Benazir Bhutto’s son opened a London donation point Saturday for victims of Pakistan’s deadly floods a public appearance that came amid criticism that his father, Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari, was in Britain when he should have been dealing with the one of worst disasters in decades.
Pakistani officials estimate that as many as 13 million people have been affected in the floods and some 1,500 have died. More rain is expected in the coming days as the bloated Kabul River surged into Pakistan's northwest.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Zardari defended his 5-day trip to Britain, saying Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani had been dealing with the situation. Prior to his British visit, Zardari was in France where he visited a family chateau and met with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
Zardari, who did not accompany his son at Pakistan’s High Commission in London, was to address a political rally of his Pakistan People's Party in Birmingham later in the day before traveling to Syria. Nearly 10,000 people members of the party live in Europe, most of them in Britain.
Earlier in the week, many had speculated that Bilawal Bhutto Zardari the son of Zardari and slain former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto would address the rally and announce his intentions to formally enter Pakistani politics. The 21-year-old recently graduated from Oxford with a degree in history and politics.
His father said it was only a matter of time before his son carried on the family's political dynasty.
But Bhutto Zardari, who was educated mostly abroad and possesses the same striking good looks as his mother, said he would consider getting a law degree before following in his mother’s footsteps. Bhutto was assassinated at a political rally in late 2007. Her father and PPP founder was hanged in 1979.
“I ask everyone to do what you can to help the people of Pakistan,” he told reporters gathered at the High Commission before accepting donations from donors and groups.
“This is not a time to play politics. We need to do what is necessary to help our brothers and sisters in Pakistan.”
Analysts predict Zardari’s PPP which his son currently chairs will suffer during the next national elections in 2013 because of Zardari’s low approval ratings and the severe challenges currently facing the country.
Zardari traveled to Britain just days after British Prime Minister David Cameron accused Pakistan of exporting terror. The remarks caused a diplomatic row, in part because they were made during Cameron’s visit to India, Pakistan's nuclear rival.
The Pakistani president rejected the criticism, saying that it was terrorists who killed his wife and who were terrorizing his country. Some 2,500 Pakistani security officials have been killed in battles with militants over the years, and many more civilians have been killed in attacks.
Pakistan is one of Britain’s most important allies in fighting terrorism. Nearly 1 million people of Pakistani origin live in Britain, and Pakistani intelligence has been crucial in several terror investigations, including the 2005 suicide attacks that killed 52 London commuters and a 2006 trans-Atlantic airliner plot.
The ringleader of the 2005 suicide bombings in London and several others reportedly received terror training in Pakistan.
Zardari has headed a coalition government since unseating Pakistan's Gen. Pervez Musharraf. The ex-military leader was in power-sharing talks with Bhutto shortly before her assassination at a political rally in December 2007.
M WAQAR..... "A man's ethical behavior should be based effectually on sympathy, education, and social ties; no religious basis is necessary.Man would indeed be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death." --Albert Einstein !!! NEWS,ARTICLES,EDITORIALS,MUSIC... Ze chi pe mayeen yum da agha pukhtunistan de.....(Liberal,Progressive,Secular World.)''Secularism is not against religion; it is the message of humanity.'' تل ده وی پثتونستآن
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Rains hamper relief work in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
A senior military commander said on Friday that the worst flood in the country’s history had left 1,400 people dead in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Over 100,000 people are still stranded in the northern districts of the province and bad weather and heavy to moderate rains are hampering relief work.
According to official estimates, over 4.2 million people have been affected by rains and flood.
Talking to reporters, Peshawar GOC Maj-Gen Ghayyur Mahmood said that relief operation and rehabilitation work were in progress in different parts of the province, particularly in Malakand division where floods had washed away the entire infrastructure.
He said that the flood damaged 35 kilometres of roads in Swat and work was in progress to repair bridges and link roads. He said that all damaged bridges were likely to be restored in two weeks.
He said the US would provide 30 steel bridges and UK 66 that would help to restore communication in the hilly areas.
The Met office said that Cherat in Nowshera district received 80mm of rain in 12 hours. Peshawar and other parts of the province also received light to heavy rains.
Helicopter service remained suspended in Malakand because of inclement weather.
Seven people were killed and several houses destroyed in Dera Ismail Khan. Hill torrents caused devastations in Peharpur, Draban, Kulachi and Perawa tehsils of the district.
Flash floods washed away 40 houses in Chitral district.
Local authorities had issued timely warning and residents had vacated their homes due to which there was no human loss in the area.
Meanwhile, Provincial Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain said that death toll had reached 919 and the number could rise.
He said that the Provincial Disaster Management Authority and other departments were compiling data about human losses and property destruction.
He said the floods had washed away 169 educational institutions, 38 health centres and 187 other government buildings. Besides, 307 drinking water supply schemes have been destroyed.
He said the Frontier Works Organisation, a subsidiary of the army, was carrying out a survey of damaged bridges and roads.The Saudi government has announced donations for flood-affected people and a cargo plane carrying eight tons of food and other items have landed at the Peshawar airport.
Over 100,000 people are still stranded in the northern districts of the province and bad weather and heavy to moderate rains are hampering relief work.
According to official estimates, over 4.2 million people have been affected by rains and flood.
Talking to reporters, Peshawar GOC Maj-Gen Ghayyur Mahmood said that relief operation and rehabilitation work were in progress in different parts of the province, particularly in Malakand division where floods had washed away the entire infrastructure.
He said that the flood damaged 35 kilometres of roads in Swat and work was in progress to repair bridges and link roads. He said that all damaged bridges were likely to be restored in two weeks.
He said the US would provide 30 steel bridges and UK 66 that would help to restore communication in the hilly areas.
The Met office said that Cherat in Nowshera district received 80mm of rain in 12 hours. Peshawar and other parts of the province also received light to heavy rains.
Helicopter service remained suspended in Malakand because of inclement weather.
Seven people were killed and several houses destroyed in Dera Ismail Khan. Hill torrents caused devastations in Peharpur, Draban, Kulachi and Perawa tehsils of the district.
Flash floods washed away 40 houses in Chitral district.
Local authorities had issued timely warning and residents had vacated their homes due to which there was no human loss in the area.
Meanwhile, Provincial Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain said that death toll had reached 919 and the number could rise.
He said that the Provincial Disaster Management Authority and other departments were compiling data about human losses and property destruction.
He said the floods had washed away 169 educational institutions, 38 health centres and 187 other government buildings. Besides, 307 drinking water supply schemes have been destroyed.
He said the Frontier Works Organisation, a subsidiary of the army, was carrying out a survey of damaged bridges and roads.The Saudi government has announced donations for flood-affected people and a cargo plane carrying eight tons of food and other items have landed at the Peshawar airport.
Sindh on red alert for fresh floods
Districts in Sindh province were on high alert on Saturday for floods which have devastated other parts of the country.
At least 1,600 people have been killed by the flooding. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said 12 million people had been affected in two provinces, s figure that does not include, for the moment, Sindh.
Heavy rains were expected to lash areas already struck by the worst floods in 80 years.
Considerable damage was expected in mainly rural areas in Sindh after floodwaters roared down from the northwest and through the central agricultural heartland of Punjab, along a path at least 1,000 km (600 miles) long.
"At least four districts are on high alert as the flood wave prepares to enter Sindh," the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) said.
UN officials said more than half a million people had been evacuated in Sindh.
Flooding was also taking a toll over the border in the Indian held Kashmir, where rain was hampering rescue and relief efforts. Flash floods have already killed at least 113 people in the Himalayan region of Ladakh.
POPULAR ANGER
In Pakistan, The floods have stoked popular anger at absent Asif Ali Zardari, who went ahead with visits to Paris and London at the height of the disaster, which swallowed up entire villages.
Zardari rejected harsh criticism, telling the BBC's Newsnight programme that Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani was dealing with the crisis and keeping him posted on developments.
On Saturday, the president was to address Britain's Pakistani community after talks with Prime Minister David Cameron in which the two leaders agreed to do more to fight militancy.
Many Pakistanis were already critical of Zardari's leadership of a country.
Gilani, addressing the nation on Friday for the first time since the floods struck, described the loss of human life and infrastructure as "colossal" and appealed for international aid.
Food supplies are becoming a serious issue. In many areas, drinking water wells are also full of mud.
At least 1,600 people have been killed by the flooding. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said 12 million people had been affected in two provinces, s figure that does not include, for the moment, Sindh.
Heavy rains were expected to lash areas already struck by the worst floods in 80 years.
Considerable damage was expected in mainly rural areas in Sindh after floodwaters roared down from the northwest and through the central agricultural heartland of Punjab, along a path at least 1,000 km (600 miles) long.
"At least four districts are on high alert as the flood wave prepares to enter Sindh," the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) said.
UN officials said more than half a million people had been evacuated in Sindh.
Flooding was also taking a toll over the border in the Indian held Kashmir, where rain was hampering rescue and relief efforts. Flash floods have already killed at least 113 people in the Himalayan region of Ladakh.
POPULAR ANGER
In Pakistan, The floods have stoked popular anger at absent Asif Ali Zardari, who went ahead with visits to Paris and London at the height of the disaster, which swallowed up entire villages.
Zardari rejected harsh criticism, telling the BBC's Newsnight programme that Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani was dealing with the crisis and keeping him posted on developments.
On Saturday, the president was to address Britain's Pakistani community after talks with Prime Minister David Cameron in which the two leaders agreed to do more to fight militancy.
Many Pakistanis were already critical of Zardari's leadership of a country.
Gilani, addressing the nation on Friday for the first time since the floods struck, described the loss of human life and infrastructure as "colossal" and appealed for international aid.
Food supplies are becoming a serious issue. In many areas, drinking water wells are also full of mud.
Severe shortage of food items feared
PESHAWAR: A large part of agricultural land stretching over 71,000 acres land has been affected by the recent devastating floods in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, creating fear of drastic decline in production and ultimate severe shortage of food items in the already food-deficient province in the near future.
This was disclosed by speakers at a daylong seminar on 'Flood Situation in KP' organised under the auspices of National Humanitarian Network (NHN) and Network for Humanitarian Assistance (NHA) at press club on Friday.
The speakers said that there was a dire need for carrying out a broad-based damage assessment survey across the province, as the losses were massive, adding that the magnitude of the destruction could be gauged from the fact that it had been reported that the rehabilitation process might take a decade period.
They added: "As many as 79 people including 23 women and 56 children are still missing alone in nine union councils of Peshawar district where 280 cattle heads were reportedly washed away by flash floods."
The speakers also expressed concern over lack of coordination and mismanagement among the government institutions responsible for provision of relief to the flood-hit people.
They said that epidemics were breaking out in the affected areas where nothing had been done for disposing of the carcasses of animals, adding that reports had already indicated the spread of cholera and diarrhoea in various flood ravaged localities.
The speakers also called for provision of at least 10 helicopters, 50 boats, 500 tents and life jackets to cope with the situation in flood-hit vicinities of the district.
Rakhshanda Naz of Aurat Foundation called for provision of relief goods to minorities on priority basis.
The participants also called for allowing welfare organisations for carrying out relief activities in the calamity-hit areas and provision of protection to the affectees.
This was disclosed by speakers at a daylong seminar on 'Flood Situation in KP' organised under the auspices of National Humanitarian Network (NHN) and Network for Humanitarian Assistance (NHA) at press club on Friday.
The speakers said that there was a dire need for carrying out a broad-based damage assessment survey across the province, as the losses were massive, adding that the magnitude of the destruction could be gauged from the fact that it had been reported that the rehabilitation process might take a decade period.
They added: "As many as 79 people including 23 women and 56 children are still missing alone in nine union councils of Peshawar district where 280 cattle heads were reportedly washed away by flash floods."
The speakers also expressed concern over lack of coordination and mismanagement among the government institutions responsible for provision of relief to the flood-hit people.
They said that epidemics were breaking out in the affected areas where nothing had been done for disposing of the carcasses of animals, adding that reports had already indicated the spread of cholera and diarrhoea in various flood ravaged localities.
The speakers also called for provision of at least 10 helicopters, 50 boats, 500 tents and life jackets to cope with the situation in flood-hit vicinities of the district.
Rakhshanda Naz of Aurat Foundation called for provision of relief goods to minorities on priority basis.
The participants also called for allowing welfare organisations for carrying out relief activities in the calamity-hit areas and provision of protection to the affectees.
Flood-hit Shabara village one of the worst affected
CHARSADDA: Sadness was writ large on the faces of inhabitants of Shabara village in Charsadda district as rubble of mud-houses, destroyed crops and hundreds of livestock carcasses gave the picture of devastation and destruction caused by the recent floods.
Nine days after the floods, hundreds of rotting carcasses were lying in the fields and posing a serious threat to public health. The village, one of the worst affected in Charsadda, wore a deserted look and a few men were busy in removing mud from their homes.
