Twelve unidentified gunmen opened fire on the team bus, injuring five Sri Lankan players and killing seven people, including six policemen. The assault took place in Lahore, the scene of a dramatic power struggle last week that saw the ruling party of Pakistani President Ali Asif Zardari remove the main opposition from its seat of power. Critics now say that political infighting distracted the city's security forces at a key moment.
It's not clear yet if the gunmen came from the ranks of home-grown militant outfits. But if they did, the ambivalence in the security forces and among Pakistanis more broadly about vilifying some of these groups – whose targets also include India and poor local governance – could be diminished.
"If [authorities] genuinely investigate it, and they do find evidence that this was the work of internal militant groups, then I'm sure it will help contribute to the people being mobilized against the terrorists and militants," says Lt. Gen. Talat Masood (ret.).
Ain't no hope there either. I don't think it'll mobilise the public against the militants factions. If Hamas attacked a visiting soccer team the Palestinian people wouldn't reassess their loyalties.
An attack like this has been a fear for everyone in the cricket community for a LONG time. We've all been half expecting it. For how long have tours to those areas been going to happen, then not, then maybe, then no.....?
Anyone tell me why the SL's though?.
They could have had it set up for the Indians but went ahead with it anyway.
ReplyDeleteThe Lankans are the only ones crazy enough to go. Both Aust and India pulled out of their tours. Something needs to be done about the ICC.
ReplyDeleteMick ~ What I was thinking after I read some more. How's that for 'dodging a bullet'?.
ReplyDeleteLerm ~ Fo sho.
Mick I think you're right, and in the end it helps show that 'THEY' are stronger than the government.
ReplyDeletePakistans slipping closer and closer to the abyss, and that means at some stage they're going to either give up the nukes or have the yanks take them off them...The alternative is even less palatable
Only answer I've got is: "They were there".
ReplyDeleteI thought it might have had to do with the Sri Lankan military cleaning up the last Tiger strongholds. The Sinhalese majority are I think Buddhists, and some of the Tamils are Muslims, but more of them are Christian or Hindi, so I'm not sure that theory works-although if you twist the logic enough, there could be a 'revenge' factor there.
ReplyDeleteI think it was the Bangladeshi cricket team hoping to weaken Sri Lanka enough that they could finally be better than someone.
ReplyDeleteHorrible news. Naut, by that logic the Black Caps would stand to benefit in the rankings as well...
ReplyDeleteIt may well have been an attempt to hijack the Sri Lankan team bus, hold hostages and really put crap on the Pakistan government.
ReplyDeleteThen again, who can tell with these guys? Fucking nutjobs the lot of them.
Apparently one the terrorists fired a rocket launcher at the bus and it missed. How the fuck do you miss a bus!
ReplyDeleteLerm, ask Havock afterall he was a mortarman!!!
ReplyDeleteLerm..LOL..LMFAO. I have no fucking idea, its not as if its shooting at you and goes scrub at the same time.
ReplyDeleteFucking amateurs t the helm, just pure bloody Lucky, what a fucking mess if they had aimed straight. Has anybody check to see if the rocket went the opposite way on lunch from where the bus was.......
yeah like havoc says pure fuck'n amateurs
ReplyDeleteIt's scary to think what someone with a bit of training could have done though init!
ReplyDeleteMe and Havoc would have killed the lot of them easy (I wouldn't have missed the fuck'n bus!!)
naw, scary!
Mick..LOL..Exactly..ITS A FUCKING BUS!, for fuck sakes
ReplyDeleteOH and did you hear Chaz, they threw a grenade under the bus which failed to detonate. I will bet my arse, they primer was missing or the stupid fucker did not pull the pin. I know that's dumb, but very possible. OR, if they have watched movies, taped the lever up. FUCK WITS
ReplyDeleteIt's easy to miss the bus, just hold the launcher back to front.
ReplyDeletePublicity is what they wanted and is what they got. The bad guys are trying to make big waves in the sub continent, because they have been forced back there by all the post 9/11 security. And no one is watching when they do it in Iraq and Afghanistan anymore.
ReplyDeleteNaut: Has anybody check to see if the rocket went the opposite way on lunch from where the bus was.......
ReplyDeletemy thoughts, not really possible, but hey..ya never know
Why's it always the damn coppers that bite it too?.
ReplyDeleteThere's a question for your future Moko. Would you be prepared to put your life on the line protecting the Australian cricket team, or even the Wallabies?
ReplyDeleteI'd put my life on the line for Warney!
ReplyDelete