ISLAMABAD (AP) — After relative success against Islamic extremists elsewhere, Pakistan's military faces its toughest test yet — a surgical operation against the country's most dangerous militant in a region of harsh terrain and fierce tribal rivalries.
The target of the air and ground offensive now in its early phases is Baitullah Mehsud, the top commander of Pakistan's Taliban who has ties to al-Qaida. Mehsud is believed responsible for scores of suicide attacks — possibly including the December 2007 assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.
Pakistan considers Mehsud its greatest domestic threat. The U.S. views him as a danger to its war effort in Afghanistan because his base in South Waziristan harbors militants fleeing across the border.
The Obama administration fears that a destabilized, nuclear-armed Pakistan could endanger the entire region. In recent months, U.S. missile strikes have increasingly focused on Mehsud-linked targets.
For years, Washington has pressed Pakistan to go beyond halfhearted offensives and fragile peace deals to root out militants from its northwest, especially the lawless tribal belt where al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden may be hiding.
Now it appears Pakistan may be heeding the call following major ground operations against Taliban fighters in the Bajur tribal region and the Swat Valley. But taking on Mehsud and his force of up to 10,000 fighters in South Waziristan will likely prove tougher.
Roughly half the size of Connecticut, South Waziristan is a mountainous, underdeveloped territory. It has a leaky border with Afghanistan, barely any government infrastructure and fiercely independent, heavily armed Pashtun tribes hostile to interference by outsiders, including Pakistan's Punjabi-dominated army.
Already, army officials are stressing that the operation will be limited — focusing on capturing or killing Mehsud and destroying his terror infrastructure rather than targeting other militant groups.
Mehsud "is the main center of gravity. He is a leader who has declared himself the emir, the ruler of the other factions, also. He has been the main source of terrorism in Pakistan," Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas, the army's chief spokesman, told The Associated Press.
As it ramps up its offensive, the military is trying to choke off sections of South Waziristan under Mehsud's control. Major roads are being cleared and potential escape routes sealed off to isolate the militants before the army's campaign takes off, Abbas said.
"We want to create certain effects in the area, like softening the targets, targeting their training centers, their suicide-bombing centers, and also hit hard their logistics. That will reduce their force capability," Abbas said.
By limiting the scope of the operation, the Pakistanis hope to avoid alienating other tribes, whose support — or at least neutrality — would be crucial to eliminating Mehsud.
Key to that effort is to cut deals with other militant leaders such as Maulvi Nazir, who recently agreed to a cease-fire. Nazir's fighters maintain a significant presence along the Afghan border and could help restrict movements of pro-Mehsud Taliban to and from Afghanistan.
"They cannot afford to alienate every single militant," said Kamran Bokhari of STRATFOR, a private security think-tank in Austin, Texas. "The tribes, the militia leaders, they are adjusting day by day. It's an issue of sorting out the baddies from the ones who aren't fighting the Pakistani state."
In February, Pakistan said it had defeated militants in Bajur after a six-month offensive, and it is now winding down a nearly three-month battle in the Swat Valley. But violence occasionally flares in Bajur, which, while also a rugged border area, is smaller than South Waziristan. And in Swat, many insurgents are believed to have fled to the hills.
Other differences add to the South Waziristan challenge.
Swat does not have as strong a tribal structure and legally it was a full-fledged part of Pakistan with government presence. Bajur's tribes are not as well off as those in Waziristan and appear more willing to work with the military, even setting up their own militias to take on the Taliban.
Aside from the porous border, South Waziristan's terrain poses other problems.
Pakistan's army is organized and trained to fight its traditional rival, India, on the eastern plains rather than guerrillas entrenched in mountains. The army, with U.S. assistance, is improving its counterinsurgency capabilities but is far from being as nimble enough.
Several factors have contributed to growing public anger against the Taliban, including their foray into a district just 100 kilometers (60 miles) from the capital, Islamabad, and a video showing militants flogging a young woman.
Whether the support would survive a long and bloody fight in South Waziristan is unclear.
Some analysts suspect the U.S. and Pakistani governments have a secret deal allowing the U.S. missile strikes, even though Pakistan publicly protests them, saying they anger the tribes.
Bokhari said the Pakistani military has weeks, not months, to make an impact in South Waziristan because public support for the operation could fade. Even if it never captures or kills Mehsud, the army needs to be able to say it has destroyed his network.
"Now you have momentum," Bokhari said. "You don't want to drag it out too long."
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Former Xinjiang chairman: Rebiya Kadeer not entitled to represent Uygur people
A citizen donates blood for the wounded of the July 5 riot in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 10, 2009. (Xinhua/He Jun) URUMQI, July 11 (Xinhua) -- A former chairman of the Xinjiang regional government said here Saturday that Rebiya Kadeer was "not entitled to represent the Uygur people." Ismail Amat, a Uygur who headed Xinjiang's regional government from 1979 to 1985, said the "spiritual mother of Uygur people" touted by East Turkestan terrorists was the "scum" of the Uygur community. "It's widely known that Kadeer sold intelligence information to foreigners and she herself pled guilty in jail," he said. "How can such a person represent the Uygur people?" Ismail Amat, who was also a vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top lawmaking body, said that by referring to Xinjiang as "East Turkestan" in her bylined article on the Wall Street Journal Wednesday, Kadeer exposed her separatist mentality as well as her ignorance, or rather, vicious distortion of Xinjiang's history. "East Turkestan" was a term cooked up by foreign invaders more than 200 years ago. he said. "The invaders had wanted, in vain, for all the Chinese people, the Uygur people included, to accept this name." Xinjiang has been under the jurisdiction of China's central government since 60 B.C. and the Uygur people have always taken pride in their Chinese nationality, he added.
"In the 19th century, the Xinjiang people fought courageously against the Tsarist Russian invaders and foiled the British attempt to colonize the region," he said. "They contributed greatly to China's unification and prosperity."
"It's grieving indeed to see a handful of mobs damaged the reputation of the Uygur people in last Sunday's riot, but they do not represent all the Uygurs either," he said. "These people blaspheme Islam, which insists killing is a crime."
The riot has so far caused 184 deaths and more than 1,000 injuries, left hundreds of vehicles burnt, shops looted and other public facilities destroyed.
"If Kadeer and the separatist 'World Uygur Congress' wanted to take ethnic relations as an excuse to sabotage China's unification, we must be vigilant and firmly crush their plot," he said.
Kadeer was jailed in 1999 on charges of harming national security. She left for the United States shortly after she was released on bail in 2005. She is now leader of the World Uygur Congress, which has close contact with terrorist organizations.
She was once the richest woman in Xinjiang and was named by Forbes in 1995 as the eighth richest on the Chinese mainland.
World Population Day today
ISLAMABAD :World Population Day is being observed across the country like other parts of the world on Saturday with a focus on women empowerment and economic crisis.
The theme for 2009 is ‘fight poverty, educate girls’. The World Population Day brings to light population issues. Population Welfare Ministry is scheduled to organise a convention in the capital while seminars, rallies and other awareness activities have been planned by provincial population departments in different cities.
Population Welfare Minister Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, in her message, said the day had more significant this year when it focused on investment in the women.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Queen Michelle arrives in triumph as Africa welcomes Obama home
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Barack Obama and his family flew into Ghana last night to a rapturous welcome as the African nation rejoiced in the arrival of America’s first black President.
“Akwaaba [welcome home] Barack and Michelle Obama,” proclaimed banners strung across the street of the spruced-up capital of Accra. Traditional dancers and drummers performed songs for Mr Obama’s first visit to any country in sub-Saharan Africa as the US President.
Thousands of jubilant Ghanaians waving US and Ghanaian flags braved torrential rain to line the road from the airport into the centre of town in the hope of catching a glimpse of the First Family.
To most Ghanaians and other Africans the President’s tour is seen as a homecoming rather than an official trip by a head of state to a foreign country. That unique position was set to be acknowledged today in a manner that few other Western visitors have experienced. Mrs Obama will be honoured by tribal chiefs as a “Queen” in a ceremony.
“Ghana is the birthplace of Africa — he is the first black President, we are part of him,” said Jonathan Prah, 29. Mr Prah, a caterer, was waiting in a crowd outside Cape Castle, a former Dutch slaving port, which the Obamas will visit this afternoon.
Ghana, which was the first African country to gain independence in 1957, was at the centre of one of Africa’s darkest chapters — slavery. President Obama may owe more to scholarships than slave ships — his father left Kenya with a bursary to study at Harvard — but his wife has a traditional African-American heritage.
Jim Robinson, Mrs Obama’s great-great-grandfather, was born into slavery in about 1850 and until the Civil War lived as a slave on a rice plantation in Friendfield, South Carolina.
A council or durbar of local chiefs has been summoned to a ceremony to mark the occasion at which the First Lady will be granted the title of Queen of the Cape Coast. She will be presented with a hand-made wooden stool as a symbol of family stability and rolls of colourful kente cloth.
