By People's Daily
It is an objective reality that China has embarked on the road of socialism. Then, why the socialist road the Chinese nation has been taking is said to the people's choice and the choice of history? This question is up to the history of China to "answer" or "elaborate" by itself.
In view of historical development, there are at least three main reasons why China takes the socialist road.
First, China's socio-economic conditions do not allow the Chinese people to take the capitalist road. In old and backward China prior to the national liberation in 1949, the Chinese Kuomintang, or the National Party, worked neither for equitable distribution of land among landless peasants at the time nor the development of the national industry. The bureaucratic capitalists, as represented by the Four Big Families of Chiang Kai-shek, T.V. Song, H.H. Kung and Chen Brothers never developed any industry of their own, but instead amassed great fortunes for themselves, thus plunging the country increasingly deeper in the mire of semi-colonialism and semi-feudalism.
Second, epoch conditions and the new international environment prompted the Chinese people to choose the socialist road. "It is certainly not the purpose of the imperialist powers invading China to transform feudal china into capitalist China," late Chinese leader Mao Zedong once said. The purpose of intruding imperialists, he noted, was to occupy China's markets, plunder China's resources and subject the country to a status of colonialism or semi-colonialism
Third, it is ascribed to the leading force of Chinese revolution to the cause that China will take the road to socialism. After the completion of the democratic revolution, the working class and its vanguard – the Communist Party of China (CPC) are sure to lead the revolution to the correct orientation of socialism.
Precisely for these reasons, China has taken the road of socialism instead of road to capitalism.
In early 1950s shortly after the founding of the People's Republic, China was "poor and blank" with its economy plunged in shambles plus unbridled, malignant inflations. However, great successes made in post-liberation industrial construction and production during the first Five-Year-Plan period far exceeded what Old China had accomplished in the preceding century. Evidence has given an eloquent proof that there was no other way to alter the future and destiny of the Chinese nation but the road of socialism it has embarked on.
Thanks to socialism with Chinese characteristics, China has won the unprecedented rapid economic growth in its modern history. It has recorded an average 9.8-percent growth rate since the country adopted the reform and opening up policy in the late 1970s. And the poor rural population has drastically reduced to the present 40 million from 250 million in 1978.
Meanwhile, among other feats China has created, the mammoth Three Gorges Dam has sprung up in central China, the Qinghai-Tibetan Railway, the highest or "heavenly" railroad on earth, is running smoothly to boost prosperity in western China, and a multi-billion-dollar project to divert water from southern China to the arid north is in full swing, and the country's lunar exploration project and manned space flight have all been crowded with stunning success.
The road of socialism with Chinese characteristics has not only won high recognition of people in China but also has attracted keen attention of people in all countries. What particularly worthy of cheers are that the 2008 Chinese economic stimulus packages and the country's superb economic performance attained in their wake. Consequently, many statesmen and scholars worldwide have all come to witness and praise the superiority of China's socialist system, or socialism with Chinese characteristics.
A few people in China, nevertheless, still admire or envy Nordic countries' multi-party system or "parliamentary road to socialism", and they even suggest China should follow suit. Here, it should be acknowledged first of all that these Nordic countries do not belong to the category of socialist countries.
In case of China, however, it did not possess any essential social conditions to practice reformism or implement the parliament road to socialism in modern times, as it had stood heavy burdens imposed by the three-fold oppression of imperialism, feudalism and bureaucrat capitalism since the beginning of this modern age .
At the same time, the overriding objective conditions，from the longstanding Chinese history and situation in China's economical, political and social conditions also prevent the country from taking on the Nordic pattern or model.
Late senior leader Deng Xiaoping once told foreign guests that China was impossible to take the capitalist road based on its experience. "Our experience has shown, however, that we cannot take that road," he said. "if we took the capitalist road, a small number of people in certain areas would quickly grow rich," while a large number of people cannot get rid of poverty … "The ultimate objective is to achieve common prosperity for all," Deng noted, and this is the essential requirement of socialism.
In marching unswervingly along the road of building socialism with Chinese characteristics, we need to have a full, profound understanding of the basic national policy in the primary stage of socialism as well as a distinct and in-depth awareness of the protracted nature and complexity of socialism. With respect to the sense of arduousness in building socialism in China, Deng emphatically reminded people that "it will require unremitting efforts by several, a dozen or even dozens of generation to consolidate and develop the socialist system."
Monday, July 6, 2009
Battle in Swat hots up
ISLAMABAD - The security forces have killed another 27 terrorists and apprehended a few others, while four soldiers and a policeman were injured during operations in Swat, Bannu and other areas.
According to an ISPR update issued here on Monday, the security forces during search operation at Banjut, Swat, recovered 50 mules loaded with arms and ammunition, medicines and ration and also apprehended a few terrorists. During search operation at Thana, an improvised explosive device (IED) went off causing injuries to a soldier. As a result of operation at Tahirabad, Mingora, the security forces recovered surgical equipment, nine hand grenades and office furniture from the house of a militant.
Security forces also conducted search operation at Dadhra and recovered one hand grenade and high altitude sleeping bag, besides securing area of Tighak Banda and Gakhe Banda. Two soldiers were injured at Pir Patai ridge during exchange of fire with terrorists.
A combing operation around Uchrai Sar, Ziarat Khapa and Datpanrai was carried out by the security forces and they recovered two small machine guns and one gas mask. The security forces engaged terrorists’ hideouts at Tiligram where 14 terrorists were killed in exchange of fire. Large quantity of ammunition and explosives including 4 IEDs, one 14.5 gun barrel and 26 detonators were also recovered.
Security forces confiscated 2,156 rounds of small machine gun, 9,728 rounds of light machine gun, 7 grenades and 8 magazines of small machine gun from a single cabin vehicle at Kharkhanai Chowk, Dir. An IED planted by terrorists exploded near a civil vehicle at village Sarati Sherangal, Upper Dir, resultantly one child died and 10 civilians got injured.
Security forces conducted search operation at Rajgae Kandao, Buner, and apprehended two terrorists along with 5 kilograms explosives. Terrorists attacked on Jani Khel Fort in Bannu with mortars and small arms fire, which caused injuries to a policemen and a soldier.
As far as the relief activities are concerned, a conference on ‘Return Strategy’ was organised. The conference was attended by provincial relief commissioner of NWFP and UNHCR representative. So far, 4,872 families have returned to Bajur, Buner, Shangla and Dir, while 6,140 cash cards have been distributed amongst the IDPs of Malakand from July 3 to July 5. Around 754 tonnes of relief goods have been distributed so far in district Shangla, Upper Swat, Mingora and Charbagh.
Zardari for repeal of 17th Amend, 58(2b)
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari said on Monday that there is a need to undo the 17th Amendment and Article 58(2b) and “reform” the constitution in light of the Charter of Democracy.
Presiding over a meeting of the central executive committee (CEC) of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) – along with Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani – at the Presidency, Zardari said the PPP would rid the constitution of all “undemocratic clauses” in consultation with other political forces. The president said the PPP would deliver on its pledge to “democratise” the constitution.
Presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar later said, “The five-hour meeting discussed the current political situation and the proposed constitutional amendments.”
The PPP CEC also adopted several resolutions following the discussions. Babar said that the party had reiterated its resolve to take the fight against militancy to its logical end.
He said that according to one of the resolutions, the most serious threat to Pakistan emanated from within rather than from outside. “The party ... called for addressing internal security threats on priority basis,” he said. Babar quoted Gilani as saying that water issues between provinces would be resolved in accordance with the 1991 accord.
Karzai's Challengers Face Daunting Odds
washingtonpost.com
JALALABAD, Afghanistan -- As U.S. Marines launched a major offensive against Taliban insurgents in southern Helmand province, the presidential campaign unfolding in more peaceful parts of northern and eastern Afghanistan last week seemed to be taking place on another planet.
Whether addressing rallies, chatting with voters in the streets or receiving delegations of tribal leaders, candidates barely mentioned the violent insurgency that international experts fear could sabotage the Aug. 20 polling.
Instead, the presidential hopefuls stuck to themes they knew would resonate with Afghan audiences. They denounced civilian casualties by foreign forces and called for a negotiated settlement with the Taliban. They railed against corruption in government, evoked past military triumphs and hyped their personal ties to late national leaders.
"I decided to launch my campaign here because this is where the holy war began," said Abdullah Abdullah, a former foreign minister, addressing a large outdoor rally Wednesday in this muggy eastern city. "I want to stand and struggle for the honor and dignity of the holy warriors. I want to build an Afghanistan that can defend itself without foreign troops."
Dressing for the occasion, the dapper professional wore a traditional Afghan tunic and baggy trousers. He also strove for ethnic balance by donning a rolled wool cap worn by Afghan Tajiks, then exchanging it for a striped turban favored by Pashtuns.
His audience, mostly men rounded up by a local legislator and former anti-Soviet militia leader, listened politely in the steamy tent. Later, after Abdullah had departed in a government helicopter for Kabul, the capital, some said they had not decided whom to support for president, but many said they were fed up with the incumbent, Hamid Karzai.
"We gave Karzai a chance, but he did not serve the people. He is weak, and his administration is corrupt," said Ghulam Sahi, 48, a tribal elder. A man named Zaman ul-Haq complained that Karzai's government had "taken away our weapons but not given us jobs. Today only the mafia people get jobs. After three decades of war, we need a strong and honest leader."
Public opinion surveys show that Karzai, who has led Afghanistan since soon after the overthrow of Islamist Taliban rule in late 2001, is still likely to emerge the winner. To shore up his flagging popularity, he has made preelection deals with powerful tribal, business and militia figures -- including some with unsavory reputations -- who command large numbers of votes.
Within the field of 41 candidates, only Abdullah and former finance minister Ashraf Ghani are considered remotely in the running; most others are expected to pull out or support one of the big three. Karzai can hold endless televised news conferences in his secure palace, while the threat of insurgent attacks makes it dangerous for other candidates to venture into the countryside to enhance their name recognition.
As a result, with just over six weeks until the election, only a handful of the country's 10 million to 12 million voters have met any of the candidates in person. Most campaign events have been highly guarded and orchestrated, such as Abdullah's visit here, which included closed-door meetings with local officials but not a single handshake with audience members.
"There is very little public enthusiasm for this election," said Haroun Mir, director of the Afghan Center for Research and Policy Studies. "The old political actors are still running things, and the attempt to form an opposition coalition failed. No matter who wins the presidency, the government will be dysfunctional -- with little hope of reform."
International concern has focused on whether the Taliban will follow through on threats to attack the polling places, especially in the south, where low turnout could raise the prospect of ethnic imbalance in the national count. The United States and NATO are sending extra troops to protect the vote, but officials said it would be impossible to guarantee the safety of all 28,000 polling stations.
Election advisers and opposition candidates said they are also worried about pro-government rigging on election day. They warned that this could trigger a violent confrontation similar to what has recently occurred in Iran -- only worse because Afghanistan is awash with weapons.
"The stakes are very high, so if the race gets tight, all the stops may be pulled out to deliver the vote," said one international election observer in Kabul. An election complaint office has been established, but its cumbersome procedures might be unable to forestall a wave of public anger.
