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Sunday, October 31, 2010

Mail bombs

A woman has been arrested in the Yemeni capital on suspicion that she was involved in sending two explosive devices found on cargo planes bound for the United States, the president of Yemen said Saturday. Security officials went to a house in Sanaa, the Yemeni capital, to arrest the woman a day after the plan was thwarted on Friday, President Ali Abdullah Saleh said. He told reporters the United States and the United Arab Emirates provided him with information that identified the woman as a suspect. Yemeni security officials said the woman was detained as authorities search for a number of suspects believed to have used forged documents and ID cards that played a role in the plot. Dubai police confiscated a suspicious package aboard a U.S.-bound FedEx plane. The other package was found in the cargo area of the Midlands East airport, north of London, before it could be loaded onto an aircraft operated by the parcel company UPS.

Friday, October 29, 2010

"Direct threat" Obama made the telephone call to Zardari


Ahead of his India visit, US president Barack Obama spoke to his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari and discussed steps to address the "direct threat" posed by terrorist groups based in Pakistan. Obama made the telephone call to Zardari on Tuesday , during which the two leaders agreed that more needs to be done to address the threat posed by terrorists in Pakistan. The US president, who also discussed with Zardari the results of the third round of the US-Pak Strategic Dialogue here recently, telephoned his Pakistani counterpart days ahead of his maiden India visit. "Both President Obama and President Zardari acknowledged that more work needs to be done to address the direct threat to our countries posed by terrorist groups in Pakistan," the White House said in a statement.  "They also agreed that the US and Pakistan have worked hard to build an atmosphere of trust and cooperation, and are committed to ongoing efforts to build a stronger, strategic and more collaborative US-Pakistan relationship ," the statement said.  Obama emphasized the US commitment and support for democracy and transparency in Pakistan, highlighting that the two countries share an interest in ensuring that democratic traditions in Pakistan are strengthened, the White House said.  "He also acknowledged Pakistan's economic difficulties , and encouraged President Zardari to work to pass key economic reforms, such as tax reform and containing energy subsidies," the statement said. Obama concluded the call by conveying his intention to visit Pakistan in 2011 and personally welcomed Zardari to visit the US in the coming year.  The White House said the phone call was made by Obama to consult Zardari on the progress made during the recent US-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue and to reinforce America's commitment to partner Pakistan on economic , development and governance priorities, the officials said. 

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Tsunami in western Indonesia

At least 272 people were killed and another 412 remain missing after a powerful earthquake triggered a tsunami in western Indonesia, an official said Wednesday. "We've recovered 272 bodies. At least 412 people are still missing," West Sumatra provincial disaster management official Ade Edward said. The death toll in a powerful tsunami off the western coast of Indonesia has increased to 272, with 412 people missing and several villages flooded, regional media said on Wednesday. The tsunami was triggered by an earthquake, measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale, which struck off the coast of western Sumatra. The epicenter was 78 kilometers south of Indonesia's Pagai Selatan Island. "According to the headman of one of the affected villages, the first 5-meter long wave preceded the 30-meter one," Indonesian news web site Detik.com cited the head of the legislative assembly of the Western Sumatra province as saying. Members of a helicopter fly-over mission said waves had swept away several villages on the Indian Ocean coastline and had flooded a significant part of the costal areas. Indonesia is located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area of intense seismic activity. A series of powerful quakes hit the country last year, killing over a thousand people and destroying hundreds of buildings.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Most Corrupt Countries "a national shame"

Transparency International's annual report, which finds war-torn countries as being the most corrupt in the world,Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) by the Berlin-based Transparency International, nearly three quarters of the 178 countries are in the index score below five, on a scale from 0 (perceived to be highly corrupt) to 10 (perceived to have low levels of corruption), indicating a serious corruption problem. Transparency International placed Somalia, Myanmar, Afghanistan and Iraq on the bottom of the list (Top Corrupted Countries). The non-governmental organization that monitors corporate and political corruption worldwide names Denmark, New Zealand and Singapore as the world's least corrupt countries.Chile and Uruguay are rated the least-corrupt Latin American countries. Qatar stands first among the Middle East countries, while Botswana remains the top-rated African nation placed 33rd in overall standing. It noticed improvement made over the last year by countries such as Haiti, Ecuador, Gambia, and Bhutan. Madagascar has made the worst deterioration in corrupt practices, falling 24 positions down from last year's rank of 99. The 2010 list ranks six African nations among the 10 most corrupt countries. They are Somalia, Sudan, Chad, Burundi, Angola and Equatorial Guinea. Pakistan is among the most corrupt countries in the world, moving up from the 42 position to the 34th rank in 2010, according to the Corruption Perceptions Index including 178 most corrupt states.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Bomb Blast at Sufi Shrine in Pakistan