Honourable Daasebre Kwebu Ewusi VII, the current president of the council, said that the Obamas’ visit to Cape Castle slave fort will be an emotional moment. “It is a moving place, full of history which reminds us of our painful past and the turmoil that our ancestors went through,” Mr Ewusi said. He added that the challenges of today were poverty and underdevelopment, issues that the President’s visit is designed to bring to the forefront.
“I am keeping details of the ceremony hush-hush in tradition with our culture but as one of our queens she [Mrs Obama] will be very powerful,” he added.
Mr Obama may also receive a title but is unlikely to be named a chief. “We are in discussions still on that but there is a feeling that he is doing fine as it is,” said Mr Ewusi, 48.
Street vendors are doing a brisk trade in pictures, wristbands, flags and a song, Barack Obama — written by a Ghanaian reggae star called Black Rasta — is playing non-stop on radio shows.
Before visiting Cape Coast the President is due to have breakfast with John Atta Mills, the Ghanaian President, and give an address to the country’s parliament in which he will stress the need for good governance to help meet Africa’s many challenges.
VOA condemns destruction of reporter's home
PESHAWAR: The Broadcasting Board of Governors and the Voice of America (VOA) has condemned the senseless attack on the home of VOA's Deewa Radio journalist Rahman Bunairee in Buner on July 8.
"The attack unnecessarily endangered Bunairee's innocent family, and caused them great loss," said VOA Director Danforth Austin in a press release. "Bunairee is a brave journalist who, like other VOA stringers, is committed to carrying out VOA's mission to provide independent news and information to Pakistan and the rest of the world," he added.
Bunairee's house in Buner was blown up in an explosion after masked men entered the structure and ordered his family to leave. The attackers destroyed a computer, boxes and valuables before blowing up and burning down the house.
"Three generations of the Bunairee family are without a home because violent forces in Pakistan are threatened by the truth," said Steven J. Simmons of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, which oversees the US international broadcasting including the Voice of America. "We will continue to report the news, accurately and independently, for as long as press freedom is threatened in Pakistan and elsewhere." Rahman Bunairee is based in Karachi.
"The attack unnecessarily endangered Bunairee's innocent family, and caused them great loss," said VOA Director Danforth Austin in a press release. "Bunairee is a brave journalist who, like other VOA stringers, is committed to carrying out VOA's mission to provide independent news and information to Pakistan and the rest of the world," he added.
Bunairee's house in Buner was blown up in an explosion after masked men entered the structure and ordered his family to leave. The attackers destroyed a computer, boxes and valuables before blowing up and burning down the house.
"Three generations of the Bunairee family are without a home because violent forces in Pakistan are threatened by the truth," said Steven J. Simmons of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, which oversees the US international broadcasting including the Voice of America. "We will continue to report the news, accurately and independently, for as long as press freedom is threatened in Pakistan and elsewhere." Rahman Bunairee is based in Karachi.
Law, order government’s top priority, says Hoti
PESHAWAR---The NWFP Chief Minister Ameer Haidar Khan Hoti has said that the NWFP Government was giving top priority to the establishment of peace and welfare of affectees of Malakand Division. Planning has been sorted out for the return of the IDPs, their rehabilitation and reconstruction of the infra structure. Shortage of resources will never hinder the process, Hoti declared. He expressed these views during his separate meetinsg with presidents of district associations and general secretaries of ANP from all over the province here on Friday. The Chief Minister said that the process of return of the IDPs will start from 13th July. He said that the day is near that the IDPs will start their lives anew in a peaceful and harmless environment in their regions due to the efforts and better planning of the Federal and Provincial Government. Hoti said that ANP organizations at lower level are playing the role of bridge between the government and the public for the solutions of public problems and works of their welfare. He said that monthly meeting with districts organizations office bearers remained detached due to conditions of Malakand, assistance activities for the affectees and provision of food, shelter and other basic needs of lives to them.
CHINA: Cherishing, maintaining overall social stability
The July 5th bloody riot has caused an immense loss of lives and property to the people of all ethnic groups in China's northwestern Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and wrought havoc upon the normal order and social stability in the region. In recent days, remaining problems left behind by the riot have been tackled in an orderly way, those people injured are receiving proper treatment, and social order has been resuming rapidly.
All this has been attributed to a great deal of arduous work done by the Xinjiang regional Party committee and government, organs of the Communist Party of China (CPC) central authority and relevant government institutions, the People's Liberation Army and People's Armed Police under the leadership of the CPC and the State Council and through firm reliance on the multi-ethnic people in Xinjiang.
The Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region will take the safeguarding and maintenance of social stability as its top priority and most urgent issue on hand. Stability is the basis of a happy and contended life for all people. If society bogs down in disorder and turmoil, people will lose their prime dignity and basic living conditions and can hardly guarantee their personal safety. So, social stability is a basic norm the humanity widely acknowledges, a vital objective for the governance of a nation and also the fundamental right and obligation of every citizen.
To maintain social stability, it is imperative to isolate the extremely few, and to unite, educate and win over the majority. Severe penalties will be meted out in line with law to the riot's plotters, organizers, backbone or "core" elements, and perpetrators of serious crimes. Meanwhile, those who were instigated and hoodwinked should be educated and looked after viably and effectively. As for the families or close relatives of victims, the injured innocent people and those who suffered property damage should be visited, consoled, and helped to tide over their practical difficulties.
Party and government leading bodies at various levels in Xinjiang should get to ensure the basic livelihood for local people, to do policies publicity among them and to help assure overall social stability. The CPC members and cadres, especially leading officials at all levels, should play an exemplary role, rely on the multi-ethnic people to maintain social stability and socialist judicial justice, to safeguard their fundamental interests and guide them in implementing requirements of the Party and government, so as to form a powerful strength and lay a solid basis for social stability.
Law provides a crucial, vital guarantee for the maintenance of social stability. While maintaining the unity, dignity and authority of the socialist legal system, every citizen is demanded to abide by national laws. Cadres and people of all ethnicities should keep sober-minded and be reasonable, carry out their civil duties, treasure all the more the excellent situation of ethnic unity and common prosperity in the region; they should "proceed first from themselves", neither to spread or blindly believe in rumors or hearsay, nor to partake in any activities in violation of law; they should wage resolute struggles against outlaws' activities and consciously work for ethnic unity and social stability.
"Living a stable and harmonious life is the greatest expectations" – This utters the common voice of the people of all ethnic groups. After the July 5th riot occurred in Urumqi, many family members or close relatives of victims, enduring their great grief and bearing an overall situation in mind, have exerted their best to defend social security, and this precisely epitomizes their super moral quality of sagacity, good sense and integrity.
Social stability is closely related to everyone and, only when an overall social security is viably and effectively safeguarded, can there be a reliable guarantee for the people's happy life.
By People's Daily political commentator and translated by PD Online
http://paper.people.com.cn/rmrb/html/2009-07/10/content_293030.htm
Operation Rah-e-Rast; three militants killed, 26 detained
RAWALPINDI :At least three miscreants were killed and 26 terrorists were reported to be detained during the search operation continued in Malakand division on Friday, according to ISPR press release issued here today.
Security forces conducted search operation at Badar and Sar colony in Swat and killed a terrorist and apprehended 26 other terrorists. Forces also claimed to destroyed seven tunnels, eight hideouts, one training center of militants.
Two terrorists were killed in Gujro Kille near Malam Jaba.
In Dir militants’ hideout was destroyed and few terrorists were reported wounded at Kuz Darmal near Lower Dir during the fight.
Meanwhile relieve activities have been also continued in camps. So far 1200 tons of rations from the army quota and other items have been distributed amongst the IDPs of Malakand and 50 tons of rations from the quota of army have been placed each at Malakand Fort, Chakdara and Mingora as part of Repatriation Package.
Nearly 9,669 cash cards were distributed amongst the IDPs of Malakand.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
ANP Chief for bringing FATA within NWFP
PESHAWAR: Awami National Party (ANP) Chief Asfandyar Wali Khan has demanded of the government to make Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) part of NWFP.Briefing the media here on Thursday, Asfandyar Wali said government’s writ has to established in FATA to ensure normalcy in NWFP.He demanded of the Federal Government to stretch NWFP’s boundaries to cover the tribal areas and in this connection its representation should be made in the provincial assembly.The ANP Chief said the annulment of 17th amendment cannot guarantee resolution to the country’s problems. The issues be resolved through ensuring supremacy of the Parliament instead, he added.
Obama says looking forward to visiting China later this year
L'AQUILA, July 9 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama said on Thursday that he was looking forward to visiting China later this year.
Obama made the remarks when meeting with Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo, who was here to attend the leaders' meeting of the Group of Eight (G8) and five leading emerging economies (G5) on behalf of Chinese President Hu Jintao.
During the meeting, Obama said the U.S. side attached importance to the U.S.-China relations, and he hoped that the upcoming U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue could generate fruitful results, according to a press release issued by the Chinese delegation.
It is important for the United States and China to enhance cooperation on major international issues, Obama said, adding that it benefits both countries and both people.
The two also exchanged views on bilateral relations and other major international and regional issues, said the press release.
Dai conveyed Hu's greetings to Obama while Obama asked Dai to pass on his greetings and good wishes to Hu.
