Troops struggle to regain Buner

ISLAMABAD - Director-General ISPR Maj-Gen Ather Abbas on Wednesday said foreign militants arrested by Pakistan security forces in the military operation in Malakand Division had been identified as Arabs, Afghans and Afghan Uzbeks.
“They have been arrested from different parts of Malakand Division and are being interrogated,” Gen Ather said while talking to TheNation.
He said security forces had killed 1,057 miscreants in Swat, Dir and Buner since April 27, while 58 security personnel had embraced martyrdom and 187 got injured.
Earlier, in his Press briefing, he said security forces had successfully cleared Taliban stronghold of Sultanwas, a small town in the northwest of Buner district, on Tuesday night after intense battles that resulted in killing of 80 miscreants. He said the troops had been fighting against militants in Sultanwas for some time.
Six vehicles belonging to militants and seven bombs were destroyed during the operations, he said, adding that the security forces were investigating the source who provided police-like vehicles and police uniforms to the militants. He said the security forces had also removed several landmines laid by the militants.
Answering a question, he said Pakistan was facing threats from two fronts, one from militants and other from country’s Eastern border, and Armed Forces of the country were being prepared and trained to tackle these threats.
To another question, the DG ISPR said it was still not confirmed whether Taliban leader Fazlullah had been killed during the operation, adding that the forces had targeted his hideouts.
He said that 10 to 15 per cent civilian population of Swat was still residing there and declined to unveil a time frame of the completion of the ongoing Rah-e-Rast Operation. He said the insurgency in Swat and other parts of Malakand division had started before 2007.
To yet another question, Gen Ather Abbas said all necessary steps had been taken to stop militants from fleeing to other sensitive areas, including Hazara division.
Agencies add: The government has still fully to assert control in the district of Buner, military officials told a visiting team of BBC journalists on Wednesday.
The army is conducting a big offensive against Taliban militants in Buner.
The BBC said fighting is continuing in two villages and the area is effectively a war zone. Many areas are deserted and remaining residents are shaken by curfews and power cuts.
Three weeks into the assault, the BBC says that it is clear that the Army is not in full control even if there also is little overt sign of any militant presence.
While some of Buner’s residents are starting to return in trickles - mostly farmers fearing that their crops will die - the main town of Daggar is mainly deserted, with vehicles and a fuel station destroyed.
Hospitals have remained open but power is erratic following recent fighting with the Taliban.
According to the BBC, the Army is not manning checkpoints in Buner, preferring instead to position themselves in the hills and fire warning shots at people who try to pass through during the hours of the curfew.
Meanwhile, the ISPR confirmed that the security forces have successfully secured the Binai Baba Ziarat, near Shangla, a stronghold and a main terrorist den in the area. During the operation, the terrorists suffered heavy causalities.
In Matta, the security forces after crushing stiff resistance by militants, fanned them out and took over the portions in the town.
The Army spokesman said operation was successfully underway in Peochar, Takhtaband and Kanju.
In the Piochar area, the search and destroy operations by the security forces were underway while clearance of compounds and houses in Matta is also in progress.
Search and cordon operation also continued at Kanju where three soldiers were injured during the operation.
In Takhtaband, clearance operation of the village is in progress where one soldier embraced shahadat while six others were injured.
According to a private TV channel, after encircling Mingora, the forces are advancing on the town from three directions and it is expected that soldiers would soon enter the town. Forces bombed militants hideouts in Qambar area on the outskirts of Mingora, leaving over a dozen of them dead.
In Brakot tehsil, militants attacked security forces and seven of them, including their commander, were killed in the ensuing battles. Sporadic clashes were continuing between the forces and militants in Kanju and Kozabandi areas.
Entire Swat Valley was under curfew, which is adding to the miseries of over 200,000 people still present there.
After clearing many Taliban strongholds and supply depots in Swat’s mountains, soldiers are battling militants in its towns where many thousands of civilians are believed to be hiding.
Abbas said clashes had erupted in three towns in Swat as soldiers conducted search and cordon operations.
The military wanted to finish the offensive as quickly as possible and minimise casualties among civilians who had been warned to stay away from the militants, he said.

The world needs peace, social justice and health in the face of the crisis

GENEVA— Cuba stated today at the World Health Assembly that the crises currently affecting the world require a system of peace based on social justice and the guarantee of access to health as a fundamental right for all.

Speaking in this Swiss city at the 62nd session of the annual forum, José Ramón Balaguer Cabrera, Cuban minister of public health, also emphasized the importance of solidarity and harmony with Mother Nature.

He stressed the right of all human beings to medical attention and the importance of recovering the human condition of societies and peoples, in order to avoid them being reduced to simple consumers or to merchandise, Prensa Latina reports.

Backed by Cuba’s position as current president of the Non-Aligned Movement, Balaguer Cabrera stated that the group considers the present economic and financial situation to be one of the most serious threats to the world.

He expressed his condolences over the loss of human lives as a result of Influenza A (H1N1), and particularly to the sister people of Mexico, one of the hardest hit by this virus.

He recalled that regarding the current world financial crisis, the leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro, has affirmed that in addition to this cyclical situation, our world is also threatened by unemployment, ruin and fabulous losses of assets and wealth.

Balaguer, likewise a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of Cuba, underlined that despite all the difficulties his country faces, Cuba ended 2008 with an infant mortality rate of 4.7 per 1,000 live births and a life expectancy rate of 77.97 years.

Clinton Says US Losing Media War in Afghanistan, Pakistan

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the U.S. is losing the media war in Afghanistan and Pakistan - something she said must be reversed.

She told the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee Wednesday that militants broadcasting from radio equipment on the backs of pickup trucks are threatening and intimidating people.

She says while they are spreading what she called the "worst kind of disinformation" they have been more effective than the U.S. when it comes to strategic communications.

Secretary Clinton says as a result, the Obama administration is revamping its communications strategy - looking at new ways to directly reach people in areas where militants are active - including on their cell phones.



Clinton says the U.S. must not lose the "information war" in the region, and much do a better job at communicating its values and ideals to Afghans and Pakistanis.

She is seeking $48.6 billion in State Department funding for 2010, a seven percent increase over 2009 funding levels. Clinton also says the State Department will work side-by-side with the Defense Department to promote U.S. interests and security in the region.

Humanitarian crisis worsens in Swat

Two million people have been displaced in northwest Pakistan and fears are raised more could be fleeing after the president said the offensive against the Taliban would be expanded to include Waziristan.

The government has set up camps, but a vast majority of the displaced are staying with relatives or in private accommodation.

Asif Ali Zardari, the president, was scheduled to convene a high-level meeting of government and UN officials on Wednesday on relief and rehabilitation efforts.

Yousuf Raza Gilani, the prime minister, said Pakistan was fighting the Taliban on two fronts - militarily in the mountains and in trying to cope with the humanitarian crisis.

For her part, Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, pledged $110m in humanitarian aid on Tuesday to Pakistan as part of Washington's new strategy for helping Islamabad counter the Taliban.

Meat and supplies

The funds would be used to deliver tents, FM radios, meat, water lorries, generators and other supplies, Clinton said.

Some of the money would also be spent on buying Pakistani wheat to boost the local economy.


Al Jazeera's Kamal Hyder, reporting from Islamabad, said the amount was not near to enough of what Pakistan needs as fighting between government fighters and the Taliban appears to be spreading.

"People from Matta, who had endured weeks of curfews, are now escaping over the mountains. Families are being separated from each other and it's another humanitarian catastrophe unfolding there," Hyder said.

"If the government offensive will be extended, it will be become a very serious issue to contain."

Hyder said it is unclear how the aid money will be used.

Hyder further said: "In human terms, the catastrophe that is unfolding is unprecedented. The number of IDP is expected to grow larger.

"We have indications from South Waziristan, from the Mehsud area which is controlled by Baitullah Mehsud, supposed to be the commander of the overall Taliban, that he will continue his struggle.

"We do have indications that thousands of people are now leaving the Mehsud area.

"They are not being helped entirely by the government. The people of this country are going out of their way to give them some kind of shelter."

