Suicide attack on Danish embassy in Pakistan kills eight
posted at 7:15 am on June 2, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
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A car bomb ripped through the Danish embassy in Islamabad today, killing eight and wounding at least 30. The attack appears intended as revenge for the publication of cartoons critical of Mohammed, the founder of Islam, over the past few years. No organization has yet claimed responsibility, but the obvious suspects would be either al-Qaeda, the Taliban, or both:
A suicide car bombing outside the Danish embassy in the Pakistani capital Islamabad on Monday killed at least eight people and wounded nearly 30 others, state media and officials said.
The blast left a huge crater outside the embassy, damaging the building and a nearby development agency. Dozens of cars were wrecked by the force of the explosion and some were on fire, an AFP reporter said. ….
Pakistan has experienced a lull in suicide attacks since a new government came to power in March and began peace talks with Taliban militants based in Pakistan’s tribal region bordering Afghanistan.
Pakistani Taliban movement spokesman Maulvi Omar said he had “no knowledge” about the blast.
“I have no information, I am not in a position to immediately comment. I cannot say who is responsible for this,” Omar told AFP by telephone fom an unknown location.
An attack on a foreign embassy creates a huge problem for Pakistan’s new appeasement-minded government. They have all but ceded sovereignty in the frontier provinces, but the Pakistani government acts as the guarantor of security for foreign embassies, especially in the national capital. If they cannot keep the city safe for consulates and embassies, nations will begin withdrawing their emissaries, which will disrupt trade and diplomacy. If the government is seen as partnering with these terrorists, they will quickly find themselves isolated.
The Taliban are in the middle of negotiations with Islamabad and make less-likely suspects for this reason. They have been careful over the last few weeks not to direct attacks towards Pakistan in order to encourage the appeasement of the PPP-led parliament and government. This attack only gives Prime Minister Gilani an excuse to go back to a military footing, which the Taliban has all but blocked since the elections reduced Musharraf to little more than a figurehead.
AQ terrorists makes much better suspects in this case. Not only do they despise the Pakistanis, they’re desperate to look relevant again as Iraq slips away from them. The Mohammed cartoons created a huge wave of irrational response, and Osama bin Laden may want to stoke those fires again. However, a single suicide car bomber isn’t really the AQ modus operandi anywhere except Iraq; they usually prefer multiple attacks on trade and transportation.
Regardless of the suspect, expect this to embarrass the appeasers in the new Pakistani government. Will it provide enough of a humiliation that Gilani and his allies will abandon their policy of negotiation with terrorists? Probably not — at least not with the Danish being the victims.
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Funny, in a not haha way. I’m reading The Truth About Muhammed right now. What an example of The Perfect Man he left for them.
bikermailman on June 2, 2008 at 7:19 AM
I think we all knew that something like this was going to happen after those cartoons were published.
SoulGlo on June 2, 2008 at 7:24 AM
islam….
jerrytbg on June 2, 2008 at 7:35 AM
Interesting that Bugs and Daffy aren’t around to comment on any of this. They sure had much to say against Hitler and Tojo.
Hening on June 2, 2008 at 7:35 AM
Will AQ’s focus shift to Pakistan?
JiangxiDad on June 2, 2008 at 7:39 AM
Consolidate power…get the nukes….leapfrog Iran …
looks right to me…
jerrytbg on June 2, 2008 at 7:48 AM
Something like this was going to happen even without the cartoons. Islamic terrorism has a long history that I’m pretty sure predates those cartoons.
Blarg the Destroyer on June 2, 2008 at 7:51 AM
You’re both right!
jerrytbg on June 2, 2008 at 8:07 AM
I don’t know how much of a difference this will make to the government of Pakistan, but the Danish embassy may have been the target, but so far no Danes were reported killed. Probably all Pakistanis killed, but I suppose it’s the thought that counts.
forest on June 2, 2008 at 8:12 AM
Perhaps I am being overly pessimistic, but I feel it is a question of when, not if, as far as implosion of Pakistan is concerned.This is going to be very inconvenient for us Indians.Only a determined and resolute US can stop it.
Gaurav on June 2, 2008 at 8:24 AM
well BHO will fix this. Maybe he will go and have a sit down with these terrorists too?
I think the vikings should declare war and go on another raiding expedition. It’s been far too long for them.
unseen on June 2, 2008 at 8:27 AM
Only a determined and resolute US can stop it.
Gaurav on June 2, 2008 at 8:24 AM
good luck with that. Might as well wish for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
unseen on June 2, 2008 at 8:28 AM
The Religion of Peace strikes again.
AZCoyote on June 2, 2008 at 8:38 AM
Winner.
Talon on June 2, 2008 at 8:42 AM
In Islam, blowing up people is the fastest way of convincing.