“All the people have left the village and have shifted to nearby relief camps or to their relatives’ homes. We cannot bring our families back as hundreds of the dead animals are spread everywhere and we fear our children will contract diseases,” said Akhtar Ali, a villager in Shabara.
The stench of the carcasses was intolerable and it was difficult to stay there. The carcasses of goats, sheep, buffaloes, cows and dogs were lying all around waiting to be disposed off. The villagers have experienced the vagaries of nature earlier. “Every year we are faced with floods but the damage was not as severe as this time,” said Akhtar Ali who lost seven cattle in the floods. He said the disastrous flood had destroyed standing crops in the village, leaving farmers wondering how they would sustain in the months to come.
Pointing towards a carcass lying in mud, Fazal Ghafoor, an elderly man said: “I have lost eleven cattle including cow, buffaloes and sheep. I lost everything.”
“Our maize and sugarcane crops have been ruined. People have been left with nothing,” he said, adding that the authorities and the elected representatives did not pay a single visit to the village.
They were critical of their elected representatives from the ruling Awami National Party (ANP). They recalled the assistance provided to them by Pakistan People’s Party-Sherpao leader and a former member of the provincial assembly, Alamzeb Umarzai, who was recently assassinated.
“On the day of floods all the people were remembering Alamzeb who stood with us during previous floods and monitored the rescue and relief activities,” said another villager Asad.
Sher Ali, a social worker from the nearby Miangan village who had come to distribute rice among the villagers, said the people were in dire need of food and drinking water and they wanted the government to remove the carcasses.
Trekking through the muddy swamps barefooted, Hussain Shah along with his sons aged three and eight told this scribe that he had shifted to his relatives’ home as his home had been destroyed. “I have decided to shift from this village as I lost everything. I do not want to live here anymore,” he said.
Ali Hassan, a farmer, was busy removing mud from his home. His four brothers were also helping him in washing their daily use items. Pointing towards a refrigerator, he said: “Look at the mud on it. For the last three days we are trying to clean our home but still a lot needs to be done.” Showing the cracked walls of his rooms, he said how they could live in this house.
The villagers asked the government to provide them tents so that they could shift their families to the village and also make immediate arrangements for removal of carcasses from the village.
When contacted, Shakeel Bashir Umarzai, the provincial assembly member from the area, said he was aware of the situation and the provincial and the district governments were trying hard to help the affected people.
He said Shabara village was one of the worst affected, adding that he had distributed 180 tents in the village which certainly were not sufficient for its large population.
The lawmaker, belonging to the ruling ANP, said he had received 2,400 tents for his entire constituency and only Shabara village needed more than 2,000 tents. “We have discussed the disposal of the carcasses with the district coordination officer and officials of C&W Department and removal of the dead animals will start soon,” he said.
Nine days after the floods, hundreds of rotting carcasses were lying in the fields and posing a serious threat to public health. The village, one of the worst affected in Charsadda, wore a deserted look and a few men were busy in removing mud from their homes.
“All the people have left the village and have shifted to nearby relief camps or to their relatives’ homes. We cannot bring our families back as hundreds of the dead animals are spread everywhere and we fear our children will contract diseases,” said Akhtar Ali, a villager in Shabara.
The stench of the carcasses was intolerable and it was difficult to stay there. The carcasses of goats, sheep, buffaloes, cows and dogs were lying all around waiting to be disposed off. The villagers have experienced the vagaries of nature earlier. “Every year we are faced with floods but the damage was not as severe as this time,” said Akhtar Ali who lost seven cattle in the floods. He said the disastrous flood had destroyed standing crops in the village, leaving farmers wondering how they would sustain in the months to come.
Pointing towards a carcass lying in mud, Fazal Ghafoor, an elderly man said: “I have lost eleven cattle including cow, buffaloes and sheep. I lost everything.”
“Our maize and sugarcane crops have been ruined. People have been left with nothing,” he said, adding that the authorities and the elected representatives did not pay a single visit to the village.
They were critical of their elected representatives from the ruling Awami National Party (ANP). They recalled the assistance provided to them by Pakistan People’s Party-Sherpao leader and a former member of the provincial assembly, Alamzeb Umarzai, who was recently assassinated.
“On the day of floods all the people were remembering Alamzeb who stood with us during previous floods and monitored the rescue and relief activities,” said another villager Asad.
Sher Ali, a social worker from the nearby Miangan village who had come to distribute rice among the villagers, said the people were in dire need of food and drinking water and they wanted the government to remove the carcasses.
Trekking through the muddy swamps barefooted, Hussain Shah along with his sons aged three and eight told this scribe that he had shifted to his relatives’ home as his home had been destroyed. “I have decided to shift from this village as I lost everything. I do not want to live here anymore,” he said.
Ali Hassan, a farmer, was busy removing mud from his home. His four brothers were also helping him in washing their daily use items. Pointing towards a refrigerator, he said: “Look at the mud on it. For the last three days we are trying to clean our home but still a lot needs to be done.” Showing the cracked walls of his rooms, he said how they could live in this house.
The villagers asked the government to provide them tents so that they could shift their families to the village and also make immediate arrangements for removal of carcasses from the village.
When contacted, Shakeel Bashir Umarzai, the provincial assembly member from the area, said he was aware of the situation and the provincial and the district governments were trying hard to help the affected people.
He said Shabara village was one of the worst affected, adding that he had distributed 180 tents in the village which certainly were not sufficient for its large population.
The lawmaker, belonging to the ruling ANP, said he had received 2,400 tents for his entire constituency and only Shabara village needed more than 2,000 tents. “We have discussed the disposal of the carcasses with the district coordination officer and officials of C&W Department and removal of the dead animals will start soon,” he said.
Flood-hit Shabara village one of the worst affected
CHARSADDA: Sadness was writ large on the faces of inhabitants of Shabara village in Charsadda district as rubble of mud-houses, destroyed crops and hundreds of livestock carcasses gave the picture of devastation and destruction caused by the recent floods.
Nine days after the floods, hundreds of rotting carcasses were lying in the fields and posing a serious threat to public health. The village, one of the worst affected in Charsadda, wore a deserted look and a few men were busy in removing mud from their homes.
“All the people have left the village and have shifted to nearby relief camps or to their relatives’ homes. We cannot bring our families back as hundreds of the dead animals are spread everywhere and we fear our children will contract diseases,” said Akhtar Ali, a villager in Shabara.
The stench of the carcasses was intolerable and it was difficult to stay there. The carcasses of goats, sheep, buffaloes, cows and dogs were lying all around waiting to be disposed off. The villagers have experienced the vagaries of nature earlier. “Every year we are faced with floods but the damage was not as severe as this time,” said Akhtar Ali who lost seven cattle in the floods. He said the disastrous flood had destroyed standing crops in the village, leaving farmers wondering how they would sustain in the months to come.
Pointing towards a carcass lying in mud, Fazal Ghafoor, an elderly man said: “I have lost eleven cattle including cow, buffaloes and sheep. I lost everything.”
“Our maize and sugarcane crops have been ruined. People have been left with nothing,” he said, adding that the authorities and the elected representatives did not pay a single visit to the village.
They were critical of their elected representatives from the ruling Awami National Party (ANP). They recalled the assistance provided to them by Pakistan People’s Party-Sherpao leader and a former member of the provincial assembly, Alamzeb Umarzai, who was recently assassinated.
“On the day of floods all the people were remembering Alamzeb who stood with us during previous floods and monitored the rescue and relief activities,” said another villager Asad.
Sher Ali, a social worker from the nearby Miangan village who had come to distribute rice among the villagers, said the people were in dire need of food and drinking water and they wanted the government to remove the carcasses.
Trekking through the muddy swamps barefooted, Hussain Shah along with his sons aged three and eight told this scribe that he had shifted to his relatives’ home as his home had been destroyed. “I have decided to shift from this village as I lost everything. I do not want to live here anymore,” he said.
Ali Hassan, a farmer, was busy removing mud from his home. His four brothers were also helping him in washing their daily use items. Pointing towards a refrigerator, he said: “Look at the mud on it. For the last three days we are trying to clean our home but still a lot needs to be done.” Showing the cracked walls of his rooms, he said how they could live in this house.
The villagers asked the government to provide them tents so that they could shift their families to the village and also make immediate arrangements for removal of carcasses from the village.
When contacted, Shakeel Bashir Umarzai, the provincial assembly member from the area, said he was aware of the situation and the provincial and the district governments were trying hard to help the affected people.
He said Shabara village was one of the worst affected, adding that he had distributed 180 tents in the village which certainly were not sufficient for its large population.
The lawmaker, belonging to the ruling ANP, said he had received 2,400 tents for his entire constituency and only Shabara village needed more than 2,000 tents. “We have discussed the disposal of the carcasses with the district coordination officer and officials of C&W Department and removal of the dead animals will start soon,” he said.
Nine days after the floods, hundreds of rotting carcasses were lying in the fields and posing a serious threat to public health. The village, one of the worst affected in Charsadda, wore a deserted look and a few men were busy in removing mud from their homes.
“All the people have left the village and have shifted to nearby relief camps or to their relatives’ homes. We cannot bring our families back as hundreds of the dead animals are spread everywhere and we fear our children will contract diseases,” said Akhtar Ali, a villager in Shabara.
The stench of the carcasses was intolerable and it was difficult to stay there. The carcasses of goats, sheep, buffaloes, cows and dogs were lying all around waiting to be disposed off. The villagers have experienced the vagaries of nature earlier. “Every year we are faced with floods but the damage was not as severe as this time,” said Akhtar Ali who lost seven cattle in the floods. He said the disastrous flood had destroyed standing crops in the village, leaving farmers wondering how they would sustain in the months to come.
Pointing towards a carcass lying in mud, Fazal Ghafoor, an elderly man said: “I have lost eleven cattle including cow, buffaloes and sheep. I lost everything.”
“Our maize and sugarcane crops have been ruined. People have been left with nothing,” he said, adding that the authorities and the elected representatives did not pay a single visit to the village.
They were critical of their elected representatives from the ruling Awami National Party (ANP). They recalled the assistance provided to them by Pakistan People’s Party-Sherpao leader and a former member of the provincial assembly, Alamzeb Umarzai, who was recently assassinated.
“On the day of floods all the people were remembering Alamzeb who stood with us during previous floods and monitored the rescue and relief activities,” said another villager Asad.
Sher Ali, a social worker from the nearby Miangan village who had come to distribute rice among the villagers, said the people were in dire need of food and drinking water and they wanted the government to remove the carcasses.
Trekking through the muddy swamps barefooted, Hussain Shah along with his sons aged three and eight told this scribe that he had shifted to his relatives’ home as his home had been destroyed. “I have decided to shift from this village as I lost everything. I do not want to live here anymore,” he said.
Ali Hassan, a farmer, was busy removing mud from his home. His four brothers were also helping him in washing their daily use items. Pointing towards a refrigerator, he said: “Look at the mud on it. For the last three days we are trying to clean our home but still a lot needs to be done.” Showing the cracked walls of his rooms, he said how they could live in this house.
The villagers asked the government to provide them tents so that they could shift their families to the village and also make immediate arrangements for removal of carcasses from the village.
When contacted, Shakeel Bashir Umarzai, the provincial assembly member from the area, said he was aware of the situation and the provincial and the district governments were trying hard to help the affected people.
He said Shabara village was one of the worst affected, adding that he had distributed 180 tents in the village which certainly were not sufficient for its large population.
The lawmaker, belonging to the ruling ANP, said he had received 2,400 tents for his entire constituency and only Shabara village needed more than 2,000 tents. “We have discussed the disposal of the carcasses with the district coordination officer and officials of C&W Department and removal of the dead animals will start soon,” he said.
Zardari will return to a nation ready to vent anger
Critics of Pakistan's president intensified their attacks yesterday as his most high-profile appearance in Britain coincided with warnings that his country's unprecedented floods are set to worsen as fresh downpours inundate disaster areas.
As authorities increased their estimate of the number of people affected to 12 million, opponents warned that Asif Ali Zardari would be met by a wave of resentment on his return. He was accused of abandoning the suffering of the country to fly to Europe while rescuers struggled to cope with a disaster that has left 1,600 dead. Mr Zardari, meanwhile, has been seen meeting France's President Nicolas Sarkozy, flying to his family's chateau in Normandy, and meeting David Cameron at Chequers.