Karzai has pledged not to use his government status and powers to influence the election. He has also complained that U.S. officials, while maintaining a formally neutral position, recently held high-profile meetings with several key opponents. Relations between the Afghan president and Washington have gone steadily downhill in the past year.
Yet only a few of Karzai's challengers have journeyed into the provinces on their own or mingled with crowds in Kabul. One is Ramazan Bashardost, a former planning minister and eccentric crusader whose office consists of a tent pitched outside the parliament. Another is Shala Attah, a psychologist and legislator who spent 20 years as a war exile in Alexandria, Va., and returned home in 2007.
"I'm not afraid of people, and I'm not afraid to speak the truth," said Attah, 41, who left her husband and five children behind in Virginia and said she misses them terribly. "There is too much corruption in this country. There are women in villages living in caves. There are boys killing for the Taliban. Someone has to talk about the real problems."
One evening last week, Attah drove through the capital and stopped in a busy market, draped in an elegant black cloak, to greet astonished shoppers. Because she has near-zero name recognition, her campaign posters feature images of the late Mohammed Daud Khan, a former president.
"Daud Khan was a good man, and this lady says she will follow in his footsteps," said Ghulam Haider, 51, a cook who was bicycling home and stopped to take one of Attah's fliers. "What we really need from our next leader is to negotiate with the Taliban. They are our brothers, and the foreigners have destroyed our country. We have to end this war."
Several other candidates, including Ghani and former anti-drug official Mirwais Yasini, have developed substantive policy platforms but tend to campaign in the traditional Afghan way, through private meetings and elaborate receptions for visiting provincial elders.
Like Abdullah, both men are former senior aides to Karzai who broke with him and are now highly critical of his performance. Ghani has accused Karzai of wasting billions in foreign aid and allowing corruption to poison the state.
Yasini tends to sound the same alarm, saying Karzai is running the government like a crony enterprise and cozying up to ethnic strongmen. Yasini is the only candidate who has dared to speak strongly in favor of keeping Western troops in the country, but he scoffs at opinion polls predicting that he and other challengers have little chance.
"Unless the election is rigged, Karzai is not unbeatable," Yasini said in an interview. "He thought he could use the warlords, but they won't help him because the people are fed up with these dragons. This boat is sinking, and if Karzai stays or the wrong man takes his place, the country will drown."
JALALABAD, Afghanistan -- As U.S. Marines launched a major offensive against Taliban insurgents in southern Helmand province, the presidential campaign unfolding in more peaceful parts of northern and eastern Afghanistan last week seemed to be taking place on another planet.
Whether addressing rallies, chatting with voters in the streets or receiving delegations of tribal leaders, candidates barely mentioned the violent insurgency that international experts fear could sabotage the Aug. 20 polling.
Instead, the presidential hopefuls stuck to themes they knew would resonate with Afghan audiences. They denounced civilian casualties by foreign forces and called for a negotiated settlement with the Taliban. They railed against corruption in government, evoked past military triumphs and hyped their personal ties to late national leaders.
"I decided to launch my campaign here because this is where the holy war began," said Abdullah Abdullah, a former foreign minister, addressing a large outdoor rally Wednesday in this muggy eastern city. "I want to stand and struggle for the honor and dignity of the holy warriors. I want to build an Afghanistan that can defend itself without foreign troops."
Dressing for the occasion, the dapper professional wore a traditional Afghan tunic and baggy trousers. He also strove for ethnic balance by donning a rolled wool cap worn by Afghan Tajiks, then exchanging it for a striped turban favored by Pashtuns.
His audience, mostly men rounded up by a local legislator and former anti-Soviet militia leader, listened politely in the steamy tent. Later, after Abdullah had departed in a government helicopter for Kabul, the capital, some said they had not decided whom to support for president, but many said they were fed up with the incumbent, Hamid Karzai.
"We gave Karzai a chance, but he did not serve the people. He is weak, and his administration is corrupt," said Ghulam Sahi, 48, a tribal elder. A man named Zaman ul-Haq complained that Karzai's government had "taken away our weapons but not given us jobs. Today only the mafia people get jobs. After three decades of war, we need a strong and honest leader."
Public opinion surveys show that Karzai, who has led Afghanistan since soon after the overthrow of Islamist Taliban rule in late 2001, is still likely to emerge the winner. To shore up his flagging popularity, he has made preelection deals with powerful tribal, business and militia figures -- including some with unsavory reputations -- who command large numbers of votes.
Within the field of 41 candidates, only Abdullah and former finance minister Ashraf Ghani are considered remotely in the running; most others are expected to pull out or support one of the big three. Karzai can hold endless televised news conferences in his secure palace, while the threat of insurgent attacks makes it dangerous for other candidates to venture into the countryside to enhance their name recognition.
As a result, with just over six weeks until the election, only a handful of the country's 10 million to 12 million voters have met any of the candidates in person. Most campaign events have been highly guarded and orchestrated, such as Abdullah's visit here, which included closed-door meetings with local officials but not a single handshake with audience members.
"There is very little public enthusiasm for this election," said Haroun Mir, director of the Afghan Center for Research and Policy Studies. "The old political actors are still running things, and the attempt to form an opposition coalition failed. No matter who wins the presidency, the government will be dysfunctional -- with little hope of reform."
International concern has focused on whether the Taliban will follow through on threats to attack the polling places, especially in the south, where low turnout could raise the prospect of ethnic imbalance in the national count. The United States and NATO are sending extra troops to protect the vote, but officials said it would be impossible to guarantee the safety of all 28,000 polling stations.
Election advisers and opposition candidates said they are also worried about pro-government rigging on election day. They warned that this could trigger a violent confrontation similar to what has recently occurred in Iran -- only worse because Afghanistan is awash with weapons.
"The stakes are very high, so if the race gets tight, all the stops may be pulled out to deliver the vote," said one international election observer in Kabul. An election complaint office has been established, but its cumbersome procedures might be unable to forestall a wave of public anger.
Karzai has pledged not to use his government status and powers to influence the election. He has also complained that U.S. officials, while maintaining a formally neutral position, recently held high-profile meetings with several key opponents. Relations between the Afghan president and Washington have gone steadily downhill in the past year.
Yet only a few of Karzai's challengers have journeyed into the provinces on their own or mingled with crowds in Kabul. One is Ramazan Bashardost, a former planning minister and eccentric crusader whose office consists of a tent pitched outside the parliament. Another is Shala Attah, a psychologist and legislator who spent 20 years as a war exile in Alexandria, Va., and returned home in 2007.
"I'm not afraid of people, and I'm not afraid to speak the truth," said Attah, 41, who left her husband and five children behind in Virginia and said she misses them terribly. "There is too much corruption in this country. There are women in villages living in caves. There are boys killing for the Taliban. Someone has to talk about the real problems."
One evening last week, Attah drove through the capital and stopped in a busy market, draped in an elegant black cloak, to greet astonished shoppers. Because she has near-zero name recognition, her campaign posters feature images of the late Mohammed Daud Khan, a former president.
"Daud Khan was a good man, and this lady says she will follow in his footsteps," said Ghulam Haider, 51, a cook who was bicycling home and stopped to take one of Attah's fliers. "What we really need from our next leader is to negotiate with the Taliban. They are our brothers, and the foreigners have destroyed our country. We have to end this war."
Several other candidates, including Ghani and former anti-drug official Mirwais Yasini, have developed substantive policy platforms but tend to campaign in the traditional Afghan way, through private meetings and elaborate receptions for visiting provincial elders.
Like Abdullah, both men are former senior aides to Karzai who broke with him and are now highly critical of his performance. Ghani has accused Karzai of wasting billions in foreign aid and allowing corruption to poison the state.
Yasini tends to sound the same alarm, saying Karzai is running the government like a crony enterprise and cozying up to ethnic strongmen. Yasini is the only candidate who has dared to speak strongly in favor of keeping Western troops in the country, but he scoffs at opinion polls predicting that he and other challengers have little chance.
"Unless the election is rigged, Karzai is not unbeatable," Yasini said in an interview. "He thought he could use the warlords, but they won't help him because the people are fed up with these dragons. This boat is sinking, and if Karzai stays or the wrong man takes his place, the country will drown."
PM urges global community to assist the NWFP
ISLAMABAD: Talking to Foreign Minister of Portugal Luis Amado here Monday, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani reiterated that the global community should come forward and assist his government in rehabilitating the affected areas of the NWFP since it is crucial to win the hearts and minds of the local residents of these troubled territories, DawnNews reported.
He emphasized the need to resolve the core issue of Kashmir and the water dispute with India.
‘The resolution of these outstanding issues would enable Pakistan to turn its attention to its western border with renewed focus,’ the premier said.
He urged countries from the EU to provide GSP-Plus facilities to Pakistan and facilitate Islamabad’s bid for signing the Free Trade Agreement. He also added that enhanced trade would help Pakistan in the long run.
The prime minister asked the EU to play its role in building the capacity of Pakistan’s law enforcing agencies and equipping them adequately, besides providing for the families of those who lost their lives on the battle front.
Luis Amado agreed to add a new dimension to the bilateral relations by putting in place institutional frameworks and enhanced contacts between the two countries.
Obama visits Russia
MOSCOW, Russia -- President Obama arrived in Moscow on Monday for a summit with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev aimed at trying to "reset" the U.S.-Russian relationship. But he also may have a less publicized goal: figuring out who's really in charge here.
When Obama's predecessor, George W. Bush, engaged in his first summit with his Russian counterpart, things took an odd turn. Bush said -- now infamously -- that he looked into then-President Vladimir Putin's eyes and saw into his soul, and basically found he was a good guy that Americans could do business with. Oops. The Bush-Putin relationship ended up getting pretty chilly, which is why the new U.S. president is now trying to warm things up.
Obama gets his first shot at literally looking into Putin's eyes Tuesday, when he has a sitdown with the man who is now prime minister of Russia, a post that many international analysts believe allows Putin to continue to pull the strings behind the scenes.
Obama's outreach to Medvedev started sooner, their first meeting coming back in April at the G-20 summit in London, and it's been bearing some fruit for Obama. Russia recently signed on to sanctions against North Korea, and this week both sides will officially announce that Russia has agreed to let U.S. military equipment headed for Afghanistan fly over Russian territory.
Both sides are also hoping to announce significant cuts in nuclear arms, though there are still major hurdles to clear, such as Russian suspicions about U.S. plans for a missile defense shield in Eastern Europe. In an interview with The Associated Press late last week, Obama seemed to be trying to work through the sticking points by driving a bit of a wedge between Medvedev and Putin.
"The old Cold War approaches to U.S.-Russia relations is outdated and that it's time to move forward in a different direction," said Obama. "I think Medvedev understands that. I think Putin has one foot in the old ways of doing business and one foot in the new."
Ouch. If he wants to accomplish some key goals in Moscow, such as winning Russian cooperation in dealing with Iran's nuclear program, why would Obama fire a rhetorical shot like that at Putin -- if, in fact, he's really in charge here?
