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Friday, December 31, 2010

Gbagbo on rights violations

A dispute between Gbagbo and rival candidate Alassane Ouattara over who won the presidential election on November 28 has plunged the West African state into turmoil and U.N. experts have reported killings, disappearances and arbitrary detentions. The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, said on Friday she had written to Gbagbo and other senior officials "to remind them ... that they will be held personally responsible and accountable for human rights violations resulting from their actions and/or omissions, according to international human rights and humanitarian law." The international criminal justice system developed in the past 15 or so years had provided a means of accountability that did not exist before, she said in a statement issued in Geneva. "No longer can heads of state, and other actors, be sure that they can commit atrocious violations and get away with it." A Gbagbo spokesman said he could not immediately comment. Gbagbo has defied almost unanimous pressure from world leaders to had over power to Ouattara, widely recognised to have won the election. Gbagbo's camp has rejected U.N.-certified electoral commission results that declared Ouattara winner, sparking a standoff in which scores of people have been killed.

Thursday, December 30, 2010

No way to stop terrorists

The porous border between Afghanistan and Pakistan that Taliban fighters slip across to attack British troops is impossible to seal, a top military commander has admitted. The 1,600-mile rugged frontier, dotted with mountain passes and treacherous routes, would take 'an inordinate amount of resources' to secure, said the U.S. colonel. Instead, it is more useful for coalition soldiers to protect Afghan towns and villages that are vulnerable to insurgent raids. Military chiefs have been concerned about the steady flow of terrorists and arms - including components for deadly roadside bombs - across the lawless border, especially into Helmand and Kandahar provinces in southern Afghanistan where nearly 10,000 UK troops are based. The Taliban often pass along little-known routes and back over the border into Pakistan to take injured fighters to hospitals. Colonel Viet Luong, of the U.S. Army, said Western diplomats should also try to foster greater cooperation from the tribes inside Pakistan who often provide Islamist fighters safe passage across the frontier. His remarks came as the Ministry of Defence announced that another UK soldier had been killed in the war - the 103rd this year. The bomb disposal expert, who served with 23 Pioneer Regiment, The Royal Logistic Corps, was clearing a road with the Counter-Improvised Explosive Device Task Force in Lashkar Gah district when he was caught in a blast on Tuesday. He was the 348th British serviceman or woman to die in the conflict since it begun in 2001. Col Luong, who oversees troops in a part of eastern Afghanistan that includes the volatile Khost province, said: 'It's naive to say that we can stop enemy forces coming through the border.' He said troops under his command were still working to control the border but were more productively deployed protecting more populated Afghan areas from the Taliban. Operations and patrols had increased four-fold to 12,000 in the past year while the effectiveness of enemy fire had been halved, he said. 'Local atmospherics are indicating that the people of Khost are beginning to feel that security is much, much better,' said Col Luong.  'More importantly, for the first time, they're feeling that the provincial government is now working for the people.'A senior British Army source said: 'The border is extremely porous and it is almost impossible to stop people crossing it if they are determined. 'Instead we are concentrating on pushing back the Taliban and holding ground in the villages and towns of Afghanistan to provide security for local people. 'At the same time, we need to know where crossing points are, try to make it difficult for insurgents to move around and track where they go if possible.' Meanwhile, evidence emerged of a worrying new trend where militant groups on both sides of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border have joined forces hands to carry out deadly raids in their latest attempt to regain the initiative after months of withering attacks from Nato forces. Intelligence assessments from the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) have suggested insurgent factions are setting aside historic rivalries to behave like 'a syndicate' and co-ordinate attacks. The Pentagon has been forced to deny reports that American forces are conducting special operations raids inside Pakistan's tribal areas to target militants. But this year the U.S. military has launched more than 100 airstrikes using drones in Pakistan's mountainous border areas, a haven for hundreds of Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters, killing more than 750 people. ISAF are also keeping a close eye on the Pakistani city of Quetta from where Taliban commanders are believed to be overseeing the stubborn insurgency across the border.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Pakistan will launch 'self-developed' satellite

Pakistan will launch its first indigenously developed communications satellite on August 14, 2011, from a facility in China and its life span will be 15 years.According to sources in Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco), the satellite would be launched at a longitude of 38 degrees in geostationary orbit on the equatorial plane at an altitude of 36,000km above the earth’s surface.Paksat-1R will carry a communications payload to facilitate the introduction of a range of new services, including broadband internet, digital TV distribution/broadcasting, remote/rural telephony, emergency communications, tele-education and tele-medicine. The contract for Pakistan Communication Satellite (Paksat-1R) was signed between Suparco and China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC), a Chinese firm, on October 15, 2008, official sources maintained. Work on the execution of the contract began soon after and is progressing as scheduled, the sources said, adding that the contract involved various other projects, including infrastructure and therefore it was difficult to invest an exact cost on the satellite itself. Official sources further said that at least two new satellites Paksat-1R and Pakistan Remote Sensing Satellite (PRSS) - would be launched in the near future. The satellites have been developed with technical and financial assistance of China. At present, Pakistan has a communications satellite, Paksat-1, in orbit, providing coverage across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and the South Asian subcontinent. It is being used by TV broadcasters, telecom companies, data and broadband internet service providers and government organizations. Paksat-1R will replace Paksat-1, a leased satellite, to ensure continuity of service. In 1990s, Pakistan also operated a small satellite, Badr-A, in low earth orbit. however, the country’s modest space programme has been  oriented towards remote sensing applications.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Drone attacks in Pakistan

