the hardened security lapsed, the following day the attacks began. Their knowledge of security levels onsite was clearly exceptional.
Another shadowy figure who's mentioned as a possible mastermind in the mayhem is a figure well known in intelligence circles who is currently protected by both US and Pakistani intelligence operatives, Ibrahim Dawood.
From Alternet quoting Yoichi Shimatsu
The question needs to be posed in the aftermath of one more example of wanton destruction of human life. Another so-called Terror attack. Cui Bono? Who benefits? from this casual slaughter, from the shedding of more innocent blood? This the contemporary currency of political exchange, when the relatively powerless confront empires, using the blood of innocents. The song remains the same, through the centuries. Carefully selected targets, carefully selected populations. What is written in this awful message.
The question remains, if we are to understand the purpose of these murderous acts, we must get beyond the politically easy answers offered by the political spokesmodels. Hundreds of deaths and mayhem in a modern city happens for reasons as readily calculated as insurance benefits or the price of a Congressperson's vote.
Conventional wisdoms suggests Al Quaida or Al Quaida out-riders intent on damaging US Indian relations. Slightly subtler analysis suggests that Claimants are not always what or who the adverts suggests. The fine print must be examined. There is a name offered and claims made and a new email threatening a repeat attack at Indira Ghandhi Airport. The name "Deccan Mujahideen" has been offered but it is reported that the dialect used by the murderous team, was not Deccan but Punjabi.
The information that calls were made to Pakistan from a cellphone found on one of the gunman, and testimony from one of those captured is reported to detail extensive training in Pakistan. None of this represents final conclusive evidence of a formal Pakistan government operation. Skepticism would rightly indicate any initial testimony should be taken at face value until additional details are collected and analyzed.
Cui Bono Mumbai? We have seen reports of speeches from the ungovernable tribal regions of Pakistan that now that open war (we hope, we hope) has broken out with India all is forgiven, they further suggest that the Karachi government can remove the army from troubling them and they (the tribal chiefdons) will generously take care of the border with Afghanistan, without the Pakistan Army to trouble them.
>From the Times of India we learn (excerpted)
..."The outlawed Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan too offered unconditional support to the Pakistani government if hostilities broke out with India.
If India attacked Pakistan, the local Taliban would set aside its differences with the government and defend the frontiers, militant leader Maulana Faqir Mohammad told reporters in Bajaur tribal region. Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, a key leader of the ruling coalition, said the government should not succumb to Indian pressure as the entire nation was with it. Addressing a news conference in Lahore, he said the allegations made by India about a Pakistani link to the attacks in Mumbai were baseless. "Call back the troops from the tribal areas, end the military operation and deploy the forces on the eastern border," he said. "...
There were reports that the owners of the Taj Hotel were special targets because of their involvement in India's Nuclear Power Industry. There were also reports out that Security had been beefed up for weeks, and no sooner had the hardened security lapsed, the following day the attacks began. Their knowledge of security levels onsite was clearly exceptional.
Another shadowy figure who's mentioned as a possible mastermind in the mayhem is a figure well known in intelligence circles who is currently protected by both US and Pakistani intelligence operatives, Ibrahim Dawood.
From Alternet quoting Yoichi Shimatsu
Eager to please all comers, Dawood occasionally got his wires crossed, providing travel documents and other amenities to Islamist airplane hijackers. In response, Washington spymasters tried to unofficially "impound" his investment in the Nepalese casinos. Dawood's fury is legendary among locals. An honorable businessman, he held to the strict belief that a deal is a deal and there can be no reneging for any reason.
Why the timing of this raid, on the dawn of Thanksgiving in America? The leader of India's opposition and former deputy Prime Minister L. K. Advani had long sought Dawood's extradition from Pakistan, a move opposed by the then military government in Islamabad. With the restoration of civilian rule, the new Pakistani prime minister (Gillani) consented to New Delhi's deportation request. Alternet
The tribal regions in the western portion of Pakistan would benefit by trouble along the Indian Border. If the army was called to the Indian border they would be reduced in the Tribal Region. Pakistan energized by the American military incursions from Afghanistan have increased their own military presence in the formerly ungovernable western tribal regions.
The Taliban has for decades benefited from not only support by Pakistani Intelligence but also by the sanctuary offered by the lawless mountainous regions of Pakistan, have been under pressure from both American special forces and their unmanned drones from the west and quite recently from the Pakistani Army from the east. Pakistan who has been complaining about unauthorized American activity in the tribal regions was literally forced to increase it's military pressure if only to show the Americans that they could control the Tribal regions.
It would thus seem that the militants in the tribal regions have much to gain from misdirecting the animosity from themselves to a "Deccan Mujahideen" and if the Pakistani military became again more concerned about a series of reprisal cycles with India the pressure would be off those militants in the Tribal regions. Let's keep one thing in mind, while bloody crimes will always be with us, let's always remember that the most obvious villain, and certainly the ones with the BIG MEDIA SIGNS POINTING AT THEM may not be the answer. Let's keep the screaming down and let's put the whole WAR ON TERROR, WAR ON ISLAM out with the bush-baby huh?