It could be that Obama is trying to flex his muscles a bit for American domestic political consumption to show he's not rolling over to Russia, amid Republican charges that he's soft on foreign policy. It's a move Putin knows well, having perfected the art of flexing his muscles at then-President Bush as a way of asserting Russian nationalism in recent years.
Whatever the intention of Obama's words, the back and forth with Putin is a reminder of the high stakes here. Of course, the president's second stop in Italy for the G-8 summit will be important too, with a packed agenda including Iran, the financial crisis, climate change and eradicating world poverty. The first African-American president's third and final stop at the end of the week in Ghana will also get wide international attention.
But it's this first stop where Obama will get a big diplomatic test as he juggles, among many issues, who's really in charge here.
When Obama's predecessor, George W. Bush, engaged in his first summit with his Russian counterpart, things took an odd turn. Bush said -- now infamously -- that he looked into then-President Vladimir Putin's eyes and saw into his soul, and basically found he was a good guy that Americans could do business with. Oops. The Bush-Putin relationship ended up getting pretty chilly, which is why the new U.S. president is now trying to warm things up.
Obama gets his first shot at literally looking into Putin's eyes Tuesday, when he has a sitdown with the man who is now prime minister of Russia, a post that many international analysts believe allows Putin to continue to pull the strings behind the scenes.
Obama's outreach to Medvedev started sooner, their first meeting coming back in April at the G-20 summit in London, and it's been bearing some fruit for Obama. Russia recently signed on to sanctions against North Korea, and this week both sides will officially announce that Russia has agreed to let U.S. military equipment headed for Afghanistan fly over Russian territory.
Both sides are also hoping to announce significant cuts in nuclear arms, though there are still major hurdles to clear, such as Russian suspicions about U.S. plans for a missile defense shield in Eastern Europe. In an interview with The Associated Press late last week, Obama seemed to be trying to work through the sticking points by driving a bit of a wedge between Medvedev and Putin.
"The old Cold War approaches to U.S.-Russia relations is outdated and that it's time to move forward in a different direction," said Obama. "I think Medvedev understands that. I think Putin has one foot in the old ways of doing business and one foot in the new."
Ouch. If he wants to accomplish some key goals in Moscow, such as winning Russian cooperation in dealing with Iran's nuclear program, why would Obama fire a rhetorical shot like that at Putin -- if, in fact, he's really in charge here?
It could be that Obama is trying to flex his muscles a bit for American domestic political consumption to show he's not rolling over to Russia, amid Republican charges that he's soft on foreign policy. It's a move Putin knows well, having perfected the art of flexing his muscles at then-President Bush as a way of asserting Russian nationalism in recent years.
Whatever the intention of Obama's words, the back and forth with Putin is a reminder of the high stakes here. Of course, the president's second stop in Italy for the G-8 summit will be important too, with a packed agenda including Iran, the financial crisis, climate change and eradicating world poverty. The first African-American president's third and final stop at the end of the week in Ghana will also get wide international attention.
But it's this first stop where Obama will get a big diplomatic test as he juggles, among many issues, who's really in charge here.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
In Russian Trip, Obama to Take On Power Equation
MOSCOW — The summit meeting here this week revolves around two men with some notable affinities. Presidents Obama and Dmitri A. Medvedev are relatively young leaders who represent a new generation of post-cold-war leadership, who once taught law and embrace the Internet. (Mr. Medvedev even has a video blog.)
One difference stands out, though: Mr. Obama is the undisputed head of his nation. Mr. Medvedev? Well, that is a bit more complicated, and is a significant problem for the Obama administration as it prepares for discussions on Monday.
Mr. Medvedev holds the highest office in Russia, so protocol dictates that Mr. Obama meet and negotiate nuclear arms control and other matters with him. Yet questions about Mr. Medvedev’s authority hang over the summit meeting like an awkward familial arrangement that everyone acknowledges but no one knows how to handle.
Mr. Obama himself waded into the issue on Thursday when he made a pointed remark about Prime Minister Vladimir V. Putin, who is Mr. Medvedev’s mentor and is widely assumed to be Russia’s real ruler.
Mr. Obama said that Mr. Putin, the former president, had “one foot in the old ways of doing business and one foot in the new.” Mr. Obama said that it was time to move forward and that Mr. Medvedev “understands that.”
The comment suggested that Mr. Obama was trying to build up Mr. Medvedev, who the Americans say they believe may be easier to deal with than Mr. Putin.
American officials said that Mr. Obama and Mr. Medvedev met at the Group of 8 summit meeting in London in April and that they seemed to hit it off. But the officials said they feared that Mr. Putin stood in the way.
Mr. Obama also may have been trying to protect his own domestic political flank, anticipating criticism that he is too easy on the Kremlin.
Mr. Putin, who is often quick with a retort when criticized, seemed to go out of his way on Friday not to take offense at Mr. Obama’s comment.
“We stand firmly on our feet and always look to the future,” Mr. Putin said. He said he was awaiting Mr. Obama’s visit with “very warm feelings.”
Still, the strategy of empowering Mr. Medvedev might be difficult to carry out, and it might even backfire. Mr. Medvedev might respond by emphatically moving closer to Mr. Putin to avoid the appearance of being influenced by Mr. Obama.
Well aware of those dynamics, the White House seems to be hedging its bets. So while Mr. Obama is spending several hours with Mr. Medvedev on Monday, he is scheduled to have breakfast with Mr. Putin the next day.
Speculation about where the power lies in the Putin-Medvedev tandem began as soon as Mr. Medvedev took office last year after being endorsed by Mr. Putin, who was barred by term limits from running again. But the uncertainty has taken on added urgency now that Mr. Obama has pledged to “reset” relations.
David J. Kramer, a Russian specialist who was a senior diplomat in the administration of President George W. Bush, said Mr. Obama’s remark on Thursday appeared to indicate a degree of exasperation over Mr. Putin’s continued prominence.
“You have to do business with Medvedev, and then you have to do the same business with Putin, and you may get a different answer,” Mr. Kramer said. “You can’t do one without the other. It may be a frustration, wishing that Medvedev were more powerful. But certainly the flip side of this is that Putin is not just lurking in the background, but is very much at the forefront of the summit.”
Some analysts said that searching for a schism between Mr. Medvedev and Mr. Putin was a fool’s errand, asserting that the men governed as staunch partners and that there had been no evidence that Mr. Medvedev wanted to go his own way. (Nor is it even clear that he could.)
Most agreed that, in the end, it did not matter whether Mr. Medvedev or Mr. Putin was in the room with Mr. Obama because both would hew to the same policies, whether on arms control, terrorism, Afghanistan, Iran or other topics.
“It is a bureaucratic consensus,” said Sergey M. Rogov, director of the Institute for the U.S. and Canadian Studies in Moscow. “There is an agreement on the Russian position on all key issues, and summits are not normally the stage for improvisation.”
Under Russia’s Constitution, the president controls foreign policy. But the reality can be different, as was illustrated by the recent collapse of Russia’s bid to join the World Trade Organization.
Mr. Medvedev, who has sought to portray himself as an economic reformer, pushed hard for Russia’s entry in the group. The United States and the European Union relied on the assurances of Mr. Medvedev’s aides that the bid was genuine, and the Obama administration got behind it.
But last month, Mr. Putin abruptly announced that Russia was abandoning the effort and that it would try instead to join the trade organization in conjunction with two other former Soviet republics, Belarus and Kazakhstan. American and European officials were caught off guard, and even some of Mr. Medvedev’s own aides were said to have been blindsided by Mr. Putin.
Mr. Putin’s move was interpreted as a signal that he was ultimately in charge of the most important decisions.
“Some Russians see it as a message from Putin to the American government, saying, ‘I’m the decider and I can, at any time, make a decision to overrule anything else that’s been going on in our negotiations if I’m not satisfied,’ ” said Stephen Sestanovich, a longtime Russia expert and a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.
“This is something that is going to be a game that the American side will be trying to figure out, but it will not be easy to completely understand,” Mr. Sestanovich said. “Putin knows that given Medvedev’s position, he’s the guy who deals with foreign leaders. But Putin wants to find ways of reminding everybody of who’s really in charge.”
Germany has often been a bridge between Russia and the United States in recent years, and Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government has determined that it has no choice but to work with both Mr. Putin and Mr. Medvedev, said Hans-Henning Schröder, a Russia expert at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs in Berlin.
Mr. Schröder said that after eight years as president, Mr. Putin probably did not miss having to carry out all the job’s formal duties. (Mr. Medvedev, in fact, just returned from a trip to Namibia and elsewhere in Africa.)
“Putin would mind if he were insecure, and if he did not think that he is the one really in power,” Mr. Schröder said. “You could say that now, one of them is making the decisions, and one of them is doing the ceremonies.”
Black day is being observed today against the toppling of democratically elected government in 1977.
On this day in 1977, a military dictator overthrew the government of the then prime minister Zulifqar Ali Bhutto Shaheed and imposed dictatorship on the country.
The black day is being observed on the appeal of Prime minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, who is also the vice chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party. In their messages on the day President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minsiter Yousuf Raza Gilani said that July 5 will always be remembered as one of the darkest days in the history of country.
The president said the dismantling of democratic structures that began on July 5th 1977, reminds us how one military dictator nurtured extremists for his political survival, and how another dictatorship exploited the same extremists, by running with the hare and hunting with the hound again, for perpettuating himself in power.
The President said the day calls for dismantling the destructive structures of personalized rule created by dictators by distorting the constitution. The President said in his message, it also calls for restoring power to the people, to whom it belongs.
The President said Pakistan Peoples Party which gave the nation a unanimous constitution has, in consultation with all political and democratic forces, undertaken the process of purging the nation’s basic document from all undemocratic provisions.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani in his message said the imposition of dictatorship on the country scuttled the process of progress and prosperity of the nation, under the leadership of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.He urged all stakeholders to play their role to ensure the sovereignty and the security of the country, promotion of democracy, stability of democratic institutions, supremacy of constitution and rule of the people by the people.
Taliban cash in on Pakistan’s untapped gem wealth
PESHAWAR: In the narrow lanes of a market in Pakistan's northwest capital Peshawar, dealers squat on carpets and spread out a rainbow of precious gems on the floor for potential buyers.
Chunks of bright blue lapis lazuli, and rough rocks studded with flashes of light and colour clutter window displays, but no one is buying in a city hit by a wave of deadly bombings blamed on Taliban militia.
A treasure trove of precious stones is locked in the rocks of Pakistan's rugged northwest. Violence, legal tussles and state mismanagement have deterred investors but allowed the Taliban to cash in on the bounty, dealers say.
‘God has given us enormous wealth in terms of emeralds from Swat, rubies, pink topaz, beautiful tourmaline,’ said Ilyas Ali Shah, a gemologist with the government-run Pakistan Gems and Jewellery Development Company.
Shah said that if Pakistan properly mines these deposits the impoverished country could reverse its hefty foreign debt: ‘But we need peace.’
In February this year, militants waging a bloody insurgency to expand control opened three shuttered emerald mines in the northwest Swat valley around the main town Mingora and invited villagers to blast away.
The military says it has reclaimed all Swat mines from the Taliban during a fierce offensive, but for at least three months proceeds from emerald sales lined the militants' coffers and helped bankroll their insurgency.
