Twirp: Terrorist Wahabi Islamic Rep Pakistan 4

[acharya]

<b>US admission of failure</b>
Published: May 14, 2009

THE dismissal of the top US and NATO commander in Afghanistan General David McKiernan, which makes it the second removal from office of such a high ranking American military official after General Douglas MacArthur was forced out during the Korean War, could be viewed as a subtle admission of failure in a war that has lasted longer than either of the two World Wars. Putting the onus on General McKiernan of prosecuting the war against an elusive resistance in a conventional manner implies that the policymakers in the Pentagon also had no clue how to go about the task. After all, he had been there only for less than a year, and there has been a steady increase in the number of American as well as Afghan civilian casualties for a much longer period, which clearly suggested that the resistance had gradually become stronger and which, in turn, is evidence of the fact that the war had been badly conceived, haphazardly managed and poorly assisted by the allied NATO forces. Apparently, he disagreed about the grounds that Defence Secretary Robert Gates might have proffered him for removal from the post; otherwise his military career would not have ended in such a sudden manner. The dismissal is not warranted by Secretary Gates' observations, "a new approach was probably in our best interest... fresh eyes were needed". He has been made a scapegoat.
The huge surge of troops, as envisaged in the AfPak review, which will be led by General McKiernan's replacement, Lt Gen Stanley McChrystal, is hardly a guarantee for reversing the fortunes of war. General McChrystal might be an expert in conducting an unconventional warfare, but he is up against a highly motivated resistance and would find himself placed in a highly complex scenario. The Afghans are a motivated resistance, who would not countenance foreign occupation and would rather sacrifice their lives than remain in bondage. They enjoy the support and sympathy of all freedom-loving people, most of all their co-ethnics across the border in Pakistan. And that brings us to another offshoot of the American invasion, the mess in the tribal areas where a situation has been forced upon Pakistan to fight an "existential threat".

[Naresh]

<b>British Justice minister Shahid Malik resigns</b>

LONDON : Shahid Malik has stepped down as British Justice Minister pending an inquiry into claims about his expenses.

Standards chief Sir Philip Mawer will investigate claims he failed to declare a subsidised rent.

Mr Malik insists he did not breach the ministerial code and he was "pleased" to have the chance to clear his name. The MP, who is the biggest casualty yet of the expenses scandal called for the media "bloodfest" to stop.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has asked Sir Philip, his official adviser on ministerial interests, to investigate the claims as quickly as possible and his report could come within days.

Mr Brown's spokesman stressed the expectation would be that Mr Malik would return to office if he was cleared and said no replacement was being appointed in the meantime.

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[Guest]

He was using Govt money to buy TV. What a shame!

[Guest]

lots of tidbits here
Shahid Malik, his house and the slum landlord: MPs' expenses
Since being elected in 2005, Mr Malik has claimed the maximum amount allowable for a second home, amounting to £66,827 over three years. Last year, he claimed £23,083 from the taxpayer for his London town house, equivalent to £443 per week. The Telegraph can disclose that the “main home” for which Mr Malik pays out of his own pocket - a three-bedroom house in his constituency of Dewsbury, West Yorks - has been secured at a discounted rent of less than £100 per week from a local landlord who was fined for letting an “uninhabitable” house.
---
His second home claims have included £2,600 for a home cinema system — which was cut in half by officials — and £65 for a court summons for not paying council tax.
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[Naresh]

<b>Mudy Ji :</b>

Mian Inayatullah has been reading our discussions on this Forum!

<b>President, Parliament and people</b>

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->If at all Pakistan finds itself forced to sign on the dotted line later this year, <b>will it make the concession conditional on similar transit facilities, for Pakistan, to Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan across India?</b><!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

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[Naresh]

<!--QuoteBegin-Mudy+May 16 2009, 12:17 AM-->QUOTE(Mudy @ May 16 2009, 12:17 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->He was using Govt money to buy TV. What a shame!
[right][snapback]97243[/snapback][/right]
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

<b>Mudy Ji :</b>

The word "Shame" does not exist in the man's vocabulary!

