Musharraf Basted Barks Again ?

Musharraf says Osama raid was technically an act of war

Washington: The US raid to take out Osama bin Laden was technically 'an act of war', said former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf, who described as 'arrogance' US President Barack Obama's statement that he would order another raid if required.

Osama was gunned down May 2 by US commandos who stormed the Al Qaeda leader's hideout in Pakistan's Abbottabad city. The US said it had carried out a unilateral assault.

Musharraf told CNN: 'No country has a right to intrude into any other country.'

'Actually, technically, legally, you see it, it's an act of war. So I think it is an irresponsible statement, and I think such arrogance should not be shown, publicly, to the world.'

Explaining the 'act of war', Musharraf, who ruled Pakistan for nine years after seizing power in a bloodless coup in 1999, said: 'Theoretically, technically, yes indeed, it's an act of war.'

He, however, added it wouldn't necessarily signal a war.

'How to deal with it is the question, and I leave it to the government there to how they want to deal with it.'

Obama has said he would order another raid like the one which killed Osama if Islamabad did not act on threats developing in the country towards the US or its allies.

Soon after Osama was killed deep inside Pakistan, Musharraf had admitted that he was embarrassed.

Musharraf had said that the Pakistan Army and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) could not be blamed for the 'slip-up' that saw Osama residing in Abbottabad.

'Yes, I was embarrassed,' said Musharraf.

ITBP sends Rs 11 cr bill for Kasab''s security; Maha

A staggering Rs 11 crores has been spent on guarding 26/11 terror convict Ajmal Kasab and the security force protecting him wants it back.

The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) force has slapped a bill of Rs 10.87 crore on Maharashtra Government for guarding Kasab at the Arthur Road jail and sought its reimbursement which has stunned the state.

R K Bhatia, Director General of ITBP, whose 200 commandos provide 24-hour security to Kasab, has raised the bill received for reimbursement of expenses incurred between March 28, 2009 and September 30,2010.

Medha Gadgil, Maharashtra''s Principal Home Secretary, told PTI that the state government will be writing to the ITBP explaining their position that it was not just state government''s burden.

"We are in the process of writing to them. We will explain that 26/11 terror attacks is not only an issue limited to Maharashtra but a national issue," she said.

"What Kasab and his associates did is an attack not only on Mumbai but an attack on India and it is unfair to ask the state government to bear the burden (for ITBP guarding Kasab)," another senior Home department official said.

The ITPB was deployed in the jail where a Special Court held conducted trial of Kasab, the lone Pakistani gunman who was arrested on the night of 26/11. (More) PTI VT