Timber Smuggling With Rockets in Chitral, Pakistan

Originally posted by Seeker PI

Do you think he's being protected by unseen western hands

Actually the opposite, I believe he is protected by Musharraf. Maybe even by China, as China and Musharraf are best buddies.

PS: Is that Rabbit for real ?

Yup, he' for real. He's name is Bodmin. He's living in East Essex, UK.

[edit on 2007/4/3 by Hellmutt]

Originally posted by Hellmutt
Actually the opposite, I believe he is protected by Musharraf. Maybe even by China, as China and Musharraf are best buddies.

Musharrafs caught between a rock and a hard place, so I can see him trying to play both ends of the game.

I'am suprised you think China may have their sticky hands in the pot.
Wouldn't something so provocative be suicidal, or do you figure they don't give a damn because Pakistan would take the heat ?

My regards to Bodmin. Does he chase down dogs and cats, he looks like he's capable?

A missile narrowly missed a relief plane heading for Chitral. The plane and a VIP chopper aborted their mission.

Dawn: Rocket fired on relief plane

A Bin Laden lookalike has been arrested near Chitral...

Daily India: Osama look-alike arrested twice along Pak-Afghan border

The most recent arrest of Osama's look-alike came after Afghani officials reported informants saw Osama moving across the border into Pakistan, near the town of Chitral.

ABC News/ AP

The Times of India: Osama lookalike arrested twice
United Press International: Osama bin Laden look alike arrested
Brisbane Times: Bin Laden lookalike arrested - twice
Boston Herald: A simple life gets complicated for hapless Osama ‘twin’
NewKerala.com: Osama look-alike arrested twice along Pak-Afghan border

I was wondering if anyone would post about the Bin Laden look alike, because I ran into an interesting article in the Chitral News.

No Bin Laden look alike in Chitral

CHITRAL, 01 May 07: People from all walks of life in Chitral have condemned fresh news reports in a section of the foreign press, which claims that a look alike of Osama Bin Laden namely Sher Akbar resident of Bache Mital Afghanistan has been arrested from Chitral.

With the tourist season approaching many Chitralis believe that there could be a foreign (Indian) conspiracy in spreading this news, to scare tourists away from Pakistan

www.chitralnews.com...

Who's foolin' who?




[edit on 5/3/07 by makeitso]

"Sabotage" of air service to Chitral. They apparently don't want people to go to Chitral.

Chitral News: Sabotage of Chitral air service

I phoned PIA universal access number and requested for seats on June 5th, flight to Chitral but I was told that there is not even a single seat available till July 2nd . I then went to a travel agent and asked for tickets on request (chance). It was difficult to find seats on chance even, I was however, lucky to have three tickets on request (chance). On June 5th morning I took my family members to the airport and all three of them plus an infant who had to travel, got a chance on the flight. The flight was cancelled due to bad weather in Chitral and when the passengers came out of the lounge I found that in fact there were only 13 passengers traveling on that flight and only 7 of them were holding confirm tickets while the rest were on request including 4 of my family members. I then asked the PIA staff members at Islamabad Airport what was the logic behind denying tickets to travelers on this flight but they had no answer and maintained a meaningful silence.

As a matter of fact it seems that there is really a conspiracy working against this new development which is trying to prove this flight to be a financial burden on PIA and justify it to be worthless.

It's a conspiracy...

Moonshine, Brainwashing and Talibanization in Chitral

Islamists in Chitral are brainwashing the youth (sometimes by force) and turning them into soldiers. The region is being radicalized by Taliban and Al Qaeda. Training camps and soldier factories all around. Why would Osama not hide there? No need to hide in a cave. I bet he even has internet...



Photo: flickr.com: friend_faraway



International Herald Tribune: A view from the roof of the world

June 28, 2007


Though Pakistani police officials recently stopped soldiers for smuggling the Kalasha version of moonshine to the district capital where it is a favorite at polo matches, the alcohol production, a small source of outside income, has also become a target for hard-line Islamic groups.