‘They would collect the emeralds and there would be an open tender every Sunday,’ said Azhar ul Islam, a 44-year-old gem trader from Swat. ‘The profits were divided up — two-thirds for the miner and one-third for the Taliban.’
Pakistan and neighbouring Afghanistan are believed to hold up to 30-40 per cent of the world's emerald deposits, Shah says, with the precious stone fetching up to 2,000 dollars per carat depending on quality.
Azhar told AFP the Taliban earned about four million rupees a week from Mingora's main mine — shuttered since 1995 because of a legal battle — money he said was spent on ‘buying explosives, making weapons.’
‘I was frightened what would happen if the government re-established control, so I didn't buy those emeralds from the mines, but most of my friends bought these emeralds from the Taliban,’ he said.
At the Namak Mandi market in Peshawar, another dealer from Swat who did not want to be named estimated that the militants made between five and six million rupees a week from the stones.
No one in the market would admit buying Swat emeralds from the Taliban, but one dealer said he procures green garnet from a Taliban-owned mine over the border in Afghanistan, where the militants are also waging an insurgency.
‘We don't like the Taliban, we don't buy it because we want to help them, but we want the stones,’ 30-year-old Ali Akbar told AFP.
He says his business has been crushed by spiralling insecurity in Pakistan since the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States thrust the country into the heart of the ‘war on terror’.
‘For five months I had no customers,’ he said.
Shah says Pakistan's gem-industry profits have plunged up to 50 per cent in one year because of the instability, with foreign investors staying away.
Most of the country's gems, including emeralds, garnet, pink topaz, spinel and tourmaline are located underground in North West Frontier Province (NWFP), the heartland of the Taliban insurgency.
Experts say the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) — a mountainous area largely outside government control along the Afghan border and stronghold of Pakistani Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud — hides deposits of rare quartz and precious stones.
‘I think we have explored three per cent of the whole of NWFP. We have large areas of Fata that are not under control, so we have a lot of precious material untapped which needs to be explored and exploited,’ Shah said.
Pervez Elahi Malik, former chairman of the main gem exporters' association, blames the local NWFP government for not sorting out legal tussles and getting potentially lucrative mines up and running under state control years ago.
At the moment, local villagers and tribesmen blast away at the rocks and transport their haul to Namak Mandi — a damaging mining process that experts say can destroy 80 per cent of the stones.
‘We are lacking in technical knowledge, we are lacking stability in the country,’ said Shah. ‘Our mining is not technically sound and safe — we are destroying our wealth
Gilani appeals to nation to observe July 5 as Black Day
ISLAMABAD- The Prime Minister and the Vice Chairman of the Pakistan People’s Party Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani appealed to the nation to observe July 5 (Sunday) as Black Day. Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani in a message said it was on July 5 1977 that the democratically elected government was overthrown by a military dictator.
Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani said the dictator had committed a heinous crime in the darkness of night.
The prime minister said that July 5, 1977 will always be remembered as the worst day in the history of the country.
He said the Government of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had provided confidence to the masses to face challenges with courgae and fortitude.
The people under the leadership of popularly elected Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had begun to work hard for the prosperity of the country.
They had great hopes for the future. Bhutto had raised the stature of the country in the commity of nations.
He said said in the dead of night Ziaul Haq deprived the people of all their aspirations and rights.
He imposed martial law to utter grief and shock and disbelief of the people of Pakistan.
The Prime Minister said during the regime of Ziaul Haq people were flogged and put in jails for the reason that they wanted to live in accordance with their own wishes.
He said the military dictator suspended the Constitution that had been unanimously passed in the National Assembly by all the political parties of Pakistan.
Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani said the dictator had committed a heinous crime in the darkness of night.
The prime minister said that July 5, 1977 will always be remembered as the worst day in the history of the country.
He said the Government of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had provided confidence to the masses to face challenges with courgae and fortitude.
The people under the leadership of popularly elected Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had begun to work hard for the prosperity of the country.
They had great hopes for the future. Bhutto had raised the stature of the country in the commity of nations.
He said said in the dead of night Ziaul Haq deprived the people of all their aspirations and rights.
He imposed martial law to utter grief and shock and disbelief of the people of Pakistan.
The Prime Minister said during the regime of Ziaul Haq people were flogged and put in jails for the reason that they wanted to live in accordance with their own wishes.
He said the military dictator suspended the Constitution that had been unanimously passed in the National Assembly by all the political parties of Pakistan.
Afghans Pay For an Exit
NEWYORKTIMES.COM
KABUL, Afghanistan — Through two decades of war, Abdul Ahad never contemplated leaving Afghanistan. But as his country started to deteriorate rapidly in 2007, so did his life. He was laid off from his full-time driving job and forced to take the only work he could find: a once-a-week driving gig through Taliban territory.
In the past eight months, a suicide bomb and a firefight nearly took his life. Now, Mr. Ahad, 26, has had enough. He has begun scouting potential smugglers to take him to Europe, he said, looking to join the surge of young Afghans who are abandoning their country, frustrated by endless war, a lack of prospects and the slow pace of change.
While foreign diplomats hold out hope that the August presidential elections and President Obama’s new troop deployments could change things here, Afghans are voting with their feet.
Last year about 18,000 Afghans applied for asylum in Europe, a figure nearly double the 2007 total. The spike was the highest increase for any major country in 2008, according to the United Nations. By comparison, applications from Iraqis fell 10 percent.
“People can’t find jobs here,” Mr. Ahad said. “And if you go to a place where there’s work, you’ll be killed in a week.
“I’m desperate,” he added. “It’s not a big dream. I just want to finish my studies and live normally.”
Willing to gamble on the risks, young men like him are turning over their savings — up to $25,000 in some cases — and their lives to smugglers, who arrange routes over seas to Australia or over land to Europe, where the Afghans then try to seek asylum.
Finding a smuggler is not as difficult as it might seem. In interviews in the capital, Kabul, several smugglers, all of whom requested anonymity because their work is illegal, estimated that business was up 60 percent over last year. One said he was turning away customers for the first time in his 11-year career.
“It’s out of my power to deal with the demand,” he said. “I never imagined it would get like this.”
The country’s dire situation has even prompted some privileged Afghans to leave. They include the host of “Afghan Star,” an “American Idol”-style television series, who disappeared after a documentary based on the show won two awards at the Sundance Film Festival; as well as a media officer who worked for President Hamid Karzai and deserted his delegation during an official visit to the United States in September.
Just a few years ago optimism abounded here, as the American-led invasion seemed to have ousted the Taliban, and wooed more than 3.5 million Afghan refugees back home while setting off a series of promising reconstruction projects.
But since 2006, waves of Afghans have fled the Taliban resurgence, endemic corruption and the government’s inability to provide basic services like electricity. They are turning up in perilous waters near Australia, in Turkish prisons, at Rome’s main railway station and in Le Petit Kabul in Paris, or Little Kabul.
In Calais, France, an immigration detention complex dubbed the Jungle is keeping about 600 Afghans in conditions that are “very, very bad compared to two years ago,” said Jean-Philippe Chauzy of the International Organization for Migration, an intergovernmental agency based in Geneva, who visited the camp in May. French officials have vowed to close the center by the end of 2009.
Migration officials and recent deportees said many other Afghans abroad just disappear, are sexually exploited by truck drivers or are forced into labor. Applications for asylum often fail, too.
“It’s death or destination,” said Shuja Halimi, who expressed no regrets after he was deported back to Afghanistan from the United Kingdom, after a two-month journey across 12 countries, including Bulgaria, where he says he eluded gunfire at the border.
He said living conditions in Europe were awful “but not as bad as Afghanistan.” Now in Kabul, Mr. Halimi, who has three children, has not found a job.
“We’ve got a president called Hamid Karzai who has done nothing for Afghan people,” he said, echoing the sentiment of many young Afghans.
On a recent day at the Kabul airport, 30 young deportees from England returned home for the first time in several years. Equipped with only a plaid canvas bag, Akbar Khan, 20, vowed to try again. “We’ll try to go back in about a month after we save some money,” he said.
In an attempt to curb the migration, the International Organization for Migration ran a media campaign here warning against the hazards of smuggling. The Italian government, which noted a 202 percent rise in Afghan asylum applications last year, financed the initiative.
Pakistan and other neighboring countries historically offered Afghans refuge during crises like the Soviet occupation. But today Pakistan faces an internal refugee crisis of its own. Iran, too, is cracking down, now deeming the Afghans economic migrants rather than victims of war and deporting about 700,000 last year.
As other avenues close, Afghans are now engaged in “what has become an intercontinental migration,” said Mr. Chauzy of the International Office of Migration.
The most common route out for Afghans, then, is by road — from Iran via Turkey to Greece — and costs around $16,000, the smugglers said. They said that for about $25,000, they could guarantee an air journey eased by forged documents or prepaid bribes to immigration officials.
Once in Europe, Afghans apply for asylum most often in the United Kingdom, Turkey, Greece and Italy. Scandinavian countries and Switzerland receive far fewer applicants but accept a significantly higher rate of Afghans, according to data from the European Commission.
Migration experts say the widening and tight-knit Afghan diaspora in Europe has encouraged the trend, anchoring new arrivals and providing increasingly sophisticated advice on the asylum process.
European officials trying to curb illegal migration have broken up several high-profile smuggling operations recently. In June, British officials convicted an Afghan man calling himself “the smuggler of Europe,” who claimed his multimillion-dollar operation served thousands of young men, according to phone conversations recorded by authorities. Some men were forced to work at a chain of pizza restaurants to pay off their debt.
But officials in Afghanistan have been slower to crack down on smugglers. One smuggler chuckled when asked if he feared being arrested, saying his business operated much like a travel agency, and almost as openly.
“In this government, three things work very well: relations, money and acquaintances,” the smuggler said. “When these three exist, anyone can get what they want.”
Noor Haidiri, an adviser to the Minister of Refugees, placed some of the blame on Afghanistan’s regional neighbors. Many Afghans, he said, leave legally and hire smugglers in Iran or Dubai. As for the networks that exist here, he said, “only five years ago we had our first elected government, and it goes slowly.”
But many Afghan youths feel that, given the danger in the country, legality is a secondary concern.
“I love this country, but it’s totally going in the wrong direction,” said a teary-eyed 26-year-old man, who did not want to give his name because he was planning to leave. “I want to live like a normal person: wake up, go to work, and be with a wife — or a girlfriend, preferably.”
President Barack Obama's Russian Visit
Mission impossible? Not for these two.
Hopes are high for the upcoming summit between presidents Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev, to take place in Moscow on July 6-8. At the very least, the world expects to find out what “resetting relations” will mean. For all their differences, both leaders are counting on a productive dialogue.
Last week President Dmitry Medvedev announced that Russia was prepared to make deep cuts in its arsenal of strategic offensive weapons. Many commentators in the West took his statement to mean that the Kremlin was ready to make significant concessions to the United States in a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (Start).
But Medvedev’s statement contained nothing about concessions. He spoke of compromises since any agreement is always a compromise. The main thing is that there can be no radical cuts “by several times” in strategic weapons without taking into account US positions on its “third position area” (that is, its plans to build a missile shield in Eastern Europe).
