198-394: [REDACTED] Pakistan Army [REDACTED] Civil Armed Forces The siege of Lal Masjid ( Urdu : لال مسجد محاصرہ ; code-named Operation Sunrise ) was an armed confrontation in July 2007 between Islamic fundamentalist militants and the government of Pakistan , led by president Pervez Musharraf and prime minister Shaukat Aziz . The focal points of the operation were
396-496: A brothel , and seized two policemen. All of the women were released after supposedly confessing to running the brothel and were shown on the television wearing burqas . Also due in part to an intercession from the Chinese Ambassador, Luo Zhaohui . In an interview on the talk show "Capital Talk," Lal Masjid students claimed that the madam of the brothel had connections with influential government employees, specifically naming
594-496: A burqa . Following the capture of this leader, about 800 male students and 400 female students of Jamia Hafsa surrendered to the authorities. Abdul Aziz's younger brother, Abdul Rashid , had been negotiating with a government mediator. He claimed that the remaining students were willing to leave the mosque and lay down their arms, provided the government would grant them amnesty and not fire on them. Government officials were sceptical that Abdul Rashid would honour this agreement. In
792-512: A state within a state . The Pakistan Army is operationally and geographically divided into various corps . The Pakistani constitution mandates the role of the president of Pakistan as the civilian commander-in-chief of the Pakistani military. The Pakistan Army is commanded by the Chief of Army Staff , also known as ( Urdu : سپہ سالار ; romanized who is by statute a four star general and
990-430: A "fight to the death" when the government threatened to evict them. The situation was defused when the authorities opened negotiations. The government later reconstructed the demolished portions of the mosque compound. The Lal Masjid leadership demanded the reconstruction of six other demolished mosques in the capital city. On 27 March 2007, female students from Jamia Hafsa kidnapped three women, who they accused of running
1188-602: A CIA agent assigned to the FBI's international terrorism division, emailed his superiors at the CIA's Counterterrorism Center (CTC) requesting permission to inform the FBI that Hazmi was in the country and that Mihdhar had a U.S. visa. The CIA never responded. The same day, Margarette Gillespie, an FBI analyst working in the CTC, was told to review material about the Malaysia meeting. She was not told of
1386-567: A MiG-21 shot down an Israeli Air Force Mirage flown by Captain M. Lutz, and was honoured by the Syrian government. The Israeli pilot later succumbed to wounds he sustained during ejection. However, no major sources from the time reported on such an incident, and there is no mention of "Captain Lutz" in Israel's Ministry of Defense 's record of Israel's casualties of war. The political instability increased in
1584-498: A brothel. They also kidnapped ten Chinese nationals, as well as several law enforcement officials, women, and children. The approach taken by the Pakistani government in dealing with mosque issues led to accusations of leniency on the part of Musharraf, who felt he was too soft. After exchanging fire with Pakistani troops, students set fire to a Ministry of Environment building near Lal Masjid. The Minister for Environment , Faisal Saleh Hayat , stated that he had requested security for
1782-571: A campaign against the demolition of mosques in Islamabad by the Capital Development Authority . After an illegally constructed mosque was destroyed, students of the seminaries launched an all-out campaign against the government. They blocked authorities from reaching the site and then occupied a nearby children's library building. This was carried out primarily by the female students. The students set up an around-the-clock vigil and promised
1980-473: A campaign for Shari'a, occupying a nearby children's library and embarking on vigilante raids through the capital to stop what they called "un-Islamic activities," such as DVD vendors, barber shops and a Chinese-run massage parlor that they accused of being a brothel. Most students in the mosque were from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa bordering Afghanistan . A confrontation took place when the mosque launched
2178-841: A commercial pilot's license. Hanjour arrived in San Diego on December 8, 2000, joining Hazmi. They soon left for Arizona, where Hanjour took refresher training. Marwan al-Shehhi arrived at the end of May 2000, while Atta arrived on June 3, 2000, and Jarrah arrived on June 27, 2000. Bin al-Shibh applied several times for a visa to the United States, but as a Yemeni, he was rejected out of concerns he would overstay his visa. Bin al-Shibh stayed in Hamburg, providing coordination between Atta and Mohammed. The three Hamburg cell members all took pilot training in South Florida at Huffman Aviation . In
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#17328589752352376-689: A compromise through the United Nations ' intervention, with Pakistan controlling the Western Kashmir and India controlling the Eastern Kashmir . At the time of the partition of British India , British Field Marshal (United Kingdom) Sir Claude Auchinleck favored the transfer of the infantry divisions to the Pakistan Army including the 7th , 8th and 9th. In 1948, the British army officers in
2574-419: A continuation of the fighting would only have led to further losses and ultimate defeat for Pakistan. Most Pakistanis, schooled in the belief of their own martial prowess, refused to accept the possibility of their country's military defeat by "Hindu India" and were, instead, quick to blame their failure to attain their military aims on what they considered to be the ineptitude of Ayub Khan and his government. At
2772-502: A coup d'état in 1977, was a close associate of Abdullah's. The mosque is located near the headquarters of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), and several staff members were known to go there for prayers. After the Soviet–Afghan War ended in 1989, the mosque continued to function as a centre for Islamic extremist learning and housed several thousand male and female students in adjacent seminaries. Maulana Muhammad Abdullah
2970-555: A few theories that 9/11 was selected by the hijackers as the date of the attack because it resembled 9-1-1 , the phone number used to report emergencies in the United States. However, Lawrence Wright wrote that the hijackers chose the date when John III Sobieski , the King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania , began the battle that turned back the Ottoman Empire 's Muslim armies that were attempting to capture Vienna in 1683. Vienna
3168-558: A group of men from Hamburg , Germany, arrived in Afghanistan. The group included Mohamed Atta , Marwan al-Shehhi , Ziad Jarrah , and Ramzi bin al-Shibh. Bin Laden selected these men because they were educated, could speak English, and had experience living in the West. New recruits were routinely screened for special skills and al-Qaeda leaders consequently discovered that Hani Hanjour already had
3366-494: A matter for the FBI". By late June, senior counter-terrorism official Richard Clarke and CIA director George Tenet were "convinced that a major series of attacks was about to come", although the CIA believed the attacks would likely occur in Saudi Arabia or Israel. In early July, Clarke put domestic agencies on "full alert", telling them, "Something spectacular is going to happen here, and it's going to happen soon". He asked
3564-465: A period of transition, having just relocated back to Afghanistan from Sudan . The 1998 African embassy bombings and bin Laden's February 1998 fatwā marked a turning point of al-Qaeda's terrorist operation, as bin Laden became intent on attacking the United States. In late 1998 or early 1999, bin Laden approved Mohammed to go forward with organizing the plot. Atef provided operational support, including target selections and helping arrange travel for
3762-585: A religion that will prevent it from destroying all people. So we tell the Americans as people and we tell the mothers of soldiers and American mothers in general that if they value their lives and the lives of their children, to find a nationalistic government that will look after their interests and not the interests of the Jews . The continuation of tyranny will bring the fight to America, as [the 1993 World Trade Center bomber] Ramzi [Yousef] yourself and others did. This
3960-546: A senior member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee appointed by the prime minister and subsequently affirmed by the president. As of December 2022 , the current Chief of Army Staff is General Asim Munir , who was appointed to the position on 29 November 2022. Its existence and constitutional role are protected by the Constitution of Pakistan , where its role is to serve as the land-based uniform service branch of
4158-434: A source for speeches calling for the assassination of Musharraf. One of these speeches was delivered by Masood Azhar , whose Jaish-e-Mohammed group members were later involved in failed attempts to kill the president. In July 2005, Pakistani authorities attempted to raid the mosque in connection with their investigation into the 7 July 2005 London bombings , but the police were blocked by baton-wielding female students. After
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#17328589752354356-482: A state within a state, complete with a moral policing force which acted with impunity enforcing a rigid interpretation of Islam on the city's residents? How did so many hardened militants, reportedly some foreigners among them, make their way inside the compound situated in the heart of Islamabad?". Pakistan Army The Pakistan Army ( Urdu : پاکستان فوج , romanized : Pākistān Fãuj , pronounced [ˈpaːkɪstaːn faːɔːdʒ] ), commonly known as
4554-439: A statement by him on September 16, 2001: "I stress that I have not carried out this act, which appears to have been carried out by individuals with their own motivation". In November 2001, U.S. forces recovered a videotape in which bin Laden, talking to Khaled al-Harbi , admitted foreknowledge of the attacks. On December 27, 2001, a second video of bin Laden was released in which he, stopping short of admitting responsibility for
4752-611: A success, citing that they were able to subdue all the fighters inside the mosque—a group that allegedly included foreign terrorists—without a heavy civilian toll. "The number of casualties was much lower than it could have been," said Shaukat Aziz , Pakistan's prime minister. Of the 164 Special Services Group Army commandos that participated in the siege and later assault of the mosque, 10 died and 33 were wounded. The Inspector General of Police reported that from 3 July until 11 July 2007, 1,096 people – 628 men, 465 women, and 3 children – left or were rescued from
