Sunday, March 2, 2014
Commentary: West should work with, not against, Russia in handling Ukraine crisis
Kerry Heading to Ukraine as Russia Tightens Grip on Crimea
Quoting a senior U.S. government official, the New York Times reports that the trip will be a gesture of support for the new Ukrainian government. Also on Sunday, President Barack Obama spoke with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British Prime Minister David Cameron and Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski, according to senior administration officials. The purpose of the talks, they said, was to re-state the "complete illegitimacy" of Russian action in Ukraine and discuss available responses. According to the officials, the U.S. and its allies are looking into offering an "off-ramp" if Moscow chooses to pursue its concerns diplomatically. International tools, they said, are available to President Vladimir Putin to address concerns about the safety of ethnic Russians, such as through the United Nations and/or through monitors from the Organization for Cooperation and Security in Europe.G-7 condemns Russia The Group of Seven major industrialized nations (G-7) on Sunday condemned Russia's intrusion into Ukraine and canceled for now preparations for the G-8 summit that includes Russia and had been scheduled to take place in Sochi in June, the White House said. ”We, the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States and the President of the European Council and President of the European Commission, join together today to condemn the Russian Federation's clear violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine,” the G7 said in a statement. We have decided for the time being to suspend our participation in activities associated with the preparation of the scheduled G-8 Summit in Sochi in June,” the group said.
Russia's moves on Ukraine are congruent to extraordinary situation - Putin
President Vladimir Putin told German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday that Russian citizens and Russian-speakers in Ukraine faced an "unflagging" threat from ultranationalists, and that the measures Moscow has taken were completely fitting given the "extraordinary situation", the Kremlin said.In a telephone conversation during which Merkel expressed concern about developments in Ukraine, she and Putin agreed that Russia and Germany would continue consultations in bilateral and multilateral formats to seek the "normalisation" of the situation, a Kremlin statement said. The conversation was initiated by the German side worried over the development in Ukraine, and in its autonomous republic of Crimea in particular. The Russian president drew attention of the German chancellor to growing threats of violence on the part of ultranationalist forces in Ukraine, which endanger the lives and legal interests of Russian citizens and the entire Russian-speaking population of Ukraine. “The Russian leader stressed that Russia’s measures were completely consistent with the current extraordinary situation,” the press service said.
Russia's Vladimir Putin has agreed to a proposal from Angela Merkel to set up a contact group on Ukraine, the German government said Sunday. "President Putin accepted the German chancellor's proposal to immediately establish a commission of enquiry as well as a contact group, possibly under the direction of the OSCE, to open a political dialogue," Berlin said in a statement.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has discussed the situation in Ukraine with his US counterpart Barack Obama by telephone. Putin reminded the US president of crimes committed by Ukrainian ultranationalists with the connivance of Kiev's new self-proclaimed government. The conversation was at Obama's request and lasted more than an hour, according to the Kremlin's press service. In response to Obama's concerns over the possible use of Russian troops in Ukrainian territory, Putin said that Russia reserved the right to defend both its own interests and the interests of the Russian-speaking population of Ukraine if violence spread to Ukraine's eastern provinces and Crimea. Putin accentuated the existence of real threats to life and health for Russian citizens and millions of compatriots living in Ukraine. Putin also spoke with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. He made clear that, if violence against the Russian-speaking population in eastern Ukraine and Crimea escalated, Russia would not remain aloof but would take all necessary measures within the framework of international law. Both sides pinpointed the need to prevent the escalation of the crisis in Ukraine. Putin shared his assessments of the situation in Ukraine in a follow-up telephone conversation with French President Francois Hollande. The two leaders discussed ways of promoting solutions to the crisis and agreed to maintain contact.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and US counterpart Barack Obama discussed in detail "different aspects of an extraordinary situation in Ukraine" in a telephone conversation, the Kremlin press service reported on Sunday. The Russian president noted that Russia retained the right to protect its interests and Russian speakers living in Ukraine if violence spread to eastern Ukrainian regions and the Crimea. Putin spoke of real threats to life and health for Russian citizens and numerous compatriots living in the country. In reply to Obama's concerns over plans on the possible use of Russian armed forces in Ukraine, Putin noted provocative and criminal actions by ultra-nationalistic elements that are actually encouraged by current authorities in Kiev. The United States initiated the telephone conversation.
675,000 Ukrainians pour into Russia as ‘humanitarian crisis’ looms
An estimated 675,000 Ukrainians left for Russia in January and February, fearing the “revolutionary chaos” brewing in Ukraine, Russia's Federal Border Guard Service said. Officials fear a growing humanitarian crisis.