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[Naresh]

<b>10 dead, 20 injured due to Short Circuit in Air Vacuum</b>

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[Naresh]

[center]<b><span style='font-size:21pt;line-height:100%'>US missiles hit NW seminary</span></b>[/center]

PESHAWAR – <b>At least 27 people were killed and several others injured when two missiles fired by a US drone hit a house-cum-madrassa and a moving vehicle in Khaisoora area of North Waziristan Agency on Saturday morning.

Local tribesmen informed that three people were killed on the spot while several others were injured</b> in the US drone attack in Khaisoora, 20km north of Mirali town of North Waziristan Agency.

<b>Officials confirmed only 12 casualties, but local tribesmen gave the number of dead from 18 to 27.</b> The condition of the injured was stated to be precarious. The dead included two foreigners. However, their exact identity could not be determined. Soon after the missile strike, the Taliban cordoned off the site and did not allow local tribesmen to take part in rescue activities. Taliban shifted dead bodies and injured to an unknown place.

Agencies add : several people were trapped under the debris of the building as madrassa was destroyed in the US drone attack. Security forces sources told a private TV channel that six fighters, including four of foreign origin, were killed and wounded several others in the attack. The strike was the third such drone attack this month and the second in the past four days. This week, eight people were killed in a similar attack in South Waziristan

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[Naresh]

<b>No need for foreign training, says Kayani</b>

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->ISLAMABAD - Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani said Pakistan Army has developed a full range of counter-insurgency training facilities tailored to train troops for such operations.

<b>“Therefore, except for very specialised weapons and equipment, high technology, no generalised foreign training is required,</b>” the COAS said in a press statement issued here on Saturday.

Owing to its vast experience, Pakistan Army remains the best-suited force to operate in its own area, the COAS said.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

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[Naresh]

[center] <!--emo&tupid--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/pakee.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='pakee.gif' /><!--endemo--><b><span style='font-size:21pt;line-height:100%'>GDP growth estimates of 2.37pc fudged : official</span></b> <!--emo&:liar liar--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/liar.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='liar.gif' /><!--endemo-->[/center]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->ISLAMABAD : The government has fudged the figures in an attempt to bring the reasonable GDP growth estimates of 2.37 per cent of ongoing fiscal close to the target of 2.5 per cent as agreed with International Monetary Fund.

If the government did not manoeuvre the figures, the GDP growth for current fiscal would be 0.5 per cent even if the cut in the size of GDP of fiscal 2007-08 by 1.7 per cent from 5.78 per cent to 4.1 per cent was acknowledged. <b>And if the last year’s GDP of 5.78 per cent is kept as base, the GDP growth of the current fiscal <span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>must stand at -1 per cent,</span></b> reveals the detailed investigation conducted by the News.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

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[Naresh]

A YouTube Presentation :

<b>INSIDE STORY : PAKISTAN’S ARMY</b>

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[Naresh]

<b>Ms Bhutto’s slaying led to my return : Zardari</b>

LONDON : President Asif Ali Zardari Sunday dismissed the world’s perception that he left the country in a difficult of trial.

In an interview with a British daily, the President said: “I travel so much and meet world leaders so much because whatever I need to do on the ground can be done more efficiently when I am helped. <b>If I hadn’t travelled, I wouldn’t be going back with nearly $1 billion (£660m) of aid. <span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>I am grateful but I need more, much more.”</span></b>

He said terrorism is not just Pakistan’s problem but it is “world’s problem”.

“It’s no good everyone being in denial. If we don’t defeat the militants, where will they go next?” he questioned.

“If they hadn’t taken her (Ms Benazir Bhutto) away so rudely from me, I wouldn’t have come back to fight as I have, and I don’t think her son would have taken up this responsibility.”

