Karzai, rivals debate as Afghan elections near

KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai, heavily criticized last month for skipping a candidates' debate, met two of his political rivals in a nationally televised debate Sunday night, just four days ahead of the war-torn country's presidential elections.

Thursday's vote marks only the second presidential election in Afghanistan's history, and is seen as a test of efforts by the United States and Europe to bring stability to the country.

Karzai is the front-runner in the election, with a recent poll conducted by the Washington-based International Republican Institute showing him holding a commanding lead over his two closest rivals, former finance minister Ashraf Ghani and former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah.

Karzai and Ghani joined in the two-hour debate Sunday, which was aired on the state broadcaster Radio and Television Afghanistan, as did another candidate, former minister of planning Ramazan Bashardost. But Abdullah Abdullah dropped out of the debate, according to the network.

While the rules did not allow the candidates to speak directly to each other -- questions were posed by a moderator -- that did not stop Ghani and Bashardost from heaping criticism on Karzai and his government for alleged corruption and for not doing enough to stop the growing violence that has engulfed the country.

Violence has increased as the Afghan government and the American-lead military coalition attempt to prevent the Taliban from making further inroads.

Karzai admitted that corruption was a problem in the country but offered no specifics as to what he would do to combat the problem.

On the sensitive issue of Afghan civilian casualties at the hands of coalition forces, Karzai pledged to stop NATO from conducting military operations without the permission of the government.

"We are the owner of the house and the coalition forces are the guests," Karzai said.

Ghani argued that a national consensus on the issue of foreign troops in Afghanistan needed to be reached and that Karzai was not up to the job.

"Until we have an owner for this land and a president who has a clear and specific Afghan strategy, and who is able to convince the world that his strategy is better, more practical and produces results, all other efforts will be useless," Ghani said.

Karzai said if elected he would convene a grand council of Afghanistan's tribal leaders to resolve issues of national importance.

Militants surrender, say Taliban deceived them

TIMERGARA: The militants, who surrendered to a local jirga in Upper Dir on Saturday, have said that they were deceived by the leaders of Taliban in the name of holy war.

Security forces on Sunday presented 22 surrendered militants of Doog Darra before the media at Dir Scouts Qilla in Balambat.

The surrendered militants including five key fighters -- Ibrahim, Shakirullah, Fazal Hayat, Javid and Mohammad Saad -- told reporters that Taliban leaders had deceived them that fighting against security forces and police was jihad. They admitted that they had been fighting against the local lashkar formed against Taliban in Doog Darra for the last 40 days.

‘Now we realised we were wrong. We surrender of our own free will. We promise to fight for Pakistan side by side with army in future if given a chance,’ Ibrahim, the leader of surrendered militants, said.

They said some of their colleagues were still present in Doog Darra but they would also be persuaded till August 30 to lay down arms and stop fighting against the local lashkar and security forces. They said they were not Taliban but when Taliban began preaching in the area they supported them.

‘We did not want to fight against the lashkar. But the lashkar attacked Taliban and we were besieged in our villages. Then we decided to fight against the lashkar to protect Taliban fighters,’ another surrendered militant Shakirullah told journalists.

The remaining surrendered militants were identified as Khawalid, Fazal Karim, Badsha Daman, Sher Zada, Bacha Sayed, Rahmatullah, Mohammad Amin, Gul Mohammad, Nasrud Din, Saeed, Nasibullah, Yousaf, Zarief Khan, Sayed Ahmad Khan, Sayed Akbar, Tacham Khan and Pervez. All of them belonged to Mina Doog, Shat Kass and Katier villages of the Doog Darra.

They said that Doog Darra Taliban had gone back to Afghanistan as they were Afghan nationals. They said that Taliban were using the name of Islam and jihad but actually they were destroying Pakistan. ‘We will never support Taliban in future,’ they said.

The in-charge of Dir media centre, Major Ilyas, said on the occasion that surrendered militants would be handed over to police. The government, not the security forces, would decide about their future, he added.

Meanwhile, an ISPR spokesman told Dawn that total 31 militants in Doog Darra had been surrendered so far.

He said that the rest nine surrendered militants would also be presented before the media soon.

COMPENSATION SOUGHT: The local non governmental organisations and internally displaced persons from Maidan on Sunday demanded of the government and donor agencies to pay compensation to those, who had suffered losses due to military operation in Lower Dir.

Addressing a joint press conference here on Sunday rights activists Akbar Khan and Umar Zada and Maidan IDPs representatives Abdullah and Jehan Bahadar said that displaced persons of Dir had not been treated like those of Swat, Buner and Bajaur.

They said that more than three million residents of Lower Dir were forced to leave their homes. ‘Despite the passage of three months the process of registration of Maidan IDPs has not been completed and they are still waiting for assistance,’ they added.
They alleged that government and donor agencies had ignored the IDPs living in Lower and Upper Dir. They said that stakeholders should be included in damages assessment process and preparing a compensation plan as well.

The local community, they said, should be taken into confidence about any plan or project. They said local organisations could arrange relief activities better than non-locals.

The IDPs complained that neither local lawmakers nor other ministers and officials had visited their camps to observe their condition.

They demanded of the government to start registration process in Dir and provide them cash cards, food and other relief items. They also demanded of the government to provide them security and transport for repatriation.

They threatened to hold protest demonstration in front of the chief minister house in Peshawar if their demands were not met.

Cinema in Swat opens after 18 months

Peshawar : Cinema in Swat, the main entertainment centre of Swat after reaming closed for more than 18 months has re-started screening films that attracted a large number of audience to watch Pashto film’. The cinema, which is hardly situated at the distance of one Kilometer from the Green Chowk, where the militants used to hang their opponents, had started its business amid hopes and worriers as no body inside was sure about the future of cinima in Swat. Every body who came to watch the film was amazed with the opening of the Cinima that displayed a huge sign board of film actors and actresses wearing mini scirts and paint shirts, the dress usually unliked in the conservative society like Swat. Despite the dilapidated condition of the Cinima, which has no facility for the viewers, the audiences were anxiously waiting to watch the silver screen for the first time after the advent of Taliban in Swat. There was no air-condition and refreshment facility inside the cinima hall, also badly damaged during the operation but still the viewers turned up in large number to the cinima hall where they were sitting on seats almost very much uncomfortable for the audience. Majority of the viewers were of youngster aging between 15-20 years, had come to the hall and were looking very involved with the filimi poster and pictures displayed in the hall. “We were expecting a few of audience at the first show but it was astonishing for us that a large number of audiences came to watch the film on the silver screen," a cinima staffer told this scribe. Ayub Khan, manager, was very much hopeful about the revival of cinima in the valley saying that they were on the loosing side but sitll they dared to start cinima to provide entertainment to the people of the scenic valley who were badly suffered during past two years. " our business is badly suffered as the cinima remained closed for 18 months and during the period we had to pay the electricity bills and other taxis," Ayub Khan said adding that the cinema was started again with the hope that situation will improve in Swat and people will come to the theater to watch movies on the mega screen. Urging the government to give them relief and exempt the cinimas of Swat from all kinds of taxes, Ayub Khan said " we are fighting on every front, we are attached to the business never liked by extremists and militants but still we have no favour from the government as it has imposed many kinds of taxes on cinima even that Swat is tax free zone," he remarked. He said that the people’s interest in the cinima was encouraging for him and this encouragement will help him to continue screening the film on the silver screen in the main city of troubled Swat. On other side the film viewers were very happy but they were not sure that the cinima will continue screening films for indefinite period as threats from militants are in their minds and long period will require removing such kind of apprehensions after which they will be able to watch the films with mental satisfaction and concentration.

Extremists threaten Sheikhupura Christian moot

LAHORE: The Christian community on Sunday asked the Punjab government to provide security for an annual Christian congregation at Maryamabad, in Sheikhupura district, following threats of terror attacks from unidentified persons. The Christian community has informed the government that residents of Chak No 3 RB, Maryamabad, had received threatening phone calls from unidentified persons, who warned of attacking the congregation and “reducing it to a pile of ashes in a manner similar to the Gojra attacks” on Christians earlier this month. Organisers of three-day religious conference – from September 4 to 6 – said they had informed local police about the threats, which had expressed its inability to secure such a large gathering of people due to limited resources. The community has, therefore, appealed to the prime minister, the Punjab chief minister and the Punjab inspector general of police to take notice of the security threat and demanded the government deal with extremist threats to the community sternly. The general secretary of leading Christian organisation RIK, Pastor Murqas Sharif, said the government should ensure foolproof security at the religious conference and also appealed to Muslim clerics to play their role to defuse extremist feelings towards religious minorities in the country.