On Sunday, the border guard service said Russian authorities have identified definite signs that a “humanitarian catastrophe” is brewing in Ukraine.
“In just the past two months (January-February) of this year…675,000 Ukrainian citizens have entered Russian territory,” Itar-Tass news agency cited the service as saying.
"If 'revolutionary chaos' in Ukraine continues, hundreds of thousands of refugees will flow into bordering Russian regions," the statement read.
Turkey: Corruption or noble cause?
Postmodern theories suggest that there are no facts, but only “competing narratives.” We may disagree with the ultimate rejection of claims of reality, but cannot dismiss the importance of “narratives” for understanding politics. It may sound odd, but the recent political crises in Turkey are indeed a very good case of “politics as competing narratives.” The recent grand corruption case is not a corruption case in the minds of many in Turkey, not because the ordinary supporters of the government are fanatics and/or fools and not because PM Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is the ultimate manipulator or a kind of snake charmer. In fact, he is, but that is not and cannot be the whole story. The PM and his party are currently trying to manipulate public opinion by presenting the corruption case as an attack against not only himself and even his government, but as an assault or plot against Turkey. It sounds and indeed it is the ultimate chutzpah, but after all, it works, and we need to understand how it works to be able to make sense of politics in Turkey. I am not sure if it was hypocrisy on behalf of the founders of the governing party to denounce their Islamist past and to redefine themselves as conservative democrats that they turned their back on their Islamist roots when they felt powerful enough, or whether it is because the AKP could not cope with the challenges of governing Turkey and foreign policy, leading it to seek to take refuge in its previous, simplistic, Islamist understanding of politics. No matter which version is true, it seems the AKP turned to base its politics on an Islamist-nationalist mission at some stage, and the PM and his close circle is not only trying to manipulate public opinion, but genuinely believes what he says in terms of his new Islamist discourse. According to this discourse, there is no corruption but there is a wicked plan to ruin “the finances of the noble cause.” “The noble cause” is assumed to be rescuing the Islamic world from deprivation and submission to the West under the leadership of Turkey, with Erdoğan as its leader. It is now clear that it is not secular law and justice or even jurisprudence, but Islamic law that is of relevance for Erdoğan and the leadership of the party, as well as for many of his supporters. In their eyes, “the deals with businessmen” are legitimate, since the corruption probe has been denounced by the Islamic scholar (who is accepted as a religious authority by Erdoğan) on Islamic grounds that “financial help from businessman can be accepted for the public good even if it is offered for financial deals.” Nevertheless, it is not only that the PM, the government and many AKP supporters are Islamists and, being so, do not genuinely acknowledge just a secular law, as well as a secular political system and institutions, but also believe in Islamic legitimacy. As for Islamism, it is not a religious narrative with reference to politics, but a political narrative with reference to religion, while there is not one but many Islamist narratives. The new AKP version is based on a narrative of “a success story of the new Turkey and its great Muslim leader who is being targeted by global powers and their native collaborators.” Finally, the corruption case is no corruption case, but a confrontation of competing narratives in today’s Turkey. Turkey managed to overcome some aspects of the democracy deficit resulting from the politics of “secularism at the expense of democracy” under AKP rule, but now it is time to overcome the politics of “democracy at the expense of secularism.” You see, after all, postmodern theorists have a point: Unless we agree on a narrative (a “secular democracy” narrative in this case) we cannot even define corruption as corruption!NURAY MERT
Saudi women activists demand end to 'absolute' male control
Saudi women activists have petitioned the country's consultative council to back a demand to curb the "absolute authority" of male guardians over women in the ultra-conservative Sunni Muslim kingdom, a signatory said.
Saudi Arabia imposes a strict interpretation of Islamic law, forbidding women to work or travel without the authorisation of their male guardians.
It is also the only country in the world that bans women from driving, and a woman cannot obtain an identification card without the consent of her guardian.
Activist Aziza Yousef told AFP that "rights activists have petitioned the Shura (consultative) Council on the occasion of the International Women's Day (on March 8) demanding an end to the absolute authority of men over women".
They demanded "measures to protect (women's) rights," in their petition to the Shura Council, she said.
Laws in the kingdom enforcing such restrictions on women "are not based on religious" teachings, said Yousef.
The petition, signed by 10 female activists, also calls for allowing women to drive.
Women in Saudi must obtain permission from a male guardian to perform "certain surgeries" and to "leave the university campus during study hours," she added.
She cited a recent case in which a pregnant student had to give birth on campus after a women-only university in Riyadh denied access to paramedics.
And a university student died in February after paramedics were prevented from entering her campus because they were not accompanied by a male guardian, a must according to the strict segregation rules in the Muslim kingdom.
