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Sunday, November 29, 2009

Reports Claim Woods Crash Followed Argument With Wife



The mystery over Tiger Woods' car crash intensified Saturday when his agent called state troopers on their way to Woods' house and asked them to wait another day before speaking to him. It was the second straight day Woods was unavailable to talk. His wife, Elin, told troopers on Friday afternoon, after the world's No. 1 golfer had been treated and released from a hospital, that he was sleeping and asked that they return Saturday. The postponements came as reports claimed the bizarre overnight car crash outside his Florida home Friday may have occurred following an argument with his wife. Celebrity Web site TMZ claimed Woods was confronted by Elin with the report that he had been seeing New York night club hostess Rachel Uchitel. The argument grew heated, and according to TMZ’s source, she scratched his face up. He then beat a hasty retreat to his SUV, with her following behind with a golf club. She reportedly used the club on the golfer's vehicle. Woods, then, reportedly became distracted, causing the car crash.

Pakistan President Under Increasing Pressure to Resign



Pakistan's unpopular president is coming under increasing pressure from the powerful army and political opponents to resign or relinquish most of his powers, fueling political turmoil just as the West wants the country to focus on the threat posed by Al Qaeda and the Taliban. An amnesty protecting President Asif Ali Zardari and several of his key allies from graft prosecution expired Saturday, raising the possibility of legal challenges to his rule and triggering calls from the major opposition party for him to step down. Hours earlier, he relinquished command of the country's nuclear arsenal to the prime minister. He has said he will also give up some other powers inherited from his predecessor, former military leader and President Pervez Musharraf. The upheaval comes as the Obama administration is expected to announce this week a new strategy for defeating the Taliban in neighboring Afghanistan and on Pakistan's western border. Any new approach will need political stability in Pakistan to have any hope of succeeding. A military coup to oust Zardari appears unlikely, as does impeachment, since he heads the largest party in Parliament. The opposition has not called anti-government street rallies, perhaps wary of pushing the country into chaos and paving the way for another stint of military rule. Zardari, 54, is languishing in opinion polls just 15 months after taking office. He has long been haunted by corruption allegations dating back to governments led by his late wife, Benazir Bhutto. He denies accusations that he took kickbacks that saddled him with the nickname, "Mr. 10 Percent." He also has found himself locked in a power struggle with the powerful military, which has objected to his overtures toward nuclear-armed rival India and his acceptance of a multibillion dollar U.S. aid bill that came with conditions some fear impose controls over the army. Zardari's office said the decision to transfer control of the National Command Authority to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani was a step toward ceding sweeping presidential powers that had been adopted by Musharraf. The authority comprises a group of top military and political leaders who would make any decision to deploy nuclear weapons. In an interview Friday with a local television station, Zardari said he was also likely to relinquish the authority he inherited from Musharraf to dissolve Parliament and appoint services chiefs by the end of this year — as the opposition and civic activists have long demanded. That would reduce his job to a more ceremonial role, but would lesson some of the pressures on him to step down. Speculation over Zardari's future has escalated after he was forced to abandon an effort to get Parliament to approve the amnesty passed by Musharraf that granted more than 8,000 bureaucrats and politicians — including the president and many others from his Pakistan People's Party — immunity from a host of corruption and criminal charges. The amnesty list was part of a U.S.-backed deal to allow Prime Minister Bhutto to return from exile in 2007 and run for office safe in the knowledge she would not be dogged by corruption allegations. The U.S. and other Western nations supported the bid by Bhutto, who was seen as a secular and pro-Western politician. But Bhutto, who was forced from her post twice in the 1990s because of alleged misrule and corruption, was killed by a homicide bomber shortly after she returned to Pakistan. Zardari took over as co-chairman of her party and was elected president in September 2008 by federal and regional lawmakers.

Obama to announce increase in troops to Afghanistan


Barack Obama is set to make the boldest strategic move of his presidency on Tuesday and order a surge of tens of thousands more US troops into an increasingly unpopular war in Afghanistan. Addressinbg the cadets at the prestigious West Point military academy, Obama is expected to announce between 30,000 and 35,000 reinforcements as part of a new Afghan strategy intended in his own words to "finish the job" there. More than eight years after a US-led invasion ousted the Taliban regime after it refused to hand over Osama bin Laden and other Al-Qaeda leaders accused of plotting the September 11 attacks in 2001, the president is also under pressure to lay out an exit strategy in address to the American nation. There were 35,000 American soldiers fighting the Taliban-led insurgency when Obama became president. After an initial boost in February there are now about 68,000. Tuesday's announcement could see troop levels triple under his tenure. Obama will therefore insist the renewed US engagement is neither unlimited nor unconditional and that the cause is clear: to prevent the region from serving as a base for attacks against the United States -- far from the grandiose notion of installing democracy espoused by the Bush administration. He will make the training of Afghan forces imperative and impress upon corruption tainted Afghan President Hamid Karzai, re-elected to a second term after disputed elections in August, the need to improve his governance.

Bin Laden Was 'Within Our Grasp'



Usama bin Laden was unquestionably within reach of U.S. troops in the mountains of Tora Bora when American military leaders made the crucial and costly decision not to pursue the terrorist leader with massive force, a Senate report says. The report asserts that the failure to kill or capture bin Laden at his most vulnerable in December 2001 has had lasting consequences beyond the fate of one man. Bin Laden's escape laid the foundation for today's reinvigorated Afghan insurgency and inflamed the internal strife now endangering Pakistan, it says. Staff members for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's Democratic majority prepared the report at the request of the chairman, Sen. John Kerry, as President Barack Obama prepares to boost U.S. troops in Afghanistan. The Massachusetts senator and 2004 Democratic presidential candidate has long argued the Bush administration missed a chance to get the Al Qaeda leader and top deputies when they were holed up in the forbidding mountainous area of eastern Afghanistan only three months after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Although limited to a review of military operations eight years old, the report could also be read as a cautionary note for those resisting an increased troop presence there now. More pointedly, it seeks to affix a measure of blame for the state of the war today on military leaders under former president George W. Bush, specifically Donald H. Rumsfeld as defense secretary and his top military commander, Tommy Franks. "Removing the Al Qaeda leader from the battlefield eight years ago would not have eliminated the worldwide extremist threat," the report says. "But the decisions that opened the door for his escape to Pakistan allowed bin Laden to emerge as a potent symbolic figure who continues to attract a steady flow of money and inspire fanatics worldwide. The failure to finish the job represents a lost opportunity that forever altered the course of the conflict in Afghanistan and the future of international terrorism."