Karzai's warlord links challenged

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has been challenged about his alliances with warlords in a live TV election debate.Ahead of Thursday's presidential poll, Mr Karzai was taken to task by two rival candidates, ex-ministers Ramazan Bashardost and Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai.But Mr Karzai defended his alliances in the 90-minute debate, saying they served the interests of national unity.Meanwhile, Abdul Rashid Dostum, an ex-warlord who was Mr Karzai's military chief-of-staff, has returned to Kabul.The Uzbek commander arrived from Turkey, where he has been living in exile since last year.An official at the US embassy in Kabul said questions remained about Mr Dostum's alleged involvement in human rights violations.Also on Sunday, the Taliban warned voters to boycott this week's poll or risk becoming caught up in militant attacks on voting stations.Thursday's vote is for a president and members of the provincial council.
Backroom deals?
The televised head-to-head was the first debate the Afghan president has participated in for the forthcoming election.However, the man seen as Mr Karzai's strongest challenger, former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah, did not take part.Mr Karzai is tipped as the leading candidate in a crowded field of several dozen contenders vying to win a five-year term.Mr Bashardost, an outspoken anti-corruption campaigner and former planning minister, who is seen as the third most-popular candidate, attacked the incumbent over his political allies."There are those who claim they are fighting warlords, but today warlords have the main role in their campaign, and [one] is their first vice-president. This is not acceptable for the people of Afghanistan," said Mr Bashardost.Mr Karzai has chosen Mohammed Qasim Fahim, a former Tajik warlord, as his number two on the presidential ticket.Ex-finance minister Mr Ghani also took aim at Mr Karzai's alliances, saying: "I have not struck any deals with any warlord, have not given any ministry, governor's position, or a part of Afghanistan to any of them."Correspondents say many Afghans and diplomats fear any backroom deals made in an effort to help Mr Karzai's election campaign could empower old warlords and set back efforts to improve Afghanistan.But Mr Karzai told his two rivals: "If for the national interest, for progress, for national unity, avoiding war... there is need for more such convenience, once again I will seek that. A thousand times I will do that."

Lashkars on outskirts of Peshawar fighting fire with fire

PESHAWAR: Local lashkars, brandishing cudgels and other weapons and patrolling the outskirts of the city, have been quite successful in restricting Taliban raids in rural areas – demonstrating considerable vitality and tact in successfully dealing with onslaughts.Unlike other parts of the NWFP and the Tribal Areas – where lashkars have crumbled under the pressure of suicide attacks and killings of members – lashkars in Peshawar are braving the storm: two militias from the Khalil Mohmand tribe – headed by Adezai Nazim Abdul Malik and Bazidkhel Nazim Fahimur Rehman – are engaging Taliban from Darra Adamkhel and Bara tehsil of Khyber Agency.Abdul Malik is fighting Taliban from Darra Adamkhel as well as the Lashkar-e-Islam (LI), while Fahim has locked horns with the LI.“They have been attacking us with bombs, rockets,” Abdul Malik told Daily Times. On August 10, suspected Taliban attacked a vehicle owned by Abdul Malik, but the nazim was not in the vehicle. Talks were previously launched with the Taliban, but the idea was dropped when Taliban destroyed a school, said Abdul Malik, adding that if Taliban wanted to reconcile with his lashkar, they would have to end their activities in Mattani and Badabher. Malik is all praise for Peshawar police, but laments the provincial government has done nothing. “We are also cooperating with the other lashkar being headed by Fahimur Rehman,” he said. This cooperation is vital for the city as it protects the southwestern flank from the Taliban encroachments. Police demolished Abdul Malik’s house in August 2008 and arrested him on charges of militancy. On his release, he sided with the government, but his house was then destroyed by the Taliban.

Americans say British cannot hold Afghan siege city

www.timesonline.co.uk
BRITAIN is under pressure to give up an Afghan town where it has fought numerous bloody battles because the Americans claim the army is too overstretched to hold on to it.US commanders want to take control of Musa Qala in northern Helmand province, arguing that Britain’s forces are already hard-pressed trying to control the so-called green zone further south.Musa Qala has great symbolic importance for the British, who have lost 18 soldiers there. They seized it from the Taliban in 2006 before pulling out in a deal with local elders. The agreement broke down, however, and it took 5,000 men to recapture the town of 50,000 inhabitants in 2007.
Musa Qala is 50 miles north of Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital, and is one of the most northerly British outposts.The recent Operation Panther’s Claw, which cleared the Taliban from 150 square miles of the green zone north and northwest of Lashkar Gah, has left troops exhausted.British defence sources said they barely had enough men to mount “framework patrols” to secure the cleared area. Brigadier Tim Radford, the British commander on the ground, is thought likely to welcome a US takeover of the town to ease pressure on his troops.
However, senior officers in Britain are resisting the American attempt to take Musa Qala, believing it will give the Treasury an excuse to try to cut spending on the war.Commanders at Permanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ) in Northwood, west London, are “determined not to give up another square inch of the UK area to the Americans”, one source said.“We would be far better off without Musa Qala,” the source added. “The Americans want us to concentrate on the green zone from Lash up to Sangin. It’s a sensible move. It will take the pressure off.”
The Ministry of Defence said “no definitive decision” had been made on Musa Qala, which was one of several issues, including troop numbers, that would wait until after the Afghan elections and the results of the “60day review” by General Stanley McChrystal, the American commander.
McChrystal will recommend a big increase in the number of Afghan army and police from 160,000 to about 400,000. That would require thousands of new trainers, with Britain already under pressure to supply 2,000. The government is reluctant to send any further troops.The row over Musa Qala has exposed the extent to which commanders in Britain have been pushed aside. In theory PJHQ controls all British military operations abroad, but is increasingly toothless. With the Americans taking control of most of Helmand, it has lost much of its role.Last week British troops were concentrating on routine patrols. Under the US “clear, hold and build” tactics, their priority is to ensure that the area does not fall back under enemy control.The aim in this week’s elections is to stay in the background with local police manning polling stations and Afghan soldiers taking the lead on security. The British role will be restricted to providing aerial surveillance and rapid reaction forces in an mergency.
Musa Qala has been at the forefront of Britain’s war. When troops first moved into Helmand in the spring of 2006, they planned to concentrate on providing security in the Lashkar Gah area, allowing reconstruction.
However, President Hamid Karzai felt the troops should enforce his writ across Taliban-held territory and, backed by London, insisted they protect government buildings in the four northern Helmand towns of Now Zad, Sangin, Kajaki and Musa Qala.

Holbrooke postpones Mingora tour due to bad weather

ISLAMABAD: President Barack Obama's special envoy to Pakistan Richard Holbrooke’s tour of Mingora has been postponed due to bad weather according to sources.Earlier, Holbrooke’s plane landed late at Chaklala airport Saturday-Sunday night due to bad weather after which his departure for Islamabad was also delayed for about an hour due to heavy rain.

U.S. Plans a Mission Against Taliban’s Propaganda

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is establishing a new unit within the State Department for countering militant propaganda in Afghanistan and Pakistan, engaging more fully than ever in a war of words and ideas that it acknowledges the United States has been losing.Proposals are being considered to give the team up to $150 million a year to spend on local FM radio stations, to counter illegal militant broadcasting, and on expanded cellphone service across Afghanistan and Pakistan. The project would step up the training of local journalists and help produce audio and video programming, as well as pamphlets, posters and CDs denigrating militants and their messages.Senior officials say they consider the counterpropaganda mission to be vital to the war.“Concurrent with the insurgency is an information war,” said Richard C. Holbrooke, the special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, who will direct the effort. “We are losing that war.“The Taliban have unrestricted, unchallenged access to the radio, which is the main means of communication,” he added. “We can’t succeed, however you define success, if we cede the airways to people who present themselves as false messengers of a prophet, which is what they do. And we need to combat it.”The team he is putting together is the latest entry into the government’s effort to direct the flow of information in support of American policy. The campaign is scattered throughout the bureaucracy and the military, variously named public affairs, public diplomacy, strategic communications and information operations.Officials acknowledge that the government routinely fails when trying to speak to the Muslim world and battle the propaganda of extremism — most often because the efforts to describe American policy and showcase American values are themselves viewed as propaganda.The new campaign is especially focused on providing cellphone service, and thus some independent communications for people in remote areas where the Taliban thrive. It is a booming industry now: Afghanistan had no cellular coverage in 2001 but today has about 9.5 million subscribers.That work is closely coordinated with American and allied forces in Afghanistan, where Rear Adm. Gregory J. Smith, NATO’s director of communication in Kabul, said the challenge was in protecting the population and the official communications network from insurgents — a new strategic priority.“If we can insulate the people, separate the population from insurgents, they become less vulnerable and less susceptible to the coercion and intimidation designed to steer them away from the government of Afghanistan,” Admiral Smith said.“The ability to communicate empowers a population,” he said. “That is a very important principle of counterinsurgency and counterpropaganda.”In southern Afghanistan, now the center of American military offensives under the troop increase ordered by President Obama, insurgents threaten commercial cellphone providers with attack if they do not switch off service early each night.That prevents villagers from calling security forces if they see militants on the move or planting roadside bombs; the lack of cellphone service at night also hobbles the police and nongovernmental development agencies.Proposals to counter insurgent threats include establishing security for cellphone towers by offering local communities money, electricity or free service to guard the towers — or even erecting cellphone towers, which cost about $200,000 each, on allied military bases.Expanding and securing cellphone service has the additional benefit of assisting economic development, officials said, as it could provide wireless access to banking systems for those who now must travel long distances for financial services.Officials involved in the new unit say they are seeking to amplify the voices of Afghans speaking to Afghans, and Pakistanis speaking to Pakistanis, rather than have “Made in the U.S.A.” stamped on the programming.And officials said the counterpropaganda unit would seek ways to “denigrate the enemy,” portraying militant attacks on markets, schools and public buildings as a religious violation.“Given the archaic values of Al Qaeda and the Taliban, we must devise policies that expose the true nature of the militants,” said Ashley Bommer, an adviser to Mr. Holbrooke. “And we must shift the paradigm so that the debate is not between the United States and the militants, but between the people and the militants.”Officials said the unit would work to counter the primary routes of extremist communications, in particular low-power radio stations and the distribution of videos, CDs and “night letters” — chilling militant notes that threaten violence if local residents cooperate with the government, America or its allies.Vikram Singh, on loan from the Pentagon as Mr. Holbrooke’s senior defense adviser for the project, said the United States would begin by “building the capabilities of the private sectors and the governments in both of these countries to effectively communicate and engage with their own populations.”This is particularly important, he said, in the border areas of Pakistan and across large parts of Afghanistan that for decades had only primitive communications.In the tribal areas of Pakistan, for example, there are only four legal FM radio stations, compared with more than 150 illegal low-watt stations run by militants, according to officials involved in the counterpropaganda effort. Some of the insurgent radio stations are mobile, broadcasting from vehicles or even donkey carts to avoid detection and extend their reach.

