The Pakistani Spectator

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Grey Lady Aafia Siddiqui Surfaces

By Ali Yar Khan • Aug 6th, 2008 • Category: Politics • 13 Comments

So they say that she grabbed the pistol of an American warrant officer, and then shot at another American captain within a room, missed, and then she was shot, subdued by the American soldiers and FBI agents present. Up till the last moment, the dangerous Al Qaeda operative struggled and kicked and hurled customery expected abuses at the Americans.

Though the stories of her arrest differs as the accounts told by Afghan National Police differ from the accounts of American prosecutors, but it is being fed to us that she wasn’t picked up from Pakistan, and rather she was arrested in Ghazni province right in the front of governor house, while she was having explosives, dangerous material and some suspicious jars in her purse.

So what was that Faisal Saleh Hayat, then then interior miniter kept telling us about Dr. Aafia Siddiqui?

Michael J Garcia, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Mark J Mershon, the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Raymond W Kelly, the Police Commissioner of the City of New York, announced on Monday the arrest of Aafia Siddiqui on charges related to her attempted murder and assault of United States officers and employees in Afghanistan. Now Dr. Aafia will be presented before a United States Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

It’s hard to not to recall the story of Weapons of Mass Destructions in Iraq after hearing this story of arrest of Aafia.


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13 Responses »

  1. “So what was that Faisal Saleh Hayat, then then interior miniter kept telling us about Dr. Aafia Siddiqui?”

    So what was it then? Lets hear it Ali Yar Khan, what did F. Saleh Hayat say about Dr, Aafia?

  2. Yeah, when Faisal and his mentor Musharraf were selling Pakistanis $5,000 each, Faisal “heavily hinted” at the whereabouts of Dr. Aafia.

  3. So how much we got for Dr. Aafia? And silly me was wondering about how exactly the economic boom came in Pakistan during Musharraf era.

  4. My understanding is that after her disappearance. Interior Ministry released a statement that “a women” terrorist was captured. They even confirmed initially it was Dr. Afia. But later retracted it. American authorities never acknowledged she was in there custody. This is in Public knowledge.Known to many News organizations.
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7544008.stm
    Now Faisal Saleh Hayat then interior minister assured her family member (Sister) that she was going to be released. The source of this information is Dr Afia sister so its Hear say. But its seems like a valid claim and no reason to doubt its authenticity.
    So its not too unreasonable to say there is evidence she came under Pakistani Intellegence agencies custody. Other circumstantial evidence is from many other Pakistanis similarly abducted from Pakistan and renditioned to Bagram or Gitmo. Only few people have been relaeased Such as Moazom Baig (Abducted from Islamabad) a uk citizen. He was never charged for anything and relaeased.Its his book which fIrst made public mention of “prisoner 650″., he also witnessed the torture of Dilawar a Afghan taxi driver who died in cutody.(Subject of Academy award winning documentry Taxi drive to the dark side).
    The weakest part of the logical chain is ofcourse trying to prove that Prisner 650 of Bagram was ever actually Dr Afia. Its open to speculation , but unless something leaks out to prove this it will remain speculation. But the fact that its now claimed she came only recently under afghan custody (along with one of her sons) and tried to shoot american intelligence agents appear very suspicious.

    Pakistani women wanted by the FBI cant simply dissapear from Pkistan,Reappear in afghanistan many years later be caught in front of the governor house with details of targets in US she wants to blow up along with bomb making material and anrachist material.And also very conveniantly after only two weeks after claims appear in international media that she was Prisoner 650. (Follow up article by Yvone Ridley :http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=65724&sectionid=3510304) You have to be very guillable to take these claims seriously.

    Now regarding how much a Pakistani fetches in Afghanistan about $5000 is about the right figure many were caught all over southern Afghanistan when the Taliban collapsed. Lucky one went to the Americans.The unfortunate many ended up in hands of Dostum Hundreds died along with many other taliban while being transported to Kilai Janghi. That still hasnt become an issue yet.And probably never will.(http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/WHI112A.html)

  5. “Faisal “heavily hinted” at the whereabouts of Dr. Aafia.”

    Ali Yar Khan, when and where?

    Can you explain what you mean by your use of term “heavily hinted”?

    If someone calls herself ’silly’ - in all probability she is. I am glad to see acknowledgement of ‘economic boom in Musharraf era’, so afr there has only been denials of this fact.

  6. Aftab Bhai, more we learn of this story, more it sounds like a story out of Bollywood/Hollywood.

    Are you familiar with Ron Suskind? I am reading his new book “The Way of the World: A Story of Truth and Hope in an Age of Extremism. Very interesting read, you should try to get the book if you can.

