Wikileaks hello hello dirty fellow !

Diplomatic cables released by the web site Wikileaks reveal that since 2007 the U.S. has secretly been trying to remove highly enriched uranium from a Pakistani research reactor, out of concern that it could be diverted for illicit purposes. Other disclosures related to Pakistan show that Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah called Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari the greatest obstacle to Pakistan's progress, commenting, "When the head is rotten, it affects the whole body;" a rail line between Iran and Pakistan is being delayed indefinitely because of Baluch insurgents in both countries; and the crown prince of Abu Dhabi called Zardari "dirty but not dangerous," and said his political rival Nawaz Sharif is "dangerous but not dirty". Pakistan has defended its nuclear stance and criticized the release of the cables, which are expected to number around a quarter million. Some of the cables also reportedly described Afghan President Hamid Karzai as "driven by paranoia" and an "extremely weak" leader; detailed an incident in which Afghanistan's then-vice president was found carrying $52 million in cash during a visit to the UAE last year; and noted Karzai's half-brother Ahmed Wali Karzai's allegedly corrupt business dealings. Karzai's spokesman said U.S.-Afghan relations will not be affected by the leaks. "Such comments are not new," said Waheed Omar. A spokesman for the Taliban said the militant group is reviewing the cables and will try and punish any Afghan informants they capture.

WikiLeaks revealing secret documents

The United States was catapulted into a worldwide diplomatic crisis today, with the leaking to the Guardian and other international media of more than 250,000 classified cables from its embassies, many sent as recently as February this year. At the start of a series of daily extracts from the US embassy cables - many of which are designated "secret" – the Guardian can disclose that Arab leaders are privately urging an air strike on Iran and that US officials have been instructed to spy on the UN's leadership. These two revelations alone would be likely to reverberate around the world. But the secret dispatches which were obtained by WikiLeaks, the whistlebowers' website, also reveal Washington's evaluation of many other highly sensitive international issues. These include a major shift in relations between China and North Korea, Pakistan's growing instability and details of clandestine US efforts to combat al-Qaida in Yemen. Among scores of other disclosures that are likely to cause uproar, the cables detail: • Grave fears in Washington and London over the security of Pakistan's nuclear weapons programme • Alleged links between the Russian government and organised crime. • Devastating criticism of the UK's military operations in Afghanistan. • Claims of inappropriate behaviour by a member of the British royal family. The US has particularly intimate dealings with Britain, and some of the dispatches from the London embassy in Grosvenor Square will make uncomfortable reading in Whitehall and Westminster. They range from serious political criticisms of David Cameron to requests for specific intelligence about individual MPs. The cache of cables contains specific allegations of corruption and against foreign leaders, as well as harsh criticism by US embassy staff of their host governments, from tiny islands in the Caribbean to China and Russia. The material includes a reference to Vladimir Putin as an "alpha-dog", Hamid Karzai as being "driven by paranoia" and Angela Merkel allegedly "avoids risk and is rarely creative". There is also a comparison between Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Adolf Hitler. The cables name countries involved in financing terror groups, and describe a near "environmental disaster" last year over a rogue shipment of enriched uranium. They disclose technical details of secret US-Russian nuclear missile negotiations in Geneva, and include a profile of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, who they say is accompanied everywhere by a "voluptuous blonde" Ukrainian nurse. The cables cover secretary of state Hillary Clinton's activities under the Obama administration, as well as thousands of files from the George Bush presidency. Clinton personally led frantic damage limitation this weekend as Washington prepared foreign governments for the revelations. She contacted leaders in Germany, Saudi Arabia, the Gulf, France and Afghanistan. US ambassadors in other capitals were instructed to brief their hosts in advance of the release of unflattering pen-portraits or nakedly frank accounts of transactions with the US which they had thought would be kept quiet. Washington now faces a difficult task in convincing contacts around the world that any future conversations will remain confidential. "We are all bracing for what may be coming and condemn WikiLeaks for the release of classified material," state department spokesman PJ Crowley said. "It will place lives and interests at risk. It is irresponsible." The state department's legal adviser has written to Wikileaks founder Julian Assange and his London lawyer, warning that the cables were obtained illegally and that publication would place at risk "the lives of countless innocent individuals … ongoing military operations … and cooperation between countries". The electronic archive of embassy dispatches from around the world was allegedly downloaded by a US soldier earlier this year and passed to WikiLeaks. Assange made them available to the Guardian and four other newspapers: the New York Times, Der Spiegel in Germany, Le Monde in France and El País in Spain. All five plan to publish extracts from the most significant cables, but have decided neither to "dump" the entire dataset into the public domain, nor to publish names that would endanger innocent individuals. WikiLeaks says that, contrary to the state department's fears, it also initially intends to post only limited cable extracts, and to redact identities. The cables published today reveal how the US uses its embassies as part of a global espionage network, with diplomats tasked to obtain not just information from the people they meet, but personal details, such as frequent flyer numbers, credit card details and even DNA material. Classified "human intelligence directives" issued in the name of Hillary Clinton or her predecessor, Condoleeza Rice, instruct officials to gather information on military installations, weapons markings, vehicle details of political leaders as well as iris scans, fingerprints and DNA. The most controversial target was the leadership of the United Nations. That directive requested the specification of telecoms and IT systems used by top UN officials and their staff and details of "private VIP networks used for official communication, to include upgrades, security measures, passwords, personal encryption keys". When the Guardian put this allegation to Crowley, the state department spokesman said: "Let me assure you: our diplomats are just that, diplomats. They do not engage in intelligence activities. They represent our country around the world, maintain open and transparent contact with other governments as well as public and private figures, and report home. That's what diplomats have done for hundreds of years." The dispatches also shed light on older diplomatic issues. One cable, for example, reveals, that Nelson Mandela was "furious" when a top adviser stopped him meeting Margaret Thatcher shortly after his release from prison to explain why the ANC objected to her policy of "constructive engagement" with the apartheid regime. "We understand Mandela was keen for a Thatcher meeting but that [appointments secretary Zwelakhe] Sisulu argued successfully against it," according to the cable. It continues: "Mandela has on several occasions expressed his eagerness for an early meeting with Thatcher to express the ANC's objections to her policy. We were consequently surprised when the meeting didn't materialise on his mid-April visit to London and suspected that ANC hardliners had nixed Mandela's plans." The US embassy cables are marked "Sipdis" – secret internet protocol distribution. They were compiled as part of a programme under which selected dispatches, considered moderately secret but suitable for sharing with other agencies, would be automatically loaded on to secure embassy websites, and linked with the military's Siprnet internet system. They are classified at various levels up to "SECRET NOFORN" [no foreigners]. More than 11,000 are marked secret, while around 9,000 of the cables are marked noforn. The embassies which sent most cables were Ankara, Baghdad, Amman, Kuwait and Tokyo. More than 3 million US government personnel and soldiers, many extremely junior, are cleared to have potential access to this material, even though the cables contain the identities of foreign informants, often sensitive contacts in dictatorial regimes. Some are marked "protect" or "strictly protect". Last spring, 22-year-old intelligence analyst Bradley Manning was charged with leaking many of these cables, along with a gun-camera video of an Apache helicopter crew mistakenly killing two Reuters news agency employees in Baghdad in 2007, which was subsequently posted by WikiLeaks. Manning is facing a court martial. In July and October WikiLeaks also published thousands of leaked military reports from Afghanistan and Iraq. These were made available for analysis beforehand to the Guardian, along with Der Spiegel and the New York Times. A former hacker, Adrian Lamo, who reported Manning to the US authorities, said the soldier had told him in chat messages that the cables revealed "how the first world exploits the third, in detail". He also said, according to Lamo, that Clinton "and several thousand diplomats around the world are going to have a heart attack when they wake up one morning and find an entire repository of classified foreign policy is available in searchable format to the public … everywhere there's a US post … there's a diplomatic scandal that will be revealed". Asked why such sensitive material was posted on a network accessible to thousands of government employees, the state department spokesman told the Guardian: "The 9/11 attacks and their aftermath revealed gaps in intra-governmental information sharing. Since the attacks of 9/11, the US government has taken significant steps to facilitate information sharing. These efforts were focused on giving diplomatic, military, law enforcement and intelligence specialists quicker and easier access to more data to more effectively do their jobs." He added: "We have been taking aggressive action in recent weeks and months to enhance the security of our systems and to prevent the leak of information."