The disaster has overwhelmed rescue efforts, even as foreign aid has arrived, and has capped a grim week for the country. Scores were slain in targeted killings in Karachi and doubts have deepened about Mr Zardari's leadership.Aggrieved national pride was not likely to be salved by the two leaders' joint appearance yesterday. Mr Zardari opted to emphasise longstanding ties between Britain and Pakistan and play down the controversy over Mr Cameron's accusations that Pakistan is "looking both ways" when it comes to the export of terrorism. "It's a friendship which will never break, no matter what happens," Mr Zardari said, echoing Mr Cameron's remarks as he stood beside him.However, his comments that "storms will come and storms will go" are being attributed to an insensitive decision to understate the scale of the tragedy that is engulfing Pakistan.
"When he returns to Pakistan, there's going to be a river of resentment brimming over, just as high as his brimming smile," said Ayesha Tammy Haq, a columnist and talk show host.
"Asif Zardari is his own worst enemy," said Khwaja Asif, a leading opposition parliamentarian. "Whatever he's done in Europe is in poor taste. He should have [considered] the sensitivities of the people of Pakistan."
During Mr Zardari's absence, not only has the flood spread southwards – people have been evacuating the southern Sindh province for several days and further rains are expected there – but violence in Karachi, Pakistan's largest city and commercial hub, is the worst for a decade.
An unrelenting series of revenge killings continues days after they were sparked by the assassination of a Shia member of the provincial legislature. The government believes that the Sipah-e-Sahaba, an outlawed militant outfit notorious for its virulent sectarianism, was behind the murder. The Sipah-e-Sahaba has been working closely with the Pakistani Taliban in recent years.
Five more people were gunned down in Karachi yesterday, bringing the death toll to 81. Factories and markets had only just reopened after a four-day shutdown that resulted in an estimated loss of $234m (£147m), analysts said.
The Prime Minister, Yousaf Raza Gilani, flew to Karachi yesterday in an attempt to ease tensions among rival ethnic and political factions. Members of the ruling Pakistan People's Party, the majority-immigrant MQM, and the majority-Pashtun Awami National Party have died. All three parties happen to be coalition partners in the national government.
As authorities increased their estimate of the number of people affected to 12 million, opponents warned that Asif Ali Zardari would be met by a wave of resentment on his return. He was accused of abandoning the suffering of the country to fly to Europe while rescuers struggled to cope with a disaster that has left 1,600 dead. Mr Zardari, meanwhile, has been seen meeting France's President Nicolas Sarkozy, flying to his family's chateau in Normandy, and meeting David Cameron at Chequers.
The disaster has overwhelmed rescue efforts, even as foreign aid has arrived, and has capped a grim week for the country. Scores were slain in targeted killings in Karachi and doubts have deepened about Mr Zardari's leadership.Aggrieved national pride was not likely to be salved by the two leaders' joint appearance yesterday. Mr Zardari opted to emphasise longstanding ties between Britain and Pakistan and play down the controversy over Mr Cameron's accusations that Pakistan is "looking both ways" when it comes to the export of terrorism. "It's a friendship which will never break, no matter what happens," Mr Zardari said, echoing Mr Cameron's remarks as he stood beside him.However, his comments that "storms will come and storms will go" are being attributed to an insensitive decision to understate the scale of the tragedy that is engulfing Pakistan.
"When he returns to Pakistan, there's going to be a river of resentment brimming over, just as high as his brimming smile," said Ayesha Tammy Haq, a columnist and talk show host.
"Asif Zardari is his own worst enemy," said Khwaja Asif, a leading opposition parliamentarian. "Whatever he's done in Europe is in poor taste. He should have [considered] the sensitivities of the people of Pakistan."
During Mr Zardari's absence, not only has the flood spread southwards – people have been evacuating the southern Sindh province for several days and further rains are expected there – but violence in Karachi, Pakistan's largest city and commercial hub, is the worst for a decade.
An unrelenting series of revenge killings continues days after they were sparked by the assassination of a Shia member of the provincial legislature. The government believes that the Sipah-e-Sahaba, an outlawed militant outfit notorious for its virulent sectarianism, was behind the murder. The Sipah-e-Sahaba has been working closely with the Pakistani Taliban in recent years.
Five more people were gunned down in Karachi yesterday, bringing the death toll to 81. Factories and markets had only just reopened after a four-day shutdown that resulted in an estimated loss of $234m (£147m), analysts said.
The Prime Minister, Yousaf Raza Gilani, flew to Karachi yesterday in an attempt to ease tensions among rival ethnic and political factions. Members of the ruling Pakistan People's Party, the majority-immigrant MQM, and the majority-Pashtun Awami National Party have died. All three parties happen to be coalition partners in the national government.
Pakistanis desperate to escape flood areas
Pakistanis desperate to get out of flooded villages threw themselves at helicopters on Saturday as more heavy rain was expected to intensify both suffering and anger with the government.
President Asif Ali Zardari may have made the biggest political mistake of his career by leaving for Paris and London during the worst floods in 80 years.
More than 1,600 people have been killed and 12 million affected. Pakistan's agriculture-based economy, heavily dependent on foreign aid, has suffered a major blow.
Heavy rains are expected to lash the country in the next day, especially flood-affected areas, raising the prospect that more houses and crops will be swept away.
In the town of Muzaffargarh, near where rivers bloated with rain from as far away as Afghanistan and India merge with the Indus to flow south to the sea, army helicopters dropped packets of rice to people who had moved to higher ground to a cemetery.
Some latched on to helicopter skids as the aircraft took off. One elderly man fought his way inside one of them. He looked down and wept.
Districts in southern Sindh province were on high alert on Saturday as the water suged down the Indus river basin.
The floods have roared down from the north to the agricultural heartland of Punjab to Sindh along a trail more than 1,000 km (620 miles) long. Considerable damage was expected in mainly rural areas in Sindh.
At least four districts in Sindh were on high alert, said the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. U.N. officials said more than half a million people had been evacuated in Sindh, where those in low-lying areas near the Indus are most vulnerable.
Flooding was also taking a toll over the border in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, where rain was hampering rescue and relief efforts. Flash floods have killed at least 113 people in the Himalayan region of Ladakh.
Zardari rejected harsh criticism over his decision to leave, telling the BBC that Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani was dealing with the crisis and keeping him posted on developments.
On Saturday, the president was to address Britain's Pakistani community after talks with Prime Minister David Cameron in which the two leaders agreed to do more to fight Islamist militancy.
NO ARMY TAKEOVER EXPECTED
Many Pakistanis were already critical of Zardari's leadership of a country where militants still pose a security threat despite offensives, poverty is widespread and corruption is rampant.
Although Zardari this year handed most of his powers to Gilani, he still wields influence, and his departure to Europe as parts of the country were submerged eroded more faith in the government.
The military, with which Zardari has had differences, has ruled Pakistan for more than half of its history. It has spearheaded relief efforts, reinforcing the view that civilian governments cannot handle major crises.
But analysts do not expect the army to make a grab for power.
It would rather play a behind the scenes role while the government takes the heat for the country's failures. The military also remains too preoccupied with Taliban insurgents to orchestrate a takeover.
Key ally Washington would not want to see an unstable Pakistan as it leans on the country to help its campaign against Taliban militants in neighbouring Afghanistan.
Gilani, addressing the nation on Friday for the first time since the floods struck, described the loss of human life and infrastructure as "colossal" and appealed for international aid.
Food supplies are becoming a serious issue. In many areas, drinking water wells are also full of mud.
"Our houses have been fully submerged. I kept putting my kid's toys in higher places in my house to protect them from water," said Rana Abdul Razzak, an engineer at a power station where about 100 flood victims had taken refuge on a roof.
"But I lost everything. I cannot tell you how bad it was to see those toys floating in the water."
President Asif Ali Zardari may have made the biggest political mistake of his career by leaving for Paris and London during the worst floods in 80 years.
More than 1,600 people have been killed and 12 million affected. Pakistan's agriculture-based economy, heavily dependent on foreign aid, has suffered a major blow.
Heavy rains are expected to lash the country in the next day, especially flood-affected areas, raising the prospect that more houses and crops will be swept away.
In the town of Muzaffargarh, near where rivers bloated with rain from as far away as Afghanistan and India merge with the Indus to flow south to the sea, army helicopters dropped packets of rice to people who had moved to higher ground to a cemetery.
Some latched on to helicopter skids as the aircraft took off. One elderly man fought his way inside one of them. He looked down and wept.
Districts in southern Sindh province were on high alert on Saturday as the water suged down the Indus river basin.
The floods have roared down from the north to the agricultural heartland of Punjab to Sindh along a trail more than 1,000 km (620 miles) long. Considerable damage was expected in mainly rural areas in Sindh.
At least four districts in Sindh were on high alert, said the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. U.N. officials said more than half a million people had been evacuated in Sindh, where those in low-lying areas near the Indus are most vulnerable.
Flooding was also taking a toll over the border in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, where rain was hampering rescue and relief efforts. Flash floods have killed at least 113 people in the Himalayan region of Ladakh.
Zardari rejected harsh criticism over his decision to leave, telling the BBC that Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani was dealing with the crisis and keeping him posted on developments.
On Saturday, the president was to address Britain's Pakistani community after talks with Prime Minister David Cameron in which the two leaders agreed to do more to fight Islamist militancy.
NO ARMY TAKEOVER EXPECTED
Many Pakistanis were already critical of Zardari's leadership of a country where militants still pose a security threat despite offensives, poverty is widespread and corruption is rampant.
Although Zardari this year handed most of his powers to Gilani, he still wields influence, and his departure to Europe as parts of the country were submerged eroded more faith in the government.
The military, with which Zardari has had differences, has ruled Pakistan for more than half of its history. It has spearheaded relief efforts, reinforcing the view that civilian governments cannot handle major crises.
But analysts do not expect the army to make a grab for power.
It would rather play a behind the scenes role while the government takes the heat for the country's failures. The military also remains too preoccupied with Taliban insurgents to orchestrate a takeover.
Key ally Washington would not want to see an unstable Pakistan as it leans on the country to help its campaign against Taliban militants in neighbouring Afghanistan.
Gilani, addressing the nation on Friday for the first time since the floods struck, described the loss of human life and infrastructure as "colossal" and appealed for international aid.
Food supplies are becoming a serious issue. In many areas, drinking water wells are also full of mud.
"Our houses have been fully submerged. I kept putting my kid's toys in higher places in my house to protect them from water," said Rana Abdul Razzak, an engineer at a power station where about 100 flood victims had taken refuge on a roof.
"But I lost everything. I cannot tell you how bad it was to see those toys floating in the water."
Friday, August 6, 2010
Pakistan Floods,Thousands Still Stranded.
Multisource political news, world news, and entertainment news analysis by Newsy.com
For Pakistan, it’s the worst flooding in living memory. The United Nations estimates more than 1 million people have been affected by the surging waters. On Sunday, Pakistan officials said more than 1,000 people were killed in the disaster — and that number is expected to rise, emergency workers admit they’re struggling. A BBC reporter explains.“They’re saying they don’t have all the equipment they need to get the sheer number of people who are stranded. We’re talking about an estimated 400,000 people who have been displaced. Many of whom are stuck in areas where communication links have been cut off”
Bilawal Bhutto cancels his launch speech on Aug 7
Chairman of the PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari dramatically declared last night that he would not address the Birmingham rally on Saturday, August 07, putting cold water on the plans that he would be launched as the party chief and adding a new sense of drama to the countrywide campaign against President Zardari.
In a dramatic climbdown, the 21-year-old son of Benazir said that he would continue with his studies and wanted to stay away from the media. The move comes as a humiliation to the party mandarins who were preparing for weeks for his grand entry into politics.
The press release by Bilawal Bhutto, the party chairman who shares the party portfolio with his father, the president, puts him at odd with the party leaders who were betting on him all along.
Through the High Commission of Pakistan, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the Oxford graduate, said that he would not even be attending the event and instead “I will be opening a donation point at the Pakistani High Commission in London for victims of the terrible floods which have ravaged northern Pakistan.”
He said, “As for my future plans, I intend to continue my education, both academic and political. I am currently looking into the possibilities of studying law, just as my grandfather Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto did. I feel that an understanding of law and an appreciation for the rule of law is important for any politician seeking to strengthen democracy in Pakistan”.
I have been inundated with requests from the British media for interviews. Following my mother’s assassination, the press had kindly agreed to allow me to continue with my education without being disturbed, he said.
He said, “I hope this courtesy will be extended until I complete my further education as well. I do look forward to working with the media, the international community and most importantly the people of Pakistan in the future to achieve our shared goals of strengthening democracy in Pakistan and combating the forces of extremism that robbed me of my mother and threaten the world today.”
In a dramatic climbdown, the 21-year-old son of Benazir said that he would continue with his studies and wanted to stay away from the media. The move comes as a humiliation to the party mandarins who were preparing for weeks for his grand entry into politics.
The press release by Bilawal Bhutto, the party chairman who shares the party portfolio with his father, the president, puts him at odd with the party leaders who were betting on him all along.