Balochistan unrest spiralling out of control: report

KARACHI: Unrest in Balochistan could seriously dent the government’s operation against the Taliban and its economy as well, a report in the Financial Times said.
According to the report, the insurgency in Balochistan could distract security forces from tackling the Taliban along the lawless Afghan border and in Swat.Separatists are targeting important buildings and other strategic installations in the region and have asked outsiders to leave as soon as possible, FT says.‘They are openly telling the Punjabis, ‘leave while you can.’ While everyone is worried about Swat, Balochistan is getting out of control,’ a senior provincial security official said.
Balochis has long been demanding a share in the revenue earned by the government from selling natural gas obtained from gas reserves situated in the province.‘We are the richest in terms of mineral resources and the poorest in terms of economic well-being,’ said Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani.Political leaders are also of the view that Balochistan should be given its due share in the revenue.‘All the proceeds from the gas have to come to Balochistan,’ said Balochistan National Party chief Abdul Malik Baloch.Malik said the government must withdraw armed forces from the region to earn support and trust of the local people.‘Military should be withdrawn from the province as part of a necessary reconciliation process that must begin to address ways of overcoming the anger in Balochistan,’ he said.

Hoti directs action against hoarders

PESHAWAR: NWFP(PUKHTUNKHWA) Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti on Saturday took notice of artificial shortage of some commodities, including sugar, and directed that stern action should be taken against hoarders.

Hoti also directed all the commissioners and DCOs of the province to closely monitor increase in prices of edible items and implementation of the government-approved price list.

He said his government was aware of the difficulties the public was facing due to the price hike.

The chief minister directed district administrations to form special teams that would ensure observance of the government-approved price list. He said legal action would be taken against the violators.

Meanwhile, Hoti took notice of the news published in various newspapers of shortage of facilities and poor arrangements of cleanliness in the District Hospital, Mardan, and directed the Mardan commissioner to take necessary steps and submit a report to him in this regard.

In the meantime, Hoti directed the SNGPL authorities to ensure provision of Sui gas to different villages on the Charsadda Road in Mardan.

Restrictions, curfew irk residents of Dargai

PESHAWAR: Frequent restrictions on businesses and curfews for security reasons continue to cause problems for the people of Dargai, a town in Malakand Agency, despite the conclusion of major anti-Taliban military operations in Swat and return of most of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their areas.

A number of people in Dargai said their routine activities were widely affected by the restrictions although some relaxation has now been given in the curfew hours. They said the elected representatives of the area never turned up to provide relief to the people whose businesses were affected during the last three months.

Shergarh, Dargai, Sakhakot and Batkhela towns are part of Malakand Agency, which is a provincially administered tribal area (Pata). These towns mostly remained under curfew during the past three months to ensure safety of both military and civilian convoys coming from and going back to Swat.

Traffic usually would stop on the road passing through Dargai bazaar after 5pm till 10am in the morning. The markets used to remain closed in Dargai, Sakhakot and Batkhela, affecting the economic conditions of the businessmen and the labour attached to their businesses.

Khalid Mahmood, assistant relief officer with International Committee of the Red Cross in Malakand Agency, told The News that the people of these areas were equally affected by the trouble in Swat and Dir.

He said he had received Rs16,000 electricity bill for the past three months. “I can pay it as I have a job, but what about a labourer or a shopkeeper who did not work and whose business remained closed for most of the time over the past three months,” argued Khalid Mahmood.

Apart from business and labour community, students were also affected and many of them lost time to prepare for the examinations.

Clinton Ends Africa Tour, Vowing to Stay Involved

SANTA MARIA, Cape Verde — After a grueling seven-nation, 11-day trip, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton wrapped up her Africa tour on Friday by reaffirming her promise to renovate American relations with the continent.

“I leave Africa after this remarkable trip even more committed,” Mrs. Clinton said before leaving Cape Verde.

“I have seen the joy and energy Africans have, evidenced not just by the boogieing, but by the hard work and perseverance,” she said, referring to a recent comment from her husband, former President Bill Clinton, that she knew how to “boogie” with African dancers.

“And we’ve seen the worst humanity can do to itself,” she added, presumably referring to Congo, where Mrs. Clinton met victims of a brutal civil war that just does not seem to end.

Mrs. Clinton seemed satisfied that she had accomplished her mission: strengthening American relations with crucial allies on the continent, like Nigeria and South Africa, and sending a message of “tough love,” as she called it, to nations like Kenya and Congo.

Over all, she said, the United States wants to work more closely with African nations as a partner, not simply as a patron or dispenser of aid. In exchange, she said, African leaders must deliver democracy and good government.

Mrs. Clinton vowed to stay on top of Africa, even after she gets back to Washington, closely monitoring the issues she addressed on her tour. She also pointed to Cape Verde, a set of palm-studded islands best known for their beaches and enormous tourist hotels, as an example of what good leadership can do.

“This is possible,” she said. “You create not just economic growth but a sense of human dignity and possibility.”

Kenya. South Africa. Angola. Congo. Nigeria. Liberia. And finally Cape Verde. Mrs. Clinton saw with her own eyes some of Africa’s most promising countries — and some of its most troubled ones. In Kenya, she pushed for the government to prosecute perpetrators of the postelection violence last year. In South Africa, the big issue was Zimbabwe and how the South African government should do more to help ease the crisis there.

In Angola, the theme was good governing practices and oil, a strategic concern of the United States given the many inroads China has made there and elsewhere in Africa in its hunger for natural resources. In Congo, Mrs. Clinton was passionate about the need to end the nation’s rape epidemic.

“The secretary’s visit to the heart of the world’s deadliest war zone in eastern Congo was a potential game-changer for that conflict,” said John Prendergast, a founder of the Washington-based Enough project. “Her commitment to addressing root causes such as the conflict minerals that power our electronics industry was a refreshing contrast to the usual disaster sympathy tourism of visiting dignitaries.”

“Now,” he added, “comes the hard part: making good on the promises and living up to the high expectations engendered by her visit.”

In Nigeria, Mrs. Clinton pressed for electoral changes. In Liberia, she praised the country’s president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the only woman in Africa to be elected head of state.

The Liberian visit had a special warmth, almost like a meeting of long-lost cousins. Liberia was founded in the 19th century by freed American slaves, and the country’s flag, the people’s names and even the police uniforms with plastic-brimmed hats were all reminiscent of the American versions. Mrs. Clinton received possibly her most exuberant welcome there, and a Liberian man with a long wooden horn followed her around most of the visit, blowing out loud funny noises whenever she said something striking.

“I love that — the horn — I want to take that guy with me wherever I go,” she said.

In Cape Verde, Mrs. Clinton seemed to have few bones to pick. For once, she said, she had a cheat sheet on a country that included a list of far more positives than negatives. The country has fewer than 500,000 people and has escaped the turmoil that has engulfed so much of Africa. The all-inclusive, poolside buffet resorts here feel like something found in Cancún or the Bahamas.

Mrs. Clinton called Cape Verde “a model of democracy and economic progress in Africa.”

On Friday, just as she had at every stop, she started her speech by saying, “I bring you greetings from President Obama.”

She called him a “son of Africa” and said that under the Obama administration, the United States was determined to help Africa reach its promise.