Britain will continue its support for Pakistan: PM Brown



British Prime minister Gordon Brown has assured Pakistan of their full support and cooperation in war against terror. On the other hand, Peresident Asif Ali Zardari has told that the South Waziristan operation will continue till the objectives are achieved. In a telephonic conversation between the two leaders, Mr Brown lauded the role of Pakistan and its contributions to eliminate terrorism from the region.He also said that Britain will continue to cooperate till the restoration of economy and rehabilitation of the operation affectees. The leaders also exchanged views on the availability of Pakistani goods in the European markets. The British PM wished President Zardari a very happy eid. Mr Zardari told the PM that the Pak army is achieving its objectives in the Waziristan operation, and that it will continue till situation goes back to normal.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Blackwater's Secret War In Pakistan (2/2)

US firm 'runs covert Pakistan ops'




A new report has accused the US private security firm formerly known as Blackwater of operating a covert assassination and kidnapping programme against suspected Taliban and al-Qaeda members in northwest Pakistan. In an article published on Monday,The Nation magazine alleged that the firm, now known as Xe, is also involved in running a US military drone bombing campaign out of Pakistan. Jeremy Scahill, the investigative journalist who broke the story, that the programme was so secretive that senior officials in the administration of Barack Obama, the US president, were likely unaware of it. "What I learned is that for years there has been a covert operation of the US military inside Pakistan's borders ... and that Blackwater operatives are at the centre of not only the drone bombing campaign but also planning snatch-and-grab operations of high value targets." Scahill, citing military intelligence sources and a former Blackwater official, said the programme began with an agreement between the US and Pakistani governments. "In 2006, the Bush administration struck a deal with the government in Islamabad that would allow US special forces to actually enter Pakistani territory if what they were doing was hunting Osama bin Laden or his top deputies. "The agreement was such that the Pakistanis said that they would have the right to deny that they had given permission." There was no immediate comment from Islamabad on the story, and Scahill said that the White House also failed to respond to his request for comment. But he said the office of Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, had contacted him to reject the allegations. "I did not call them, they called me and told me that the [allegations] did not stand up to reality," Scahill said. "I've talked to my sources though, and they say that its possible that officials within the military chain of command are simply not in what [they] called 'the circle of love' on this programme." US officials have said that they believe northwest Pakistan is a hiding place for al-Qaeda fighters, including Osama Bin Laden.  The northwest tribal region, and in particular Peshawar, the capital of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP), have borne the brunt of attacks perpetrated by the Taliban in recent weeks. The attacks are in apparent retaliation for a military offensive launched in the country's semi-autonomous tribal region of South Waziristan against members of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, one of the main anti-government groups. But a spokesman for the Taliban last week blamed Blackwater for at least two of the recent bombings. Azam Tariq posted a video statement on the internet, saying the Taliban attacks never aimed to target civilians and that the explosions were linked to Blackwater activities in the country. Xe has denied having any contracts in Pakistan. The North Carolina-based firm provides security for diplomats around the world, but it is facing charges of human rights violations stemming its part from a 2007 shooting in Iraq that left 17 civilians dead.


Obama vows to 'finish the job' in Afghanistan



US President Barack Obama promised Tuesday he would unveil his decision "shortly" on whether to escalate the war in Afghanistan and pledged: "It is my intention to finish the job." "I will be making an announcement to the American people about how we intend to move forward. I will be doing so shortly," Obama said during a joint public appearance at the White House with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Obama vowed to give the US public, sharply divided over whether to send more troops to Afghanistan, a "clear rationale" for his decision and predicted Americans would be "supportive." "After eight years, some of those years in which we did not have, I think, either the resources or the strategy to get the job done, it is my intention to finish the job," he said.  "It is in our strategic interests, in our national security interest, to make sure that Al-Qqaeda and its extremist allies cannot operate effectively in those areas. We are going to dismantle and degrade their capabilities and ultimately dismantle and destroy their networks." Obama said Afghanistan's "stability" was critical to Washington's goals but made no mention of building a democracy where the Islamist Taliban militia ruled until ousted by US-led forces after the September 11, 2001 attacks.  The US president also said he would spell out "the obligations of our international partners in this process" and said ultimately Afghans "are going to have to provide for their own security."  "So we'll be discussing that process whereby Afghan security forces are properly trained and equipped to do the job," said Obama. Amid news reports that he may announce the plan in a prime-time Tuesday speech, Obama said he would speak out after Thursday's Thanksgiving holiday but gave no clear indication on timing.

Monday, November 23, 2009

Iran begins war games to protect atom sites



Iranian air defence forces began on Sunday five days of maneuvers involving simulated attacks on the country's nuclear sites, state-owned Press TV and Al-Alam television channels reported. The maneuvers were announced on Saturday by Brigadier General Ahmad Mighani, head of army air defence, who said the main aim is to thwart aerial threats on Iran's nuclear facilities -- from reconnaissance to actual assault -- posed by an imaginary enemy. The war games would also help improve cooperation among different units, he added. "Due to the threats against our nuclear facilities it is our duty to defend out nation's vital facilities and thus this maneuver covers Bushehr, Fars, Isfahan, Tehran and western provinces," Mighani said. "Our unit will be in charge of the maneuver but there will be units from the Revolutionary Guards and the Basij (militia)," he added. Iran's still unoperational nuclear plant is in the southern Bushehr province while its uranium enrichment plants are in Isfahan and near Tehran. The West believes Iran's enrichment work is masking an atomic weapons programme but Tehran insists it is purely for generating electricity. Washington and Israel have never ruled out a military strike against Iran's nuclear facilities. Tehran has often held defence war games and has boasted advances in military capabilities in a bid to show its readiness to counter any military threats over its disputed nuclear programme. The Islamic republic has warned it will hit back at Israel and US interests in the region if it is attacked.