Maintaining its pressure on Pakistan to do more in North Waziristan, the U.S. on Monday launched another set of drone attacks in the Mir Ali area of the tribal agency reportedly killing at least 15 terrorists. After a lull of 10 days, the unmanned Predators entered Pakistani airspace to bomb suspected terrorist hideouts in this agency known to be the stronghold of the Haqqani network. Monday's attacks come in the wake of two successive terrorist strikes in as many days in Mohmand and Bajaur tribal agencies which have left nearly a 100 dead and twice the number injured. The U.S. is of the view that clearing this area of terrorists is crucial for success in its ongoing war on terror in Afghanistan. And, as the U. S. designated date for start of troop withdrawal from Afghanistan in July 2011 draws nigh, Pakistani authorities are anticipating an increase in pressure from Washington to do more. Meanwhile, amid reports of helicopters of the U.S.-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan entering Pakistani airspace in the Torkham area, the American Embassy here clarified that this was not the case. While denying these reports, it also sought to underline the fact that all coalition and U.S. air operations in Afghanistan along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region are closely coordinated with Pakistan's Air Force.

Monday, December 27, 2010

Ivory Coast's nationwide strike

Ivory Coast presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara has called for a nationwide general strike from Monday to paralyze the country until internationally isolated incumbent Laurent Gbagbo cedes power. The world's top cocoa producing country has faced a violent political impasse since a presidential election last month, which was intended to heal the scars of a 2002-2003 civil war but has instead triggered bloodshed between the rival camps. A similar call for civil disobedience last week by Ouattara's rival government Prime Minister Guillaume Soro was not largely followed but an attempt by Ouattara supporters to seize the state broadcaster RTI, ended with at least 20 deaths as pro-Ouattara rebels exchanged fire with government soldiers. The turmoil has sent cocoa futures to four-month highs, while the country's Eurobond has dipped to a record low on concern the government will miss a $30 million bond payment December 31. It was not immediately clear if operations at the port of Abidjan and San Pedro, through which much of Ivory Coast's cocoa is shipped, had been affected by the strike call. Road traffic in Abidjan was normal on Monday, the day before a visit by three west African heads of state sent by regional organization ECOWAS to urge Gbagbo to quit. ECOWAS has threatened to use force if Gbagbo does not relinquish power. International pressure has piled on Gbagbo to step down after the November 28 election, which the United Nations, the European Union, the United States, the African Union and West African regional bloc ECOWAS all say Ouattara won.

A Story on assassination of Benazir Bhutto

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Pakistan Flood 2010

few picture’s showing efforts
shortly

Tsunami on disaster anniversary

A powerful 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck off the western Pacific nation of Vanuatu on Sunday, triggering a small tsunami exactly six years after giant waves killed 220,000 people around the Indian Ocean. The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the shallow quake generated a tsunami, but it cancelled a regional warning after the wave measured only 15 centimetres (six inches) higher than normal in Vanuatu. "Sea level readings confirm that a tsunami was generated," the centre said in its bulletin. "This tsunami may have been destructive along coastlines of the region near the earthquake epicentre," it said, but cancelled the warning when no destructive wave hit. The quake struck at 12:16 am on Sunday (1316 GMT Saturday), and the initial tsunami warning covered Vanuatu, Fiji and the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia. There were no reports of damage or casualties. Jackie Philip, a member of staff at the Melanesian Port Vila Hotel in the Vanuatu capital, said the hotel was busy with late-night Christmas revellers when the quake struck. "Some of us, we ran outside and stood and watched the sea for a few minutes but nothing happened. There is no damage and no injuries," he said, adding that no tsunami warning had been given on local radio. A receptionist at Port Vila's Grand Hotel called it a "small" earthquake, adding that calls to the meteorological office went unanswered. Staff at the nearby Island Magic Hotel also said there had been no local tsunami warning. "We haven't had any notification of a tsunami," a worker told AFP. "We definitely felt the earthquake but we are notified if there's actually a tsunami." The US Geological Survey said the quake was just 12.3 kilometres (7.6 miles) deep, and its epicentre was 145 kilometres (90 miles) west of Isangel, on the island of Tanna -- home to an active volcano -- in the Vanuatu archipelago. The USGS revised its initial readings for the magnitude and distances involved, after first recording the quake at 7.6. Three aftershocks of 5.6, 5.5 and 5.1 magnitude came in the two hours afterwards, it said. Vanuatu, which lies between Fiji and Australia and north of New Zealand, is part of the "Pacific Ring of Fire" -- an ocean-wide area alive with seismic and volcanic activity caused by the grinding of enormous tectonic plates. Sunday's quake came on the sixth anniversary of one of the worst natural disasters of modern times, when a huge tsunami triggered by an undersea quake off Indonesia killed more than 220,000 people around the Indian Ocean. After the disaster, which came with little or no warning for millions of coastal residents, regional governments deployed a string of monitoring buoys in the Indian and Pacific Oceans to keep track of any abnormal waves. In August, a 7.5-magnitude earthquake off Vanuatu generated a small tsunami and sent thousands of frightened people running for the hills. In September last year, Samoa in the Pacific suffered its worst natural disaster when three rapid-fire quakes of up to 8.1 magnitude unleashed waves as high as 15 metres (50 feet) that flattened villages and tourist resorts. The seismic catastrophe claimed 143 lives in Samoa, 34 in the US-administered territory of American Samoa and another nine in Tonga. Vanuatu lies between Australia and Fiji and has a population of 220,000 scattered across several islands including Tanna, south of Port Vila, where the fiery Yasur volcano is a major tourist draw.