Hu cut short his stay in Italy and skipped the G8 meeting due to the situation in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. He returned to Beijing Wednesday.
Nato not to conquer Afghanistan: Admiral Giampaolo
ISLAMABAD :Chairman Nato Military Committee Admiral Giampaolo Di Paola here Thursday said that Nato forces in Afghanistan are not there to conquer the country. He denied of providing arms to Afghan Taliban to use against Pakistani security forces. "We do not want to conquer but help to restore peace in Afghanistan," he told a press conference.
He said achieving peace in Afghanistan was not only in the interest of the people of Afghanistan but the region in particular and the whole world in general. He said that Nato was in Afghanistan on the request of the Afghan Government and "we will not stay one day more if the government doesn't want us to be there."
He said he couldn't give any time frame for the pull out of Nato troops from Afghanistan. "We are there in rebuilding state of Afghanistan," he said adding, "we are not there to kill Taliban but to protect people of Afghanistan." Admiral Paola was highly appreciative of Pakistan's role in fight against terror and expressed the desire to expand and build enduring relationship with the Pakistan. When his comments on the drone attacks were sought, the Chairman of
Nato Committee said that this subject was not in his domain. However, he advocated that sanctity of the jurisdiction of a country should be maintained. Answering a question regarding alleged theft of arms from Nato depot in Afghanistan and some of them being subsequently used against Pakistan security forces by the terrorists, he said, "we are not providing arms to terrorists in Afghanistan or Pakistan."
The theft of arms in the international market was on and global network of terrorists uses these weapons. "May be I don't have specific details about the theft of Nato weapons," he added.
He said that the government and armed forces of Pakistan were sincerely engaged in dealing with the scourge of terrorism in effective manner. The Admiral thanked Pakistan for its support to Nato forces employed in Afghanistan and lauded the role and sacrifices made by Pakistan Armed Forces and other Law Enforcement Agencies in striving to bring stability in the disturbed tribal regions.
Iran Security Forces Move to Crush Renewed Protests
CAIRO — Thousands of Iranians poured into the streets of Tehran on Thursday, clapping, chanting, almost mocking the authorities as they once again turned out in large numbers in defiance of the government’s threat to crush their protests with violence.
As tear gas canisters cracked and hissed in the middle of crowds, and baton-wielding police officers chased up and down sidewalks, young people, some bloodied, ran for cover, and there was an almost festive feeling on the streets of Tehran, witnesses reported.
A young woman, her clothing covered in blood, ran up Kagar Street, paused for a minute and said, “I am not scared because we are in this together.”
The protesters lighted trash on fire in the street, and shopkeepers locked their gates, then let demonstrators in to escape the wrath of the police. Hotels also served as safe havens, letting in protesters and locking out the authorities. It has been almost four weeks since the polls closed and the government announced that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had won re-election in a landslide.
And it has been almost four weeks of defiance, in the face of the government’s repeated, uncompromising and violent efforts to restore the status quo. The government did succeed in keeping people off the streets the last 11 days, leaving many to simmer on their own as political insiders and clerical heavyweights slugged it out behind the scenes.
But there was an opening to take to the streets again on Thursday, in a collective show of defiance, and many protesters seized it, even though the principal opposition leaders stayed away. Mir Hussein Moussavi, who claims he won the election, Mehdi Karroubi and the former president Mohammad Khatami have agreed to pursue their complaints through the legal system, and to protest only when a permit is issued.
But the mood of the street never calmed. One witness said that if it had not been for the overwhelming show of force, it appeared that tens of thousands were prepared to turn out.
The day was supercharged from the start, with a protest called for 4 p.m. to honor the students who 10 years earlier were bloodied and jailed during a violent confrontation with the police. Under a hot summer sun, police officers in riot gear patrolled the streets in roving bands of about 50. Then the crowds started to form, men, women and children packing the sidewalks. Traffic stopped and drivers honked or stepped from their cars in solidarity. The people chanted “Down with the Dictator,” “God is Great” and “Mouss-a-vi “ as they walked along Enghelab Street.
It was almost festive.
“Tell the world what is happening here,” one 26-year-old engineering student said. “This is our revolution. We will not give up.”
Asked what he wanted, he said: “We want democracy.”
One witness gave this account: “The crowds are too huge to contain. Riot police running up and down Fatemi Street, beating people, barely got out of the way. The crowds just get out of their way and come back.”
There were scenes like that reported all over the city, though the main skirmishes seemed to have occurred near Tehran University and at Enghelab Square. Police shot tear gas into Laleh Park. As night fell, the scene grew more severe. The air filled with acrid smoke and soot, and police officers and Basij militia members ran along the streets.
A man in a business suit pulled out a collapsible baton and beat a person with a camera until the baton broke. A middle-aged woman ran through the crowd, her coat covered with blood stains. Protesters hurled rocks at security officers. Two men held a huge floral arrangement of yellow and purple flowers on green leaves in commemoration of those killed last month and in 1999, a witness said.
But still, no matter who stopped to talk, witnesses said, there was a sense of mission and unity that seemed almost validated by the brutal government response. A 55-year-old woman on the streets in support of the marchers said: “This is Iran. We are all together.”
The security forces did not fire on protesters, witnesses said, and it was unclear how many people were injured or arrested. Until now, the government has relied on three main tactics to try to put the turbulence of the presidential race behind it: detentions; the violent suppression of street protests; and shifting blame to “meddling” foreign nations, primarily Britain and the United States, but also Israel and Saudi Arabia, for fomenting the unrest.
The nation’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has sanctified the election, and the powerful Guardian Council has certified the results. But the opposition has continued to insist that there were widespread irregularities rendering the vote and the results invalid. They have refused to concede, which has served to keep the conflict from fading .
Cell phone messaging was disconnected Thursday for a third consecutive day, apparently to prevent communication between protesters. The government also closed the universities and declared an official holiday Tuesday and Wednesday, ostensibly because Tehran has been shrouded in a cloud of heavy dust and pollution.
But neither the announced holiday nor the murky air seemed to thin the crowds.
Many people thrust their hands into the air, making the vee sign for victory. Even as they watched, and sometimes tried to stop, police officers and militia as they beat unarmed women and men — and there were a lot of women on the street as there have been throughout the crisis — the crowds remained mostly peaceful, an eyewitness said.
A crowd chanted “please stop” and chased two Basij away.
The streets burned with garbage fires. Tear gas settled all around. And on one street thousands of people pushed on, proclaiming their solidarity and defiance. “We don’t want war,” said one 27-year-old man in a black shirt. “We just want freedoms.”
Gulf countries suspend flights to Peshawar
LAHORE: Airlines of Gulf countries have suspended flights to Peshawar due to “security reasons”, a private TV channel quoted Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) officials as saying on Thursday. The airlines are Qatar Airways, Gulf Airways and Etihad Airways, the channel said. The Peshawar airport was closed for all air traffic on June 17 due to the volatile law and order situation in the province and all Peshawar-bound flights were re-routed to Islamabad.
U.S. resumes surveillance flights over Pakistan
WASHINGTON - U.S. military surveillance drones have resumed tracking militants in Pakistan to support Pakistani operations against Taliban insurgents in the South Waziristan region, officials said on Thursday.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the drones provide Pakistan with video images, communications intercepts and other information from border areas controlled by Pakistani Taliban leader and al Qaeda ally Baitullah Mehsud.
The flights are not connected with U.S. missile attacks from CIA drones, which the Pakistan government has condemned. Suspected U.S. missile strikes killed more than 40 fighters in South Waziristan on Wednesday, according to security officials.
The U.S. military began surveillance flights over Pakistani territory in mid-March but ceased a month later when Pakistan abruptly stopped requesting the intelligence. Officials said the missions resumed early last month.
The Pakistani army is preparing an offensive against Mehsud, who Pakistani officials blame for 90 percent of terrorist attacks in Pakistan. Pakistan already has taken some action, including air strikes against Mehsud targets last month.
U.S. military officials accuse Mehsud of providing suicide bombers for insurgent attacks against U.S., NATO and Afghan targets in Afghanistan.
The militant leader also is accused in the 2007 assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.
U.S. military officials first confirmed the drone surveillance program's existence in May. The Pentagon views the missions as a way to aid Pakistan while extending its own surveillance of militant safe havens that threaten U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan
'Double failure' at USA's hospitals
Too many people die needlessly at U.S. hospitals, according to a sweeping new Medicare analysis showing wide variation in death rates between the best hospitals and the worst.
The analysis examined death rates for heart attacks, heart failure and pneumonia at more than 4,600 hospitals across the USA. At 5.9% of hospitals, patients with pneumonia died at rates significantly higher than the national average. With heart failure, 3.4% of hospitals had death rates higher than the average, and 1.2% of hospitals were higher when it came to heart attack.
BEST: Baylor leads the way to lower heart failure readmission rates
Researchers also found that the majority of U.S. hospitals operate the equivalent of revolving doors for their patients. One of every four heart failure patients and slightly less than one in five heart attack and pneumonia patients land back in the hospital within 30 days, data show.
"We have double failure in our health system," says John Rumsfeld of the Denver VA Medical Center and chief science officer for the American College of Cardiology's National Data Registry.