Karachi plane crash

At least 12 people were killed when a Russian-made cargo plane crashed in a fireball seconds after taking off from Karachi, a spokesman for Pakistan's civil aviation authority said. The Ilyushin IL-76, operated by the Georgian airline Sunway and bound for Khartoum, crashed into buildings in the Pakistani business capital about 1.50am yesterday, killing all eight Russian crew. Rescue workers recovered 12 bodies from the crash site, including three identified as local labourers, and the death toll was expected to rise. The crash was so severe that fire engulfed two buildings, as well as adjacent construction sites, a spokesman said. Authorities said they had brought the fire under control but rescue workers were still searching for bodies. The plane crashed into buildings under construction in the Dalmai neighbourhood, where the air force and the navy have apartments and offices close to Jinnah International airport, witnesses said. Local television said the multi-purpose cargo aircraft was often used to take humanitarian aid to developing countries, as well as other large items. It was the third plane accident in four months in Pakistan, where intercity travel is most efficient by air, and the second aircraft to crash after take-off from Karachi in just four weeks. Hospital doctors said that seven people on the ground were injured, and a reporter saw medics removing pieces of flesh from the debris. The explosion caused by the crash was so powerful that residents thought it was triggered by a bomb, said the Karachi police chief, Fayyas Leghari. The crash sparked fires in four or five construction sites, but officials said the number of casualties would have been far higher if the plane had struck nearby residential buildings.