'Horrible speed'

Rashid Khalikov, director of the United Nations' humanitarian office in New York, has said that aid workers are struggling to reach many of those who fled as the number of displaced increased with "absolutely horrible speed."

The UN estimates that about 1.4 million people have been displaced since fighting in Pakistan's Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP) started at the end of April.

That estimate is in addition to about 550,000 people already displaced by fighting across the NWFP and in other Pakistani regions.

John Holmes, the UN humanitarian chief, has said only about 20 per cent of displaced civilians are inside about 24 refugee camps at the moment.

Pakistan's military has said up to 15,000 troops are fighting 4,000 well-armed Taliban in Swat.

Gen Kayani chairs meeting to review operation

RAWALPINDI:Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervaz Kayani presided over a high level meeting at General Headquarters here on Wednesday.

The meeting discussed the counterinsurgency drive in Swat and other areas and also reviewed the matters related to rehabilitation of the displaced persons.

The army chief lauded the progress in the operation and high morale of the military.

He also directed for providing all possible facilities to the affected persons on emergency basis.

Arms From U.S. May Be Falling Into Taliban Hands

By C. J. CHIVERS
New York Times
KABUL, Afghanistan — Insurgents in Afghanistan, fighting from some of the poorest and most remote regions on earth, have managed for years to maintain an intensive guerrilla war against materially superior American and Afghan forces.

Arms and ordnance collected from dead insurgents hint at one possible reason: Of 30 rifle magazines recently taken from insurgents’ corpses, at least 17 contained cartridges, or rounds, identical to ammunition the United States had provided to Afghan government forces, according to an examination of ammunition markings by The New York Times and interviews with American officers and arms dealers.

The presence of this ammunition among the dead in the Korangal Valley, an area of often fierce fighting near Afghanistan’s border with Pakistan, strongly suggests that munitions procured by the Pentagon have leaked from Afghan forces for use against American troops.

The scope of that diversion remains unknown, and the 30 magazines represented a single sampling of fewer than 1,000 cartridges. But military officials, arms analysts and dealers say it points to a worrisome possibility: With only spotty American and Afghan controls on the vast inventory of weapons and ammunition sent into Afghanistan during an eight-year conflict, poor discipline and outright corruption among Afghan forces may have helped insurgents stay supplied.

The United States has been criticized, as recently as February by the federal Government Accountability Office, for failing to account for thousands of rifles issued to Afghan security forces. Some of these weapons have been documented in insurgents’ hands, including weapons in a battle last year in which nine Americans died.

In response, the Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan, the American-led unit tasked with training and supplying Afghan forces, said it had made accountability of all Afghan police and military property a top priority, and taken steps to locate and log rifles issued even years ago. The Pentagon has created a database of small arms issued to Afghan units.

No similarly thorough accountability system exists for ammunition, which is harder to trace and more liquid than firearms, readily changing hands through corruption, illegal sales, theft, battlefield loss and other forms of diversion.

American forces do not examine all captured arms and munitions to trace how insurgents obtained them, or to determine whether the Afghan government, directly or indirectly, is a significant Taliban supplier, military officers said. The reasons include limited resources and institutional memory of issued arms, as well as an absence of collaboration between field units that collect equipment and the investigators and supervisors in Kabul who could trace it.

In this case, the rifle magazines were captured last month by a platoon in Company B, First Battalion, 26th Infantry, which killed at least 13 insurgents in a nighttime ambush in eastern Afghanistan. The soldiers searched the insurgents’ remains and collected 10 rifles, a rocket-propelled-grenade launcher, 30 magazines and other equipment.

Access to Taliban equipment is unusual. But after the ambush, the company allowed the items to be examined by this reporter.

Photographs were taken of the weapons’ serial numbers and markings on the bottoms of the cartridge casings, known as headstamps, which can reveal where and when ammunition was manufactured. The headstamps were then compared with ammunition in government circulation, and with this reporter’s records of ammunition sampled in Afghan magazines and bunkers in multiple provinces in recent years.

The type of ammunition in question, 7.62x39 millimeter, colloquially known as “7.62 short,” is one of the world’s most abundant classes of military small-arms cartridges, and can come from dozens of potential suppliers.

It is used in Kalashnikov rifles and their knockoffs, and has been made in many countries, including Russia, China, Ukraine, North Korea, Cuba, India, Pakistan, the United States, the former Warsaw Pact nations and several countries in Africa. Several countries have multiple factories, each associated with distinct markings.

The examination of the Taliban’s cartridges found telling signs of diversion: 17 of the magazines contained ammunition bearing either of two stamps: the word “WOLF” in uppercase letters, or the lowercase arrangement “bxn.”

“WOLF” stamps mark ammunition from Wolf Performance Ammunition, a company in California that sells Russian-made cartridges to American gun owners. The company has also provided cartridges for Afghan soldiers and police officers, typically through middlemen. Its munitions can be found in Afghan government bunkers.

The “bxn” marking was formerly used at a Czech factory during the cold war. Since 2004, the Czech government has donated surplus ammunition and equipment to Afghanistan. A.E.Y. Inc., a former Pentagon supplier, also shipped surplus Czech ammunition to Afghanistan, according to the United States Army, including cartridges bearing “bxn” stamps.

Most of the Wolf and Czech ammunition in the Taliban magazines was in good condition and showed little weathering, denting, corrosion or soiling, suggesting it had been removed from packaging recently.

There is no evidence that Wolf, the Czech government or A.E.Y. knowingly shipped ammunition to Afghan insurgents. A.E.Y. was banned last year from doing business with the Pentagon, but its legal troubles stemmed from unrelated allegations of fraud.

Given the number of potential sources, the probability that the Taliban and the Pentagon were sharing identical supply sources was small.

Rather, the concentration of Taliban ammunition identical in markings and condition to that used by Afghan units indicated that the munitions had most likely slipped from state custody, said James Bevan, a researcher specializing in ammunition for the Small Arms Survey, an independent research group in Geneva.

Mr. Bevan, who has documented ammunition diversion in Kenya, Uganda and Sudan, said one likely explanation was that interpreters, soldiers or police officers had sold ammunition for profit or passed it along for other reasons, including support for the insurgency. “Same story, different location,” he said.

The majority of cartridges in the remaining 13 Taliban magazines bore headstamps indicating they were made in Russia in the Soviet period. Several rounds had Chinese stamps and dates indicating manufacture in the 1960s and ’70s. A smaller number were Hungarian. Much of this other ammunition was in poor condition.

Hungarian and Chinese ammunition had also been provided to the Afghan government by A.E.Y., making it possible that several of the remaining magazines included American-procured rounds.

The American military did not dispute the possibility that theft or corruption could have steered Wolf and Czech ammunition to insurgents.

Capt. James C. Howell, who commands the company that captured the ammunition, said illicit diversion would be consistent with an enduring reputation of corruption in Afghan units, especially the police. “It’s not surprising,” he said.

But he added that in his experience this form of corruption was not a norm. Rather than deliberate diversion, he said, the more likely causes would be poor discipline and oversight in the Afghan national security forces, or A.N.S.F. “I think most A.N.S.F. don’t want their own stuff coming back at them,” he said.

Captured Taliban rifles provide a glimpse at arms diversion as well.

After the battle in the eastern village of Wanat last year, in which 9 Americans died and more than 20 were wounded, investigators found a large cache of AMD-65 assault rifles in the village’s police post, which was implicated in the attack, according to American officers. In all, the post had more than 70 assault rifles, but only 20 officers on its roster. Three AMD-65s were recovered near the battle as well.

The AMD-65, a distinctive Hungarian rifle, was rarely seen in Afghanistan until the United States issued it by the thousands to the Afghan police. They can now be found in Pakistani arms bazaars.

In the American ambush last month, all of the 10 captured rifles had factory stamps from China or Izhevsk, Russia. Those with date stamps had been manufactured in the 1960s and ’70s.

Photographs of the weapons and serial numbers were provided to Brig. Gen. Anthony R. Ierardi, the deputy commander of the transition command. Upon checking against the Pentagon’s new database, the general said one of the Chinese rifles had been issued to an Afghan auxiliary police officer in 2007. How Taliban insurgents had acquired the rifle was not clear.

The auxiliary police, which augmented the Afghan Interior Ministry, were riddled with corruption and incompetence. They were disbanded last year.