Earlier this year, Saudi Arabia suspended a notification programme that had been running since 2012, which alerted male guardians once women under their custody left the country, even if they were travelling together.
Three female members of the Shura Council presented a recommendation that women be given the right to drive in October, but the male-dominated 150-member assembly blocked the proposal.
The Shura Council is appointed by the king and advises the monarch on policy, but cannot legislate.
Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2014/Mar-02/248967-saudi-women-activists-demand-end-to-absolute-male-control.ashx#ixzz2urwHDpHq
(The Daily Star :: Lebanon News :: http://www.dailystar.com.lb)
Former President Zardari has felicitated Pakistan Cricket team on its victory
Former President Asif Ali Zardari has felicitated Pakistan Cricket team on its victory in the match against India today describing it as ‘spirit lifting’. He said that every player of the team, captain Misbah, the team coach and manager and PCB management is lauded by the nation over the splended performance.
China blames MUSLIM militants for train station attack by knife-wielding ‘terrorists’
Associated PressChina on Sunday blamed an unprecedented “terrorist attack” by knife-wielding assailants at a railway station that killed 33 people and injured over 130 on Islamist militants from the volatile Xinjiang province and described the slashing rampage as the country’s 9/11. It was a macabre night at the crowded Kunming railway station, the city known for its serenity, when a group of black-clad knife and sword-wielding attackers, including two women, mowed down people at random, sending shock waves across the nation which prides itself in its watertight security. Police fatally shot four attackers, including a woman, during the mass knife-attack which went on for 25 minutes in Kunming, the capital of southwest Yunnan province. They are searching for at least five more attackers. Over 10 “terrorist suspects” were involved in the last night’s attack, while left 33 people, including 29 civilians, dead and over 130 injured. Most of the victims sustained head injuries as the militants went on the stabbing spree. One more female suspect has been arrested and is being treated in hospital for unspecified injuries. Reports said Chinese police captured an injured woman militant who was reportedly being interrogated to get more details. Evidence at the crime scene showed that the attack was orchestrated by separatist forces from Xinjiang, home to the mostly-Muslim Uygur minority, the municipal government of Kunming said today. TV footage showed police recovering swords carried by some of the assailants. Nothing justifies civilian slaughter in China’s “9-11″, state-run Xinhua news agency said in a commentary on the last night’s dreadful attack. “China was outraged and the world shocked after separatists from Xinjiang knifed down innocent civilians at a crowded train terminal in Kunming Saturday night,” it said. “It was a typical terrorist attack and also a severe crime against humanity. It was China’s ’9-11′”, it said. It is the first time militants from the banned East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) from Xinjiang have been blamed for carrying out such a large-scale attack from their remote homeland. It follows an incident in Beijing’s iconic Tiananmen Square in October which shook the country’s Communist leadership, forcing them to establish a state committee to ensure national security. The attack came ahead of the commencement of China’s Parliament beginning from tomorrow, an annual political season that lasts about a fortnight. Observers said the attack is a shock to the Chinese government as the militants chose a soft target like Kunming, which is far from tightly secured capital Beijing. The banned ETIM, an alleged al-Qaeda linked group, is fighting for the independence of Xinjiang province, which is endowed with natural resources, including oil. Last year three members of a family, including two women, tried to carry out an attack at the Forbidden city near the Tiananmen Square where the Parliament holds its session at the Great Hall of People. Five persons were killed in the attack. The attacks point out that the ethnic conflict in Xinjiang, which borders Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) and Afghanistan, is spilling over to mainland China. Overseas Xinjiang groups allege severe repression by the Chinese security forces. The province is witnessing violent ethnic conflict in recent years as ethnic Muslim Uygurs, who form over 45 per cent of the provincial population, resented the settlements of China’s Han majority. Before the emergence of ETIM, the province witnessed several riots between the two communities. Senior Chinese security official Meng Jianzhu, who rushed to Kunming last night on the directive of President Xi Jinping, pledged to harshly punish terrorists in accordance with the law to ensure social stability. Meng, head of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the CPC, said the attack caused big losses to people’s lives. The terrorists were devoid of conscience as they brutally attacked unarmed civilians and exposed their anti-humanity and anti-society nature. They should be harshly punished in accordance with the law, he said. Xi, who is regarded as the most powerful Chinese leader in recent years as he headed, Presidency, CPC and the military, ordered authorities to firmly suppress terrorists’ rampant momentum, official media reported. The President, who also heads recently formed China’s national security commission, asked law enforcement agencies to crackdown on violent terrorist activities in all forms, Safeguard social stability and guarantee the safety of people’s