A bomb blast at a Sufi shrine in Pakistan has killed at least five people and wounded at least 12 others. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. Pakistani security officials say the bomb was planted at the gate of a famous Sufi shrine in the eastern region of the country. Regional Police Chief Amjad Javed Saleem spoke to reporters at the scene of the attack. Saleem says two men riding a motorbike left a container near the gate of the shrine as if they were bringing milk for the worshippers. The men then left the scene and the explosion occurred. The bomb, in Pak Pattan in Punjab Province, erupted into a huge fireball that blew up a boundary wall and damaged several shops and stalls outside the shrine. Police say the mausoleum of Baba Farid, a 12th century saint, was not damaged. Sufi worshippers, who follow a mystical strain of Islam, have increasingly been the target of bloody attacks by suspected Islamic militants in Pakistan. The Pak Pattan site is the second most popular Sufi shrine after the Data Darbar shrine in the eastern city of Lahore, where two suicide bombers attacked crowds of worshippers last July, killing more than 40 people. Early this month two suicide bombers struck a Sufi shrine in Karachi, Pakistan's largest city, killing at least eight people. Sunni Muslim extremists, including the Taliban, are vehemently opposed to the Sufi strand of Islam and consider their shrines as idolatrous. 

Monday, October 25, 2010

Foreign military deaths in Afghanistan


Total foreign military deaths in Afghanistan in 2010 neared 600 with the death of another service member on Sunday, an unwelcome figure that will likely weigh heavily on Western leaders amid declining support for the war. The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said on Sunday one of its service members was killed by a homemade bomb in the south of country, bringing the total to 599 since the beginning of 2010. No other details of the incident were available. Crude but effective homemade bombs account for well over half of the casualties suffered by foreign troops in Afghanistan this year. With more than two months to go, 2010 is already the bloodiest for Afghan and foreign troops and civilians since the overthrow of the Taliban in late 2001. In all of 2009, a total of 521 foreign troops were killed. The rising casualties offer little encouragement for U.S. President Barack Obama, who has promised a strategy review in December after mid-term elections a month earlier in which his Democrats face a backlash from an increasingly skeptical public. Afghanistan will also be a major topic of discussion at a NATO summit in Lisbon next month, with European NATO members under pressure at home to justify their continued commitment.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Dengue fever in Pakistan


Sixteen people have so far died of mosquito-borne dengue fever in Pakistan over the past two months as the number of people infected with the virus rose to 1,841 in the country. An official of the federal health ministry disclosed yesterday that out of 3,853 suspected dengue fever cases, 1,841 were positive and the number was likely to go up. He said that 1,382 cases tested positive in Sindh, 248 in Punjab, 101 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, five in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and 105 in Islamabad. The official said that guidelines had been issued to all provinces over the measures needed to contain the spread of dengue virus.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

US arms deal with Saudi Arabia

The US is expected to announce an arms deal with Saudi Arabia Wednesday worth up to $60 billion that would include advanced fighter jets, helicopters and other weaponry in what amounts to the largest US arms deal ever. The Obama administration was also to inform Congress of the deal after weeks of discussions with Israelis to assure them the US is committed to Israel's defence. Israel has expressed concerns over supplying Saudi Arabia with advanced arms. But Washington has sought to bolster the defence of key allies like Saudi Arabia to counter Iran. The US State Department scheduled a press conference to announce the deal later Wednesday. The Wall Street Journal reported the deal includes 154 new and upgraded F-15 fighters. The helicopters are 70 Apaches, 72 Black Hawks and 36 Little Birds, the newspaper said. The size of the deal warrants congressional review. While some lawmakers have expressed worries about the package over Israel's concerns, they are not expected to block the deal.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Megi towards southern China

