Gunmen Take Students Hostage At High School in Pakistan

Gunmen Take Students Hostage At High School in Pakistan

online.wsj.com

PESHAWAR, Pakistan -- Security forces have surrounded a high school in volatile northwestern Pakistan where gunmen on Monday took hostage dozens of students and teachers, police said.

Police are negotiating with the gunmen, believed to number five or six, holed up at the village school near the town of Bannu, said district police chief Dar Ali Khattak. The standoff began after the gunmen abducted the health chief in neighboring Karak district and were chased by police, said Liaqat Khan, another local police official.

The gunmen eventually freed the health official but took refuge inside the school, and are now demanding safe passage in return for freeing the students and teachers, he said.

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Anyone ever notice as violence rises . So does school related shootings/deaths. And things of this nature? Seems its not just here in the US.

online.wsj.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Schools are an easy target. Frankly, I'm shocked there aren't more "terrorist" attacks in schools.

Here in the states they're "gun-free" zones possibly with the exception of 2 or 3 rent-a-cops, full of kids and limp wristed academic types who would sooner cower under a desk than risk being shot to save a life let alone their own, the drills are "lock-down" type which means to the attackers every room is nicely packed with kids just sitting and waiting to be raped, beaten or killed (because locking the door will keep the bad guys out, right?)

Elementary schools are target number 1 if some nutty group wanted to freak out a population.

I suppose I'm not really surprised something like this has happened, it's happened before, on a far larger scale, in Beslan. It surprises me actually that no ones tried it in America (or anywhere in the West, for that matter). Although from here it looks like they weren't intending on actually doing this in the first place.

Actually, why no one has done a Beslan type attack in America is an interesting question, given the US Government wants us to believe they are capable of hijacking 4 airliners at the same time, taking hostage then blowing up a school should be an easy matter. Particularly with ready access to guns.

PS: I daresay that comes as incredibly insensitive, but thats how I see it.

Yeah i remember that Russian fiasco . That was a really sad day . I just don't understand killing innocent kids. Or putting them in danger for selfish reasons . No matter what country . Kids are ......well... our future..

Originally posted by apex
Particularly with ready access to guns.

I have to take objection to that. You make it sound like is guns were banned somehow the people who would do such a thing like at Beslan would suddenly be unable to acquire guns. Criminals, outlaws and terrorist types will always get what's banned. Only the law-abiding non-criminals will be unable to acquire them.

reply to post by thisguyrighthere


Agreed. If only guns could tell the age of there victims . Im all for people killing each other willingly . If thats there prerogatived. But when kids are involved . It's one of probably 3 things i could support some form of torture as punishment. Preferably enacted by the parents.

[edit on 28-1-2008 by oLDWoRLDDiSoRDeR]

The gunmen have released the hostages:

news.yahoo.com...

It says they were given safe passage and just left.

I sincerely hope there are plans to get these people into custody. People who would go so far as to threaten the murder of children should not just be let free. Chances are they haven't suddenly committed themselves to a crime-free life.

At the very least nobody has the right to act surprised should the people involved with this go on to commit more crimes.

Wow they just let em go ? They must have an ace up there sleeve. This makes no sense at all..

reply to post by apex


They could attack the schools like Beslan, but perhaps they are far more ambitious. If you are a terrorist with ambitious plans, then you would overlook schools and go for a bigger fish.

Originally posted by thisguyrighthere

Originally posted by apex
Particularly with ready access to guns.

I have to take objection to that. You make it sound like is guns were banned somehow the people who would do such a thing like at Beslan would suddenly be unable to acquire guns. Criminals, outlaws and terrorist types will always get what's banned. Only the law-abiding non-criminals will be unable to acquire them.

No, thats not what I mean at all. All I meant by that is that it is easier to acquire them in the US than, say, here in the UK (from my point of view). I don't mean that it wouldn't happen in the UK because of restricted access to guns, if you really really want them, you can get them. Just it would be easier, and have a larger chance of success, with easy access to them, e.g. in the US.

reply to post by deltaboy


Maybe if they are after damaging the target country's economy, then yes, but if they really want to create a massive climate of fear, what better than one or more school? The idea for people, that a school near them, or with their children in it, has a chance of an attack like Beslan, would create a huge fear in a country, surely.

[edit on 28-1-2008 by apex]

Originally posted by oLDWoRLDDiSoRDeR
Wow they just let em go ? They must have an ace up there sleeve. This makes no sense at all..

It makes perfect sense. Children were in danger and sooner or later, one of the sides would have cracked under the pressure, be it the security forces or the sick bastards who held the kids hostage.

It would have been messy, best just to let them go and then pick them up later on. No need risking the lives of children.

[edit on 28-1-2008 by Zanzibar]