Senate Democrats vote to bring health bill to floor for debate



A sweeping healthcare overhaul narrowly cleared its first hurdle in the US Senate, with Democrats casting 60 party-line votes to open debate on the biggest healthcare changes in decades. In the first Senate test for President Barack Obama's top domestic priority, Democrats unanimously backed a procedural motion to open Senate debate over the opposition of 39 Senate Republicans. Republican George Voinovich did not vote. Democrats needed 60 votes to approve the motion in the 100-member Senate and had no margin for error -- they control exactly 60 votes and Republicans were united in opposition. Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell condemned the bill as a costly government intrusion in the private sector that would raise insurance premiums, reduce consumer choices and raise taxes. The Democratic victory was assured earlier in the day when the party's last two holdouts, Blanche Lincoln and Mary Landrieu, said they would support the motion but would not commit to backing the final bill without changes. The Senate debate will begin on November 30 and is expected to last at least three weeks. The House of Representatives has passed its own version, and differences in the two would have to be reconciled in January before Obama could sign a final measure.  The healthcare reform bill would expand coverage to millions of uninsured and bar insurance practices like denying coverage to those with pre-existing conditions. The legislation would spark the biggest changes in the $2.5 trillion healthcare system -- which accounts for one-sixth of the US economy -- since the 1965 creation of the Medicare government health insurance plan for the elderly.

India not read to change Kashmir border: Manmohan



Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Sunday that India was not ready for any change on Kashmir border, adding that both the countries needed to ensure peace while maintaining the present border. In an interview with a US TV channel, Indian Premiere accused Pakistan of not safeguarding United States’ interests in Afghanistan, adding that it was not doing satisfying work in investigations of Mumbai terror attacks either. Earlier, talking to media upon his arrival in the US, Manmohan had said that operation against terrorists in Waziristan should be decisive. He had claimed that Pakistan wanted US forces to exit Afghanistan as it wanted its own control over there.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Hewlett-Packard eyes Chinese market with 3Com deal



US computer giant Hewlett-Packard announced on Wednesday that it has agreed to buy networking company 3Com for 2.7 billion dollars, a move it hopes will help them further expand in the growing Chinese market. The world's largest computer maker said the 3Com purchase advances a strategy to offer businesses datacenter packages that combine servers, storage, networking, management and services. "By acquiring 3Com, we are accelerating the execution of our converged infrastructure strategy and bringing disruptive change to the networking industry," said HP general manager of enterprise servers and networking Dave Donatelli. The takeover offer has been approved by HP and 3Com boards of directors. Under the terms of the deal, 3Com stockholders will get 7.9 dollars per share of common stock. The acquisition is expected to close in the first half of next year providing it passes muster with regulators and stockholders.

Forex reserves increase by $45.8 million



Pakistan's foreign exchange reserves were increased by 45.8 million dollars in a week that ended on November 7. According to State Bank of Pakistan, country’s forex reserves reached at $14.27 billion, up by 0.32 percent. Reserves of commercial banks reached at $3.57 billion with an increase of $15.9 million.

British Airways and Iberia begin merger process



British Airways and Iberia of Spain approved Thursday a memorandum of understanding on a planned merger that would create a European aviation giant, the airlines said in a statement. "The merger will create a strong European airline well able to compete in the 21st century," BA chief executive Willie Walsh said. "Both airlines will retain their brands and heritage while achieving significant synergies as a combined force," he said. The new airline would have 419 aircraft and fly to 205 destinations, with the merger expected to be completed in late 2010, the joint statement said. British Airways will hold 55 percent of the new company, while Iberia will hold 45 per cent, the statement said. Walsh will be chief executive of the new company while Iberia chairman Antonio Vazquez will be chairman. The announcement comes after the two airlines held board meeting talks on a possible merger that would create a European aviation giant to rival Air France-KLM and Lufthansa.

Burqa has no place in France: Sarkozy



French President Nicolas Sarkozy says there is no place for full face and body veils such as the burqa, or for the debasement of women, in France. 
Sarkozy says all beliefs will be respected in France but says "becoming French means adhering to a form of civilization, to values, to morals." Sarkozy said during a speech on national identity that "France is a country where there is no place for the burqa." Earlier, French President criticized burqa in June and formed a 32-member panel to do legislation to ban burqa.

Obama seeks to soothe Japan ties



Barack Obama is set to arrive in Japan later on Friday, kicking off his first visit to Asia as US president as he seeks to soothe relations with Tokyo strained by a row over a US military base. The visit is Obama's first stop on a nine-day, four-nation Asian tour, that will take him on to a regional economic summit in Singapore, then to China and finally to South Korea. In Japan, Obama is due to hold talks with Yukio Hatoyama, the country's new prime minister, who was swept to power in August vowing to build a more equal partnership with the US. Obama will also present what White House officials have called a "major policy speech" on US relations with Asia that they say will be aimed at a broad regional audience. But it will be the future of the five-decade-old Japan-US alliance that will be first on the US president's agenda as he lands in Tokyo. Hatoyama has promised to halt a Japanese naval mission supporting the US-led war in Afghanistan, review basing agreements for 47,000 US troops stationed in Japan, and explore the possibility of a new Asian trading block that would exclude the US.

Hasan charged with 13 murders



The US Army has charged a military psychiatrist Major Nidal Malik Hasan with 13 counts of murder in last week's shooting spree at the Fort Hood Army base, while President Barack Obama ordered a review to determine if the government fumbled warning signs of the man's contacts with a radical Islamic cleric. An Army spokesman Chris Gray said Major Nidal Malik Hasan, 39, a Muslim born in the United States of immigrant parents, was charged with murdering the 13 victims of the November 5 rampage at Fort Hood, the world's biggest military facility. He could face the death penalty and the case has drawn criticism of army intelligence after it became known that Hasan had been in contact with an Islamic figure sympathetic to al Qaeda. Meanwhile, Obama ordered a review of all intelligence related to Hasan to determine whether it was properly shared and acted upon within the government. John Brennan, assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism, will oversee the review. The first results are due Nov. 30. Obama also ordered the preservation of the intelligence.