  7. Here is the link to the authors website:

    The Way of the World: A Story of Truth and Hope in an Age of Extremism

  8. Doctor Sahib, Salaams!

    Yes, I read his ‘The One Percent Doctrine’. I am aware of this tiltle, too, and will read it, now that, you also recommend. I thought, like so many others, this is another diagnosis of American malaise or its moral leadership. And, almost as a habit, talk about truth and responsibility and (when fair) justice. Frankly, I wish these guys were awake when wrong policies were being made in the heat of things, some times I even get mad about such belated acts of ‘heroism’. Howard Zinn, Gore Vidal, Noam Chomsky, Edward Said (now no more, sadly!) also Chris Hdges and some others are the guys whose courage and guts I have come to respect. Rest, well, they write well!

  9. Doctor Bhai, regarding this story. The less the better. In my view we humans can be corrupted by various enticements. I know you will not agree with me, and you must not, that some of us let ourselves be blinded by our enthusiasism for some good deeds in the name of religion. For me she is another sad example of a sincere victim of a organized gang of people in the name of religion. If you follow, the little available, her life style and biography, I am afraid it does indicate a real sense of a cause, some cause. To me she does appear to be burdend with quite a bunch, a not so happy marriage (reason most like over committment out side family), at least three quick pregnancies (not too easy) higher education and then handling al this ’social work’, ‘community building’ (not community service) that’s some chunk. Any one with scrutinizing and keen selfinterest can notice all this and, you know it, recognize a ‘volunteer’ for some ‘assignment’ in the name of religion and the martyrdom. Forgive me for allowing myself this liberty to speak my mind.

  10. W’salam Aftab Bhai,

    First on the issue of the books and authors you mentioned. You know, we share very similar reading. Prof. Edward Said was a great man, that I honor of having actually met, and the likes of him are rare in our times today. The others have been bold and speak their minds. The present day writers, do write well, though I believe they do sensationalize “reality” to sell books. The new book by Suskind has already shown this.

    In reference to Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, I may surprise you and share that I do not disagree with you. You must also try to picture and understand of what Muslims were going through in the time she was here in the States. The enthusiasm was rich in the spirits of young and the like, from events of the 80’s and on the 90’s. I saw a lot first-hand, here in the USA and then my work with Doctors Without Borders. The word circulating during that time and even today was “committed” of how and what Muslim is. Extremism was rampant among the youth and adults alike. It was easy to be swayed and the likes of Aafia Siddiqui fell prey to their emotions of serving “Islam” and the greater good of Muslims.

    I can share more here but I know, I will offend the causal reader of these sites that do not and cannot appreciate what Muslims were going through prior to Sept. 11. Even more so right after, I could not believe of how foolish so many Muslims became falling to their emotions.

    I feel for the children of the likes of Aafia Siddiqui and they are the real victims.

    I appreciate you sharing your views. Thank you for taking the “liberty” of speaking your mind.

    Regards

  11. The great Prof. Edward Said, the great man, the great scholar, and one of the greatest fighter for the cause of muslims (though not a muslim!) - remember ‘Orientalism’? Doctor Bhai, this book has inspired me and influenced my worldview so greatly that nothing else did. He has so rightly said in that book that somehow the muslims have ben converted into just ‘crowds’ and ‘masses’ without any face. Is it not true people without faces are nonentity and you just don’t take them seriously. Everytime, and that’s often, I see ‘ourselves’ thus portrayed on any TV sceen, local or international, it bleeds my heart. Remember who he blames for all this. Us, the educated people who have never been inclined to do any intellectual discourses. Isn’t it true that we are even less patient with our lesser privileged people than the rest of the world. And those who did decide to be active, alas, by activism what they understood or made to understand was less than peacful activitism; not involvement in lecture, and writings, and debates. We tend to neglect the power, the power of intellect, the power of knowledge. It is all there and no one has a monopoly on it any more.

    See, got carried away as usual, sorry!

  12. Sadly many people still do not grasp the message and intent of this book by Prof. Said. It was written as a response to his counterpart at Princeton (Bernard Lewis), what started out as a book review. Though I have appreciated greatly the efforts of Prof. Said, he was guilty of being an Orientalist as well.

    I do hope that you can share some of your writing’s here Aftab Bhai. I would very much like to read some of your work. We need more people like yourself that question and offer solutions.

    Regards

  13. Why the MQM leadership is silent on Dr.Aafia Siddiqui case, she
    belong to Karachi?

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