Speaking about the captured Taliban ammunition, General Ierardi cautioned that the range of headstamps could indicate that insurgent use of American-procured munitions was not widespread. He noted that the captured ammunition sampling was small and that munitions might have leaked through less nefarious means.

“The mixed ammo could suggest battlefield losses; it could suggest captured ammo,” he said. He added, however, that he did not want to appear defensive and that accountability of Afghan arms and munitions was of “highest priority.”

“The emphasis from our perspective is on accountability of all logistics property,” he said. Leakage of Pentagon-supplied armaments to insurgents was an “absolutely worst-case scenario,” he said, adding, “We want to guard against the exact scenario you laid out.”

Security forces locked in fierce street battle with militants

ISLAMABAD:Militants in Pakistan are getting reinforcement from Afghan Taliban and extremists from different countries bordering Afghanistan are taking part in insurgency in Swat and other parts of Malakand, besides Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), said Inter-Services Public Relation Director General Major General Athar Abbas, on Tuesday.

Afghan militants are supplying arms, money and manpower to Pakistani militants lined up against the security forces, General Abbas said. He said the insurgency could be effectively countered by cutting the supply routes being used by these militants. He said the PAF has been requisitioned to hit high value targets in conflict zone.

Meanwhile, in update on Malakand situation, the ISPR spokesman revealed that the security forces have entered fierce street battle with Taliban fighters in insurgency-hit Swat and other parts of Malakand Division during last 24 hours and killed 16 militants while four security officials including a major were martyred besides 16 officials wounded.

Security forces during the ongoing military operation "Rah-e-Raast", are consolidating their positions in the restive valley of Swat and other parts of Malakand Division, while search and destroy operations are continuing, the spokesman said.

He said security forces were advancing on several fronts towards Mingora. They are conducting cordon and search operations inside the Matta Town, at Nazarabad, during which exchange of fire took place between security forces and militants, resultantly one officer Major Abid and one soldier martyred while 7 soldiers got injured, the spokesman said.

He said that in Kanju and Takhtaband areas, troops have successfully cleared more than 40 houses in Kanju and area ahead of Takhtaband Bridge. Fierce clashes are taking place at both places. Fourteen miscreants were killed during exchange of fire with security forces at Takhtaband, while 2 soldiers were martyred and 8 injured, he added.

He said that the operation in Buner is continue to clear Sultanwas, where the security forces are conducting cordon and search operations in various parts. In Peochar, the security forces are consolidating their positions in the valley by conducting search and destroy operations. During clashes one soldier got injured while 2 miscreants were killed.

More than 1,000 militants and at least 49 troops have been killed in operation Rah-e-Raast so far, earlier named as Operation Rah-e-Haq, launched in the districts of Lower Dir on April 26, Buner on April 28 and in Swat on May 8

Zardari honours politician who stood up to Swat militants

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari Tuesday conferred a coveted civil award on a senior politician who stood up against Taliban militants, the president's spokesman said.

Afzal Khan Lala, a veteran politician of the ruling Awami National Party who lives in the rural town of Druskhela in the troubled Swat valley, had refused to leave the area despite threats from militants.

Zardari 'in recognition of the great courage and steadfastness demonstrated by him in the war against militants in Swat region' has conferred Hilal-i-Shujaat (crescent of courage) on him, the spokesman said.

'When the victims of militants' brutalities were streaming out of Swat for safety, the 78-years-old Afzal Khan stood up against the militants and refused to abandon his ancestral home,' Babar said.

'The veteran Afzal Khan Lala stood like a rock against the militants and refused to heed the advice to migrate to a safer place. In standing up to the militants he became a tower of strength and encouragement to a besieged people.'

Babar said that Lala had miraculously survived several attempts on his life by militants who wanted to eliminate him to remove 'a symbol of defiance and courage.'

Lala and his nephew were seriously wounded in one attack. In another attack his two grandsons were killed and body guards seriously wounded last year.

'The conferment of Hilal-i-Shujaat on Afzal Khan also signifies determination of the president to honour symbols of courage in the fight against militants and to assure the victims that the state will not abdicate its duty to protect them,' Babar said.

More than 1.45 million people have been displaced across the region by the fighting since May 2, however, raising alarm among humanitarian agencies.

Authorities say more than 1,030 militants and at least 53 troops have been killed in a three-pronged onslaught launched in the districts of Lower Dir on April 26, Buner on April 28 and Swat on May 8.

Five burqa-clad Arabs arrested in Mohmand

BURN THEM ALIVE.



GHALANAI: At least 13 militants were killed in a clash with security forces following arrest of five burqa-clad Arabs, one Afghan national and a local man in Mohmand Agency on Tuesday.

Four of the five Arabs are Saudi nationals — Ahmed, Ali, Mohammad and Obaidullah — and one Libyan national, Abdullah. The Afghan national has been identified as Habibullah and the local man as Shad Ali. They were detained at the Khapakh checkpost. The Afghan was living in Chakdara area of Lower Dir.

When troops were taking the detained men to Ghalanai, about 60 militants attacked them in an area between Ziyari Kando and Nasapai. The clash continued for more than two hours, an official spokesman said.

Security forces shelled militants’ positions from Ghalanai with mortars and cannons. Thirteen terrorists were killed and the others escaped. Two vehicles of militants were destroyed, the spokesman said.

Security personnel brought the body of one militant to the Ghalanai FC camp; the other bodies were taken away by the attackers. The administration sealed all entry points to the tribal region and beefed up security to apprehend the fleeing militants.

Troops also launched a search operation in Mian Mandi Bazaar.

A jirga of tribal elders will be held in Ghalanai on Wednesday to discuss the presence of militants, including foreigners, in the area.

The spokesman said the detained militants had been hiding in Kareer Qandaharo and Kung Khwayzai for several days and they had attacked the Khapakh post.

‘They came to Pakistan via Afghanistan which is financing them,’ he alleged.

He said SMGs, hand-grenades, Kalashnikovs, passports and other important documents had been seized from them and their vehicle had been impounded.

Sweet revenge as FC kills 13 rebels Arabs among five held in Mohmand Agency Fakhar-e-

GHALANAI: After continued beheading of the Frontier Corps personnel for the last two days the security forces managed to take revenge by killing 13 of the local rebels when they attacked the forces to seek release of their arrested colleagues. Earlier, while checking at Chamkh, the security forces arrested seven insurgents, including five burqa-clad foreigners, on Tuesday. While the arrested insurgents were being taken to the headquarters, about 60 of the local rebels attacked the security forces to secure their release. The forces retaliated the attack. The fighting continued for about two hours and resulted in the killing of 13 insurgents near Zeri Kandaou and Nasapai. The forces also used artillery firing and mortar shelling from the headquarters. Body of one of the rebels was taken to the Forces heaquarters in Ghalanai.The bodies of other killed rebels were taken away by insurgents while fleeing. Three of the arrested foreigners, Mohammad, Ali and Khalid, belong to Saudi Arabia, Abdullah to Libya and Habibullah is from Kunar province of Afghanistan. The other two arrested, Haji Firdous Khan and Shad Ali are the local Taliban. Security in Mohmand Agency has been tightened and closed to all kinds of traffic. Search operation was also carried out in Mandi Bazar and local jirga was also convened. Later briefing the media at Ghalanai F.C camp, the spokesman of security forces said that some of the rebels made good their escape from the battlefield. The spokesman said in the two hours fierce fighting heavy gun fire was used by both the sides. He said the foreigners were active in Crater Kandaro and Kong Khowzai for the last many days and had attacked the Chamakh checkpost also. He said they wanted to weaken Pakistan and to bring bad name to Islam. They are also receiving funds and infiltrating the country from Afghanistan. Hand grenades, Klashnikovs, foreign passports and many important documents were also recovered from their possession A thorough investigation would be conducted from the arrested rebels, the spokesman said. He said the burqa-clad were entering the area with the help of local people while Afghan national was accompanying them as an interpreter. There was no casualty from security forces' side, he concluded.

Pakistan will get up to $110 million in U.S. aid for displaced, Clinton says

The announcement appears to reflect concern that Pakistan's offensive on militants in tribal areas may create a humanitarian catastrophe that could turn civilians against counterinsurgency efforts.