Blast in Kabul kills 7, injures dozens

A suicide bomber in the Afghan capital, Kabul, blew up a car in a heavily fortified section of the city. At least seven people were killed and 91 others wounded, including children in an attack that comes five days before Afghanistan's presidential election.Afghan and NATO authorities say the car exploded on the road in front of the headquarters of the International Security Assistance Force, near the U.S. Embassy and the Presidential Palace. NATO says some ISAF soldiers are among the wounded. But most of the casualties appear to be Afghan civilians, including children who congregate in the area to sell chewing gum to passersby. An ambulance driver told VOA he saw numerous dead and injured. He says all of the people he transported were civilians, including women. Bloodied and dazed wounded stood near firemen who extinguished the flames coming from the vehicle that had detonated. Windows of nearby shops were shattered. The force of the blast rattled windows several kilometers away and sent a plume of smoke into the Saturday morning sky. It is the first such attack in Kabul in six months, although this month a barrage of rockets was launched at the capital, most landing harmlessly. Kabul police criminal investigations director, Brigadier-General Sayed Abdul Ghaffar, tells reporters at the scene this is obviously a suicide car bombing. General Ghaffar says the identity of the bomber will be difficult to ascertain because he blew himself into many pieces, but investigators hope to arrest his accomplices.
Taliban claims responsibility
The Taliban, in phone calls to news agencies, claimed responsibility for the car bomb, saying it contained 500 kilograms of explosives and the intended target was the U.S. Embassy. Embassy spokesperson Fleur Cowen says the American diplomatic compound was not hit. Cowan said, "I was in my office when a blast occurred a little after 8:30 a.m. and I certainly heard it but I didn't feel anything. We're still gathering information, however, to the best of our knowledge all U.S. Embassy personnel have been accounted for and there has been no damage to the Embassy."
General Ghaffar acknowledges the attackers were able to penetrate an area of the capital that is supposed to be heavily secure, less than a week before Afghans go to the polls for the first national election since 2004.
Officials urge Afghans to vote
The police official says this suicide bombing should not deter Afghans from voting or derail the election.President Hamid Karzai, running for re-election, earlier in the week urged citizens not to be intimidated by Taliban threats to attack voting sites and disrupt balloting.A successful election is considered as a key test for this country's fledgling democracy and the ability of the joint Afghan and international forces to provide adequate security.

Five killed in suicide blast in Swat

MINGORA : A suicide car-bomber blew himself up at a security post in the Swat valley on Saturday killing five soldiers in the most serious attack in the area for weeks.

The bomb attack in Khawazakhela town, about 14 km (9 miles) north of Swat's main town of Mingora, raised concern that the Taliban could make a comeback, especially as no top insurgent leaders in the former tourist valley were killed or captured.

"The bomber rammed his explosive-laden vehicle into the post," said a senior military official in the region who declined to be identified. Five men were killed and four were wounded.

The attack came a day after hundreds of people, including many women, attended a music and dance show to celebrate Independence Day in the valley, where the Taliban had banned music and girls' education.

"We celebrated August 14 with great enthusiasm and it appeared as if it was all over," Mingora market vendor Akbar Hussain said of the violence. "Today has again brought fear that the Taliban could return."

Pakistan's efforts to suppress militants on its side of the border are vital for a US-led bid to stabilise Afghanistan, where Taliban have threatened to disrupt an Aug. 20 presidential election.

Rockets hit Peshawar

PESHAWAR: A young girl was injured as one of the six rockets fired at the city hit her on Friday. The rockets, which were fired at the provincial capital from an unknown place in the early hours of Friday, landed in various areas. The incident is second in less than a week period.“A rocket hit the house of a prayer leader, Noorul Haq, inside Masjid Aqsa in Gulberg. The projectile damaged a part of the house and mosque and injured minor daughter of the prayer leader.Another rocket landed in the Postal Colony, a public sector residential area on Kohat Road, while one fell near a dump in Amin Colony. “Both the devices did not cause any casualty or damage,” stated Syed Atiq Shah, the station house officer of Bhanamari Police Station. A shell landed near the Peshawar International Airport in Pishtakhara, while two others fell in the jurisdiction of the Badaber Police Station. There were reports that one rocket landed on the airport’s runway. Another also hit the runway but didn’t explode.

Battle to continue until militants eliminated: Hoti

PESHAWAR: The Independence Day was celebrated across the Frontier(PUKHTUNKHWA) province with national zeal and fervour on Friday.In Peshawar various colourful functions were held. The main flag hoisting ceremony was held at Malik Saad Khan Shaheed Police Lines where NWFP Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti was chief guest.
Throwing light on importance of the day, he recalled the sacrifices rendered by the people for creation of the country and said that the credit went to those who fought against the British Raj.‘Our province is playing as frontline region against terrorism. Terrorists are trying to snatch our independence but we will never let them do so and continue to fight them till complete elimination of anti-state elements,’ he vowed.In order to defeat the extremists and militants, he said it was need of the hour that people irrespective of their political affiliation, colour, creed and region should take a united stand and come forward and support the government.Referring to the sufferings of the people of Malakand, he said the provincial government faced serious challenges including financial constraints but did not bow to the terrorists and managed to facilitate the internally displace persons.He said Pakhtuns revived the country’s history by supporting the displaced people. He appreciated the people of Peshawar, Charsadda, Mardan, Nowshera and other host districts.

North Korea’s “Dear Leader” opens umbrella boom

Kim Jong-il may be at the forefront of a fashion trend that has just hit the streets of Pyongyang: Using oversized umbrellas as parasols.The North Korean leader started travelling this year with a soldier whose job is to carry a large black umbrella to protect him from the sun.Kim, called the “Dear Leader” by his state’s official media, has been trailed by his umbrella bearer on many occasions since he returned to the public scene earlier this year after suffering a suspected stroke a year ago.The iconic traffic ladies of Pyongyang have been swept up in the trend inspired by Kim.
Visitors to the North Korean capital have a hard time forgetting the young women who stand at major intersections in uniforms and direct the few cars on the road with gestures that seem inspired by military drill sergeants and professional boxers. Pyongyang does not have traffic lights. One of the few state secrets that residents of the North Korean capital will share with foreign visitors is that these women are often selected for their looks.It appears Kim, who is also greatly concerned about their access to make-up, was behind the umbrella proliferation:“The traffic controllers are moved by the warm affection shown for them by General Secretary Kim Jong-il who saw to it that the platforms with umbrellas are being set up this time after raincoats, rain boots, sunglasses, gloves and cosmetics as well as seasonal uniforms were provided to them,” the North’s official KCNA news agency said on Thursday.
(PIcture at top: North Korean leader Kim Jong-il visits the Yeonsa district revolution battlefield at an undisclosed place in North Korea, in an undated photo released by North Korea’s official KCNA news agency May 24, 2009. The photo of the traffic policewoman was released on August 13, 2009.)

Karzai leading ahead of Afghan election

KABUL – President Hamid Karzai holds a strong lead in the Afghan presidential race but is still short of the majority he needs for a first-round victory, according to a poll released Friday with less than a week to go before the balloting.
The poll by a U.S. government-funded group suggests turnout will be crucial, especially in the Pashtun south — the president's support base where Taliban fighters have been warning voters to stay away from the polls.
Ahead of next Thursday's vote, there are fears that election tension could boil over into street violence if presidential losers allege massive fraud. Opposition candidates have been accusing Karzai and his team of using state resources to ensure re-election. Local and international monitors are convinced there will be voter irregularities.
According to the latest poll, Karzai remains the leading candidate in a crowded field of three dozen contenders with about 44 percent support, a rise of 13 percentage points from a poll conducted in May.
Karzai's main challenger, former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah, trailed at 26 percent — a dramatic increase over the 7 percent he received in the May poll.
If no candidate wins over 50 percent of the vote, the top two finishers will face a run-off in early October. That could lead to a coalition uniting around a single candidate to try to defeat Karzai.
The poll, based on face-to-face interviews with 2,400 people between July 16 and 26, was funded by the International Republican Institute, a non-governmental group that receives money from USAID, the U.S. government aid arm. The poll had a margin of error of 2 percentage points.
Karzai, meanwhile, took his campaign Friday to the western city of Herat, where he won the public endorsement of Energy Minister Ismail Khan, the political czar of the region.
Karzai told a crowd of several thousand that if re-elected, his first priority would be to initiate talks with the Taliban and other insurgent groups.
About 90 percent of the respondents in the latest poll said they planned to vote, despite Taliban threats to disrupt the balloting. Election authorities have said about 10 percent of nearly 7,000 polling centers will likely remain shut, most of them because of bad security.
The threat is the greatest in the south and east, where the country's ethnic Pashtuns live. Karzai, himself a Pashtun, could see his totals lowered if insurgent violence keeps Afghans there from voting.
In an effort to encourage voting, village elders in the south are trying to broker election day cease-fire agreements with Taliban commanders, according to Karzai's brother, Ahmad Wali Karzai.
"Local elders in some of the far-flung villages are just meeting with some small group commanders to not bother people during elections and let them vote," he told The Associated Press.
However, a Taliban spokesman denied any talks were under way.
"We are denying any deals with anyone," Taliban spokesman Qari Yusuf Ahmedi told the AP by telephone. "Don't listen to those liars. There is no truth to any talk of a cease-fire. People should not go to vote. The Taliban has no agreement with the government."
In the southern province of Helmand, U.S. Marines have been trying to secure the strategic town of Dahaneh to cut Taliban supply lines and enable the government to open a polling station there.
After two days of fighting, Marines helped Afghan officers raise the Afghan flag over the town Friday after tribal elders assured the Americans there were no Taliban left there.
Soon after the flag-raising ceremony, the Marine base in the town came under small arms, machine gun and rocket-propelled grenade fire, sending Marines running for cover.
A patrol was sent out to find the gunmen and ended up locked in a lengthy gunfight which continued into the night.
Elsewhere, a suicide bomber attacked an Afghan army base in southern Afghanistan on Friday, killing a soldier and wounding four other people, an official said. The bomber rammed his vehicle into the base's gate in Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand province, said Daud Ahmadi, the provincial governor's spokesman. Three civilians and a soldier were among the wounded, he said.
In the capital, meanwhile, two rockets were fired at Kabul's airport Friday but caused no damage or casualties, said U.S. military spokesman Chief Petty Officer Brian Naranjo. It was the second rocket attack on the capital this month.
Taliban militants took responsibility for the previous attack.
Kabul is heavily guarded by Afghan security forces, and authorities say rockets fired from a distance are the only weapon insurgents can use against the capital.