Through the High Commission of Pakistan, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the Oxford graduate, said that he would not even be attending the event and instead “I will be opening a donation point at the Pakistani High Commission in London for victims of the terrible floods which have ravaged northern Pakistan.”
He said, “As for my future plans, I intend to continue my education, both academic and political. I am currently looking into the possibilities of studying law, just as my grandfather Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto did. I feel that an understanding of law and an appreciation for the rule of law is important for any politician seeking to strengthen democracy in Pakistan”.
I have been inundated with requests from the British media for interviews. Following my mother’s assassination, the press had kindly agreed to allow me to continue with my education without being disturbed, he said.
He said, “I hope this courtesy will be extended until I complete my further education as well. I do look forward to working with the media, the international community and most importantly the people of Pakistan in the future to achieve our shared goals of strengthening democracy in Pakistan and combating the forces of extremism that robbed me of my mother and threaten the world today.”
Pakistan could face food shortage in wake of floods: economists
Pakistani economists have expressed apprehensions that flash flood could create food shortage in the country which has to double its efforts for meeting growing needs of the galloping population.
Currency Buying Selling
Euro 111.80 113.00
USD 85.70 86.00
Pound 135.00 136.20
YEN 0.9860 0.9960
AUSD 77.70 78.70
According to Radio Mashaal, they advised that more barren land should be used for cultivation to control this possible shortage of food.
Financial experts say that ongoing terrorism has already have had a very impact on the country's economy and the recent floods have destroyed thousand acres of farmlands which could cause shortage of food commodities in future.
Experts claimed that on one hand government is neglecting the development of agriculture sector and on the other smuggling of food items to Afghanistan were the reasons behind this shortage.
When Financial and Agriculture expert Dr. Shahid Hasan Sadique was questioned about the issue of possible food shortage in Pakistan, he said:" We are continuously warning the government that due to shortage of food items in future there will emerge a risk of possible anarchy in the country."
There are some reasons for this food shortage. According to the official estimates, the country has suffered a loss of twenty billion dollars, in the last two years, due to this ongoing war against terrorism, and this is almost ninety billion rupees per year which could affect supply of food items.
Secondly the IMF is giving Pakistan loans with strings, for example to increase the electricity charges, gas bills and to stop tariff on some other facilities is also the biggest reason. The third reason is that government is paying no attention to the development of agriculture sector.
The population has also increased twenty four per cent in the last ten years and agriculture product has increased only five percent.
On this question that Pakistan is an agricultural country and has one of the best irrigation systems then why it was importing food items from abroad. There are also many other reasons behind, one is water shortage to the farmer for cultivation, our thousands of acres land is barren and this must be developed for cultivation, third reason is that big farmers are of the opinion that due to food they will get more profit.
If government does not chalkout any strategy about then there is a possibility of food shortage and crisis in the country.
Currency Buying Selling
Euro 111.80 113.00
USD 85.70 86.00
Pound 135.00 136.20
YEN 0.9860 0.9960
AUSD 77.70 78.70
According to Radio Mashaal, they advised that more barren land should be used for cultivation to control this possible shortage of food.
Financial experts say that ongoing terrorism has already have had a very impact on the country's economy and the recent floods have destroyed thousand acres of farmlands which could cause shortage of food commodities in future.
Experts claimed that on one hand government is neglecting the development of agriculture sector and on the other smuggling of food items to Afghanistan were the reasons behind this shortage.
When Financial and Agriculture expert Dr. Shahid Hasan Sadique was questioned about the issue of possible food shortage in Pakistan, he said:" We are continuously warning the government that due to shortage of food items in future there will emerge a risk of possible anarchy in the country."
There are some reasons for this food shortage. According to the official estimates, the country has suffered a loss of twenty billion dollars, in the last two years, due to this ongoing war against terrorism, and this is almost ninety billion rupees per year which could affect supply of food items.
Secondly the IMF is giving Pakistan loans with strings, for example to increase the electricity charges, gas bills and to stop tariff on some other facilities is also the biggest reason. The third reason is that government is paying no attention to the development of agriculture sector.
The population has also increased twenty four per cent in the last ten years and agriculture product has increased only five percent.
On this question that Pakistan is an agricultural country and has one of the best irrigation systems then why it was importing food items from abroad. There are also many other reasons behind, one is water shortage to the farmer for cultivation, our thousands of acres land is barren and this must be developed for cultivation, third reason is that big farmers are of the opinion that due to food they will get more profit.
If government does not chalkout any strategy about then there is a possibility of food shortage and crisis in the country.
Floods affect 4.5 million people across the country: UN
Devastating floods across the country have affected an estimated 4.5 million people, United Nations officials said on Friday, as relief workers warned that aid needs were ‘absolutely daunting’.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimates globally that 4.5 million people have been affected by the flooding, said UN spokeswoman Elena Ponomareva, marking an increase of some 300,000 in a day.
Citing estimates from Pakistani authorities, UN relief agencies said an estimated 252,000 homes have been destroyed as relentless monsoon rains continue and flood water roll southwards through some of the poorest parts of the country.
As we're hearing, the scale of the needs is absolutely daunting, said Melissa Fleming, a spokeswoman for the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimates globally that 4.5 million people have been affected by the flooding, said UN spokeswoman Elena Ponomareva, marking an increase of some 300,000 in a day.
Citing estimates from Pakistani authorities, UN relief agencies said an estimated 252,000 homes have been destroyed as relentless monsoon rains continue and flood water roll southwards through some of the poorest parts of the country.
As we're hearing, the scale of the needs is absolutely daunting, said Melissa Fleming, a spokeswoman for the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
Obama raises nearly $1 million for Giannoulias
President Barack Obama sought to help U.S. Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias on two fronts Thursday, raising much-needed campaign cash and reassuring voters that the Democrat is a trusted ally who can be counted on to help advance a progressive agenda.
The nearly $1 million fundraising event at the Palmer House Hilton highlighted a quick visit by Obama back home to Chicago that also included a tour of a Southeast Side Ford plant and a 49th birthday dinner Wednesday night with friends including Oprah Winfrey.
Speaking Thursday afternoon to more than 400 donors, Obama and Giannoulias each sought to label November's mid-term elections as a stark choice for the public between the economic policies of the previous Bush administration and efforts by the Democratic White House — admittedly not always popular — to reverse the recession.
"Alexi is my friend. I know his character. I know how much he loves this country. I know how committed he is to public service for all the right reasons," the president said. "I appreciate his strong sense of advocacy for ordinary Americans. He's not doing this to help the lobbyists. He's not doing it to help special interests."
Though Obama and Giannoulias have a long history, their relationship had been strained over the Senate contest. In 2004, Giannoulias helped introduce Obama to the city's Greek community and donors when Obama won the U.S. Senate seat Giannoulias is now seeking. Two years later, Obama repaid the favor by endorsing Giannoulias for state treasurer over the Democratic organization-backed candidate. But last year, the White House was actively trying to recruit a sure-win Senate candidate despite Giannoulias' early entry into the contest.
Obama's fundraising appearance came at a critical time for Giannoulias. The treasurer's political viability had been questioned until his Republican Senate opponent, five-term North Shore U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk, stumbled badly when it came out that he had embellished and misstated his Naval Reserve record and personal history. Even with those problems, Kirk entered the final months of the campaign with nearly $4 million to spend while Giannoulias had about $1 million.
The nearly $1 million fundraising event at the Palmer House Hilton highlighted a quick visit by Obama back home to Chicago that also included a tour of a Southeast Side Ford plant and a 49th birthday dinner Wednesday night with friends including Oprah Winfrey.
Speaking Thursday afternoon to more than 400 donors, Obama and Giannoulias each sought to label November's mid-term elections as a stark choice for the public between the economic policies of the previous Bush administration and efforts by the Democratic White House — admittedly not always popular — to reverse the recession.
"Alexi is my friend. I know his character. I know how much he loves this country. I know how committed he is to public service for all the right reasons," the president said. "I appreciate his strong sense of advocacy for ordinary Americans. He's not doing this to help the lobbyists. He's not doing it to help special interests."
Though Obama and Giannoulias have a long history, their relationship had been strained over the Senate contest. In 2004, Giannoulias helped introduce Obama to the city's Greek community and donors when Obama won the U.S. Senate seat Giannoulias is now seeking. Two years later, Obama repaid the favor by endorsing Giannoulias for state treasurer over the Democratic organization-backed candidate. But last year, the White House was actively trying to recruit a sure-win Senate candidate despite Giannoulias' early entry into the contest.
Obama's fundraising appearance came at a critical time for Giannoulias. The treasurer's political viability had been questioned until his Republican Senate opponent, five-term North Shore U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk, stumbled badly when it came out that he had embellished and misstated his Naval Reserve record and personal history. Even with those problems, Kirk entered the final months of the campaign with nearly $4 million to spend while Giannoulias had about $1 million.
Kagan to Take Supreme Court Oath Saturday
After being confirmed by the Senate with a 63-37 vote yesterday, Elena Kagan is taking no time to rest before being sworn in as the country's 112th Supreme Court justice.Kagan will take her oath tomorrow to become an associate justice. Chief Justice John Roberts will administer the constitutional oath during a private ceremony, and then administer the judicial oath in public.This will mark the first time three women serve at the same time. Kagan will join Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg for the fall term, starting in October. She is also the only current justice with no experience as a judge, which was a point of contention during her confirmation process.Kagan has already recused herself from hearing several Supreme Court cases in which she was involved previously. As Solicitor General, she acted as the chief lawyer for the Obama administration, which included her involvement in several high-profile cases to be heard in the fall term.
But before any cases are heard, she gets to party. Obama invited her to the White House for a celebration today.
U.S. Attends Hiroshima Ceremony
The United States ambassador participated for the first time on Friday in an annual ceremony to mark the anniversary of the atomic bombing here in World War II, raising hopes that President Obama may soon follow.
With the mournful gonging of a Buddhist temple bell and the release of doves, a crowd of 55,000 solemnly marked the moment 65 years ago when the world’s first atomic attack incinerated this city under a towering mushroom cloud.
During the ceremony, Hiroshima’s mayor welcomed the ambassador, John Roos, and praised President Obama as one of the world leaders who “wielded their powerful influence” to rid the world of nuclear weapons.
During the solemn ceremony at the city’s peace park within sight of the iconic Atomic Bomb Dome, other speakers also praised Mr. Obama’s call last year in Prague for a denuclearized world.
“We greet this August 6 with re-energized determination that no one else should ever have to suffer such horror,” said the mayor, Tadatoshi Akiba. “Clearly, the urgency of nuclear weapons abolition is permeating our global conscience.”
Mr. Roos did not speak at the ceremony, which included a minute of silence at 8:15, the moment the bomb detonated on a Sunday morning in 1945, killing more than 140,000 residents. In a statement issued by the American Embassy, Mr. Roos said, “we must continue to work together to realize a world without nuclear weapons.” While no one mentioned it during the ceremony, city officials have said they hoped Mr. Roos’s attendance would serve as a step toward a future visit by President Obama to Hiroshima, which along with Nagasaki has become a symbol of the horrors of nuclear war.
Mr. Akiba also praised the ambassadors of Britain and France and also the United Nations secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, all of whom also attended the ceremony for first time.
It is time to move from “ground zero to global zero,” Mr. Ban said in a speech, referring to the elimination of nuclear weapons. “For many of you, that day endures as vivid as the white light that seared the sky, as dark as the black rain that followed.”
With the mournful gonging of a Buddhist temple bell and the release of doves, a crowd of 55,000 solemnly marked the moment 65 years ago when the world’s first atomic attack incinerated this city under a towering mushroom cloud.
During the ceremony, Hiroshima’s mayor welcomed the ambassador, John Roos, and praised President Obama as one of the world leaders who “wielded their powerful influence” to rid the world of nuclear weapons.
During the solemn ceremony at the city’s peace park within sight of the iconic Atomic Bomb Dome, other speakers also praised Mr. Obama’s call last year in Prague for a denuclearized world.
“We greet this August 6 with re-energized determination that no one else should ever have to suffer such horror,” said the mayor, Tadatoshi Akiba. “Clearly, the urgency of nuclear weapons abolition is permeating our global conscience.”
Mr. Roos did not speak at the ceremony, which included a minute of silence at 8:15, the moment the bomb detonated on a Sunday morning in 1945, killing more than 140,000 residents. In a statement issued by the American Embassy, Mr. Roos said, “we must continue to work together to realize a world without nuclear weapons.” While no one mentioned it during the ceremony, city officials have said they hoped Mr. Roos’s attendance would serve as a step toward a future visit by President Obama to Hiroshima, which along with Nagasaki has become a symbol of the horrors of nuclear war.