Apec looks to China for recovery



China's president Hu Jintao is set to give a major speech to senior business figures in Singapore, as Asia-Pacific leaders gather for the start of the annual Apec economic summit. Hu is expected to set out his vision for sustained recovery in the global economy, with China taking a leading role. The speech to the so-called CEO summit is likely to set the tone for much of the weekend's gathering, with US president Barack Obama due to join other regional leaders in Singapore on Saturday. Much discussion at the summit would centre on China's role as the economy that is the best hope for leading the world out of economic decline.

PPP emerges victorious in Gilgit-Baltistan polls: Unofficial results



PPP candidates are ahead in the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly elections according to the latest unofficial results. Twelve PPP candidates won their seats while PML-N and PML-Q received two seats each. One MMQ, One JUI(F) and three independent candidate remained successful. On the other hand, opposition parties have accused the government of rigging in the elections. According to unofficial results, PML-N’s Jaffarullah has won with 5,663 votes for LA-1 Gilgit. Form LA-2 Gilgit, independent candidate Dedaar Ali remained successful with 4,787 votes. From LA-6 Hunza, PPP’s Wazeer Baig was at the top with 4,875 votes. From LA-7 Gilgit, PPP’a Mehdi Shah has won with 5,295 votes while from LA-9 Sakardu, PPP’s Wazeer Shakeel defeated his opponents with 6,002 votes. From LA-12 Sakardu, MQM’s Raja Azam Nawaz won his seat with 9,415 votes. PPP’s Nisar Hussain won his seat in LA-8 Sakardu with 9, 399 votes. From LA-10 Sakardu, PPP’s Wazeer Hussain remained victorious with 3,578 votes. From LA-11 Sakardu, PPP’s Muhammad Ali Shah won with 4,701 votes. From LA-15 Diamir 1, PML-Q’s Bashir Ahmed won with 2,726 votes. From LA-16 Diamir 2, PML-N Haji Janbaz remained successful with 2,264 votes. From LA-18 Diamir 4, JUI (F) candidate Gul Bar Khan got 2,753 votes. LA-21 Gazar 3, PPP’s Ghulam Muhammad won his seat with 4,961 votes. According to sources, independent candidate Nuratullah in LA-14, PMN-L’s Ibrahim Sanai in LA-22 Ganchay, PPP’s Ghulam Hussain in LA-23 Ganchay and PPP’s Engineer Muhammad Ismael in LA-24 Ganchay remained successful.bOn the other hand, opposition parties have declared the first public elections as fraudulent.

Bomb targets Peshawar spy agency




A car bomb explosion has killed at least ten people and badly damaged a building belonging to Pakistan's national intelligence agency, in the Pakistani city of Peshawar. Ambulances and security forces rushed to the scene of the blast early on Friday morning, cordoning off the site evacuating dozens of wounded. Police said that in addition to the ten killed, more than 30 other people were wounded in the blast and had been sent to nearby hospitals. A military spokesman said the bomber's target was the three-storey building belonging to the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

What is Blackwater?


Founded in 1998 by former Navy Seals, Blackwater Worldwide says it has prepared tens of thousands of security personnel to work in hot spots around the world. But it was an incident in Baghdad in September 2007, in which Blackwater guards killed 17 Iraqis, that brought the company to public notice, and made it a focal point for tensions over the role of the many private security firms supplementing the American war effort. In 2002, Blackwater won a classified contract to provide security for the CIA station in Kabul, Afghanistan, and the company maintains other classified contracts with the C.I.A. Over the years, Blackwater has hired several former top agency officials, including Cofer Black, who ran the C.I.A. counterterrorism center immediately after the Sept. 11 attacks. C.I.A. operatives regularly use Blackwater's training complex in North Carolina. In 2004, the C.I.A. hired contractors from Blackwater as part of a secret program to locate and assassinate top operatives of Al Qaeda, according to current and former government officials.  Blackwater executives helped the spy agency with planning, training and surveillance, and the C.I.A. spent several million dollars on the program, which did not successfully capture or kill any terrorist suspects. In June 2009, alarmed by the agency's use of an outside company for the program, Leon E. Panetta, the C.I.A.'s director, called an emergency meeting to tell Congress that the agency had withheld details of the program for seven years, officials said. The C.I.A. did not give the Blackwater executives a "license to kill," though, officials said. Instead, it directed the contractors to collect information on the whereabouts of Al Qaeda's leaders, carry out surveillance and train for possible missions. But government officials said that bringing outsiders into a program with lethal authority raised deep concerns about accountability in covert operations. Blackwater's work on the program ended years before Mr. Panetta took over the agency, after senior C.I.A. officials themselves questioned the wisdom of using outsiders in such a program. The C.I.A. did not have a formal contract with Blackwater for the program; it had individual agreements with top company officials, including the founder, Erik D. Prince, a politically connected former member of the Navy Seals and the heir to a family fortune. The extent of Blackwater's dealings with the C.I.A. has largely been hidden, but its public contract with the State Department to provide private security to American diplomats in Iraq has generated intense scrutiny and controversy. Iraqi officials had long complained about what they called indiscriminate gunfire by private security forces hired by Americans. American officials said they had no alternative for protecting diplomats, but in negotiations in 2008 over a status of forces agreement with the American military, Iraqi officials were adamant that private contractors no longer have immunity for their actions. On Dec. 8, 2008, federal prosecutors charged five Blackwater guards involved in the September 2007 Baghdad shootings with manslaughter. A sixth guard admitted in a plea deal to killing at least one Iraqi. In January 2009, the Iraqi government indicated it would not renew Blackwater's operating license amid concerns of inappropriate use of force. In November 2009, former company officials said that in December 2007 top executives at Blackwater had authorized secret payments of about $1 million to Iraqi officials that were intended to silence their criticism and buy their support after the Baghdad shootings. The company dismissed the allegations as "baseless" and said it would not comment about former employees. In February 2009, Blackwater announced that it was abandoning the brand name that has been tarnished by its work in Iraq, choosing Xe (pronounced zee) as the new name for its family of two dozen businesses. Most people in and outside of the company still use Blackwater. The company has continued to grow through government work, even as it has attracted criticism and allegations of brutality. From a secret division at its North Carolina headquarters, it has assumed a role in Washington's most important counterterrorism program: the use of drones to kill Al Qaeda's leaders, according to government officials and current and former employees. The division's operations are carried out at hidden bases in Pakistan and Afghanistan, where Blackwater contractors assemble and load Hellfire missiles and 500-pound laser-guided bombs on remotely piloted Predator aircraft, work previously performed by C.I.A. employees. They also provide security at the covert bases, the officials said. Blackwater is not involved in selecting targets or actual strikes. The targets are selected by the C.I.A., and employees at its headquarters in Langley, Va., pull the trigger remotely. Only a handful of the agency's employees actually work at the Predator bases in Afghanistan and Pakistan, current and former employees said.