South Korea Drill ‘Inviting Nuclear War’


North Korea said the U.S. and South Korea are “inviting a nuclear war” by conducting military drills, even as a Seoul-based think tank predicted that Kim Jong Il’s regime may hold another atomic test next year.  South Korea’s Dec. 20 artillery drill on Yeonpyeong Island near the disputed sea border was an intentional provocation, and North Korea is closely watching “the reckless behavior of the warmongers inviting a nuclear war,” the communist country’s state-run Korean Central News Agency said today, citing commentaries in the Rodong newspaper. The comments follow a threat North Korea made yesterday to wage a “sacred war” using nuclear weapons if attacked. North Korea may conduct a third nuclear test next year as it needs to refine its plutonium bomb, South Korea’s state-run Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security said in a report posted on its website yesterday. North Korea has repeatedly claimed that military maneuvers by South Korea and the U.S. are preparations for a full-scale invasion. The regime is “fully prepared to launch a sacred war of justice of Korean style based on the nuclear deterrent,” KCNA reported yesterday, citing Kim Yong Chun, the minister of its People’s Armed Forces. Retaliation to any further attack by the north would include airstrikes, South Korea’s Defense Minister Kim Kwan Jin said Dec. 3. South Korea held an artillery drill on Yeonpyeong Island on Dec. 20, the first live-firing exercise on the island since last month. Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have increased since North Korea shelled the island on Nov. 23, killing two soldiers and two civilians. The south conducted another one-day exercise on Dec. 23 involving jet fighters, mobile artillery and about 800 troops in an area between Seoul and the Demilitarized Zone that separates the nation from its communist neighbor. Both drills ended without retaliation from the north.

Pakistan blast

At least 42 people were killed and nearly double the number injured when a suicide bomber detonated himself at a World Food Programme distribution centre in the Bajaur tribal agency along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border on Saturday when people were queuing up to collect emergency food rations. The incident took place in Khar, the main town of Bajaur where the Army had claimed success against terrorists. Reports from the tribal agency — which is out-of-bounds for the media — suggest that the suicide bomber was wearing a burqa, giving rise to considerable speculation of the attacker being a woman. The terrorist first lobbed grenades into the crowd before detonating the bomb. According to the Political Tehsildar of the Bajaur Agency, Wasal Khan, 41 people were killed on the spot. Many of them were women and children. The critically injured were taken to Peshawar where better medical facilities are available. This is not the first time that suicide bombers have struck at relief facilities for Internally Displaced Persons who were forced to move out of their native places because of the military operations against terrorists in the tribal agencies. Bajaur is one of the tribal agencies were people had begun returning to their damaged homes earlier this year. On Friday, the Taliban launched simultaneous attacks on security personnel at five check points in adjoining Mohmand tribal agency. In the crossfire that lasted several hours, 11 Frontier Corps personnel and 24 terrorists were killed, according to official reports.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

South Korea's army preparing to largest ever live fire exercise


South Korea's army and air force are preparing to hold their largest-ever live-fire exercise on Thursday near the inter-Korean border, as Seoul remains on high alert for any attacks by North Korea.  A South Korean officer says the drill at the Pocheon firing range, 20 kilometers south of the border, is a response to North Korea's deadly shelling of South Korea's Yeonpyeong island last month.  South Korean General Ju Eun-shik says Seoul will "completely punish" the North if it retaliates militarily for the drill. In Washington, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs says the military exercise planned by U.S. ally South Korea has been well publicized and is defensive in nature. He says there is "no way" that it should "engender a response" from North Korea. South Korean officials say Thursday's live-fire exercise will involve jet fighters, helicopters, tanks, self-propelled K-9 guns and 800 soldiers. South Korea has staged more than 40 similar drills this year, but the scale of the upcoming exercise is unprecedented. South Korean naval forces also began three days of exercises off the nation's east coast Wednesday, aimed in part at preventing infiltrations by North Korean submarines.  The naval drill involves six warships in waters 100 kilometers south of the eastern maritime border of the two Koreas.  Seoul staged a live-fire artillery drill on Yeonpyeong on Monday, repeating an exercise that prompted North Korea to shell the island on November 23, killing four South Koreans. Pyongyang had threatened a catastrophic response if Seoul went ahead with Monday's drill, but later backed down, saying it saw no reason to retaliate for every perceived South Korean provocation. South Korean officials say they remain concerned about the risk of a surprise attack by Pyongyang.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Gang rape shocks Pakistan

