Al Qaeda threatens to blow up Muslim Monument

[ck4829]

Soldiers were on 24-hour guard at the Taj Mahal after officials received a letter threatening to blow up the monument, officials said Friday.

Authorities were investigating a handwritten letter received Thursday — purportedly sent by an al-Qaida supporter — that said the terrorist group planned blasts at the 17th century monument, which drew nearly 2.5 million tourists last year.

"Police are verifying the source of the letter," said Ashok Kumar, a senior government official in Uttar Pradesh state where the Taj Mahal is located. "The letter could be false but we cannot afford to be complacent. We are not taking any chances and have enhanced security at the Taj."

At least 100 additional paramilitary soldiers with automatic weapons have been posted around the Taj Mahal complex, authorities said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060818/ap_on_re_as/india_taj_mahal_security

[Pab Sungenis]

1. This proves one of three things:

(1) Al Qaeda doesn't care who they piss off. Unlikely.
(2) Al Qaeda is a creation of the West, and are trying to be agents provocateurs here. Also unlikely.
(3) Someone in the American or British government, trying to drive a wedge between Al Qaeda and mainstream Islam, wrote the letter themselves.

I'll leave it to you to judge the likeliness of the third.

[bryant69]

3. Those are the only 3 possibilities?

How about

(4) Some pissed of loser sent in a phony baloney letter to feel powerful.
(5) Pakistan wanting to justify their support for America and Britain dummied it up.
(6) Deluded nitwits are actually plannign to blow it up, and claimed allegiance with Al-Qaeda.

You never know.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[cool user name]

7. I think 2,3,4,5, and 6 are all likely

... and perhaps a mixture of the five too.

[azurnoir]

2. Maybe possibility 4

Pakistan trying to stir-up sh**?

[Akim]

It's a secular building, so, yes, it might be blown up.

[truebrit71]

6. Secular how? It is a Muslim monument erected by a Sunni Shah to...

...house his wife's body......

[malaise]

4. The Taj Mahal is the most beautiful

of Muslim monuments. I visited that lovely site.
My only question is who would benefit from dragging the Hindus (who make gazillions off the Taj Mahal) into the current global mess. I smell the West.

[Xenotime]

23. * would make $$$ Then he could occupy another country.

[truebrit71]

5. Why would Fundamentalist Muslims destroy a Muslim monument?

Makes as much sense as a catholic threatening to blow up the vatican....

[Akim]

8. But it has no religious significance.

[KurtNYC]

10. ?? - built by Muslim Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan

as a mausoleum for his favorite wife, and decorated with complex passages from the Qur'an -- seems like it wanted some significance.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taj_Mahal

[Akim]

14. It's Not a Site Associated with The Prophet or His Descendents So...

it's not a holy site.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

15. It's also be a grave sin...

to destroy anything that has passages from the Koran written on it.

[Akim]

17. So perhaps we should engrave passages from the Koran on all our buildings

and planes, tunnels, etc.

Still, it doesn't seem to have helped much in the Middle East.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

18. Well, engraving koran messages on buildings...

as some sort of sacreligious anti-terrorism prophylactic would probably also be a sin.

[Akim]

19. No, I don't think so. It would certainly show fear of Allah, which...

is considered a good thing.

[Monk06]

20. Kudos Bornaginhooligan for your understanding of Islam and the

secular and religious significance of the Taj

[KurtNYC]

9. It is largely Persian architecture

Persian = Iran = predominantly Shiite versus Al Qaeda which is Sunni extremists.

About 4 years back, they draped it when they were afraid it would be bombed as part of the Kashmir dispute.

[leesa]

11. It would be a shame. One of the most strikingly beautiful buildings.

Al Qaeda? I doubt anything that is linked to Al Qaeda is not coming from the west.

[MoseyWalker]

12. why do all the evil doers

write notes and letters about their plans? I thought they were supposed to be secrets?

[acmavm]

13. Oh please. This sounds like some whacky Pakistani to me.

Unless KKKarl is pranking people again.

[hogwyld]

22. I was thinking the same thing

Uncle KKKarl wants to keep the world on message: Terra Terra Terra.

[RebelOne]

16. Why would they announce in advance that they were going

to blow it up? That would just mean more security.

[Posteritatis]

21. Well, "al Qaeda" threatens to, anyway

Could just as likely be some random dolt who decided to send in a fake bomb threat, like 999 out of a thousand others these days.