Murali suggests it was an inside job

http://www.cricket.com.au/default.aspx?s=news-display&id=15648

Muttiah Muralitharan has questioned whether the terrorists who fired at Sri Lanka's team bus on Tuesday had inside information.

Muralitharan, the all-time leading Test wicket-taker, was unhurt as gunmen attacked the Sri Lankan bus as it made its way to the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore for the third day of the second Test against Pakistan.

But local umpire Ahsan Raza was taken to hospital after being hit by a bullet in his stomach while seven Sri Lanka players were injured and six policemen were killed.

Match referee Chris Broad, who was caught up in the incident in a separate bus along with Raza and the rest of the match officials, on Wednesday voiced his anger at the Pakistani security forces.

And Muralitharan echoed those sentiments, questioning why the players were not better protected.

"Somehow in this incident there were no police with guns on the bus," the 36-year-old off-spinner told Radio 5AA.

"If someone was there with a gun we would have had a chance of defending ourselves."

"Normally all the buses go and we have four or five escorts."

"We left at 8.30am, and Younus Khan (with the Pakistan team) at 8.35am."

"We divided into two, maybe they knew the information for the right time. They tried to shoot the driver. Then they were shooting both sides of the bus and they counted 39 holes."

Muralitharan revealed he had thought Tharanga Paranavitana, who along with Thilan Samaraweera was one of the more seriously wounded players, would die from his injuries.

"There were gun shots going on and the bullets were passing us," Muralitharan said.

"I saw Paranavitana was bleeding in the chest. I thought he was gone, actually."

"Thilan Samaraweera was bleeding, Kumar Sangakkara was bleeding from the shoulder. There was blood everywhere. It was frightening."

Something about it all does seem a bit strange. If that was Presidential style security then God help the President.

Especially if he is right that there were no armed police around. WTF?

heard oz ump davis this am, being interviewed at the airport...he was cross that the security guys disappeared..their driver had been killed and their minivan was just left there for target practice

It does seem strange that 12 gunmen were able to carry out this carnage and get away without a mark on them. But then if they had it so "easy" I can't work out why there wasn't more serious casualties amongst the targets - Broad's bus was apparently unguarded and unmoved thoughout the event so should have been an easy target

There's been a suggestion that the aim was to kill the drivers, and take the players and umpires as hostages.

Henry wrote:There's been a suggestion that the aim was to kill the drivers, and take the players and umpires as hostages.

It's all a bit "24".

A few random thoughts about Chris Broad's interview on TV: firstly, he's some kind of hero for shielding the body of his driver.

Now comes the difficult bit: he has lambasted the absence of ther Pakistani police while the attack was going on. Ok, but five of them were killed. Secondly, how reliable is his account that the police just melted away, bearing in mind that he is protecting someone from injury and presumably not poking his head up above the parapet to see what's going on?

There are so many undercurrents in Pakistani society that hardly any such act reaches a conclusion. Benazir's assassination sill unresolved. Zia-Ul-Haq's plane crash death, unresolved. They are only two examples. Pakistani history is riddled with such high profile killings and attacks that never get answered.

Sad times.

Can expect extra long queues at Lords trying to enter the ground now...

Guess all teams will get armed police too

March 3rd 2009: The Loss of Innocence

with all the other stuff going on its easy to underestimate that 6 policemen died and others kept the terrorists occupied while the bus driver also did an EXCELLENT job.


...having said that its AMAZING how all 12-14 of them were able to escape with out ANY one getting killed.

Maybe the 6 cops killed were the ones who weren't in on the job.

The Beeb showed footage of the killers "fleeing" the site - one of them broke into a trot, the other just ambled out away - The. Sheer. Bloody. Arrogance.

G.Wood wrote:It does seem strange that 12 gunmen were able to carry out this carnage and get away without a mark on them. But then if they had it so "easy" I can't work out why there wasn't more serious casualties amongst the targets - Broad's bus was apparently unguarded and unmoved thoughout the event so should have been an easy target

In Mumbai, in a similar kind of situation hostages who were taken were killed brutally. They could have easily killed Broad, and if he was in Mumbai he would have been killed.