4950-472: A suicide jacket, killing everyone in the room. It took several hours of intense fighting before the Special Service Group gained control of Jamia Hafsa, with only the basement remaining to be secured. Arshad said troops had secured 80 percent of the complex and were moving slowly, as the resistance was intense in the remaining areas. The standoff continued, as heavily armed militants had retreated into
5148-470: A telephone call mentioning the meeting, Mihdhar, and the name "Nawaf" (Hazmi); while the agency feared "Something nefarious might be afoot", it took no further action. The CIA had already been alerted by Saudi intelligence about Mihdhar and Hazmi being Al-Qaeda members. A CIA team broke into Mihdhar's Dubai hotel room and discovered that Mihdhar had a U.S. visa. While Alec Station alerted intelligence agencies worldwide, it did not share this information with
5346-428: A telephone interview from a live transmission of Geo TV , Abdul Rashid denied all the charges against him and reiterated his innocence. He further negotiated with the government for his safe passage and a guarantee that no harm would come to his followers inside the mosque. He also received a promise that his ailing mother would receive medical care. The siege continued on 6 July 2007. Negotiation talks continued between
5544-412: A tranquil city that had been immune to the violence experienced in the tribal areas of Pakistan. Army spokesman Arshad said that, during the operation, 85 people were rescued from the complex, of whom 56 were male. He also said 39 of those rescued were under the age of eighteen. "With militants in different rooms, firing from behind pillars, and then going into basements and clearing it, you can understand
5742-469: A year later. In 1975 , Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto controversially superseded at least seven senior army generals to promote Lt-Gen. Zia-ul-Haq to the four-star rank, appointing him the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) in spite of army recommendations forwarded to the federal government. In the 1970s, the army's engineering formations, notable the Corps of Engineers , played a crucial role in supporting
5940-469: Is located. The army received orders to shoot anyone leaving the mosque with weapons. The government offered Rs. 5,000 (equivalent to $ 50 USDs or £41 GBP ), plus a free education, to anyone exiting the mosque unarmed. Women inside the mosque were also offered safe passage to their homes. Successive deadlines were extended, as mosque leaders allowed some students to surrender, requiring security forces to renegotiate extensions. Government authorities announced
6138-546: Is my message to the American people: to look for a serious government that looks out for their interests and does not attack others, their lands, or their honor. My word to American journalists is not to ask why we did that but to ask what their government has done that forced us to defend ourselves. Bin Laden orchestrated the September 11 attacks. He initially denied involvement, but later recanted his denial. Al Jazeera broadcast
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6336-408: Is using full force. This is naked aggression ... my murder is certain now." Ghazi also claimed that 30 rebels were still battling Pakistani troops, but they only had 14 AK-47s . Militants continued to fire at the Special Service Group commandos from ventilation grilles in the basement. During the firefight, Abdul Rashid Ghazi was shot in the leg and was asked to surrender. However, militants in
6534-406: The 1982 Lebanon War . Some analysts, including political scientists John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt , also claimed that U.S. support of Israel was a motive for the attacks. In 2004 and 2010, bin Laden again connected the September 11 attacks with U.S. support of Israel, although most of the letters expressed bin Laden's disdain for President Bush and bin Laden's hope to "destroy and bankrupt"
6732-966: The 9/11 Commission in April 2004, then— Attorney General John Ashcroft recalled that the "single greatest structural cause for the September 11th problem was the wall that segregated or separated criminal investigators and intelligence agents". Clarke also wrote: "[T]here were... failures to get information to the right place at the right time". Early on the morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001, nineteen hijackers took control of four commercial airliners (two Boeing 757s and two Boeing 767s ). Large planes with long flights were selected for hijacking because they would have more fuel. * Eastern Daylight Time (UTC−04:00) Excluding hijackers Including emergency workers Including hijackers At 7:59 a.m., American Airlines Flight 11 took off from Logan International Airport in Boston . Fifteen minutes into
6930-637: The Arabian Peninsula . In a second 1998 fatwā , bin Laden outlined his objections to American foreign policy with respect to Israel , as well as the continued presence of American troops in Saudi Arabia after the Gulf War . Bin Laden maintained that Muslims are obliged to attack American targets until the aggressive policies of the U.S. against Muslims were reversed. The Hamburg cell in Germany included Islamists who eventually came to be key operatives in
7128-509: The Army Rangers who guarded it, the military responded, and the siege of the Lal Masjid complex began. The military response was the result of not only pressure from locals but also diplomatic pressure from China. The complex was besieged from 3 to 11 July 2007, while negotiations were attempted between the militants and the state's Shujaat Hussain and Ijaz-ul-Haq . Once negotiations failed,
7326-612: The Bhutto administration dismissed the state government in Balochistan that resulting in another separatist movement , culminating the series of army actions in largest province of the country that ended in 1977. With the military aid receiving from Iran including the transfer of the Bell AH-1 Cobra to Aviation Corps , the conflict came to end with the Pakistani government offering
7524-571: The Bhutto administration formed the POW Commission to investigate the numbers of war prisoners held by the Indian Army while requesting the Supreme Court of Pakistan to investigate the causes of the war failure with India in 1971. The Supreme Court formed the famed War Enquiry Commission (WEC) that identified many failures, fractures, and faults within the institution of the department of
7722-714: The Bhutto administration transferred all the war prisoners back to the country but the military struggle to fill in the vacancies and employments due to some suffering from the PTSD and other mental health complications, while others simply did not wanted to serve in the military any longer. During Bhutto's administration, Pakistan's military pursued a policy of greater self-reliance in arms production. This involved efforts to develop domestic capabilities for manufacturing weapons and military equipment. To address material shortages, Pakistan also turned to China for cooperation in establishing essential metal and material industries. In 1973 ,
7920-690: The British Army Board 's replacement of Gen. Gracey upon his replacement, in 1951. Eventually, Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan approved the promotion paper of Maj-Gen. Iftikhar Khan as the first native commander-in-chief , a graduate of the Imperial Defence College in England , but died in an aviation accident en route to Pakistan from the United Kingdom . After the death of Maj-Gen. Iftikhar , there were four senior major-generals in
8118-576: The Capital Development Authority was asked by the government to complete the repair and rehabilitation of Lal Masjid in 15 days, and on 27 July 2007, the mosque was reopened to the public. However, the Jamia Hafsa complex was demolished, as it was illegally constructed and in danger of collapsing. Pakistani intelligence officials said they found letters from Osama bin Laden's deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri , after taking control of Lal Masjid. They were written to Abdul Rashid Ghazi and Abdul Aziz Ghazi , directing
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8316-561: The Central Intelligence Agency informed President George W. Bush that its Counterterrorism Center had identified the attacks as having been the work of Al-Qaeda under Osama bin Laden . The United States formally responded by launching the war on terror and invading Afghanistan to depose the Taliban , which rejected U.S. terms to expel Al-Qaeda from Afghanistan and extradite its leaders. The U.S.'s invocation of Article 5 of
8514-525: The Chumb sector near Kashmir in the north. With the United States' arms embargo on Pakistan over the issue of the war, the army instead turned to the Soviet Union and China for hardware acquisition, and correctly assessed that a lack of infantry played a major role in the failure of Pakistani armour to translate its convincing material and technical superiority into a major operational or strategic success against
8712-693: The Frontier Force Regiment in Northern Pakistan , Kashmir Regiment in Kashmir , and Frontier Corps in the Western Pakistan . The order of precedence change from Navy–Army–Air Force to Army–Navy-Air Force, with army being the most senior service branch in the structure of the Pakistani military. In 1957, the I Corps was established and headquarter was located in Punjab. Between 1956 and 1958,
8910-532: The Grand Mosque in Mecca from Islamists . The army under President Zia weakened due to the army officers were needed in running the affairs of civic government and the controversial military courts that held trials of the communists, dissidents, and the oppositions of Zia's administration . In 1984–85, Pakistan lost the control of her northern glaciers due to the successful expedition and penetration by
9108-696: The INS , the State Department, the Customs Service , and the FBI to put Hazmi and Mihdhar on their watchlists, but the FBI was prohibited from using criminal agents in searching for the duo, hindering their efforts. Also in July, a Phoenix -based FBI agent sent a message to FBI headquarters, Alec Station, and FBI agents in New York alerting them to "the possibility of a coordinated effort by Osama bin Laden to send students to
9306-553: The Indian Army with a serious incident taking place near the Rann of Kutch , followed by the failed covert action to take control of the Indian-side of Kashmir resulted in a massive retaliation by the Indian Army on 5 August 1965. On the night of 6 September 1965, India opened the front against Pakistan when the Indian Army's mechanized corps charged forwards taking over the control of
9504-502: The Indian Army , and army had to engage in years long difficult battles with Indian Army to regain their areas from the Indian Army. Concerns over the military officers and army personnel needed to counter the further advances by the Indian Army in Northern fronts in 1984, the martial law was lifted following the referendum that approved Zia's presidency and provided a way of holding the general elections in 1985. The military control