Chinese authorities on Wednesday ordered fishermen back to shore and halted rail services as Typhoon Megi, the strongest storm to hit the northwest Pacific since 1990, barrelled towards the mainland. Megi has already wreaked havoc in the Philippines, killing at least 19 people and leaving relief workers scrambling to deliver aid to devastated, remote towns. It is now making its way towards southern China, where it is expected to make landfall in the southern province of Guangdong on Saturday, the National Meteorological Centre said. "We expect that the strong winds and torrential rain brought by Megi will increase the probability of geological disasters happening in the south such as floods, land and mudslides," the centre warned. Fishing boats in the southern province of Guangdong and neighbouring Fujian have been told not to leave port, and those already at sea have been ordered back to shore, the official China Daily newspaper said. China's state-run Xinhua news agency, citing the State Oceanic Administration, has said that Guangdong could see storm-triggered waves of up to seven metres (21 feet).

Vietnam flood

The death toll from flooding in Vietnam climbed to 59 on Tuesday after police said 18 passengers whose bus was swept away are presumed dead. Heavy rains that began late last week have washed over three provinces, Nghe An, Quang Binh, and Ha Tinh -- where a state of emergency was declared on Tuesday afternoon. Police in Ha Tinh said the bus disappeared on Monday in flood waters on the main north-south Highway 1A.The floods have wreaked havoc in Ha Tinh and the two adjacent provinces, where authorities said more than 150,000 homes had been inundated. Hundreds of soldiers using boats and metal detectors were mobilised to search for the missing passengers, state television reported. The international Red Cross on Monday appealed for more than one million dollars in aid for victims of the flooding, the second major inundation to hit the central region this month.

Attack on the Chechen parliament

A brazen attack on the Chechen parliament in Grozny killed at least six people, including Islamist insurgents, and injured 17 others Tuesday morning, a sign that post-war stability in the republic remains fragile. The attack began at about 9 a.m., when Chechen lawmakers were about to meet a delegation of 50 officials from the Sverdlovsk region legislature.The assailants killed at least two police officers, as well as the parliament's supplies manager, and injured seven policemen and 11 civilians. Early reports said the attackers took hostages, but that information was not confirmed. One of the attackers blew himself up near the parliament's front entrance, and two others barricaded themselves on the first floor, where they also set off explosives, investigators said. Tuesday's attack is the second high-profile assault in Chechnya in three months. A shootout in Kadyrov's home village in August killed 19 people, including five civilians, and fueled fears of reviving insurgency.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Terror alert impact travel in France

Escalating strikes by government workers, coupled with a warning Sunday from the French interior minister about new Saudi intelligence on a posssibly imminent al-Qaeda attack, are impacting travelers throughout France. French oil industry workers, protesting a government austerity plan to raise retirement ages, have blocked access to refineries. As a result, a major flight disruption appears likely Tuesday, with French aviation authorities asking airlines to cut their schedules up to 50 percent. CNN reports that 1,000 gas stations have run out of fuel across the country, and French truckers staged several overnight protests, including a go-slow on motorways near Lille, Paris and Lyon. A 24-hour rail strike in Belgium, meanwhile, has closed train stations in that country and disprupted service across France, Netherlands and Germany; the AP reports that the strike also cut Eurostar service between London and Brussels. France's latest terror threat came when European officials were informed that "al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula was doubtless active or envisioned being active" on the "European continent, notably France," the interior minister said Sunday. The U.S. State Department continues its continent-wide alert, issued on Oct. 3. France has already boosted security at busy tourist sites like Notre Dame Cathedral and the Eiffel Tower. French authorities recorded nine bomb alerts in the capital in September, including two at the Eiffel Tower — a threefold increase from a year earlier. No explosives were found.

Typhoon Megi 'biggest in 20 years'

The Philippines has declared a state of calamity in a northern province after super typhoon Megi made landfall, killing at least one man, cutting off power and communications, evacuating thousands and forcing flight cancellations. Megi, the 10th and strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines this year, reached Isabela province on Monday morning (local time) and by early evening was heading west-south-west across the north of the main island of Luzon with winds of 180 kilometres per hour (kph) near the centre, forecasters said. The Red Cross says Megi is the biggest typhoon to hit the Phillippines in decades, and that its impact could be devastating. "It's a very, very big typhoon that's hitting our country, biggest in the last 20 years," Philippine National Red Cross chairman Senator Richard Gordon said. "It could inundate coastal areas, river banks and it might cause landslides. "Right now everybody is hunkered down, so communication is kind of difficult at the moment. We're getting all our volunteers to text us or call us in case the situation turns sour." Tropical Storm Risk said Megi, known locally as Juan, was a category 5 super typhoon, the highest rating, with winds of more than 250 kph when it hit mountains in north-east Luzon.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Visit of Ahmadinejad

Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has made a controversial visit to southern Lebanon, coming within a few kilometres of the Israeli border. Mr Ahmadinejad is on his first official visit to Lebanon. He received a hero's welcome from tens of thousands of Shiite Muslims - members and supporters of the militant group Hezbollah. President Ahmadinejad travelled to border towns in southern Lebanon that were bombed during the 2006 war with Israel. He gave a defiant speech praising Hezbollah's resistance of Israel. On the southern side of the border, Israeli civilians gathered to protest against his visit. They launched dozens of blue and white balloons, in the colours of Israel's flag, to show their opposition.

Pakistan flood damage

The floods that swept Pakistan since July caused about 9.7 billion dollars in damage, almost double the amount caused by a 2005 earthquake, the World Bank and Asian Development Bank said Thursday. The estimate was released by the two banks ahead of a key meeting in Brussels on Friday aimed at reviewing Pakistan's relief and recovery efforts. The Friends of Democratic Pakistan meeting gathers 26 countries and institutions. The estimate covers damage to infrastructure, farms, homes, as well as other direct and indirect losses, said the World Bank and Asian Development Bank (ADB). That "is almost double the amount of damage caused by the 2005 Pakistan earthquake," said Rune Stroem, ADB country director for Pakistan. In carrying out the assessment, teams from the two banks examined the extent of the damage in 15 key sectors across Pakistan, looking at direct direct damage, indirect losses and reconstruction costs. The agriculture and livestock sectors were the worst hit, followed by complete or partial damage to a large number of houses. Roads were "hit hard particularly at the district and village levels, and irrigation facilities have also suffered serious damage," a statement said. One-fifth of the country was affected by the floods, with the populous southern Sindh province the worst affected, it added.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

69 agonizing days deep under the Chilean earth

The miners who spent 69 agonizing days deep under the Chilean earth were hoisted one by one to freedom Wednesday, their rescue moving with remarkable speed while their countrymen erupted in cheers and the world watched transfixed. Beginning at midnight and sometimes as quickly as once every 40 minutes, the men climbed into a slender cage nearly a half-mile underground and made a smooth ascent into fresh air. By early afternoon, more than half the men — 21 of 33 — had been rescued. In a meticulously planned operation, they were monitored by video on the way up for any sign of panic. They had oxygen masks, dark glasses to protect their eyes from unfamiliar daylight and sweaters for the jarring climate change, subterranean swelter to the chillier air above. They emerged looking healthier than many had expected and even clean-shaven, and at least one, Mario Sepulveda, the second to taste freedom, bounded out and thrust a fist upward like a prizefighter. "I think I had extraordinary luck. I was with God and with the devil. And I reached out for God," he said as he awaited the air force helicopter ride to a nearby hospital where all the miners were to spend 48 hours under medical observation.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Chilean miners set to begin emerging

After 68 days deep in a dank, hot purgatory, the first of 33 trapped miners will be hoisted to freedom Tuesday night, Chilean rescue officials told hundreds of reporters who have been covering a dramatic life-and-death struggle that has mesmerized much of the world. "We are hoping this is our last press conference," Mining Minister Laurence Golborne said. He announced that sometime before midnight, the first miner would be pulled more than 2,000 feet from a cavity that survived an Aug. 5 mine collapse that trapped the men. Authorities later said the first miner out would be Florencio Avalos, who is relatively healthy despite his ordeal and prepared to deal with unforeseen problems should the specially designed capsule that will carry to him to freedom become lodged in a 28-inch tunnel. The last miner out will be Luis Urzua, 54, who was shift chief when the mine collapsed and has been a steady force for the other miners. Speaking by phone from the mine this morning, Urzua reflected on the saga, carefully choosing his words to describe what it has been like for such a large group to be trapped in such tight quarters for so long. "This was a group with different personalities and manners of being," he said. "We have had a stage here in our lives that we never planned for, and I hope to never live again like this, but that's the life of a miner," said Urzua, who has been mining for three decades. Taking charge after the collapse, Urzua rationed food, giving each miner one spoonful of tuna every 48 hours. "We had to be strong," Urzua said. "All the workers in the mine fulfilled their roles." One miner became the spokesman to the outside world, for instance, while others provided comic relief for their comrades and still others simply showed fortitude for their less experienced colleagues. "We worked hard for our own rescue," Urzua said. Asked about the dangers of the mine, particularly this copper and gold mine in the middle of the Atacama desert, Urzua explained that they all knew of the inherent dangers. "We always say that when you go into the mine you respect the mine and hope you get out," he said.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