Mr. Akiba also praised the ambassadors of Britain and France and also the United Nations secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, all of whom also attended the ceremony for first time.
It is time to move from “ground zero to global zero,” Mr. Ban said in a speech, referring to the elimination of nuclear weapons. “For many of you, that day endures as vivid as the white light that seared the sky, as dark as the black rain that followed.”
Asif Ali Zardari is fiddling while Pakistan drowns
Pakistan has had to endure more than its fair share of disasters, but even by its harsh standards, the floods that have driven millions of people from their homes, and killed at least 1,700, qualify as a tragedy.
In such circumstances, you might expect Asif Ali Zardari, the country's president, to abandon his European tour and return home at the earliest opportunity to assume personal control of the relief operation – such as it is. The military's failure to organise the evacuation has left entire communities stranded, while the authorities' wider inability to deal with the floods' aftermath has led to outbreaks of cholera in the Swat valley.And yet Mr Zardari displays no inclination to return home, even though David Cameron's injudicious comments about Pakistan's ambivalent approach to fighting terrorism provided him with the perfect excuse. His officials insist that he is leaving the crisis in the capable hands of his prime minister, Yousef Raza Gilani, while he presses on with his equally important diplomatic mission to France and Britain to discuss global security issues.
But the reality is that Mr Zardari has a very different agenda – which is why, after spending a convivial few days at his family's opulent chateau in northern France, he and his entourage have taken up residence in London's Churchill hotel. They will then travel to Chequers for talks with Mr Cameron, before concluding their visit with the highlight of the entire tour, at least as far as Mr Zardari is concerned – a massive rally in honour of his eldest son, Bilawal Zardari Bhutto.
Under Pakistan's constitution, Bilawal, who will be 22 next month and has just completed a history degree at Oxford University, is not allowed to run for office until he is 25. But ever since Benazir Bhutto was assassinated by a suicide bomber in the garrison town of Rawalpindi in December 2007, Mr Zardari, her husband, has been determined to ensure that Bilawal becomes the latest in a long line of Bhuttos to lead the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party.
The fortunes of the 700,000-strong Bhutto clan have fluctuated wildly since the PPP was founded by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Pakistan's first elected prime minister, in 1967. His government collapsed amid allegations of corruption in 1977, and he was hanged two years later under martial law. Benazir was only 24 at the time of her father's death. Initially, she was placed under house arrest, but in 1984 made her way to London, where she became the PPP's leader-in-exile.
She returned in triumph following the mysterious death in a helicopter crash of General Zia al-Haq, the country's military dictator, and fulfilled her life-long ambition of becoming prime minister in 1988. The previous year she had married Mr Zardari, the son of a wealthy tribal leader from Sindh. When she was forced out of office in 1990, Mr Zardari found himself at the centre of corruption allegations surrounding a variety of property deals.
Although Mr Zardari has always protested his innocence, he spent a total of 11 years in jail – many of them in solitary confinement. Even after his release, rumours swirled that he had acquired a fortune worth £1 billion, including homes in France and Britain. For years, Mr Zardari denied ownership of a 335-acre estate in Surrey, until his stake in the property was revealed when it was sold.
In the light of Mr Zardari's controversial past, it is unlikely that he would ever have become president had it not been for his wife's dramatic assassination. Even then, other factions within the family believed they had a better claim, including Mumtaz Bhutto, the 77-year-old clan leader who had previously opposed Benazir's accession.
To keep the rival factions at bay, Mr Zardari worked hard to safeguard the position of his eldest son. And it is to this end that, rather than returning home to rally his country in its hour of need, he will be attending Saturday's 3,000-strong rally in Birmingham, where Bilawal is to make his first political speech.
For the past two-and-a-half years, Mr Zardari, who shares the chairmanship of the PPP with his son, has effectively acted as a regent. Soon, he is expected to stand down as the PPP's co‑chairman, opening the way for Bilawal to become its undisputed leader.
The importance of Saturday's rally lies in the fact that the majority of the 1.2 million Pakistanis resident in Britain support the PPP, not least because it has always taken care to protect the interests of Britain's Pakistani immigrants, as well as taking a hard-line position on Kashmir. The British Government, for its part, has quietly lent its support because of the party's perceived pro-Western stance.
But beyond the power politics, Saturday's rally is a microcosm of the wider problem that afflicts Pakistan. By attending, Mr Zardari will help to secure the PPP's leadership for his son – yet in doing so, he will, like so many before him, be putting clan before country. And few in Pakistan will easily forget the image of their president's helicopter leaving the elegantly manicured lawns of his French villa at a time when millions of his countrymen have been deprived of homes of their own.
In such circumstances, you might expect Asif Ali Zardari, the country's president, to abandon his European tour and return home at the earliest opportunity to assume personal control of the relief operation – such as it is. The military's failure to organise the evacuation has left entire communities stranded, while the authorities' wider inability to deal with the floods' aftermath has led to outbreaks of cholera in the Swat valley.And yet Mr Zardari displays no inclination to return home, even though David Cameron's injudicious comments about Pakistan's ambivalent approach to fighting terrorism provided him with the perfect excuse. His officials insist that he is leaving the crisis in the capable hands of his prime minister, Yousef Raza Gilani, while he presses on with his equally important diplomatic mission to France and Britain to discuss global security issues.
But the reality is that Mr Zardari has a very different agenda – which is why, after spending a convivial few days at his family's opulent chateau in northern France, he and his entourage have taken up residence in London's Churchill hotel. They will then travel to Chequers for talks with Mr Cameron, before concluding their visit with the highlight of the entire tour, at least as far as Mr Zardari is concerned – a massive rally in honour of his eldest son, Bilawal Zardari Bhutto.
Under Pakistan's constitution, Bilawal, who will be 22 next month and has just completed a history degree at Oxford University, is not allowed to run for office until he is 25. But ever since Benazir Bhutto was assassinated by a suicide bomber in the garrison town of Rawalpindi in December 2007, Mr Zardari, her husband, has been determined to ensure that Bilawal becomes the latest in a long line of Bhuttos to lead the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party.
The fortunes of the 700,000-strong Bhutto clan have fluctuated wildly since the PPP was founded by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Pakistan's first elected prime minister, in 1967. His government collapsed amid allegations of corruption in 1977, and he was hanged two years later under martial law. Benazir was only 24 at the time of her father's death. Initially, she was placed under house arrest, but in 1984 made her way to London, where she became the PPP's leader-in-exile.
She returned in triumph following the mysterious death in a helicopter crash of General Zia al-Haq, the country's military dictator, and fulfilled her life-long ambition of becoming prime minister in 1988. The previous year she had married Mr Zardari, the son of a wealthy tribal leader from Sindh. When she was forced out of office in 1990, Mr Zardari found himself at the centre of corruption allegations surrounding a variety of property deals.
Although Mr Zardari has always protested his innocence, he spent a total of 11 years in jail – many of them in solitary confinement. Even after his release, rumours swirled that he had acquired a fortune worth £1 billion, including homes in France and Britain. For years, Mr Zardari denied ownership of a 335-acre estate in Surrey, until his stake in the property was revealed when it was sold.
In the light of Mr Zardari's controversial past, it is unlikely that he would ever have become president had it not been for his wife's dramatic assassination. Even then, other factions within the family believed they had a better claim, including Mumtaz Bhutto, the 77-year-old clan leader who had previously opposed Benazir's accession.
To keep the rival factions at bay, Mr Zardari worked hard to safeguard the position of his eldest son. And it is to this end that, rather than returning home to rally his country in its hour of need, he will be attending Saturday's 3,000-strong rally in Birmingham, where Bilawal is to make his first political speech.
For the past two-and-a-half years, Mr Zardari, who shares the chairmanship of the PPP with his son, has effectively acted as a regent. Soon, he is expected to stand down as the PPP's co‑chairman, opening the way for Bilawal to become its undisputed leader.
The importance of Saturday's rally lies in the fact that the majority of the 1.2 million Pakistanis resident in Britain support the PPP, not least because it has always taken care to protect the interests of Britain's Pakistani immigrants, as well as taking a hard-line position on Kashmir. The British Government, for its part, has quietly lent its support because of the party's perceived pro-Western stance.
But beyond the power politics, Saturday's rally is a microcosm of the wider problem that afflicts Pakistan. By attending, Mr Zardari will help to secure the PPP's leadership for his son – yet in doing so, he will, like so many before him, be putting clan before country. And few in Pakistan will easily forget the image of their president's helicopter leaving the elegantly manicured lawns of his French villa at a time when millions of his countrymen have been deprived of homes of their own.
Obama promotes trade at Ford plant
President Obama visits a Ford assembly plant in Chicago to highlight the potential of U.S. auto exports. Jon Decker reports.
Half million flee as more floods sweep Pakistani south
Pakistani authorities have evacuated more than half a million people in southern Sindh province, threatened by the worst floods in 80 years that have stoked popular anger at absent President Asif Ali Zardari.
Zardari may have made the costliest political mistake in his career by leaving for state visits in Europe at the height of the disaster which swallowed up entire villages, killed over 1,600 people and devastated the lives of millions.
Many Pakistanis were already critical of Zardari's leadership of a country where militants still pose a major security threat despite army offensives, poverty is widespread, little has been done to improve education and corruption is rampant.
Floods have already spread to Sindh but more raging waters threaten to inflict far worse suffering by Saturday.
"Monsoon rains continue to fall and at least 11 districts are at risk of flooding in Sindh, where more than 500,000 people have been relocated to safer places and evacuation still continues based on the Meteorological Department's alerts," said the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
While authorities have conducted evacuations they are struggling with relief efforts. Food supplies are becoming a serious issues in some areas and conditions are ripe for disease.
"THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT US"
"There have been constant rains which have aggravated the situation in the areas already struck by floods," said Saleh Farooqui, the director general of the provincial Disaster Management Authority.
"People had to leave their homes because of floods and they now also have to face problems because of rains."
Zardari, whose reputation is already tarnished by corruption allegations, is currently in Britain for a five-day visit. Prime Minister David Cameron invited him to dinner on Thursday at his Chequers official country residence.
Formal talks on Friday will focus on strengthening cooperation in countering terrorism.
"What else you do expect from these rulers. Our president prefers to go abroad rather than supervising the whole relief operation in such a crisis," said Ghulam Rasool, a resident of the flooded southern Sukkur town.
"They don't care about us. They have their own agendas and interests." The floods have so far ravaged the northwest and the agricultural heartland Punjab.
The military, which has ruled Pakistan for more than half of its history, has led flood relief efforts since state relief agencies don't have the resources to cope.
In a typical scene, army helicopters fly above roofs of houses to pluck people stuck there since entire villages were submerged. But there is only so much the military can do.
Across the country, many Pakistanis fend for themselves.
Many are out in the open and are likely to be displaced again, just like cattle-breeder Khair Mohammad.
"We don't have anything, no one has given us even a single penny," said Mohammad, standing under a rain that had not stopped all morning.
Some distance away, an elderly woman who fractured her leg while leaving her flooded house sat on a portable wooden bed, wondering, like so many others, if help will ever come.
In other flooded areas, some Pakistanis were living off a small amount of bread. Getting food is a huge challenge because roads have been destroyed, cutting off villages.
Horses, donkeys and mules may have to be used to try and reach villages, officials say.
Some of those who do have access to markets can't afford to buy food because shortages have driven prices higher.
Zardari may have made the costliest political mistake in his career by leaving for state visits in Europe at the height of the disaster which swallowed up entire villages, killed over 1,600 people and devastated the lives of millions.
Many Pakistanis were already critical of Zardari's leadership of a country where militants still pose a major security threat despite army offensives, poverty is widespread, little has been done to improve education and corruption is rampant.
Floods have already spread to Sindh but more raging waters threaten to inflict far worse suffering by Saturday.
"Monsoon rains continue to fall and at least 11 districts are at risk of flooding in Sindh, where more than 500,000 people have been relocated to safer places and evacuation still continues based on the Meteorological Department's alerts," said the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
While authorities have conducted evacuations they are struggling with relief efforts. Food supplies are becoming a serious issues in some areas and conditions are ripe for disease.
"THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT US"
"There have been constant rains which have aggravated the situation in the areas already struck by floods," said Saleh Farooqui, the director general of the provincial Disaster Management Authority.
"People had to leave their homes because of floods and they now also have to face problems because of rains."
Zardari, whose reputation is already tarnished by corruption allegations, is currently in Britain for a five-day visit. Prime Minister David Cameron invited him to dinner on Thursday at his Chequers official country residence.
Formal talks on Friday will focus on strengthening cooperation in countering terrorism.
"What else you do expect from these rulers. Our president prefers to go abroad rather than supervising the whole relief operation in such a crisis," said Ghulam Rasool, a resident of the flooded southern Sukkur town.