The analysis by U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) comes as the White House and Congress debate ways to cut costs and improve quality in the nation's health system. One idea on the table is to reward doctors and hospitals not just for how many procedures they perform but how well their patients fare. More than 200 hospitals have death rates better than the national average, and hundreds fare better on readmission rates.
The findings are based on more than 1 million deaths and readmissions among Medicare patients from 2005 to 2008. A separate USA TODAY analysis of the data found that patients have higher death rates at hospitals in the nation's poorest and smallest counties, compared with those in larger, more affluent areas. Death rates in hospitals in counties with fewer than 50,000 people rank 1 to 2 percentage points higher than their most-populated counterparts, a significant difference. A similar pattern emerges at hospitals in counties where the median household income falls below $35,000 a year.
Barry Straube, director of CMS' office of standards and quality, says the agency aims to intensify competition between hospitals by giving patients the information they need to seek out higher-quality care and by giving hospitals a way to measure their performance against their competitors. It also provides a tool that government and private health plans can use to determine which hospitals merit higher pay for better performance.
"This kind of information is absolutely the backbone of many of our efforts to reform the health system," Janet Corrigan, head of the National Quality Forum, a consortium of government agencies, insurers, hospitals and doctors' groups that approved the methods used in the analysis.
"Based on what we see here, we have our work cut out for us."
The analysis examined death rates for heart attacks, heart failure and pneumonia at more than 4,600 hospitals across the USA. At 5.9% of hospitals, patients with pneumonia died at rates significantly higher than the national average. With heart failure, 3.4% of hospitals had death rates higher than the average, and 1.2% of hospitals were higher when it came to heart attack.
BEST: Baylor leads the way to lower heart failure readmission rates
Researchers also found that the majority of U.S. hospitals operate the equivalent of revolving doors for their patients. One of every four heart failure patients and slightly less than one in five heart attack and pneumonia patients land back in the hospital within 30 days, data show.
"We have double failure in our health system," says John Rumsfeld of the Denver VA Medical Center and chief science officer for the American College of Cardiology's National Data Registry.
The analysis by U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) comes as the White House and Congress debate ways to cut costs and improve quality in the nation's health system. One idea on the table is to reward doctors and hospitals not just for how many procedures they perform but how well their patients fare. More than 200 hospitals have death rates better than the national average, and hundreds fare better on readmission rates.
The findings are based on more than 1 million deaths and readmissions among Medicare patients from 2005 to 2008. A separate USA TODAY analysis of the data found that patients have higher death rates at hospitals in the nation's poorest and smallest counties, compared with those in larger, more affluent areas. Death rates in hospitals in counties with fewer than 50,000 people rank 1 to 2 percentage points higher than their most-populated counterparts, a significant difference. A similar pattern emerges at hospitals in counties where the median household income falls below $35,000 a year.
Barry Straube, director of CMS' office of standards and quality, says the agency aims to intensify competition between hospitals by giving patients the information they need to seek out higher-quality care and by giving hospitals a way to measure their performance against their competitors. It also provides a tool that government and private health plans can use to determine which hospitals merit higher pay for better performance.
"This kind of information is absolutely the backbone of many of our efforts to reform the health system," Janet Corrigan, head of the National Quality Forum, a consortium of government agencies, insurers, hospitals and doctors' groups that approved the methods used in the analysis.
"Based on what we see here, we have our work cut out for us."
SAFMA screens ‘Zargul’ to expose political corruption
ISLAMABAD: Portraying political corruption and oppression in society, Salmaan Pirzada’s film titled ‘Zargul’ was screened by South Asia Free Media Association (SAFMA) on Wednesday.
Scripted and directed by Pirzada, the art movie was a serious effort to revive Pakistani cinema. The film is in four languages - Urdu, Punjabi, Pushto and English – and was shot all over Pakistan.
It is about a young Pathan who becomes a robber yet hero for the poor after a crooked politician killed his father. Since the film highlights corruption in politics and police, its screening remained banned for some time in Pakistan. It also exposes child labour in Pakistan.
It is on a par with Hollywood and European films as far as the technical side is concerned. ‘Zargul’ is in sharp contrast to run-of-the-mill Lollywood movies.
The film took five years to complete, partly due to problems sustaining its $1.7 million budget, and partly because of Pirzada’s commitment to quality.
The movie proved a hit and was screened at the biggest independent festival in the US, in Flagstaff, Arizona.
The story, the acting, the direction are all as per international standards. Pakistani drama actors Talat Hussain, Faryal Gohar, and Imran Pirzada played leading roles.
Scripted and directed by Pirzada, the art movie was a serious effort to revive Pakistani cinema. The film is in four languages - Urdu, Punjabi, Pushto and English – and was shot all over Pakistan.
It is about a young Pathan who becomes a robber yet hero for the poor after a crooked politician killed his father. Since the film highlights corruption in politics and police, its screening remained banned for some time in Pakistan. It also exposes child labour in Pakistan.
It is on a par with Hollywood and European films as far as the technical side is concerned. ‘Zargul’ is in sharp contrast to run-of-the-mill Lollywood movies.
The film took five years to complete, partly due to problems sustaining its $1.7 million budget, and partly because of Pirzada’s commitment to quality.
The movie proved a hit and was screened at the biggest independent festival in the US, in Flagstaff, Arizona.
The story, the acting, the direction are all as per international standards. Pakistani drama actors Talat Hussain, Faryal Gohar, and Imran Pirzada played leading roles.
Al-Qaeda leadership resides in Pak tribal areas: Mullen
Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, has said the al-Qaeda leadership resides in the federally-administered tribal areas (FATA) of Pakistan and the United States is determined to defeat them. "The top priority, with respect to that strategy, is to defeat al-Qaeda, whose leadership resides in the FATA — in the federal areas, the tribal areas — in Western Pakistan," Adm. Mullen said in his remarks at a luncheon held at the National Press Club in Washington on Wednesday. Referring to the recent developments in Pakistan and Afghanistan, Adm. Mullen said things are now moving in the right direction and the United States now needs to remain engaged in both the countries. "A year ago, not many people would have said that the Pakistani military could pull that (Swat) off, and yet they have made an awful lot of progress," he said. "Then that kind of both effort and the cooperation that we're trying to generate through our engagement in the long run, I think, with the development of the Afghan security forces and the Pakistani security forces, puts growing and continued pressure on that threat that I talked about earlier," Adm. Mullen said. "It is not perfect. We still are working our way. We have ways to go in terms of those relationships, which are between Pakistan and Afghanistan. And that's, I think, historically known, and obviously we've got a ways to go with our own relationships for those two countries. But I think we need to stay engaged, and overall, we're moving in the right direction," Adm. Mullen said.
President Hu holds key meeting on Xinjiang riot
Chinese President Hu Jintao on Wednesday night convened a meeting of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) to discuss issues relating to the Xinjiang riot.
The meeting was told that stability in Xinjiang is the "most important and pressing task," according to a statement issued Thursday. The meeting also vowed "severe punishment" on culprits in accordance with the law.
Hu, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, cut short his trip in Europe and skipped the G-8 meeting due to the situations in Xinjiang. He arrived in Beijing Wednesday afternoon.
The government will "firmly crack down on serious crimes including assaults, vandalism, looting and arson" to maintain social stability and safeguard people's fundamental interests in Xinjiang, according to the statement.
The Standing Committee told relevant authorities to "isolate and crack down on the tiny few" and "unify and educate the majority of masses".
"Instigators, organizers, culprits and violent criminals in the unrest shall be severely punished in accordance with the law," it said. "Those taking part in the riot due to provocation and deceit from by separatists, should be given education."
The deadly July 5 unrest in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, has "profound" political background, the statement said.
It was a serious violent crime which was masterminded and organized by the "three forces" of terrorism, separatism and extremism at home and abroad, it said. The unrest has resulted in great losses to people and done great harm to local order and stability, it said.
The Standing Committee asked local government to visit bereaved families, innocent people injured, and those with property losses, to offer necessary support and aid.
In the July 5 riot at least 156 people were killed and more than 1,000 injured.
The meeting was told that stability in Xinjiang is the "most important and pressing task," according to a statement issued Thursday. The meeting also vowed "severe punishment" on culprits in accordance with the law.
Hu, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, cut short his trip in Europe and skipped the G-8 meeting due to the situations in Xinjiang. He arrived in Beijing Wednesday afternoon.
The government will "firmly crack down on serious crimes including assaults, vandalism, looting and arson" to maintain social stability and safeguard people's fundamental interests in Xinjiang, according to the statement.
The Standing Committee told relevant authorities to "isolate and crack down on the tiny few" and "unify and educate the majority of masses".
"Instigators, organizers, culprits and violent criminals in the unrest shall be severely punished in accordance with the law," it said. "Those taking part in the riot due to provocation and deceit from by separatists, should be given education."
The deadly July 5 unrest in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, has "profound" political background, the statement said.
It was a serious violent crime which was masterminded and organized by the "three forces" of terrorism, separatism and extremism at home and abroad, it said. The unrest has resulted in great losses to people and done great harm to local order and stability, it said.