WikiLeaks damage the US relations with many countries

There is a palpable rise in tensions at the State Department here, as WikiLeaks, the whistleblower website revealed via its Twitter account last week that its next release would be seven times the size of the Iraq War Logs release earlier in the summer. The hacker-founded site, whose revelations provoked a powerful backlash at the Pentagon and elsewhere in the United States administration, added that it had faced 'intense pressure over [the upcoming release for months.' The anticipated size of the upcoming release is 3 million documents. Reacting to the announcement State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said, "If the past is prologue, that would mean that certain news organisations may well already be in possession of specific documents." Reiterating the government's objections to the release he added that the State Department would continue evaluating the material that they thought was previously leaked from government sources to WikiLeaks. "We continue to make clear that this is harmful to our national security," he said, warning that 'it does put lives at risk. It does put national interests at risk.' Touching on the State Departments efforts to put out messages to the U.S.' allies and partners around the world Mr. Crowley acknowledged that WikiLeakshad State Department cables in its possession. He said, "We are prepared if this upcoming tranche of documents includes State Department cables. We are in touch with our posts around the world. They have begun the process of notifying governments that release of documents is possible in the near future." The U.S. Congress had been notified too, he said. Commenting on the potential fallout of the planned release of documents Mr. Crowley admitted that the kinds of cables involved related to posts sent to and from Washington and they were classified. The cables "involve discussions that we've had with government officials, with private citizens. They contain analysis. They contain a record of the day-to-day diplomatic activity that our personnel undertake," he said. In a similar tone to reactions from Defence Secretary Robert Gates, following earlier releases of U.S. war documents by WikiLeaks, Mr. Crowley said that the State Department decried the expos. "These revelations... are going to create tension in our relationships between our diplomats and our friends around the world. We wish that this would not happen. But we are, obviously, prepared for the possibility that it will," he said. Among the countries said to be notified about the possible release by WikiLeaksare India, Russia, Iceland, Iraq, Turkey, Israel, Norway, Denmark, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. The WikiLeaks site subsequently noted on its Twitter site that the U.K. government had issued a notice to U.K. news editors, 'asking to be briefed on upcoming WikiLeaks stories.'

US drones next target Pakistan City Quetta

According to The Washington Post (WP), the US has renewed pressure on Pakistan to expand the areas inside the country where CIA drones can operate. Thus, the pressure was focused on including the area surrounding Quetta, where it believes the Afghan Taliban leadership is based. The US also sought to expand the area of operation in the tribal areas where 101 drone attacks had taken place this year. The paper also “revealed” that Pakistan has rejected the request, but agreed to more modest measures, including an expanded CIA presence in Quetta, where CIA-ISI teams have been formed to locate and capture senior members of the Taliban, adding that the disagreement over the scope of the drone programme underscores broader tensions between the two allies. Moreover, it borders on the comical that a matter as sensitive as extending drone attacks to Quetta is being discussed through the media. Neither has the diplomatic channel been used, nor is the Pakistani government taking Parliament into confidence before rejecting the drone attacks or agreeing to an expanded role for the CIA in Balochistan. Anyway, US officials have confirmed the “request for expanded drone flights, citing concern that Quetta functions not only as a sanctuary for the Taliban leaders, but also as a base for sending money, recruits and explosives to the Taliban forces inside Afghanistan.” However, Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson Abdul Basit has categorically stated: “Pakistan has reservations over drone strikes…it would never allow any expansion in the campaign of drone strikes by the US on its territory.” He stressed that the attacks were producing a “drone-hardened generation” and has asked the US to revisit its drone attack policy and stop carrying out strikes in our tribal areas. On the other hand, WP maliciously opines: “US officials have long suspected there are other reasons for Islamabad`s aversion, including concern that the drones might be used to conduct surveillance of Pakistani nuclear weapons facilities in Balochistan.” Commenting on the WP story, a diplomatic source said that during the US-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue last month, the Americans had indicated that they would like to expand the drone attacks to Quetta and to some new regions in FATA, but did not formally raise the issue. Now the whole issue is being dragged through the media, which is certainly not in the best of diplomatic practices. Islamabad and Washington do not see eye to eye on the matter. While Washington insists that Balochistan is the headquarters of the so-called Quetta Shura, Islamabad denies the existence of any organisation, let alone operating from there. It is not comprehensible, how the NATO, ISAF and General Petraeus et al, have been unable to control the resistance movement by the Taliban in Aafghanistan, where the international forces are not only in high numbers, but are also equipped with a massive air power, have the facility of satellite imagery and Aerial Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance systems, which are the ultimate real time aid to aerial intelligence. Despite all this, Eric Margolis has recently commented: “Amazing as it sounds, NATO, the world’s most powerful military alliance, may be losing the only war the 61-year old pact ever fought. All its soldiers, heavy bombers, tanks, helicopter gunships, armies of mercenaries, and electronic gear are being beaten by a bunch of lightly-armed Afghan farmers and mountain tribesmen.” Perhaps, now the US/NATO want to shift the blame for their failures on Pakistan. Hence, the urgency to “do more”, the pressure on Pakistan to commence operation in North Waziristan and permit the US to expand the drone operations. The drones have already wreaked havoc in the country, killing nearly 2,000 innocent civilians, while the deaths of just about 30 suspected Al-Qaeda operatives have been claimed. Such a high collateral damage vis-à-vis target achievement is totally unacceptable. Moreover, Quetta is highly urbanised and the collateral damage will be higher in case it is attacked. For a nation already reeling under the negative after-effects of the drone attacks, expanding the operation would be totally counterproductive and inflame the anti-Americanism prevalent in Pakistan. Even the enhanced cooperation with CIA is not being looked upon positively, since Pakistan’s own security agencies are fully capable of tackling the problem and do not need the cousins from Langley looking over their shoulders. NATO has already extended the exit date from Afghanistan to 2014, which has been rejected by the Taliban.