US-Pakistan Fact box 1954-2010


Relations between the United States and Pakistan have been on a roller-coaster for nearly 60 years. Following is a chronology of some of the ups and downs. 1954 - U.S. and Pakistan negotiate a mutual defense assistance agreement to address Washington's fear of Soviet expansionism and Islamabad's concerns about rival India. 1955 - Pakistan joins the South East Asia Treaty Organization and Central Treaty Organization -- two Western regional defense pacts. Between 1953 and 1961, Pakistan receives some $2 billion in U.S. aid, a quarter of that in military assistance. 1960 - Pakistan allows the United States to fly its spy planes from an air base on the outskirts of Pakistan's northwestern city of Peshawar for reconnaissance of the Soviet Union. A U.S. U-2 spy plane flown from this air base was shot down by the Soviet Union over its air space on May 1, worsening relations between Pakistan and the Soviet Union. Pakistan publicly claimed to have been deceived by the United States about the use of the base. 1962 - Indo-China war prompts U.S. President John F. Kennedy to offer India economic and military aid. Pakistani President Mohammad Ayub Khan expresses displeasure over not having been consulted beforehand, as Kennedy had promised. 1965 - Second Indo-Pakistan war prompts U.S. to suspend military assistance to both sides, leading to a cooling of U.S.-Pakistani ties. 1970 - Pakistan plays a behind-the-scenes role to open communications between its old ally China and the United States. These efforts result in a secret visit of then-U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger to China in 1971 and then by President Richard Nixon the following year, the first U.S. presidential trip to China. 1971 - Civil war between West and East Pakistan leads to the third Indo-Pakistan war. East Pakistan breaks away to form Bangladesh. U.S. again suspends military aid. Many in Pakistan begin to see United States as an unreliable ally. 1974 - India conducts underground nuclear test, prompting Pakistan to begin efforts to respond with its own nuclear arms capability. Islamabad's pursuit of atomic weapons in subsequent years strains ties with Washington. 1975 - U.S. resumes limited military aid to Pakistan. 1977 - Army chief General Mohammad Zia-ul-Haq stages a coup, overthrowing the government of Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. 1979 - President Jimmy Carter's administration cuts off military aid to Pakistan again over its covert construction of a uranium enrichment facility. November 1979 - Enraged Pakistani students burn the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad on rumors that U.S. forces have attacked Islam's holiest city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. Two U.S. Marines and two Pakistanis are killed in the incident. December 1979 - The Soviet Union invades Afghanistan. The United States begins to view Pakistan as a front-line state in the effort to stop Soviet expansionism. September 1981 - President Ronald Reagan's administration negotiates a five-year, $3.2 billion economic and military aid package with Islamabad. Pakistan becomes the main route for arms and supplies for the Afghan resistance. 1985 - Pressler amendment added to the Foreign Assistance Act. It requires the president to certify to Congress that Pakistan does not possess a nuclear device as a condition for receiving aid. 1988 - Soviet Union withdraws from Afghanistan. U.S. begins to take a harder look at Pakistan's nuclear activity. 1990 - President George H.W. Bush suspends aid to Pakistan under the Pressler amendment, cutting all military funds and most economic assistance. Deliveries of major military equipment are also suspended. Washington refuses to deliver 71 F-16 fighters ordered by Pakistan the previous year. 1990s - U.S. disengagement from Pakistan and Afghanistan in the 1990s causes growing resentment in Pakistan. Many people today feel the current situation is the result of the U.S. failure to remain engaged. 1998 - India conducts a nuclear test and Pakistan follows with its own test. Both declare themselves nuclear-weapons states. The U.S. imposes sanctions, restricting military sales, economic assistance and loans to the Pakistani government. 1998 - U.S. agrees to pay Pakistan $324.6 million to settle legal disputes involving the U.S. government over the refusal to deliver the 71 F-16 fighters. Washington also gives Pakistan $140 million worth of surplus wheat and soy, but resentment over the failed arms deal lingers. 1999 - After meeting U.S. President Bill Clinton in Washington, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif agrees to withdraw Pakistani troops and anti-India militants from the Kargil area of Indian Kashmir after a bloody conflict that threatened to go nuclear. 1999 - Army Chief General Pervez Musharraf ousts elected government in a coup. Clinton says he hopes Pakistan will return to democracy as soon as possible. 2001 - Musharraf turns into President George W. Bush's key ally after the Sept 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington. Pakistan officially abandons support for the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and joins U.S.-led war on terrorism. U.S. aid to Pakistan soars. Between 2002 and 2008, U.S. provides nearly $12 billion in aid to Islamabad, about three-quarters of it military assistance. 2004 - A.Q. Khan, founder of Pakistan's nuclear program, confesses to supplying nuclear-weapons technology to North Korea, Iran and Libya. Washington presses for his arrest, but Khan, a national hero, is confined to his home instead. 2005 - U.S. responds to Kashmir earthquake with $510 million commitment to relief, reconstruction and humanitarian assistance. 2007 - Musharraf steps down as army chief amid plans to hold elections to return the country to democracy, but he retains the presidency. Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto is assassinated during political campaign. 2008 - Elections bring Bhutto's widower, Asif Ali Zardari, to power as prime minister at the head of a coalition government. Pressure from the new government forces Musharraf to step down as president. 2009 - Newly elected U.S. President Barack Obama names Richard Holbrooke as special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan. He later unveils a new strategy to "disrupt, defeat and dismantle" al Qaeda and its safe havens in Pakistan. U.S. approves $7.5 billion in aid for Pakistan over the next five years. 2010 - Failed car bombing on May 1 in New York's Times Square leads to the arrest of Pakistani-American Faisal Shahzad. Pakistani Taliban claims responsibility for the attempt. U.S. warns of "severe consequences" if a successful attack on U.S. soil is traced back to Pakistan.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Offering $11.6 million (Rs.1 bn) to kill Musharraf

