Glorifying terrorists

The gory scenes from Thursday, August 22, 2008 twin attacks at the gates of Pakistan Ordnance Factory Wah, which left more than a 100 dead and double that number injured, numbed the entire nation.

The amplified frequency of suicide attacks by now should have brought in a sense of banality among the people, however, what was more shocking and traumatic was the appearance of a spokesman of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on a number of TV Channels, claiming responsibility for the Wah atrocity and threatening to carry out further suicide attacks if an army offensive against militants is not stopped.

His comment that, "Our bombers carried out today's attack. It is in reaction to military operations in Swat and Bajaur. Similar attacks will be carried out in other cities of Pakistan including Lahore, Islamabad and Rawalpindi. The Wah factory is a killer factory where arms are being produced to kill our women and children", created a sense of anger and angst. Here was a home-grown cleric, not Al-Qaeda or foreign terrorist, who without any sense of remorse or penitence at the tremendous loss of lives and limbs; was threatening more dastardly acts of violence.