Artillery attack on South Korea

North Korea fired artillery shells onto a South Korean border island on Tuesday, causing casualties and prompting an exchange of fire with southern troops, officials and reports said. The firing came after North Korea's disclosure of an apparently operational uranium enrichment programme a second potential way of building a nuclear bomb which is causing serious alarm for the United States and its allies. Some 50 North Korean shells landed on the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong near the tense Yellow Sea border, causing some injuries and damage to dozens of houses. Four South Korean soldiers were wounded by the North Korean artillery barrage, the Yonhap news agency said.  The South Korean military went on its highest state of alert, the defence ministry said, while South Korean air force jets were scrambled to the island. Tensions on the divided peninsula have been acute since the sinking of a South Korean warship in March, which Seoul says was the result of a North Korean torpedo attack. Pyongyang has angrily rejected the charge. In late October, North and South Korean troops exchanged fire across their Cold War border, coinciding with a state of high alert for the South's military in the buildup to the G20 summit of world leaders in Seoul earlier this month. The latest incident erupted as a US special envoy headed to China Tuesday to seek its help in curbing the new nuclear project, revealed to US experts who described a sophisticated programme by North Korea to enrich uranium. Bosworth, US special representative for North Korea policy, said Washington was reaching out to six-party partners China, Russia, Japan and South Korea. Bosworth has also visited South Korea and Japan this week to discuss the disclosure, which US officials say would allow the isolated North to build new atomic bombs, at a time when it is undergoing a dynastic change of power. Bosworth, speaking in Tokyo, ruled out a resumption of stalled six-nation talks -- aimed at disarming the North of nuclear weaponry in return for aid and other concessions -- while work continues on the enrichment programme. "We do not contemplate resuming negotiations while active programmes are underway or while there is a possibility that North Koreans will test another nuclear device or test a missile," he told reporters. China chairs the talks and is also the North's sole major ally and economic prop. It has come under pressure to play a leading role in resolving the latest nuclear dispute. He said China and other parties were committed to a September 2005 denuclearisation accord, "but we are very concerned as to the sincerity of the (North's) approach to this". The White House said the uranium enrichment claims contradicted Pyongyang's past pledges but it left the door ajar for "serious" negotiations. "The administration believes the six-party process can play an important role if and when the North Koreans take that six-party process to move toward denuclearisation seriously," spokesman Robert Gibbs said Monday. "We do not wish to talk simply for the sake of talking. The North Koreans have to be serious about living up to their obligations." The North shut down its ageing gas graphite reactor in 2008 under a six-party deal, after stockpiling enough weapons-grade plutonium for possibly six to eight small bombs. But it abandoned the forum in April 2009, a month before its second nuclear test, and announced in September last year that it had reached the final stage of enriching uranium. The North, showing off its centrifuges to the US experts this month, said the operation would fuel a civilian electricity project. But US officials say the real intention is to build a new generation of bombs.

Drone attacks destroy Pakistan

The United States government, led by the Central Intelligence Agency's Special Activities Division, has made a series of attacks on targets in northwest Pakistan since 2004 using drones (unmanned aerial vehicles). Under the George W. Bush administration, these controversial attacks were called a part of the US' "War on Terrorism" and sought to defeat the Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants who were thought to have found a safe haven in Pakistan. Most of these attacks are on targets in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas along the Afghan border in Northwest Pakistan. These strikes are mostly carried out by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) operated remotely from Creech Air Force Base and have continued under the Presidency of Barack Obama. Generally the UAVs used are MQ-1 Predator and more recently MQ-9 Reaper firing AGM-114 Hellfire missiles. The drones have become a weapon of choice for the United States in the fight against al-Qaeda. Some media refer to the series of attacks as a "drone war". Pakistan's government publicly condemns these attacks but has secretly shared intelligence with Americans and also allowed the drones to operate from Shamsi airfield in Pakistan. Washington officials say drone strikes are highly effective in the war against al-Qaeda and have killed a number of high-value targets, including Baitullah Mehsud, the Pakistani Taliban's founding father. But the policy is deeply unpopular among the Pakistani public, who see military action on Pakistani soil as a breach of national sovereignty.

Year	Number of Drone Strikes	Total Killed
2004	1	5
2005	2	7
2006	2	23
2007	4	74
2008	34	296
2009	53	709
2010	100	811
Total	196	1,925

Cambodia stampede

At least 313 people have been killed in a stampede at a water festival on a small Cambodian island, the Cambodian government has said. The stampede occurred on the island of Koh Pich following a traditional boat race along the Tonle Sap river on Monday evening. Prime Minister Hun Sen expressed sorrow over the incident.  "With this miserable event, I would like to share my condolences with my compatriots and the family members of the victims," he said.  