Marines try a woman's touch to reach Afghan hearts

KHAWJA JAMAL, Afghanistan – Put on body armor, check weapons, cover head and shoulders with a scarf.
That was the drill for female American Marines who set out on patrol this week with a mission to make friends with Afghan women in a war zone by showing respect for Muslim standards of modesty.
The all-female unit of 46 Marines is the military's latest innovation in its rivalry with the Taliban for the populace's loyalty. Afghan women are viewed as good intelligence sources, and more open to the basics of the military's hearts-and-minds effort — hygiene, education and an end to the violence.
"It's part of the effort to show we're sensitive to local culture," said Capt. Jennifer Gregoire, of East Strasburg, Pa. She leads the Female Engagement Team in the Now Zad Valley of Helmand province, the heartland of the Taliban insurgency.
"If you show your hair, its kind of like seeing a nude picture here, because women are very covered up," she said.
Women are technically barred from combat units in the Marines, and some infantrymen have been surprised to see them in brightly colored head scarves under their helmets, deployed in the most intense combat zones in the country.
"But ... I think they understand that what we're doing is vital to operations and vital to the counterinsurgency program they want to run," said Gregoire.
Women soldiers were assigned to search women at checkpoints in Iraq, and the experience fed into the Afghan effort, said Cpl. Sarah Furrer, from Colorado Springs, Colo., who served in both war zones.
"I'm not married and I don't have children, so they think that's awkward because I'm 24," Furrer said of her Iraq experience. But as a result, "we're not so much afraid of engaging the women" in Afghanistan, she said.
"I've found you get great intel from the female population," said Capt. Zachary Martin, who commands the Golf Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines, stationed in Now Zad. "The women don't want their men out there conducting jihad and getting killed."
Martin said units have frequently received tips from women about weapons caches or hidden bombs.
But just to find the women is a challenge. There were none in sight as Gregoire's team entered Khwaja Jamal, a village of mud brick homes with no electricity or government presence.
While heavily armed Marines fanned out, the four women started by trying to strike up conversations with the few old men and young children who ventured outdoors.
The several hundred villagers grow wheat and opium poppies in the crossfire between Marines and Taliban fighters who are in the woods less than a mile away.
"They look at us through binoculars. They'll kill anybody who talks to the Americans," said Abdul Gayom to explain why the villagers were so wary of meeting the patrol.
1st Lt. Victoria Sherwood was undaunted, talking to him through her Afghan translator. She gave him painkillers for his back, and small presents for the children timidly clustering around. Some of them begged to try on her sunglasses, and promptly made off with them.
Sherwood, from Woodbury, Conn., got Gayom to promise he might let her into his compound to meet his wife, who he said with a shrug is "so old, the Taliban probably won't care."
But there was a snag: The translator was male. Could he be in the wife's presence? "No way," said Gayom, then asked the Marines for more medicine and goods.
Deeper in the village, an elderly woman eventually appeared on a doorstep. Gusha Halam claimed she was 120 — so old she could do what she pleased. Her black head scarf left her wrinkled face uncovered and revealed some hair, dyed bright orange with henna.
"The Taliban took everything from us. Make them leave," Halam said, before her sons and grandsons arrived, stopped the conversation and hustled her indoors.

Britons defend their health care from US criticism

LONDON – Britons reacted with outrage Friday at American criticism of the country's health care system and defended their cradle-to-grave medical coverage on Twitter, television and in the tabloids.
Right-wing attacks on President Barack Obama's health reform plans have struck a nerve in Britain, where residents broadly take for granted their universal coverage under the state-funded National Health Service — and look askance at the millions of Americans without insurance.
"Land of the Fee," declared the Daily Mirror in reference to the United States' high-charging health model. The London newspaper called the "lies and distortions" being circulated in the United States about the National Health Service "truly sickening."
"Jaw droppingly untruthful," said the British Medical Association's chairman, Hamish Meldrum.
"NHS often makes the difference between pain and comfort, despair and hope, life and death," Prime Minister Gordon Brown tweeted. "Thanks for always being there."
Even British health campaigner Kate Spall — who criticizes NHS failings in U.S. television ads produced by Conservatives for Patients' Rights, a lobby group that opposes Obama's plans — declared that the group had misled her and was distorting her true views. Spall's mother died of kidney cancer while waiting for treatment.
"There are failings in the system but I'm not anti-NHS at all," Spall told the British Broadcasting Corp.
"I help the vulnerable patients in our country that come to me for help, those that have been denied treatment," she said. "So the irony is, the people that are falling through the net in the U.S. are patients that I would support anyway."
Britain's opposition Conservative Party is distancing itself from its maverick member of European Parliament, Daniel Hannan, who has criticized the NHS on U.S. news programs.
Conservative leader David Cameron dismissed Hannan as having "eccentric views."
In an e-mail to Conservative Party workers published on his blog, Cameron said millions, including his own family, were grateful for NHS-provided care.
"Just look at all the support which the NHS has received on Twitter over the last couple of days," he wrote. "It is a reminder — if one were needed — of how proud we in Britain are of the NHS."
The NHS, founded in 1948, is the cornerstone of the United Kingdom's welfare state.
About 12 percent of the UK's 61 million residents have private insurance, but the vast majority rely on state-funded emergency care, surgery and access to family doctors. Even those who complain about the system say they want it improved, not dismantled.
British officials acknowledge that their system has been struggling to cope and faces a 15 billion pound ($24 billion) deficit. Hospitals are often overcrowded, dirty and understaffed, which means some patients do not get the care they are promised.

Dil Se Pakistani

Festivities in full swing to celebrate independence

Festivities are in full swing across the country, as nation celebrates the 63rd Independence Day with traditional zeal and national enthusiasm.Various programs were organized in the Federal Capital as well as provincial capitals of the country to mark the event.The day dawned with 31 gun salutes in the Capital and 21 each in the four provinces, followed by special prayers in mosques across the country for the progress, prosperity and stability of Pakistan.A smartly turned out contingent of the Pakistan Naval Academycadets mounted guard at the Quaid's Mausoleum. Representatives of three services laid Inter Services FloralWreath at the Mazar of quaid-e-Azam and offered dua.The central flag hoisting ceremony was organized at Convention Centre Islamabad where Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani hoisted the national flag. Members of the Federal Cabinet, Army Chief, Speaker National Assembly, Chiefs of Armed Forces and other dignitaries attended the program.Flag hoisting ceremonies were also held in all the big and small cities of the country including the four provincial capitals – Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta – besides Muzafarabad, capital of Azad Kashmir.
Sindh Governor Dr. Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan and Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah hoisted the national flag in Karachi.Similar ceremony was held at Huzuri Bagh in Lahore where Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif was the chief guest.The Malakand affectees also took active part in the independence day celebrations, as an atmosphere of festivities was witnessed in the relief camps.The IDPs who returned to Swat are also celebrating the countries freedom with passion.