9702-912: The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in 2024, the Pakistan Army has approximately 560,000 active duty personnel, supported by the Pakistan Army Reserve , the National Guard and the Civil Armed Forces . Pakistan Army is the sixth-largest army in the world and the largest in the Muslim world . In accordance with the Pakistan Constitution , Pakistani citizens can voluntarily enlist in military service as early as age 16, but cannot be deployed for combat until age 18. The primary objective and constitutional mission of
9900-636: The Lal Masjid ("Red Mosque") and the Jamia Hafsa madrasah complex in Islamabad , Pakistan. Since January 2006, Lal Masjid and the adjacent Jamia Hafsa madrasah had been operated by Islamic militants led by two brothers, Abdul Aziz and Abdul Rashid . This organisation advocated the imposition of Sharia (Islamic religious law) in Pakistan and openly called for the overthrow of the Pakistani government. Lal Masjid
10098-472: The Minister of Railways Shaikh Rasheed Ahmad . The neighbourhood police station allegedly had prior knowledge of or approved the kidnappings. On 6 April, Abdul Aziz established a sharia court in parallel with Pakistan's federal judicial system and pledged thousands of suicide attacks if the government attempted to close it. Students continued to occupy the library and challenge governmental control by raiding
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#173285897523510296-608: The Pak Army ( Urdu : پاک فوج , romanized : Pāk Fãuj ), is the land service branch and the largest component of the Pakistan Armed Forces . The president of Pakistan is the supreme commander of the army. The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) , a four-star general , commands the army. The Army was established in August 1947 after Pakistan gained independence from the United Kingdom . According to statistics provided by
10494-543: The Pakistan Armed Forces . The Constitution of Pakistan establishes the principal land warfare uniform branch in the Pakistan Armed Forces as its states: The Armed Forces shall, under the directions of the Federal Government, defend Pakistan against external aggression or threat of war, and, subject to law, act in aid of civil power when called upon to do so. The Pakistan Army came into its modern birth from
10692-638: The Pakistan-side of Punjab , almost reaching Lahore . At the time of the conflict in 1965, Pakistan's armory and mechanized units' hardware was imported from the United States including the M4 Sherman , M24 Chaffee , M36 Jackson , and the M47 and M48 Patton tanks , equipped with 90 mm guns. In contrast, the Indian Army's armor had outdated in technology with Korean war-usage American M4 Sherman and World War II manufactured British Centurion Tank , fitted with
10890-657: The Tashkent Declaration . According to the Library of Congress Country Studies conducted by the Federal Research Division of the United States: The war was militarily inconclusive; each side held prisoners and some territory belonging to the other. Losses were relatively heavy—on the Pakistani side, twenty aircraft, 200 tanks, and 3,800 troops. Pakistan's army had been able to withstand Indian pressure, but
11088-425: The U.S. active measures against the expansion of the global communism . In 1956, the 1st Armored Division in Multan was established, followed by the Special Forces in Cherat under the supervision of the U.S Army's Special Forces . Under Gen. Ayub 's control, the army had eradicated the British influence but invited the American expansion and had reorganized the East Bengal Regiment in East Bengal ,
11286-402: The United Nations (UN). Notably, it played a major role in rescuing trapped American soldiers who had requested the assistance of a quick reaction force during Operation Gothic Serpent in Somalia . Pakistan Army troops also had a relatively strong presence as part of a UN and NATO coalition during the Bosnian War and the larger Yugoslav Wars . The Pakistan Army, a major component of
11484-457: The World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Another video obtained by Al Jazeera in September 2006 showed bin Laden with one of the attacks' chief planners, Ramzi bin al-Shibh , as well as hijackers, Hamza al-Ghamdi and Wail al-Shehri , amidst making preparations for the attacks. Journalist Yosri Fouda of the Arabic television channel Al Jazeera reported that in April 2002, al-Qaeda member Khalid Sheikh Mohammed admitted his involvement in
11682-490: The World Trade Center site (colloquially "Ground Zero") took eight months and was completed in May 2002, while the Pentagon was repaired within a year. After delays in the design of a replacement complex, six new buildings were planned to replace the lost towers, along with a museum and memorial dedicated to those who were killed or injured in the attacks. The tallest building, One World Trade Center , began construction in November 2006; it opened in November 2014. Memorials to
11880-420: The clandestine atomic bomb program to reach its parity and feasibility, including the constructions of iron-steel tunnels in the secretive nuclear weapons-testing sites in 1977–78. PAF and Navy fighter pilots voluntarily served in Arab nations' militaries against Israel in the Yom Kippur War (1973). According to modern Pakistani sources, in 1974 one of the PAF pilots, Flt. Lt. Sattar Alvi flying
12078-416: The command post on the ground. The Predators had been given to Pakistan by the United States for use in the War on Terror . Strategic planning for the assault on the mosque was conducted based on information gathered by the drone. Pakistan deployed several security units to execute the attack on the mosque. These include the Army's 78th Paratrooper Brigade and 111th Infantry Brigade ; its elite strike force,
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#173285897523512276-423: The legislative election held in East-Bengal . Within two months of the elections, Prime Minister Mohammad Ali Bogra , with approval from Governor-General Malik Ghulam , dismissed another popularly-mandated state government of Chief Minister Fazlul Huq in East Bengal in Pakistan , and declared governor's rule under Iskandar Mirza who relied in the Pakistan Army to manage the control and security of
12474-418: The "army waderas" (lit. Warlords ). In 1972, the army leadership under Lt-Gen. Gul Hassan refrained from acting under Bhutto administration's order to tackle the labor strikes in Karachi and to detained the labor union leaders in Karachi, instead advising the federal government to use the Police Department to take the actions. On 2 March 1972 , President Bhutto dismissed Lt-Gen. Gul Hassan as
12672-411: The 1998 fatwa , al-Qaeda identified the Iraq sanctions as a reason to kill Americans, condemning the "protracted blockade" among other actions that constitute a declaration of war against "Allah, his messenger, and Muslims". In 2004, bin Laden claimed that the idea of destroying the towers had first occurred to him in 1982 when he witnessed Israel's bombardment of high-rise apartment buildings during
12870-399: The 9/11 attacks were a strategic move to provoke America into a war that would incite a pan-Islamic revolution. Documents seized during the 2011 operation that killed bin Laden included notes handwritten by bin Laden in September 2002 with the heading "The Birth of the Idea of September 11". He describes how he was inspired by the crash of EgyptAir Flight 990 on October 31, 1999, which
13068-404: The 9/11 attacks. Mohamed Atta ; Marwan al-Shehhi ; Ziad Jarrah ; Ramzi bin al-Shibh; and Said Bahaji were all members of al-Qaeda's Hamburg cell. Bin Laden asserted that all Muslims must wage a defensive war against the United States and combat American aggression. He further argued that military strikes against American assets would send a message to the American people , attempting to force
13266-453: The CIA's Presidential Daily Brief, designated "For the President Only", was entitled Bin Ladin Determined To Strike in US . The memo noted that FBI information "indicates patterns of suspicious activity in this country consistent with preparations for hijackings or other types of attacks". In mid-August, one Minnesota flight school alerted the FBI about Zacarias Moussaoui , who had asked "suspicious questions". The FBI found that Moussaoui
13464-449: The East Bengal at all levels of command. With General Ayub Khan becoming the Defense Minister under Ministry of Talents led by Prime Minister Bogra , the involvement of the army in the national politics grew further with the implementation of the controversial One Unit program, abolishing the status of Four Provinces , despite the strong protests by the public and the West Pakistan's politicians. Major defense funding and spending
13662-506: The FBI and the State Department to alert the embassies and police departments, and the Defense Department to go to "Threat Condition Delta". Clarke later wrote: Somewhere in CIA there was information that two known al Qaeda terrorists had come into the United States. Somewhere in the FBI, there was information that strange things had been going on at flight schools in the United States. [...] They had specific information about individual terrorists from which one could have deduced what
13860-399: The FBI. The Malaysian Special Branch observed the January 5, 2000, meeting of the two al-Qaeda members and informed the CIA that Mihdhar, Hazmi, and Khallad were flying to Bangkok , but the CIA never notified other agencies of this, nor did it ask the State Department to put Mihdhar on its watchlist. An FBI liaison asked permission to inform the FBI of the meeting but was told: "This is not
14058-433: The French-made CN-75 guns. In spite of Pakistan enjoying the numerical advantage in tanks and artillery, as well as better equipment overall, the Indian Army successfully penetrated the defences of Pakistan's borderline and successfully conquered around 360 to 500 square kilometres (140 to 190 square miles) of Pakistani Punjab territory on the outskirts of Lahore. A major tank battle took place in Chawinda , at which
14256-553: The Indian Army. Ultimately, the army's high command established the 9th, 16th, and 17th infantry divisions in 1966–68. In 1966, the IV Corps was formed and its headquarter was established, and permanently stationed in Lahore, Punjab in Pakistan . The army remained involved in the nation's civic affairs, and ultimately imposed the second martial law in 1969 when the writ of the constitution
14454-411: The Jamia Hafsa madrasah adjoining the mosque but were delayed by booby traps , which had to be disabled before they could continue into the complex. The Special Service Group entered the complex, in order to take over the control of Jamia Hafsa which also served as Abdul Rasid Ghazi's living quarters, and engaged in a firefight in the main courtyard. Militants fired on them from makeshift bunkers beneath
14652-406: The Lal Masjid operation. Finland also temporarily closed its embassy in Islamabad on 9 July 2007 due to the deteriorating security situation and the proximity of the embassy to the mosque compound. By 10 July 2007, the Pakistani government reported that 100 militants and between 300 and 400 women and children remained inside the mosque. On Friday, 6 July 2007, President General Musharraf left for