The United States plans to provide as much as $110 million to help Pakistanis who have been displaced by their government's attacks on militants in northwestern tribal areas, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Tuesday.

Clinton, speaking at the White House, said U.S. relief officials were already on the ground in northwestern Pakistan evaluating the needs of the hundreds of thousands of people who have been driven from their homes since the Pakistani government's offensive began last month.

"Providing this assistance is not only the right thing to do, but we believe it is essential to global security and the security of the United States," she said. "And we are prepared to do more as the situation demands."

The announcement appeared to reflect, in part, the Obama administration's concern that the Pakistani offensive, which was strongly urged by Washington, not create a humanitarian catastrophe that might turn ordinary Pakistanis against the counterinsurgency effort.

Pakistani forces have been using heavy artillery and aircraft to batter the militants, but the fighting has sent columns of civilians fleeing the Swat Valley and prompted criticism that the government's tactics are heavy-handed. The U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that 2 million Pakistanis have fled their homes.

U.S. officials urged the Pakistani government to begin the offensive after hundreds of Taliban fighters stormed out of the valley -- a beautiful mountainous area where many better-off Pakistanis spend their summers -- and into nearby districts.

The Taliban's offensive brought the militants within 60 miles of the capital, Islamabad, and prompted warnings that the government could be imperiled.

Clinton said aid workers were providing items such as tents, food, generators and radios. The U.S. military is providing some water trucks, she said.

The secretary of State said the United States had provided $3.4 billion in aid to Pakistan since 2002 for humanitarian relief and other nonmilitary purposes, including economic development and assistance with governance.

Drone attacks to continue in Pakistan: CIA chief

LOS ANGELES: CIA director Leon Panetta defended the use of unmanned aircraft to target Al-Qaeda militants on Monday and said President Barack Obama’s policies had severely disrupted the network’s leadership.

In his first speech since taking over as head of the Central Intelligence Agency in February, Panetta told a luncheon in Los Angeles that counter-terrorism and defeating Al-Qaeda remained the agency’s top priority.

‘Al-Qaeda remains the most serious security threat that we face ... to US interests and our allies overseas,’ Panetta told the gathering organized by the Pacific Council on International Policy in Los Angeles.

Panetta said Obama’s stated aim to ‘disrupt, dismantle and defeat’ Al-Qaeda had already resulted in ‘serious pressure’ being brought to bear on Al-Qaeda’s leaders, believed to be hiding in Pakistan’s border regions.

‘There is ample evidence that the strategy set by the president and his national security team is in fact working,’ Panetta said.

‘We do not expect to let up on that strategy. I am convinced that our efforts in that part of the world are seriously disrupting every operation that Al-Qaeda is trying to conduct and is interfering with their ability to establish plans to come at this country and we will continue that effort.’ Responding to a question, Panetta said unmanned drone strikes — whose use has caused tension with Pakistan — had been ‘very effective’ in targeting Al-Qaeda’s leadership.

‘I think it does suffice to say that these operations have been very effective,’ Panetta said.

‘It is very precise, it’s very limited in terms of collateral damage and very frankly, it’s the only game in town in terms of confronting and trying to disrupt the Al-Qaeda leadership.’ Predator drones run by the CIA are regularly flown covertly in Pakistan, targeting Al-Qaeda militants. Officials say the US military does not participate in the armed drones program inside Pakistan.

Pakistani officials say the drone strikes, which have killed more than 390 people in about 42 attacks since August 2008, violate its territorial sovereignty and deepen resentment in the nuclear-armed nation.

Meanwhile Panetta said US authorities remained alert to the possibility of Al-Qaeda fleeing Pakistan or Afghanistan for refuge elsewhere, saying Somalia and Yemen were regarded as possible safe havens for the group.

‘Al-Qaeda is known however for seeking shelter elsewhere,’ Panetta said.

‘One of the dangers we confront is that as we disrupt their operations in
Pakistan ... they will ultimately seek other safe havens.

‘Today Somalia and Yemen represent that potential as safe havens for Al-Qaeda in the future ... Disrupting the senior leadership in Pakistan is crucial, but it alone will not eliminate the danger.

‘The goal must be to pursue Al-Qaeda to every hiding place, to continue to disrupt their operations, and to continue ultimately to work towards their destruction.’

Nuclear Worries

Panetta also said that the United States does not know the location of all of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons but is confident the country has them secure.

‘We don’t have, frankly, the intelligence to know where they all are located,’ Panetta said, adding the US is confident the Pakistani government has a ‘pretty secure approach to try to protect these weapons.’

‘That security is something the US is watching,’ he said. ‘The last thing we want is to have the Taliban have access to nuclear weapons in Pakistan.’

At a congressional hearing last week, Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, was asked whether there was evidence that Pakistan was adding to its nuclear arsenal. He replied: ‘Yes.’

Swat valley could be worst refugee crisis since Rwanda, UN warns

guardian.co.uk
The human exodus from the war-torn Swat valley in northern Pakistan is turning into the world's most dramatic displacement crisis since the Rwandan genocide of 1994, the UN refugee agency warned.
Almost 1.5 million people have registered for assistance since fighting erupted three weeks ago, the UNHCR said, bringing the total number of war displaced in North West Frontier province to more than 2 million, not including 300,000 the provincial government believes have not registered. "It's been a long time since there has been a displacement this big," the UNHCR's spokesman Ron Redmond said in Geneva, trying to recall the last time so many people had been uprooted so quickly. "It could go back to Rwanda."

The army reported fierce clashes across Swat, a tourist haven turned Taliban stronghold. After a week of intense aerial bombardment with fighter jets and helicopter gunships the army has launched a ground offensive to drive out the militants to rout the militants from the valley. Commandos pushed through the remote Piochar valley, seizing a training centre and killing a dozen Taliban, a military spokesman, Major General Athar Abbas, said. Gun battles erupted in several villages surrounding Mingora, Swat's main town. Abbas said the military had killed 27 militants, including three commanders, and lost three members of the security forces. The figures could not be verified, as Swat has been largely cut off since the operation started.

The Taliban leader in Swat, Maulana Fazlullah, remains at large. His spokesman vowed the rebels would fight until their "last breath".

The operation continues to enjoy broad public support. Opposition parties endorsed the action at a conference called by the government, dispelling the notion that the army was fighting "America's war".

But that fragile unity could be threatened by heavy civilian casualties or a further deterioration in the conditions of the 2 million displaced. Returning from a three-day trip to Pakistan, the UNHCR head António Guterres termed the displacement crisis as "one of the most dramatic of recent times". Relief workers were "struggling to keep up with the size and speed of the displacement," a statement said.

The main difference with African refugee crises such as Rwanda, however, is that a minority of people are being housed in tented camps. According to the UN just 130,000 people are being accommodated in the sprawling, hot camps in Mardan and Swabi districts, while most are squeezed into the homes of friends or relatives, with as many as 85 people in one house.

Nevertheless aid workers and political analysts warn that if international aid to ease the crisis is not urgently delivered, the strain on the displaced and those helping them could lead to political destablisation. Acknowledging the scale of the crisis, the prime minister of Pakistan, Yousaf Raza Gilani, said: "The displaced men, women and children should not feel alone. We won't leave any stone unturned in providing them help and protection."

The UN is expected to launch an international appeal for aid running into hundreds of millions of dollars in the coming days.

Obama insists Palestinians must have state, rejects Iran deadline

May. 18, 2009
THE JERUSALEM POST
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu emerged from his first meeting with US President Barack Obama Monday confident that Israel has the right to defend itself from the threat of a nuclear Iran.

Following four hours of talks with Obama, Netanyahu told Israeli reporters gathered across from the White House that there are no green, red or yellow lights from the US but rather a shared sense that Iran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapons capacity.

Speaking side by side at the Oval Office earlier in the day, Obama stressed the importance the US places on Israeli security and its recognition of how the Jewish state perceives the threat from Teheran, even as he defended his policy of engagement.


Obama rejected the notion of "artificial timelines" in negotiations with Iran, which he indicated he expected would begin in earnest after the Iranian election on June 12 and could subsequently expand to include direct talks between Washington and the Islamic republic.