lives and property. A day after the attack, eyewitnesses recalled the horrific moment with Kunming resident Yang Haifei saying he was buying a ticket when he saw a group of people rushed into the station and started attacking people. “I saw a person come straight at me with a long knife and I ran away with everyone,” he said, adding that the attackers caught those who were slower. “They just fell on the ground.” “At first I thought it was just someone fighting, but then I saw blood and heard people scream, and I just ran,” said Liu Chen, a 19-year-old student from Wuhan City of central China’s Hubei Province, who was visiting Yunnan. The killing spree showed that terror attacks are spreading from Muslim Uygur Xinjiang to rest of the areas which makes it imperative to tighten security all across the country, an official media report here said. “If the Tiananmen car crash incident that happened in October 2013 marked the first sign that terrorism was starting to trickle into China’s central and eastern areas, this massacre can clarify that the eastward expansion of Xinjiang terrorism is accelerating,” a report in Global Times website said today. The attack “signals and sets alarm for the rest of China, especially large cities, that terrorism has already crept in. This new tendency pushes China’s anti-terrorism efforts into a much more severe and demanding situation,” it said. “This means other cities and provinces, which were previously believed to be unlikely to be targeted by terrorism, must prepare for any possible attacks by terrorists,” the report said. Xinjiang is not dealing with this issue alone any more. People must realise that a handful of extremists do not represent tens of millions of local residents in Xinjiang. China’s legislators and political advisors have expressed their support for an iron-fist crackdown on terrorism after the bloody killing spree. “We should launch a nationwide campaign against such terrorist activities and resolutely fight the terrorists,” said Yin Zhuo, director of the Expert Consultation Committee of the People’s Liberation Army Navy. Chen Shu, a deputy to the National People’s Congress (NPC), the country’ s top legislature, urged a “quick and harsh crackdown on the terrorist activists”. “All countries should join hands to fight terrorist activities like this one,” he said.
Train station mass stabbing attack 'was China's 9/11'
Officials said a group of knife-wielding "terrorists" from the restive Xinjiang region launched a premeditated attack at the Kunming Railway Station in China's southwest on Saturday night. More than 130 people were wounded. Armed riot police stood guard as people streamed into the railway station on Sunday only hours after the attack, one of the worst of its kind in China in recent memory. Police shot four of the attackers dead and captured one, state news agency Xinhua reported. About five others were on the run, it said. Xinhua quoted the Kunming city government as saying evidence at the crime scene showed the attack was carried out by Xinjiang separatist forces. Word of the violence spread quickly, with graphic pictures that showed bodies covered in blood posted to the Twitter-like microblogging service Sina Weibo – posts that were later deleted by government censors. State television showed police wrapping a long, sword-like knife in a plastic bag.
Shop and restaurant workers said hundreds of people had fled into their stores seeking refuge. Scores of patients from the attack spilt into corridors from overflowing wards at Kunming's No 1 People's Hospital where they were being treated. In the neurosurgery department, several patients had head injuries. China's domestic security chief, Meng Jianzhu, vowed those responsible would be brought to justice. Telegraph's Tom Phillips reporting from the scene said the attack recalled the fear and chaos felt after the attack on the World Trade Center in New York on 11 September 2001. "This is very much being seen here as a 9/11 style event. It's by far the worse incident of its kind in China and it will have a huge impact on what will happen here," he said.
Crimea remains calm despite Russian troop presence
All eyes rest on Ukraine's Crimea territory, where Russian troops remain on patrol in what has quickly escalated into an international crisis.
Putin takes on West over Ukraine: who blinks first?
Russian President Vladimir Putin has taken a gamble on Ukraine and is betting that U.S. President Barack Obama will blink first.Kerry threatens Russia with economic isolation over Ukrainian crisis
itar-tass.com
Kerry said G8 nations and some other countries were prepared “to go to the hilt to isolate Russia" with a wide array of options available to themU.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has threatened Russia with “very serious repercussions” for Moscow’s decision to take steps towards defense of the Russian-speaking population in Crimea and other regions of eastern and southern Ukraine. “Russia is in violation of the sovereignty of Ukraine. Russia is in violation of its international obligations,” he claimed. He indicated that the U.S. and “other countries” might take the sanctions that would isolate Russia economically in case of Moscow’s decision to introduce troops to the Ukrainian territory for the defense of national interests and the ethnic Russian population there, which the upper house of Russian parliament authorized on Saturday. Kerry said G8 nations and some other countries were prepared “to go to the hilt to isolate Russia" with a wide array of options available to them, adding that “Russia has major economic challenges." In the light of it, he made a particular stress on the “the ruble already going down” and also mentioned bans on the issuance of travel visas and freezing of assets.