14850-614: The North Atlantic Treaty —its only usage to date—called upon allies to fight al-Qaeda. As U.S. and NATO invasion forces swept through Afghanistan, bin Laden eluded them . He denied any involvement until 2004 , when excerpts of a taped statement in which he accepted responsibility for the attacks were released. Al-Qaeda's cited motivations included U.S. support of Israel , the presence of U.S. military bases in Saudi Arabia and sanctions against Iraq . The nearly decade-long manhunt for bin Laden concluded on May 2, 2011, when he
15048-571: The Pakistan Army established and raised the 10th, 12th , and the 14th infantry divisions— with the 14th being established in East Bengal . In 1950, the 15th Infantry Division was raised with the help from the United States Army , followed by the establishment of the 15th Lancers in Sialkot. Dependence on the United States grew furthermore by the Pakistan Army despite it had worrisome concerns to
15246-449: The Pakistan Army is to ensure the national security and national unity of Pakistan by defending it against external aggression or the threat of war. It can also be requisitioned by the Pakistani federal government to respond to internal threats within its borders. During national or international calamities or emergencies, it conducts humanitarian rescue operations at home and is an active participant in peacekeeping missions mandated by
15444-484: The Pakistan's Army on the mosque. Al-Zawahri's four-minute address was titled The Aggression against Lal Masjid and dedicated solely to the clash between the Lal Masjid militants and the Pakistan Army. The video was released by al-Qaeda's media wing as-Sahab and subtitled in English. Although many Pakistanis were silent about the operation against Lal Masjid, most agreed with the government's decision to use force to retake
15642-512: The Pakistani military alongside the Pakistan Navy and Pakistan Air Force , is a volunteer force that saw extensive combat during three major wars with India , several border skirmishes with Afghanistan at the Durand Line , and a long-running insurgency in the Balochistan region that it has been combatting alongside Iranian security forces since 1948. Since the 1960s, elements of
15840-775: The Palestinian infiltration in Jordan. In June 1971, the enlistment in the army had allowed the Army GHQ in Rawalpindi to raise and established the 18th infantry division, stationed in Hyderabad , Sindh , for the defence of 900 kilometres (560 mi) from Rahimyar Khan to Rann of Kutch , and restationed the 23rd infantry division for defending the Chhamb-Dewa Sector . In 1971, the II Corps
16038-527: The Pentagon , which contains more than 64,000 workers, a military base which has a big concentration of army and intelligence ... As for the World Trade Center , the ones who were attacked and who died in it were part of a financial power. It wasn't a children's school! Neither was it a residence. The consensus is that most of the people who were in the towers were men who backed the biggest financial force in
16236-757: The Special Service Group Division; the Ninth Wing Company of the Pakistan Army , the Rangers paramilitary force; and the Elite Police squad of the Punjab Police . On the morning of 10 July 2007, former Prime Minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Federal Religious Affairs Minister Muhammad Ijaz-ul-Haq declared that peace negotiations via loudspeaker and mobile phone had failed. Within minutes,
16434-406: The Special Service Group were issued orders to storm the mosque. Pakistan Army spokesman Waheed Arshad said troops began by attacking and breaching the mosque from the south and assaulted it from three directions at 4:00 am (23:00 GMT ). The forces immediately came under gunfire from heavily armed militants hunkered down behind sandbagged positions on the roof and from holes in the walls of
16632-547: The U.S. Other motives have been suggested in addition to those stated by bin Laden and al-Qaeda. Some authors suggested the "humiliation" that resulted from the Islamic world falling behind the Western world—this discrepancy was rendered especially visible by globalization and a desire to provoke the U.S. into a broader war against the Islamic world in the hope of motivating more allies to support al-Qaeda. Similarly, others have argued
16830-450: The U.S. economy and induced global market shocks . Many other countries strengthened anti-terrorism legislation and expanded their powers of law enforcement and intelligence agencies . The total number of deaths caused by the attacks, combined with the death tolls from the conflicts they directly incited, has been estimated by the Costs of War Project to be over 4.5 million. Cleanup of
17028-508: The U.S. to re-evaluate its support to Israel , and other aggressive policies. In a 1998 interview with American journalist John Miller , bin Laden stated: We do not differentiate between those dressed in military uniforms and civilians; they are all targets in this fatwa. American history does not distinguish between civilians and military, not even women and children. They are the ones who used bombs against Nagasaki. Can these bombs distinguish between infants and military? America does not have
17226-614: The US-led War on Terror . This declaration sparked conflict with the Lal Masjid, whose leadership was openly pro-Taliban. Abdul Aziz and Abdul Rashid denied having any links to banned terrorist organisations but were vehemently opposed to the War on Terror and the conflict in Afghanistan. They openly condemned Musharraf and opposed Pakistani security forces, including the Pakistan Rangers and Islamabad Capital Territory police . The mosque became
17424-646: The United States and they established the 25th Cavalry , followed by the 24th Cavalry , 22nd, and 23rd Cavalry. In 1960–61, the Army Special Forces was reportedly involved in taking over the control of the administration of Dir from the Nawab of Dir in Chitral in North-West Frontier Province over the concerns of Afghan meddling in the region. In 1964–65, the border fighting and tensions flared with
17622-438: The United States to attend civil aviation universities and colleges". The agent, Kenneth Williams, suggested the need to interview flight school managers and identify all Arab students seeking flight training. In July, Jordan alerted the U.S. that al-Qaeda was planning an attack on the U.S.; "months later", Jordan notified the U.S. that the attack's codename was "The Big Wedding" and that it involved airplanes. On August 6, 2001,
17820-438: The aid of civilian federal governments when called upon to do so". The army has been involved in enforcing martial law against the federal government with the claim of restoring law and order in the country by dismissing the legislative branch and parliament on multiple occasions in past decades—while maintaining a wider commercial, foreign and political interest in the country. This has led to allegations that it has acted as
18018-427: The airport. The government asserted that shots were heard minutes after the president's aircraft took off. Analysts suggest that it may have been retaliation for ongoing operations against Lal Masjid and the government's continued efforts to combat terrorism and Talibanization in northern Waziristan . Predator unmanned aerial vehicles flew over Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa on 8 and 9 July 2007, capturing images of
18216-665: The army and submitted recommendations to strengthen the armed forces overall. Under the Yahya administration , the army was highly demoralized and there were unconfirmed reports of mutiny by soldiers against the senior army generals at the Corps garrisons and the Army GHQ in Rawalpindi. Upon returning from the quick visit in the United States in 1971 , President Bhutto forcefully dishonourably discharge seven senior army generals, which he called
18414-592: The army by appointing the Gen. Abdul Hamid Khan as the Army Chief of Staff (ACOS) of the Pakistan Army, who centralized the chain of command in Rawalpindi in a headquarters known as "High Command". From 1967 to 1969, a series of major military exercises was conducted by infantry units on East Pakistan's border with India. In 1970, the Pakistan army's military mission in Jordan was reportedly involved in tackling and curbing down
18612-513: The army commander with Ayub Khan promoting himself as controversial rank of field marshal . In 1969, the Supreme Court reversed its decision and overturned its convictions that called for validation of martial law in 1958. The army held the referendum and tightly control the political situation through the intelligence agencies , and banned the political activities in the country. From 1961 to 1962, military aid continued to Pakistan from
18810-687: The army commander, replacing with Lt-Gen. Tikka Khan who was later promoted to four-star rank and appointed as the first Chief of Army Staff (COAS). The army under Bhutto administration was reconstructed in its structure, improving its fighting ability, and reorganized with the establishment of the X Corps in Punjab in 1974 , followed by the V Corps in Sindh and XI Corps in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan in 1975 . The trilateral agreement in India,
19008-588: The army had not seriously considered a full-fledged invasion from India until December 1971, because it was presumed that the Indian military would not risk intervention by China or the United States, and the high command failed to realize that the Chinese would be unable to intervene during the winter months of November to December, due to snowbound Himalayan passes, and the Americans had not made any real effort to persuade India against attacking East Pakistan. In January 1972,
19206-694: The army have repeatedly been deployed in an advisory capacity in the Arab states during the Arab–Israeli wars , and to aid the United States -led coalition against Iraq during the First Gulf War . Other notable military operations during the global war on terrorism in the 21st century have included: Zarb-e-Azb , Black Thunderstorm , and Rah-e-Nijat . In violation of its constitutional mandate, it has repeatedly overthrown elected civilian governments, overreaching its protected constitutional mandate to "act in
19404-520: The army in the race of promotion but the most junior, Maj-Gen. Ayub Khan , whose name was not included in the promotion list was elevated to the promotion that resulted in a lobbying provided by Iskandar Mirza, the Defense Secretary in Ali Khan administration . A tradition of appointment based on favoritism and qualification that is still in practice by the civilian Prime Ministers in Pakistan. Ayub
19602-571: The army was overseen by Sir Chandulal Madhavlal Trivedi , an Indian civil servant who was influential in making sure that ~260,000 men would be transferred into forming the Indian Army whilst the remaining balance going to Pakistan after the independence act was enacted by the United Kingdom on the night of 14/15 August 1947. Command and control at all levels of the new army was extremely difficult, as Pakistan had received six armoured, eight artillery and eight infantry regiments compared to
