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May 31, 2011
Syed Saleem Shahzad Is Dead

This was the last tweet of Syed Saleem Shahzad:

He is dead:

Syed Saleem Shahzad, 40, worked for an Italian news agency and an online news site registered in Hong Kong. He went missing on Sunday after he left his home in the capital to take part in a television talk show, but never arrived.
…
He disappeared two days after writing an investigative report in Asia Times Online that al Qaeda carried out last week’s attack on a naval air base to avenge the arrest of naval officials arrested on suspicion of al Qaeda links.

Ali Dayan Hasan, senior South Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch, said Shahzad had complained about being threatened by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency.

The story about the 'Al-Qaeda' vs. Pakistani Navy he linked in his last tweet is here.

As he tells it, the Pakistani navy found 'Al-Qaeda' friendlies in its ranks and arrested them. The people responsible for the arrests were then threatened and it became clear that more people with inside navy knowledge about the arrests were informing 'Al-Qaeda' about the who, where and what. Naval intelligence then tried to negotiate with 'Al-Qaeda' which demanded the immediate release of the prisoners. On April 22 two navy buses in Karachi were bombed with two dead and some 50 injured. More moles where captured but the threats only increased. Then followed the big attack on the naval base in Karachi on May 22.

Syed Saleem Shahzad report is so far unconfirmed but certainly has some truth in it. That it is the reason why he was tortured and killed is plausible. But who or what part of the Pakistani military or of 'Al-Qaeda' killed him will likely never be known.

In the past I have used many of his stories in my writing here and even while he sometimes tended to dramatize, his sources on all sides of the conflict were excellent and his sometimes seemingly wild stories were often confirmed by other reporting later on.

I'll miss him and the very useful information from the ground of the conflicts in Pakistan he provided. Syed Saleem Shahzad leaves a wife and three children. Buying his just published book Inside Al-Qaeda and the Taliban: Beyond Bin Laden and 9/11 may help them to get through the financial trouble of this loss.

Posted by b on May 31, 2011 at 16:54 UTC | Permalink
Comments

yes, Shahzad was a very important source of information and insights in the extremely complicated situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan; it’s a big loss
b, you should add, to the list of possible suspects, also all those Cia agents and contractors that swarm the region: they too would be very interested in Shahzad’s sources and knowledge

Posted by: claudio | May 31 2011 21:32 utc | 1

Thanks, b,
I read the news, I wept, and I bought the book at Amazon.fr (closer to basque country, faster and cheaper).
Anyway, any comment about the colonization of Greece by EU merkels and cía?
All Germany reads Der Spiegel only?
Atenas Sintagma is crowded of people, and EU is silent.
Is Germany so populist? and misinformed?
As I admire you and your work, could you give me some explanation.
I just watched to the second doc by Adam Curtis of All Watched Out by Machines of Loving Grace.
I’m a bit depressed and wordless.

Posted by: auskalo | Jun 1 2011 4:41 utc | 2

Thanks for highlighting this story, for which no explanation other than a conspiracy theory of some sort seems plausible. It has been clear for some months that there are major subterranean conflicts currently being played out in Pakistan, although it is (to me, at least) far from clear who are the real protagonists and what exactly is “in play”. There are so many intelligence agencies with current interest and historical experience in the area, each presumably trying to obfuscate evidence of its own role, that an outsider, even a well-informed outsider, has little chance of grasping the underlying seismic dynamics of the perceptible surface tremors. One rule of thumb, however, seems applicable:
when a reported is assassinated it is probably because he or she wrote something which was inconveniently truthful. Syed Saleem Shahzad joins Daniel Pearl in the list of honor, although we probably still don’t know exactly what aspect of their reporting proved fatal for them. Certainly, in Shahzad’s case, reporting that would tend to reveal “Al Quaeda” as a handy tool for one spooky faction or another, could not have been agreeable to those who have been employing that tool.

Posted by: Hannah K. O’Luthon | Jun 1 2011 6:51 utc | 3

@auskalo
Anyway, any comment about the colonization of Greece by EU merkels and cía?
Germany tried to introduce at least some haircuts for the banksters in the Greece affair, Merkel was blocked in that by the French, Americans and the ECB who do not want to set that precedence. I expect the Greek to revolt violently about the next round of EU “help”.
All Germany reads Der Spiegel only?
Certainly not. The running joke about Der Spiegel is “a former newmagazine”. It has moved to the right and down to the level of the yellow press and is rightly despised for that.
Atenas Sintagma is crowded of people, and EU is silent.
Is Germany so populist? and misinformed?
I don’t understand what you mean with populist here. When one reads the comments on German news sites with regard to bailouts everyone, left or right, is against them. Not only in Greece but on the bailout of the domestic banks too. Is that populist?
Misinformed? No, most people understand the ongoing robbery. But the spark is missing to get them into action. The current parties, aside from Die Linke (the left), are all under control of pro bailout functionaries. A good fresh populist politician in Germany, left or right, would have a decent chance in launching a new party these days.

Posted by: b | Jun 1 2011 11:48 utc | 4

ATOL on Shahzad’s death:

Pakistan – silencing the truth-seekers and
Editorial: Justice, not words
Pepe Escobar: Target: Saleem

Posted by: b | Jun 1 2011 14:33 utc | 5

Saleem Shahzad’s death is a tragedy. It is also a sign of the broken state of Pakistan. There is not much hope there; things will only go further downhill.
It is all very sad!