Ukraine troops in Crimea change sides to back pro-Russia authorities without bloodshed
http://voiceofrussia.com/
Crimea-stationed Ukrainian troops have switched sides to join forces with local pro-Russia authorities in the Russian-dominated autonomous republic of Crimea, a source in the region’s administration has said. The source has stressed the transition was peaceful and without a single shot being fired.
Some of the servicemen reportedly left their posts without prior warning, while others surrendedered letters of resignation but the majority went over to the Crimean government. According to the source, all troops will soon be sworn in by the authority of the Crimean republic.
Opinion: Crimea is Putin's bargaining chip
Russian President Vladimir Putin's strategy for the Ukrainian conflict is clear. As a result, Ukraine's new government and the West are in a dangerous jam, writes DW's Ingo Mannteufel.On the Crimean Peninsula, events have taken a dramatic turn in recent days. The situation is dynamic, and from the beginning it has been clear that Moscow is the driving force behind the developments. The well organized and armed military officers without official badges that took control of critical spots on the peninsula were acting on behalf of the Kremlin. This also applies to the so-called pro-Russian politicians in Crimea, who have seized power in the shadow of the military command and plan to initiate the peninsula's secession from Ukraine via a referendum on March 30. Then, there are the threatening gestures from Russia's side: military exercises, parliamentary statements and a press conference with ousted Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych. All these point to a concerted effort on Russia's part. The decision to allow the official deployment of Russian troops in Ukraine is simply the latest evidence of Russian intervention. Putin's aims and Kyiv's options Through "Operation Crimea," the Kremlin has set up an extremely dangerous trap for the West and for the new government in Kyiv. This can be seen in Putin's strategy and options - because through his control of Crimea he is pursuing two goals. Firstly, he proactively secured the Russian Black Sea fleet base before the new government in Kyiv could recall the existing deployment treaty. Secondly, Moscow now has a bargaining chip for putting pressure on Ukraine's government. Following the ouster of Yanukovych, Putin is securing his place in the debate on Ukraine's future in a ruthless and nefarious way. If the new Ukrainian government doesn't agree to this, we can expect a new Transnistria or Abkhazia to emerge - a breakaway region with an isolated pro-Russian power structure, kept stable through a strong Russian military presence. The new government in Kyiv now faces a difficult decision. A deployment of the Ukrainian army on the Crimean Peninsula could lead to an unimaginable disaster. The conflict could spread to the whole of southern and eastern Ukraine, the delicate economic situation could be further destabilized, and a full-blown war could erupt between Ukraine and Russia. And it is highly doubtful that the West would support a military solution. Dilemma for the West The initial statements issued by the US and the EU show their outrage at the developments in Crimea. But harsh words will have little impact. Putin is indifferent to what the West says or thinks about him. In addition to that, he constantly highlights the alleged demands of the ethnic Russian population of Crimea, whose safety he claims to want to ensure. As a result, the West finds itself in an uncomfortable predicament. It could retaliate with rigorous sanctions against Russia (trade restrictions, travel restrictions, account closures, eviction from the G8), which could lead to a new Cold War with negative consequences for the West's energy supply and huge investments into helping maintain the new "frontier state of Ukraine." It's hard to imagine that the residents of western democracies would support this kind of solution. Or the West can grit its teeth for some time and silently accept Moscow's new role in Crimea, coercing the politicians in Kyiv into negotiating with Russia, which they are reluctant to do. In this way, Putin would - in a brutal way and in breach of international law - attain what the anti-Yanukovych opposition and western politicians didn't want to grant him in recent months: a strong voice in the negotiations on Ukraine's political and economic future.
Afghanistan: Kabul Residents Arrested for Celebratory Gunfire
http://www.tolonews.com/The Ministry of Interior Affairs (MoIA) acknowledged on Sunday that a number of Kabul residents were arrested on Saturday night for celebrating the National Cricket Team's historic win over Bangladesh by firing guns into the air. After Cricket Team's victory over Bangladesh Saturday night, which marks Afghanistan's first cricket victory over a Test-playing nation, hundreds of Kabul residents poured out into the streets to celebrate. The public revelry Saturday night was not on the scale of that seen after the National Football Team won its first international title back in September, however, there were some similar sights. Afghan men danced and cheered, hung out of car windows and gunshots were heard around the capital. MoIA spokesperson Sediq Sediqqi said that the accused men's guns were seized and they could face legal repurcussions if found guilty in court. "The investigations are ongoing and they face serious punishment," Sediqqi said. A number of Kabul residents criticized those who expressed their happiness with the win by shooting skyward, indicating support for the Ministry's move to curtail the behavior. "We saw a 12-years old boy last night, and he was firing," one Kabul resident told TOLOnews. "He is the relative of a government official or supported by someone powerful."
