Furious Cricket Ref: 'Pakistani Police Left Us Like Sitting Ducks'

tekisui

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Wed Mar-04-09 11:58 AM
Original message

Furious Cricket Ref: 'Pakistani Police Left Us Like Sitting Ducks'

Source: Daily Express

In an emotional interview, the match referee for the Pakistan-Sri Lanka Third Test said police abandoned the team in their hour of need as their van was hit by more than 25 bullets in the terrifying ordeal.

Broad and other match officials were in a minibus on the way to the Gaddafi Stadium for the third day of the Second Test on Wednesday when gunmen targeted the Sri Lanka team bus.

Despite the 51-year-old being promised the team would be under �presidential-style security,� Broad said security abandoned them as terrorists launched their attack.

The test match referee said: �TV pictures show our white van and the white ambulance van in the middle of a roundabout, with the terrorists shooting past the van or into it.

�There were no security forces to be seen. They had clearly left the scene, leaving us to be like sitting ducks.�

Broad added he felt "fortunate to be alive" after the horrific attack which killed six policeman and a driver and wounded seven Sri Lankan players.

"I am extremely angry that we were promised high-level security and in our hour of need that security had vanished. And we were left open to anything."

more: http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/87556

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ananda

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Wed Mar-04-09 12:02 PM
Response to Original message

1. That is so sad.

Security in Pakistan must be seriously
compromised and corrupt.

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tekisui

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Wed Mar-04-09 12:03 PM
Response to Reply #1

2. An anonymous call, no questions asked,

led the police to change the route, INTO the ambush, then the security fled.

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Raskolnik

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Wed Mar-04-09 12:06 PM
Response to Original message

3. Given the fact that six policeman died in this attack, I'm not sure if his assessment is fair. n/t

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tekisui

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Wed Mar-04-09 12:10 PM
Response to Reply #3

4. Something happened.

They were supposed to be very well protected, but after the shooting started, and six officers were killed. The cricket team was on their own. The strangest thing is the police changed the route, to drive to the ambush, based on an anonymous call.

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Raskolnik

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Wed Mar-04-09 12:20 PM
Response to Reply #4

7. I'm not sure of "on their own" is really confirmed.

I've seen reports that the gun battle went of for 15 minutes following the attack. That does not suggest that the cricket team was left on its own.

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malaise

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Wed Mar-04-09 12:13 PM
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5. This is so typical of the Chris Broads of this world

Six dead Pakistani police were not enough and- even more should have died to protect him.

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tekisui

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Wed Mar-04-09 12:15 PM
Response to Reply #5

6. The team had reservations on even going,

They were told they would have presidential level security. I don't know that more police should have died, but something broke down, big time. Not a single attacker was caught or killed? And, the bus was left open to fire.

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malaise

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Wed Mar-04-09 02:57 PM
Response to Reply #6

8. Our team hasn't gone to Pakistan since 2006

Musharraf is responsible for this mess. From this happened cricket became a magnet.

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