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| Afghanistan-Pak-India |
| Kashmiri Separatists Dispense Quake Aid |
| 2005-10-11 |
| Shaukat Khan hiked across a valley to collect food and supplies he thought were being handed out by authorities. Instead, he found what thousands of others discovered after the earthquake that shattered their villages: the help was coming from Kashmiri separatists on the Indian side of the disputed territory. "We are the ones who are here with blood, with food, with medicines — the people can see that," said Yasin Malik, leader of the separatist Jammu and Kashmir and Liberation Front. It's an aid effort that has not gone unnoticed in a land sharply opposed to Indian rule amid a 15-year insurgency that has claimed more than 66,000 lives, mostly civilians. The Islamic rebel groups say they are only trying to help the needy but admit with some satisfaction that the tragedy could end up boosting their cause to wrest the bitterly disputed Himalayan region from mostly Hindu India. Within hours of the quake that devastated towns and villages on Saturday, separatists had started up what three days on remains the most visible aid operation in Indian Kashmir. "No one else is giving the people as much as we are giving," said Hidayat-Ullah Sheikh of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, a leading separatist alliance. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #2 This is an interesting story for what it indicates of the alliance between journalists and the terrorists. "the most visible aid operation" ? Terrorists suddenly have tons of relief supplies and the necessary logistics trains ? They can get past the counterinsurgency checkpoints (which are still in operation - the Indian army is still hunting and killing jihadis)? A few thousand of them are dispensing more aid than three hundred thousand Indian troops and tens of thousands of Kashmiri police and civil admin people? Utter rubbish. Malik has been sidelined and he is ramping up his PR to gain credibility with outside financiers (wealthy Saudi, Paki sponsors). What is interesting is how the associated press will pick up this bit of propaganda and run with it. |
| Posted by: john 2005-10-11 15:48 |
| #1 Any odds on there being beaten, bloodied and robbed NGO employees and/or random citizens somewhere behind this story of charitable |
| Posted by: Mitch H. 2005-10-11 13:53 |