Indy Conservative on June 2, 2008 at 8:46 AM
Being outsider, I don’t know for sure the dynamics of US politics, but I am hoping it is John McCain. He seems to be serious about security unlike Democrats.
Gaurav on June 2, 2008 at 8:55 AM
Gaurav on June 2, 2008 at 8:55 AM
the US is deeply divided not only about the GWOT but about just about everything. even if McCain wins he will most likely have a democratic controlled Congress that is anti-war/anti-victory/anti-american. they will never fund another war. hell if a city is wiped out IMO the Congress would seek to arrest someone. they have no clue what a miltary is used for. most do not even think we are at wat and the rest can not even define the enemy. Sadly to most dems the enemy is the american people (chicken coming home to roost, etc)
unseen on June 2, 2008 at 9:21 AM
With all due respect, why can’t India take on the lion’s share of this burden?
JiangxiDad on June 2, 2008 at 9:29 AM
JiangxiDad on June 2, 2008 at 9:29 AM
Any war between India and Pak will most likely result in a nuclear exchange IMO. Then you also have China in the region. It could sprial out of control and morph into a reginal or world war even without a nuclear exchange. The place is a nest of vipers and will need cleaned out at some point. the “how” is the question I guess. Not very many good answers here. If America does it could see the entire middle east blow up. It will IMO take an international effort and that consenus is just not there.
unseen on June 2, 2008 at 9:39 AM
Well mostly for two reasons
1. While India could try to fix “Land of Pure” if only conventional warfare was concerned, Pakistan having nukes rules out this scenario. US happens to have some leverage
2. India is unfortunately a soft society, bounded in shackles of dhimmitude.As a nation we have mistaken meekness for virtue.
Gaurav on June 2, 2008 at 9:40 AM
If what you say is true, it is very disappointing. However I am hoping that Pakistan can be handled without opening another front.
Basically what I am thinking about is
a. Securing the nukes from crazy. Nukes in hands of OBL is a nightmare scenario. I think first target of Jihadist will be US but location wise India is easier, plus I believe there are extra virgins for slaying idolaters.
b. Strengthening forces which are against terrorism. In Pakisan it is military, a sizable percentage of middle class and big landlords.
c. Disrupting and dismantling the financial and indoctrination infrastructure which means axis of oil money, clergy and madarassa.
Exactly! To put it succinctly, we Indians are in a very shitty ‘hood.
Gaurav on June 2, 2008 at 9:49 AM
Just to clarify, I am not casting doubt, it is just that I am not very knowledgeable about US politics.
Gaurav on June 2, 2008 at 9:50 AM
Pakistan has experienced a lull in suicide attacks since a new government … began peace talks with Taliban militants …
Sure, appeasement always works … at first.
Tony737 on June 2, 2008 at 10:30 AM
Real problem here is the dispersed nature of the whole Islamic Jihad movement.
We have a LOT of different groups working under an idealogical umbrella… there is no one or two groups we can even coherently talk to.
AQ? Taliband? or could it be Iran stirring the pot to keep us distracted from the Hez takeover of Lebanon?
Heck, we don’t even know who the enemy is… or won’t accept who they are. These groups have widely different political aims, funding, tribes, religious sects, and command and control mechanisms… but they do all have ONE thing in common.
Too bad our government won’t finaly admit it.
Romeo13 on June 2, 2008 at 10:42 AM
I believe there are extra virgins for slaying idolaters.
- Gaurav
Haha. Funny, in a morbid sort of way, and probably true!
Tony737 on June 2, 2008 at 10:46 AM
Special Forces teams had better be ready to fly in and secure the Paki nukes on a moment’s notice.
(Their “government” has as much credibility as a Barack Obama promise “never to renounce or denounce“.)
profitsbeard on June 2, 2008 at 10:47 AM
It’s not the taliban or al Q. It is Islam. It is the root and heart of Islam. It is not rebels or extremists, no one is misinterpreting anything, no one has hijacked anything. There is no beautiful group of “moderates” embarrassed and angered by Jihad. The camp followers are part of the army.
They now live among us and the evil grows unrecognized.
BL@KBIRD on June 2, 2008 at 11:35 AM
This is an act of war. Now, by whom?
Little Boomer on June 2, 2008 at 12:05 PM
The obvious suspects to me would be Muslims, not necessarily Al Q or T Ban.
MB4 on June 2, 2008 at 12:23 PM
Some sick people.
I ran across this website yesterday, all the mohammed pictures you would ever want to see
.
Mohammed Image Archive
abinitioadinfinitum on June 2, 2008 at 12:48 PM
The bombings will continue until the infidels concede that Islam is peaceful.
Tantor on June 2, 2008 at 3:46 PM
Islamist logic:
Islamists object to depictions of Mohammed as a homicidal bomber; react by blowing up innocent people. Nice.
pleaseandthankyou on June 2, 2008 at 6:54 PM