The Standing Committee asked local government to visit bereaved families, innocent people injured, and those with property losses, to offer necessary support and aid.
In the July 5 riot at least 156 people were killed and more than 1,000 injured.
Security forces wind up operation in Swat, Buner
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira on Wednesday said that security forces have successfully completed military operations in Swat and Buner, clearing out militants and making the area safe for return of the displaced local population.
Speaking at a press conference with military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas here, he said the possibility of isolated incidents of terrorism in the areas cannot be ruled out, as such individual acts can take place even in the settled areas despite all security arrangements.
He said the final schedule for the return of internally displaced persons would be announced in couple of days. He said the repatriation will take place in phases. He said 280,237 IDP families had got themselves registered and over 100,000 have been issued visa cards to withdraw a one time cash grant of Rs 25,000. He said an amount of around 1.5 billion has so far been withdrawn by the affected people through the cards.
Kaira said the returnees will be provided transport facility and one month ration and will be entitled to food support till December.
The Military spokesman however came out with a slightly different version saying that the operation Rah-e-Raast had entered into a final phase, creating conditions for safe return of the dislocated population of Malakand Division including Swat.
He said a high level meeting held at General Headquarters with Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani reviewed the process of return of IDPs to their homes. The meeting was attended by senior military officials involved in the Malakand Operations.
The meeting was told that the area had been cleared of the terrorists and some limited pockets of resistance were in the process of being eliminated. Major population centers and main roads leading to Swat valley and most other areas of the division stand cleared, while top leadership of Malakand based terrorists is being pursued relentlessly, terrorists command and control, logistics and training infrastructure has been destroyed and substantial middle and low level leadership has been killed or apprehended.
General Athar Abbas said the provincial government, with active support of Army’s special support group has ensured restoration of maximum essential services like electricity, gas, water, roads, fuel stations and banking system. Civil administrative set up and local police services are now adequately functional.
He said the Army will stay in Swat adding that the size and location will depend upon operational requirements for conducting search and destroy operations where required. He said the hideouts of the terrorists will remain target of the security forces. These will be intelligence led operations, which will fully involve the local community in identifying hiding terrorists in their respective areas.
He said the provincial government has made a comprehensive plan for return of the dislocated population. Army Special Support Group, humanitarian organizations and Non Governmental Organizations are fully involved in preparation of this plan and will be pro active partners in its execution. The security of the displaced during their return, and during reconstruction and rehabilitation will remain a high priority for the Army as well as the civilian administration.
He said 158 Army personnel laid down their lives and 548 individuals were injured during these operations. He said some 1,600 terrorists were killed and another 700 apprehended during the operation.
Answering a question, the Information Minister said the terrorists apprehended during the operation were currently in the custody of intelligence agencies. He said they will be handed over to the civil law enforcement agencies and produced before the court of law. ‘We will not resort to any ultra constitutional step,’ he assured.
Drone attacks:
Responding to another questions, he said the government’s policy on drone attacks was very clear. He said these counter-productive attacks were a clear violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty. ‘We reserve the right to retaliate and will do it when we deem it appropriate,’ he remarked.
He said the US does not have the right to target criminals inside Pakistan and should share credible intelligence with Pakistan.
Kaira said the doors of dialogue were open for those who lay down the arms and accept the writ of the state.
General Athhar Abbas told a questioner that most of the terrorists’ leadership was in the valley and only a few of them had moved out. He assured the media that there was no possibility of a return of the leadership to regroup and operate in the valley. He said the local leadership had been eliminated and the terrorists had lost the organized ability to face the security forces now.
He confirmed that Maulana Fazlullah was seriously injured and Abu Jandal was dead. He said Shah Daraun was also reportedly killed.
He said the success of the operation was evident from the fact that certain no-go areas including the Peochar, Sakhara and Bhia valleys had been secured.
He said the operation in South Waziristan was against a specific group. He said the unprovoked incident in North Waziristan was highly regrettable, but said there was no plan on the cards to extend the focussed operation to North Waziristan.
Answering a question, he said the number of civilians casualties during the operation will be assessed while working with the civil administration, which was now in place.
He said he regretted civilian casualties but said the civilian killings were minimal as there were clear instructions of the Army Chief to avoid collateral damage even if the operation was compromised. He said this was one of the reasons the operation remained slow.
Responding to another question, the military spokesman said the Lashkars raised by locals cannot be a permanent feature and disperse after the mission was over. He said the lashkars use their own weapons and were provided ammunition by the army.
Kaira said there was however a plan to raise community police, which will be armed by the Government.
Protest against loadshedding in Peshawar, Charsadda
PESHAWAR: People took to the streets in different areas of the city against unannounced loadshedding on Wednesday.
Protest demonstrations were held in Garhi Khana, Mohala Muhtasiban, Shah Masoom, Ganj and other adjacent areas of the old city and link roads were blocked.
The protesters were chanting slogans against the government and the Peshawar Electric Supply Company for failing to ensure smooth supply of electricity.
They said electricity was supplied to their areas only for a few hours in a day.
They said during the past some days the temperature had reached 40 degree Celsius and a majority of the people were living in small houses, who could not stay in their homes during power breakdowns.
A Pesco spokesman, when contacted, told Dawn that official loadshedding time was from six to eight hours, but ‘forced loadshedding’ was also observed from Islamabad, which was from two to three hours.
He said it was a compulsion of the company because the system could not bear the load continuously.
He said Pesco planned to erect two pylons carrying 500KV Tarbela-Peshawar transmission line, which would increase the duration of loadshedding to 12 hours, from 7am to 7pm, on July 9, 10 and 11.
Our Charsadda Correspondent adds: A protest procession was taken out in a local bazaar under the banner of the Muttahida Shopkeepers Federation and the Mardan-Peshawar road was blocked in protest against loadshedding.
The protesters staged a sit-in outside the office of the Pesco executive engineer and chanted slogans against high-ups of the company.
They said excessive power breakdowns had badly affected business activities and they were unable even to open shops in such a situation when electricity remained suspended for most of the time.
The speakers announced to hold a meeting at Farooq Azam Chowk to devise a strategy against Pesco, saying if smooth power supply was not ensured the shopkeepers would be compelled to stage demonstrations daily.
Protest demonstrations against loadshedding were also held in Tangi, Utmanzai, Sherpao and Umerzai areas.
The protesters said the worst affected were internally displaced persons who were residing in camps.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
The moment Obama ignores Berlusconi's handshake at G8 summit
It might not have been the best start for the host of the G8 summit. Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi offered his hand to Barack Obama, only for the U.S. President to carry on walking and seemingly ignore it. Obama was arriving for the traditional family picture on the first day of the G8 Summit in L'Aquila, Italy.
Berlusconi attempted to greet the U.S. President as he arrived but Obama walked off leaving the Italian's hand empty.
Obama offers critique, cooperation to Russia
MOSCOW -- President Barack Obama laid out a vision of greater cooperation between the United States and Russia on Tuesday in a speech that also contained thinly veiled criticism of the Kremlin's authoritarian style of rule.
Washington and Moscow have shared interests that should lead to broader cooperation, Obama said during the last day of his trip to the Russian capital. ''America wants a strong, peaceful and prosperous Russia,'' he said. However, the president added that ``unfortunately, there is sometimes a sense that old assumptions must prevail . . . a 19th-century view that we are destined to vie for spheres of influence.''
'PRIVILEGED' SPHERE
His critique seemed directed at the Russian leadership, which repeatedly has asserted that it has a ''privileged'' sphere of power in the region that the Soviet Union once dominated. Last week, Obama said that Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, a former KGB officer who is widely viewed as the man in charge of Russian policy, has ``one foot in the old ways of doing business.''
Obama delivered his message to the graduating class of the New Economic School, a group he described as being born after ``the darkest hours of the Cold War.''
While he said that it was up to Russia to choose its own course, Obama told the audience he agreed with President Dmitry Medvedev about the need for an effective legal system. Critics of the government often complain about corruption, and sometimes use it as a sort of code to express wider discontent with Kremlin policy.
Russia ranked behind Uganda, Kazakhstan, and Yemen in the most recent Transparency International survey of corruption.
''The arc of history shows that governments which serve their own people survive and thrive; governments which serve only their own power do not,'' Obama said.
Before delivering his address, Obama had breakfast with Putin in his the prime minister's heavily guarded suburban home.
Putin acknowledged that U.S.-Russia relations have experienced ``periods of, shall we say, grayish mood.''
During the past year, Russia has invaded Georgia -- a U.S. ally -- and cut gas supplies to Ukraine, also a U.S. ally.
The meeting , their first, stretched more than half an hour longer than expected.
`A MAN OF TODAY'
Afterward, a senior Obama administration official signaled that the president was backing off his earlier assessment of Putin or at least curtailing explicit criticism in public. Asked about Obama's ''one foot'' comment, the official said that, ``I would say that he's very convinced that the prime minister is a man of today and has got his eyes firmly on the future.''
That official, and a second who also briefed reporters, spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The two officials said that there were topics on which Obama and Putin found common interest: anti-terrorism measures, arms control, climate change and energy security.