The Al-Khidmat Foundation, an off-shoot of the welfare organization set up by the deceased Egyptian mentor of Osama bin Laden, Abdullah Azzam, is a leading actor here. The rigid religious curriculum promoted by the group's political wing, Jamaat-e-Islami, has radicalized the region. In Chitral, as across Pakistan's Northwestern Frontier Province, orphans and impoverished youth are recruited - sometimes by force - for strict schooling. Where several years ago there was one Islamic school, or madrasa, in the three small Kalasha valleys, there are now 16 and many of them feed recruits into the war in Afghanistan.

"We live in a hub of Islamization and so we are being crushed," says Lakshan Bibi, 32, a Kalasha woman who runs a self-help NGO and who was recently kidnapped for ransom. "The Taliban are motivated by George Bush's war on terror. The boys go through a form of military training. It is brainwashing and when they finish they believe they are defending their own culture. And if they have to kill, it will be a source of pride at the cost of our own blood."

I found an interactive map that allows a good zoomable view of the Chitral area. I thought it may help readers to understand the size of the area Chitral covers, and give them easy access to view the surrounding area.

Place your mouse on the square boxes for info on the marked areas.

Wikimapia


On another note about Chitral - Bin Laden connection, there was a couple of recent articles that I found while looking into a recent disturbance at the Red Mosque in Islamabad Pakistan. The article is about a group called TNSM who's power base is near Chitral.

TNSM'S JIHADI SHADOW OVER LONDON May 11, 2007

There has since then been a significant resurgence in the activities of the TNSM in the Malakand Division of the NWFP and in the Bajaur Agency of the FATA

Many believe that if Osama bin Laden is alive, he would most probably be in the Chitral area of the Malakand region. Of all the Pashtuns of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region, bin Laden reportedly trusts those of Malakand the most. He considers them to be as loyal to him as his fellow-tribesmen from Yemen/Saudi Arabia are.

US to Hunt the Taliban Inside Pakistan - All Roads Lead to the Red Mosque

a pro-Taliban force named Tehrik-i-Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Mohammadi (TNSM) has spread rapidly, and its influence ranges from Bajaur, Malakand, Swat Valley and Mingora.

All these pro-Taliban/al-Qaeda zones on the Afghan border have connections with the Lal Masjid (Red Mosque) in Islamabad, run by outspoken brothers Maulana Abdul Aziz and Ghazi Abdul Rasheed. The brothers are openly pro-Taliban and also run large Islamic seminaries for boys and girls.

The Pakistani establishment believes Aziz is in fact the new leader of all the Taliban and al-Qaeda assets spreading through northwestern Pakistan

I posted some background info about the group in this thread. There is a lot more info that there just wasn't enough time to post.

There is enough research material out there to start a very long ATS thread about these groups international attacks IMO.


[edit on 7/3/07 by makeitso]

Remote Controlled Roadside Bombs

A roadside bomb exploded on the Peshawar-Swat highway and killed 4 army personnel. One of them was a Major. Another roadside bomb targeted a convoy on its way to Chitral.


DAWN: Major among four killed in bomb blast

And now, the Chitral-Peshawar highway has been closed because of a landslide.

Chitral News: Chitral-Peshawar road cut off

Three Chinese Killed Near Peshawar

Islamic militants killed three Chinese in the outskirts of Peshawar. It might have been a revenge attack over the Mosque siege.


BakuTODAY.net: Suspected militants kill three Chinese in northwest Pakistan


Related Threads:
Gwadar Watch Thread
Militants From Radical Mosque Charge Security Forces
Possible Assassination Attempt on Pakistani President Musharraf


Btw, in my previous post I said "Chitral-Peshawar highway". There is no highway, of course. I meant the "Chitral-Peshawar road".

A mosque has been washed away in floods after a thunder storm about 150 miles north of Peshawar 83 are confirmed dead and dozens are missing. Lightning strikes apparently triggered landslides and floods...


