The Harrowing Aftermath of a Suicide Bomb in Pakistan

Written by merlynne6

PEOPLE and WAR in PAKISTAN

"Which? Siva the Destroyer, then, that cobra blink?
Or Lucifer's cold fusion's flame?
The Riddle's sieve?
The Scythe's swathe?
The Myth omits hypotheses, Lord
echolocate: ink thy name"
Richard Kenney, "The Invention of the Zero", 1993

Sometimes a photograph needs no words. These photographs were taken by S. A. Saddeqe who works for international news agencies such as Xinhua in China. Several photographs are published for the first time in this Environmental Graffiti article. Saddeqe's camera has been many places that few western journalists can access. Let us briefly ponder the fight against terrorists in Pakistan and understand that Al Qaeda (AQ) is barely present. At the most, there are a few hundred AQ operatives in Pakistan. Long ago, AQ learned to franchise the brand, and let others kill and take what follows. Certainly diverse, radical and often violent political groups have made several areas of Pakistan hellish 'killing grounds'.

Protest Against USA by Jaamat-e-Islami, Peshawar Photo: S.A. Saddeque

Perhaps the only thing they have in common is wanting the United States to leave Pakistan and the region to its own fate, whatever that might become. Contrary to western news media, only a handful of these groups pose a threat to the United States or Europe. These few groups – and the Taliban is not among them - will train single terrorists and then export them to far away countries to attack targets as suicide bombers. Taliban terrorism stays close to home, it has no international objectives.

Peshar / NATO fuel truck on fire Photo: S.A. Saddeque

It is impossible to find novice but dangerous terrorists in advance. After secretive training, they are on their way to Europe or America to embed and become invisible until Death Day. The training such terrorists receive can be delivered at diverse secretive locations in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, North Africa, Kashmir, Yemen, Europe and elsewhere. The wars in Pakistan and Afghanistan are about the United States' drive to control energy resources that are critical to western society throughout the 21st century. Remember Iraq … Instead of the myth of WMDs, we now have the myth of the Taliban and Al Qaeda posing the worst threat to national security this country has ever seen.

Homeless Man, Peshawar Photo: S.A. Saddeque

Kill every one of the 12,000-20,000 Taliban fighters in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and the few hundred Al Qaeda terrorists as well, and the pace of suicide bomber attacks in the West would not change. Why? Because the training and dissemination of such terrorists is not centralized anywhere. GWOT is a red herring, that has been successfully marketed and delivered throughout the west. Can you smell the rotten fish? If you want the details, which are complicated and cannot be presented as a 30 second news bite, begin to work your way down this reading list.

Daily Reality in the NWFP / Street Protests

Aza Dar Street Protest Photo: S.A. Saddeqe

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Jamaat e Islami Protest Photo: S.A. Saddeqe

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Jaamat e Islami Street Protest Photo: S.A. Saddeque

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Victims and Survivors -

Peshawar / Widow's Daughter Begging Photo: S.A. Saddeque

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Peshawar / Ismail from Bajour Photo: S.A. Saddeque

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Homeless .. Photo: S.A. Saddeqe

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Grandfather and granddaughter Photo: S.A. Saddeqe

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Family living curbside .. Photo: S.A. Saddeqe

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Boys Scavenging in Rubble from Bomb Blast Photo: S.A. Saddeqe

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Boy Scavenging in Bomb Rubble Photo: S.A. Saddeqe

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Bombs, Children and Blood -

Between September 18 and the end of December 2009, 400 people were killed in terrorist bomb attacks and 840 were injured in the Northwest Frontier Province of which Peshawar is the capital city.

Funeral for Five Security Police Killed in a Terrorist Attack Photo: S.A. Saddeqe

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Peshawar / Terrorist Bomb Attack at People Mandi Markets in Peshawar. Photo: S.A. Saddeqe

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Wounded at Terrorist Bombing of Peopal Mandi Markets, Peshawar. Photo: S.A. Saddeqe

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Bomb Blast Victims Treated at Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawarq Photo: S.A. Saddeqe

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Bombing at Peshawar Judicial Complex in which 19 people died. Photo: S.A. Saddeqe

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Badly Injured Boy re Terrorist Attack at Judiciary Complex in Peshawar, November 19, 2009 Photo: S.A. Saddeqe

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Badly Injured Girl re Terrorist Attack on Judiciary Complex in Peshawar, November 19, 2009 Photo: S.A. Saddeqe

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Victims of Terrorist Bombing Photo: S.A. Saddeqe

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Victim from Bomb Attack at Mosque in Terah Valley Photo: S.A. Saddeqe

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Bombing of Oil Tanker Truck / Ring Road, Peshawar Photo: S.A. Saddeqe

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Firemen Fighting Oil Truck Fire, Ring Road Peshawar Photo: S. A. Saddeqe

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Truck Destroyed by Terrorist Attack, Ring Road - Peshawar Photo: S.A. Saddeqe

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Continual attacks on the truck staging area in Ring Road (Peshawar) are the major reasons that the United States occasionally talks to Russia about an alternative truck route for NATO supplies into Afghanistan.

Sources -

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Copyright(c) Blumenberg Associates LLC, 2010. The article may be posted and copied elsewhere in blogs and not-for-profit contexts with the requirement that this copyright notice is clearly visible. For use in for-profit business, please contact the author.