A young woman was pulled out of her car and raped by four to five men in an upmarket area of Karachi, in an incident that has shaken the city and prompted the governor of Sindh province to order a top-level inquiry. The Governor Ishrat-ul-Ibad ordered the Citizens Liason Police Cell to carry out an independent inquiry side by side with the police investigations after the rape was reported by local news channel and became a haunting news through the day. The incident occurred late in the night on Sunday in the upmarket area of Clifton and the girl was held by the assailants for six hours before they left her near the Seaview beach area. The episode also brought back haunting memories of a notorious rapist who used to prowl in the same area and was arrested last year, though mystery surrounds his whereabouts and fate now. The victim, who is recovering at the civil hospital, has stated in her report that she was returning from a friend's birthday party late at night with another female companion when a white Toyota Corolla crashed into her car. She was then pulled out of the car and gang raped. The victim has also provided the police with the licence number of the Corolla. Clifton Superintendent Police (SP) Tariq Dharejo has said the license number will help them get a significant lead into the case, adding that the police was pursuing the case. The victim's statement was recorded yesterday morning and the medical report has been completed. The police, however, is not making the report public until further details of the case emerge. Incidentally, a notorious rapist, Ali Muhammad Hajiano, who was arrested last year after being involved in number of cases used to adopt the same modus operandi to snare his victims. The son of an influential person, mystery surrounds the fate of Hajiano with some media reports stating that he had escaped to Dubai. His father had reportedly said on a television channel that no one would be able to keep his son locked up for long.

US military officials are seeking raids into Pakistan’s tribal areas

The US-led coalition in Afghanistan Tuesday denied a newspaper report that senior U.S. military officials in Afghanistan are seeking to  expand anti-militant ground raids into Pakistan’s tribal  areas bordering Afghanistan.“There is absolutely no truth to reporting in The New York Times that US forces are planning to conduct ground operations into Pakistan,” Rear Adm. Gregory Smith, deputy chief of staff for communication for NATO’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), said according to a media report.NATO’s International Security Assistance Force, or ISAF, has “developed a strong working relationship with the Pakistan military to address shared security issues,” Smith said in a statement, according to a report in The Los Angeles Times. “This coordination recognizes the sovereignty of Afghanistan and Pakistan to pursue insurgents and terrorists operating in their respective border areas,” he added. The unusually vehement denial and sharply worded statement underscored the sensitivity of the issue of dealing with militant sanctuaries along the border and the U.S.-Pakistan relations. In addition to being key to checking movement of miliatnts on porous 2400 km-long Pakistan-Afghanistan border, where Pakistan has deployed well over 100,000 troops, the South Asian country is also the critical route for more than 70 per cent of NATO supplies that sustain Afghan operations. The New York Times had reported Monday that American military and political officials believe expanded raids could bring an intelligence windfall from militants that are captured in Pakistan and then  taken into  Afghanistan for interrogation. Islamabad has ruled out the notion of any anti-militant raids into Pakistani territory, with its ambssador in Washingtion Husain Haqqani saying “Pakistani forces are capable of handling the militant threat within our borders and no foreign forces are allowed or required to operate inside our sovereign territory,” he said. The controversial  proposal described  by the Times is met with fierce resistance from both Islamabad officials and the Pakistani public which opposes any foreign operations inside their country. The U.S. officials and a White House review of the Obama Administration’s own Afghan policy claimed that progress in the fight against militants hiding in Pakistani border regions is important to achieving counterinsurgency success in Afghanistan, where nine years after 2001 invasion of Afghanistan following 9/11 terrorist attacks, the U.S.-led forces are fighting a fierce Taliban insurgency. According to some reports, the Taliban control as much as 70 per cent of the Afghan territory. Top American and South Asian experts feel that the Obama Administration’s overriding focus on Afghan Taliban sanctuaries in North Waziristan, the Pakistani tribal border area, amounts to scapegoating as it ignores the nagging problems besetting U.S. security efforts inside Afghanistan. “Unfortunately, by focusing all of our attention on the safe havens, we have taken our ball off of (Afghan president) Karzai and we have taken the ball off of our successes in decisions and our bad decisions that we have made over the last nine years in Afghanistan. This is, in some sense, scapegoating,” Christine Fair, an academic and South Asian expert, told PBS while discussing the issue of  militant sanctuaries and U.S.-Pakistan cooperation along the Afghan border.  

Monday, December 20, 2010

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao an all-weather friendship Pak-China


Pakistan and China inked 35 agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoUs), worth $35 billion, on cooperation in economy, energy, banking, security and technology as the Pak-China Business Cooperation Summit concluded on Saturday. Of the 35 agreements, 13 will be implemented in the public sector and 22 in the private sector. They are expected to bring around $25-$30 billion of investment over the next five years. The signing ceremony was witnessed by Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao, who said Beijing would “never give up” on Pakistan. Agreement and MoUs relating to investment worth $10 billion are to be implemented under the public-private partnership basis while $5 billion investment is to be undertaken under the private sector to private sector investment initiatives. According to a list handed out to journalists, the biggest deal was worth $6.5 billion to develop wind and solar power. Though not specifically mentioned, behind-the-scenes talks were expected on China building a one-gigawatt nuclear power plant as part of Pakistani plans to produce 8,000 megawatts of nuclear electricity by 2025 to make up its energy shortfall. China extended full support to Pakistan’s sovereignty, security and political integrity besides extending strong support in enhancing defence, cooperation in economic areas and the space programme, said Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir. In their address to Pak-China Business Cooperation Summit, both the premiers vowed to strengthen economic and trade relations between the two countries. Speaking on the occasion, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said that China was aware of Pakistan’s desire for cooperation to bridge the pressing gap in energy and would continue to cooperate in peaceful use of nuclear energy with Pakistan. He said that the Karakoram Highway, Gwadar Port and newly inaugurated Pak-China Friendship Centre were a symbol of friendship between the two countries. Prime Minister Gilani said that China had always been a generous and reliable partner in Pakistan’s national development efforts. He said that monumental projects such as the Karakoram Highway, Chashma power plants, Heavy Mechanical and Electrical Complexes, the Gwadar Port, were all examples of the outstanding cooperation between our two countries, he added. “We have established an all-weather friendship and engaged in all-round cooperation. The China-Pakistan relationship has withstood the test of time and changes in the international landscape,” Wen told a lunch in his honour. “Under no circumstances we will give up on our commitment to pursuing this partnership.” Wen pledged China’s full support in the wake of the floods, saying Beijing would help the country “lay a new solid foundation for you to achieve self-owned, stable and sustainable development.” He inaugurated the Pak-China Friendship Centre built as a monument to Pak–China friendship and held talks with opposition leader Nawaz Sharif and senior figures in the military.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