Former president Pervez Musharraf has undermined Pakistan's sovereignty, a Baloch nationalist leader has said, offering Rs.1 billion ($11.6 million) to anyone who kills the former army chief. Talal Bugti, president of Jamhoori Watan Party, made the announcement in Quetta in the presence of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Sardar Yaqoob Nasir on Saturday. Talal blamed Musharraf for the death of Nawab Akbar Bugti, a popular Baloch leader who was killed in August 2006 when the military conducted an anti-insurgency operation. Talal claimed that a former brigadier who served during Musharraf's regime was ready to testify against the junta in the killing of Nawab Bugti. He said Musharraf posed a security threat and had undermined the sovereignty and integrity of Pakistan. 'If he was really brave, he should return to Pakistan immediately and face the criminal charges against him.' Musharraf, who seized power in 1999, ruled Pakistan for nine years. He has lived in exile after stepping down in 2008. Musharraf has announced the launch of his party All Pakistan Muslim League to fight the 2013 general election in his country. 

Pakistan reopens border crossing for NATO supply

Pakistan Sunday reopened a key border crossing for supplies to NATO troops in Afghanistan after a week-long halt at Torkham, a government official said. 'Yes, the NATO supplies have been restored,' said Khan Pasand, an official at the crossing. 'Four oil tankers and three container trucks just entered Afghanistan.' The border post was closed Sep 30, hours after a US helicopter attack killed two Pakistani troops and injured four more during a raid near Afghan frontier. The incident worsened already tense relations between Islamabad and Washington over US airstrikes in Pakistani territory. After days of hectic interactions at diplomatic and defence level, the US offered a public apology. Pakistan announced Saturday afternoon that it would allow the NATO supply traffic to continue through Torkham. The border closing left hundreds of oil tankers and trucks hauling containers stranded across Pakistan, exposing them to the attacks by insurgents. More than 150 supply vehicles were torched in five attacks, and six people were killed. According to official figures, 80 percent of NATO supplies are transported to Afghanistan via Pakistan. Two-thirds of these cross the border at Torkham, the rest at Chaman in the southwestern province of Balochistan. The Chaman border crossing remained open during the blockade at Torkham.