"They don't care about us. They have their own agendas and interests." The floods have so far ravaged the northwest and the agricultural heartland Punjab.
The military, which has ruled Pakistan for more than half of its history, has led flood relief efforts since state relief agencies don't have the resources to cope.
In a typical scene, army helicopters fly above roofs of houses to pluck people stuck there since entire villages were submerged. But there is only so much the military can do.
Across the country, many Pakistanis fend for themselves.
Many are out in the open and are likely to be displaced again, just like cattle-breeder Khair Mohammad.
"We don't have anything, no one has given us even a single penny," said Mohammad, standing under a rain that had not stopped all morning.
Some distance away, an elderly woman who fractured her leg while leaving her flooded house sat on a portable wooden bed, wondering, like so many others, if help will ever come.
In other flooded areas, some Pakistanis were living off a small amount of bread. Getting food is a huge challenge because roads have been destroyed, cutting off villages.
Horses, donkeys and mules may have to be used to try and reach villages, officials say.
Some of those who do have access to markets can't afford to buy food because shortages have driven prices higher.
Karzai suggests oversight of anti-corruption work
KABUL, Afghanistan – U.S. officials are waiting to see if the Afghan government will attempt to impede corruption probes of high-ranking officials — concern that comes as a new report issued in Washington questioned the Afghan administration's ability to fight graft and bribery that are undermining the war against the Taliban.
The possibility that Afghan President Hamid Karzai will place restraints on the operations of two anti-corruption units set up with help from U.S. law enforcement officials heightens already growing tension between the U.S. and the Afghan government, which is seeking more control over the billions of foreign dollars being poured in to foster reconstruction.
Corruption and a weak court system have undermined public trust in Karzai's government and its efforts to win the loyalty of many Afghans away from the Taliban.
Soon after a key Karzai adviser was arrested last week for allegedly taking a bribe, the Afghan president sought more oversight of the work of the two U.S.-backed anti-corruption units, the Major Crimes Task Force and the Sensitive Investigative Unit. The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation helps train employees of the two units who conduct corruption probes of high-level Afghan government officials and then feed cases to Afghan prosecutors.
Mohammad Zia Salehi, head of administration for the Afghan National Security Council, is accused of accepting a car in exchange for his help in exerting pressure on Afghan officials to ease off in another corruption case, said Fazel Ahmad Faqiryar, first deputy attorney general. He said the attorney general's office has wiretaps of Salehi discussing the vehicle.
Karzai gathered his top law enforcement and justice officials at the presidential palace Wednesday to hear from a panel he asked to monitor the work of the two units that made the arrest. A statement released by Karzai's office said that work done by the U.S.-based anti-corruption units, including the Major Crimes Task Force, should follow Afghan law and respect Afghan values and the national sovereignty of the nation.
"All the cases, which are being investigated and those cases that have been completed, should be reviewed by the delegation and the outcome of its assessment should be reported to Karzai's office," the statement said. "All the activities — arresting, investigation, questioning and detention — should be based on the principles and laws of the country and respect human rights."
That sparked concern among U.S. officials that Karzai was attempting to derail corruption probes of top officials in his government.
The president's office did not elaborate and little more detail about what Karzai might be planning was revealed at a news briefing Thursday by Afghan Attorney General Mohammad Ishaq Alako; Mohammad Yasin Usmani, director of the High Office of Oversight and Anti-Corruption, the office Karzai set up months ago to battle corruption; and others that Karzai asked to look into the issue.
They told reporters that the arrest of Salehi had nothing to do with Karzai's review of the units' work. "It was a coincidence," Usmani said.
U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said Washington viewed the arrest of Salehi and other ongoing investigations as evidence that the Afghan government was following through on pledges to fight corruption. Crowley said the U.S. did not see Karzai's intervention as problematic at this point, but that the U.S. was closely monitoring developments in the Salehi case as well as Karzai's decision to review the anti-corruption work being done by the investigative units.
Since 2002, the U.S. has appropriated more than $50 billion for reconstruction. The Obama administration has requested $20 billion more to help the Afghan government bolster the nation's security forces and improve governance.
The U.S. has agreed to channel more money through the Afghan government in coming years, but this is hinged on the government's ability to prevent waste, abuse, fraud and other forms of corruption.
"Fighting corruption continues to be a challenge," retired Marine Maj. Gen. Arnold Fields, special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction, said in a report released Thursday in Washington. "Afghan institutions must begin to play a more active role in fighting corruption and should be active participants in investigating corruption issues, but the Afghan institutions need to be strengthened to do this."
The 30-page report said corruption has tarnished the legitimacy of the Afghan government. The perception among Afghans and the international community that corruption lurks in the ranks of government officials is affecting the war strategy.
Tens of thousands of U.S. reinforcements are still streaming into the country to try to reverse the Taliban's momentum and give the government space to win the loyalty of citizens and expand its influence deeper into the countryside.
"The U.S. had made strengthening the Afghan government's capability to combat corruption a priority," the report said. "However, the majority of U.S. reconstruction assistance to Afghanistan has been provided without the benefit of an approved comprehensive U.S. anti-corruption strategy."
The report also said that while the Afghan government has established a number of anti-corruption institutions, "they lack independence, audit authority and capacity." According to the report, U.S. anti-corruption efforts in Afghanistan have provided relatively little assistance to some key Afghan oversight institutions.
Afghan government officials have pointed some blame at the international community for the corruption by criticizing the way foreign nations award contracts, which sometimes end up in the hands of politicians and powerbrokers.
Number of flood-affected people in KP soars to 4.2m
The number of flood-affected people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa soared to 4.2 million with reports of more destruction on Thursday.
Official death toll also reached 847 after the confirmation of 46 more casualties, while the number of villages destroyed across the province was reported as 468, rendering 720,608 people homeless, Provincial Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain told media here.
The minister said 100,110 houses had been destroyed and 56,695 houses partially damaged. Other figures of infrastructure destruction included 233 roads, 208 bridges, 169 educational institutions, 37 health facilities, 307 water supply schemes, 39 government buildings, 561 electricity transformers, 172 electric poles and five grid stations, he said, adding that the floods also killed 7,793 cattle heads and livestock and swept away crops on 26,737 acres of land.
Mian Iftikhar said the destruction figure was on the rise as more cases of human and material losses came to light daily as access was made to the affected areas. He said more relief camps had been established in government buildings, raising the number of camps to 385 in the province where more than 0.1 million people of 15,349 families have been accommodated.
About relief goods, he said 105,530 food packets, 86,000 blankets and 12,448 tents had so far been distributed among the affected people. He said that mobile teams of the Health Department were vaccinating the people in the affected districts like Peshawar, Charsadda, Nowshera, Mardan, DI Khan, Buner, Swat, Shangla, Kohistan and Dir Upper while in Peshawar alone 4,858 people had been provided healthcare facilities.
The minister said that 12 medical teams were working in Charsadda, four in Nowshera and 19 in DI Khan providing services in the affected areas along with Unicef and Red Crescent Society staff. He said that besides the district administrations, Pakistan Red Crescent Society, World Food Programme, Unicef and other welfare organisations were fully engaged in relief activities.
Admitting that many people were still waiting for relief, he said relief items were being sent where access was possible either through land route or by helicopters. He argued that the government could not be blamed if access was not possible to some places. He said the fumigation, animal vaccination and work on water supply restoration was also going on.
To a question about assistance from Islamic states, he said Saudi Arabia had sent 150 tents for which the government was thankful to the Kingdom. About grant from the federal government, he said that no grant had so far been released but the provincial government was hopeful that the Centre would look into the miseries of the people of the province and would contribute maximum possible amount.
The minister asked the countrymen, expatriate Pakistanis and the international community to extend help to the needy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He said flood damage in the province was 95 per cent of the damage that the entire country had faced due to floods.
Mian Iftikhar also thanked a Bangladesh-based NGO, Obrak, for distributing relief items among the affected in Lala Killay, Peshawar and said that the UN, the US and China had responded to the disaster so far and sent assistance. To a query, he said the provincial government had been releasing whatever amount the district administrations had demanded for relief.
The minister said the rehabilitation of roads and other infrastructure had been launched in the areas where weather conditions were improving. Many roads have been opened but dozens more were still closed and efforts were being made to restore communication system at the earliest, he said.
Pakistan’s Rupee Declines This Week After Violence in Karachi
Pakistan’s rupee headed for third weekly decline on speculation investors will shy away from the nation after violence in Karachi killed 76 people following the assassination of a government lawmaker.
Shootings between unidentified opponents ensued after Raza Haider was gunned down on Aug. 2, causing businesses to shut and prompting public transport owners to strike in protest. The currency dropped to a three-week low on Aug. 3, while the Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry estimated financial losses of 10 billion rupees ($117 million) over three days.
“The violence and strike will hurt investor sentiment even if it doesn’t have a direct impact on the currency,” said Khurram Schehzad, head of research at Invest Capital & Securities Ltd. in Karachi. “We will see the impact of violence in coming weeks as investors pull out funds.”
The rupee fell 0.1 percent this week to 85.76 against the dollar as of 8:38 a.m. in Karachi, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The currency reached 85.86 on Aug. 3, the lowest level since July 13, and has declined 1.7 percent so far this year.
The Karachi 100 Index of stocks dropped 1.6 percent this week, its worst five-day performance since June 11. The exchange closed an hour early on Aug. 3 due to the strike.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik accused a banned militant group, Sipah-e-Sahaba, of killing Haider as part of its campaign against members of the minority Shiite sect, according to the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan.
Flood relief flights grounded in Pakistan
Bad weather grounded helicopters carrying emergency supplies to Pakistan's flood-ravaged northwest Friday amid warnings the worst monsoon rains in decades would bring more destruction to a nation already reeling from Islamist violence.
U.S. military personnel waiting to fly Chinooks to the upper reaches of the hard-hit Swat Valley were frustrated by the storms, which dumped more rain on a region where many thousands are already living in tents or crammed into public buildings.
Over the last week, floods have spread from the northwest down Pakistan, killing around 1,500 people and affecting more than 3 million others. Much of the destruction has come from the mighty Indus River, which in better times irrigates vast swaths of farmland.
Some 30,000 Pakistan soldiers are rebuilding bridges, delivering food and setting up relief camps in the northwest, which is the main battleground in the fight against al-Qaida and the Taliban. Foreign countries and the United Nations have donated millions of dollars.
Also helping out are Islamist charities, including at least one with links to a banned militant organization.
The government has come under criticism for not doing enough, especially since President Asif Ali Zardari chose to go ahead with a trip to Europe at the height of the crisis.
Amal Masud, a spokeswoman for the National Disaster Management Authority, said all helicopters currently stationed in the northwest were grounded because of poor weather.
Saleh Farooqi, head of the Provincial Disaster Management Authority in southern Sindh province, said authorities had evacuated about 200,000 people from areas where floodwaters could hit, but many more were still living in the danger zone.
"About 500,000 people living near the Indus River do not realize the gravity of the situation, and they do not know how fast the water is rushing to their areas," he said.
River embankments were being strengthened and people evacuated from low-lying villages in the province's Sukkur district, regional Irrigation Minister Jam Saifullah Dharejo said.
About 85 U.S. military service people are taking part in the relief activities.
On Thursday, six helicopters picked up about 800 stranded people and dropped off emergency aid.
The United States is unpopular in Pakistan, and Washington is hoping the relief missions will help improve its image. But the missions could draw criticism from Islamist politicians and others in Pakistan who are hostile to the idea of American boots on the ground, even if they are helping after a disaster.
The U.S. military carried out larger operations in the aftermath of the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, as it did in predominantly Muslim Indonesia after the 2004 tsunami. Those missions were credited with boosting Washington's reputation there.
Cameron and Zardari holding talks at Chequers
Prime Minister David Cameron and President Zardari of Pakistan will try to patch up their differences during formal talks at Chequers later.
They will try to smooth tensions after the PM's recent comments that elements in Pakistan promoted terrorism.
On Thursday night, Mr Zardari was Mr Cameron's guest at a private dinner at the country residence.
Topics for discussion will include counter-terrorism co-operation, the Nato campaign in Afghanistan and trade.The prime minister caused anger in Pakistan last week when during a trip to India, he said elements in Pakistan should not be allowed to "promote the export of terror whether to India, whether to Afghanistan or to anywhere else in the world".
Mr Cameron continues to stand by his comments but Mr Zardari said he would personally challenge him over the remarks during his visit.
On Tuesday, Mr Zardari told French newspaper Le Monde the battle for the hearts and minds of ordinary Afghan people had already been lost.
He is also under intense pressure to show he can talk tough to the British prime minister and justify his absence from his country, at a time when devastating floods have caused a national tragedy.BBC diplomatic correspondent Bridget Kendall said it was unclear how far the leaders will be able to patch up their relationship.