Polling in Gilgit-Baltistan Pakistan continues



Polling for 23 out of 24 seats of the Gilgit-Baltistan legislative assembly is in progress as 243 candidates contest first elections. Polling begun at 8am and will continue without a break till 4pm today. Election in GB-19 will not be held as MQM candidate expired. Some 1022 polling stations have been established in 6 districts, 153 have been declared sensitive while 119 extremely sensitive. Governor Gilgit-Baltistan Qamar Zaman Kaira said that fool proof security had been ensured during the election.

Gunmen kill Pakistani working at Iranian Consulate



Some unknown gunmen shot dead Director Public Relations of Iranian consulate as he was en route to his office in Peshawar. Three unidentified attackers opened fire on Abul Hasan Jaffery, Director Public Relations, near his residence in Gulberg injuring him seriously. He was shifted to CMH but succumbed to injuries later. Abul Hasan Jaffery had been Director Public Relations of Iranian consulate for last 20 years.

US Afghan mission 'not open-ended'



The US commitment to Afghanistan is "not open-ended", the White House has said, warning that the administration in Kabul must take steps to improve the way the country is run. The comments on Wednesday came after Barack Obama, the US president, held his eighth meeting with his war cabinet as he deliberates changes to the US strategy in Afghanistan. "The president believes that we need to make clear to the Afghan government that our commitment is not open-ended," a White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told reporters outlining Wednesday's meeting. "After years of substantial investments by the American people, governance in Afghanistan must improve in a reasonable period of time to ensure a successful transition to our Afghan partner," the official said, adding that Obama had yet to decide on proposals for increased troop deployments. Wednesday's meeting reportedly focused on four possible options for a revised US strategy, and how long each would take to implement. The meeting comes some three months since the top US commander in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, requested thousands of additional troops.

Germany, France Mark End of WWI in Joint Ceremony



For the first time since World War I, the leaders of Germany and France held a joint ceremony on Wednesday to commemorate the end of the conflict, saying it is now time to celebrate their countries' reconciliation and friendship"French-German friendship is sealed with blood," French President Nicolas Sarkozy said under the shadow of the Arc de Triomphe, site of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel at his side. Together they laid a wreath of flowers at the tomb and symbolically relit the perpetual flame above it to mark the 91st anniversary of the end of World War I. "This small flame is also ... the flame of hope," Sarkozy said. Sarkozy honored Lazare Ponticelli, who died last year at age 110, the last known French veteran of the First World War, which had torn Europe apart. "Madame chancellor, you have made a historic gesture," Sarkozy said of Merkel's decision to join him, despite Germany's defeat in the war. The bold departure from traditional Armistice Day commemorations came two days after Sarkozy traveled to Germany to help fete the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. 

Oil marketing companies’ profit reaches Rs 3.33b in first quarter


Oil marketing companies’ (OMCs) profit reached Rs 3.33 billion during the first quarter of the current fiscal year. According to Atlas Capital, the OMCs suffered losses of Rs 8.5 billion during the same period of last fiscal year. During July to September, overall sale of the sector increased by 12 percent. Furnace oil and gasoline increased by 26 and 39 percent respectively. Due to slow financial activities, high speed diesel’s sale has been decreased by 10 percent.

President Zardari allegedly received $4.3m in submarines sale



A French newspaper allegedly blamed that President Asif Ali Zardari is suspected of having received millions of dollars in kickbacks from the 1994 sale of three French submarines to the Pakistani Navy. The French daily claims that President Zardari allegedly received 4.3 million dollars in commission in the purchase of three Augusta 90 submarines. The report says the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) was informed in 2001 bout the alleged fraud. On the other hand, government spokesman declared the report as baseless and said that this is a planned conspiracy against the president. He said that this report is part of character assassination scheme started against the President by some elements. He said that there is a systematic way to purchase the submarines and Defence Ministry oversees the complete process. French President Sarkozy also declared these blames as baseless in July 2009.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Israel Says Hezbollah Has Capability to Hit Major Cities




The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has significantly expanded its ability to strike deep into Israel with rockets that can now reach the Jewish state's largest cities, and now possesses tens of thousands of projectiles, Israel's army chief said Tuesday. The remarks by Maj. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi were the first official assessment of the guerrilla group's capabilities since Israel seized a ship last week carrying weapons allegedly destined for Hezbollah. Ashkenazi indicated that the arms bust had little effect in stopping what Israel says has been a massive arms buildup by the Iranian-backed militia since the sides fought a bitter monthlong war in 2006. An official said that Ashkenazi told lawmakers Tuesday that some of the rockets can fly up to 200 miles (325 kilometers). That would put Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, as well as Israel's nuclear reactor in the southern desert, within rocket range. Alternatively, the official said, Hezbollah could pound Israeli towns and cities closer to the border from positions north of the Litani River, outside the area of south Lebanon policed by U.N. peacekeepers. Ashkenazi was briefing the Israeli parliament's influential Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the meeting was closed.