WikiLeaks disclosure the Sudanese President wealth


Omar al-Bashir the Sudanese President, has siphoned as much as $9b out of his impoverished country, and much of it may be stashed in London banks, according to secret US diplomatic cables that recount conversations with the chief prosecutor of the international criminal court, according to the Guardian. Some of the funds may be held by the part-nationalised Lloyds Banking Group, according to prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, who told US officials it was time to go public with the scale of Bashir’s theft in order to turn Sudanese public opinion against him. “Ocampo suggested if Bashir’s stash of money were disclosed (he put the figure at $9b), it would change Sudanese public opinion from him being a ‘crusader’ to that of a thief,” one report by a senior US official alleges. “Ocampo reported Lloyds bank in London may be holding or knowledgeable of the whereabouts of his money,” the cable says. “Ocampo suggested exposing Bashir had illegal accounts would be enough to turn the Sudanese against him.” Lloyds responded by saying it had no evidence of holding funds in Bashir’s name. “We have absolutely no evidence to suggest there is any connection between Lloyds Banking Group and Bashir. The group’s policy is to abide by the legal and regulatory obligations in all jurisdictions in which we operate.” Details of the allegations emerge in the latest batch of leaked embassy cables released by WikiLeaks which reveal that: • US officials regard European human rights standards as an “irritant”, criticising the Council of Europe for its stance on secret rendition of terror suspects. • Diplomats believe judges in the war crimes trial of the Liberian ex-president Charles Taylor have been deliberately causing delays to ensure the only African judge is presiding when the verdict is delivered. Ocampo discussed evidence of the stash with the Americans just days after issuing an arrest warrant for the Sudanese president in March 2009, the first issued by the court against a serving head of state. Bashir was indicted for seven counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity last year with a further three counts of genocide added in July.

Deadliest year of the war in Afghanistan

The number of foreign troops killed in Afghanistan in 2010 neared 700 with two more confirmed on Saturday, by far the deadliest year of the war underscoring the renewed focus on when international forces will leave. The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force said one of its troops was killed by a roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan, the heartland of the Taliban, and another in an attack by insurgents in the volatile east. It gave no other details, including their nationalities. Those deaths took the 2010 toll to 699. A total of 521 foreign troops were killed in 2009, previously the worst year of the war, but operations against the Taliban-led insurgency have increased over the past 18 months. About 2,270 foreign troops have been killed since the war began, roughly two-thirds of them Americans. Afghan forces have suffered far more but exact casualty figures are not available. The deaths came two days after U.S. President Barack Obama released a review of his strategy in the increasingly unpopular war, and will be a sobering reminder of the high human toll that has made some of Obama's European allies waiver. Chancellor Angela Merkel made an unannounced visit to German troops serving in the north on Saturday. The war has created deep divisions in Germany, the third-largest contributor of foreign troops.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

South Korea vs North Korea


North Korea said on Friday it would strike again at the South if a live-firing drill planned by Seoul on a disputed island went ahead, with an even stronger response than last month's shelling that killed four people. North Korean official news agency KCNA said the "intensity and scope" of its retaliation will be worse if the Seoul goes through with its announced one-day live-fire drills sometime between Saturday and Tuesday on Yeonpyeong Island. The North said the planned drills were an attempt "to save the face of the South Korean military, which met a disgraceful fiasco" during last month's clash. The North responded to similar South Korean drills on Nov. 23 by raining artillery shells on the tiny fishing community near the Koreas' disputed sea border. The South has said the drills are part of "routine, justified" exercises. Representatives of the U.N. Command that oversees the armistice that ended the Korean War will observe the drills. Later on Friday, Russia's foreign ministry summoned the South Korean and U.S. ambassadors to express "extreme concern" over the drill. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexei Borodavkin met with the envoys and "insistently urged the Republic of Korea and the United States to refrain from conducting the planned firing," the ministry said in a statement. North Korea's warning came after Seoul promised a more robust response to any further attacks on its territory. The shelling of the island was the first time since the Korean war that the North had attacked South Korean territory. China, the North's main backer, has said that Pyongyang had promised restraint and the threat of a new attack by the North came as China told visiting U.S. Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg that the two big powers should cooperate more in defusing tension on the Korean peninsula. It also came as U.S. diplomatic troubleshooter Bill Richardson visited Pyongyang in an effort to "reduce the tension on the Korean peninsula". China's top diplomat, Dai Bingguo, urged closer coordination over the Korean peninsula during talks with Steinberg, the second most senior official in the U.S. State Department, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported on Friday. Steinberg was in Beijing for three days up to Friday to press China to do more to bring to heel its ally, North Korea, which last month sparked alarm by shelling the island and disclosing advances in uranium enrichment which could give it a new path to make nuclear weapons. China has avoided publicly condemning its long-time ally over the deadly shelling and nuclear moves, and instead pleaded with other powers to embrace fresh talks with North Korea.