McClatchy special correspondent Alla Burakovskaya contributed to this report.
Washington and Moscow have shared interests that should lead to broader cooperation, Obama said during the last day of his trip to the Russian capital. ''America wants a strong, peaceful and prosperous Russia,'' he said. However, the president added that ``unfortunately, there is sometimes a sense that old assumptions must prevail . . . a 19th-century view that we are destined to vie for spheres of influence.''
'PRIVILEGED' SPHERE
His critique seemed directed at the Russian leadership, which repeatedly has asserted that it has a ''privileged'' sphere of power in the region that the Soviet Union once dominated. Last week, Obama said that Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, a former KGB officer who is widely viewed as the man in charge of Russian policy, has ``one foot in the old ways of doing business.''
Obama delivered his message to the graduating class of the New Economic School, a group he described as being born after ``the darkest hours of the Cold War.''
While he said that it was up to Russia to choose its own course, Obama told the audience he agreed with President Dmitry Medvedev about the need for an effective legal system. Critics of the government often complain about corruption, and sometimes use it as a sort of code to express wider discontent with Kremlin policy.
Russia ranked behind Uganda, Kazakhstan, and Yemen in the most recent Transparency International survey of corruption.
''The arc of history shows that governments which serve their own people survive and thrive; governments which serve only their own power do not,'' Obama said.
Before delivering his address, Obama had breakfast with Putin in his the prime minister's heavily guarded suburban home.
Putin acknowledged that U.S.-Russia relations have experienced ``periods of, shall we say, grayish mood.''
During the past year, Russia has invaded Georgia -- a U.S. ally -- and cut gas supplies to Ukraine, also a U.S. ally.
The meeting , their first, stretched more than half an hour longer than expected.
`A MAN OF TODAY'
Afterward, a senior Obama administration official signaled that the president was backing off his earlier assessment of Putin or at least curtailing explicit criticism in public. Asked about Obama's ''one foot'' comment, the official said that, ``I would say that he's very convinced that the prime minister is a man of today and has got his eyes firmly on the future.''
That official, and a second who also briefed reporters, spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The two officials said that there were topics on which Obama and Putin found common interest: anti-terrorism measures, arms control, climate change and energy security.
McClatchy special correspondent Alla Burakovskaya contributed to this report.
G8 backs Pakistan on terrorism war
L'AQUILA: G8 leaders expressed solidarity with Pakistan in its fight against the Taliban and called on Afghanistan to ensure credible and safe elections reflecting the people's will.
The Group of Eight summit in Italy said in a statement on Wednesday that they "stand with Pakistan" in its fight against the recent surge in Taliban activity in the northwest of the country, where the Pakistan military is trying to push back a growing insurgency.
The G8 statement also called on neighbouring Afghanistan to ensure that its second presidential election, scheduled for Aug. 20 is "credible, inclusive (and) secure", reflecting the will of the Afghan people.
China's Rebiya Kadeer Terror Crimes
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China Daily
Crime against humanity
Let all "human rights" hypocrites shut up. No pretext can justify the heinous atrocities against innocent citizens in the Urumqi riot on Sunday.
The indiscriminate carnage turned Urumqi into a city of terror that night, leaving hundreds dead or injured without knowing why. No sane mind can stand the images of savage brutality brimming the TV screen. Skeletons of burnt vehicles, smashed and looted stores, helpless victims lying weltering in blood Our blood boils seeing the sanguinary mobs rampaging their way through the otherwise charming city.
That is crime against humanity.
Perpetrators must be ferreted out. Justice must be done. And a clear and loud message must be sent: This country has zero tolerance for ethnic hatred.
"Human rights" preachers and Uygur separatists have already stood facts on their heads, portraying the killing, burning, looting and smashing as a "peaceful" rally. As was evident throughout the March 14, 2008 unrest in Lhasa, such people don't mind lying when it serves their political ends.Judging from information available thus far, the Urumqi riot was closely associated with instigation from overseas. Overseas Uygur separatists took advantage of the June 26 incident at a Guangdong toy factory where two Uygur workers were killed in a violent conflict between Uygur and other employees. That tragedy itself was the result of a malicious rumor.Now, the instigators played on that rumor and used it to sow hostility between the Han and Uygur peoples.On one hand, they wanted the Uygur mobsters to be "braver" and make "bigger" noises. On the other, they are again feigning innocence to swindle sympathy out of the uninformed overseas public.
Little doubt some people from their angry audience will be pointing fingers in wrong directions. But outside noises should not be allowed to influence law enforcement at home. We have our Criminal Law. And during the riots, criminal offenses took place.
Overseas Uygur instigators fanned up racial tensions on the grounds that the authorities "unfairly" handled the Shaoguan incident, packaging a common criminal case into one of racial confrontation. Which is groundless in itself, because investigation of the Shaoguan case is still underway. How can there be an "unfair" conclusion?Yet their awkward tactic does reveal an insidious plot to poison relations between the Han and Uygur peoples. To that end, they will do everything to portray investigation of crimes as driven by what they termed as racial discrimination against the Uygurs.Every citizen in this country should be equal under the law, no matter who he or she is. Uygur or not, those who committed crimes in the Urumqi rioting must be held accountable.
Xinjiang capital returning calm after ravaged by riot
China Daily.com
China, URUMQI: Riot-plagued Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, was slowly returning calm but traffic blockade remained in some streets Monday night after the riot on Sunday evening killed at least 156 people. Police officers were seen wearing riot gear and standing guard in downtown areas. Police vehicles kept patrolling the blockaded streets including Xinhua South Road and Renmin Road Monday night.
Debris has been cleared from most of the roads, but few people were seen in major markets or buses.
Bus stations near the People's Square, where the riot started, were cancelled. Most shops in areas where the violence occurred remained closed as of Monday night.
Up to now 156 people have been confirmed dead and more than 800 were injured in the riot.
Rioters burned 261 motor vehicles, including 190 buses, at least 10 taxis and two police cars, said Liu Yaohua, the region's police chief.
Police have detained about 700 people in connection with the riot, including a dozen who were suspected of fanning the unrest. Police are still searching for about 90 other key suspects in the city. Liu said.
Pakistani president Asif Zardari admits creating terrorist groups
Asif Zardari told a meeting of former senior civil servants in Islamabad, it was time to be honest about their deployment.
"Let us be truthful to ourselves and make a candid admission of the realities," he said. "The terrorists of today were the heroes of yesteryears until 9/11 occurred and they began to haunt us as well."
These groups were not thrown up because of government weakness, but as a matter of policy. He said they were deliberately "created and nurtured" as a policy to achieve some short-term tactical objectives.
His comments amount to an admission that Pakistan trained Islamic terrorists to launch attacks on India as part of its long war over its claim on Kashmir.
It came as at least 40 people were killed in a suspected US missile strike in north-west Pakistan.
Three US drones are believed to have fired missiles at militants near Ladha in South Waziristan. It is the third strike in two days and follows strikes in which 19 reportedly died.
Mr Zardari first confirmed that many of the Islamic militants now waging war against his government were once "strategic assets" in an interview with the Daily Telegraph earlier this week.
"I don't think anybody in the establishment supports them any more. I think everybody has become more wise than this," he said and confirmed the military was now targeting those it had previously used as proxies in attacks on India.
Islamic militant groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, have long been regarded as Pakistan proxy forces by diplomats and intelligence services but Islamabad has, until now, always denied any links.
The LeT is believed to have been created to fight with the Afghan Mujahideen against the former Soviet-backed Najibullah regime in Kabul and to attack Indian forces in Jammu and Kashmir.
It is believed to have been responsible for the commando attack on Delhi's Red Fort in December in which two soldiers and a civilian were killed. It was involved with another Pakistan-backed terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed in the 2001 attack on the Indian parliament before it was banned by Islamabad in 2002.
Pakistan terrorists were also behind the 1999 hijacking of an Indian Airlines jet which forced the Indian government to release three jailed militants, including Masood Azhar, the founder of Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Omar Saeed Sheikh, who was later arrested for the murder of Daniel Pearl.
The Indian government believes links between Islamabad and these terrorist groups remain intact and prime minister Manmohan Singh has accused elements within Pakistan's security apparatus of aiding the Lashkar-e-Taiba's commando attack on Mumbai last November.
Developing Nations Rebuff G-8 on Curbing Pollutants
NEW YORK TIMES
L’AQUILA, Italy — The world’s major industrial nations and newly emerging powers failed to agree Wednesday on specific cuts in heat-trapping gases by 2050, undercutting an effort to build a global consensus to fight climate change, according to people following the talks.
As President Obama arrived for three days of meetings, negotiators for the world’s 17 leading polluters dropped a proposal to cut global greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent by mid-century, and emissions from the most advanced economies by 80 percent. But both the G-8 and the developing countries agreed to set a goal of stopping world temperatures from rising by more than 2 degrees Celsius from pre-industrial levels.