Afridi secures a win for Pakistan
Pakistan defeated India in the 6th Asia Cup fixture played at Mirpur on Sunday. Afridi gave the ball a "Boom Boom" treatment securing a win for Pakistan.
Pakistan bowlers restricted India to 245 for eight in the fifty overs in the sixth match of the 12th Asia Cup here at the Shere Bangla National Stadium on Sunday.
Sent into bat by Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq, India could not accelerate the run rate due to accurate bowling by Pakistan spinners and pace bowlers despite three individual
half-centuries.
Ambati Rayudu scored 58, Rohit Sharma made 52 and Ravindra Jadeja remained not out on 52.
Only three more batsmen – Ajinkya Rahane (23), Dinesh Karthik (23) and Shikhar Dhawan (10) - could get into the double figure.
For Pakistan, off-spinners Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Hafeez grabbed three wickets for 40 and two for 38 while debutant fast bowler Mohammad Talha also captured two wickets for 22.
Pakistan made one change giving international cap to fast bowler Mohammad Talha in place of Anwar Ali while India also made one change as leg-spinner Amit Mishra replaced Stuart Binny.
Pakistan and India, both have played two matches each so far in the tournament, winning one and losing one.
You can help improve the safety of women in Afghanistan
http://www.dailylife.com.au/
Do you remember the 12-year old Afghan girl Sahar Gul? She was sold into marriage, then chained in a basement, tortured and sexually assaulted by her husband and his family, because she would not become a prostitute for them. Her case shocked the world, and her abusers were sent to jail. But last month Afghanistan was on the brink of changing the law to enable this kind of abuse to be meted out against girls and women across Afghanistan. It sounds too horrendous to be true, but the proposed law would have allowed people to attack their wives, sisters and daughters without fear of punishment, because family members would not have been allowed to testify as witnesses to the crimes. If they could not testify, the woman’s claim would be unlikely to be believed – and victims of violence would have been silenced.
The law was passed recently by the conservative Afghan parliament, but after a huge outcry from women within Afghanistan, as well as the international community, President Karzai decided at the 11th hour not to sign the law into force. Only a few months ago, Afghan women also were at risk of another brutal law, which would have legalised public stoning to death for people committing the crime of 'adultery', an allegation usually directed at women. Again, after an international outcry, the law was not approved – however, these kind of last-minute reprieves may be coming to an end. In the last 2 years, conservative decision-makers in Afghanistan have made several attempts to return to Taliban-era repression of girls and women, and the situation is becoming even more dangerous for Afghan girls and women. On 5 April, Afghans will elect a new President, and whoever is elected may not want to make such politically unpopular decisions to support women's safety and freedom. If you'd like to show your support for women in Afghanistan, check out Amnesty's campaign page( http://www.amnesty.org.au/afghanwomen/ ) and be sure to sign the forthcoming petition calling on the incoming President to protect women's rights.
Obama's contingency plans in Afghanistan
How American security goals can be advanced after US troops withdraw from Afghanistan at the end of the year.
By informing Afghan President Hamid Karzai, our military, our NATO allies and the American people on February 25 that the US is finally planning an orderly withdrawal from Afghanistan if Karzai does not sign a bilateral security agreement (BSA), US President Barack Obama has acted prudently and in a strategically sound manner. Currently, the US and our NATO allies have about 50,000 troops in Afghanistan, down from about 100,000 about two years ago. The United Nations and NATO mandate to keep these foreign troops on Afghan soil expires at the end of this year.