At the same time, he stressed that "we're not going to have talk forever" and allow Teheran to develop a nuclear weapon while negotiations go on, offering that "we'll probably be able to gauge and do a reassessment by the end of the year."

He also noted that "we are not foreclosing a range of steps, including much stronger international sanctions, in assuring that Iran understands that we are serious."

Israel has been pushing for a timeline on the United States's diplomatic efforts out of concern that Iran could use the talks to run out the clock. The notion of a timeline was just one subject where differences were expected to emerge between the two leaders as they sat down for their first meeting as respective heads of government in a visit deemed crucial for determining the contours of their relationship and personal rapport.

The policy differences were clear, with Obama emphasizing the importance of a "two-state solution" and an end to settlement growth even as Netanyahu made no reference to an independent Palestinian country. Instead, the prime minister spoke of the possibility of a "two peoples to live side by side in security and peace" if the Palestinians recognized Israel as a Jewish state and agreed to an end of conflict.

Both men positively described the encounter, which was repeatedly prolonged to give the two more time together; their one-on-one meeting lasted for an hour and 45 minutes.

Netanyahu declared a desire to restart negotiations with the Palestinians immediately, saying, "We don't want to govern the Palestinians. We want to live in peace with them. We want them to govern themselves, absent a handful of powers that could endanger the State of Israel."

He also noted that "there'll have to be compromises by Israelis and Palestinians alike. We're ready to do our share."

The talks, which Obama described as "extraordinarily productive" and Netanyahu called friendly, went on for much longer than the time the American president has usually devoted to foreign leaders this year. Israeli officials took this as a good sign.

Asked about reports in the media that Israel felt progress on Iran needed to be linked to progress with the Palestinians, Obama explicitly rejected the formulation, saying, "If there is a linkage between Iran and the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, I personally believe it actually runs the other way: To the extent that we can make peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis, then I actually think it strengthens our hand in the international community in dealing with the potential Iranian threat."

But he added that both issues needed to be addressed independently on their own merits.

And Netanyahu, with Obama nodding along, said each issue could be helpful in reaching a positive conclusion on the other, but that there was no "policy linkage." Netanyahu also thanked Obama for his willingness to keep all options on the table when it comes to Iran.

And following the meeting with Obama, he told the Israeli media that he sensed a seriousness in the new American administration to push the Arab states to take meaningful steps toward peace with Israel that he had not seen before.

In his remarks to the press, Obama said "there is a recognition that the Palestinians are going to have to do a better job providing the kinds of security assurances that Israelis would need to achieve a two-state solution, [and] gain additional legitimacy and credibility with their own people, and delivering services."

He also said, "The other Arab states have to be more supportive and be bolder in seeking potential normalization with Israel."

But he cautioned Israel that it would have to make difficult steps, too, including improving the humanitarian situation in Gaza, and stressed that "there is a clear understanding that we have to make progress on settlements; that settlements have to be stopped in order for us to move forward."

Obama also said that the situation in Sderot was unacceptable, and that he'd seen the situation there himself. During that visit, during his electoral campaign over the summer, he first met with Netanyahu, though Monday was their first tete-a-tete as leaders of their respective countries.

Obama also noted it wasn't the first time Netanyahu had come to the White House as prime minister, perhaps warning him about the possible mistakes that could come from sour US-Israel relations such as those the prime minister once experienced with US president Bill Clinton in his bid to coax him toward the peace process.

"I'm confident that he's going to seize this moment and the United States is going to do everything we can to be constructive, effective partners in this process," Obama said of Netanyahu.

U.N. says 1.4 mln people displaced in Pakistan valley

UNITED NATIONS- The number of people displaced by fighting in Pakistan's northwestern Swat valley has risen to more than 1.4 million, U.N. humanitarian chief John Holmes said on Monday.

"The situation is volatile and changing rapidly," Holmes told reporters at the United Nations.


He said extra financial resources were urgently needed to deal with the situation and that the United Nations would soon launch an emergency appeal for hundreds of millions of dollars to cover the costs of the refugees over the next 12 months.

Pakistan's government on Sunday urged people stranded by a military offensive against Taliban militants in Swat, an alpine beauty spot 80 miles northwest of Islamabad, to try to get out.

Many civilians are believed to still be inside Mingora, the main town in Swat, after the army launched an offensive more than a week ago to stop the spread of Taliban influence.

Holmes said the number of people displaced by the most recent fighting is more than 1.4 million. That is a total of people registered with the Pakistan authorities, with the help of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), he said.

The U.N. previously said it had registered 1.17 million people displaced by the fighting in the Swat area.

Holmes said that when including at least half a million more displaced by fighting since last August, the total is around 2 million to 2.1 million people.

"This is clearly a major humanitarian challenge for the government and all the aid agencies," said Holmes. "All the agencies are scaling up their efforts and their presence rapidly," he said.

Holmes said that 15-20 percent -- or around 250,000 -- of those registered are in some 24 camps, meaning that most people are with families, in rented accommodations or elsewhere.

UNHCR, which already had a major presence in Pakistan, has been distributing aid from the stocks it already had in the country and helping establish new camps as well as registration centers, Holmes said.

"There will need to be extra resources... and I expect a revised appeal to be published this week," said Holmes.

Bill Clinton to be named to UN post

UNITED NATIONS — Former U.S. President Bill Clinton has been tapped as a United Nations special envoy to Haiti, U.N. officials confirmed on Monday.An official announcement will be made Tuesday on the selection of the two-term president, officials said.

Swat Qaumi Jirga supports operation

PESHAWAR: Expressing satisfaction over the ongoing military operation in Swat, Buner and Dir Lower districts, members of the Swat Qaumi Jirga on Sunday asked the government and security forces to take it to its logical conclusion.

“Qazi Hussain Ahmad, Sirajul Haq and Imran Khan should not score political points on the massacre of our children and destruction of our property,” said the Jirga members after its meeting at the provincial headquarters of the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) here.

“We wish to convey our voice to the participants of the government-sponsored All Parties Conference (APC), scheduled to be held today (Monday), not to pay heed to the voices of some so-called political and religious elements who want an end to the operation in Malakand Division,” the Swat Qaumi Jirga declared.

Besides Jirga members, the meeting was attended by Swat district Nazim Jamal Nasir, Nazim Batkhela Abdul Jabbar, Ayub Khan, Ziauddin Yousafzai and Provincial President of PkMAP Mukhtar Khan Yousafzai.

Briefing the journalists, Mukhtar Yousafzai, flanked by the rest of the Jirga members, said the Swat operation should continue till the militants laid down their arms or were eliminated. “The problem can’t be solved through talks as the government has already conceded much time and concessions. Now it is time to act,” said Yousafzai while voicing strong support for the military action. He said religious or other parties asking for an end to the operation had two options. “Either they are supporting the terrorists or are against them,” said Yousafzai, who also demanded of the provincial and central governments to charge the former commissioner Malakand Division Muhammad Javed and Chief of Tanzim Nifaz Shariat-e-Muhammadi (TNSM) Sufi Muhammad over the killing hundreds of people.

Nazim Swat Jamal Nasir, Nazim Batkhela Abdul Jabbar and Ziauddin Yousafzai said although they were satisfied with the pace of the operation, yet the people of the Malakand Division wanted the elimination of the top Taliban leadership.

“The operation must be quick and targeted. Security forces will win hearts of the people by eliminating the high value targets in Swat,” they demanded. Some of the Jirga members complained that the Taliban FM radio was still operational, creating doubts in the minds of the people of Swat.

The Jirga members appealed to the people to boycott the religious and political parties demanding suspension of the operation and asking for talks with the militants at this crucial time.

They also warned against some elements active in the camps for the internally displaced persons in the guise of welfare organisations. They asked the government to take action against such elements.