The discussion of climate change was among the top priorities of world leaders as they gathered here for the annual summit meeting of the Group of 8 powers. Mr. Obama invited counterparts from China, India, Brazil, South Africa, Mexico and others to join the G-8 here on Thursday for a parallel “Major Economies Forum” representing the producers of 80 percent of the world’s greenhouse gases. But since President Hu Jintao of China abruptly left Italy to deal with unrest at home, the chances of making further progress seemed to evaporate.
The G-8 leaders were also grappling with the sagging global economy, development in Africa, turmoil in Iran, nuclear nonproliferation and other challenging issues. On Friday, Mr. Obama planned to unveil a $15 billion food security initiative by the G-8 to provide emergency and development aid to poor nations.
The failure to establish specific targets on climate change underscored the difficulty in bridging longstanding divisions between the most developed countries like the United States and developing nations like China and India. In the end, people close to the talks said, the emerging powers refused to agree to the specific emissions limits because they wanted industrial countries to commit to midterm goals in 2020, and to follow through on promises of financial and technological help.
“They’re saying, ‘We just don’t trust you guys,’ ” said Alden Meyer of the Union of Concerned Scientists, an advocacy group based in the United States. “It’s the same gridlock we had last year when Bush was president.”
American officials said they still had made an important breakthrough because the G-8 countries within the negotiations agreed to adopt the 2050 reduction goals, even though the developing countries would not.
And they said a final agreement with developing countries, including China and India, to be sealed on Thursday would include important conceptual commitments by the emerging powers to begin reducing emissions and to set a target date. Now negotiators will have to try to quantifying those commitments in coming months.
While the nations mapped out a general agreement to limit global temperature change, there remained differences between the level of commitment from developed and developing nations. The G-8 draft statement would have the major industrial powers “recognize that global emissions should peak by 2020 and then be substantially reduced to limit the average increase in global temperature to 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels.” The statement by the developing countries would be less definitive, however, saying that scientific consensus supports such a goal.
Mr. Meyer said temperatures have already risen by 0.8 degrees and will likely rise by another 0.6 degrees just based on pollution already in the air, meaning that embracing the 2-degree goal would require major steps starting almost immediately.
While briefing reporters on Wednesday morning, Michael Froman, Mr. Obama’s deputy national security adviser and chief G-8 negotiator, declined to specify what would be in the two agreements, but said they would signal important progress heading toward a United Nations conference in Copenhagen in December to craft a worldwide climate change treaty.
“Our view is that it represents a significant step forward in terms of adding political momentum on the key issues to be dealt with in the U.N. process,” Mr. Froman said, “but that there is still a lot of work to be done and these are difficult issues and the negotiators will be meeting going forward to try and resolve them.”
European leaders and environmental activists have placed great hope that Mr. Obama would become a powerful new leader in the struggle against climate change after succeeding President George W. Bush, who long resisted more aggressive measures sought on this side of the Atlantic for fear of the economic impact. At a previous Group of 8 meeting, Mr. Bush agreed to a 50 percent cut in global greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 but not to an 80 percent reduction in those produced by industrial countries like the United States. With Mr. Obama’s support, the House recently passed legislation intended to curb emissions, although not by nearly as much as the Europeans want. And China is another challenge.
“Europe wants avant-garde legislation but China is putting up resistance, which I sampled yesterday during my one-on-one with the Chinese president,” Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi of Italy, the G-8 host, told reporters Tuesday evening.
China, India and the other developing nations are upset that commitments to provide financial and technological help made during a United Nations conference in Bali, Indonesia, in 2007 have not translated into anything more tangible in the interim.
Mr. Meyer estimated that the United States, Europe and other industrial nations need to come up with $150 billion a year in assistance by 2020 to help develop clean-energy technology for developing countries, reduce deforestation that contributes to rising temperatures and help vulnerable nations adapt to changes attributed to greenhouse gases.
G8 divided over Iran, but firm on North Korea
L'AQUILA :G8 leaders meeting in this Italian town will strongly condemn North Korea's missile tests, though they will likely not agree a tougher stance on Iran, senior officials said on Wednesday.
Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, speaking on the sidelines of the Group of Eight summit in L'Aquila, said there was no consensus on an accord on condemning Tehran's crackdown on post-election protests.
He indicated it would almost certainly not back US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's call for stronger sanctions against the Islamic republic.
"On Iran, we will find the right wording," said by Frattini, indicating differences between the leaders after they met for a working lunch.
"The important thing is that the international community does not tolerate violence and the violation of human rights," he said.
But pressed by reporters who asked if the G8 would go further than condemning Iran's crackdown, he said: "For the moment, the conditions aren't there."
Signs of division over Iran were evident at last month's preparatory foreign ministers meeting in Trieste, north-eastern Italy, when "they eventually agreed to deplore but not to condemn the bloody crackdown, amid opposition from Russia."
They called on Iran to resolve its political crisis quickly with "democratic dialogue and peaceful means."
A spokesman for Japan's Prime Minister Taro Aso said that the G8 leader's final declaration would closely follow the wording agreed in Trieste, although it might be updated to take into account more recent events.
Kazuo Kodama said Iran would be warned that "time is not unlimited" for it to respond to criticism of its nuclear programme.
Divergences appeared in Trieste when Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned that isolating Iran was the "wrong approach" and could derail efforts to win cooperation from Tehran on its nuclear programme.
Again at the L'Aquila summit, a threat of sanctions against Tehran appears unlikely because of Moscow's objections, according to a senior European diplomat.
"We won't go further in L'Aquila because Russia opposes interference in countries internal affairs," he said on condition of anonymity.
Relations between Iran and the West, already strained over the nuclear issue, have been further damaged by Tehran's arrest of a French citizen and several Iranian employees of the British embassy.
London and Paris have both furiously insisted that the detainees are innocent, and fellow European Union member governments have also made diplomatic protests over the incident.
Tehran has remained defiant, however, and supreme leader Ali Khamenei declared: "The Iranian nation warns the leaders of those countries trying to take advantage of the situation, beware! The Iranian nation will react."
"We would ask the world to join us in imposing even stricter sanctions on Iran to try to change the behavior of the regime," Clinton said in a TV interview broadcast in Venezuela.
"President Obama is trying to create a normal relationship with Iran and we are waiting for a response from the Iranians," on his proposal for dialogue, said by US National Security Advisor James Jones.
The Frenchwoman, a university researcher, was picked up earlier this month as she was preparing to leave the country, and has been accused of spying. One of the embassy employees is also still in custody and facing trial.
According to European diplomats, leaders are considering protesting by temporarily recalling their ambassadors from Tehran and reducing the number of visas they issue to Iranian travellers.
Asfandyar cautions against spread of terrorism tsunami
PESHAWAR: President of Awami National Party Asfandyar Wali Khan said on Wednesday that Pukhtoons were not only fighting war of their survival but of the country and if they were not supported at this critical juncture by the political forces of the country, then it would be very difficult to contain this war in this part of the country.
“If people of the country and the political forces do not support the Pukhtoons at this critical moment then river Sindh has no such power to stop the spread of terrorism across Attock bridge”, he said this while addressing a function arranged on the eve of joining of ANP by District Charsadda Nazim Sajid Khan here at Frontier House.
The ANP leader said as all the Egyptians could not be described as terrorists because of Aimen Al Zawahiri, as such due to Fazlullah or Muslim Khan all the Pukhtoons could not be labelled terrorists. Therefore connotation of Taliban should not be used in context of terrorism.
They are not Taliban but terrorists and saboteurs, he added. He said Nizam-e-Adl has been implemented in Malakand Division on the popular demand of the people and not for Fazlullah, Muslim Khan or Sufi Muhammad. It would not be withdrawn, he added. “The terrorists have threatened us and now action against them would be taken to logical end.”
About the creation of new provinces, he said, “Seraiki belt should be declared a separate province and we fully support it. Similarly the provinces should be given financial autonomy which is necessary for the survival of the country.”
He said he had mentioned four years ago that the fire sparked in Fata may spread to the whole country and it’s time to wake up and unite to extinguish this fire. The MMA government, he recalled could not release Maulana Sufi Muhammad while our government took him out of jail because we wanted peace on our soil.
He said “after signing peace deal and implementation of Nizam-e-Adl, there was no need to invade Buner district by the Taliban and by doing so they proved they had agenda other than Nifaz-e-Shariat.
That is why today neither mosques nor, janazagahs, imambargahs are safe from terrorism. These elements have tried to push us to the wall therefore, now we will not leave them.”
He denied outright the impression that he was planning to quit politics and said he would continue the job till the achievements of desired objectives for the Pukhtoons.
“If people of the country and the political forces do not support the Pukhtoons at this critical moment then river Sindh has no such power to stop the spread of terrorism across Attock bridge”, he said this while addressing a function arranged on the eve of joining of ANP by District Charsadda Nazim Sajid Khan here at Frontier House.
The ANP leader said as all the Egyptians could not be described as terrorists because of Aimen Al Zawahiri, as such due to Fazlullah or Muslim Khan all the Pukhtoons could not be labelled terrorists. Therefore connotation of Taliban should not be used in context of terrorism.