So Cheata, a soft drink vendor, said the trouble began when 10 people fell unconscious in the crush of the crowd. She said that caused a panic, which then turned into a stampede. Many people were trampled. Part of the crowd pushed onto a bridge, which also jammed up, with people falling under others and off the bridge. So Cheata said hundreds of hurt people were left lying on the ground afterward. Authorities had estimated that more than three million people could descend on the capital, Phnom Penh, for the three-day water festival. Koh Pich is near Phnom Penh. Police and other emergency services were unable to immediately provide more details, saying they were too busy attending to the injured. A district governor said that the incident was the festival's "biggest tragedy" ever. "This is the biggest tragedy we have ever seen," said Sok Sambath, governor of Daun Penh district. Cambodia is one of the region's poorer countries, and has an underdeveloped health system, with hospitals barely able to cope with daily medical demands.

Decision Points former US president George W Bush about Pakistan

More than 1,400 Pakistan soldiers were killed in the war against terrorism, former US president George W Bush writes in his autobiography titled “Decision Points” which hit the stalls in the US last week. He quotes General Pervez Musharraf as reminding him often that Pakistani forces paid a high price for taking on the extremists. Bush writes that “in return for Pakistan’s cooperation, we lifted the sanctions, designated Pakistan a major non-Nato ally and helped its counter terrorism operations. We also worked with the Congress to provide $3 billion in economic aid and opened our markets to more Pakistani goods and services. Over time, it became clear that Musharraf either would not or could not fulfill all his promises. Part of the problem was Pakistan’s obsession with India. In almost all conversations we had, Musharraf accused India of wrongdoings. Four days after the 9/11 attacks, he told me Indians were “trying to equate us with terrorists and are trying to influence your mind”. As a result, the Pakistani military spent most of its resources preparing for war with India. Its troops were trained to wage a conventional battle with India not counter terrorism operation in the tribal areas. The war against extremists came second." “A related problem was that Pakistani forces pursued the Taliban a lot less aggressively than they pursued al Qaeda. Some in the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) retained close links with Taliban officials. Others wanted an insurance policy in case America abandoned Afghanistan and India tried to gain influence there. Whatever the reason, Taliban fighters fled Afghanistan’s tribal regions and populated cities like Peshawar and Quetta. In 2005 and 2006, these sanctuaries aided the rise of the insurgency.” “In March 2006, I visited President Musharraf in Islamabad. Our meeting followed a stop in India where Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and I signed an agreement clearing the way for nuclear cooperation between our two countries. The deal was the culmination of our efforts to improve relations between the world’s oldest democracy and the world’s largest democracy. I believe India has the potential to be one of America’s closest partners. The nuclear agreement was a historic step because it signaled a new role for the country on the world stage. “The nuclear deal naturally raised concerns in Pakistan. Our ambassador, a remarkable foreign officer named Ryan Crocker, argued strongly that we should also spend the night in Islamabad as a sign of respect. No president had done that since Richard Nixon, thirty-seven years ago. The secret service was anxious, especially after a bombing near the US consulate in Karachi the day before we arrived. But symbolism matters in diplomacy and I wanted to signal that I valued our relationship. At the airport, a decoy motorcade drove to the embassy mostly empty. My chief of protocol Ambassador Don Ensenat took my place in the presidential limo, while Laura and I flew secretly on the Black Hawk helicopter.” “My meetings with Musharraf focused on two overriding priorities. One was his insistence on serving as both, president and top general, a violation of the Pakistani constitution. I pushed him to shed his uniform and govern as a civilian. He promised to do it. But he was not in much of a hurry. I also stressed the importance of the fight against terrorism. “We have to keep these guys from slipping into your country and back into Afghanistan,” I said. “I give you our assurance that we will cooperate with you against terrorism, Musharraf had said. We are totally on board.” “But Musharraf and his military generals were increasingly distracted by a political crisis at home. In March, Musharraf suspended the chief justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan who he feared would rule against him for violating the law by continuing to serve as both president and chief of army staff. Lawyers and democracy advocated a march on the streets. Musharraf responded by declaring a state of emergency, suspending the constitution, removing more judges and arresting thousands of political opponents. Pressure mounted on me to cut ties with Musharraf. I worried that throwing him overboard would add to the chaos. I had a series of frank conversations with him in the fall of 2007. “It looks ugly from here. The image here is that you have always been beaten and thrown in jail,” I said. “I am troubled by the fact that there is no apparent way forward. I strongly suggest that you set a date for free elections, resign from the army and lift the state of emergency. Musharraf made each of these commitments and kept them.” “But Pakistani forces could not handle the Taliban and we had to retake the offensive to avoid bloodshed inside Afghanistan. Finally, I authorised the intelligence community to turn up the pressure on extremists by allowing drone attacks inside Pakistan which was capable of conducting video surveillance and firing laser guided bombs. Many of the details of our actions remain classified. But soon after I gave the orders we started getting the results as they killed several top al Qaeda men on ground.”