Army to remain in Malakand till restoration of peace: PM

ISLAMABAD: The All Parties Conference (APC) on Swat Operation has begun in Prime Minister House here. The leaders of all political parties are participating in the conference.In his inaugurating address, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said army to remain deployed in Malakand till restoration of peace and return of IDPs to their homes. This conference is reflected that we are capable to resolve problems on our own. Focus of the conference is Swat and Malakand situation. The recommendations which would chalk our in the conference will be included in national policy. Reconciliation policy was adopted on Swat and Malakand situation. Federal government expressed satisfaction when NWFP made peace deal. The agreement tabled in National Assembly, which was approved and later, signed by President Asif Zardari.Prime Minister said unfortunately peace did not restored in the region despite implementation of Nizam-e-Adl. Swat militants destroyed educational institutions and hospitals. Sufi Muhammad and comrades challenged the writ of government. He sanctioned Rs.one billion for affected areas.Premier Gilani announced made it clear that Pakistan’s nuclear assets are completely safe and global concerns in this connection are baseless.

Pakistani army claims to have killed over 1,000 Taliban fighters

Pakistani security forces fought Taliban militants on the outskirts of the main city in the north-west’s Swat Valley and entered two other Taliban-held towns there, the army has said, foreshadowing what could become bloody urban battles.

A top government official said the offensive near Afghanistan had already killed more than 1,000 Taliban fighters, while a group of pro-government religious leaders endorsed the operation, but condemned US missile strikes in the north-west.

The developments underscored Pakistan’s resolve and frustration in its battle against militancy.

Washington has pressed Islamabad to crack down on al Qaida and Taliban strongholds along the Afghan frontier, saying the militants threaten not only US and Nato troops in Afghanistan but also nuclear-armed Pakistan’s future. But many in Pakistan believe the militancy here has increased because of US intervention in Afghanistan.

Recent Taliban forays into a district just 60 miles from the capital, Islamabad, seem to have swayed many Pakistanis to support the most recent military operation, but that could easily change if the toll on the hundreds of thousands of civilians displaced mounts, and if more US missiles strikes stoke greater popular discontent.

In giving the 1,000-plus death toll yesterday, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said the operation in Swat and surrounding areas would “continue till the last Taliban are flushed out”. It was not possible to independently verify the figure. The territories bombarded over the past three weeks are now too dangerous for journalists to freely visit.

In a statement this afternoon, the army said 25 militants and a soldier died in the previous 24 hours.

Security forces were facing off with militants in “intense fire engagements” on the outskirts of Swat’s main town, Mingora, where many of the estimated 4,000 Taliban fighters in the valley are believed to be holed up, the statement said.

It also said security forces had surrounded and entered the towns of Matta and Kanju to take on the militants, and it requested civilians still in those areas stay away from the Taliban hide-outs. Troops were making gains in remote Piochar area, the rear base of Swat Taliban leader Maulana Fazlullah, it added.

“The operation is going in the right direction as we had planned,” Mr Malik said in a televised news conference from Mardan, where he went to relief camps to see some of the new refugees. “I cannot give a time but we will try (to complete the operation) at the earliest.”

The military did not detail how many ground troops were involved in the latest advances.

Pakistan’s army is geared towards fighting a conventional battle again long-time rival India on the plains of the Punjab region using tanks and artillery, and it has limited experience battling guerrillas in urban settings.

Its most recent major offensive, in the Bajur tribal region, drew praise from US officials for dismantling a virtual Taliban mini-state, but was criticised for the large amount of destruction it caused. The number of civilians killed in Bajur is unknown.

At a convention in Islamabad, hundreds of religious scholars and leaders denounced suicide attacks and other Taliban tactics in urging the government to continue the operation until peace is restored. The attendees also blasted the US missile strikes, saying Pakistan should take up the matter at the United Nations.

“Internally, terrorists were attempting to weaken Pakistan by spreading terrorism and killing people and on the other hand drone attacks are on. This is a conspiracy against Pakistan and we will foil it,” said Sahibzada Fazl Karim, one of the speakers.

US officials say the missile strikes are a critical tool in killing top militants, but Pakistan has protested against them, though many analysts believe the two countries have a secret deal allowing the attacks.

Pakistanis trickle home to war zone to harvest wheat

DAGGAR, Pakistan - Fighting between the Pakistani army and Taliban militants drove farmer Rahim Zada and his family from their home in the mountains a week ago but on Sunday he was trudging back.

"I've come back to harvest my crop," Zada said as he took a break on the road with his aged father, four women in all-enveloping burqas and a baby.

"We can't live in Mardan, it's too hot," he said, referring to the main town on the lowland to the south.

More than a million people have sought refuge on the lowland from fighting that began last month when the army moved to push the Taliban out of Buner district, 100 km (60 miles) northwest of Islamabad.The army then launched an offensive in the Swat valley, to the north of Buner. "There was fierce fighting but now we hope there will be peace. That's why we've come back," Zada said as he and his relatives, laden with boxes and bundles, resumed their walk into the mountains.

More than 1,000 militants had been killed in the offensive, the Interior Ministry said on Sunday. There was no independent confirmation of the toll.

In fertile fields by the road from the lowland up to Buner, wheat was ready for harvest while stands of tobacco were growing well. Burnt-out cars and trucks lay on the road.

BROKEN GLASS, SHATTERED TREES

The fighting in Buner district began in the small town of Ambala and it would appear the Taliban put up stiff resistance.

Many shops along Ambala's main street, including the town's petrol station, have been destroyed and many homes damaged.

Broken glass, electric cable and shattered trees littered the ground.

The town was mostly deserted but two small shops were open.

"Ambala was the front line," said Shah Wali, preparing chewing tobacco in one of the shops. "I came back yesterday just to see if my house was standing."

In Daggar, the main town in Buner, the district's top government official said about 350 Taliban were holding out in the village of Sultanwas, about 6 km (four miles) away.

"Much of Buner has been cleared of militants and now the fighting is concentrated on their main stronghold in Sultanwas," said administrator Yahya Akhundzada.

"When it is fully cleared then the whole of Buner will be cleared and we will ask the people to return," he said.

"We hope it will be a matter of days."

An occasional boom of artillery rang out over the hills as he spoke.

Very few civilians remained in Buner, all shops were closed and its hospital was deserted.

But authorities have relaxed a curfew in Buner during the day to allow those farmers who are there to harvest their wheat.

"People are returning as their crops are going to waste," said police officer Jaffer Khan.

Pakistan Calls on Taliban Militants in Swat to Lay Down Arms

Pakistan called on Taliban fighters in the northwest to lay down arms as “intense” fighting erupted between the army and militants in the Swat Valley, where hundreds of thousands of civilians have been forced to flee.

Security forces entered the towns of Matta and Kanju near Swat’s main city and killed 25 militants in 24 hours, the military said in a statement yesterday.

The operation “is moving in the right direction and is in accordance with a set plan,” Interior Minister Rehman Malik told reporters yesterday, according to the official Associated Press of Pakistan. The Taliban “are on the run,” he added.

Pakistani troops are battling an estimated 4,000 insurgents who reneged on a February peace accord and advanced toward the capital, Islamabad, even after the government agreed to impose Islamic law in the region. The United Nations said May 15 that 907,000 people have fled fighting in the northwest since May 2.

Most of the refugees are from the Swat, Lower Dir and Buner districts, Ariane Rummery, a spokeswoman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, said in a telephone interview from Islamabad at the time. Thousands more are reported to have fled Swat’s main city, Mingora, when authorities relaxed a curfew in the area, she said.

The exodus of refugees is Pakistan’s biggest since independence in 1947, according to the government.

Taliban Shave Beards

Some Taliban members have shaved off their beards and cut their hair in an attempt to escape the area undetected, the military said May 15. The same day, the government rejected an offer of peace talks to end fighting with militants.

U.S. officials criticized Pakistan for signing the February agreement with the Taliban and urged the government to crack down on Islamic extremists. President Barack Obama has said a five-year aid package to Pakistan worth $1.5 billion a year would be conditional on the government tackling terrorism.

One soldier was killed and seven injured in the weekend operations in Swat, the army said. The military urged residents to help identify insurgents, saying security forces could only accurately target them “when people rise against them,” according to the statement.

Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani is trying to build cross-party support for the offensive and plans to convene a meeting today to develop a policy for combating insurgents. Nawaz Sharif, the country’s main opposition leader, plans to attend.