President Medvedev’s words mean, in my view, only one thing. Russia is not planning to participate in an arms race, it is ready to make further cuts in strategic offensive weapons, but on a basis of compromise with the United States. This compromise must include Washington’s legally binding rejection of a third position area in Poland and the Czech Republic.
As for concerns about Iran’s missile preparations, these can be allayed with the help of Russian radar stations in Armavir, southern Russia, or in Gabal, Azerbaijan. One could use one station or the other, or both. One might also call on the Centre for the Exchange of Strategic Information, whose opening has already been delayed a decade. The main thing in Start is predictability, control and trust. Without these any treaty will be ineffectual.
A joint statement by the leaders on nuclear security is also being prepared for the summit. Experts are also talking with confidence of a new Russian-American agreement on transit for military supplies to Afghanistan. This was mentioned in hearings in the US Congress by Philip Gordon, new Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasian Affairs.
Gordon also emphasised that Washington “has no intention of renouncing its principles” and “does not recognise any privileged sphere of influence for Russia in Europe”. Neither is it prepared to “pay any price for a successful summit or for better relations with Russia” – in particular at the expense of Tbilisi.
There is nothing new in any of this for Russia. Washington is free to choose whatever aims and priorities it likes. But it must remember that Moscow uses exactly the same yardstick: matching Russia’s long-term interests.
On the other hand, the opportunities for partnership are virtually limitless. The main areas should be captured in the new Russian-US “action plan” for the foreseeable future. The adoption of this working document may be announced publicly, although according to tradition the document itself is not published.
Implementation of the plan will apparently be the responsibility of a new Russian-US intergovernmental commission – possibly under the personal patronage of the two presidents. In general this would be logical, bearing in mind that the industry-specific areas would need to be supervised by the relevant ministers.
Also, the authority of a presidential commission would not be comparable with that of a ministerial one. But for the time being these are just proposals. People in the know prefer to talk about making the bilateral dialogue, at best, “more systematic”.
It is important for Obama to succeed as he takes essentially his first independent steps in foreign policy. In preparing for the visit, the Americans have apparently, said one diplomat, stressed the importance of “getting the agreements documented”. In the past getting George W Bush, the lover of “gentlemen’s agreements”, to sign legally binding documents was like getting blood out of a stone.
On the other hand, such a “change of roles” is probably also a test for Russian diplomacy. How much are they prepared for a situation in which the key partner, in its own way, perhaps, and in line with its own interests, nevertheless comes across as particularly compliant? Will they realise that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush?
Israeli PM talks two-state principle
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday paid lip service for probably the first time in public to the term of "two states for two peoples" regarding the historical peace process with the Palestinians.
"For the first time we have reached a national agreement on the two states for two peoples concept," local news service Ynet quoted Netanyahu as saying at the start of Sunday's cabinet meeting, while noting that the traditionally hawkish premier refrained in the past from mentioning the term on public occasions.
"The Palestinians will have to recognize the State of Israel as the state of the Jewish people, and the refugee problem will be solved outside Israel," he said. "Israel needs and will receive defensible borders, including a complete demilitarization of the Palestinian territory."
Such demands mirrored those Netanyahu raised in a major diplomatic policy speech last month, during which he offered tentative endorsement of the establishment of a demilitarized Palestinian state alongside Israel, while stopping short of any reference to the exact phrase.
The two-state principle envisions a peaceful coexistence of Israel and a Palestinian state side by side, and has garnered extensive support from the international community. Recent opinion polls showed that a majority of Israelis support such a solution to the decades-old conflict.
Vietnamese Communist Party closes major meeting
The Communist Party of Vietnam's (CPV) 10th Central Committee closed the 10th plenum on Saturday in Hanoi, the Vietnamese government website reported.
Nong Duc Manh, General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee delivered a speech at the close of the week-long meeting.
Manh said during the years of implementing Vietnam's socio- economic development strategy for 2001-2010, Vietnam has made full use of opportunities, overcome many difficulties and made significant achievements.
Manh said Vietnam drew out many lessons during this period and the most vital one was to place importance on the sustainability of development.
The Party chief underlined the overall target of the new socio- economic development strategy for 2011-2020. Vietnam should continue speeding up industrialization, modernization and sustainable development in order to become a modern industrial country by 2020.
Manh said that the Political Bureau of the CPV Central Committee would give instructions on organizing the 11th Party Congress, slated for 2011.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
US marines face a 'hell of a fight' in Helmand surge
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After meeting little resistance in the first day of Operation Khanjar, or 'sword strike', he said units south of Garmsir were involved in heavy fighting.
American marines lost a single soldier during the first 24 hours of the 4,000-strong assault on the Taliban heartlands of southern Helmand province.
The operation is the first big push of President Barack Obama's surge strategy which has seen 21,000 reinforcements ordered to the country this year.
Brigadier General Larry Nicholson, commander of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, said on Friday the 2/8 infantry battalion was meeting resistance at Toshtay, 16 miles south of Garmsir.
He said: "For 2/8, there is a hell of a fight going on in the southern quarter of the sector. 2/8 are going to face some challenges.
"An enemy-controlled baseline just south of Garmsir was crushed yesterday but that doesn't mean all the enemy have gone.
"In the next few days the enemy will observe us to see what we are doing. Then they will come back with a vengeance."
He added: "Nawa is quiet, too quiet. Something is eerie. The enemy has gone to ground, shuras [councils of elders] are being set up."
The American marine offensive entered its second day as British troops north of the provincial capital Lashkar Gah began a third wave of their own Operation Panchai Palang or Panther's Claw.
Around 800 Light Dragoons drove north after the Welsh Guards spent ten days capturing 13 crossings along the Shamalan canal a British military statement said.
On Friday it was announced Lt Col Rupert Thorneloe, the first British commanding officer to die in combat since the Falklands, had been killed by a roadside bomb during the operation.
The British said they hoped to allow free movement for next month's presidential elections by securing the road between Lashkar Gah and Gereshk.
American marines were ferried into Garmsir and Nawa districts by a fleet of dozens of helicopters and armoured convoys in the early hours of Thursday morning.
Khan Neshin, further south where Islamist militants were said to have set up a shadow government, was overrun later in the day.
A Taliban website, which in the past has exaggerated and fabricated coalition casualties, said 15 foreign and Afghan soldiers died on the first day of the assault.
A statement said: "In every locality they faced bloody attacks by the Mujahideen, as a result of which the enemy suffered heavy casualties.
It continued: "As a result, so far 15 foreign and internal enemy soldiers have lost their lives in the fighting." After an aggressive 36-hour opening phase, the operation was predicted to slow as American marines attempted to win local 'hearts and minds'.
First Lieutenant Kurt Stahl, a spokesman for the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, said: "When Marines go out into towns, they are always looking for opportunities to talk to village elders and explain why they are here."
"The intention is to understand each other, elders can express their concerns and an open flow of communication is secured."
Russia to warn Obama on Georgia
Russia will seek assurances from President Barack Obama tomorrow that Washington will cease pressing for the former Soviet states of Georgia and Ukraine to join Nato — a policy that was aggressively pursued by George W Bush.
On his first visit to Russia as president, Obama is due to hold nine hours of talks with President Dmitry Medvedev and share a breakfast with prime minister Vladimir Putin. Russian sources say both men will warn him about a risk of repeating last year’s war in Georgia.
Russia strongly opposes Georgia and Ukraine joining Nato as this would extend the alliance’s reach to its borders. Obama is said to be less enthusiastic than Bush about putting pressure on them to join. Russian military analysts say that in return, Moscow could make concessions over Iran, such as banning future arms sales to the Islamic republic and agreeing more robust UN sanctions to help curb its nuclear programme.
Russia has signalled its readiness to open supply routes for American forces fighting in Afghanistan. The deal could be signed this week and would see up to 10 flights a day crossing Russia, so boosting the war against the Taliban. Both sides are keen for the meetings to “reset” relations between their countries — at their lowest ebb since the end of the cold war, in the wake of the Georgia conflict.
In an apparent effort to shore up Medvedev’s liberal credentials, Obama chided Putin for his cold-war attitude to the US, and contrasted that with his administration’s “very good relationship” with Medvedev over such issues as nuclear weapons.
Russia and the US have already agreed in principle to reduce their nuclear warheads from 5,000 to 1,500 each.
Obama is facing tough negotiations, however. The Kremlin wants the US to scrap its missile defence shield in Europe and sees this priority project of the previous US administration as being directed against Russia. Washington argues that the shield is vital to protect America and Europe against any nuclear threat from Iran.
Moscow seeks to link an arms reduction treaty to a pledge to scrap plans for the shield, but Obama is unlikely to make any such concession.
“Talk about resetting US-Russian relations is hype,” said a former British ambassador to Moscow.
On his first visit to Russia as president, Obama is due to hold nine hours of talks with President Dmitry Medvedev and share a breakfast with prime minister Vladimir Putin. Russian sources say both men will warn him about a risk of repeating last year’s war in Georgia.
Russia strongly opposes Georgia and Ukraine joining Nato as this would extend the alliance’s reach to its borders. Obama is said to be less enthusiastic than Bush about putting pressure on them to join. Russian military analysts say that in return, Moscow could make concessions over Iran, such as banning future arms sales to the Islamic republic and agreeing more robust UN sanctions to help curb its nuclear programme.
Russia has signalled its readiness to open supply routes for American forces fighting in Afghanistan. The deal could be signed this week and would see up to 10 flights a day crossing Russia, so boosting the war against the Taliban. Both sides are keen for the meetings to “reset” relations between their countries — at their lowest ebb since the end of the cold war, in the wake of the Georgia conflict.
In an apparent effort to shore up Medvedev’s liberal credentials, Obama chided Putin for his cold-war attitude to the US, and contrasted that with his administration’s “very good relationship” with Medvedev over such issues as nuclear weapons.
Russia and the US have already agreed in principle to reduce their nuclear warheads from 5,000 to 1,500 each.
Obama is facing tough negotiations, however. The Kremlin wants the US to scrap its missile defence shield in Europe and sees this priority project of the previous US administration as being directed against Russia. Washington argues that the shield is vital to protect America and Europe against any nuclear threat from Iran.
Moscow seeks to link an arms reduction treaty to a pledge to scrap plans for the shield, but Obama is unlikely to make any such concession.
“Talk about resetting US-Russian relations is hype,” said a former British ambassador to Moscow.
Ahmadinejad says he wants public talks with Obama
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said he wants to engage President Obama in "negotiations" before international media, a semi-official Iranian news outlet reported on Saturday.
Speaking at a meeting of medical school deans, Ahmadinejad said Iran "will soon pursue a new round of diplomatic activity" amid a new position of strength for the Iranian government, the Iranian Student News Agency quotes him as saying.
"I will go to the United Nations and will invite Obama to negotiations," Ahmadinejad said, adding that such talks would be "in front of the international media, not a sit-down behind closed doors in order to talk about matters."
The Obama administration has sought dialogue with Iran but also criticized the government for its handling of unrest after disputed presidential elections.