But our correspondent added it was also in the interests of both leaders to show that collaboration between Britain and Pakistan on a range of issued has not been damaged by the row.
A Downing Street spokesman said: "It is an important opportunity to reinforce the strong links between the UK and Pakistan and continue to support stability, security, democracy and prosperity in Pakistan."
He added that the talks would cover the "full range of shared interests" that exist between the two countries.
On terrorism, the spokesman said: "The leaders are expected to discuss the threat, review on-going efforts, and explore what more can be done.
"The UK already has a significant programme of counter-terrorism assistance in Pakistan with Foreign Office counter-terrorism assistance rising to £9.5m in 2010/11."
The men would also discuss about the international response to the floods. The UK has already donated £5m through Unicef on top of £5m donated to the Pakistan Emergency Response Fund.
The spokesman added: "The PM and the President are likely to discuss how we can boost bilateral trade from its current levels of around £1bn of trade flows annually."
President Zardari has already held talks with three other ministers.
But no details have yet been released about those meetings - with Conservative Party chairman Baroness Warsi, Home Secretary Theresa May and Education Secretary Michael Gove.
Al-Qaeda in Pakistan is top threat, says US report
Al-Qaeda's leadership in Pakistan and its affiliates in Africa remain the biggest threats to US and its interests abroad, a US government report says.
The annual terrorism report states that al-Qaeda encountered setbacks in 2009 but has proved to be "resilient and adaptable".
Iran was said to be the most active "state sponsor" of terrorism, as with previous years.
But attacks globally fell to the lowest level in five years, it said.
The report identified Pakistan and Yemen as of particular risk and said al-Qaeda had been able to create proxy groups, and managed to recruit citizens in the US and Europe, for attacks across the world.
Al-Qaeda "has proven to be an adaptable and resilient terrorist group whose desire to attack the United States and U.S. interests abroad remains strong," it said.
But it added that the organisation had suffered a backlash after its members and allies had launched attacks on Muslims in a number of countries.
Fall in attacks
The report says that the failed 25 December bombing - in which a Nigerian influenced by a radical Yemeni cleric attempted to blow up a plane heading for Detroit - underscored the threat posed by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Pensinsula (AQAB).
The group is the result of a merger between the Yemeni and Saudi branches of al-Qaeda.It also noted that al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) had increased the number of kidnappings in Mauritania, Niger and Mali, where the group recently killed French tourist Michel Germaneau.
Militant group Al-Shabab in Somalia was also highlighted, being identified as "more of an ally than a full-blown affiliate" of al-Qaeda.
In 2009, a total of 14,971 people died in 10,999 different terrorist attacks around the world, the report says, down from a recent high in 2006, when 22,736 died in 14,443 attacks.
The figures represent a decrease of 6% in attacks and 5% in the number of deaths globally.
But attacks in Pakistan's Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province (formerly known as the North West Frontier Province) increased from 16 in 2005 to 940 in 2009, said Russ Travers, deputy director of the National Counterterrorism Center.
The report identified Iran, Cuba, Syria and Sudan as state sponsors of terrorism - unchanged from previous years.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Zardari's ...Aimless travels
The News PK
Thursday, August 05, 2010
President Zardari’s trip West, as Karachi continues to burn up with rage and floods sweep away thousands of homes across the country, has generated a great deal of controversy. The amazement of commentators in France and Britain that he chose to continue with his trip at such a moment in his country’s history has not been disguised. This is all the more so as there appears to be little real aim for the visit. Certainly, nothing very significant has been achieved so far during it. Predictably enough, the focus has been on terror and its various dimensions. In what constitutes a snub for the president, British Prime Minister David Cameron has declined to withdraw comments that Pakistan is responsible for the export of terrorism. It seems unlikely he will alter his stance when he meets Mr Zardari. The remarks made in an interview in France that Pakistan and its allies are losing the war on terror only add further gloom to an already bleak situation at home. What is more, they contradict previous comments by Mr Zardari about gains against militants. It is not clear why he has changed his position. Also, we would expect from the head of the frontline state in the war on terror a more cogent focus on what needs to be done, rather than defeatist comments which deflate the hopes of people and of troops still engaged in fierce battles in Orakzai, Bajaur, Kurram and other areas.
At home, the images of a smiling president touring Europe and visiting luxury mansions have not gone down well at all. It is doubtful if his presence at home would serve any real purpose, but in the face of such calamity people need to feel that their leaders are standing by them. This point has indeed been raised by Asian politicians and the constituents of Pakistani origin in the UK. They seem set to do so even more vociferously as Mr Zardari steps on to British soil. At the very least we need to be reassured that public money is not being spent on the trip. We hope too that the government is aware that, given the mood at home, any public ‘launching’ of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari as PPP chairman at this time would be in bad taste, all the more so if fanfare is to accompany the event. Perhaps the young man himself should see this and act more wisely than his globe-trotting father by calling for the event to be cancelled.
Imran Khan: a Taliban Goebbels?
By —Dr Mohammad Taqi
Daily times
The PTI and its leader are perhaps politically insignificant, but conceding space to such Ziaist propaganda has the potential to radicalise the nation, especially our youth. Fortunately, Mr Khan is not perceived as an American stooge — he is seen as a Taliban apologist
“The lowest form of popular culture — lack of information, misinformation, disinformation, and a contempt for the truth or the reality of most people’s lives — has overrun real journalism. Today, ordinary Americans are being stuffed with garbage” — Carl Bernstein, US journalist.
Perhaps ordinary Pakistanis are not much better off either. But it is not just the journalists embedded with the jihadists who are peddling nonsense. Among the politicians, Mr Imran Khan keeps outdoing himself in the craft of black propaganda. He has been stuffing people with this Goebbels-speak for years and, unfortunately, the western print media is one such avenue he uses to push his outlandish assertions.
While the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesman, Muslim Khan, had the dubious courage to clearly own up to the savagery of his outfit, Mr Imran Khan, who is the head and de facto chief spokesman of his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, stoops to the lowest levels of skulduggery in defending Taliban atrocities. Sheer disinformation, misinformation, contempt for truth, and an utter disregard for the realities of people’s lives, particularly of the Pashtuns, are what Mr Khan’s spoken and written words are all about.
He seems to have perfected the art of repeating half-truths and quite often just plain lies over and over again. In his article ‘Don’t blame Pakistan for the failure of the war’ (The Times, UK, July 27, 2010), he has some real gems to share. He writes: “Before the West invaded Afghanistan, my country had no suicide bombers, no jihad and no Talibanisation.”
Perhaps Mr Khan had been too busy playing cricket to take note of al Qaeda’s activities in the early 1990s at Abdullah Azzam’s Maktab-al-Khidmat — a base camp in Peshawar for Arab jihadists. Ayman al-Zawahiri and Osama bin Laden met each other in Peshawar courtesy Professor Azzam. Suicide bombings were not a norm then, but Azzam himself was killed in a car bombing in November 1989, allegedly orchestrated by his more extremist friends. He disagreed with their concept of takfir, i.e. declaring people who did not meet their definition of Muslim as infidels, who they believed deserved to be murdered. Benazir Bhutto, Dr Najibullah, several Arab rulers and Muslim minorities were placed in this category.
The early 1990s were the formative years of world jihadism and these men in Peshawar were not confined to just Afghanistan. The Afghan-Arabs, as they became known, worked hand in glove with all varieties of Pakistani jihadists and after 1992, Afghan territory was used for their cause. For example, training and sanctuary were provided at the Al-Badr camp in Khost to terrorists who unleashed havoc in Pakistan and around the world.
Mr Khan has completely glossed over the terrorist acts of the jihadists trained in the Pak-Afghan border regions. Riaz Basra of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi was one such figure who was involved in over 300 acts of terror on Pakistani soil, including an attempt on Mian Nawaz Sharif’s life, way before the US forces had set foot in Afghanistan. Along with Akram Lahori and Malik Ishaq, Basra had used the training facilities in Sarobi (near Jalalabad). This was the beginning of Talibanisation in Pakistan.
While the terrorist cadres were trained in Afghanistan, their leadership was groomed at various madrassas in Pakistan. However, Mr Imran Khan is either ignorant of this fact or is protecting such nefarious characters when he writes, “Until that point [army action in FATA in 2004], we had no militant Taliban in Pakistan. We had militant groups, but our own military establishment was able to control them. We had madrassas, but none of them produced militants intent on jihad until we became a frontline state in the war on terror.”
Only two entities from what is literally the Ivy League of the jihadist network need a mention to refute Mr Khan’s claim. Karachi’s Jamia Islamia aka Binori Mosque has produced hundreds of jihadist leaders that include Maulana Azam Tariq of Sipah-e-Sahaba, Qari Saifullah Akhtar and Maulana Fazlur Rahman Khalil, the leaders of Harkatul Jihad Al-Islami, and the founder of Jaish-e-Mohammed, Maulana Masood Azhar. The association of this madrassa’s patron (Mufti Nizamuddin Shamzai) with the Afghan Taliban, especially Mullah Omar, is well known.
It might not have dawned on Mr Imran Khan but Jalaluddin Haqqani carries the title Haqqani for a reason — he had spent six years at Darul-Uloom Haqqaniah in Akora Khattak. Among the top 32 officials in Mullah Omar’s government, 11 — including six top ministers — were educated in madrassas in Pakistan. Out of these 11, seven were students at the Haqqaniah seminary. The US was nowhere in the picture when the alumni of these madrassas were on a killing spree in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Mr Khan betters himself still when he claims, “After the WikiLeaks revelations yesterday, reports are being floated that the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is aiding the Afghan militancy. The fact is that the ISI is not that powerful, but certainly in an environment of chaos and uncertainty Pakistan will need to protect its interests through all means necessary.” Even the ISI may take serious offence to this, as it is positioning itself as the power that can deliver the Taliban, especially the Haqqani network, provided the new set-up in Kabul is to its liking.
These assertions by Mr Khan might even be amusing if he was not capable of even worse assertions. Blaming the US for all ills is one thing, but he has as easily blamed the victims of terrorism. Writing about the Karsaz bombing in ‘Benazir Bhutto has only herself to blame’ (The Telegraph, UK, October 21, 2007), he noted, “I am sorry to say this, but the bombing of Benazir Bhutto’s cavalcade as she paraded through Karachi on Thursday night was a tragedy almost waiting to happen. You could argue it was inevitable...it is different for me campaigning in public, even in the frontier region, because I am not perceived as an American stooge, or a supporter of the war on terror.” Benazir and not the takfiris were to be blamed as per Mr Khan’s views!
The PTI and its leader are perhaps politically insignificant, but conceding space to such Ziaist propaganda has the potential to radicalise the nation, especially our youth. Fortunately, Mr Khan is not perceived as an American stooge — he is seen as a Taliban apologist.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Ahmed Wali Karzai..... The King of Kandahar.
By Janis Mackey Frayer, South Asia bureau chief, CTV News
The most powerful man in Kandahar is alone in his reception room with two mobile phones and a string of prayer beads pinched between his finger and thumb.
He rises to greet his visitors, shakes hands, and sits again with a slight sigh. He checks his very gold watch. Then, in keeping with some unspoken routine, Ahmed Wali Karzai begins a ritual discussion of weather and war as they both make Kandahar a harsh place this time of year.
"Mainly the Taliban want to have an address," he explains from an armchair, "they want to show something this summer. To show they are still around. That is why there is a good need for a military operation."
I ask him if the best way to beat an insurgency is to kill.
"You have to show muscles," he says, with a fist pump. "You have to hit them hard, as hard as you can because they have no mercy for anyone."
Karzai's detractors might say the same of him. The indisputable don of Afghanistan's hostile south, he has been called a lot of things: a drug profiteer, a thug, a warlord's heavy who threatens critics (or worse). Karzai's well-nurtured notoriety spawns a list of accusations that include paying off the Taliban to grease an empire built around convoys and private security with international contracts from countries like Canada.
There is also that business of the CIA and reports that Karzai, the younger half-brother of the country's president, has been on the payroll for years in part to mount a U.S.-funded paramilitary force to kill Taliban.
Is any of it true?
"My problem is never a legal problem," says Karzai. "It's always a political problem … those international media, they are doing it for some political reason."
In the assessment of one coalition official: "Nothing in Afghanistan is clean."
Any attempt to reveal incriminating evidence against Ahmed Wali Karzai has so far failed. No government or intelligence agency has ever produced the smoking gun or least nobody has dared.
"There is always politics," Karzai says of the accusations leveled against him.
"Everybody wants to be in front. Some people, they spread rumours, they stab you in the back."
Karzai is a 'fixer'. In Kandahar, that can mean a lot of things.