19800-817: The attacks include the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York City, the Pentagon Memorial in Arlington County, Virginia, and the Flight 93 National Memorial at the Pennsylvania crash site. In 1996, Osama bin Laden of the Islamist militant organization al-Qaeda issued his first fatwā , which declared war against the United States and demanded the expulsion of all American soldiers from
19998-826: The attacks and said they were carried out because: The events that affected my soul in a direct way started in 1982 when America permitted the Israelis to invade Lebanon and the American Sixth Fleet helped them in that. This bombardment began and many were killed and injured and others were terrorised and displaced. I couldn't forget those moving scenes, blood and severed limbs, women and children sprawled everywhere. Houses were destroyed along with their occupants, high rises demolished over their residents, rockets raining down on our home without mercy...As I looked at those demolished towers in Lebanon, it entered my mind that we should punish
20196-461: The attacks as retaliatory strikes against American atrocities against Muslims across the world. He also maintained that the attacks were not directed against women and children, asserting that the targets of the strikes were symbols of America's "economic and military power". In bin Laden's November 2002 Letter to the American People , he identified al-Qaeda's motives for the attacks: After
20394-408: The attacks, along with Ramzi bin al-Shibh. The 2004 9/11 Commission Report determined that the animosity which Mohammed, the principal architect of the 9/11 attacks, felt towards the United States had stemmed from his "violent disagreement with U.S. foreign policy favoring Israel". Mohammed was also an adviser and financier of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and the uncle of Ramzi Yousef ,
20592-402: The attacks, bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri released additional recordings , some of which repeated the above reasons. Two relevant publications were bin Laden's 2002 Letter to the American People and a 2004 videotape by bin Laden. [...] those young men, for whom God has cleared the way, didn't set out to kill children, but rather attacked the biggest centre of military power in the world,
20790-469: The attacks, said: It has become clear that the West in general and America in particular have an unspeakable hatred for Islam. ... It is the hatred of crusaders . Terrorism against America deserves to be praised because it was a response to injustice, aimed at forcing America to stop its support for Israel, which kills our people. ... We say that the end of the United States is imminent, whether Bin Laden or his followers are alive or dead, for
20988-511: The awakening of the Muslim ummah [nation] has occurred. ... It is important to hit the economy (of the United States), which is the base of its military power...If the economy is hit they will become reoccupied. Shortly before the 2004 U.S. presidential election , bin Laden used a taped statement to publicly acknowledge al-Qaeda's involvement in the attacks. He admitted his direct link to
21186-413: The basement using women and children as human shields , according to the Pakistan Army spokesman. The militants in the basement resisted with machine guns, shoulder-fired rockets, and Molotov cocktails . In a last interview with Geo TV during the operation, Abdul Rashid Ghazi, who was hunkered down in the basement, claimed that his mother had been wounded by gunfire and was quoted as saying: "The government
21384-426: The besieged Lal Masjid administration and government authorities, without resolution. Twenty-one additional students surrendered to authorities, and two students were killed in a shooting incident. The government decided to delay the assault, hoping for the safe evacuation of more students from the besieged mosque. President Pervez Musharraf issued an ultimatum on the evening of 7 July 2007. The Pakistani army took over
21582-493: The brothers and militants to conduct an armed revolt. Government sources believe that as many as 18 foreign fighters from Uzbekistan , Egypt , and Afghanistan had arrived weeks before the final confrontation and established firing ranges to teach the students, including children, how to handle weapons properly. Diplomats were surprised by how quickly al-Zawahiri condemned the attack on the mosque and called on Pakistanis to rise up against Musharraf 's government. Officials blamed
21780-457: The building, but authorities had failed to provide it. Contrary to claims made earlier, Hayat said the ministry was never ordered to vacate the premises before Pakistan Rangers deployed. On 3 July 2007, a battle erupted between Pakistani security forces and students of Lal Masjid when law enforcement agencies extended the barbwire around the Masjid precinct. Riot police fired tear gas to disperse
21978-501: The call from one of the opposition leader of threatening to call for another civil war. The military interference in civic matters grew further when the martial law was extended for an infinite period despite maintaining that the elections to be held in 90-days prior. At the request from the Saudi monarchy , the Zia administration deployed the company of the special forces to end seizure of
22176-533: The complex and damaging or destroying nearby buildings. American Airlines Flight 77 flew towards Washington, D.C. and crashed into the Pentagon at 9:37 a.m., causing a partial collapse. The fourth and final flight, United Airlines Flight 93 , also changed course towards Washington, believed by investigators to target either the United States Capitol or the White House . Alerted to the previous attacks,
22374-421: The complex included three crates of gasoline bombs prepared in green soft drink bottles, gas masks , recoilless rifles , two-way radios, large plastic buckets containing homemade bombs the size of tennis balls , as well as knives . Intelligence agencies expressed shock at the highly sophisticated weapons that the militants in the Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa compound had, and began an investigation into where
22572-524: The complex was stormed and captured by the Pakistan Army 's Special Service Group . The government reported that the operation resulted in 154 deaths, and the capture of 50 militants. It also prompted pro- Taliban rebels along the Afghan border to nullify a 10-month-old peace agreement with the Pakistani government. This event led to a surge in militancy and violence in Pakistan which resulted in more than 3,000 casualties in 2008. [REDACTED] The Lal Masjid
22770-460: The complex. The inspector also confirmed that 102 people were killed during the operation: 91 militants, 10 Special Service Group commandos, and 1 ranger. This includes the sixteen dead on 10 July 2007. A total of 248 people were injured, including 204 civilians, 41 army soldiers, and 3 Rangers. Seventy-five bodies were recovered from the premises after the operation. Securing Lal Masjid brought an end to nine days of high tension in Islamabad , normally
22968-472: The complex. While hardliners have been able to stir up anger every time Musharraf moves against militants, most people have been tolerant and oppose the militants desire to impose their interpretation of Islamic law . Most residents of Islamabad agree that the raid restored local peace, despite fears of retaliation. In a televised address to the nation, Musharraf declared that he was determined to eradicate extremism and terrorism in Pakistan. Dawn supported
23166-429: The country when the conservative alliance refused to accept the voting turnout in favor of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) after the general elections held in 1977. The army, under Gen. Zia-ul-Haq –the army chief , began planning the military takeover of the federal government under Prime Minister Zulfikar Bhutto , eventually leading the coup d'état that suspended the writ of the Constitution amid responding to
23364-465: The country's politicians. Between 1950 and 1954, Pakistan Army raised six more armoured regiments under the U.S. Army's guidance: including, 4th Cavalry, 12th Cavalry , 15th Lancers , and 20th Lancers . After the incident involving Gracey's disobedience, there was a strong belief that a native commander of the Pakistan army should be appointed, which resulted in the Government of Pakistan rejecting
23562-413: The courtyard. The basement was blackened from rockets. The main buildings of the complex were structurally intact, but the boundary walls had been breached in several places. The building had bullet marks in its cement structure. The two courtyards inside the school were filled with shattered glass and spent rounds. Piles of the girls' bed rolls and stacks of books were piled against walls. On 15 July 2007,
23760-496: The deadliest terrorist attack in history as well as the deadliest incident for firefighters and law enforcement personnel in American history, killing 343 and 72 members, respectively. The loss of life stemming from the impact of Flight 11 made it the most lethal multi-plane crash in aviation history followed by the death toll incurred by Flight 175. The destruction of the World Trade Center and its environs seriously harmed
23958-473: The deployment of people inside. Security forces had the images taken to study the claims of Ghazi Abdul Rashid regarding casualties and damage caused to Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa. The unmanned Predators flew over Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa for more than an hour, from 2:40 to 4:00 am. Senior government officials and the Security Forces personnel examined the pictures and relayed the information directly to
24156-496: The deployment of the Indian Army in Kashmir – this agreement, however, was contested by Pakistan since the agreement did not include the consent of the Kashmiri people . Sporadic fighting between militia and Indian Army broke out, and units of the Pakistan Army under Maj-Gen. Akbar Khan , eventually joined the militia in their fight against the Indian Army. Although, it was Lieutenant-General Sir Frank Messervy who opposed
24354-477: The deployment of the army units and ultimately issued standing orders that refrained the units of Pakistan Army to further participate in the conflict. By 1948, when it became imperative in Pakistan that India was about to mount a large-scale operation against Pakistan, Gen. Gracey did not object to the deployment of the army units in the conflict against the Indian Army. This earlier insubordination of Gen. Gracey eventually forced India and Pakistan to reach
24552-459: The difficulties," Arshad told journalists. Nineteen bodies were burned beyond recognition, but none of them appeared to be women or children, according to Pakistani officials. An article in The Nation , cited a grave digger at the cemetery where the bodies were being buried, who claimed there was the possibility that there may have been more than one body in each coffin. The article also stated that