Coupled to that is how the forensics in this case were handled so casually.

Basil wrote:A few random thoughts about Chris Broad's interview on TV: firstly, he's some kind of hero for shielding the body of his driver.

Now comes the difficult bit: he has lambasted the absence of ther Pakistani police while the attack was going on. Ok, but five of them were killed. Secondly, how reliable is his account that the police just melted away, bearing in mind that he is protecting someone from injury and presumably not poking his head up above the parapet to see what's going on?

there was a pickup truck that was leading the convoy .. at the first sound of gunfire about 4 policemen jumped out of that truck in some 1950s style drill and all of them got shot dead. that is how the police casualties occured.

Are we sure this Chris Broad rescue act is not some Joey-"protecting"-Ross-in-F.R.I.E.N.D.S (while in a police car, actually trying to protect his sandwich) kind of thing? Some weird coincidence?

Just to be clear, no disrespect intended, and I don't want anyone saying I'm insensitive. I'm bloory sensitive alright.

Henry wrote:Something about it all does seem a bit strange. If that was Presidential style security then God help the President.

It was more ex-Prime Minister style.

Collecting clues: CSI Lahore



Is he circumcising the bomb ?

It is a tad disrespectful for Broad to criticise the security when 6 policemen were shot whilst he escaped unharmed.

Ban Chris Broad...

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...from this forum.

Henry wrote:It is a tad disrespectful for Broad to criticise the security when 6 policemen were shot whilst he escaped unharmed.

indeed. though it doesnt necessarily mean they were shot while shooting at the terrorists. they may well have all died when the attack just started and they were the first targets. sitting ducks so to say

seeing the videos it is all a bit unbelievable. the terrorists were not even running or taking cover. walking across the grass, down the side alleys, hopping on a bike and escaping in broad daylight with no one looking like they were chasing them. didnt look hurried at all

All very 'grassy knollish' isn't it.

Obviously there was some form of inside element to it unless the Pakistan security forces advertised the route before hand, though I don't suppose there's too many different ways into the stadium once you get within a certain distance from it.

Simon Taufel says something on similar lines:

Why were left on our own: Taufel

Australian cricket umpire Simon Taufel says he and his colleagues were left "helpless" and completely alone as bullets rained on their van in Pakistan this week.

Taufel, 38, and fellow Australian umpire Steve Davis, survived an ambush on the Sri Lankan squad and umpires' convoy that left their driver dead and another colleague critically injured.

"You tell me why supposedly 25 armed commandos were in our convoy and when the team bus got going again we were left on our own," Taufel said

"Obviously they'll investigate those issues. What I can tell you this morning is that we were isolated, we were left alone, we were unaccounted for, we were not given the same security and the same attention as the playing staff were.

"I'm angry that when we were in our hour of need that we were left on our own.

"I'm angry that the team bus got to the ground and no one came back for us.

"That's the fact, that's the reality. Who's to blame and who's at fault I don't know."

Taufel said that, when a policeman got onto the bus, he thought they were saved, but then watched with dismay as the officer threw himself over injured umpire Ahsan Raza, "trying to save his own life".

"Chris Broad said: 'What are you doing in here, you should be outside defending us' and Chris then asked him to get in the front seat and drive.

"He said: 'I can't drive, I don't know how to drive.'

"We were basically left there stranded and helpless."

Taufel said he and Broad forced the man out to go and get help.

Eventually, after more gunfire, another officer got into the van and drove them to safety inside the cricket ground, he said.

Now another report

Pakistan team was only minutes from bloodshed

Alam said that when he and his players arrived near the scene security officials stopped them and advised them to return.

"There was firing at the roundabout and we had to turn around and go back to the hotel," said Alam, a former captain.

So there was security around the scene.

And 25 armed commandos and attackers get not even a scratch ?

thats always been the biggest problem for teams touring pak. unlike every other country you cant even depend on the people who are assigned to protect you. let alone protecting you, some may even do the opposite. after reading the interview of the bus driver and his absolute hate for india i wouldnt want the indian team there unless we are allowed to carry our own security with us, i.e. drivers, commandos, etc