Last week, Obama said Iran's government must justify itself not in the eyes of the United States, but in the opinion of its own people.
"A sizable percentage of the Iranian people themselves ... consider this election illegitimate," he said at a White House news conference. "It is not too late for the Iranian government to recognize that there is a peaceful path that will lead to stability and prosperity."
Initially, Obama was criticized by Republicans such as Sen. John McCain of Arizona and Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina for taking a "timid and passive" tone in speaking out against the growing wave of arrests, violence and deaths of pro-democracy activists.
Ahmadinejad said he wants others to stop "meddling" in the internal affairs of Iran.
Iranian officials, including Ahmadinejad, claimed nations such as the United States and Britain have meddled in Iranian affairs. Last week, Ahmadinejad said officials were "astonished" over what they called meddling and warned of repercussions if meddling continues.
"Didn't he [Obama] say that he was after change?" Ahmadinejad asked Iranian judiciary officials in a speech last week. "Why did he interfere? Why did he utter remarks irrespective of norms and decorum?"
"They keep saying that they want to hold talks with Iran," Ahmadinejad said. "All right, we have expressed our readiness as well. But is this the correct way [for holding talks]?"
Meanwhile, two major political figures have been meeting family members of those detained amid post-election unrest.
One was former President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani -- chief of the Expediency Council and supporter of opposition leader Mir Hussein Moussavi, according to the semi-official Iranian Labor News Agency.
The other was Mehdi Karrubi, one of the opposition candidates, who reportedly paid visits to families of political detainees, according to the Etemad-e-Melli, Karrubi's newspaper.
Meanwhile, the semi-official Fars News Agency reported that 20 people between the ages of 35 to 48 were executed in Iran on Saturday for "buying, selling and holding heroin, cocaine and opium."
Clearing Waziristan of militants: Kayani briefs Zardari and Gilani about strategy
ISLAMABAD :Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani called on President Asif Ali Zardari at the Presidency, and discussed the ongoing military operation, with particular reference to the recent offensive launched in the South Waziristan against the militants, led by Baitullah Mehsud.
This is the second meeting of its kind among the top brass within less than a week amid an impression that the authorities are seriously planning to flush out the militants, led by Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Baituallah Mehsud, of South Waziristan where the forces are facing tough resistance. Sources said that the authorities at the meeting agreed to use all the available resources to defeat the hard-liners with effective counter-insurgency strategy.
The sources said that the COAS briefed the President and the Prime Minister about the military strategy to handle the challenge, saying arm forces were fully determined to flush out the militants of the soil under an effective strategy. The President and the Prime Minister said that entire nation was with the armed forces and proud of the sacrifices rendered by them for the sake of national sovereignty and stability.
Taliban stronghold in Orakzai shelled
KOHAT: Twenty-six militants were killed when jets shelled headquarters of the Tehrik-i-Taliban in Orakzai Agency on Saturday afternoon.
The jets targeted camps and strongholds of commander Tariq Afridi of Darra Adamkhel and commander Nazar of Khyber Agency in Sam Ghar area, where a military helicopter crashed on Friday, killing 41 personnel and crew.
Military personnel started retrieving the bodies from the scene on Saturday.
Helicopter gunships shelled suspected hideouts of militants to protect the troops engaged in rescue activities.
However, the wreckage of the helicopter is still lying scattered all over the area as the political administration could not send its staff to negotiate with the Taliban to recover it.
Sources said the area where the incident took place was a ‘danger zone’ and under complete control of the Taliban.
‘They (Taliban) train suicide bombers in government buildings in the area. Militants are heavily armed and the administration did not allow the Levies or Khasadar personnel to go near the place for security reasons,’ they added.
However, top military officials and the political administration were working to recover the wreckage and launch an inquiry into the incident.
Local people told officials collecting evidence that the MI-17 helicopter had caught fire before crashing into the ground along the border between Orakzai Agency and Khyber Agency.
Meanwhile, Khasadars belonging to 11 of 12 tribes of upper Orakzai have ignored a warning given to them by Tehrik-i-Taliban to resign from jobs and continued to attend their duty at various places.
However, khasadars of Mamozai tribe have packed up their belongings and left offices and barracks in the region.
Decision to arm civilians withdrawn
PESHAWAR: The Frontier government has withdrawn its decision to distribute arms among general public and decided to give it to the proposed special police force being raised in conflict-hit areas of the Malakand region.
The decision was taken at a recent cabinet meeting of the provincial government, putting an end to severe criticism attracted from different segments over arming of civilians to help improve the security situation in the province, an official told Dawn.
As per the cabinet’s decision, orders for distribution of arms among the general public were withdrawn.
A task force headed by the NWFP chief secretary and with provincial police officer, home secretary and ministers for information and health as its members was also constituted to work out modalities for distribution of such arms.
The provincial government had earlier decided to hand over old arms available with police to proposed village committees to augment the capacity of police in watch and guard duties at the local level.
However, this decision drew criticism from different quarters, compelling the coalition setup to review it.
The task force, the official said, at its meeting last week decided that such rifles of 7.62 bore would only be given to the special police force of 6,725 personnel to be raised in the conflict-hit areas in line with the Police Order, 2002.
Article 29 of the Police Order authorises head of district police to recruit ‘special police officers’ for special purposes or occasions when personnel available to him are not sufficient to assist police under his command.
Every police official enrolled in the special force will receive a certificate and will have the same powers and immunities, be liable to the same duties and responsibilities and be subject to the same authorities as a regular police.
The task force had also decided that such Chinese-made single shot rifles of 7.62 bore would be modified, as it had already been successfully experimented.
The magazine of the modified rifles will be bearing up to 30 bullets and the rifle will be semi-automatic.
As per the task force decision, the official said, each weapon would be carrying 50 bullets with two magazines of 25 bullets, adding that the cost to be incurred on the modification of 6,725 rifles would be worked out after negotiating with the armoury concerned in Peshawar.
The provincial police officer has been authorised to distribute the rifles to the proposed special police force with a condition that an undertaken will be taken from the inductees of such force.
A summary was being sent to the chief minister for seeking his permission for modification of such rifles and the amount to be incurred on it in line with the task force decision, the official added.
The decision was taken at a recent cabinet meeting of the provincial government, putting an end to severe criticism attracted from different segments over arming of civilians to help improve the security situation in the province, an official told Dawn.
As per the cabinet’s decision, orders for distribution of arms among the general public were withdrawn.
A task force headed by the NWFP chief secretary and with provincial police officer, home secretary and ministers for information and health as its members was also constituted to work out modalities for distribution of such arms.
The provincial government had earlier decided to hand over old arms available with police to proposed village committees to augment the capacity of police in watch and guard duties at the local level.
However, this decision drew criticism from different quarters, compelling the coalition setup to review it.
The task force, the official said, at its meeting last week decided that such rifles of 7.62 bore would only be given to the special police force of 6,725 personnel to be raised in the conflict-hit areas in line with the Police Order, 2002.
Article 29 of the Police Order authorises head of district police to recruit ‘special police officers’ for special purposes or occasions when personnel available to him are not sufficient to assist police under his command.
Every police official enrolled in the special force will receive a certificate and will have the same powers and immunities, be liable to the same duties and responsibilities and be subject to the same authorities as a regular police.
The task force had also decided that such Chinese-made single shot rifles of 7.62 bore would be modified, as it had already been successfully experimented.
The magazine of the modified rifles will be bearing up to 30 bullets and the rifle will be semi-automatic.
As per the task force decision, the official said, each weapon would be carrying 50 bullets with two magazines of 25 bullets, adding that the cost to be incurred on the modification of 6,725 rifles would be worked out after negotiating with the armoury concerned in Peshawar.
The provincial police officer has been authorised to distribute the rifles to the proposed special police force with a condition that an undertaken will be taken from the inductees of such force.
A summary was being sent to the chief minister for seeking his permission for modification of such rifles and the amount to be incurred on it in line with the task force decision, the official added.
Michelle Obama bringing glamour to Moscow
MOSCOW (AP) — Michelle Obama brings her superstar glamour to Moscow this weekend as she accompanies her husband on his summit with the Russian president.
But the American first lady, who has wowed publics in the U.S. and Europe with her easy elegance and charm, will perhaps face a bigger challenge in winning over a Russian public that has scant respect for women who grab the limelight from their powerful husbands.
In a country where a presidential candidate once quipped he'd sooner pack his wife off to a convent than allow her to dabble in politics, Russia still has trouble with the concept of an empowered woman behind the throne.
"The institution of first lady in Russia is still quite young," said Alyona Doletskaya, editor of Russian Vogue and doyenne of the Moscow fashion scene. "So there are no huge expectations on the part of Russian public."
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's wife Svetlana is pious and discreet and met her husband while she was a schoolgirl. She supports charity and the arts, but has assumed no independent voice on issues facing the country. She dresses conservatively, lacking the edgy fashion sense that has attracted a nationwide following for Michelle Obama.
Russia has known one iconic first lady in modern times: Raisa Gorbachev, wife of the last Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who was much loved around the world for breaking with tradition by appearing regularly in public with her husband, embracing high fashion and firing off wisecracks during official foreign trips.
But she earned little affection for her boldness in Russia, where she was seen as strong-willed and ambitious.
Far from shrugging off the old constraints when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, Boris Yeltsin's wife Naina assumed a lower profile behind her husband, achieving popularity by declaring indifference to politics and saying she would sooner see Yeltsin retire.
As for Vladimir Putin's wife, Lyudmilla, she only occasionally appeared in the company of her husband — fueling widespread reports the two were estranged.
In the United States, first ladies are accustomed to coming under the media spotlight — and Michelle Obama seems to revel in it.
On a recent trip to Paris, she impressed the fashion-conscious French with her chic designer outfits standing side-by-side with the country's former supermodel First Lady Carla Bruni. In Britain, she famously breached palace protocol by putting her arm around Queen Elizabeth II.
And she does not hesitate to speak her mind on a range of important social issues, such as health and education.
Many Russians, traditionally conservative, look askance at such assertiveness.
"A wife should be sitting at home, creating comfort and cooking food," said Zoya Getmanova, a female pensioner living in Moscow. "She could express her opinions over the dinner table, but she shouldn't meddle in politics."
Perhaps in deference to Russia's uneasiness about a political wife with popular support of her own, U.S. White House officials have suggested Michelle Obama will avoid the limelight during the visit.
Svetlana Medvedeva, meanwhile, has flitted between the shadows and the spotlight. She is liked by younger Russians, who follow her appearances at celebrity bashes and her frequent outings — hand in hand — with her husband.
She has acquired a reputation as a tenacious networker who helped restart her husband's career in the mid 1990s, and is said to play an influential role in his career behind the scenes. Trained as an economist, she gave up her own job to look after the couple's only child, born in 1996.
Despite all that, Svetlana barely breaks the mold crafted by so many first ladies in Russia before her.
She largely confines her public observations to carefully rehearsed speeches; she provides sympathetic interviewers with bland comments on womanhood. She dresses conservatively in tailored, pastel-colored outfits.
Michelle Obama's fashion sense attracts comparisons with Jacqueline Kennedy, and there is a Web site entirely dedicated to what she wears.