To a question regarding his children, President Zardari said: “I think they’re brave children, they have brave genes. She’s made them grow up realising life is not just about yourself but to live for a larger cause.”

To another question about Swat peace deal he said: “I didn’t hand over anything, you won’t catch me handing anything over. The provincial government had already signed the agreement and I just passed it to parliament, and they signed it.”

He said it was a good thing, because it exposed Sufi Muhammad for what he was.

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[Naresh]

<b>India-bound PIA flights half-empty</b>

KARACHI – <b>Pakistan International Airlines is running half-empty flights to India as the neighbouring country has tightened visa policy, causing millions of rupees loss to the national flag-carrier ever week, the sources concerned told The Nation.</b>

The state-run airline is currently operating six flights a week to India with only 45-52 per cent utilisation of capacity as India has slashed the issuance of visas to the visitors after Mumbai attacks, the sources said. Before Mumbai incidents, PIA flights to India were operating with over 70pc capacity, the sources added.

It is said that the top PIA officials have requested the Defence Ministry to reduce the number of flights to avert increasing financial losses. But the Ministry, under pressure from the federal govt high ups, has asked PIA to continue with the current schedule of flights on the plea that cut in flights would further damage Pakistan’s ties with India.

They pointed out that after Mumbai attacks, on the one hand, the Indian govt has tightened visa rules while on the other, the number of visitors has dropped sharply because of tension between the two countries.
Air India, that was operating two flights to Pakistan every week, had already suspended its flights, but the federal government officials were not willing to reduce the number of PIA flights, fearing that doing so could annoy the Indian government, claimed the sources. Despite immense financial crisis in the airline, PIA continues to operate on its routes to India, although after Mumbai attacks, Air India had stopped all its operations to Pakistan.

“Before the Mumbai attacks, PIA was operating 10 flights a week to India. There were three weekly flights for Delhi from Karachi, on Karachi-Mumbai route PIA was operating PK275, four times a week. The Airline undertakes three flights- PK 271-from Lahore to Delhi. However, after the 26/11 attacks, PIA is operating six flights a week to Mumbai and New Delhi. The national airline is now operating two flights on each of these routes, making a total of 6 flights in a week, said an official from PIA.

“Due to strict visa policy adapted by the Indian government after the Mumbai attacks, the load factor on these flights has been hit significantly. The 4 flights on Karachi-Mumbai route that had recorded 74 per cent load factor before November 2008, were now experiencing only 47 per cent seats utilisation.

Similarly, on Karachi to Delhi route that was attracting 72 per cent seats utilisation, was now attracting only 53 per cent load factor. Lahore to Delhi flights which carried the load factor of 57 per cent has decreased to 42 per cent now,” he maintained.

“The reduction in our flights occurred when the Airline considered its losses at these routes. From the shown statistics, it is clear that almost all the flights have suffered due to strict visa policy by the Indian government. The financial condition of PIA is not satisfactory, even though we have generated profit on our operations, yet more is needed to pull the airline out of crisis,” he maintained.

“The Air India has no issues to operate in Pakistan as it had 2 flights for Karachi and 2 for Lahore before the attacks; now it has been barred by their government to operate in Pakistan,” said another source in PIA.

“The Pakistan government has not taken any stern position on this issue, our government wants to keep the diplomatic doors open and we feel that by cutting our flights for India, the situation will become bleak between the countries,” he added.

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[acharya]

EDITORIAL: How ‘incoherent’ is Pak-US relationship?

US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton made a speech at an American think tank, complaining of incoherence in Washington’s policy towards Pakistan. This has elicited one-sided comment in Pakistan. The point raised by Ms Clinton pertained to America’s traditional “no friendship or enmity is permanent” foreign policy shibboleth which also underpins its “cut and run” practice in military operations abroad. She appealed for more coherence of policy towards Pakistan, indicating the seriousness of President Obama’s policy approach to Pakistan.