24750-439: The dividing of the ~400,000 men strong British Indian Army, but that only began few weeks before the partition of India that resulted in violent religious violence in India . The Armed Forces Reconstitution Committee (AFRC) under the chairmanship of British Field Marshal Sir Claude Auchinleck had devised the formula to divide the military assets between India and Pakistan with ratio of 2:1, respectively. A major division of
24948-678: The division of the British Indian Army that ceased to exist as a result of the partition of India that resulted in the creation of Pakistan on 14 August 1947. Before even the partition took place, there were plans ahead of dividing the British Indian Army into different parts based on the religious and ethnic influence on the areas of India. On 30 June 1947, the War Department of the British administration in India began planning
25146-421: The enrolment registers listing the students who studied at the seminary. The investigators believe the information, found in the Jamia Hafsa complex, will help clarify the number of people killed or missing in the operation. Officials believe the list of registered students matches the number of students evacuated or captured from the mosque and Jamia Hafsa. The damage to Lal Masjid was extensive. The entrance hall
25344-411: The equipment came from. Pakistan Army spokesman Waheed Arshad said that a suicide bomber had detonated himself in the mosque located at the opposite side of the complex to the seminary. Arshad also said a second suicide bomber had detonated himself in the white-domed mosque. In total, it took 36 hours to fully secure the complex and remove the booby traps. Officials in Islamabad considered the operation
25542-416: The establishment of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee to maintain strategic military communication between the inter-services and the federal government, that is to be chaired by the appointed Chairman joint chiefs as the government's principal military adviser. In 1976 , the first Chairman joint chiefs was appointed from the army with Gen. Muhammad Shariff taking over the chairmanship, but resigned
25740-549: The first commander-in-chief of the Pakistan Army. Eminent fears of India 's seizing the control over the state of Kashmir , the armed tribes and the irregular militia entered in the Muslim-majority valley of Kashmir to oppose the rule of Hari Singh , a Hindu and the ruling Maharaja of Kashmir , in October 1947. Attempting to maintain his control over the princely state , Hari Singh deployed his troops to check on
25938-493: The first deadline for the occupants of Lal Masjid to surrender unconditionally as 15:30 Pakistan Standard Time (PST), and it was pushed back to 16:00, 18:00, 19:30 and then 21:30. The government said that as many as 600 armed militants remained inside the mosque. Before dawn on 5 July 2007, Pakistani troops set off a series of explosions around the mosque. Gunfire was exchanged throughout the day, but open clashes apparently stopped. Deadline extensions continued on 5 July 2007, with
26136-505: The flight, five hijackers armed with boxcutters took over the plane, injuring at least three people (and possibly killing one) before forcing their way into the cockpit. The terrorists also displayed an apparent explosive and sprayed mace into the cabin, to frighten the hostages into submission and further hinder resistance. Back at Logan, United Airlines Flight 175 took off at 8:14 a.m. Hundreds of miles southwest at Dulles International Airport , American Airlines Flight 77 left
26334-469: The flood-affected areas of Balochistan . As the president's aircraft took off from the Islamabad airport, militants fired anti-aircraft weapons at it from the roof of a house in the Asghar Mall area of Rawalpindi . The militants' relationship with Lal Masjid remains unknown. Security forces recovered two anti-aircraft guns and a machine gun on the rooftop of a Rawalpindi high-rise, one mile (1.6 km) from
26532-574: The foreign governments purported to support them. Ringleader Mohamed Atta flew American Airlines Flight 11 into the North Tower of the World Trade Center complex in Lower Manhattan at 8:46 a.m. Seventeen minutes later, United Airlines Flight 175 hit the South Tower . Both collapsed within an hour and forty-one minutes, bringing about the destruction of the remaining five structures in
26730-531: The gate at 8:00 a.m., the plane was running 42 minutes late. At 8:46 a.m., Flight 11 was deliberately crashed into the north face of the World Trade Center's North Tower between the 93rd and 99th floors. The initial presumption by many was that it was an accident. At 8:51 a.m., American Airlines Flight 77 was also taken over by five hijackers who forcibly entered the cockpit 31 minutes after take-off. Although they were equipped with knives, there were no reports of anyone on board being stabbed, nor did
26928-461: The general amnesties to separatists in the 1980s. Over the issue of Baloch conflict, the Pakistani military remained engage in Omani civil war in favor of Omani government until the rebels were defeated in 1979. The War Enquiry Commission noted the lack of joint grand strategy between the four-branches of the military during the first , the second , and the third wars with India, recommending
27126-403: The government planning to evacuate the mosque and Jamia Hafsa before the final assault. Interior Minister Aftab Ahmad Sherpao announced at a press conference that the government believed that between 300 and 400 students remained in the mosque, and only 50 to 60 were considered to be militants. Following the fourth deadline, Abdul Aziz was captured trying to escape disguised as a woman wearing
27324-499: The government was digging more graves than previously established. The Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal , a coalition of hard-line religious parties, claimed that between 400 and 1,000 students had been killed, along with women and children. Spanish-language news channels Univision , Antena 3 , and Telecinco claimed that the total number of deaths in the siege was greater than 286 and could be as high as 300. Pakistani investigators probing links between Lal Masjid and terrorists have discovered
27522-427: The government's actions against Lal Masjid but questioned "how the intelligence agencies failed to get wind of the goings-on in the Lal Masjid and the stockpiling of arms and ammunition in such large quantities." The Daily Times also supported the government's position and added: "Let us be clear. No government can violate the universal principle of 'no negotiation with terrorists' and live to be praised." The News
27720-741: The hijackers. Bin Laden overruled Mohammed, rejecting potential targets such as the U.S. Bank Tower in Los Angeles for lack of time. Bin Laden provided leadership and financial support and was involved in selecting participants. He initially selected Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar , both experienced jihadists who had fought in Bosnia . Hazmi and Mihdhar arrived in the United States in mid-January 2000. In early 2000, Hazmi and Mihdhar took flying lessons in San Diego, California. Both spoke little English, performed poorly in flying lessons, and eventually served as secondary "muscle" hijackers. In late 1999,
27918-469: The implementation of the first set of Constitution of Pakistan that had established the civilian control of the military , and the army went on to completely endorse and support the first martial law in the country imposed by President Iskander Mirza – the army later took control of the power from President Mirza in mere two weeks and installed Ayub Khan as the second President . The subsequent change of command resulted in Gen. Musa Khan becoming
28116-548: The imported hardware acquired from the United States , in spite of acquiring it from the domestic industry, under the Military Assistance Advisory Group attached to Pakistan in 1954–56. In 1953, the 6th Infantry Division was raised and disbanded the 6th Division in 1956 followed by the disbandment of the 9th Infantry Division as the American assistance was available only for one armored and six infantry divisions. During this time, an army combat brigade team
28314-543: The infiltration by the Afghan National Army from Afghanistan . September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks , commonly known as 9/11 , were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City and
28512-460: The largest surrender in a war by any country after the World War II . Casualties inflicted to army's I Corps, II Corps, and Marines did not sit well with President Yahya Khan who turned over control of the civic government to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto through an executive decree. Commenting on the defeat, the military observer in the Pakistan Army, Major A.H. Amin, reported that the war strategists in
28710-555: The lead bomber in that attack. In late 1994, Mohammed and Yousef moved on to plan a new terrorist attack called the Bojinka plot planned for January 1995. Despite a failure and Yousef's capture by U.S. forces the following month, the Bojinka plot would influence the later 9/11 attacks. In "Substitution for Testimony of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed" from the trial of Zacarias Moussaoui , five people are identified as having been completely aware of
28908-458: The militants inside the Lal Masjid were also outside the cordon. The Associated Press reported: "The siege has given the neighborhood the look of a war zone", with troops manning machine guns behind sandbagged posts and from the top of armoured vehicles . On 11 July 2007, officials reported that the Lal Masjid complex had been cleared of militants, and troops were combing the area for booby traps and explosives. The eight-day Lal Masjid operation
29106-473: The minarets. One minaret was completely destroyed, and its speakers were hanging from their wires. The dome, however, was not damaged during the 36-hour battle. The director general of the Inter Services Public Relations said photographs of the bodies seem to indicate that there were foreigners among the dead. In the Jamia Hafsa complex, damage was extensive, with thousands of bullet holes in
29304-416: The mosque roof, militants had piled sandbags at the base of the minarets, which they now used as steps to shoot at troops below. After the minarets were taken, the Special Service Group progressed deeper into the complex, and the militants threw gasoline bombs in an unsuccessful attempt to set fire to the mosque and stop the assault. Once the ground floor was secured, the Special Service Group attempted to enter
29502-413: The mosque. The Special Service Group quickly cleared the mosque's ground floor, amid explosions coming from the mosque. About 30 women and children ran toward the advancing Special Service Group operators and managed to escape unharmed. While the Special Service Group secured the ground floor of the mosque, they continually received fire from the mosque's minarets . This slowed the operation's progress. On
