Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09LAHORE205
2009-10-21 13:37:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Consulate Lahore
Cable title:  

ATTACK ON ISLAMABAD ISLAMIC SCHOOL SHOCKS PUNJABIS, CLOSES

Tags:  PGOV PREL PTER PK 
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VZCZCXRO5940
PP RUEHLH RUEHPW
DE RUEHLH #0205/01 2941337
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 211337Z OCT 09
FM AMCONSUL LAHORE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4207
INFO RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 4903
RUMICEA/JICCENT MACDILL AFB FL
RHMFISS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY 0509
RUEHKP/AMCONSUL KARACHI PRIORITY 2166
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0212
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 0889
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEHPW/AMCONSUL PESHAWAR PRIORITY 1846
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUMICEA/USCENTCOM INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL
RUEHLH/AMCONSUL LAHORE 5366
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LAHORE 000205 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/21/2034
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER PK
SUBJECT: ATTACK ON ISLAMABAD ISLAMIC SCHOOL SHOCKS PUNJABIS, CLOSES
SCHOOLS

REF: LAHORE 198

CLASSIFIED BY: Carmela A. Conroy, Principle Officer, US
Consulate Lahore, US Department of State.
REASON: 1.4 (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LAHORE 000205

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/21/2034
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER PK
SUBJECT: ATTACK ON ISLAMABAD ISLAMIC SCHOOL SHOCKS PUNJABIS, CLOSES
SCHOOLS

REF: LAHORE 198

CLASSIFIED BY: Carmela A. Conroy, Principle Officer, US
Consulate Lahore, US Department of State.
REASON: 1.4 (d)

1. (C) Summary. On October 21, the Punjab provincial
government called for all educational facilities in the province
to close until further notice. Immediately after the October 15
attacks on three security installations in Lahore, some public
and private schools closed for a few days while they assessed
their security postures. Others remained open because there
were no specific threats against them. The October 20 suicide
bombers' attack on International Islamic University in Islamabad
have shaken the Punjabi general public, and all schools in the
Punjab appear to be closed, indefinitely, as of October 21.



- - -

Attacks on Lahore Security Institutions Bring Measured Response

- - -


2. (U) On October 15, anti-government operatives
simultaneously attacked two police training facilities and the
Federal Investigative Agency's regional headquarters, all in
Lahore. The attacks were complex, using various weapons,
coordinated, and deadly, killing 27 people (18 police, 9
insurgents) and injuring over 100, reftel. Following these
attacks, provincial schools operated by the Federal Board of
Education, including military schools, were closed until October

26. The Lahore City District Government ordered the closure of
select private schools, including the Lahore Grammar School and
Beacon House School system, also until October 26. Urdu medium
schools, including government schools, remained open.




3. (C) Despite other private institutions closing, elite boys'
school Aitchison College went ahead with scheduled
extracurricular activities at its campus from October 16-18.
Thirty-seven schools from throughout Pakistan participated. The
evening of October 17, Geo television news channel ran a
headline ticker that a suicide car bomber was en route to attack
Aitchison. Dean of Aitchison College, Fakir Syed Aijazuddin,
told the PO that he first learned of the possibility of a threat
from Geo's ticker. As a precaution, Aijazuddin concluded events
early on October 17. After assessing the security situation and

deciding that Geo's report was a "negligent" reaction to a crank
call, events on October 18 went ahead as planned with 97 percent
participation. Student organizers told PO that they did not
even consider canceling the event. They had worked too hard,
and cancelling would "give the terrorists what they want." As
of the afternoon of October 20, Aijazuddin said that he would
not close the school based on a general sense of fear. That
would give the terrorists what they wanted, and send the wrong
message to the students.




4. (C) While the PO was at Aitchison College, Lahore Acting
Regional Security Officer (RSO) was in a special meeting of the
executive board of the Lahore American School (LAS). LAS had
closed on October 16, largely in response to parents' unease
after the October 15 attacks. RSO noted there were no specific
threats against LAS, and asked rhetorically what would trigger
LAS's reopening, if a generalized perception of threat kept it
closed. The executive board decided that the school would
reopen on October 21. RSO and the executive board agreed the
RSO and school officials would together survey and assess the
security of LAS, following up as needed on long-term security
improvements and possible new security measures that can be
implemented to secure the facility.



--------------

Attack on Islamabad Islamic Education Institution Brings Panic


LAHORE 00000205 002 OF 002


--------------


5. (U) Later the afternoon of October 20, two suicide bombers
attacked the International Islamic University in Islamabad.
Media reported eight dead and 20 wounded. The same day, Sirdar
Zulfikar Khan Khosa, acting Punjab Chief Minister, called for
all public and private schools in Punjab Province to close until
further notice. Shortly thereafter Punjab Provincial Governor
Salman Taseer also called for schools to close indefinitely.
Schools may reopen once the security situation improves,
according to Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanullah.




6. (SBU) As news of the attack in Islamabad spread, the LAS
executive board members whose children attend the LAS telephoned
each other and decided that the school should remain closed
indefinitely. They notified school officials and other parents
via text messages. During another special session of the
executive board, in which PO participated, the board appeared
shaken, or worse. Members said that text messages, some
purporting to be from government security or intelligence
organizations, had created an environment of fear. Based on
parent perceptions that the LAS was insecure, the chairman
pressed the executive board to direct the school to hire a
security company operated by Special Support Group personnel
(retired military special forces) who could carry assault
weapons. He brushed off calls by PO and other board members to
assess LAS's security measures and fix identified flaws, instead
of rushing to (ineffective) action.




7. (C) Aitchison College also decided to close as of October 21,
evacuating even boarding students. Staff and faculty reported
to duty as usual. A harried-sounding Aijazuddin told the PO he
would give Consulate Lahore personnel sanctuary if needed. PO
declined with thanks. An afternoon visitor to Post, who had
worked with non-governmental organizations in Afghanistan,
explained why she and others found the attack in Islamabad so
upsetting. Prior attacks had been on uniformed targets, she
said, but "they've started attacking their own."



- - -

Comment

- - -


8. (C) While some Lahore schools closed for specific periods of
time, for specific purposes, in response to the October 15
attacks in Lahore, the October 20 attack on an Islamic
university in Islamabad prompted the indefinite closure of every
school in the province, as far as Post has been able to
determine. It is unclear what improvements to security measures
or to the security situation might prompt the provincial
government to call for schools to reopen. Lahorites generally
have reacted more strongly and emotionally to a simple attack on
a single school in the capital than they did to complex (and
more deadly) attacks on multiple security facilities in their
own city. We will reach out to more contacts to assess, among
other things, how the insurgents' shift of targeting affects
Punjabi opinion towards government counter-insurgency efforts
and American activities in the region. End Comment.
CONROY