Friday, December 17, 2010

Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao in Pakistan


Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao has arrived in Islamabad for a three-day official visit. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani along with his cabinet members and senior military and civil officials will welcomed him at Chaklala Airbase. Security of the capital has been put on high alert after Premier Jiabao's arrival. Police and Rangers have been deployed at the routes. As the airplane of Chinese Premier entered the Pakistani airspace, PAF’s two JF-17 Thunders escorted his plane. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, Federal Ministers and senior military and civil officials will greet Chinese Premier at the Chaklala Airbase. Guard of honour was also presented to Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jianao. The Chinese Premier will address the joint meeting of Parliament on Sunday. Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani and Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao will hold formal talks today, covering wide ranging topics of bilateral interest to expand decades’ old ever-green relationship, with greater focus on their growing economic partnership. The talks at Prime Minister House will be followed by signing of about 20 agreements and Memorandums of Understandings (MOUs) in areas of economy, energy and communication. The visit of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao to Pakistan targets to set the trade volume between the two friendly countries at US$ 15 billion by 2012.Under the 5 years Development Programme launched in 2006 for strengthening of economic relations, the existing trade is to be enhanced to $ 15 billion by 2012.More than 62 different projects have been identified under this programme for investment in various economic fields and are at different stages of completion.In the last few years, investment of more than $ 1.3 billion was made by China in Pakistan.Over 120 Chinese companies have invested in oil, gas, IT and telecom, power generation, engineering, automobiles, infrastructure and mining sectors of Pakistan.

Imam Hussain


Muharram the first month of Islamic calendar reminds us of the supreme sacrifice of Hazrat Imam Hussain, the second grandson of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), and his companions. It also reminds us of unprecedented courage, perseverance and steadfastness in the face of the most excruciating circumstances. On the day of Ashura, the 10th day of Muharram, Imam Hussain’s own person was surrounded by his enemies after many of his companions were martyred. But he refused to bow before the forces of evil. He was cruelly mutilated, and his sacred head was cut off while he was saying his prayer. A mad orgy of triumph was celebrated over his body. In this crisis, we have details of what took place hour by hour. He had 45 wounds from the enemies’ swords and javelins, and 35 arrows pierced his body. His left arm was cut off, and a javelin pierced through his chest. After all that agony, when his head was lifted up on a spear, his face was the placid face of a man of God. All the men of that gallant band were martyred and their bodies trampled under feet of the horses. The only male survivor was a child, Hussain’s son Zain-ul-’Abidin - “The Glory of the Devout.” He lived in retirement, studying, interpreting, and teaching his father’s high spiritual principles for the rest of his life. There were women: for example, Zainab the sister of the Imam, Sakina his little daughter, and Shahr Bano, his wife, at Karbala. A great deal of literature, in prose and poems, has been produced describing the touching scenes in Karbala. There are numerous traditions, recorded by many historians, which indicate the great love and affection the Holy Prophet had for his grandsons. According to one tradition, the Holy Prophet declared that Hasan and Hussain were the “Princes of the Youth of Paradise.” Prophet Muhammad (S.A.w.) took his grandsons with him, along with his daughter Fatima and son-in-law Hazrat Ali (A.S.) to face the challenge of the Christian delegation from Najrain, which had come to dispute with the Holy Prophet about his divine mission. The Christians were awe-struck at the sight of the Holy Prophet and his family, and withdrew the challenge. This event became known as Mubahila, and is recorded in the Holy Qur’an in chapter 3 verse 61. Though many intellectuals and scholars have written hundreds of books narrating the courage, bravery, perseverance and sacrifice of Imam Hussain, but the way Allama Iqbal has highlighted in his poetry, it has no parallel. Allama Iqbal while telling the world about Imam Hussain’s lofty stature wrote: “Imam Hussain was trained and groomed by Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) himself”. He explained that Imam Hussain fought authoritarian and repressive regime, and taught the world how to bravely face authoritarian and repressive regime. Non-Muslims have also paid tributes to Imam Hussain. Charles Dickens wrote: “If Hussain fought to quench his worldly desires, then I do not understand why his sisters, wives and children accompanied him. It stands to reason therefore that he sacrificed purely for Islam.” Thomas Carlyle said: “The best lesson which we get from the tragedy of Karbala is that Hussain and his companions were the rigid believers of God. They illustrated that numerical superiority does not count when it comes to truth and falsehood. The victory of Hussain despite his minority marvels me”. It is obligatory for all Muslims to lead their lives according to Qur’an and Sunnah, and those who have given practical demonstration and interpretation of Qur’an. Imam Hussain is, indeed, a symbol of the resistance, and Muslims throughout the world should emulate him and fight the diabolical forces that are out to demonize Islam and denigrate Muslims. Today, Muslims are being killed in Kashmir, Palestine, Afghanistan and Iraq. Unfortunately, Muslim world faces leadership crisis, and there is none that could counter the machinations of imperialist countries. The problem is that Muslim world is divided, and most rulers are subservient to the sole super power, as they need its support to remain at the helm. It is obligatory on the part of rich countries to help poor countries so that Ummah is strengthened to face the challenges thrown by yahood-o-nahood. Muslims belonging to all sects must show respect to each other and be tolerant of others’ views, otherwise enemies of Islam would take advantage and create fissures and divisions in their ranks. Though Arab countries and Iran have differences over fiqah, but they should learn to coexist, as they are bound by great religion Islam and its culture. 