29700-520: The newly established 1st Armoured Division was able to halt the Indian invasion. Eventually, the Indian invasion of Pakistan came to halt when the Indian Army concluded the battle near Burki . With diplomatic efforts and involvement by the Soviet Union to bring two nation to end the war, the Ayub administration reached a compromise with Shastri ministry in India when both governments signed and ratified
29898-512: The operation and replaced the paramilitary troops deployed around the premises. A thirteen-year-old child escaped from the besieged mosque unharmed. Pakistani commandos raided the outer perimeter of the compound, blasting holes through the walls of the mosque to allow trapped women and children to escape. The assaults began shortly after 1:00 am (20:00 GMT) on 7 July 2007 and were met with heavy armed resistance. Special Service Group Commander Lt. Col. Haroon-ul-Islam , who had been leading
30096-403: The operation's details. They are bin Laden, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Ramzi bin al-Shibh , Abu Turab al-Urduni and Mohammed Atef . Osama bin Laden's declaration of a holy war against the United States, and a 1998 fatwā signed by bin Laden and others that called for the killing of Americans, are seen by investigators as evidence of his motivation. In November 2001, bin Laden defended
30294-429: The operation, was wounded on 6 July 2007 and died in the hospital two days later. However, the commandos succeeded, and the boundary wall of Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa collapsed. Abdul Rashid Ghazi said they would not surrender and that they had sufficient ammunition and rations to last a month. On 9 July 2007, a group representing Pakistani madrasahs, headed by Maulana Salimullah Khan, called for an immediate cessation of
30492-402: The operation. In close-quarter combat, they were attacked with smoke grenades , incendiary grenades , and fragmentation grenades . Twenty-nine of the thirty-three Special Service Group commandos who were injured in the operation received injuries from fragmentation grenades. As the fight continued, they came upon a room in which half a dozen militants were present. One of the militants detonated
30690-464: The oppressor in kind and that we should destroy towers in America so that they taste some of what we tasted and so that they be deterred from killing our women and children. And that day, it was confirmed to me that oppression and the intentional killing of innocent women and children is a deliberate American policy. Destruction is freedom and democracy, while resistance is terrorism and intolerance. Bin Laden personally directed his followers to attack
30888-439: The organization-including Abu Hafs the Mauritanian , Sheikh Saeed al Masri , and Sayf al Adl . One senior al Qaeda operative claims to recall Bin Ladin arguing that attacks against the United States needed to be carried out immediately to support insurgency in the Israeli-occupied territories and protest the presence of U.S. forces in Saudi Arabia. — 9/11 Commission Report , p. 251 On July 13, Tom Wilshire,
31086-471: The participant's presence in the U.S. The CIA gave Gillespie surveillance photos of Mihdhar and Hazmi from the meeting to show to FBI counterterrorism but did not tell her their significance. The Intelink database informed her not to share intelligence material with criminal investigators. When shown the photos, the FBI refused more details on their significance, and they were not given Mihdhar's date of birth or passport number. In late August 2001, Gillespie told
31284-552: The passengers revolted against the hijackers who crashed the aircraft into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania , at 10:03 a.m. The Federal Aviation Administration ordered an indefinite ground stop for all air traffic in U.S. airspace, preventing any further aircraft departures until September 13 and requiring all airborne aircraft to return to their point of origin or divert to Canada. The actions undertaken in Canada to support incoming aircraft and their occupants were collectively titled Operation Yellow Ribbon . That evening,
31482-417: The popularly-mandated state government of Chief Minister Mumtaz Daultana in Punjab in Pakistan , and declared martial law under Lt-Gen. Azam Khan and Col. Rahimuddin Khan who successfully quelled the religious agitation in Lahore . In 1954, the Pakistan Army's Military Intelligence Corps reportedly sent the intelligence report indicating the rise of communism in East Pakistan during
31680-406: The presence of foreign fighters for the breakdown of negotiations, as they seemed about to reach a deal to end the standoff peacefully. According to government sources and western diplomats, the al-Qaeda fighters in the mosque sought martyrdom instead. Al-Qaeda's second-in-command, al-Zawahiri, issued a videotape on 11 July 2007, calling for Pakistanis to join jihad in revenge for the attack by
31878-423: The raid, authorities apologised for the behaviour of the police. During 2006 and the first half of 2007, students and mosque leaders continued to challenge the Pakistani government's authority by calling for Islamic law and to end co-operation with the United States. They launched an anti- vice campaign, kidnapping alleged prostitutes and burning films. Students at the Red Mosque's two affiliated seminaries launched
32076-419: The real nature of Indian strategy behind their support of the resistance. The Yahya administration is widely accused of permitting the army to commit the war crimes against the civilians in East and curbing civil liberties and human rights in Pakistan. The Eastern Command under Lt-Gen. A. A. K. Niazi , who had area responsibility of the defending the Eastern Front and had the responsibility to protect,
32274-443: The room fired back, and Ghazi was killed in the crossfire. Other reports say that Ghazi came out of a bunker to surrender, only to be shot by his own forces. The fighting continued until all the personnel trapped in the basement either surrendered or were killed. Behind an Army cordon , emergency workers waited for clearance to enter Lal Masjid. Female police officers were present to handle female survivors and casualties. Relatives of
32472-530: The runway at 8:20 a.m. Flight 175's journey proceeded normally for 28 minutes until 8:42 am, when a group of five hijacked the plane, murdering both pilots and stabbing several crew members before assuming control of the aircraft. These hijackers also used bomb threats to instil fear into the passengers and crew, also spraying chemical weapons to disable any opposition. Concurrently, United Airlines Flight 93 departed from Newark International Airport in New Jersey ; originally scheduled to pull away from
32670-450: The schools of infantry and tactics, artillery, ordnance, armoured, medical, engineering, services, aviation, and several other schools and training centers were established with or without U.S. participation. As early as 1953, the Pakistan Army became involved in national politics in a view of restoring the law and order situation when Governor-General Malik Ghulam , with approval from Prime Minister Khawaja Nazimuddin , dismissed
32868-490: The spring of 2001, the secondary hijackers began arriving in the United States. In July 2001, Atta met with bin al-Shibh in Tarragona , Catalonia, Spain, where they coordinated details of the plot, including final target selection. Bin al-Shibh passed along bin Laden's wish for the attacks to be carried out as soon as possible. Some of the hijackers received passports from corrupt Saudi officials who were family members or used fraudulent passports to gain entry. There have been
33066-488: The stairwell. Army spokesman Arshad later stated that the militants must have been fortifying the bunkers for several months. Once the courtyard was cleared, the Special Service Group entered the labyrinth of the Jamia Hafsa building. Militants inside were armed with guns and rockets, and some areas were booby-trapped. Some militants had bullet- and explosion-proof vests and other sophisticated weapons. The Special Service Group suffered most of their casualties during this phase of
33264-480: The students. Fighting continued, leaving nine people dead and approximately 150 injured. Among the dead were four mosque students, a TV news channel cameraman, a businessman, and a pedestrian. Within minutes, security forces closed off the area, and the capital's hospitals declared an emergency. Sporadic clashes continued as Pakistan Army troops deployed into the area. On 4 July 2007, authorities announced an indefinite curfew in Sector G-6 of Islamabad, where Lal Masjid
33462-433: The suit by retroactively invalidated the martial law that suspended the Constitution and notably ruled that Yahya Khan's assumption of power was "illegal usurpation". In light of the Supreme Court's judgement, the army held the publicly televised conference when President Yahya Khan announced to hold the nationwide general elections in 1969–70. In 1969, President Yahya Khan decided to make administrative changes in
33660-453: The third into the Pentagon (headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense ) in Arlington County, Virginia . The fourth plane crashed in rural Pennsylvania during a passenger revolt. The September 11 attacks killed 2,977 people, making it the deadliest terrorist attack in history. In response to the attacks, the United States waged the multi-decade global war on terror to eliminate hostile groups deemed terrorist organizations, as well as
33858-451: The time of ceasefire declared, per neutral sources, Indian casualties stood at 3,000 whilst the Pakistani casualties were 3800. Pakistan lost between 200 and 300 tanks during the conflict and India lost approximately 150-190 tanks. However, most neutral assessments agree that India had the upper hand over Pakistan when ceasefire was declared, but the propaganda in Pakistan about the war continued in favor of Pakistan Army. The war
34056-441: The tribal advances but his troops failed to halt the advancing tribes towards the valley. Eventually, Hari Singh appealed to Louis Mountbatten , the Governor-General of India , requesting for the deployment of the Indian Armed Forces but Indian government maintained that the troops could be committed if Hari Singh acceded to India. Hari Singh eventually agreed to concede to the Indian government terms which eventually led to
34254-405: The tribal invasion in a cabinet meeting with Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan in 1947, later leaving the command of the army in 1947, in a view of that British officers in the Indian and Pakistan Army would be fighting with each other in the war front. It was Lt-Gen. Douglas Gracey who reportedly disobeyed the direct orders from Muhammad Ali Jinnah , the Governor-General of Pakistan , for
34452-415: The twelve armoured, forty artillery and twenty-one infantry regiments that went to India. In total, the size of the new army was about ~150,000 men strong. To fill the vacancy in the command positions of the new army, around 13,500 military officers from the British Army had to be employed in the Pakistan Army, which was quite a large number, under the command of Lieutenant-General Frank Messervy ,