Vogue's Doletskaya is cagey about passing judgment on Svetlana's style, saying simply that she is "very representative of Russian femininity."
But when questioned about the U.S. first lady, Doletskaya becomes lively. She describes Michelle's style as "very fresh," as someone who mixes boldly "but in a very refined way."
There is a recognition that Svetlana has a difficult role to play — managing the expectations of both a conservative older generation and ambitious, career-minded younger women who would like her to step up.
"It's not easy" to be a first lady, said Oksana Fyodorova, Miss Universe 2002. "But I think she (Svetlana) will succeed. And then we'll see who is better — Michelle or our Svetlana."
But the American first lady, who has wowed publics in the U.S. and Europe with her easy elegance and charm, will perhaps face a bigger challenge in winning over a Russian public that has scant respect for women who grab the limelight from their powerful husbands.
In a country where a presidential candidate once quipped he'd sooner pack his wife off to a convent than allow her to dabble in politics, Russia still has trouble with the concept of an empowered woman behind the throne.
"The institution of first lady in Russia is still quite young," said Alyona Doletskaya, editor of Russian Vogue and doyenne of the Moscow fashion scene. "So there are no huge expectations on the part of Russian public."
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's wife Svetlana is pious and discreet and met her husband while she was a schoolgirl. She supports charity and the arts, but has assumed no independent voice on issues facing the country. She dresses conservatively, lacking the edgy fashion sense that has attracted a nationwide following for Michelle Obama.
Russia has known one iconic first lady in modern times: Raisa Gorbachev, wife of the last Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who was much loved around the world for breaking with tradition by appearing regularly in public with her husband, embracing high fashion and firing off wisecracks during official foreign trips.
But she earned little affection for her boldness in Russia, where she was seen as strong-willed and ambitious.
Far from shrugging off the old constraints when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, Boris Yeltsin's wife Naina assumed a lower profile behind her husband, achieving popularity by declaring indifference to politics and saying she would sooner see Yeltsin retire.
As for Vladimir Putin's wife, Lyudmilla, she only occasionally appeared in the company of her husband — fueling widespread reports the two were estranged.
In the United States, first ladies are accustomed to coming under the media spotlight — and Michelle Obama seems to revel in it.
On a recent trip to Paris, she impressed the fashion-conscious French with her chic designer outfits standing side-by-side with the country's former supermodel First Lady Carla Bruni. In Britain, she famously breached palace protocol by putting her arm around Queen Elizabeth II.
And she does not hesitate to speak her mind on a range of important social issues, such as health and education.
Many Russians, traditionally conservative, look askance at such assertiveness.
"A wife should be sitting at home, creating comfort and cooking food," said Zoya Getmanova, a female pensioner living in Moscow. "She could express her opinions over the dinner table, but she shouldn't meddle in politics."
Perhaps in deference to Russia's uneasiness about a political wife with popular support of her own, U.S. White House officials have suggested Michelle Obama will avoid the limelight during the visit.
Svetlana Medvedeva, meanwhile, has flitted between the shadows and the spotlight. She is liked by younger Russians, who follow her appearances at celebrity bashes and her frequent outings — hand in hand — with her husband.
She has acquired a reputation as a tenacious networker who helped restart her husband's career in the mid 1990s, and is said to play an influential role in his career behind the scenes. Trained as an economist, she gave up her own job to look after the couple's only child, born in 1996.
Despite all that, Svetlana barely breaks the mold crafted by so many first ladies in Russia before her.
She largely confines her public observations to carefully rehearsed speeches; she provides sympathetic interviewers with bland comments on womanhood. She dresses conservatively in tailored, pastel-colored outfits.
Michelle Obama's fashion sense attracts comparisons with Jacqueline Kennedy, and there is a Web site entirely dedicated to what she wears.
Vogue's Doletskaya is cagey about passing judgment on Svetlana's style, saying simply that she is "very representative of Russian femininity."
But when questioned about the U.S. first lady, Doletskaya becomes lively. She describes Michelle's style as "very fresh," as someone who mixes boldly "but in a very refined way."
There is a recognition that Svetlana has a difficult role to play — managing the expectations of both a conservative older generation and ambitious, career-minded younger women who would like her to step up.
"It's not easy" to be a first lady, said Oksana Fyodorova, Miss Universe 2002. "But I think she (Svetlana) will succeed. And then we'll see who is better — Michelle or our Svetlana."
Search drive launched in Peshawar, Lakki
PESHAWAR: Major search operations were launched in Peshawar’s posh Hayatabad and Shah Hasankhel area of district Lakki Marwat on Saturday.
Two suspects were arrested as a major search and data-collection operation was launched Saturday in the posh Hayatabad locality to clear the township of militants and Afghans residing illegally.
Around 300 cops are participating in the major operation that was launched in Phase-I, Phase-VI and Phase-VII. The action is likely to be extended to other parts of the posh township, sharing miles long boundary with the tribal Khyber Agency.
“Police are checking the areas close to the tribal Khyber Agency to verify the identity of the non-permanent residents. The watchmen are also being verified so that the criminals and militants could not be provided any cover in the locality,” senior superintendent of police (SSP) Coordination, Qazi Jamilur Rahman, told The News.
The step has been taken after deterioration in the law and order situation and spread of militants to Hayatabad and other urban localities. A number of criminal gangs and militant outfits have reportedly rented houses in Hayatabad and other colonies where they are living without any fear.
With two union councils spread over a vast area, Hayatabad hosts thousands of people from across the NWFP, Fata and other parts of the country. Besides, thousands of Afghan families have also rented houses in the locality despite having no proper documents.
A search operation was also launched in the cantonment area where thousands of people are living in rented rooms in buildings, constructed for hosting bachelors.
Police have strictly directed the property dealers of the city not to rent out any house to strangers without proper verification. The dealers were warned of action in case someone committed crime in these rented buildings.
Also, the rent-a-car dealers have been ordered to give their vehicles only to those who they know or who have proper guarantees. There were reports that apart from using lifted cars; most of the terrorists and criminals get vehicles from the rent-a-car dealers.
Our correspondent from Lakki Marwat adds: Security forces launched a search operation in Shah Hasankhel area, believed to be a stronghold of the local militants, in the early hours of Saturday.
Troops, accompanied by heavy contingent of police, made an advancement from their base camps towards Shah Hasankhel village situated in the bed of mountainous region at a distance of 20-25 kilometres in the south of Lakki city,” sources said. They said the soldiers, backed by artillery and excavators, started moving towards the area in the morning.
The administration had got the shops and markets closed on both sides of Lakki-Mianwali Road the whole day for security measures and to clear the road for passing of army vehicles taking part in the search operation.
The link roads leading to Shah Hasankhel and other villages and hamlets were completely sealed and residents of the surrounding villages directed to stay indoors.
The sources said the troops surrounded Shah Hasankhel village and pounded the hideouts of militants with mortar shells.
“Several hideouts used by the militants were destroyed as a result of artillery shelling,” the sources said, adding that security forces also demolished at least four houses and a ‘so-called’ seminary of militants in the village with the help of excavators. “Militants would use the seminary as a place of shelter and to chalk out plans for carrying out subversive acts in the district,” the sources said.
“Security forces are targeting the hideouts of militants with mortar shells,” a villager from Zangikhel said. “We can hear the sound of artillery
firing,” he said, adding that the villagers had been confined
to their homes due the search operation.
Two suspects were arrested as a major search and data-collection operation was launched Saturday in the posh Hayatabad locality to clear the township of militants and Afghans residing illegally.
Around 300 cops are participating in the major operation that was launched in Phase-I, Phase-VI and Phase-VII. The action is likely to be extended to other parts of the posh township, sharing miles long boundary with the tribal Khyber Agency.
“Police are checking the areas close to the tribal Khyber Agency to verify the identity of the non-permanent residents. The watchmen are also being verified so that the criminals and militants could not be provided any cover in the locality,” senior superintendent of police (SSP) Coordination, Qazi Jamilur Rahman, told The News.
The step has been taken after deterioration in the law and order situation and spread of militants to Hayatabad and other urban localities. A number of criminal gangs and militant outfits have reportedly rented houses in Hayatabad and other colonies where they are living without any fear.
With two union councils spread over a vast area, Hayatabad hosts thousands of people from across the NWFP, Fata and other parts of the country. Besides, thousands of Afghan families have also rented houses in the locality despite having no proper documents.
A search operation was also launched in the cantonment area where thousands of people are living in rented rooms in buildings, constructed for hosting bachelors.
Police have strictly directed the property dealers of the city not to rent out any house to strangers without proper verification. The dealers were warned of action in case someone committed crime in these rented buildings.
Also, the rent-a-car dealers have been ordered to give their vehicles only to those who they know or who have proper guarantees. There were reports that apart from using lifted cars; most of the terrorists and criminals get vehicles from the rent-a-car dealers.
Our correspondent from Lakki Marwat adds: Security forces launched a search operation in Shah Hasankhel area, believed to be a stronghold of the local militants, in the early hours of Saturday.
Troops, accompanied by heavy contingent of police, made an advancement from their base camps towards Shah Hasankhel village situated in the bed of mountainous region at a distance of 20-25 kilometres in the south of Lakki city,” sources said. They said the soldiers, backed by artillery and excavators, started moving towards the area in the morning.
The administration had got the shops and markets closed on both sides of Lakki-Mianwali Road the whole day for security measures and to clear the road for passing of army vehicles taking part in the search operation.
The link roads leading to Shah Hasankhel and other villages and hamlets were completely sealed and residents of the surrounding villages directed to stay indoors.
The sources said the troops surrounded Shah Hasankhel village and pounded the hideouts of militants with mortar shells.
“Several hideouts used by the militants were destroyed as a result of artillery shelling,” the sources said, adding that security forces also demolished at least four houses and a ‘so-called’ seminary of militants in the village with the help of excavators. “Militants would use the seminary as a place of shelter and to chalk out plans for carrying out subversive acts in the district,” the sources said.
“Security forces are targeting the hideouts of militants with mortar shells,” a villager from Zangikhel said. “We can hear the sound of artillery
firing,” he said, adding that the villagers had been confined
to their homes due the search operation.
Pakistani army kills 11 terrorists, arrests 24
During the last 24 hours, one Pakistani security soldier was injured while 11 terrorists were killed and 24 others apprehended along with a lot of arms, ammunition and equipment from northwestern Swat and Dir districts, the Pakistani army said in a press release Friday.
In Swat, one soldier was injured when security forces conducted a search operation in areas around Rangeela and Dadhra. During an operation at Gokdara and Tandodag areas, two terrorists were killed in exchange of fire.
The army said security forces conducted a search operation near Shah Daheri area, during exchange of fire with terrorists 10 terrorists were killed and 20 more injured.
In neighboring Dir, during exchange of fire with terrorists four persons (Lashkar) died and two were injured, while 4 terrorists were apprehended and Commander Naeem Ullah was killed.
As to the relief, the army said rations were distributed to 600 off-camp families of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Nowshera district. The army has donated 1,790 tons of rations for distribution amongst the IDPs of nearby Malakand Division.