Musharraf Wants to Get Back in Pakistani Politics

Pervez Musharraf, the former Pakistani president and general who came to power in coup in 1999 and resigned in 2008, slammed harsh U.S. assessments of Pakistan's fight against militants in an exclusive interview with "This Week" anchor Christiane Amanpour. "[F]rankly, I have been -- Pakistan has always been accused of not doing enough," he said, but he insisted that "Pakistan is doing enough." Musharraf strongly rejected a recent White House report, which said "the Pakistani military continued to avoid military engagements that would put it in direct conflict with Afghan Taliban or al-Qa'ida forces in North Waziristan. This is as much a political choice as it is a reflection of an under-resourced military prioritizing its targets." "I totally disagree with this statement," Musharraf, speaking from London, told Amanpour. Amanpour asked the former president about criticism by the Obama administration that the ISI, the Pakistani spy agency, still supports the Taliban. "I take very strong exception to these statements which have been going on maybe since 2004, because of a misunderstanding of ground realities," he said. "After defeating the Taliban ... I always was of the view that we need to change strategy. We need to go in for deals," he said. "So my strategy always was to strike a deal, strike a deal to win away Pashtun from the Taliban." Musharraf said his views were vindicated by the fact that there is now widespread discussion of Afghan authorities coming to some kind of accommodation with elements of the Taliban. He admitted that there was still extremism in Pakistan, but pressed for seeing terrorism as a reaction. "There are problems that Pakistan is facing. There is no doubt, and nobody should deny that, that we have extremism in our society. We have al Qaeda and Taliban," he said. "But what we need -- we are not understanding -- are what are the causes behind terrorism is always a symptom. We should know that." Musharraf announced in London on Oct. 2 that he was starting a new political party, the All Pakistan Muslim League. Amanpour asked him about his aspirations to return to his country. "You decided to form a political party. And you say to go and contest the elections back in 2013. A lot of the military are basically saying that they don't want you back. And a lot of people are saying that your time is past. You were yesterday's man," Amanpour said, asking why he would return now."Well, I see the condition of Pakistan," he said. "And I see that Pakistan is suffering. And in this darkness that prevails in Pakistan, I don't see any political party which can show the light. "I don't take views from others that I am a past man or anything," he said. "I understand better what is a ground reality instead of listening to people from abroad who don't know Pakistan." The former president faces logistical difficulties, however, in his quest to return to Islamabad. He faces legal charges in Pakistan and said he will remain in the United Kingdom for the time being. "There are some problems," he admitted. "I can't go buy an air ticket and land with one suitcase in Pakistan at this moment. There are certain problems, which everyone knows, and I do understand. I have to create an environment of popularity, of political clout, and then I will go." But, he insisted, "I will be there before the elections."

Saturday, October 9, 2010

The most dangerous place in the world

Terror alerts in Europe. Drone strikes on foreign militants. The murder of an outspoken critic of the Taliban. Pakistan’s tribal areas are once more living up to the title coined by Barack Obama, US president, as “the most dangerous place in the world”. The stakes for Washington in Pakistan have never been higher, but the past week has laid bare the limits of Mr Obama’s attempt to forge a new partnership with Islamabad. A more aggressive approach by the US military, which has sent helicopters to pursue militants across the border from Afghanistan, has fared little better. Pakistan has closed a key supply route for Nato troops through the Khyber Pass in response to the accidental killing of two Pakistani border guards. The crossing remained shut on Friday amid apologies from US diplomats and generals. The spat has complicated fraught attempts to foster a shared vision on combating extremism. A procession of US officials has visited Islamabad this year in an attempt to shake off America’s reputation here as a fair-weather friend. Washington has increased civilian and military aid and rushed in relief after catastrophic floods. The largesse has paid limited dividends. Mr Obama’s desire for Pakistan’s help on Afghanistan conflicts with a long-standing strategy by elements in Pakistan’s intelligence services, who are seeking to curb Indian influence in Afghanistan by backing militants. The weak government of Asif Ali Zardari, Pakistan’s president, is locked in a fresh battle with the judiciary. Pakistan’s generals dictate security policy. Mr Obama’s gamble of sending 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan hinged on the assumption that Pakistan would broaden an offensive against its own militants to target Afghan fighters in North Waziristan. Obama’s Wars, a new book by veteran US journalist Bob Woodward, suggests that the president sees the Pakistan “safe haven” as the main barrier to progress in Afghanistan. The hoped-for offensive has not materialised. Pakistan’s army says it is too thinly stretched and security officials fear fresh terror attacks in large cities. The shooting last weekend of Mohammad Farooq Khan, an Islamic scholar and critic of suicide bombings, was a reminder that Pakistanis pay a far higher price for extremist violence than those in the west. The army’s reluctance to launch big operations in North Waziristan also partly reflects its long-standing reliance on Afghan militants as proxies. For Pakistan, it might make little sense to abandon the policy of backing the Afghan Taliban when the US commitment to stabilising their neighbour looks so shaky. Mr Obama’s announcement that he will start withdrawing US forces in July next year fanned Pakistani fears that civil war will erupt next door.