The comment in Pakistan, correctly arrived at, ran along familiar lines, but needs to be balanced for the sake of Pakistan’s own correctness of vision. One comment went as follows: “Pakistan and the United States have ostensibly been allies since the early days of the Cold War. America has pumped billions into this country in the form of cash and weapons and we, in turn, have readily done its bidding, most notably during the fight against the Soviets in Afghanistan. The US also bankrolled the Musharraf regime in the years following 9/11, a time marked by impressive economic ‘growth’ and a skin-deep sense of prosperity.”

While not quarrelling with the above assessment, one can add some insights for the sake of balance and as guidelines to any future policy planning in Pakistan. It is unwise to describe the Cold War equation between the US and Pakistan as the former “pumping in money” and the latter “doing its bidding”. Pakistan went into a relationship with the US with pragmatism, unlike what most critics think. It was pitted against India and had had its first war with it the year it was born. In the Cold War, which had just begun, India had clearly chosen not to side with the US against the Soviet Union.

Many people favour the “left wing” analysis of how unfairly Pakistan’s first prime minister, Mr Liaquat Ali Khan, went to the US on a state visit when he should have gone to the USSR. But if you look at the fruits of this relationship in the ensuing years of the Cold War, it was a good foreign policy decision, if foreign policy is to be based on the self-interest of the state and not on passions. Pakistan was nurturing a nationalism based on a fear of India, whereas America was nurturing a nationalism based on fear of the USSR. The bilateral equation was carried forward on a complex reconciliation of these two fears. Pakistan did not do America’s bidding blindly; it relentlessly pursued its India-centred objectives. It is another matter whether this was a wise long-term objective or not.
<b>
The basis of the relationship was not in any values. Pakistan, as the politically unstable revisionist state veered to military rule and Islamisation. At the best of times, American think tanks and Congress voiced opinions highly critical of Pakistan — which Pakistani politicians at times take as “official” opinion — but Cold War exigencies prevailed over principle. When the USSR sent its army into Afghanistan, the process of US-Pakistan mutual disenchantment was at its peak. Pakistan was broke after the Bhutto interregnum of democracy and General Zia-ul Haq saw his patrons in the Middle East spoiling for a jihad that would rain dollars on Pakistan. He went into Afghanistan because of a “confluence” of policy with the US. And he got big money for it too.
</b>
One can’t fault General Zia for this “realistic” decision. And in the end he hardly did “America’s bidding”. What Pakistan got out of it was its nuclear bomb, hardly a result of the supineness that policy critics often bemoan. In fact if you look closely, it is Pakistan which appears to be “milking” the US constantly. General Pervez Musharraf did the same sort of thing to the US. There was no money in the kitty after a decade of unstable democracy; and the dollars poured in when he joined the war on terror but drew a line when asked to send troops to Iraq in 2003.

The US-Pakistan relationship has endured because both have needed each other. There is hardly any incoherence in that. There have been vicissitudes in it because one has global worries to take care of, and the other is regionally obsessed with India. Without reference to the US, it is for Pakistan to meditate over its single-item foreign policy: can it go on risking its survival by following an uncreative and imitative approach to its big neighbour, India. *

[Naresh]

<b>Car bomb kills 10 in Peshawar</b>

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->PESHAWAR : A car bomb exploded on Cinema Road in Khyber Bazaar area of Peshawar, <b>killing 10 people and injuring dozens others,</b> police said on Friday.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

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[Naresh]

<b>Wheat export barred</b>

Bumper harvest rots amidst military assault In a positive move, the Economic Coordination Committee has rejected the food ministry’s request to allow the export of wheat. For its part, the food ministry has argued that initial surveys have indicated a bumper wheat crop this year and that given the lack of storage facilities in the country it makes sense to export the surplus and earn some foreign exchange rather than see a part of the crop go to waste.