Afghan Insurgents Seen on TV With U.S. Ammo



Television footage broadcast Tuesday showed insurgents handling what appears to be U.S. ammunition in a remote area of eastern Afghanistan that American forces left last month following a deadly firefight that killed eight troops. The U.S. military said the forces that left the area said they removed and accounted for their equipment. The Al-Jazeera broadcast video showed insurgents handling weapons, including anti-personnel mines with U.S. markings on them, but it was unclear when the video had been filmed. The television station reported that insurgents said they seized the weapons from two U.S. remote outposts in Nuristan province. The ammunition could be used against U.S. and Afghan forces, although the amount shown was not extensive. However, the footage will no doubt be used by insurgent propagandists to promote their "victory" over the Americans and encourage their supporters. Separately, NATO officials said international forces and the Afghan National Police seized 5,000 components used in roadside bombs and 250 tons ammonium nitrate fertilizer, which is often used in making explosives. Fifteen people were detained in Sunday's raid on a warehouse in Kandahar. Another 4,000 100-pound bags of fertilizer were found in a nearby compound. NATO also said a U.S. troop was killed Tuesday by a roadside bomb in Helmand province, but provided no other details. Nuristan was the site of an Oct. 3 battle in which some 200 fighters bombarded a joint U.S.-Afghan army outpost with small arms, rocket-propelled grenades and mortar shells. Eight U.S. troops died — as well as three Afghan soldiers — in one of the heaviest losses of U.S. life in a single battle since the war began. Lt. Col. Todd Vician, a spokesman for NATO forces, said the material in the footage "appears to be U.S. equipment." He said it was unclear how the insurgents got the weapons. "It's debatable whether they got them from that location," Vician said, referring to the mountainous Kamdesh district of Nuristan where the nearly six-hour battle took place. But Gen. Mohammad Qassim Jangulbagh, provincial police chief in Nuristan, said, "The Americans left ammunition at the base."

Saudi 'to keep up Houthi offensive'



Saudi Arabia will continue its air strikes against Yemeni rebels until they pull back from the two countries' border, the kingdom's deputy defence minister has warned. Prince Khaled bin Sultan pledged to keep up a military offensive against the Houthi rebels on Tuesday, as he visited Saudi troops in the kingdom's southwest Jizan province, the AFP news agency reported. "We are not going to stop the bombing until the Houthis retreat tens of kilometres inside their border," he said. His comments came as the rebels announced they had taken control of more territory on the border with Saudi Arabia, heightening concerns about growing instability in the region. The fighters released a statement on Tuesday, saying: "Full control was taken last night over Qatabar directorate and control of all supplies and ammunition as well as buildings and other military sites." Yemeni officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

North, South Korea Navies trade fire before Obama visit



The two Koreas had a brief naval skirmish in Yellow Sea waters on Tuesday but there were no casualties in the incident that came just ahead of a visit to Asia by US President Barack Obama, South Korea's defence ministry said. North Korea has been seeking direct talks with the Obama administration while riling the global powers by last week saying it had produced more arms-grade plutonium. The United States will announce in the next several days whether it will start direct talks with North Korea amid signs Pyongyang may be ready to return to broader nuclear disarmament negotiations, a US official said on Monday. The North's sabre rattling is often seen by analysts as a bargaining ploy to increase its leverage in negotiations. The South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the North Korean patrol vessel went about 1.3 km into waters claimed by the South. "We sent warning messages to them twice before they crossed the NLL and three times after they crossed the NLL," added Lee Ki-sik, Chief of Intelligence Operation Division. Domestic media say the North's vessel was partially destroyed in the fight. The two Koreas have fought two deadly naval battles in the past decade in the Yellow Sea waters near the contested sea border called the Northern Limit Line (NLL). The NLL was set unilaterally by U.S.-led U.N. forces at the end of the 1950-53 Korean War. The North has said it sees the border as invalid. In 2002, when South Korea hosted World Cup matches, North Korea fired at the South and killed 6 South Korean sailors. South Korea fired back, but the number of North Korean casualties is not known.

Fort Hood Suspect Warned of Muslim Threat Within Military



The Army psychiatrist suspected of killing 13 people at Fort Hood reportedly warned senior Army physicians in 2007 that the military should allow Muslim soldiers to be released as conscientious objectors instead of fighting in wars to avoid "adverse events." According to The Washington Post.  Major Nidal Malik Hasan was supposed to make a presentation on a medical topic during his senior year as a psychiatric resident at Walter Reed Medical Center. Instead, Hasan lectured his supervisors and two dozen mental health staff members on Islam, homicide bombings and threats the military could encounter from Muslims conflicted about fighting against other Muslims in Iraq and Afghanistan. A source who attended the presentation told the paper, "It was really strange. The senior doctors looked really upset." The Powerpoint, entitled, "The Koranic World View As It Relates to Muslims in the U.S. Military," consisted of 50 slides, according to a copy obtained by the Post. "It's getting harder and harder for Muslims in the service to morally justify being in a military that seems constantly engaged against fellow Muslims," Hasan said in the presentation. Under a slide titled "Comments," he wrote: "If Muslim groups can convince Muslims that they are fighting for God against injustices of the 'infidels'; ie: enemies of Islam, then Muslims can become a potent adversary ie: suicide bombing, etc." The last bullet point on that page reads simply: "We love death more then [sic] you love life!" On the final slide, labeled "Recommendation," Hasan wrote: "Department of Defense should allow Muslims [sic] Soldiers the option of being released as 'Conscientious objectors' to increase troop morale and decrease adverse events." An Army spokesman told the Post Monday night he was unaware of the presentation, and a Walter Reed spokesman declined comment. A classmate of Hasan, meanwhile, told FoxNews.com that the warning signs were all there — the justification of homicide bombings; spewing anti-American hatred; efforts to reach out to Al Qaeda — but that the military treated Hasan with kid gloves, even after giving him a poor performance review.

