16,000 mourners pack basketball arena for Michael Jackson tribute

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The body of Michael Jackson — at rest in a 14-carat, gold-plated casket lined with blue velvet — was carried into the Staples Centre in Los Angeles for yesterday’s memorial service and star-studded musical extravaganza, which was viewed by at least a billion people around the globe.

For the United States it wasn’t so much a “Diana moment” as a made-for-TV special. Afraid that millions of fans would cause havoc, and barely able to afford the overtime for its police officers and emergency services, the city’s leaders made it virtually impossible for the general public to take part in the service.

As an expression of public grief, it could not have been further removed from the 1997 funeral and cortège of Diana, Princess of Wales, which drew crowds of up to three million people.

When it became clear that only 50,000 people turned up outside the service — a fraction of the million expected — some wondered if the city had gone too far in telling people to stay at home, and that the showing was too small for the biggest day of public mourning in US history since the death of Elvis Presley.


Even the motorcade of more than 30 cars as Jackson’s body was brought from a “private funeral” at Hollywood’s Forest Lawn Cemetery to the Staples Centre was kept secret until the last minute, so that fans could not line the streets in advance to pay their respects. Instead, the convoy of blacked-out Rolls-Royces, Range Rovers and Cadillacs made its way to the memorial service on closed, empty freeways.

The result was an Oscars-style event that — for those fans not lucky enough to be among the 20,000 guests to win tickets in a lottery or be invited by the Jackson family — could be viewed only on television.

The family’s guest list was a Who’s Who of African-American powerbrokers in music, sports, film and politics: Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Jennifer Hudson, Kobe Bryant, the Rev Al Sharpton, Spike Lee and Wesley Snipes. Most of the guests arrived in limousines and then strolled up a black carpet outside the venue, where fans were taking it in turns to sign two giant posters of Jackson. Notable absentees were Mr Jackson’s ex-wives, Debbie Rowe and Lisa Marie Presley.

Only one guest, Jackson’s daughter, Paris Michael Katherine, 11, sobbed uncontrollably, in perhaps the service’s most poignant moment. “I just wanted to say that, ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine. And I just wanted to say I love him so much,” she said.

In a rousing speech that brought applause, Mr Sharpton said: “He brought down the colour curtain. It was Michael Jackson who brought blacks and whites and Asians and Latinos together. It was Michael Jackson who created a comfort level so that people who felt they were separate became interconnected with his music.”

He said that the careers of Oprah Winfrey, Tiger Woods and President Obama would have been impossible without the singer. “Michael did that, he made us love each other. I want his kids to know: there was nothing strange about your Daddy. What was strange was what he had to deal with. He dealt with it anyway. Some people came here to say goodbye to Michael. I came to say thank you.”

Mr Obama, who was in Moscow for the second day of talks with President Medvedev, took time out to pay tribute to Jackson. He said: “I think like Elvis, like Sinatra, like the Beatles, he became a core part of our culture. His extraordinary talent and his music was matched with a big dose of tragedy and difficulty [in] his private life and I don’t think we can ignore that.”

He said that it was important to “affirm what was the best of him and that was captured by his music”.

Juno Pierre-Louis, 42, a car salesman from New York, who received a ticket for the memorial through the lottery, said: “Off the Wall came out when I was growing up near the Bronx, and the gang movement was big then. But as soon as everyone saw Michael’s moves, people stopped killing each other and starting having dancing competitions instead. So Michael Jackson means a lot to me. [African Americans] tend to walk away from anything that’s embraced by the white community — but today I’ve seen more black folk with the MJ colours on than the white folk.”

Of the 1.6 million people who entered the lottery for tickets to the memorial service, only 8,750 were told via e-mail that they had been chosen. Most received two passes for the service in the form of golden wristbands.

Without a golden wristband, it was impossible to get beyond the massive barriers that formed a huge security perimeter around the Staples Centre. In fact, the perimeter covered such a wide area that it was impossible for uninvited well-wishers to even glimpse the venue from afar.

William Bratton, the Los Angeles police chief, said: “If you’re down here, there won’t be much to see. You won’t get within several blocks of the area.”