Obama visits Mountain West, knowing vulnerability

DENVER – Perhaps no region of the country better illustrates Barack Obama's political vulnerabilities than the mountain West.
He's hoping to ease some of those concerns in a Western swing blending town hall appearances and visits to national parks beginning Friday.
Democrats have made recent election inroads in the region by successfully courting independents, Republican crossovers and conservative-to-moderate loyalists in their own party. But it's these very voters — gun owners, civil libertarians, private property advocates — who seem to be turning away from the president across the country because of deep-seated concerns about expanding government and soaring budget deficits.
They are people who bristle at big business bailouts and decry government's reach into their own lives. They don't see Obama's stimulus plan jump-starting the economy or boosting employment. They fret about the enormous price tags of his sweeping proposals to overhaul health care and revamp energy policy.
"People are ready to see him move beyond the rhetoric. People want to see jobs come back. We want to see the economy recover. So we're still, I think, waiting to see that," says Chris Lawson, 30, who voted for Obama last fall and says he doesn't regret it. The Littleton, Colo., resident expressed worries about health care in particular, saying: "We are clearly moving toward more government in more people's lives. ... That's not a good thing, more government."
Another Obama voter, Eric Schreiber, 44, of Denver argued it's too early to judge the president. But, he added, Obama definitely hasn't sold him on the health care overhaul. "It's a good idea to do health reform, but I think everybody wants to know more about how it will work," Schreiber said.
Obama is hoping he can allay such worries as he promotes his plan at town hall-style events in reliably Republican areas: Friday in Belgrade, Mont., and Saturday in Grand Junction, Colo., near the Utah state line. The first family also plans to visit Yellowstone and Grand Canyon to highlight the country's national parks.
In a nod to his surroundings, the president plans to try out the classic Western sport of fly-fishing for the first time Friday, using a new reel that was a birthday present from some avid fishermen on his staff and accompanied by a guide — but not any media.
Just eight months ago, the president took office with sky-high job approval ratings, the first Democrat since Lyndon B. Johnson to win the White House with more than 50 percent of the popular vote. He did it by cobbling together support that spanned the ideological spectrum. He pulled new voters — particularly left-leaning young people and minorities — into the process and turned out his Democratic base in droves. And independents, disaffected Republicans and middle-of-the-road Democrats put him over the top.
That coalition — coupled with a national desire for change after years of Republican George W. Bush — made it possible for Obama to win a slew of states that hadn't voted for a Democrat in years, Colorado and Nevada, among them. He also won New Mexico, a perennial swing state, came very close to winning Montana, and lost by just 9 percentage points in Republican John McCain's home state of Arizona. Still, Obama lost badly in ultraconservative Republican bastions, including Idaho, Wyoming and Utah.
Since his inauguration, Obama has watched his support slide nationally. It hovered at 55 percent in a recent AP-GfK poll, though other surveys show him under 50 percent.
Out-of-power Republicans have tagged Obama as a classic big-spending, big-government liberal, and those gripes may have resonated with independents and centrists who polls show have turned away from Obama or whose support is soft. The GOP's message may be particularly well-received in the mountain West, a region traditionally wary of the federal government.
"Democrats had some success last year. Since then, I think the president has slipped not just a little but a great deal," said Dave Hansen, head of the Utah GOP who once held the same position in Montana. "He's a charming, charismatic guy, but all of a sudden the issues are taking over, and it's not going over well."
Tracking polls by Gallup from January through June show that of the 10 states where Obama's approval rating was the lowest, five are in the mountain West. They include the two states Obama is visiting this weekend as well as Wyoming, Idaho and Utah.
Those findings raise the question: Will the recent Democratic successes in the region last?
"I don't think we can say that yet," said Bob Loevy, a political scientist at Colorado College.
Certainly Obama's successful nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court will help with the region's rapidly growing Hispanic communities, a pivotal Democratic-leaning constituency. And future trips to the West are certain between now and midterm elections next fall.
For its part, the GOP in the mountain West has its work cut out for it.
The party can't seem to even field strong candidates to challenge incumbent Democrats. Most recently, Rep. Dean Heller, R-Nev., decided against challenging Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid next year in Nevada, even though the Democrat's job performance numbers are dismal.

Pakistan's tribal areas to get parliamentary reps

ISLAMABAD – Pakistan lifted a ban on political activities in its tribal regions on Friday, granting the areas close to Afghan border parliamentary representation for the first time in the hopes it would reduce the grip of the Taliban there.
Pakistan's seven semiautonomous agencies have never been politically and administratively integrated into the rest of the country — a vacuum that observers say has allowed lawlessness and an al-Qaida- and Taliban-led militancy to thrive there.
"This breaks the monopoly of clerics to play politics from the pulpit of the mosque to the exclusion of major secular political parties," said Farhatullah Babar, a spokesman for President Asif Ali Zardari "It empowers the locals and weakens the extremists."
Since the days of British colonial rule, the region's 4 million people have been ruled by government-appointed agents in concert with tribal leaders. They are subject to tribal laws that allow for detention without trial and communal punishment among other unpopular measures.
Babar said Friday's announcement did not reduce the powers of the political agent or modify the laws, but would mean that political parties could campaign there and represent the region in the national parliament after the next elections in 2013.
Since 2001, the border region has become a haven for militants behind surging violence in both Pakistan and Afghanistan. Visiting Western officials have called on Islamabad to integrate it with the rest of the nuclear-armed country as a means of reducing militancy there.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Rehman Malik appealed to the militants to surrender to the government, urging them to "say goodbye to terrorism and start a new life" in televised comments to the media.
The call could be a sign the government is seeking to exploit any potential weaknesses in the militant movement since Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud was reportedly killed in a CIA missile strike on Aug. 5. U.S. and Pakistani officials believe he is dead, though his followers contend he is still alive.
Pakistani officials have called on the militants to surrender before, but with little success. The level of behind-the-scenes contact between the two sides is unknown.
U.S. and Western officials have said reaching out to moderate Taliban will likely be a major part of any solution to the raging insurgency in neighboring Afghanistan, but have been concentrating on urging Pakistan to fight the extremists, not talk with them.
Pakistan launched an operation against militants close to the border in the Swat Valley earlier this year after they violated the terms of a peace deal. It claims to have killed more than 1,200 extremists there and brought the region under government control.

Pakistan marks 62nd Independence Day

ISLAMABAD, Aug. 14 -- Pakistan Friday celebrated its 62nd Independence Day with traditional zeal and fervor and firm determination to safeguard security and solidarity of the country in the face of diverse challenges, local TV channels reported.President Asif Ali Zardari in a message to the nation on Independence day urged the nation to adhere to principles of democracy and human rights to banish dictatorship, militancy and extremism and provide economic opportunities for all in the country. He said "we should also rededicate ourselves to uphold the principles for which Pakistan was created."Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani unfurled the national flag in Jinnah Convention Center in Islamabad. When addressing the gathering, he said terrorism and extremism are the biggest challenges to Pakistan, and the country also faces economy and energy crisis. Gilani said the government's priority is economic growth and there is a need to create harmony in Pakistani society.It is a public holiday. With the dawn of this day, special prayers were held in mosques for the progress and prosperity of the country. Celebrations began with a 31-gun salute in the Federal Capital Islamabad and 21-gun salute in all the four provincial capitals. At 0158 GMT, all vehicular traffic stopped for two minutes with the sounding of sirens and national anthem played at 0200GMT.A change of the guard ceremony at the mausoleum of Pakistan's founder Quaid-e-Mohammed Ali Jinnah also took place in southern Pakistan's city of Karachi, where a contingent of Pakistan Naval Academy assumed charge of the guard. Later, the Naval Academy Commandant laid wreath on the mausoleum of the founder of Pakistan and offered "Fateha" for the salvation of the soul of the great leader of Muslims of sub-continent.The Independence Day celebrations, which kicked off midnight Thursday rose to it height this morning, which would continue for the whole day, as the ruling Pakistan People's Party as well as other major political parties are all set to celebrate the historic day in a dignified manner by hoisting national and party flags, while the electronic and print media have planned comprehensive programs.Keeping alive previous traditions, all the government and private buildings have been illuminated. People, all over the country have decorated their houses, shopping centers and offices with national flags, banners, lightings, paintings and balloons, particularly in green and white colors. Pakistani police and other law-enforcement agencies put security on high alert to avert any terror strike on the independence day. Police sources said a heavy contingent of security officials had been deployed at sensitive points in cantonment areas and international hotels in the capital of Islamabad and the garrison city Rawalpindi.Pakistan's Independence Day is observed on Aug. 14, the day on which Pakistan became independent from the British rule in 1947.

U.S. Detains Journalist Fleeing Pakistan Threats

U.S. immigration officials have detained a Pakistani journalist employed by the U.S.-sponsored Voice of America news service who was hoping to find refuge in the United States after Islamic militants in Pakistan destroyed his house and threatened his life.

Rahman Bunairee, 33, was taken into custody Sunday afternoon upon arriving at Dulles International Airport, according to VOA officials.

It is not clear why Bunairee was detained.

Joan Mower, a spokeswoman for VOA, declined to comment on the particulars of Bunairee's detention other than to say: "VOA is obviously extremely concerned. We're really upset about what's happened to this guy."

Cori Bassett, a spokeswoman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, confirmed that Bunairee is in the agency's custody but said she could not release further details because of privacy reasons.

Bunairee, in addition to filing reports for VOA's Pashto-language radio service, is a popular reporter with the privately owned Pakistani broadcaster Khyber TV. He is usually based in the southern port city of Karachi, but he is originally from the Buner district of Pakistan's embattled North-West Frontier Province near the Afghanistan border, where the Taliban and other Islamic militant groups are active. He recently returned to that region to cover a series of major offensives against the militants by the Pakistani military.