Car bomb strikes northwest Pakistan



A car bomb explosion has killed at least 30 people outside a crowded market in northwest Pakistan. The bomb tore through a busy traffic intersection on Tuesday in the city of Charsadda, north of Peshawar, the capital of Pakistan's North West Frontier Province (NWFP). More than 40 other people were wounded in the blast. Hazrat Ali, a shopkeeper wounded in the blast, said the explosion came from a car parked near his shop. "I was buying something before closing my shop. A car was parked on the other side of the road and all of a sudden there was a huge blast," he told the AFP news agency. "There was smoke and darkness everywhere. I passed out."

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

China executes nine over Xinjiang unrest



China has executed nine people over deadly ethnic unrest in its far-western Xinjiang region, regional authorities said Monday, the first executions since the violence in July.  "The first group of nine people who were sentenced to death recently have already been executed in succession, with the approval of the Supreme Court," Hou Hanmin, spokeswoman for the Xinjiang government, told. It was not clear when the executions took place.

India to get modern defence system from Israel



Israel will provide advanced air defence system to India in 1.10 billion dollars. According to Israeli officials, agreement on Barak-8 missile defence system would be signed in April. This defence system can be installed at land and naval warships. The system can hit missiles, warships and drons. India has obtained first model of Barak defence system. According to Israeli officials, new defence system would be provided to India in 2017.

Palestinians break Israel's wall



Palestinians and foreign activists have torn down segments of Israel's separation wall in a demonstration marking the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. In the town of Qalandiya in the occupied West Bank, a group of masked activists using a lorry pulled down a two-metre cement block before Israeli security forces confronted them with tear gas grenades. Several of the estimated 50 demonstrators passed through the hole they had made, hoisting a Palestinian flag and setting ablaze tyres on the other side. Protesters were wearing shirts with the text "Jerusalem we are coming", which was the slogan for the protest. Abdullah Abu Rahma, leader of the People's Campaign to Fight the Wall, said: "Today we commemorate 20 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall. "This is the beginning of the activities, which we do, to express our hold on our land, and our refusal to this wall - the wall of torture, the wall of humiliation." Activists have vowed to hold a week of protests in the Palestinian territories and around the world, including a campaign calling for the release of all anti-wall activists currently imprisoned. 

Berlin celebrates fall of wall



World leaders have gathered in Germany's capital to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, beginning the day's events with a prayer service. Angela Merkel, Germany's chancellor and Horst Koehler, the country's president, joined a congregation at a former East Berlin church, where pro-democracy rallies were held in 1989. "We remember the tears of joy, the faces of delight, the liberation," Lutheran Bishop Wolfgang Huber said at the Gethsemane Church. But Merkel, who grew up in communist East Germany, used the opportunity to raise concerns about the work still to be done, saying "German unity is still incomplete". "We must tackle this problem if we want to achieve equal quality of life [in east and west]," she told ARD public television on Monday.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Heavy clashes at Saudi-Yemen border



Heavy clashes have been reported at the Saudi-Yemeni border as Saudi forces battle Yemeni rebels for the fifth straight day. Saudi commanders said troops were shelling suspected Houthi positions on Saturday and plumes of smoke could be seen rising above the Jebel al-Dukhan peak that marks the frontier near the border town of Al-Khubah. A medical official said seven Saudis, four of them women civilians, had been killed and 126 people wounded since the fighting erupted on Tuesday. The Shia Houthis, fighting their own government over alleged discrimination, had also claimed to have captured some Saudi soldiers on Friday. Mohammed Abdel-Salam, a spokesman for the Houthis, told Al Jazeera that the men were seized after Saudi ground forces crossed into Yemeni territory. If such a ground incursion were proved true, it would indicate a deepening involvement by Saudi Arabia in a battle that is being viewed as a proxy conflict with regional power Iran.

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Global swine flu toll crosses 6,000



The number of swine flu deaths has grown by more than 370 over a week to pass 6,000, as the pandemic spread into more than 199 countries and territories, World Health Organisation data has showed. The pandemic is currently being fuelled by "intense and persistent'' transmission in North America and an "unusually early'' start to winter flu season in Europe as well as in central and western Asia, a WHO statement said. The death toll recorded on November 1 reached at least 6,071, it added. The Americas region accounts for nearly three quarters of the global toll with 4,399 deaths, an increase of 224 in a week. The WHO also highlighted signs of "increasing and active transmission'' of pandemic influenza virus across Northern and Eastern Europe, including Ukraine and Belarus, as well as in eastern Russia. The pandemic is also gaining intensity in Mongolia, Oman, Afghanistan and Japan, especially on the northern island. However, it is waning in tropical areas of Central and South America, as well as parts of south and southeast Asia.

Bill Clinton warns of 'dire consequences' in Mideast



Former US president Bill Clinton warned of "dire consequences" if Palestinians do not believe that change is possible, in a speech to students at the American University of Dubai (AUD) on Wednesday. "What leads to suicide bombings?" he asked. "The belief that change is not possible... the belief that in the absence of a cataclysmic event, tomorrow is going to be like yesterday. "If we keep going on where the Palestinians think tomorrow will be like yesterday, there will be dire consequences," he told a packed hall at the university. The former president's speech came as his wife Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was in Cairo for hastily arranged talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to clarify remarks widely interpreted as a U-turn on US policy of demanding a freeze on all Jewish settlements. The top US diplomat insisted that Washington was determined to push for a Palestinian state and said that the future of Jerusalem must be on the agenda of any peace talks. The run-up to Bill Clinton's speech in Dubai was accompanied by pounding techno music, wildly cheering students and a dance team. Clinton, who had previously spoken three times at AUD, discussed the dangers of climate change and said he thought it was possible for the Middle East to become energy independent. "(That) would be the smartest thing the region ever did," he said. Clinton also said "young women having the same chances as young men is key to the future of the Middle East".