With the seating capacity of the venue limited to about 16,000, several thousand guests had to watch the service on a giant video screen outside, along with thousands of journalists, photographers and television camera operators. Overhead, about 20 news helicopters and other light aircraft circled. It is thought that the service cost Los Angeles about $4 million (£2.46 million) — money it can ill-afford in the middle of a state-wide budget crisis.

The Staples Centre, home of the LA Lakers basketball team, was where Jackson had been rehearsing two weeks ago for his much-anticipated comeback tour in London. As soon as the set of the memorial service was dismantled yesterday, the venue was taken over by a circus.

Violence in Urumqi not a peaceful protest

BEIJING, July 7 (Xinhua) -- The Sunday violence in Urumqi was "an evil killing, fire setting and looting", said Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang on Tuesday.

"Anybody calling the violence a peaceful protest is trying to turn black into white in an attempt to mislead the public," Qin told a regular press conference.

More than 150 people died and a further 1,000-odd were injured in the riot Sunday evening in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Qin said this was an action born out of the fear of Xinjiang's social progress, solidification and prosperity.

"The violence is a preempted, organized violent crime. It is instigated and directed from abroad, and carried out by outlaws in the country," Qin said, noting that the evidence was irrefutable and conclusive.

Xinjiang police said Monday they had evidence that separatist World Uyghur Congress leader Rebiya Kadeer masterminded the riot.

Rebiya Kadeer, a former businesswoman in China, was detained in1999 on charges of harming national security. She was released on bail on March 17, 2005 to seek medical treatment in the United States. "Rebiya Kadeer is also involved in serious economic crime," Qinsaid, noting that the Chinese government, out of humanitarian consideration, allowed her to remain out of custody and obtain medical treatment, and she had promised not to engage in actions endangering the country's security before her departure.

A series of facts in recent years proved that she was totally aliar. She took separatist actions at all times when living abroad, Qin said, urging related countries to see clearly the essence of Eastern Turkestan groups, and not to extend sympathy or support to them in any form.

According to a local official, the Chinese authorities had evidence that Rebiya Kadeer used the Internet and other means of communication to mastermind the riot in Xinjiang.

Internet was cut in parts of Urumqi following the deadly riot to prevent violence from spreading.

Qin said this measure was taken in order to deal with the incident and safeguard local stability.

After the Sunday riot, The Xinjiang judicial departments arrested some suspects in order to safeguard the normal life of the local people.

"What they have done was justified, and any country could take the same measures while facing this violence," Qin said.

He also said the China, by rule of law, would not wrong one innocent person, nor setting free any evil one.

Qin refuted the accusation by some human rights organizations criticizing Chinese government's measures to deal with Xinjiang violence.

"Those organizations view the case with bias, and their conclusion could not objective undoubtedly, and it stands in the opposite direction of ethics, laws and all Chinese people's minds," he said.

Foreign journalists, about 60 in number, were in Xinjiang on a reporting trip arranged by the Information Office of the State Council, the Chinese Cabinet.

"China takes an open and transparent principle on the news report, and offer active help and convenience for the foreign and Chinese journalists to cover news in Xinjiang," Qin said.

A press center had been established in Urumqi, with service offered by officials there, Qin said, hoping that the media would fairly report the truth.

Qin also reminded the reporters to abide by related regulations and laws, and take care of their own security.

Chinese firm gets contract for Peshawar bus terminal

PESHAWAR: The NWFP government has decided to award the contract for the construction of a modern bus terminal in Peshawar to a construction consortium of the Chinese government.

A statement issued on Monday said that the provincial government had also directed the contractor to start work on the project soon after completing paperwork, while the consortium had offered an investment of $300 million (Rs 25 billion) for mega projects in the province, including the Peshawar Bus Terminal.

A memorandum of understanding on this account would be signed by the Chinese and provincial authorities today (Tuesday) in the presence of NWFP Governor Owais Ahmad Ghani wherein the consortium would have the task of design improvement and construction of the bus terminal. The Chinese government would provide 90 percent of the project cost as a soft loan, while the remaining amount would be given by the provincial government as grant. The project would be handed over to the provincial government soon after completion on build-and-transfer basis.

