Home
Marriott attack was meant for Pakistani parliament
South East Asia News.Net
Sunday 21st September, 2008
The terror attack on the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad was supposedly aimed at Pakistan's parliament where the entire civil and military leadership of the country had gathered to listen to the first address by President Asif Ali Zardari.
At least 53 people were killed, and more than 250 injured, when a suicide bomber drove a truck packed with explosives into the luxury hotel in the heart of the Pakistani capital, setting ablaze one of the best known hubs of the country's elite.
The attack took place just a kilometer from Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's house where Zardari, army chief General Ashfar Parvez Kayani and over 300 MPs were at dinner.
Security had been tightened in the area for the earlier address to parliament by Zardari.
Rehman Malik, an advisor to the prime minister on interior affairs, has revealed that his ministry had received information two days ago about a possible suicide attack on parliament house at the time of the president's address.
Malik said the security of the capital was increased and the surroundings of the parliament house were declared a red zone.
He said he and security experts believed that the truck which hit the Marriott tried to enter the red zone during the president's address.
Meanwhile, rescuers carrying stretchers have are still entering the smouldering ruins of Islamabad's Marriott Hotel to search for bodies and possible survivors from the suicide bomb attack.
Military firefighters in blue helmets and khaki outfits were earlier seen attempting to enter the 300-room hotel, but retreating when the structure was deemed too unstable.
Other teams in orange chemical protection suits managed to probe deeper into the building, where it was feared many guests were trapped by the huge inferno triggered by Saturday night's bombing.
Hundreds of armed police and soldiers are ringing the scene and army bulldozers are clearing rubble from nearby streets.
Many of the known casualties were security guards and other people standing outside the hotel entrance or in the lobby.
Others were people seen jumping from the upper floors of the hotel.
The bomb ignited gas cylinders in the hotel's kitchen which triggered an intense fire that swept through the building.
The streets around the hotel in the centre of the city are littered with burned out vehicles, crumpled furniture and other debris, while huge trees were snapped in half by the bomb’s power.
A huge crater, measuring 20 metres wide by eight metres deep, marked the spot where the truck exploded.
 Email this story to a friend
Comments on this story
Russian Involvement ?
09-21-08, 09:56 AM |
Marriott attack was meant for Pakistani parliament
Why were no Russians Staying at the Mariott ? Few Russians injured ?
Did Russia have advanced warning ?
Did Russian know and did nothing?
Did Russia provide the Munitions?
|
hiimbarney
09-21-08, 07:33 PM |
How paranoid can you be?
"Russians” What are you on about? How do you know if there were Russians staying there or not? have you seen a list of every person that was staying at the hotel or visiting the hotel at the time of the blast... I think not. Gee maybe it was the French, or the Greeks, the Italians maybe. It could have been New Zealand, or Ethiopians or South Africans. Did I mention Fijians or Mexicans. I haven’t heard about any of them being killed. You have serious issues my friend.
|
RUSSIASN BS
09-21-08, 09:10 PM |
No Russians Present ? You have got to be kidding me. Will all know that Russia knows
how to stage and set up things. Russians are are everywhere and not there ??
Russia had to have had prior knowledge.
It has that PUTIN SMELL
|
joke
09-22-08, 05:11 AM |
What a joke?
|
Have your say on this story
|
|