Meanwhile, the World Food Program has started its operation in Bajaur from June 30. The WFP is setting up its food Hub at Buner, which will start functioning by July 4. It will deliver rations to approximately 3,000 returning families for six months.
In Swat, one soldier was injured when security forces conducted a search operation in areas around Rangeela and Dadhra. During an operation at Gokdara and Tandodag areas, two terrorists were killed in exchange of fire.
The army said security forces conducted a search operation near Shah Daheri area, during exchange of fire with terrorists 10 terrorists were killed and 20 more injured.
In neighboring Dir, during exchange of fire with terrorists four persons (Lashkar) died and two were injured, while 4 terrorists were apprehended and Commander Naeem Ullah was killed.
As to the relief, the army said rations were distributed to 600 off-camp families of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Nowshera district. The army has donated 1,790 tons of rations for distribution amongst the IDPs of nearby Malakand Division.
Meanwhile, the World Food Program has started its operation in Bajaur from June 30. The WFP is setting up its food Hub at Buner, which will start functioning by July 4. It will deliver rations to approximately 3,000 returning families for six months.
North Korea fires additional missile, raising total number to 7
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea fired one additional short-range missile on Saturday, raising the total number of missiles fired in the day to seven, local media reported.
According to South Korean Joint Forces, the DPRK fired an additional missile off the east coast from a base near Wonsan, Gangwon Province at around 05:40 p.m. (0840 GMT), in addition to six short-range missiles fired at the same place earlier in the morning.
The DPRK started with two scud-type missiles between 08:00 - 08:30 a.m. (2300-2330 GMT Friday), after which shot four more at around 10:45 a.m. (0145 GMT), noon (0300 GMT), 02:50 p.m. (0550 GMT), and 04:10 p.m. (0710 GMT).
All the seven missiles are estimated to have a range of 400-500km, the official said.
The missile firing came two days after the DPRK test-fired four short-ranges off its eastern coast, which South Korean officials described as part of routine military drills.
"Although the missiles fired on Thursday appear to be part of routine military drills, the recent scud missiles seem to have political purposes as they were fired a day before the U.S. Independence Day," the official said.
The DPRK, since May, has been spotted with actions in preparation for firing a new mid-range missile, as well as scud missiles, Yonhap said.
The military authorities, however, said no sign has been observed from either its eastern Musudan-ri base or a new Tongchang-ri base on its west to conclude that an intercontinental ballistic missile launch is imminent.
In April, the DPRK threatened to test-fire an intercontinental ballistic missile in protest of the UN Security Council's presidential statement which "condemned" the DPRK's earlier long-range rocket launch.
According to South Korean Joint Forces, the DPRK fired an additional missile off the east coast from a base near Wonsan, Gangwon Province at around 05:40 p.m. (0840 GMT), in addition to six short-range missiles fired at the same place earlier in the morning.
The DPRK started with two scud-type missiles between 08:00 - 08:30 a.m. (2300-2330 GMT Friday), after which shot four more at around 10:45 a.m. (0145 GMT), noon (0300 GMT), 02:50 p.m. (0550 GMT), and 04:10 p.m. (0710 GMT).
All the seven missiles are estimated to have a range of 400-500km, the official said.
The missile firing came two days after the DPRK test-fired four short-ranges off its eastern coast, which South Korean officials described as part of routine military drills.
"Although the missiles fired on Thursday appear to be part of routine military drills, the recent scud missiles seem to have political purposes as they were fired a day before the U.S. Independence Day," the official said.
The DPRK, since May, has been spotted with actions in preparation for firing a new mid-range missile, as well as scud missiles, Yonhap said.
The military authorities, however, said no sign has been observed from either its eastern Musudan-ri base or a new Tongchang-ri base on its west to conclude that an intercontinental ballistic missile launch is imminent.
In April, the DPRK threatened to test-fire an intercontinental ballistic missile in protest of the UN Security Council's presidential statement which "condemned" the DPRK's earlier long-range rocket launch.
Several industrial units silent sans gas in Peshawar
PESHAWAR: A number of more industrial units have halted their operations following suspension of gas supply in Peshawar.Chairman Hayatabad Industrialists Association Malik Niaz talking Geo News termed the decision of suspending the gas supply to Peshawar industries as unfair and as an attempt to dent the economy of the province.
He claimed that no industrial unit owes any dues and cited no justification for suspension of gas supply to the industries of Peshawar.Malik Niaz demanded that the gas supply to Peshawar industries be restored at the earliest.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Date for IDPs return not fixed yet
PESHAWAR: Though the provincial government has yet to announce an official date for the internally displaced persons (IDPs) to return to their homes, a plan has been chalked out to facilitate the uprooted people from Buner in the first phase.
Under the plan, the return of Buner IDPs will be completed in six days from the announcement of the official return date. Before the announcement, the IDPs will be informed through media about their return plan and points from where they could get the transport.
Official sources said the Emergency Response Unit (ERU) would be responsible for provision of transport to the returning people. A total of 3,000 vehicles would be hired to shift the families and their household to their respective areas in Buner district, sources said.
Officials said majority of the IDPs were presently stationed in different union councils of Swabi district and they would be given a timetable for their return from those areas. The ERU would spent an amount of Rs2,000 on the transportation of each family while separate arrangements would also be made to shift the livestock of those families to their respective areas.
According to official figures, a total of 31,062 people have been displaced from 24 union councils of Buner district. Specific points have been identified which will be finalised after getting a response from the district government of Swabi to be used as pick up points for the IDPs.
Sources said the return operation would last for six days. Initially, people living in Shewa union council of Swabi district would be repatriated to their respective areas. This would be followed by people in other areas in the next five days.
Under the plan, the government will hire 42-seater busses for six to seven families while a truck would carry luggage and cattle of two to three families. Each truck would be partitioned to carry both cattle and luggage of the IDP families.
Besides, small coasters will also be employed for shuttle service to pick the IDPs from camps and houses and drop them at the pick up points. Officials said shelter and drinking water would be provided to the returning families while their vehicles would be accompanied by ambulances and security personnel till their destination points.
Official sources said return of the IDPs would be voluntary and no one would be forced without genuine reasons. Although most of the IDPs are willing to return to their areas, some having problems like presence of trouble or non-availability of proper facilities there would not be forced to go, they said. The provincial government has yet to announce a date for the return of the displaced persons. Earlier, several dates were announced for the return, but the process has yet to be started.
U.S. Faces Resentment in Afghan Region
newyorktimes.com
LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan — The mood of the Afghan people has tipped into a popular revolt in some parts of southern Afghanistan, presenting incoming American forces with an even harder job than expected in reversing military losses to the Taliban and winning over the population.
Villagers in some districts have taken up arms against foreign troops to protect their homes or in anger after losing relatives in airstrikes, several community representatives interviewed said. Others have been moved to join the insurgents out of poverty or simply because the Taliban’s influence is so pervasive here.
On Thursday morning, 4,000 American Marines began a major offensive to try to take back the region from the strongest Taliban insurgency in the country. The Marines are part of a larger deployment of additional troops being ordered by the new American commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, to concentrate not just on killing Taliban fighters but on protecting the population.
Yet Taliban control of the countryside is so extensive in provinces like Kandahar and Helmand that winning districts back will involve tough fighting and may ignite further tensions, residents and local officials warn. The government has no presence in 5 of Helmand’s 13 districts, and in several others, like Nawa, it holds only the district town, where troops and officials live virtually under siege.
The Taliban’s influence is so strong in rural areas that much of the local population has accepted their rule and is watching the United States troop buildup with trepidation. Villagers interviewed in late June said that they preferred to be left alone under Taliban rule and complained about artillery fire and airstrikes by foreign forces.
“We Muslims don’t like them — they are the source of danger,” said a local villager, Hajji Taj Muhammad, of the foreign forces. His house in Marja, a town west of this provincial capital that has been a major opium trading post and Taliban base, was bombed two months ago, he said.
The southern provinces have suffered the worst civilian casualties since NATO’s deployment to the region in 2006. Thousands of people have already been displaced by fighting and taken refuge in the towns.
“Now there are more people siding with the Taliban than with the government,” said Abdul Qadir Noorzai, head of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission in southern Afghanistan.
In many places, people have never seen or felt the presence of the Afghan government, or foreign forces, except through violence, but the Taliban are a known quantity, community leaders said.
“People are hostages of the Taliban, but they look at the coalition also as the enemy, because they have not seen anything good from them in seven or eight years,” said Hajji Abdul Ahad Helmandwal, a district council leader from Nadali in Helmand Province.
Foreign troops continue to make mistakes that enrage whole sections of this deeply tribal society, like the killing of a tribal elder’s son and his wife as they were driving to their home in Helmand two months ago. Only their baby daughter survived. The tribal elder, Reis-e-Baghran, a former member of the Taliban who reconciled with the government, is one of the most influential figures in Helmand.
The infusion of more American troops into southern Afghanistan is aimed at ending a stalemate between NATO and Taliban forces. The governor of Helmand, Gulab Mangal, said extra forces were needed since the Taliban were now so entrenched in the region that they had permanent bases.
Last year an American Marine Expeditionary Unit of 2,400 men secured a small but critical area in the district of Garmser in southern Helmand, choking off Taliban supply routes from the Pakistani border while reopening the town for commerce. The operation had a crippling effect on Taliban forces operating farther north in neighboring Oruzgan Province, according to Jelani Popal, who oversees local affairs for President Hamid Karzai’s government.
This year military officials hope to replicate that operation in more places, according to Lt. Gen. James Dutton, the British deputy commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan.
The extra forces will be critical to create confidence among the locals and persuade insurgents to give up the fight, said Mr. Mangal, the Helmand governor. Yet he and others warn that there will be more bloodshed and that the large influx of foreign forces could prompt a backlash.
In parts of Helmand and Kandahar, resentment and frustration are rampant. People who traveled to Lashkar Gah from the districts complained of continued civilian suffering and questioned American intentions. “They come here just to fight, not to bring peace,” said Allah Nazad, a farmer.
People from Marja said that foreign troops carrying out counternarcotics operations conducted nighttime raids on houses, sometimes killed people inside their homes, and used dogs that bit the occupants.
“The people are very scared of the night raids,” said Spin Gul, a local farmer. “When they have night raids, the people join the Taliban and fight.”
“Who are the Taliban? They are local people,” interjected another man, who did not give his name. One man, Hamza, said he would fight if foreigners raided his house. “I will not allow them,” he said. “I will fight them to the last drop of blood.”
Many do not side with the Taliban out of choice, however, and could be won over, community leaders said.
Fazel Muhammad, a member of the district council of Panjwai, an area west of Kandahar, said he knew people who were laying mines for the Taliban in order to feed their families. He estimated that 80 percent of insurgents were local people driven to fight out of poverty and despair. Offered another way out, only 2 percent would support the Taliban, he said.
Yet mistrust of the government remains so strong that even if the Taliban were defeated militarily, the government and the American-led coalition would find the population reluctant to cooperate, said Hajji Abdullah Jan, the leader of the provincial council of Helmand. “These people will still not trust the government,” he said. “Even if security is 100 percent, it will take time because the government did not keep its promises in the past.”
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