Mosque Washed Away In North-West Pakistan After Thunder Storm

Chitral = Zone-4

Chitral has been classified as a severe earthquake zone.


Experts classify country into four quake zones



Related Threads:
Geologist: Himalayan Quakes Could Kill Millions
Magnitude 7.6 Eartquake Rocks Pakistan

Bin Laden Alive And Extremely Healthy

According to a new video, dated June 15, Bin Laden is not only alive but also "extremely healthy and active"...



Bloomberg.com: Osama Bin Laden Is `Healthy and Active,' Taliban Says (Update2)

Indian Navy Commander: Senior Al Qaeda leaders in Chitral

Commander of the Indian Navy, Alok Bansal, says that a number of senior Al Qaeda leaders have taken refuge in Chitral and Gilgit-Baltistan.


Unrest in Pakistan's 'Northern Areas' may affect India, says book

CBS thinks OBL is in Chitral

U.S. Intelligence Believes Al Qeada Leader Is In Chitral District Of Northern Pakistan

Sept. 7, 2007
(CBS) As Osama bin Laden urges Americans to convert to Islam in a new video released Friday, the al Qaeda leader's location remains a mystery.

But informed sources tell CBS News U.S. intelligence believes Osama bin Laden is hiding out in the Chitral district of northern Pakistan. A number of reports from human sources, including some alleged sightings, have put him there, reports CBS News national security correspondent David Martin.

None of the reports has been independently confirmed, but there are enough of them to persuade intelligence analysts that it's his most likely location.

[edit on 9/8/07 by makeitso]

I guess we'll have to find him there, before I can say 'I told you so'...?

Here's more:


TIMESNOW.tv: "Osama likely hiding in Pakistan"



DAWN: Osama is in Chitral: US experts




Here's Chitral News. They call it a "media bluff"...

ChitralNews: Media bluff about Chitral

reply to post by Hellmutt


Who won?

Regarding Musharraf's visit to Chitral in July 2006 as mentioned on page one. This video is from 9 July 2006. According to the caption in this video, Musharraf was dancing with the Chitralis to celebrate that they've beaten Gilgit in the annual polo match in Shandur.

2006. when Chitral beat gilgit in shandur Polo match, President Gen Pervez Musharaf joined chitral Polo Team in the Celebrations

However, also from page one, I quoted an article saying that Chitral lost 9-6 to the gilgit tribe. So, who really won? And if they lost, why were they celebrating and dancing in this video? If I remember correctly, there was a terror attack in Bombay, India just days after Musharraf had visited Chitral. It was blamed on Pakistan. Coincident? Maybe Chitral really won this year, and Musharraf was actually celebrating with the Chitralis. Still, if it turns out that Bin Laden was in Chitral during Musharraf's visit, it certainly raises some questions on Musharraf's participation in the War On Terror.

Chitral Scouts Money Washed Away

Flash flood entered a TV station in Drosh Nallah and stopped transmissions. Houses belonging to M. Ameen, Bahadar Khan, Ahmad Khan, Aleem Khan and M Akbar were damaged, and a suitcase full of money was washed away. The suitcase belonged to Bahadar Khan, who is a carriage contractor of Chitral scouts...


Chitralnews: Flood damages in Drosh

Bin Laden Again

According to a Pakistani Taliban leader, Osama Bin Laden is apparently moving between Chitral and the "corridor of Waqan". And he's even been to China...


Osama bin Laden Sighting?

Ahmad Farooq, a Pakistani Taliban leader has told the Italian daily, Corriere della Sera, that he knows where bin Laden is. According to Farooq, bin Laden is moving between Chitral and the "corridor of Waqan", a region of Pakistan bordering China and Tajikstan.

Bin Laden, he claims, is surrounded by 20 bodyguards at all times. His posse is constantly moving from village to vilage, sometimes across the borders. He's even been to China.