The statement said the decision was made in a high-level meeting at the conference room of the NWFP chief secretary on Monday with NWFP Senior Minister Bashir Ahmad Bilour in chair.

Bilour said the bus terminal would be spread on 169 kanals on both sides of the GT Road. He said the consortium would be awarded more mega projects, including the master plan of Peshawar, construction of underpasses, flyovers, provision of filtered potable water to Peshawar from Warsak Dam and establishment of economic/industrial zones on vast lands of 400 and 300 hectors in Mardan and Hattar respectively.

Colleges unable to cope with rush

PESHAWAR: Owing to less number of government colleges coupled with limited number of seats in them across the province, the future of thousands of students intending to take admission to intermediate is at stake.
As a result, more than 1,50,000 boy and girl students including A-grade students are compelled to take admission to private institutes.
It merits a mention here that more than 3,00,000 students appeared in the last Matric examinations held under all the eight boards of the province in which 2,00,000 students were declared successful.
The ratio of students appearing in the Matric exams is increasing rapidly every year as 2,00,000 students out of 3,00,000 had also passed the last year examinations.
The uncertain situation for the students is exacerbating with the passage of time as nearly 122 government colleges of the province have failed to accommodate a large number of students annually forcing the students to make their way to substandard private colleges.
As per statistics, there are 122 colleges in the province out of which 82 are for boys and 40 for girls.
The number of colleges in public sector in various districts of the province is as Peshawar: five colleges for boys while four colleges for girls, Charsadda: two for boys, two for girls, Nowshera: Four for boys, three for girls, Mardan: Nine for boys, five for girls, Swabi: Seven for boys, 4 for girls, Malakand: Five for boys, three for girls, Swat: Five for boys, four for girls, Shangla: Three for boys, Buner: Three for boys, one for girls, Upper Dir: One for boys, one for girls, Lower Dir: Three for boys, one for girls, Chitral: Two for boys, one for girls, Kohat: Three for boys, one for girls, Hangu: Two for boys, two for girls, Karak: Five for boys, one for girls, Bannu: Five for boys, three for girls, Lakki Marwat: Five for boys, one for girls, DI Khan: Six for boys, two for girls, Abbottabad: Four for boys, four for girls, Mansehra: Four for boys, two for girls, Battagram:
One for boys, one for girls, Kohistan: One college for boys while no college for girls.
Consequently, estimated 20,000 to 25,000 students every year are left with no other option but to take admission to the unregistered colleges of the province.

People of lower Swat to start returning after 15th: Minister

PESHAWAR: Federal Minister for States and Frontier Regions Najamuddin Khan has said the people of upper Swat are returning home and those belonging to lower parts of the district will start going back to their areas after July 15.

He said residents of Madyan, Behrain and Kalam villages had started going back to their areas and those belonging to Kabal, Matta and Barikot would also start returning after a week.

Speaking at a press conference at the Afghan commissionerate here on Tuesday, the minister said the NWFP government, in coordination with the federal government and the UNHCR, would continue supporting the affected people during reconstruction and repatriation process.

He said more than 50,000 smart cards through which financial aid was provided had been distributed among internally displaced people. He said work had been started on restoring civic services in the conflict zone.

The minister said parliamentarians from Malakand would propose declaration of the division as a calamity-hit area to properly compensate for the destruction and devastation caused by militants.

He maintained that the Afghan commissionerate had contributed to the relief efforts by establishing four camps in Lower Dir for displaced people.

The minister said there was complete coordination between federal and provincial governments and the army about the modalities of the return of the people of Malakand, but the announcement about the repatriation and reconstruction process would be made by the provincial government.

He also said the Nizam-i-Adl Regulation would be implemented in letter and sprit. Asked about the repatriation process of Afghan refugees, the minister said there were about 1.7 million registered and more than one million unregistered Afghans in Pakistan and the government had repatriated 27,000 refugees since April 15 with the support of the UNHCR.

A cabinet committee of the federal government, he said, was considering ways and means for partnership with the UNHCR to repatriate the registered Afghan refugees.

He said the United Nations had also agreed to provide $140 million under the Rehabilitation of Hosting Area Programme to compensate for the negative effect of the refugees on the infrastructure in Pakistan.