Posted by: FB Ali | Jun 1 2011 15:11 utc | 6

b
i just wanted to leave a note & thank you for all your work & the work of others here – but for you a special thanks for covering closely & with fire what others will not. i am not well, at all, physically so i cannot contribute as i would like – but i am really very thankful for the moon

Posted by: remembereringgiap | Jun 1 2011 19:44 utc | 7

hi r’giap
yes, b is special; only problem, it’s a bit addictive; when he closed the site two years ago I had to fight withdrawal symptoms
I miss your comments; best wishes for a prompt return to the battlefield – ops, I meant the bar

Posted by: claudio | Jun 1 2011 20:59 utc | 8

The torture and murder of journalist Saleem Shahzad is a reflection of a broader picture of Pakistan in which a fascist-terrorist military regime uses proxy wars to become a regional power. Whoever interferes with this goal of the regime will be eliminated in no time and all those concerned should be aware of this fact and take necessary precautions. The civilian government in Pakistan is put forth by this same military regime to whitewash its image and to deceive Paki denizens and outsiders that Pakistan is a democratic society which then helps the regime to get billions of Dollars in aid.

Posted by: Personal Home Inspector | Jun 2 2011 2:26 utc | 9

@PHI
my feeling is that
1) Pakistan is fighting for survival, rather then for dominance; and for influence over an Afghanistan settlement as a means for survival
2) Pakistan is receiving aid because it serves Us dominance needs (and of its “industrial-military complex”), just like Israel and Egypt, not because it has succeeded in “deceiving” anybody about its democratic qualities (as if anyone was interested in these!)
Also, I wouldn’t jump to conclusions, yet, as to who killed Shazad – hey, the last high-profile killing in the country was proudly claimed by the POTUS

Posted by: claudio | Jun 2 2011 10:12 utc | 10

Your absence has been noticeable to me r’giap and I miss your perceptive observations and contributions. My best wishes are with you. Stay Steel my friend! I’m sure you still are in your own way.
John

Posted by: juannie | Jun 2 2011 12:02 utc | 11

@ tovarishch, r’giap
I concur w/juannie your absence has indeed, been noticeable Christopher, and it may be inappropriate, though not intended to be, but r’giap, have you seen, heard, tried or thought about the information in the documentary entitled, Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days?
I mean no offense, it is asked in utmost concern and respect. I personally know two people who’ve completely transformed their lives, health and spirits in this way.

Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days is an independent documentary film that chronicles six Americans with diabetes who switch to a diet consisting entirely of vegan, organic, uncooked food in order to reverse disease without pharmaceutical medication.
The six are challenged to give up meat, dairy, sugar, alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, soda, junk food, fast food, processed food, packaged food, and even cooked food for 30 days. The film follows each participant’s remarkable journey and captures the medical, physical, and emotional transformations brought on by this radical diet and lifestyle change. We witness moments of struggle, support, and hope as what is revealed, with startling clarity, is that diet can reverse disease and change lives.
The film highlights each of the six before they begin the program and we first meet them in their home environment with their families. Each participant speaks candidly about their struggle to manage their diabetes and how it has affected every aspect of their life, from work to home to their relationships.

“All of the significant battles are waged within the self””~Sheldon Kopp

Posted by: Uncle $cam | Jun 2 2011 13:10 utc | 12

A great loss indeed. He was a true brave journalist.
The area in which he has been murdered is known for harboring Shiite militants with ties to Iran. Mandi, where his body was found, is notorious for hosting secret training camps that have the covert support of some members of the ruling PPP government, which has a strong shiite cadre.
Saleem had recently done a story on retired Pakistani soldiers being hired by Bahrain government. Given the reports emerging from Syria, where Iranian revolutionary guards, Hezbollah, and other shiite outfits are said to be helping Bashar thugs in killing unarmed protesters, it is possible if some of the muscle power is being provided by shiite groups in Pakistan. Remember, Iran wields strong influence in Pakistan through its proxy groups. And Shahzad might be working on this. He was known for his in-depth stories and had sources in many militant groups, of all sectarian persuasions.
ISI of course remains the main suspect but given the mess that is Pakistan; we cannot ignore other possibilities.

Posted by: Louise M | Jun 2 2011 13:49 utc | 13

@Louise M – I have seen your comment blaming Shia for the death of Saleem on several sites. It seems that you are running a sectarian campaign. Shia killing Saleem is a wingnut conspiracy with zero base in facts.
I deleted the spam you left in the URL field.

Posted by: b | Jun 2 2011 14:20 utc | 14

Where has the louisem wingnut sprung from? Why would Shia be interested in helping the bahraini govt oppress people since bahrain is run by a sunni arriviste who is busy having teenage Shia bahraini women arrested and raped by Saudi army special forces who were trained by the english .
Still the mere fact that even MoA has been invaded by zionist sock puppets spraying lies and dissension on a scale not unlike an aipac west side branch meeting informs us how desperate the zionists are. The ridiculous attempt to colonize the Jordan Valley with flabby & dysfunctional americans interspersed with expat russian sociopaths has become so tenuous even the participants and chief spruikers can no longer maintain the facade.
Hence their laughably pathetic attempts to cause dissension and sow confusion on any forum that openly questions their la la land fantasies.

Posted by: OIOIOIOIOI | Jun 3 2011 6:04 utc | 15

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