New Zealand miner families wait anxiously

The brave rescue teams face a harrowing two-hour walk each carrying up to 24 kilograms of equipment into the mine to search for their trapped ''brothers''. One of the missing men is one of their own - a mines rescue worker. But the situation is so dangerous one worker taking samples from the mine surface on Saturday had to be evacuated. As soon as the poisonous gases have reduced to safe levels in the chambers, the rescuers assembled at the mine entrance will make their painstaking descent. ''The logistics of deployment underground are quite vast,'' Trevor Watt, the general manager of NZ Mine Rescue, said. ''We're talking 2.5 kilometres from the portal to the first intersection in the mine that will have to be done on foot by the rescue teams - this is not like walking down to the local supermarket.'' His greatest worry is the ''explosive atmosphere'' in the mine. Once in the mine breathing equipment will give rescuers just enough time to travel the length of the tunnel. It may take up to two hours to navigate the path on the reconnaissance mission. ''This will be a staged entry into the mine. We will be securing areas in the mine but I must reiterate it's going to be safety first.'' Mr Watt was vague on what would happen once the men reached the end of the tunnel, however. ''We have strict protocols on how we work … and we'll have systems in place … [for how] we manage the time frames they are working in. ''The rescuers will carry 14-kilogram ''rebreather'' apparatus, plus up to 10 kilograms of essential kit. But the operation would not allow any individuals who volunteered to risk their lives and enter the mine - this could ''exacerbate'' the situation, he said.

New era of co-operation

Russia has agreed to co-operate with NATO and will discuss pursuing a US-led anti-missile network in Europe at the end of a summit hailed as signalling a new era in the relationship between the two former Cold War enemies. In a joint statement, Russia and the 28 North Atlantic Treaty Organisation allies said they would work together to contribute to ''the creation of a common space of peace, security and stability in the Euro-Atlantic area'' and would co-operate on piracy and counter-terrorism as well as negotiate ''missile defence co-operation''. The US President, Barack Obama, told the summit Russia was now a ''partner, not an adversary'' and the ''source of past tension'' was now a source of potential co-operation ''against a shared threat''. Advertisement: Story continues below  The Russian President, Dmitri Medvedev, stressed the partnership had to be a fully fledged strategic one with NATO or it would be ''a no-go''. However, he praised Mr Obama's decision to abandon the missile shield plans put forward by the Bush administration.

Christian woman seeks President's mercy

A Christian woman sentenced to death in Pakistan on charges of blasphemy has appealed to President Asif Ali Zardari to pardon her, saying that she had been wrongfully accused by neighbours due to a personal dispute. "I told the police that I have not committed any blasphemy and this is a wrong accusation, but they did not listen to me," the Daily Times quoted Aasia Bibi, as saying to reporters, after meeting Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer. "I have small kids. I have wrongly been implicated in this false case," she said from the prison, covered in a cloak that revealed only her eyes. "It was just the outcome of a rivalry. I would never even think of blasphemy," Aasia said weeping. "I have small children. For God's sake, please set me free," she appealed. It was just a dispute over water but the people accused her of blasphemy and implicated her in a false and fabricated case, Aasia said, adding that she respected the Holy Prophet, and would never think of passing blasphemous remarks against Him. The case has drawn huge attention in the media, and there is deep sympathy for her. Several NGOs have called for repealing the blasphemy law because it was "being used by illiterate masses in rural areas to hoodwink the minorities". Last week, Pope Benedict XVI had also called for her release, and said that Christians in Pakistan were "often victims of violence and discrimination." Meanwhile, Zardari has stayed Aasia's execution, and directed the federal minister for minorities, Shahbaz Bhatti, to submit a report in this regard.

World's largest power-generating ship

The world's largest ship-based power plant will begin supplying Pakistan with electricity next month to try to mitigate the country's crippling shortages, a company official said Friday. The new supply still won't come close to ending the energy crisis that plagues Pakistan, increasing widespread public frustration with the U.S.-allied government as it struggles to contain the Taliban insurgency. The ship, which burns furnace oil, will generate about 230 megawatts for the national power grid, said Asad Mahmood, a spokesman for the vessel's Turkish owner Karkey Karadeniz Electrik. The owner has a five-year contract to sell power to the deeply indebted Pakistani national power company. Mahmood did not disclose the price of the contract. Now anchored off the southern port city Karachi, the Kaya Bey will begin feeding into the national grid within four weeks after a dedication ceremony Sunday, Mahmood said. Still, the ship's contribution will only make a dent in the overall power crisis. Pakistan's energy demands outstrip supply by an estimated 5,000 MW, thanks to lack of investment, soaring usage and a crumbling electricity generation infrastructure that heavily relies on hydropower. Power outages last up to 16 hours per day in some areas and damage industrial growth. The suffering is worst in summer, when the temperatures soar but power cuts mean fans and air conditioners won't work. The national power company recently raised its rates by 2 percent, capping two years of increases that have nearly doubled the cost of electricity for consumers. Authorities have said the price hikes — pushed by international donors — are necessary because the former military government froze rates for years and many state agencies have failed to pay their bills, leading to debt of more than $4.5 billion and curtailing Pakistan's ability to invest in new power plants.

