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Friday 16 October 2009

With the BBC News Channel on the Latest Pakistan Attacks

With less than half an hour's notice I got my notes together and went in to talk to Chris Eakin on the implications of the latest attacks in Peshawar and on security establishments in Lahore and Kohat.

What Hakimullah Mehsud said would happen in his recent statements, that there would be attacks on security bases, is happening.

The link up with Punjab based groups is noteworthy; it points to the relaxation of law enforcement on them since 2007.

Most interesting is the fact that for the first time, women militants are working alongside their male counterparts; reports say that three were involved in the attack on the police commando training academy, scaling the walls of the compound with backpacks and weapons. I didn't get time to mention this point, and so far none of the UK news channels have mentioned it though it is in the public domain.

Two attackers have been arrested, Geo reported. They are being "interrogated." Rehman Malik, Interior Minister, said that they revealed that the attacks were planned before Eid. Of course. These are not spontaneous outings; they clearly involve highly sophisticated planning and intelligence.

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