President Obama says problems remain


There was never much doubt that a surge of 30,000 American troops would drive the Taliban out of its strongholds in Afghanistan. The troops have done exactly what they were supposed to do - although they still have a lot of fighting ahead of them - but whether they make a lasting or just a temporary difference depends on the governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Will the Afghan government actually govern? And will the Pakistani government go after the terrorist safe havens in its border area? If the answer to either or both those questions is no, then soldiers and Marines could spend the rest of their careers chasing the Taliban around Afghanistan without ever achieving anything that looked like success. The U.S. and its NATO allies are recruiting and training Afghan soldiers and police as fast as they can - even teaching them to read and write at a third grade level. The coalition of 49 countries has also set up civil service academies to train a new generation of government officials. But you can't teach experience. It only comes with time - time for a green private to become a seasoned sergeant, time for a bureaucrat to learn the intricacies of planning and budgeting. The bar is low - General David Petraeus says the Afghans only have to be "good enough" for the Americans to leave - but the clock is ticking on political support at home. As for Pakistan, the obstacles to cleaning out the safe havens are, to put it as nicely as possible, a challenge. The Pakistanis moved 140,000 troops to the border area and conducted several major operations against insurgent strongholds, but then the floods hit and all the military assets were diverted to humanitarian relief. Beyond the floods lies a more fundamental problem - the Pakistanis just do not see the same enemy that we do. To them, the enemy is the Pakistani Taliban, the ones conducting terrorist attacks inside Pakistan. To us, the enemy is the Afghan Taliban and its fellow insurgents who are crossing into Afghanistan and killing American soldiers. You can't blame the Pakistanis for going after their enemy first, but as long as insurgents are able to shuttle back and forth across the border, the Afghans will never get to "good enough."

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Deadliest place for journalists

Forty-two journalists were killed around the world this year and Pakistan was the deadliest country of all, a study by the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. Pakistan led the list of fatalities with eight, followed by Iraq with four and three each in Honduras and Mexico, the New York-based CPJ said. The total number of reporters killed in connection with their profession was much lower than in 2009, when the record figure of 72 worldwide was skewed by a one-off massacre in the Philippines. In addition to the 42 known to have been killed this year, another 28 journalists died in still unclear circumstances, the CPJ said. "The killing of 42 journalists in 2010, while a decline over previous years, is still unacceptably high and reflective of the pervasive violence journalists confront around the world," said CPJ executive director Joel Simon. "From Afghanistan to Mexico, Thailand to Russia, the failure of governments to investigate crimes against the press contributes to a climate of impunity that ultimately fuels further violence." Most of the 42 deaths were murders, while 40 percent took place in combat and other dangerous circumstances. "Suicide bombings and crossfire in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Thailand, and Somalia accounted for the unusually high proportion," the CPJ said. Nearly all the victims were local reporters. Six of them were Internet-based journalists. "CPJ research shows that about 90 percent of journalist murders go unsolved despite the fact that many victims -- 60 percent in 2010 -- reported receiving threats in the weeks before they were killed," the rights group said in a statement.

General Petraeus the unwillingness of Pakistan

Two classified US intelligence reports have said that the American strategy in Afghanistan has a limited chance of success, unless Pakistan hunts down insurgents operating from havens on its Afghan border. According to the New York Times, the reports, one on Afghanistan and one on Pakistan, say that although there have been gains for the US and NATO in the war, the unwillingness of Pakistan to shut down militant sanctuaries in its lawless tribal region remains a serious obstacle. It said that insurgents freely cross from Pakistan into Afghanistan to plant bombs and fight American troops and then return to Pakistan for rest and resupply. The findings in the reports, called National Intelligence Estimates, represent the consensus view of the United States' 16 intelligence agencies, and were provided last week to some members of the Senate and House Intelligence Committees. Meanwhile, American military commanders and senior Pentagon officials have criticized the reports saying that they were 'out of date'. The officials also claimed that the reports were written by desk-bound Washington analysts who had spent limited time, if any, in Afghanistan. "They are not on the ground living it day in and day out like our forces are, so they don't have the proximity and perspective," a senior defense official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said. Earlier, last week, US commander in-charge of NATO operations in Afghanistan, General David H. Petraeus, had praised Pakistan and its Army Chief General Ashfaq Kayani for acknowledging the problem. "General Kayani and others have been clear in recognizing that they need to do more for their security and indeed to carry out operations against those who threaten other countries' security," General Petraeus had said.