Reviews Raise Doubt on Training of Afghan Forces


A series of internal government reviews have presented the Obama administration with a dire portrait of Afghanistan’s military and police force, bringing into serious question an ambitious goal at the heart of the evolving American war strategy — to speed up their training and send many more Afghans to the fight. As Obama considers his top commander’s call to rapidly double Afghanistan’s security forces, the internal reviews, written by officials directly involved in the training program or charged with keeping it on track, describe an overstretched enterprise struggling to nurse along the poorly led, largely illiterate and often corrupt Afghan forces. the top American and allied commander in Afghanistan, recommended increasing the Afghan Army as quickly as possible — to 134,000 in a year from the current force of more than 90,000, instead of taking two years, and perhaps eventually to 240,000. He would also expand the police force to 160,000. The acceleration is vital to General McChrystal’s overall counterinsurgency plan, which also calls for more American troops but seeks more protection against the Taliban for the Afghan population than the Pentagon could ever supply.

Large Hadron Collider Halted By Bird Crumbs



The massive machine at the center of the world's biggest scientific experiment has malfunctioned again – derailed by a bit of bread dropped by a bird. The Hadron Collider, buried 100m under the ground near Geneva, Switzerland, is supposed to recreate conditions seen after the Big Bang. Scientists hope the $7.3 billion machine will shed light on the event that many scientists believe gave birth to the universe around 14 billion years ago, but the project has suffered a series of setbacks. The latest saw a "bit of baguette," thought to have been dropped by a bird, fall onto machinery, causing a fault. The theory is that the particle that physicists hope to produce might be "abhorrent to nature," so that once created it would work backwards through time to put a stop to whatever created it. However Dr Mike Lamont, who works at the Cern control center, said that the nature of the experiment meant that glitches were inevitable. "This thing is so complicated and so big, it's bound to have problems sometimes," he said.

Israel rejects UN resolution on Gaza



Israel on Friday rejected a UN resolution that called on it and the Palestinians to probe suspected war crimes committed during the Gaza war at the turn of the year while the Palestinian leaders have accepted the resolution. "Israel rejects the resolution of the UN General Assembly, which is completely detached from realities on the ground that Israel must face," the Israeli foreign ministry said in a statement. The statement said that during the 22-day war, which killed some 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis, the Israeli military "demonstrated higher military and moral standards than each and every one of this resolution's instigators." On Thursday, the 192-member assembly overwhelmingly approved an Arab-sponsored resolution that endorsed a UN report accusing both Israel and Palestinians of war crimes and possible crimes against humanity during the war. The vote was 114 in favour and 18 against, with 44 abstentions. From the outset, Israel rejected the report as biased.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Japan’s high-tech high-rise graveyards


High-tech and high-rise, the latest Japanese cemeteries offer a convenient and affordable place for souls to rest in peace. The six-story Kouanji (pronounced Koh-Ahn-Jee) Buddhist temple building in downtown Tokyo has inhabitants like no other. With the exception of the resident priest and his family - all occupants of the 6,850 lodgings are dead and resting in peace in vaults deep in storage. Kouanji is able to pack the remains of a maximum of 100,000 people or at least their ashes in one high-tech building has made these graveyard "plots" more accessible and affordable.

Shooting rocks military base in Texas


A US army major killed 12 people and wounded at least 30 others in a bloody rampage at the Fort Hood military base in Texas. The lone shooter is still alive according to the base commander and is in hospital after undergoing surgery for his wounds. An Army psychiatrist opened fire with two handguns at the Fort Hood Army post on Thursday, killing 12 and wounding 31 others, Army officials said, adding the suspect was shot several times but survived. Authorities identified the suspected gunman as Major Nidal Malik Hasan, who had treated soldiers wounded in foreign wars preparing for foreign deployment at the post. "Our investigation is ongoing but preliminary reports indicate that there was a single shooter," Lieutenant-General Robert Cone, Fort Hood's commanding officer, told a news conference. "The shooter is not dead but in custody in stable condition." Cone said the suspect had been shot multiple times. He had previously said the suspect was killed by police officers during the attack at the biggest military facility in the world. "He's not currently speaking to investigators," Cone said of Hasan. Pressed on the suspect's condition, he said, "I would say his death is not imminent." Asked if the shootings were a terrorist act, Cone said, "I couldn't rule that out but ... the evidence does not suggest that." The Army said the gunman opened fire at about 1:30 p.m. CST (1930 GMT) at the Soldiers Readiness Processing Center, a group of buildings where soldiers were getting medical check-ups before leaving for overseas deployments. Cone said the gunman had two weapons, one of them a semi-automatic. "There is no indication that they were military weapons," he said. It was one of the worst killing sprees ever reported on a U.S. military base. In May, a U.S. soldier at a base in Baghdad shot and killed five fellow soldiers. Cone said a college graduation ceremony for more than 100 soldiers was being held in an auditorium about 50 yards (metres) away when the shooting started. "Thanks to the quick reaction of several soldiers, they were able to close off the doors to that auditorium where there were some 600 people inside," Cone said. "As horrible as this was, I think it could have been much worse," Cone said. Cone said soldiers as a rule do not carry weapons on the base. Military police and security guards are armed.

Space Tourism a Reality by 2012



The latest trend in eco-tourism is completely out of this world ... and right around the corner. Routine commercial travel to outer space may be the norm as soon as 2012, as the next generation of spacecraft — designed by private sector firms like Virgin Galactic, Orbital Sciences Corp., Space Exploration Technologies Corp. and others — transport adventure-seeking civilians into low-Earth orbit. There, they can see the sun rise many times a day, and experience the breathtaking curve of planet Earth that only NASA astronauts such as Neil Armstrong or Buzz Aldrin have previously seen. If they want to extend their stay, they can check in to the solar system’s first orbiting hotel, The Galactic Space Suite Hotel, set to open in three years.

Abbas 'not to seek re-election'



Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, has said he will not seek re-election when elections are held in January, Palestinian officials have said. "The president insists on not running in the upcoming election," an official from the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) executive committee said on Thursday. Another PLO official said Abbas, who heads the Fatah faction in the West Bank, will give a speech later on Thursday explaining his decision not to run. Saeb Erakat, the chief Palestinian negotiator, said: "At the end of the day it's not the presidency. "It's the question of the Israeli government continuing settlement activity, fait accompli policies, dictation; and nineteen years after trying to achive a two-state solution, maybe the president has come to his moment of truth, and I think he'll specify this personally."