In the past, the militants enjoyed a measure of support, or at least tolerance, among many Pakistanis. But the public mood shifted markedly against the militants this spring, partly because of local media reports about their cruel practices in Buner and other districts then under their control.

On July 7, Bunairee participated in a VOA call-in radio show in which he discussed the Taliban's continued presence in Buner despite a major campaign by the Pakistani military to oust them last May, Mower said.

Two nights later, several dozen armed militants went to Bunairee's family compound in Buner.

Bunairee was not there. The militants told his father that because Bunairee was "speaking against them," they had orders to destroy the house. The men allowed Bunairee's family, including his wife and four children, to leave, then ransacked the house and leveled it with explosives.

That night in the Buner district, militants bombed the home of another journalist, Behroz Khan, a reporter for Pakistan's English daily, the News.

Most recently, Taliban militants flattened the houses of at least six journalists in the neighboring district of Swat before fleeing advancing Pakistani forces, according to Bob Dietz, Asia program coordinator for the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists.

Soon after Bunairee's home was destroyed, gunmen scaled the wall surrounding Khyber TV's bureau in Karachi, several hundred miles south of Buner, and announced that they were looking for him, Dietz said.

Alarmed, officials at VOA arranged to bring Bunairee to the United States on a J-1 visa, often used by research institutions to bring in scholars and experts on temporary visits.

"We're expanding our Pashto broadcasting, and he was going to be working on that," Mower said.

Dietz stressed that Bunairee was not seeking to relocate to the United States but wanted to spend some time outside Pakistan until matters cooled.

He added that he was particularly concerned about the message that Bunairee's detention sends.

"It's mortifying," he said. "Here's a journalist who has performed a valuable service by reporting from an area critical to U.S. security. And our country is slamming the door in his face."

Zardari unveils Pakistan tribal belt reform

ISLAMABAD — Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari unveiled political reforms in the country's tribal belt Friday in a bid to extricate the lawless region from the grip of Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants.
Pakistan's seven federally administered tribal areas (FATA) have become a stronghold for hundreds of extremists who fled after the US-led invasion toppled the hardline Taliban regime in neighbouring Afghanistan in late 2001.
"From today political activities will be started and be allowed in FATA," Zardari told senior politicians in a speech marking the 62nd independence day since Pakistan was created out of the Indian sub-continent.
Political activities were previously banned in FATA, where politicians were subject to arrest. Zardari's announcement was seen as an effort to draw the lawless region closer into national politics.
"In the long run we must defeat the militant mindset to defend our country, our democracy, our institutions and our way of life," Zardari was quoted as saying by state news agency APP during his overnight address.
Although his civilian government is weak, Zardari is a key ally in US President Barack Obama's strategy to defeat Taliban and Al-Qaeda insurgents in Pakistan and Afghanistan, where 100,000 US and NATO troops are deployed.
Pakistani and US officials believe that Pakistan's public enemy number one, Taliban warlord Baitullah Mehsud, was killed last week during a US spy plane attack on his South Waziristan tribal stronghold.
Mehsud's Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan movement appears to have been thrown into turmoil following his presumed death and analysts have urged Pakistan to now bolster efforts to eliminate militants in tribal strongholds.
Pakistan has waged countless military operations in the tribal belt, most recently a six-month offensive that killed hundreds of people in Bajaur, which the military announced in February was secure.

All set for I Day celebrations in Swat Valley

MINGORA: All is set to celebrate major events of the Independence Day celebration in Swat as the nation celebrates 62nd Independence Day today.
Sources here Thursday informed that the major events of I Day celebrations arranged by Pakistan Television would be held at Wadudia Hall, Saidu Sharif.
Minister for Information Mian Iftikhar Hussain would be the chief guest on the occasion, they said.
Sources informed that arrangements have been made for flag hoisting ceremony which will be held at 10am followed by national songs and coloruful functions.
Security has been beefed up and vacations of police forces have been cancelled to avoid any incident.
It is pertinent to mention here that the scenic valley has just passed through a disastrous stage as militants had taken over the administration of the valley but security forces managed to overcome the situation and smashed the anti-state elements from the valley.
Meanwhile, Coordinator Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and Special representative of the President and prime minister, MNA Asma Alamgir visited Swat here on Thursday.
Chairman Special Services Group (SSG) Corps Commander Lieutenant General Nadeem Ahmad also accompanied her on the occasion.
Asma Alamgir, while talking to mediamen said that people of Swat and security forces had rendered countless sacrifices adding that celebrating the major events of Independence Day in Swat, meant to pay a rich tribute to all the martyrs.
She said that the prime minister had already announced Rs500 million grant and soon the President would also announce a special grant for Swat, Buner and Dir.
Asma informed that 90 per cent of repatriation of Swat IDPs had completed and the rest would also return home soon adding that special institutions would be set up for orphans.
She also lauded opposition’s role at the critical stage.
Earlier Asma Alamgir along with Lieutenant General Nadeem visited Girls High School Saidu Sharif and various markets of Mingora.

Jubilant Swatis say no to Taliban

MINGORA: Though seemed a figment of the imagination, it was reality as hundreds of jubilant Swatis, dancing, clapping and chanting slogans in support of the government and country’s armed forces converged at the Nishat Chowk not only to mark the Independence Day celebrations, but the routing of Taliban and return to their paradise after living for more than three months in camps.

A further boost to the confidence of the dwellers was observed when elected members of the NWFP assembly from Swat, though under strict police security, joined the people and responded to their slogans.

This is the first time in the past three years that the people were seen celebrating the Independence Day in such a befitting manner despite bitterly bruised by the presence of Taliban and their harsh tactics of violence during that period.

Green Chowk, the area once known as Khoony or bloody Chowk, where Taliban used to slaughter people and even did not spare women in their killing spree, was massed by hundreds of young and old men and even children to mark their celebrations over the return of peace in this city once known for its calm and peace all over the country.

This was the first time in the past several months that curfew relaxation was extended up to 11 pm. Though many people did not know about the relaxation and they got back to their houses before dusk. However, crowds of people were seen returning to the city main market from far-off areas till late night to join the celebrations.

Rallies of youth on foot, in cars, pick-up trucks and on motorbikes were seen marching through the streets of the city with playing music in loud voice while others dancing at the thump of drums fitted on the vehicles.

“We have many reasons to celebrate,” said a middle-aged man holding a six-year-old boy on his shoulders. “God rid of Taliban, we returned to our areas and curfew is relaxed. All these have added to our happiness of the Independence Day,” he added.

Almost all the important buildings, both government and private, were decorated with colourful lights and people at shops and in vehicles were playing music in loud voice.

Once turned into a dreaded city because of the presence of Taliban, Mingora was presenting a look of some area outside Pakistan. Army and police personnel were patrolling in their vehicles and waving to the people to join their celebrations.

Nishat Chowk, where thousands of people gathered to chant slogans in support of peace and against violence, were decorated with colourful lights. Groups of youth were coming from each side of the city and merge into the crowd to join the chorus ‘Pakistan Zindabad.’

“We can’t imagine this. This is the courage of the people who are coming out in such a large number and with such zeal and fervour despite seeing hundreds of beheadings, slaughtering and killing of innocent people,” said Usman Khan, resident of Gul Kada area of Mingora City.

“It is terrible....It is unbelievable,” said Abdullah, a medical student hailing from the same city. He said Mingora people used to celebrate the country’s Independence Day in befitting manners, “but this is the first time that I’m seeing such a zeal and fervour among the people.”

Locals said they did not celebrate the day in the past three years. To Abdullah, this is another independence, but this time from militants, who were out to impose their brand of Islam on the people of Swat.

The main function of the Independence Day celebrations will be held at the Wadudia Hall at the Wali-era Jehanzeb College. Ministers, MNAs, MPAs and dignitaries from all the four provinces are expected to join the ceremony.

Children of different schools will present national songs. It would be followed by a musical concert. A hockey match between Swat Green and Swat Red will be played at the Grassy Ground to mark the I-Day celebrations.

Officials said the chief minister NWFP and President Asif Ali Zardari are also expected to join the ceremony which is the grand function of the Independence Day.

Karzai says he will win Afghan election

KABUL - Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Thursday he will win next week's presidential election and will offer government positions to his top two challengers.

Karzai's announcement seemed designed to offer a pre-election deal to his main rivals and offset any postelection tension at a time when large parts of Afghanistan are embroiled in an insurgency. Afghans vote next Thursday for president, their second-ever direct presidential election. More than 100,000 international troops and 175,000 Afghan forces are deployed to provide security.

Karzai is the leading candidate in a crowded field of three dozen contenders hoping to win a five-year term. He is trailed by his former foreign and finance ministers, Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani.

Karzai said that if he wins, "I will invite Dr. Abdullah, I will invite Ashraf Ghani, give them food and tea and give them jobs, as I did last time."