Therefore, the president must assume that these troops, and all of their equipment, will have to be completely out of the country and their bases in Afghanistan closed within 10 months. Therefore, it is prudent that the military begin now to plan to "accomplish an orderly withdrawal" by the end of the year. By waiting until later in the year to begin planning for a complete withdrawal, Obama would create a logistical nightmare for our forces and those of our allies. In fact, our NATO allies demanded clarity on the US position before their February 27 defense ministers meeting. There's no doubt that the US and its allies would like to leave a residual force of between 3,000 and 10,000 troops in Afghanistan after 2014. These troops would be stationed at four military bases throughout the country, so that they could continue to train Afghan Security Forces, conduct drone strikes on both sides of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, and conduct counterterrorism missions within Afghanistan in conjunction with Afghan security forces. Leaving this residual force advances several core American security goals. It would increase the likelihood that the post-Karzai administration would be able to prevent the Taliban from taking over all or part of the country as they did when the Soviets withdrew in 1989, and forestall al-Qaeda central from reestablishing itself in the country.Not a colonial power However, there are - at least - five benefits to Obama's announcement that the US is planning for a complete withdrawal of ISAF forces. First, it sends a signal to the people of Afghanistan that, unlike the British and the Russians, which did occupy Afghanistan in the past, the US is not an occupying or colonial power. This will help undermine the narrative of US occupation that the Taliban and other groups use to rally support among the Afghan people and turn them against the central Afghan government. And while the majority of Afghans want us to remain, at least for a short time, not all of them are convinced we would really willingly leave Afghanistan in the future. Planning for a full withdrawal at the end of the year establishes that the US is serious about leaving Afghanistan, whether now or in the future. Second, it not only puts pressure on Karzai to make a deal with us before he leaves office, but to negotiate a BSA that is acceptable to the Obama administration and the American people, i.e. one that gives immunity to American forces from the Afghan justice system. Given some of Karzai's statements and actions over the last couple of years, it is clear that he believes that the US wants a deal to keep troops and bases in Afghanistan more than it actually does, and will tolerate nearly any provocation as long as a deal is reached.
For example, he recently released 65 prisoners that had US and Afghan blood on their hands, against the wishes of the American commander. In addition, Karzai may believe that given the deteriorating security situation in Iraq after the complete US withdrawal there, the US may be desperate to avoid a similar situation in Afghanistan, giving him the upper hand in the negotiations. Obama's announcement makes it clear to Karzai that the US is willing to leave Afghanistan without a BSA. Third, it has forced all of the candidates running to replace Karzai in the April election to take a positive stand on the issue. As opposed to Karzai's posturing and foot-dragging, the candidates' support of the BSA more accurately reflects the will of the Afghan people. Fourth, Obama's action will allow the US adequate time to begin exploring other options to protect its interests in the region, if we are not allowed to keep troops on the ground in Afghanistan. This could include stationing forces in one of the Central Asian Republics. And while this is not an ideal solution, given their human rights records, we have used these bases extensively during the conflict in Afghanistan. Fifth, seeing Obama stand up to Karzai and plan for a complete withdrawal of US forces could persuade a war-weary American people and Congress to continue to provide financial aid to the Afghan government. Even if we are allowed to keep troops on the ground after December 31, 2014, the US and its allies will still need to provide the foreign aid that the Afghan government depends on. In Fiscal Year 2011, foreign aid amounted to nearly $16 bn - about equal to Afghanistan's GDP. Since the majority of the American people no longer think that the Afghan war was worth fighting, particularly given Karzai's erratic behaviour and his lack of appreciation for their sacrifices of blood and treasure, they welcome Obama finally laying down the law to the Afghan leader. There is little doubt that Obama, our military commanders, and our NATO allies wish that this situation was already resolved. However, Karzai's actions left Obama little choice but to call his bluff. Hopefully, Karzai's successor will have time to make a deal before it becomes logistically impossible to do so. But, even if a satisfactory BSA can be concluded with Karzai or his successor by the end of the year, we must keep in mind that the deal would only be for a limited period of time. US and NATO forces would still withdraw completely within several years. Ultimately, the Afghan government and its citizens will have to determine their own future.
Pakistan: Ceasefire?
Syria and Pakistan
Gunship helicopters kill five suspected militants in Khyber
Relatives of missing Baloch looking to UN as last ray of hope
Pakistan-Cuba: Friends indeed
Pakistan: MQM’s adulation of the army
By Lal Khan
The main character of the petit bourgeoisie is its erratic and impatient nature. In periods of social lull and stagnation, this class, in its relentless quest to join the ruling elite, becomes the foot soldiers of reaction
The regular provocative and quixotic statements of the MQM’s leadership have become a sort of norm in the political decay Pakistani society has been passing through in the last few decades. Altaf Hussain, in another bizarre outburst from his bubble in London, has once again traversed the ridiculous to arrest the dwindling popularity of the MQM and his personal cult, which is already limited to the particular constituency of an ethnic group. Altaf Hussain’s outburst on a private television channel on Tuesday expounded: “Pakistan is more important than democracy for us and we cannot imperil our country in the name of democracy. If the country survives, democracy would flourish. If the elected regime does not join hands with the army for getting rid of the terrorists then I would suggest the military to step forward on its own.”