Friday, October 8, 2010

Forbes Most Powerful Women

Lady Gaga is more powerful than Beyonce Knowles, Ellen Degeneres and Angelina Jolie. Forbes released its annual list of the world’s most powerful women on Wednesday, ranking them by wealth, influence and media buzz, among other factors. While First Lady Michelle Obama earned top spot (Forbes counted the US national budget, which is $3.5 trillion US), Oprah Winfrey snagged third place. Factoring in her creative influence and business ventures, Winfrey is worth $2.7 billion US. (Now that's girl power!) Fellow media goddess Lady Gaga earned seventh spot, with earnings of $62 million US this year. Forbes also says Gaga "single-handedly reinvigorated pop music and pop culture." (Introducing the term “meat dress” into the lexicon has got to count for something, right?) Beyonce Knowles sits in the ninth spot, earning $87 million, while Ellen DeGeneres is 10th with $55 million. Other celebs on the list include Angelina Jolie (21st place), Madonna (29th) and Sarah Jessica Parker (45th).
Forbes Top 10:
1) Michelle Obama (First Lady of the U.S.)
2) Irene Rosenfeld (CEO, Kraft Foods)
3) Oprah Winfrey (Talk show host)
4) Angela Merkel (Chancellor)
5) Hilary Clinton (US Secretary of State)
6) Indra Nooyi (CEO, PepsiCo)
7) Lady Gaga (Singer)
8) Gail Kelly (CEO, Westpac)
9) Beyonce Knowles (Singer)
10) Ellen Degeneres (Talk show host)

We found two heads


Two suspected suicide bombers struck at a crowded Sufi Muslim shrine in the Pakistani city of Karachi on Thursday, killing at least 9 people and wounding 65, police and hospital officials said. The U.S.-backed Pakistani government is battling Taliban insurgents who remain effective despite military crackdowns on their strongholds in the northwest near the Afghan border. "According to initial reports they were two bombers who blew themselves up one after another after entering the compound," said Zulfiqar Mirza, home minister of Sindh province. Karachi is Sindh's capital and Pakistan's biggest city and commercial hub. "We found two heads." Body parts and shoes were littered across the floor of the shrine compound. Rescue workers collected body parts. Hospital officials said 65 people were being treated, most of them for serious injuries. The wounded included seven children and 10 women, said Seemi Jamali, in charge of emergencies at Jinnah Hospital. Muslims in Pakistan visit shrines and mosques in large numbers on Thursday nights and Fridays. Islamist groups are trying to foment conflict among Pakistan's religious sects in an attempt to destabilize a government under pressure from the United States and other countries to crack down harder on militants, analysts say. Three suicide bombers struck a Sufi shrine in the eastern city of Lahore in July, killing at least 41 people. The Pakistani army has been stretched because of its relief efforts after summer floods which made over 10 million people homeless and inflicted billions of dollars' worth of damage. Tensions are high between Washington and Islamabad -- long-time allies whose relations are often stormy -- because of NATO cross-border incursions. U.S. helicopters killed two Pakistan soldiers in one of them a week ago. Pakistan closed one of the supply routes to U.S.-led NATO troops in Afghanistan after the incident, citing security reasons. The United States apologized and its ambassador to Islamabad said it was a "terrible accident." Taliban militants generally abhor the Sufi strand of Islam and disapprove of visiting shrines, which is popular with many Pakistanis.