Iranian Suicide Attack killed at least 41

Iranian media report suicide bombers have killed at least 41 people in Chahbahar, a mainly Sunni city in troubled Sistan-Baluchistan province.  More than 50 other people were wounded in the attack, which occurred at a mosque where people were marking the eve of the key Shi'ite holy day. Reports say the militant group Jundullah has taken responsibility for the carnage.  Worshippers had been gathering at the mosque in Chahbahar on the eve of Ashura, which marks the death of Shi'ite martyr Imam Hussein, grandson of the Prophet Mohammad.  One of those taking part in the ceremony, identified only as Rahimi, condemned the violence. Rahami says the goal of the attack is to divide Muslims and incite differences among them. Shi'ites celebrating the holy day have been frequent targets during Ashura, especially those making pilgrimage to Iraq, where Hussein died. Authorities say they have arrested someone they describe as a ringleader of the attack.  Jundullah has carried out high-profile attacks in the past, including violence at mosques and gatherings of Iran's Republican Guard.  The government had hoped the group was weakened after it executed its leader, Abdolmalek Rigi, in June. Iran had in the past accused the United States of aiding Jundullah, but Washington recently also designated it a terrorist organization.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Korean fishing vessel sinks off Antarctica


A Korean fishing vessel carrying 42 crew members, including eight Koreans, sank off Antarctica yesterday, leaving five crew dead and 17 others missing, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said yesterday. The cause of the sinking was unknown. Only one Korean was rescued. Two of the confirmed dead were Korean and the Korean captain is among the missing, the ministry said. The ship also had eight Chinese crew, 11 Indonesians, 11 Vietnamese, three Filipinos and one Russian. Rescue mission operators said the chances the missing sailors will survive are slim because of the cold water temperature. The Foreign Ministry said the 614-ton Busan-based ship, No. 1 Inseong, was 2,593 kilometers (1,400 miles) south of New Zealand when it went down around 4:30 a.m. Five fishing vessels that were operating nearby - three Korean and two from New Zealand - were mobilized for rescue operations coordinated by Maritime New Zealand. Maritime New Zealand said on its Web site that it considered mobilizing an Orion aircraft and a Hercules aircraft, but gave up on it. 

Kosovo claims victory

Kosovo's prime Minister Hasim Thaci, claimed victory last night as exit polls put the ruling PDK in the lead in a historic parliamentary election, the first since the unilateral declaration of independence from Serbia in 2008. The polls indicated that the PDK was ahead by six percentage points, gaining 31 per cent of the vote, with its coalition ally, the LDK, receiving 25 per cent. The results suggest that Mr Thaci will seek backing from marginal parties that have won supporters away from the coalition. Both leading parties support EU and Nato membership for Kosovo, continued privatisation of state enterprises and entering talks with neighbouring Serbia. The early elections were called last month after the ruling coalition collapsed in September. The Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) left the government after the Constitutional Court ruled that its leader, President Fatmir Sejdiu, could not simultaneously be President and leader of a political party, leaving the Democratic Party of Kosovo (DPK) without its coalition partner. Analysts say the elections are the first test for Kosovo's young democracy, where promises of independence meant certain electoral victory in the recent past. However, the hottest issues among the disillusioned population now are unprecedented poverty and unemployment among 1.6 million voters, along with prevailing corruption that reaches the top echelons of power, and rampant organised crime.

Monday, December 13, 2010

US drone attacks in North Waziristan this year


At least 675 persons were killed and 105 sustained injuries in the 100 US drone attacks in North Waziristan this year, officials and local residents said on Saturday. A total of 291 missiles were fired by the US drones, targetting more than 100 vehicles and 60 houses. Majority of those killed were local people, including women and children. Villagers complained that hundreds of residents died of diseases caused by the drone attacks in the area. They added that diseases relating to eyes, chest, throat and heart had also increased in the area as a result of these strikes. Five drone attacks were carried out in South Waziristan, which borders North Waziristan. Tribal elders Malik Nasrullah, Malik Mamoor Khan, Malik Qadir Khan, Maulvi Gul Ramzan, Hafiz Noorullah Shah, Malik Noor Mohammad and others appealed to the United Nations and human rights organisations to play their role in halting the drone attacks as most of the victims were innocent civilians.

Kosovo’s first parliamentary elections

Kosovo’s first parliamentary elections as an independent state unfolded on Sunday as a tight race between the two ruling parties that declared the territory’s secession from Serbia in February 2008. Hashim Thaci, prime minister since 2007 and a former guerrilla leader, called early elections after his Democratic Party of Kosovo quarrelled with the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) over their power-sharing deal. Voter turnout had reached 34.1 per cent among 1.6m eligible voters by 3.30pm local time, more than half way through the voting day, said Valdete Daka, chief election commissioner. The European Union hopes for a stable coalition soon in the mainly ethnic Albanian breakaway state, so that renewed negotiations with Serbia can begin by early next year. The EU hopes both states can eventually become members. Only 72 UN member states and 22 of the EU’s 27 members have recognised Kosovo. The latest opinion polls had put Mr Thaci’s party only narrowly ahead, with 30 per cent support compared with 28 per cent for its now bitter rival, the LDK. A new party leader, Isa Mustafa, replaced Fatmir Sejdiu, the LDK leader forced to resign as Kosovo’s president in September over a constitutional challenge by Mr Thaci’s allies. With neither frontrunner close to gaining an outright majority, Mr Thaci’s opponents hoped for high turnout as the best way to tip the balance against him. Turnout above 50 per cent – as opposed to the apathetic 42 per cent at the last, pre-independence polls – would leave the race wide open, said LDK advisers and independent analysts. Ramush Haradinaj, another ex-guerrilla party leader and pre-independence prime minister, has been in detention in The Hague for a retrial on war crimes charges.

Obama is praying for Holbrooke

President Obama says he is praying for special Afghanistan ambassador Richard Holbrooke, who remains in critical condition Sunday after a 20-hour heart operation. Holbrooke, 69, the president's envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, had emergency surgery this weekend to repair a tear in his aorta, the artery that moves blood from the heart. Holbrooke had collapsed Friday during a meeting with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.