The erratic love/hate relationship of the MQM and the army has been ongoing for almost two decades, reflecting the unity and discord of both parties’ vested interests. The people of Pakistan are regularly subjected to the MQM leadership’s public outbursts, oscillating between hysterical displays of extreme hostility, including vile aggressiveness bordering on treason against the state, and opportunistic conciliation with wild gestures of praise and sycophancy. The origins and the rise of the MQM as a mass party of the mainly Urdu-speaking migrants from India after partition in 1947 are deeply rooted in a period of reaction rather than a revolutionary upheaval. It was the darkest hour in Pakistan’s history when the brutal military dictator Ziaul Haq was tormenting society with vicious attacks against the workers and the oppressed masses. The PPP and the left were the main victims of this tyrannical rule. This cruelty in the name of Islam was, on the one hand, trying to break the resistance of advanced sections of society fighting against this exploitative system and, on the other, while using religion and beliefs, Zia was callously trying to drive a wedge between the advanced and primitive sections of society.
Karachi was not just the main commercial, financial and industrial centre of Pakistan but also the bastion of the Pakistani proletariat with a rich tradition of struggle and militancy. The MQM’s birth and subsequent rise on an ethnic basis in Karachi was engineered and patronised by the martial law regime and, subsequently, this venomous prejudice was injected into the social streams of Pakistan’s largest metropolis to break the unity of the workers and their impeccable opposition to the Zia regime. The foundations of the MQM were a paradoxical mix of mainly middle-class students from two ideological adversary student organisations: the Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba (IJT) and the National Students Federation (NSF). With the ebbing of the class struggle after 1972 in Karachi, the nationalistic, religious, sectarian and ethnic prejudices of the past came to the fore. The Mohajirs, faced with a certain social alienation in these rising divisions, converged towards this relatively new student organisation, the All Pakistan Mohajir Students Organisation (APMSO), which later morphed into the Mohajir Qaumi Movement (MQM) with patronage from mafia capitalism. The MQM’s assertion to date is probably correct when it says that it is a middle class organisation.The main character of the petit bourgeoisie is its erratic and impatient nature. In revolutionary periods some sections, particularly individuals, can play an important role in movements but in periods of social lull and stagnation, this class, in its relentless quest to join the ruling elite becomes the foot soldiers of reaction. From Nazi Germany to present day religious fundamentalism, reaction and fascism derive their social basis from this very class. In its insatiable greed for wealth it resorts to deceptive manoeuvres, violent means and criminal activities in the garb of piety and civility. Karl Marx prophetically analysed the class character of the petit bourgeois in his epic work, The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte: “But such an individual, because he represents the petit bourgeoisie, that is, a transition class, in which the interests of two classes simultaneously mutually blunt each other, imagines himself elevated above class antagonism generally. These sophists concede that a privileged class confronts them, but they, along with all the rest of the nation, form the people. What they represent is the people’s rights; what interests them is the people’s interests. Accordingly, when a struggle is impending, they do not need to examine the interests and positions of the different classes. They do not need to weigh their own resources too critically. They have merely to give the signal and the people, with all its inexhaustible resources, will fall upon the oppressors. Now, if, when it comes to the actual performance, their interests prove to be uninteresting and their potency impotence.” Being in power for most of the last three decades, the MQM is failing to whip up ethnic hatred and frenzy to sustain its social base. In the façade of nationalism, secularism, liberalism and religious bigotry, they have always served this rotting capitalism. The call for a military dictatorship to counteract ‘terrorism’ lays bare the bankruptcy of its political role. This only reinforces the impotence of the political representatives of a corrupt and reactionary capitalist class and its dependency on the state institutions to protect their crimes. That is where their weakness against the military manifests itself. It is not an accident that the main thrust of the MQM’s propaganda is the elimination of feudalism, only the remnants of which remain in Pakistan. It condones and extorts financial booty from the mafia capitalism that is dominating social relations and devastating human existence. The military uses this ethnic tool for its own ends but when it tries to become a Frankenstein monster it tries to rein it in. That has been one of the main causes of the ongoing violence in Karachi for more than two decades. Now, when there are more contenders in the field of this political crime and social repression, the conflagration has escalated. The decline of the MQM’s social support has made it more vulnerable and frazzled with internal conflicts morphing into this raging internecine bloodshed. The military will not bailout a force losing potency. Hence the MQM’s desperate gestures of adulation towards the army will not get much of a response. As the crisis worsens, the disenchantment, indifference and revulsion towards the incumbent politics and parties as a whole are intensifying. There is a huge vacuum. The military is incapacitated by its own burgeoning internal crisis to take direct power. The social and economic crisis is too deep, too immense and excruciatingly acute for the present system to resolve. There is a seething revolt amongst the masses beneath the surface. When that volcanic lava erupts into a renewed class struggle, it will leave no stone unturned. It will go beyond all the structures and norms that seem to be eternal.
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