34650-451: The ultimatum issued on 16 December 1971 by the Indian Army in East, Lt-Gen. Niazi agreed to concede defeat and move towards signing the documented surrender with the Indian Army which effectively and unilaterally ended the armed resistance and led the creation of Bangladesh , only after India's official engagement that lasted 13 days. It was reported that the Eastern Command had surrendered ~93,000–97,000 uniform personnel to Indian Army–
34848-402: The under army administration had successfully stabilized the law and order in Balochistan despite the massive illegal immigration from Afghanistan , and issued the general amnesties to separatists and rebels. To address the Afghan containment and security, the army established the XII Corps in 1985 that is permanently headquartered in Quetta , that is designed to provide defence against
35046-602: The unified Eastern Military Command under Lt-Gen. A.A.K. Niazi, began its engagement with the armed militia that had support from India in April 1971, and eventually fought against the Indian Army in December 1971. The army, together with marines, launched ground offensives on both fronts but the Indian Army successfully held its ground and initiated well-coordinated ground operations on both fronts, initially capturing 15,010 square kilometres (5,795 sq mi) of Pakistan's territory; this land gained by India in Azad Kashmir , Punjab and Sindh sectors. Responding to
35244-550: The world, which spreads mischief throughout the world. — Osama Bin Laden's interview with Tayseer Allouni , October 21, 2001 As an adherent of Islam , bin Laden believed that non-Muslims are forbidden from having a permanent presence in the Arabian Peninsula . In 1996, bin Laden issued a fatwā calling for American troops to leave Saudi Arabia. One analysis of suicide terrorism suggested that without U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia, Al-Qaeda likely would not have been able to get people to commit to suicide missions. In
35442-447: The world, with more than 6,000 students. It was constructed by Maulana Qari Abdullah in 1992. After his assassination, supervision passed to his son Abdul Aziz. Students were taught general subjects, including mathematics and geography but were not tested on these subjects; the only exams were on religious subjects. Following the 11 September 2001 attacks on the United States, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf announced his support for
35640-450: Was a radical who had traveled to Pakistan, and the INS arrested him for overstaying his French visa. Their request to search his laptop was denied by FBI headquarters due to the lack of probable cause . The failures in intelligence-sharing were attributed to 1995 Justice Department policies limiting intelligence-sharing, combined with CIA and NSA reluctance to reveal "sensitive sources and methods" such as tapped phones. Testifying before
35838-412: Was about to happen. None of that information got to me or the White House. [...] by July [2001], with word spreading of a coming attack, a schism emerged among the senior leadership of al Qaeda. Several senior members reportedly agreed with Mullah Omar . Those who reportedly sided with bin Ladin included Atef , Sulayman Abu Ghayth , and KSM . But those said to have opposed him were weighty figures in
36036-422: Was abrogated by then-army commander, Gen. Yahya Khan , who took control of the nation's civic affairs after the resignation of President Ayub Khan, resulted in a massive labor strikes instigated by the Pakistan Peoples Party in West and Awami League in East Pakistan . In a lawsuit settled by the Supreme Court of Pakistan , the legality of the martial law was deemed questionable as the Supreme Court settled
36234-452: Was airlifted to East Pakistan along with the 9th Infantry Division. The intervention in East Pakistan further grew when the Operation Searchlight resulted in the overtaking of the government buildings, communication centers, and restricting the politicians opposed to military rule. Within a month, Pakistani national security strategists realized their failure of implementing the plan which had not anticipated civil resistance in East, and
36432-404: Was assassinated at the mosque in 1998. On his death, his sons, Abdul Aziz and Abdul Rashid , assumed responsibility for the entire complex . The brothers admitted to having regular communication with many of the wanted leaders of al-Qaeda , including Osama bin Laden . Jamia Hafsa was a madrassa for women located near Lal Masjid. It was the largest Islamic religious institution for women in
36630-446: Was completely burned out, the ceiling scorched, and the red walls above the oval doorway blackened. However, the mosque itself sustained less damage than the Jamia Hafsa seminary. Bullet casings were found all over the mosque roof, and the inside of Lal Masjid was turned coal black from the militants trying to set the mosque on fire using gasoline bombs. Militants used the mosque's two white minarets as vantage points, resulting in damage to
36828-590: Was deliberately crashed by co-pilot Gameel Al-Batouti , killing over 200 passengers. "This is how the idea of 9/11 was conceived and developed in my head, and that is when we began the planning" bin Laden continued, adding that no one but Abu Hafs and Abu al-Khair knew about it at the time. The 9/11 Commission Report identified Khalid Sheikh Mohammed as the architect of 9/11, but he is not mentioned in bin Laden's notes. The attacks were conceived by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed , who first presented it to Osama bin Laden in 1996. At that time, bin Laden and Al-Qaeda were in
37026-401: Was established and headquartered in Multan, driven towards defending the mass incursion from the Indian Army. In December 1971, the 33rd infantry division was established from the army reserves of the II Corps , followed by raising the 37th Infantry Division. Pakistan Army reportedly helped the Pakistan Navy towards establishing its amphibious branch, the Pakistan Marines , whose battalions
37224-472: Was founded by Muhammad Abdullah Ghazi in 1965. In English, Lal Masjid translates to the "Red Mosque", and the name is derived from the red colour of the mosque's walls and interiors. Abdullah taught Islamic extremism and preached jihad during the Soviet–Afghan War . Since its founding, Lal Masjid was frequented by leaders of the Pakistani military and government. Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq , the Army Chief of Staff who later became president after seizing power in
37422-419: Was in constant conflict with authorities in Islamabad for 18 months prior to the military operation. They engaged in violent demonstrations, destruction of property, kidnapping, arson, and armed clashes with the authorities. After a combination of events such as militants taking hostage the Chinese health care center's female workers and militants setting fire to the Ministry of Environment building and attacking
37620-493: Was killed during a U.S. military raid on his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan . The War in Afghanistan continued for another eight years until the agreement was made in February 2020 for American and NATO troops to withdraw from the country . Excluding the hijackers, the attacks killed 2,977 people, injured thousands more and gave rise to substantial long-term health consequences while also causing at least $ 10 billion in infrastructure and property damage. It remains
37818-408: Was leveled with accusations of escalating the political violence in the East by the serving military officers, politicians, and journalists in Pakistan. Since the general elections in 1970, the army had detained several key politicians, journalists, peace activists, student unionists, and other members of civil society while curbing the freedoms of movement and speech in Pakistan. In East Pakistan,
38016-404: Was more critical, stating: "Once 'Operation Silence' is over, the firing stops, the dust settles down and the bodies are counted, there are bound to be many questions raised. Why didn't the government take action earlier against the clerics because had that been the case so many lives would not have been lost? Why were the Lal Masjid elements allowed so much leeway that the complex became almost like
38214-453: Was not rationally analysed in Pakistan with most of the blame being heaped on the leadership and little importance given to intelligence failures that persisted until the debacle of the third war with India in 1971. The Indian Army's action was restricted to Punjab region of both sides with Indian Army mainly in fertile Sialkot, Lahore and Kashmir sectors, while Pakistani land gains were primarily in southern deserts opposite Sindh and in
38412-432: Was promoted to the acting rank of full general to command the army as his predecessors Frank Messervy and Douglas Gracey were performing the duty of commander-in-chief of the Pakistan Army in the acting rank of general, the neighboring country India's first commanders-in-chief were same in this context. The department of the army under General Ayub Khan steered the army's needs towards heavy focus and dependence towards
38610-404: Was readily made available by Gen. Ayub Khan to deploy to support the American Army's fighting troops in the Korean war . Working as cabinet minister in Bogra administration , Gen. Ayub 's impartiality was greatly questioned by country's politicians and drove Pakistan's defence policy towards the dependence on the United States when the country becoming the party of the CENTO and the SEATO ,
38808-439: Was solely focused towards Ayub's army department and the air force department led by Air Marshal Asghar Khan , giving less priority to the national needs for the Navy. From 1954 to 1958, Ayub Khan was made subjected with receiving multiple service extensions by the civilian Prime Ministers first receiving in 1954 that extended his service to last till 1958. The Pakistan Army under Ayub Khan had been less supportive towards
39006-574: Was the longest ever conducted by the Special Service Group. According to Inter-Services Public Relations , weapons were recovered from the bullet-riddled Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa complexes, including RPG rockets, anti-tank and anti-personnel landmines , suicide bombing belts, three to five .22-caliber rifles, RPD , RPK and RPK-74 light machine guns , Dragunov Sniper Rifles , SKS rifles , AK-47s , pistols , night vision equipment, and more than 50,000 rounds of various calibre ammunition. Lesser sophisticated items and weaponry recovered from
39204-524: Was the seat of the Holy Roman Empire and Habsburg monarchy , both major powers in Europe at the time. For Osama bin Laden, this was a date when the West gained some dominance over Islam, and by attacking on this date, he hoped to make a step in Islam "winning" the war for worldwide power and influence. In late 1999, al-Qaeda associate Walid bin Attash ("Khallad") contacted Mihdhar and told him to meet in Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia; Hazmi and Abu Bara al Yemeni would also be in attendance. The NSA intercepted
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