Pakistan’s military first deployed in Swat, once a popular tourist destination 250 kilometers (155 miles) northwest of Islamabad, in 2007 in an effort to crush militants who set up Islamic courts. The fighters responded by beheading local officials, burning schools and banning education for girls.

Authorities agreed to appoint Islamic judges to Swat and neighboring districts under the February accord. The Taliban last month advanced to within 100 kilometers of Islamabad.

Obama calls for 'common ground' on abortion at Notre Dame

CNN.COM:President Obama delved into the abortion debate in a controversial Notre Dame commencement address Sunday, calling for a search for common ground on one of the most divisive issues in American politics.






Addressing a sharply divided audience at the storied Catholic university, Obama conceded that no matter how much Americans "may want to fudge it ... at some level the views of the two camps are irreconcilable."

"Each side will continue to make its case to the public with passion and conviction," he said. "But surely we can do so without reducing those with differing views to caricature."


The commencement ceremony was boycotted by a number of graduates dismayed by the university's decision both to tap Obama as its commencement speaker and to give him an honorary degree.

The president is a supporter of abortion rights and federally-funded embryonic stem-cell research -- positions that are anathema to traditional Catholic teachings.

Some graduates attended the ceremony, but expressed their disapproval by donning mortarboards marked with a cross and the outline of an infant's footprints. Others countered by wearing mortarboards adorned with an Obama campaign symbol.

Protests by abortion rights opponents before Obama's speech led to 39 arrests, St. Joseph County sheriff's deputy Rachel Zawistowski told CNN. One of those arrested was Norma McCorvey, the plaintiff identified as "Roe" in the Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that struck down state laws banning abortion. Watch police arrest anti-Obama demonstrators »

All those arrested were charged with trespassing, and two people taken into custody were also charged with resisting arrest, Redmond said. The charges are misdemeanors, and defendants had to post bail of $250 each before being released, he said.

Inside, several hecklers who interrupted the start of Obama's speech were loudly booed by the audience.

Obama asked the crowd if it's possible "for us to join hands in common effort."

"As citizens of a vibrant and varied democracy, how do we engage in vigorous debate?" he asked. "How does each of us remain firm in our principles, and fight for what we consider right, without demonizing those with just as strongly held convictions on the other side?"

The president told the audience a story about an e-mail he received during his 2004 Illinois Senate race from a doctor who opposed abortion. The doctor, according to the president, said he voted for Obama during the Democratic primary but felt he might not be able to support him in the general election.

A self-described Christian who "was strongly pro-life," the doctor had been offended by an entry on Obama's Senate campaign Web site that said Obama would oppose "right-wing ideologues who want to take away a woman's right to choose." Watch Obama discuss abortion »

"The doctor said that he had assumed I was a reasonable person, but that if I truly believed that every pro-life individual was simply an ideologue who wanted to inflict suffering on women, then I was not very reasonable," Obama said.

He said the doctor urged him not to change his views, but rather to speak about the issue of abortion in "fair-minded words."

After instructing his campaign staff to change the wording on his Web site, Obama said he prayed "that I might extend the same presumption of good faith to others that the doctor had extended to me."

"When we do that -- when we open our hearts and our minds to those who may not think like we do or believe what we do -- that's when we discover at least the possibility of common ground."

The president said that while "maybe we won't agree on abortion ... we can still agree that this is a heart-wrenching decision for any woman to make."

He urged supporters and opponents of abortion rights to "work together to reduce the number of women seeking abortions by reducing unintended pregnancies, and making adoption more available, and providing care and support for women who do carry their child to term."

He also endorsed the drafting of a "sensible conscience clause" to "honor the conscience" of doctors and other medical workers opposed to abortion.

Let's "make sure that all of our health care policies are grounded in clear ethics and sound science, as well as respect for the equality of women," he said.

Obama is the ninth sitting U.S. president to deliver the commencement speech at the University of Notre Dame, but none of his predecessors touched off a similar firestorm. Watch how some graduating seniors are taking Obama visit in stride »

"I have no problem with Obama speaking on the campus [but] I do have a problem giving him [this] honor," said Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League.

Catholic Bishop John D'Arcy of South Bend, Indiana, was among those who skipped the ceremony.

"President Obama has recently reaffirmed, and has now placed in public policy, his long-stated unwillingness to hold human life as sacred," D'Arcy said in a written statement.

Notre Dame President John I. Jenkins noted in a statement in March that the university has hosted Democratic and Republican presidents, and said the invitation does not mean the university agrees with all of Obama's positions.

Obama carried the Catholic vote in last year's presidential election by a margin of nine percentage points, 54 to 45 percent. A Quinnipiac University poll released last Thursday suggests most U.S. Catholics wanted Notre Dame to allow Obama to speak, with 60 percent of Catholic voters in the survey saying Notre Dame should stand by its invitation to the president.

Observant Catholic voters who attend religious services about once a week said by a 49 to 43 percent margin that Notre Dame should keep Obama on the program. Catholics who attend services less frequently said by a 70 percent to 26 percent margin that Obama should speak, according to the poll.

"Neither Americans overall, nor Roman Catholic voters in particular, think Notre Dame should rescind its invitation to President Obama," said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

"The strongest opposition to the president's appearance comes from observant Catholics, but more of them than not say he should be allowed to speak."

The poll, taken April 21-27, surveyed 2,041 registered voters nationwide. The margin of error is plus or minus 2.2 percentage points.

"Catholics are not a monolithic group. If you divide between practicing Catholics and nonpracticing Catholics, you'll find that the practicing Catholics for some reason are opposed to Obama getting an honor. They're not opposed to him speaking at Notre Dame. They're opposed to him being honored," Donohue said.

Refugees at risk

Editorial:THE NEWS

The displaced persons turned into refugees in their own homeland face many risks. At camps, outbreaks of sickness are being reported and the 900,000 people now displaced struggle to survive. A new exodus as curfew was lifted in Swat is likely to make things even harder for all those fleeing homes, as more pressure is exerted on existing facilities and more pour into camps. But among these people, the most miserable must be those who have lost children. According to reports, the Taliban have been kidnapping both boys and girls, either to use as human shields or to enrol as fighters. Other stories are even more alarming. Volunteers and activists working with the IDPs say people from Punjab and other parts of the country are visiting camps and ‘buying’ children from desperate, poverty-stricken families, presumably to use in the sex industry. Both girls and boys are said to be in demand.

This trade must stop. The government needs to do more to protect people who are already vulnerable and prone to fall victim to such exploitation. The desperation brought by misery means parents may feel they have no choice but to sacrifice one child in order to save others. Checks need to be put in place. We saw similar efforts to take away children after the 2005 quake, sometimes even from hospital wards. That should have taught us some lessons. Access to camps needs to be restricted; only legitimate representatives of groups which have been registered should be allowed in. Camp authorities too need to be warned about the sex trade now said to be on, so they can be on the alert. And parents who are being told their children will be offered jobs in big cities too need to be warned against falling for this line.

Every crisis, in one way or the other, exposes both the best and the worst of humankind. This is being seen too at the camps. Many well-meaning volunteers are doing all they can to help; ordinary citizens have taken up goods and cash and toys for children. But there are also others whose motives are evil. An effort to protect the refugees from them is urgently needed, before more such cases take place and add to anger against a state that has struggled to come to grips with an immense crisis.

Musharraf on Pakistan

Waziristan next, says Zardari

LONDON: Pakistan is to extend its war on the Taliban beyond Swat into the fiercely independent tribal areas bordering Afghanistan where Osama bin Laden and the al Qaeda leadership are believed to be hiding.

‘We’re going to go into Waziristan, all these regions, with army operations,’ President Asif Ali Zardari told The Sunday Times in an interview. ‘Swat is just the start. It’s a larger war to fight.’

He said Pakistan would need billions of pounds in military assistance and aid for up to 1.7 million refugees, the biggest movement of people since the country’s split from India in 1947.

To help take on the militants, the Pakistan army is for the first time to accept counter-insurgency training from British and American troops on its own soil.

‘We need to develop our capability and we need much more support,’ said Mr Zardari. ‘We need much, much more than the $1 billion (military aid) we’ve been getting, which is nothing. We’ve got 150,000 troops in (the tribal areas) — just the movement of that number would cost $1 billion.’