Chinese suspicions

thefrontierpost.com
For the fatal ethnic riots in its sensitive Xinjiang province, which have claimed at least 140 lives, the Chinese government has blamed the exiled Uighur separatists. A foreign-based World Uighur Congress has specifically been named by the authorities for inciting these riots. Statedly, the outfit is headed by one Rebiya Kadeer, an exiled Uighur businesswoman, settled in the United States . Indeed, over the time the Chinese have persistently accused the Americans of fueling ethnic sentiments and antipathies and inciting separatism in China, particularly in its Tibet and Xinjiang provinces, and of patronising and employing the exiled dissidents to this end. And not so untenably. Even in these riots, most of the dead and injured were the Han Chinese. On this score, the Chinese are even sour with us. They believe the Americans have made our tribal region a base for training, arming and bankrolling the Uighur terrorists and then launching them into Xinjiang for terrorism. And they are unhappy that despite their persistent requests Islamabad is less than intent on shutting down this American wellspring for violence and terrorism in China . Indeed, their communist party had in despair invited the top leader of one of our politico-religious parties and concluded an agreement for his party's cooperation in fighting terrorism. And if reports are to be believed, recently the Pakistani agencies did track down and arrest here several Chinese nationals wanted by Beijing and handed them over to the Chinese authorities. There indeed is a big stinking foul with the American act. As they keep haranguing the world on morality and ethics and continue striking boisterously high postures of self-righteousness, they know of no qualms in flouting what they preach for the attainment of their geopolitical objectives and for furthering their economic interests. As they exhort the world fraternity not to let its soil being used for terrorism abroad, they uninhibitedly use the others' territories to this end quite unconscientiously. It is not just the Chinese, our proven trustworthy all-weather friends who have stood by us through thick and thin unwaveringly, who are upset with us for letting the Americans use our soil for spawning, nurturing and fanning terrorism on the Chinese territory, although they are feeling no lesser queasy about the Obama administration's troops surge in their neighbouring Afghanistan, making up as it does part of a region rich in oil, gas and minerals and housing locations of immense strategic value. The Iranians too are miffed with us for not reining in the Americans from making a launching pad of our Balochistan province for subversion, sabotage and terrorism in Iran's Sistan-Balochistan province by the American proxy Jundullah, a US-funded terrorist outfit of Iranian exiles, dissidents and their local cohorts. But it is not just immigrant diasporas, exiles and dissidents that the Americans make use of to destabilise a country or a nation they want to be under their thumb or to dislodge a government they do not like and intend to replace with their puppets, lackeys and quislings. Unashamedly, their Congress too publicly sanctions and allocates public funds to this end, though ostensibly under the deceptive cover of prompting democracy project in the targeted country but in reality to spread hatred and chaos through inflammatory broadcast by a clandestinely-placed funnily-named Free Radio and by financing the exiles and dissidents to spread violence, chaos and disorder there. In the region, for years on end, Saddam Hussein's Iraq was on that Congress honoured list, until the US-led armies of the free world invaded and occupied the sovereign country of Iraq illegally and unlawfully and he was toppled. For quite long, Syria has had the prized honour of being on that Congress roll. And Iran too is being likewise honoured by this US morality hound, the Congress. So honoured by the US Congress stands many a lucky one in the world community even now. But, candidly put, the Americans have their own agendas and their own axes to grind, and will be least bothered about morality and ethics and all the rest of that bunkum in perpetuating their own interests. But at least, the hierarchy in Islamabad can keep its skirts clean from the mud that the American adventurism splatters all around in its mad quest for accomplishing its objectives. Can't it? Will somebody out there take time out and think who are the perpetrators of murders of Chinese engineers and technicians working on our dams and ports construction projects and at whose behest are they perpetuating these heinous acts on the nationals of our dearest friend?
Saved from: http://www.thefrontierpost.com/News.aspx?ncat=ed&nid=128&ad=08-07-200
Dated: Wednesday , July 08, 2009, Rajab 13, 1430 A.H.

Socialism is Chinese people's historical choice

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."

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."

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.

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.

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.

US marines face a 'hell of a fight' in Helmand surge

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.

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.