Osama Bin Laden funded Pakistan PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif

Al-Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden funded PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif for taking part in elections, former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has claimed. According to a TV channel, Musharraf also said that Chaudhary Shujat and Pervaiz Elahi were giving statements in frustration, The Nation reported. While addressing the All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) convention in Toronto, the former military ruler said that Richard Holbrooke's statement proves that he did not take orders from the United States. However, Musharraf kept silent on the question asked by the media regarding Dr. Imran Farooq joining the APML. Earlier this month, the retired general had lashed out at Nawaz Sharif for his threats of trying him for treason when he returns to power, saying that the PML-N chief would never see that day. "As Nawaz knows that he will neither regain power nor will he be able to try me in a court of law, therefore, he resorts to blowing this trumpet time and again," Musharraf had said. He went on to say that Sharif had confrontations with four army chiefs, two presidents and one chief justice while he was the prime minister of Pakistan. While on one hand Nawaz chanted slogan of 'Jaag Punjabi Jaag' to accumulate votes in Punjab and on the other hand, he had worn criminal silence over the killings of Punjabis in Balochistan, said Musharraf.

Eid festivities and flood victims in Pakistan

Millions of Pakistanis Wednesday celebrated Eid-ul-Azha without any shelter or food despite over three months having lapsed since the floods in the country washed away their homes and placed them at the mercy of the authorities concerned. There are several areas in Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces where the people are still living in the open without any proper help having reached them. The approaching winters are making their lives even more miserable as they try to pick up the pieces of their devastated life. The political and ruling elite made an attempt to spend the Eid day with the flood stricken people in a bid to give them hope for a better tomorrow. Eid- Ul- Adha is one of the special festivals of Muslim. Eid- Ul –Adha is also known as Bakr- Eid and festival of sacrifice. On this festival Muslims sacrifice their domestic animals like goat (Bakr- Eid), sheep, cow, camel etc. This sacrifice made by Muslims is a symbol of sacrifice made by prophet Abraham. Eid- Ul –Adha celebrations start after the Hajj. The first day of Eid- Ul –Adha is celebrated on the tenth day of Duhl -Hijja, that is the last month of the Islamic year. In some areas. Eid- Ul –Adha is celebrated for several days by Muslims.  the animal is forfeited and then the meat of the slaughtered animal is distribute among the neighbors, friends, family and poor people. It is believed that the meat of the sacrificed animal must be distributed in three equal parts among neighbors and friends, family members and poor people. Muslims greet each other with well wishes for the festival along with the meat of the slaughtered animal. Muslims spend time with their near and dear ones to spread love and happiness all around. 

Burmese democratic icon Aung San Suu Kyi

Worldwide supporters of Burmese democratic icon Aung San Suu Kyi are readying for her release Saturday, amid unconfirmed reports that the country’s military junta signed papers Friday that will set her free. Her release from seven years of house arrest if it happens is expected to open a new chapter in the history of her country, fresh from fraudulent elections held there this week by the military junta. Supporters say Suu Kyi will jump straight back into the political fray if she steps to freedom. Her lawyer said the 65-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner who led the National League for Democracy to a 1990 landslide victory that was denied her by the generals would not agree to any restrictions on her release. “She will resume active politics and make organizing tours throughout the country,” lawyer Nyan Win told reporters this week in Rangoon, the country’s largest city. Hundreds of supporters gathered outside the gates of her home Friday as rumours spread that she could be released a day early. But hours after fans and supporters exchanged congratulatory notes across the social network Twitter, nightfall came and so did a new mood of reserve, mixed with cautious optimism.How long the generals would tolerate Suu Kyi’s political activity and the excited masses that would almost certainly surge through the streets should she tour is unclear. The last time she travelled through Burma (or Myanmar, as her country is also called), was seven years ago when she narrowly escaped an assassination attempt by thugs believed to be backed by the government. Later she was placed under house arrest, and has been there ever since.

She has spent 15 of her last 21 years under detention.

Suicide attack in Karachi Pakistan

At least 23 people were killed and 150 injured in a suspected Taliban suicide car bomb attack on Thursday at a security compound in Pakistan's largest city Karachi where militants are held, officials said. The attack took place at the compound of the police Crime Investigation Department, meters from the provincial chief minister's house in a central district known as the "red zone" because of its high security status. Azam Tariq, a spokesman for the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claimed responsibility for the attack which he said was in retaliation for U.S. air strikes in the country's northwestern tribal areas. "It's a reaction to the drone strikes and such attacks will continue until drone strikes are stopped," he told. The building is used to hold and interrogate a number of militants, including those from banned organizations. It was not immediately clear how many were inside at the time of the attack. Sharmila Farooqi, a spokeswoman for the government of Sindh province where Karachi is the capital, said at least 23 people were killed and 150 injured. "The attackers first opened fire and then rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into the building," senior police official Javed Akbar Riaz told. "We suspect that it was a suicide attack." The blast left a crater about 40 feet across and 12 feet (four meters) deep in front on the building. The building was gutted and some parts of nearby buildings collapsed.