The army is planning to open new fronts in Waziristan and Darra Adamkhel. Waziristan is the headquarters of the militant Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, led by Baitullah Mehsud, who has been named as the mastermind behind the assassination of the former prime minister, Benazir Bhutto.

Mr Zardari appealed for $1 billion in aid for refugees. ‘If we are to win the hearts and minds of these people we need to be able to relocate them back into civil society, rebuild their houses and give them interest-free loans to restart their businesses,’ he said.

‘If we don’t they will turn against the government and we will lose the impetus we’ve managed to create in the country against the Taliban.’

The Taliban were said to be holding out in Sultanwas, a mountainous valley in Buner. All access to Swat, where the army said a house-to-house search was under way for Taliban leaders in Mingora, was banned.

Mr Zardari insisted that the army was committed to defeating the Taliban. ‘I think the casualties speak for that, the displacement speaks for that,’ he said.

He claimed that officers sympathetic to the militants had been purged. ‘I’m confident the army perceives the Taliban as much of a national threat as we do.’

He added: ‘You cannot fight this war only on the battle (field). You also have to fight it on the economic front — you have to offer something to the youth.’

Taliban got free hand under ANP govt: Musharraf

NEW YORK: Former president Pervez Musharraf has expressed the confidence that Pakistan army will prevail over the Taliban who have challenged the writ of the government, but said that ‘winning hearts and minds’ of people may be difficult.

Talking to some Pakistani reporters at a hotel here on Friday, Gen (retd) Musharraf rejected a suggestion that Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan had come to the fore during his watch.

‘This was the consequence of the Feb 18 election and the Taliban got strong then as they got a free hand under the new ANP government,’ he said. ‘In my time they were hiding,’ he claimed. However, he added, ‘I am convinced that our army will drive the enemies of the state away but we have to win the hearts and minds also.’

As to how long could such an operation last, he said it was difficult to predict. Asked about the security of Pakistan’s nuclear assets, Musharraf said they were ‘absolutely secure’, adding that people of Pakistan would never allow anyone to capture them.

When a reporter suggested that when he was president he did everything according to American wishes, Musharraf said: ‘I never bowed before anybody and did everything in Pakistan’s best interest.’

In reply to a charge that he was involved in the murder of Baloch leader Akbar Bugti and arrest of JSQM (Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz) leader Dr Safdar Saraki, he said: ‘I will not dignify your question with an answer.’

In an interview with CNN, the former president said he would run for office once the two-year restriction expired. According to him, President Zardari with an approval rating of 19 per cent did not have the support to fight Taliban.

‘If Pakistan is in trouble and if any Pakistani, myself included — if you can see that we can do something for it — well ... my life is for Pakistan,’ he told Fareed Zakaria on GPS.

Musharraf said he wished the government well. ‘But one is concerned about Pakistan, certainly,’ he said. ‘One does get concerned about where we are headed and what are we doing.’

Pakistan's northwest reels as army hunts Taliban

stan — Pakistan's northwest was on Sunday reeling from a wave of violence as the toll from a car bomb rose and the army hit Taliban hideouts in an offensive that has sent a million civilians fleeing.


The number killed in a devastating car bomb that hit the northwestern city of Peshawar on Saturday reached 12 after a teenage boy died overnight, a police official said, while 36 people have been reported wounded in the attack.
The blast ripped through a packed street, leaving severed body parts on the road near an ice cream shop and an Internet cafe.
Many of the tide of refugees fleeing a punishing three-week military offensive in swathes of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) had taken refuge from the bombardment in Peshawar, the provincial capital.
"One of the seriously injured of yesterday's blast died in the hospital at night," Peshawar police official Khan Abbas told AFP, adding that four children, two women and six men were killed in the car bombing.
Peshawar is the gateway to Pakistan's troubled tribal belt on the Afghan border, where the United States says Taliban and Al-Qaeda extremists have carved out safe havens to plot new attacks on the West.
Under pressure from Washington as Taliban fighters advanced to within 100 kilometres (60 miles) of Islamabad, Pakistan security forces began heavy offensives late last month in the Lower Dir, Buner and Swat districts.
Military officials claim that nearly 1,000 militants have been killed in the bombardment, although such tolls are impossible to independently verify and there is no data yet on civilians casualties in the battle-torn areas.
On Sunday, security officials who did not want to be named said forces were carrying out targeted strikes on Taliban bolt-holes in Swat and Lower Dir.
"Security forces are targeting militant hideouts and helicopter gunships are hovering in the air," said one security official.
"Helicopter gunships shelled militants' hideouts at Matta town (in Swat), the stronghold of the Taliban," another military official added.
A curfew remains in place in most of the areas beset by heavy fighting, leaving hundreds of thousands of people trapped in the conflict area, UN officials have said, without medical care, electricity, food or water.
The UN refugee agency said more than 1.1 million people have fled the fighting and registered with authorities since May 2, in a displacement that officials fear is the worst here since partition with India in 1947.
They join another 500,000 people who fled bouts of fighting in the northwest last year, where extremist Taliban militants have been battling to widen their area of control and impose a harsh brand of Islamic law.
"It is really the worst situation in Swat, the worst I have seen in my life. I have no words to explain it," said Salman Khan -- not his real name -- who arrived in Peshawar from Swat's main town Mingora on Saturday.
"My children are still crying and screaming. I lost my home, my business, my village," the 42-year-old said.
Also Sunday, the death toll from a suspected US missile strike in the northwest's semi-autonomous tribal region of North Waziristan near the Afghan border rose to 28, security officials said.
The United States has put Pakistan at the heart of the fight against Al-Qaeda, but Pakistan publicly opposes drone attacks, saying they violate its territorial sovereignty and deepen resentment among the populace.

ADP to be suspended if NWFP lacks fund for IDPs

PESHAWAR: The NWFP cabinet Saturday authorized the chief minister to suspend the Annual Development Programme (ADP) if funds given for the internally displaced persons (IDPs) fell short of their requirements.

The cabinet meeting, presided over by Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti, took stock of the ongoing military operation in Malakand division and the facilitation process of the displaced people from the affected areas.

The two-point agenda discussed during the meeting included the military action in the affected areas and the facilitation of the IDPs living in camps and off-camps.

Briefing journalists after the meeting, Hoti said that no stone would be left unturned in providing all facilities of life to the people displaced from areas in Lower Dir, Buner and Swat districts.

“I will suspend the coming ADP, minus health and education, if I felt that the provincial government is unable to cope with the requirements of the IDPs in the available funds,” said Hoti while asking the federal government and the international donors to inject more funds for the facilitation of the uprooted people.

According to the fresh figures collected by the provincial government, the number of total registered IDPs in various camps and off camps was 1,367,000 on Saturday.

The chief minister said the provincial cabinet expressed satisfaction over results of the operation in Malakand division so far. “Although no timeframe can be set in such actions, the provincial government requests its conclusion at the earliest possible time,” he added.

Hoti pointed out that peace in settled areas was dependent on peace and security in the tribal region. “There will be no peace in NWFP unless there is peace in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).”

He said there was no contact between the government and the Tanzim Nifaz Shariat-e-Muhammadi (TNSM) since the launching of the military operation in Swat.

To a question, the chief minister said that inquiry had been launched against the former commissioner of Malakand division Syed Muhammad Javed and any one found guilty of negligence of duty would be subjected to serious disciplinary action.

To help overcome the financial constraints of the displaced people, the chief minister announced payment of Rs25,000 to each family. In this way, a total amount of five billion rupees would be disbursed among the IDPs. In this connection, he appealed the federal government and the donors to contribute for the cash package for the IDPs.

He said a similar package would be announced for the uprooted families after their return following restoration of peace in their respective areas.

He requested the federal government to waive off at least the interest on loans taken from Agriculture Development Bank (ADP) or House Building Finance Corporation (HBFC) by people of the affected three districts.

To ensure exemplary administration after the restoration of peace in the affected districts, the chief minister said his government would depute the best of its officers in those areas. He said separate community halls for men and women at each IDP camp would be constructed so as the people could gather there in day time. He said additional covers would also be provided to have shade over the tents to reduce the heat.