They are not Taliban but terrorists and saboteurs, he added. He said Nizam-e-Adl has been implemented in Malakand Division on the popular demand of the people and not for Fazlullah, Muslim Khan or Sufi Muhammad. It would not be withdrawn, he added. “The terrorists have threatened us and now action against them would be taken to logical end.”
About the creation of new provinces, he said, “Seraiki belt should be declared a separate province and we fully support it. Similarly the provinces should be given financial autonomy which is necessary for the survival of the country.”
He said he had mentioned four years ago that the fire sparked in Fata may spread to the whole country and it’s time to wake up and unite to extinguish this fire. The MMA government, he recalled could not release Maulana Sufi Muhammad while our government took him out of jail because we wanted peace on our soil.
He said “after signing peace deal and implementation of Nizam-e-Adl, there was no need to invade Buner district by the Taliban and by doing so they proved they had agenda other than Nifaz-e-Shariat.
That is why today neither mosques nor, janazagahs, imambargahs are safe from terrorism. These elements have tried to push us to the wall therefore, now we will not leave them.”
He denied outright the impression that he was planning to quit politics and said he would continue the job till the achievements of desired objectives for the Pukhtoons.
UN aid chief urges security before IDPs return
MARDAN: The 1.9 million Pakistanis uprooted by anti-Taliban offensives must be not be pushed into returning home before their safety and security is assured, the UN humanitarian chief said Wednesday.
John Holmes, United Nations emergency relief coordinator, said during a four-day visit to Pakistan that the displaced were at a ‘critical turning point,’ as the military says swathes of the northwest are safe for return.
‘(We are) trying to make sure people are not pushed to go home too quickly,’ said Holmes, as he visited displaced people in the northwest town of Mardan.
‘Of course we have no wish for people to stay in camps or in host communities longer than necessary because it puts such a huge strain on everyone and on infrastructure. These are the balances we’re trying to strike.’
Security forces launched an offensive on Taliban fighters in late April in three northwest districts after the rebels thrust south towards Islamabad, sparking a huge exodus as people rushed to escape ground and air assaults.
Now officials say the districts are almost cleared of Taliban rebels, although the military have reported outbreaks of fresh fighting in Swat valley.
‘We are at a critical turning point when people may start to go home and may not,’ Holmes told reporters.
‘If they start to go home, it’s one situation. That becomes very difficult for most people and we have some very big problems to address in the future.
‘The conditions need to be right — that is the security needs to be right, the basic services need to be there,’ he added.
Electricity and water supplies were cut off in the main urban hubs during the fighting, while hospitals closed their doors.
Most of the 1.9 million displaced — which includes about 500,000 who fled an offensive last year in a separate northwest region — are packed into relatives’ homes, while others are crammed into hot and dusty refugee camps.
UN officials said that about 3,700 schools in the North West Frontier Province were currently occupied by people seeking shelter from fighting — a concern with the new school term beginning on September 1.
Aid officials also say they will struggle to provide for people going back as donors have only come forward with about one third of the 543 million dollars requested to alleviate the humanitarian crisis.
‘Somehow this IDP (internally displaced persons) issue has been relatively neglected,’ said Holmes, who arrived on Tuesday on his first official visit to Pakistan, and will stay until Saturday.
US missile attack kills 9 militants in S Waziristan
WANA: Nine militants have been killed and five injured in US drone attack in South Waizirstan on Wednesday.According to reports, US drones fired two missile at suspected hideouts of militants in Karwan Manza area killing eight and injuring five people. The causalities could be mount.
Suicide blast in Peshawar, several injured
PESHAWAR :A bomb went off in Peshawar on Wednesday, but there was no immediate word on casualties, police said."It was a suicide bomb blast on the main road. There are many fears to be injured, information is coming in," said senior police official Qazi Jameel.
Obama Resets Ties to Russia, but Work Remains
NEW YORK TIMES
MOSCOW — President Obama kicked off a new chapter in Russian-American relations with significant progress on several fronts during a two-day visit to the nation that began Monday. About a year after the relationship ruptured over the war in Georgia, the two sides are now back at the table and doing business.
But while Mr. Obama and President Dmitri A. Medvedev of Russia declared a reconciliation, they did so partly by agreeing to disagree on important issues and by selectively interpreting the same words in sharply different ways. Moreover, they made promises of cooperation that ultimately might prove easier to translate into words than reality.
A case in point: Mr. Obama and Mr. Medvedev announced an agreement to open a joint early-warning center to share data on missile launchings. But Presidents Bill Clinton and Boris N. Yeltsin announced the same agreement in 1998. Mr. Clinton then announced it again with President Vladimir V. Putin in 2000. Mr. Putin and President George W. Bush recommitted to it as recently as 2007.
And none of them ever actually built the center.
Similarly, Mr. Obama and Mr. Medvedev this week renewed their nations’ mutual commitment to getting rid of 34 tons each of weapons-grade plutonium, another initiative started in the 1990s and never completed.
White House aides agreed that the hard part was ahead, but they argued that the progress eclipsed that of any Russian-American summit meeting in decades. Among other things, the two leaders agreed to slash strategic nuclear arsenals, resume military contacts suspended after the war with Georgia and open an air corridor across Russia for up to 4,500 flights of United States troops and weapons to Afghanistan each year.
“They’re real things. It is not fluff,” said Michael McFaul, the president’s Russia adviser. “I dare you to think of a summit that was so substantive.”
“We didn’t solve everything in two days,” he added. “That would be impossible. But I think we came a long way in terms of developing both a relationship that advances our national interest with the government and also laying out a philosophy about foreign policy.”
Analysts were more cautious, saying that Mr. Obama had opened the way to progress while still confronting profound differences on issues like Iran, missile defense and Georgia. “Obama has achieved about as much as he could, given the short amount of time in power, the enduring conflicts in interests and deep distrust in the relationship,” said Andrew C. Kuchins, a scholar at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Mark Medish, a Clinton adviser now at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said America’s best hope was to tamp down trouble from Russia. “I think President Obama understands the reset is mainly a way to avoid unnecessary or accidental confrontation,” he said, referring to the so-called reset in American-Russian relations. “In a sense, it’s like a mini-détente after a mini-cold war.”
How far Mr. Obama’s initiative goes may depend on the relationship forged with Mr. Medvedev during long hours of talks and multiple meals. The two seemed to develop an easy familiarity by the end of the visit.
“Those two presidents are a different generation,” said Pavel Palazhchenko, a longtime interpreter for Mikhail S. Gorbachev, the former Soviet president who met with Mr. Obama on Tuesday. “Many of the dogs in the old fights are really not their dogs. And they will be willing to take a fresh look at some issues.”
By contrast, Mr. Obama had a more intense encounter with Mr. Putin, now the prime minister but still considered Russia’s paramount leader. Their breakfast ran two hours, and Mr. Putin spent the first half in a virtually uninterrupted monologue about Russia’s view of the world, aides said afterward.
In public, the two praised each other and made no mention of Mr. Obama’s assessment last week that Mr. Putin still had “one foot in the old ways” of the cold war. “With you,” Mr. Putin told Mr. Obama, “we link all our hopes for the furtherance of relations between our two countries.” Mr. Obama talked of “the extraordinary work that you’ve done on behalf of the Russian people.”
But in a later interview with Fox News, Mr. Obama said that “some of his continued grievances with respect to the West are still dated in some of the suspicions that came out of that period.” Mr. Obama added: “I found him to be tough, smart, shrewd, very unsentimental, very pragmatic. And on areas where we disagree, like Georgia, I don’t anticipate a meeting of the minds anytime soon.”
Mr. Obama used his second day here to demonstrate continuing American support for greater freedom in Russia.
He met with opposition leaders, attended a conference on civil society and sent a delegation to a memorial service for Paul Klebnikov, an American journalist gunned down in Moscow five years ago. “After five long years, we urge the Russian authorities to redouble their efforts to bring to justice those responsible,” said William J. Burns, the under secretary of state for political affairs.
The president attended a meeting with business leaders to stress better economic ties and press for more consistent rules for investors. Viktor F. Vekselberg, an oil and metals magnate, said Mr. Obama’s presence “should be a strong, positive signal to all business to re-examine the potential in both countries.”
At the civil society conference, Mr. Obama stressed support for freedom of expression and assembly, the rule of law, and consistent application of justice. But his comments throughout the day were calculated to recognize Russian resentment of American scolding.
“I come before you with some humility,” he said. “I think in the past there’s been a tendency for the United States to lecture rather than to listen. And we obviously still have much work to do with our own democracy in the United States. But nevertheless, I think we share some common values and interest in building a strong, democratic culture in Russia as well as the United States.”
The White House modeled an address by Mr. Obama at the New Economic School in Moscow on President Ronald Reagan’s famous “Ivan and Anya” speech in 1984, which cited fictional Russians to make the point that Washington and Moscow could openly discuss differences while still working together.
Thomas O. Melia, deputy executive director of Freedom House, an American advocacy group, hailed Mr. Obama for offering a more expansive articulation of democratic values and attending the civil society conference even though Mr. Medvedev refused to go.
“It underscores how wide is the values gap between the American and Russian governments,” Mr. Melia said, “which is a reminder of why it will be difficult to improve the relationship in some key ways.”
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