A spokesman for Abdullah's campaign said the people, not Karzai, will decide who wins and forms the government.
Let's wait for next week's polling day and see the election results," spokesman Sayyid Agha Hussain Fazel Sancharaki said.

Ghani's campaign team said it rejects any pre-election deal with Karzai.

A week before the vote, there are fears that election tensions could boil over into street violence if presidential losers allege fraud. Opposition candidates have been accusing Karzai and his team of using state resources to ensure re-election.

While Karzai is leading in the polls, the latest public opinion surveys show him at under 50 per cent support. If no candidate wins 50 per cent of the vote on Aug. 20, the top two finishers will have a run-off. That could open the possibility of a coalition uniting around a single candidate to try to defeat Karzai.

Most of the country's most violent regions - in the south and the east - are where the country's ethnic Pashtuns live. Karzai, himself a Pashtun, could see his returns lowered if insurgent violence keeps Afghans there from voting.

The Taliban has threatened to disrupt the vote and warned people to stay away from polling centres on election day.

Afghan journalists in central Ghazni province received a letter from the Taliban on Thursday in which the militants threatened shopkeepers to keep their businesses closed for three days before the vote. The letter also asked students to not go to school and warned people not to get anywhere close to polling centres.

The president said the people should come out and vote despite the Taliban threats.

"Even if there are a hundred explosions, we will go out and cast our votes," Karzai said Thursday.

Karzai spoke at a gathering of female supporters on the capital's outskirts. Some of the teachers present said their school principal asked them to attend.

Shekeba Ahmadi, a teacher from Kabul, thought she was going to a seminar. Wahida, another teacher who gave only one name, said their principal had ordered them to come. None would identify their schools for fear of retribution.

Pakistanis View Al-Qaeda, Taliban Negatively, Poll Finds

Washington Post
Pakistani views of al-Qaeda and the Taliban have shifted markedly since last year, with unfavorable opinions doubling to about two-thirds of those surveyed in a new Pew Research Center poll.

Condemnation of extremists did not coincide with a more favorable view of the United States, held by only 16 percent of the Pakistanis surveyed. Only 13 percent said they had confidence in President Obama, a stark contrast to his overwhelming popularity in much of the rest of the world. A hefty 64 percent said they regard the United States as an enemy of Pakistan.

But more than half said that improved relations between Pakistan and the United States were important, and large majorities supported U.S. efforts to provide aid and intelligence to the Pakistani military. U.S. military assistance to Pakistan has totaled about $11 billion since 2001, and the Obama administration has requested an additional $2.5 billion for 2010.

Public displeasure with the United States focused on the war in Afghanistan -- with seven in 10 Pakistanis calling for the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO troops -- and on missile attacks by U.S. Predator drones on al-Qaeda and Taliban sanctuaries in the western Pakistani mountains near the Afghan border.

Only 22 percent said the United States takes Pakistani views into account when making foreign policy decisions, a number largely unchanged since 2007.

The face-to-face survey of about 1,200 adults, largely in urban areas, took place in late May and early June, about a month after the Pakistani army began a major offensive against entrenched Taliban forces in the Swat Valley region in northwest Pakistan. The military last month declared victory in the operation, although the return of more than 2 million people displaced by the fighting has been slowed because of ongoing security concerns.

Military operations have also produced at least a temporary lull in suicide bombings that swept Pakistan this year. More than 87 percent said such attacks are never justified, the highest percentage in the poll.

Public support for the Pakistani military remains high, with 77 percent saying it is having a good influence on their country. But President Asif Ari Zardari has dropped sharply in popularity, with 32 percent saying they had a favorable view of him, down from 64 percent in a similar survey last year. By contrast, 67 percent said they approved of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, and 79 percent had a favorable view of the leader of the government's main political opposition, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

India remains a prime concern for most Pakistanis, with 88 percent saying they viewed it as a threat, compared with 73 percent for the Taliban and 61 percent for al Qaeda.

Pakistan's 63rd Independence Day celebrations begin

ISLAMABAD : The nation would celebrate its 63rd Independence Day on Friday with great zeal, enthusiasm and renewed commitment to make Pakistan strong, progressive and prosperous.

It will be a public holiday. The day will dawn with special prayers in mosques for the progress and prosperity of the country.

Celebrations will begin with a 31-gun salute in the Federal Capital and 21-gun salute in all the four provincial capitals. At 7.58 am, all vehicular traffic will stop for two minutes with the sounding of sirens and national anthem will be played at 8:00 am.

A change of the guard ceremony at the mausoleum of Quaid-e-Mohammed Ali Jinnah, Pakistan's founder, in Karachi would also take place.

A number of events have been chalked out to celebrate the Independence Day in a befitting manner and pay homage to those, who laid down their lives to create an independent motherland for the coming generations.

The main event of the day will be a flag-hoisting ceremony in the Capital. Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani will unfurl the national flag.

Keeping alive previous traditions, all the government and private buildings have been illuminated. People, all over the country have decorated their houses, shopping centers and offices with national flags, banners, lightings, paintings and balloons, particularly in green and white colours.

The ruling Pakistan People's Party as well as other major political parties are all set to celebrate the historic day in a dignified manner by hoisting national and party flags.

To mark the occasion in a befitting manner, the electronic and print media have planned comprehensive programmes. The electronic media would present various programmes including national songs, talk shows, dramas and children programmes.

While the print media would carry out special supplements, features and articles, highlighting the importance of the day and sacrifices rendered by heroes and nation's forefathers for it.

Rallies, processions and colorful functions under the aegis of various public and private sector, social and political organizations in all small and major towns and cities of the country will be the hallmark of the day.

In these programmes, the speakers would highlight the significance of the day, goals set for the future and in words of the father of the nation, Quaid-e-Azam bring "Unity, Faith and Discipline" to its people.

In the Federal Capital the main celebrations include flag hoisting ceremony at the premises of Lok Virsa, while the artisans would display their work, folk music performances at open air theater, photographic exhibition will be the other major features of the day.

The Heritage Museum will remain open to public from 10.00 a.m. to 8.00 pm for local and foreign visitors.

Pakistan Helicopter Gunships Kill 11 Taliban

WANA, Pakistan- Pakistani gunship helicopters attacked Taliban bases on Thursday, killing 11 militants and keeping up pressure after the reported death of the Pakistani Taliban leader in a U.S. missile strike last week.

The U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke, said on Wednesday said there were signs of disarray within the group following the apparent death of Baitullah Mehsud.

Nuclear-armed Pakistan's efforts to suppress Islamist militants on its side of the border are vital for a U.S.-led bid to stabilise neighbouring Afghanistan, where Taliban have threatened to disrupt the August 20 presidential election.

Pakistani and U.S. officials are almost certain that Mehsud was killed along with his second wife and some bodyguards in a strike on his father-in-law's house in South Waziristan near the Afghan border on August 5.

But Mehsud's aides insist he is alive.

Pakistani helicopters attacked several bases run by Hakeemullah Mehsud, one of Mehsud's main commanders who is seen as a possible successor, in the Kurram and Orakzai ethnic Pashtun tribal regions northeast of Mehsud's South Waziristan powerbase.

"We have reports that eight militants have been killed," Fazal Rahim, a government official in Orakzai, told Reuters.

An intelligence official in the nearby Kurram region said three militants were killed in air strikes there.

Hours later, a pro-government Pashtun tribal elder and three other people were killed in a bomb attack in South Waziristan.

"He was travelling in his car when a suicide bomber riding a motorbike blew himself up," said an intelligence official in Wana, the main town of South Waziristan.

FACTIONS CLASH

The elder, Khadeen Wazir, one of his colleagues and two passers-by were killed, he added. Another security official said Wazir and four other people were killed in the blast set off by remote control.

No one claimed responsibility for the attack although Mehsud and his men have a long record of assassinating their pro-government rivals.

Clashes have broken out since Mehsud's reported killing between his men and members of a rival militant faction.

At least seven militants opposed to Mehsud were killed and four were abducted by Mehsud's men in an attack near South Waziristan on Wednesday.

Members of the faction opposed to Mehsud, which is led by a commander known as Turkestan Bitani, later attacked a village inhabited by Mehsud loyalists and abducted 15 men, intelligence officials and residents said.

Mehsud is leader of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or Taliban Movement of Pakistan, an alliance of about 13 militant groups.

He has been blamed for a wave of bomb and suicide attacks across Pakistan, including the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto in December 2007.

His killing, if confirmed, would be a major blow for the Taliban in Pakistan.

Mehsud focussed his efforts on battling Pakistani security forces and analysts say he could be replaced by a commander more intent on driving Western forces out of Afghanistan.

IDPs from Nowshehra returning home

PESHAWAR : More than 200 families of Swat IDPs are returning home on Thursday from the Jalozai camp of Nowshehra.Affectees have been provided the transport facility and one month ration as they were about to leave for home. There are still 24,656 people of 4,742 IDPs’ families in the same camp who are waiting to make their way home once the situation is completely under control.