<b>There is also the suspicion that in a year when the GDP growth rate is expected to barely cross two per cent and with the next budget around the corner, the possibility of wheat export could bump up preliminary GDP estimates. If farmers fear that there is a significant wheat surplus, they may rush their crop to the market earlier than usual and thus allow the government to claim a higher crop estimate and hence higher GDP growth at the time of the budget.

Thankfully though the ECC has resisted the food ministry’s demand. Past experience suggests that the decision to allow the export of wheat on the basis of estimates has proved disastrous for the country’s food security. There are two problems here. The first is the estimate of how much wheat is needed for domestic consumption. Placed at between 22 and 24 million tonnes, the measure does not take into account wheat smuggling out of Pakistan.</b>

Depending on the price of wheat elsewhere, relatively cheaper Pakistani wheat is smuggled across the porous border with Afghanistan and Iran and even to Central Asia and Dubai. Since the practice has proved difficult to stop, the estimate of how much wheat is needed domestically must incorporate the smuggling factor. The second problem is the estimate of wheat output : history suggests it is more an art than a science. This year the signs are all positive and a bumper crop is expected — upwards of 24 million tonnes versus last year’s dismal 21.8 million tonnes — but they are still only estimates. So to allow the export of wheat on the basis of estimates that historically have pegged local requirements at lower than actual and production at higher than actual would be irresponsible.

Besides, it is necessary to point out who will be the only guaranteed winners if wheat exports were allowed at this point in time : the small group of wheat exporters. The government may benefit in the short run from an unexpected inflow of foreign revenue, but it would do so at the risk of having to import wheat later, and possibly at a higher price, if the estimates do not pan out. And with food inflation still hovering near historic highs, consumers could face the double whammy of having good quality local wheat sent abroad now and then later having to buy lower quality imported wheat at a higher price.

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[Naresh]

<b>Many buses torched as violence erupted in Karachi</b>

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[Naresh]

<b>Pakistani Per capita income falls to $1,071</b> <!--emo&:liar liar--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/liar.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='liar.gif' /><!--endemo-->

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[Capt M Kumar]

Protestors demonstrating against misuse of American tax-payer dollars briefly disrupted a Senate hearing on US aid to Pakistan on
Thursday, but US lawmakers by and large fell in line with the Obama administration's proposal to not legislate exacting conditions on the multi-billion dollar assistance but hold Islamabad to account through executive oversight.

Shouting "Say no to a war economy," and "No more blood money," some half-dozen placard-waving demonstrators interrupted a testimony by top ranking US general Mike Mullen. They were evicted quickly even as law-makers agonized about throwing US tax-payer dollars at Pakistan without sufficient benchmarks and accountability.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Protest...how/4567024.cms

[Naresh]

<b>Treat us like India, Malik appeals world</b> <!--emo&tupid--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/pakee.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='pakee.gif' /><!--endemo-->

ISLAMABAD (Online) - Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik has urged the international community not to worry about Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal as it is a responsible nuclear country.

Talking to a private TV channel on Sunday, he said Pakistan’s nukes are in safe hands and cannot fell into wrong hands and appealed to the international community to treat Pakistan like India. Commenting on ongoing military operation, the minister said that most low-level Taliban commanders have been killed and now their top leadership would be targeted in the security forces offensive against them in Swat.

He said the operation could also be conducted where we have information about presence of militants and Taliban because we are committed to flush out them. PM Yousuf Raza Gilani launched the offensive against militants by taking all parties into confidence, he said.

“We have been able to control law and order,” he said, adding: “We have feared reaction of our operation against militants but the law enforcement agencies have been put on high alert to cope any emergency situation.”

He went on to say the militants wanted to make state within a state. The militants were getting weapons from across the border and their supply line has been cut off, he said.

The militants have sophisticated weapons and radio and operation against them would be continued till their complete elimination,” he added.

The Taliban violated the peace agreement 39 times including kidnapping associates of ANP senior leader Afzal Khan Lala, he said. Answering a question, he said the security forces are wagging guerilla war in Swat.

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