Islambad bombing: Terrorists' message to Pakistan?
ON 20th September night, Islambad has seen the worst of terrorists' attacks. In a suicide attack, a huge truck bomb exploded at the gate of the Marriott Hotel in the capital turning the city landmark into an inferno. The blast, which was thought to have been caused by more than 500 kilograms of explosives ignited gas cylinders in the kitchen, setting off a blaze that swept through the 300-room hotel. A security official said some victims leapt to their deaths rather than be burnt alive on the upper floors. About 60 people were killed and more than 200 injured by the massive blast that could be heard 15 kilometres away. Authorities warned the death toll could rise as rescuers picked through the ruins. Three foreigners are believed to have been killed in the attack, including the Czech ambassador to Pakistan, who phoned his embassy moments after the bombing from inside the hotel asking to be rescued. A Dipomat from Denmark is believed to be missing. The bombing came on the first anniversary of Osama bin Laden's call for Pakistani Muslims to unleash jihad, or holy war, against the government, a vital ally in the US-led "war on terror" that has cracked down on militants. No one has yet claimed responsibility for the blast, but the Pakistan Taliban based in the tribal areas along the Afghanistan border is believed to be behind the attack. The White House has condemned the bombing and repeated its support for the Islamabad Government. Privately, US officials say Pakistan's leaders are doing too little to stop the insurgency. Why Marriott Hotel?
The Marriott has been targeted several times before including a suicide attack in January last year. The hotel, a chain of American hotels, is a symbol of wealth and prestige in the Pakistan capital. One of few five-star hotels in the city, it is favoured by many Western travellers. It is also a popular gathering place for the Pakistani elite. The brazen attack appeared to have been timed to inflict maximum casualties, ripping through the hotel when it was packed with families having dinner to break the daily fast in the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The Marriott has blanket security. Few vehicles get past the gate and those that are allowed to enter are checked by security guards. But the truck bomb was so big it did not need to get any closer than the gate to cause complete destruction. A message to Zardari?
The blast went off just half a kilometre from the Pakistan Prime Minister's residence where the President, Asif Ali Zardari, was dining with dignitaries. Earlier the President, who was inaugurated a fortnight ago, had addressed the National Parliament for the first time and promised to "root out terrorism and extremism wherever and whenever they may rear their ugly heads". But the attack on the Marriott, which came only hours later, made a mockery of those words. President Zardari gave a televised address after the blast in which he appealed for "all democratic forces" to help save Pakistan. "Terrorism is a cancer in Pakistan. We are determined, God willing, we will rid the country of this cancer," he said. "I promise you that such actions by these cowards will not lower our resolve." The BBC reported yesterday that Mr Zardari had cancelled a trip to the US, scheduled for this week, to meet President George Bush for the first time since taking over the presidency. Mr Zardari, who heads the first democratic government in Pakistan for a decade, is under intense pressure to deliver on his repeated vows to confront Pakistan's growing insurgency. The fragile governing coalition is also grappling with economic problems, including rampant inflation, which is sapping its public support. Factors contributing to bombing
Bombing on the Marriott hotel in Islamabad, according to media, is Pakistan's September 11. Observers say the Zardari Government is caught between the militant advance through the country and the demands from the US, which is extremely unpopular among most Pakistanis. The perception that the Zardari Government is a tool of the US has played a significant part in the blast. Even though it has been at loggerheads with Washington over cross-border raids against militants, the Government remains closely allied to the West in the fight against al-Qa'ida and the Taliban. The suicide bombing demonstrates the extent to which Pakistan-US alliance is under threat from al-Qa'ida and Taliban militants. Among the ruins of the hotel is a clear message: no target in Pakistan is beyond the militants, who believe they can bring the country to its knees. Furthermore, the Federal Administered Territory (tribal areas) are outside the full control of Pakistan government. Traditionally they can do whatever they like so long they do not interfere with the civilian administration. It is believed that since the tribal people see this war imposed on Pakistan by America, they created safe havens for the Islamic militants. Informed observers believe that President Zia ul Huq had been responsible for the rise of militants during his rule between 1977 to 1988. He led Pakistan to so-called 'Islamist way', introduced Shariah Courts and played political gamble with the Islamic orthodoxy for retaining his power in the country. Even some of the armed personnel became sympathetic to Islamic extremism. Before 2001, Pakistan's ISI assisted the Talebans to control Afghanistan since 1996 and a section of Pakistan army was involved in it. Pakistan was one of the three countries (Saudi Arabia & UAE) that recognised Taleban-governed Aghanistan. Suddenly former President Musharraf changed the policy supporting the US and fighting against the Talebans. Some of the lower echelons of the army were puzzled at the sudden change and psychologically were not prepared to change their sympathy towards Talebans and continue to demonstrate their support for Talebans. Views by leading commentators
Ahmed Rashid, a Pakistani author and an expert on Talibans' role in the region, said that Musharraf wanted to walk on both sides of the road, meaning that his war on terrorism did not prevent him from supporting militants to destabilise Indian-controlled Kashmir and Afghanistan, two strategic interests of Pakistan. A leading US commentator on Pakistani affairs, Brian Glyn Williams, associate professor of Islamic History at the University of Massachusetts, said "Pakistan's alliance with Washington is what this is all about. The attack on the hotel is a message to the Pakistani leadership - end all co-operation with the Americans or pay the price." "Both sides see Pakistan as a vital battlefield in their global struggle, and clearly Pakistani civilians are paying the price for being in the middle of this struggle," he said. "It's a replay of Baghdad at its worst. But with a very significant difference - while most Pakistanis would decry the bombing, there is also an overwhelming feeling that Pakistan, both under the military regime (of former president Pervez Musharraf) and now under the new civilian Government, has gone too far in supporting the US and the West in their war against al-Qa'ida and the Taliban." Marvin Weinbaum, a former Pakistan intelligence analyst at the US State Department, said the Marriott attack was designed to destabilise the Government and to shatter international confidence in Mr Zardari's leadership. "This is part of the larger campaign to destabilise the country and to show the new Government cannot keep the country secure and that the militants can strike anywhere, any time they want," Dr Weinbaum said. "But I think it's important to point out that the nature of the target was meant to have international repercussions." "The US has felt under pressure to take unilateral action, which has raised the temperature between the US and Pakistan," said Lisa Curtis, a former senior adviser on South Asian issues in the State Department. The militants took the opportunity to show that they can terrorise at the heart of Pakistan. Conclusion
The militants are fully aware that political parties are not united and a major party, Nawaz Sharif's Muslim League, does not see eye to eye on many issues with the Zardari government. Furthermore, the lawyers and civil society are against the government because of its reluctance to reinstate the deposed judges of the Supreme Court including the former chief justice Iftikhar Chowdhry. Observers note that unless there is a strong united government in Pakistan, terrorist attacks are likely to continue to exploit the fragility of the government.
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