A pluralistic culture India

Of course the world’s leading democracy should be friends with the world’s largest democracy. But when President Obama reached out this week to improve the relations between the United States and India, he was certainly aware of the risks he was taking. India, at its best, is a thriving example of a pluralistic democracy, a nation where people of many ethnic groups and religions live in relative peace under a secular government. It is also building a thriving economy, based on innovation and pluck and taking full advantage of its ability to skip over generations of technology it never had to embrace the worlds of wireless broadband communication. It should expect, therefore, to be the focus of American attention in the region. And it would be in American interests to bolster India, and our relationship with it, as a counter to China’s power, and as a counterexample to China’s all-too-successful theory that a thriving economy can be built under a totalitarian government. Unfortunately, that has not been the case. Especially since the terrorist attacks of 9/11, we’ve hardly noticed India — except when it, too, has been the victim of violent Islamic extremists. Our focus has shifted a bit to the West, where lie Pakistan and Afghanistan, the nexus of the world’s most dangerous terror network. Islamic extremists, and those who manipulate them for political gain, hold sway there. The United States and Pakistan speak of one another as allies in the fight against terror, but there is no getting around the fact that elements of the Pakistani military and security services have long been patrons of the Taliban, and thus allies of al-Qaida. It is a relationship born of the resistance to the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, but continues as a force to counter the perception of Western hegemony throughout the Islamic world. That hostility also includes ill feelings about India, egged on by more than 60 years of border disputes. The result has been three shooting wars, numerous terrorist attacks and a real nuclear arms race between India and Pakistan. It is that nuclear factor that makes our dealings with Pakistan all the more delicate, as anything we do to drive that nation further into the arms of the Islamic extremists increases the threat that it will be al-Qaida that is the region’s nuclear power. It is thus a bolder stroke than it may appear for Obama to make such fast friends with India, going as far as supporting its bid for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. But even though it risks further souring our influence in Pakistan, putting democratic principles ahead of short-term real politik, moving closer to India is the right thing to do.

Pakistani cricketer receiving death threats

The wicketkeeper, 24, landed in Heathrow airport earlier today. Haider disappeared hours before the start of his side's deciding one-day international against South Africa in Dubai. after posting a message on his Facebook page. His status update read: "leaving pakistan cricket because get bad msg fr 1 man fr lose the match in last game." Team officials reported Haider as missing to police and also to the International Cricket Council's anti-corruption and security unit. Manager Intikhab Alam would not comment on the reasons for the keeper's disappearance, but confirmed: "Haider did not come with the team to the ground and we are looking for him." Captain Shahid Afridi said at the toss: "He's resting, we're still trying to find him. Security is trying to trace him." Pakistani TV reported that it received a text message from Haider in which he said he was leaving for England in the next two hours and that his family would be provided with security back in Pakistan. Reports this morning had suggested that Haider had received a threatening message after Pakistan did not lose the fourth one day international. Haider hit the winning runs on that occasion. The cricketers disappearance and reemergence in England is the latest setback for a Pakistan team that has been troubled by matters off the pitch. Haider and two other players were fined for breaking a curfew during the team's series with South Africa. In August, Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif were accused of involvement in an alleged betting scandal during a Test match in England.

Obama tried to avoid

US President Barack Obama tried to avoid it, but he couldn't escape being pulled into a dance by schoolchildren celebrating the Indian holiday of Diwali, or the festival of lights. Obama sat for a while Sunday and watched admiringly as his wife, Michelle, joined girls dressed in colourful hues of blue, green, pink and orange in a swaying dance with graceful hand gestures. He appeared to resist when students from Holy Name High School in Mumbai approached. Eventually, Obama gave in, got up and strutted his stuff, too. He jumped around a little and made sawing movements with his arms. Mrs. Obama joined the children far more enthusiastically than her husband. Perhaps it was because she'd already won over the Indian media by kicking off her flats a day earlier and dancing with underprivileged children elsewhere in Mumbai. Later, on their second of three days in India as part of the president's 10-day Asian tour, the couple travelled to New Delhi and visited Humayan's Tomb, built in 1570 AD. Obama commented on India's mixture of the modern and the ancient while at the site. He also offered some thoughts on what it would take to build something like the 16th-century tomb in the U.S. "I was told this was built in seven years and for us to build something in seven years in the United States this big would be kind of tough," Obama said. "I give them a lot of credit. Good contractors." Obama said the tomb is a reminder that India's modern society is rooted in the ancient. Humayun was a member of the Muslim dynasty that ruled most of northern India from the early-16th to the mid-18th century. Built by his widow, the tomb became a burial site for various members of the ruling family and holds some 150 graves. The Obamas planned to stay at the ITC Maurya Hotel hotel in New Delhi on Sunday and Monday nights. They had dinner with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his wife, Gursharan Kaur, on Sunday and they will be guests of honour at a state dinner on Monday. Aside from sightseeing, the president has been announcing a series of trade deals with Indian businesses. After he holds talks with Prime Minister Singh on Monday, Indian offiicials say they're hoping the U.S. will signal that it will ease trade restrictions on high-tech goods from India. Another highlight of the day will be Obama's speech to India's Parliament, when he will address regional security issues involving the U.S.