What has been proven over years is that real power in Afghanistan is less a function of government or public service than a spoil of private fiefdom. Guns, money, and control of foreign support are the true benchmarks. To that end, Ahmed Wali Karzai is unstoppable and NATO has no choice but to need him.
In diplomatic circles and among the military leadership here, the younger Karzai and his unanswered questions are distilled to the initials ‘AWK' and words like ‘issue' or ‘problem'.
"AWK is a concern," sighed a diplomat, "but he is a fact of life."
It is an open secret that the international community would like Hamid Karzai to rein him in. AWK is said to be a common worry of the U.S. president and other foreign sponsors whose countries bear the financial and human costs of the war.
Karzai the president dismisses any criticism of his brother as baseless, but at times does so at a cost to his own credibility.
"It is hard to listen to one and look at the other and be convinced of a virtuous leader," a senior official told me. When most people are asked about AWK, their opinions are shared in hushed voices on the condition they will not be named.
Among Afghans, Ahmed Wali Karzai is regarded with complementary doses of respect and fear.
On the day I visit his home, men with long beards and hard stares sit quietly in the unofficial waiting room. Their shoes -- I count 37 pairs -- are parked neatly at the steps near the door. They wait with their concerns and needs on the blue-carpeted floor until fate might yield the chance to see him. Karzai is a ‘fixer'. In Kandahar, that can mean a lot of things.
"I'm very close to the people, the tribes," says Karzai. "I earn it. I work hard… this is the major thing that I am doing is to keep these things… calm."
The Karzai hold on Afghans is firm. His control of for-hire security businesses has effectively created a private army that has thwarted the growth of a viable Afghan National Police force.
While patrolling the muddy warrens of a Kandahar neighbourhood, Canadian soldiers walked past the funeral of a young man shot dead that day in the market.
Through an interpreter a group of male relatives said he was "killed by one of AWK's men." They told the story of armed security guards looking to settle a score, and that their cousin was hit with a stray bullet.
Will they go to police? No, it's AWK, they said. They seemed shocked both by the suggestion they would utter a word and that police would actually listen.
Collaborating with Ahmed Wali Karzai is among NATO's bigger gambles in the south. Yet now, more than ever, he is crucial to the mission if it hopes to win anything close to stability in Kandahar.
In a report titled ‘Politics and Power in Kandahar', the Institute for the Study of War (www.understandingwar.org) concluded that, "Ahmed Wali Karzai's influence over Kandahar is the central obstacle to any of ISAF's governance objectives, and a consistent policy for dealing with him must be a central element of any new strategy."
Its author, Carl Forsberg, went on to predict that Karzai's behaviour and waning popularity among locals will only stir the sort of unrest and vacuum that allows space for the Taliban to exist.
Sources hint that Karzai and the need to remodel him form part of the reason why military operations slated for the summer are now effectively delayed until September.
There has been an off-the-cuff comparison to the prohibition era of 1930s America, where family cartels thrived on illicit trade and then looked to polish their image to the veneered appearance of legitimacy.
It is a trickier venture in Afghanistan. Yet it appears Ahmed Wali Karzai now sees himself as a dean of tribal dynamics and unofficial envoy to international players.
"We are winning," Karzai says, with an emphasis on the inclusive. "Taliban is no longer a movement that can threaten the stability of Afghanistan. They can create problems. But I'm not worried sitting in Kandahar with my family that the Taliban will take over."
(He claims nine assassination attempts against him in the past three years.)
In our interview that stretched nearly an hour, Karzai commended Canada for its efforts, and for bearing the challenges of serving in "the capital of Taliban and Al Qaeda." He raves especially about Brig.-Gen. Jon Vance, who has returned as Commander of Canadian Forces for a few months.
"I really hope to see General Vance," he says, "maybe he will come for lunch."
I asked Karzai if 2011 was too early for Canadian troops to be leaving Afghanistan. He explained that with 30,000 American troops here now it is no longer the concern of numbers that it was in 2006. Still, he believes it sends the wrong message about commitment, and the Taliban benefits.
"It's up to them," Karzai says of Canada's political decision-makers. "If they know the war is over they can leave. The war is still going on. War is still happening."
According to some estimates, the war has meant a billion dollar commercial network for the Karzai family through businesses dealing in food, fuel, construction, and security. Canada has one of his firms on contract to guard the Dahla Dam project.
As for being a paid operative of the CIA, Karzai never flatly denies the allegation. He says he meets with everyone -- Americans, British, Iranians, Pakistanis, Indians, Dutch.
"We are partners in this war, you know," he says. "I didn't sign a paper with a contract that I work for this agency or this person or this organization. I met with your Special Forces, I met with your military, I met with your generals. Can someone accuse me tomorrow that I was working for the Canadians?"
At the end of our discussion, Ahmed Wali Karzai wished us well. His next guests were already waiting on the couch. He checked his very gold watch and shifted his attention. We left Karzai's villa, walking past the barefoot men still waiting, and returned to the weather and war that make Kandahar a harsh place this time of year.
Taliban attack US main base in south Afghanistan
By: CTV.ca News Staff
As many as 10 insurgent fighters died in an unprecedented daylight attack on Kandahar Airfield that succeeded in blowing a small hole in the base's outer wall before it was thwarted by Canadian and other NATO troops.
The attack took place shortly after two rockets were fired at the base, which houses some 20,000 people.
A suicide bomber was able to get close enough to a remote area of the base that he blew a small hole in the fence. About nine other fighters then attempted to enter the base through the hole.
But NATO soldiers, including some Canadians, stood on the other side of the wall and opened fire on the attackers as they attempted to enter.
"There was some gunfire going on but it was actually a very quick outcome," Canadian Press reporter Bill Graveland said by phone from the base.
Maj. Josh Major, the Canadian commander of current operations at Task Force Kandahar, called the incident a "desperate attack."
Canadian troops were in the area, and "immediately responded by engaging the insurgents that were trying to gain access," he said.
"Basically, we took care of them rather quickly and efficiently. They really only succeeded in blowing up a very small section of fence."
Air Commodore Gordon Moulds, the commander of Kandahar Airfield, said a NATO soldier suffered a shrapnel wound from one of the rockets.
"One of their aims is to get some publicity for themselves but it's another failed attempt to attack us," he said. "It's a very large base. There seems to be no logic."
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the ground attack.
While firing rockets at the base has become a popular tactic among insurgents, ground attacks have so far remained rare. The last such raid in May took place at night and injured three civilians.
"What we have here though seems to be a flood of new, zealous fighters coming in from across the borders and they're basically attacking just about everywhere you turn these days," Graveland told CTV News Channel.
"I think that they wanted to make a statement that perhaps they weren't at all afraid of NATO, and no matter how big the base is here they're going to continue to attack because they believe in what they're doing."
Pakistan: Bomber kills senior police officer
A suicide bomber attacked a vehicle carrying the head of a paramilitary police force in northwestern Pakistan on Wednesday, killing him and two others as the area struggles to recover from more than a week of devastating floods.
Rescue workers frantically tried to extinguish fires that engulfed several cars in the minutes after the attack near a major market in the city of Peshawar, which was wracked by a string of bombings at the end of last year but has been relatively quiet in recent months.
Sifwat Ghayur, the head of the Frontier Constabulary, was killed in the attack along with his driver and bodyguard, said Abdul Rahman Khan, a local police officer. The explosion also injured seven other people, he said.
It was unclear whether the suicide bomber attacked on foot or was in a vehicle, said Khan.
The attack comes as the northwest, which has been plagued by violence at the hands of the Pakistani Taliban, is trying to get back on its feet after heavy monsoon rains a week ago triggered devastating floods that have killed 1,500 people.
WikiLeaks guilty, at least morally: Robert Gates
WikiLeaks is at least morally guilty over the release of classified U.S. documents on the Afghan war, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Sunday, as investigators broaden their probe of the leak.
The whistle-blowing website published tens of thousands of war records a week ago, a move the Pentagon has said could cost lives and damage the trust of allies by exposing U.S. intelligence gathering methods and names of Afghan contacts.
Gates and Admiral Mike Mullen, the top U.S. military officer, appeared on television talk shows renewing those concerns amid fears WikiLeaks may publish more documents.
"My attitude on this is that there are two areas of culpability. One is legal culpability. And that's up to the Justice Department and others -- that's not my arena," Gates told the ABC News show "This Week with Christiane Amanpour."
"But there's also a moral culpability. And that's where I think the verdict is 'guilty' on WikiLeaks. They have put this out without any regard whatsoever for the consequences."
The release of the classified documents has fanned doubts about President Barack Obama's strategy to turn the tide in the unpopular war. July was the deadliest month for U.S. forces since the conflict started in 2001.
Mullen, speaking on NBC's "Meet the Press," called the leak "unprecedented" in its scope and volume.
The U.S. investigation is focusing on Bradley Manning, who worked as an Army intelligence analyst in Iraq, U.S. officials say. Manning is already under arrest and charged with leaking a classified video showing a 2007 helicopter attack that killed a dozen people in Iraq, including two Reuters journalists.
Adrian Lamo, who reported Manning to authorities this year after receiving what appeared to be incriminating messages from him, told Reuters he believed U.S. investigators were also looking at people close to Manning with ties to WikiLeaks.
Lamo said in a telephone interview he told investigators he believed Manning would have needed outside help.
"I didn't believe he had the technological ... expertise to pull this off by himself," Lamo said.
U.S. officials declined to comment on the investigation. Gates said last week he had brought in the FBI so the probe could go "wherever it needs to go."
Manning, being held at a detention facility at Quantico Marine Base in Virginia, has not been officially named as a suspect in the latest leak.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has said his group held back 15,000 papers to protect innocent people from harm and was reviewing them at the rate of about 1,000 a day. In an interview with the BBC last week, he did not say if and when they would be published.
The group's stated aim is to expose government and corporate corruption. Assange has accused Gates of attacking WikiLeaks to distract attention from civilian killings and other bloodshed in the Afghan conflict.
WHAT'S THE WAR STRATEGY?
Gates voiced frustration at critics who say the United States lacks a plan to win the war, despite Obama's lengthy review last year which ended with a December decision to deploy an additional 30,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan.
"I think that the president's strategy is really quite clear," Gates said. "I hear all the stories that say what's the strategy, what's the goal here?"
The objective, Gates said, was to reverse the momentum of Taliban insurgents, deny them access to towns and cities and ramp up Afghan security forces so they can defend themselves and prevent al Qaeda from returning to the country.
Mullen, chairman of the U.S. military's Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the release of the documents had not caused any revelations that would affect the war strategy. U.S. officials have portrayed them as a collection of outdated, ground-level reports that lack analysis or perspective.
One of the documents released by WikiLeaks raised concerns the Taliban might have surface-to-air Stinger missiles to shoot down U.S. aircraft.
Asked whether the Taliban had any Stinger missiles, Gates said: "I don't think so."
The leaked documents also threw an uncomfortable spotlight on links between Pakistan's spy agency and insurgents who oppose U.S. troops in neighboring Afghanistan.
Gates said links to insurgents was a concern but he and Mullen voiced support for recent moves by Islamabad and Pakistan's Inter-Service Intelligence agency.
"What I see is a change in the strategic calculus in Pakistan," Gates said.
Political violence rages in Karachi, 12 more killed
More than a dozen more people were killed overnight in Pakistan's Karachi, deepening fears of instability in the commercial hub after the killing of a member of the dominant political party in the city.
Sixty-two people have been killed since Monday, police and officials said, following the assassination of Raza Haider, a lawmaker in the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM).
The government blamed Taliban insurgents, and the banned militant group Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), for his killing.
Some analysts said violence could ultimately hurt the already struggling economy. Karachi is home to the country's main port, the central bank and the stock exchange.
Those concerns are fueled by the flight of Taliban militants to Karachi, a teeming city that is easy to hide in, after army offensives against their strongholds in the northwest.
"Four people were shot dead in one incident late last night, while six to seven trucks parked under a bridge were also burned," Karachi police chief Waseem Ahmed told Reuters.
VIOLENCE-SCARRED CITY
Hospital sources and officials said a total of at least 12 people were killed overnight in shootings as the violence gripping the city since Haider was gunned down along with his bodyguard while attending a funeral escalated.
More than 150 were wounded. The MQM has called for three days of mourning.
Early on Wednesday, unknown people set fire to several mobile phone shops in a main market in the city of 18 million people.
Police said more than 50 vehicles have been burned while dozens of shops torched since Haider's slaying. Dozens of people have been arrested on charges of violence, they said.
Fearing more violence, most shops and fuel stations in the city were still closed on Wednesday morning.
"The situation is not good. I will wait for a few hours to see how it goes and if other people in the market also open shops, then I will as well," said Muhammad Jawaid, standing outside his closed bakery.
Trading was once again dull at the Karachi Stock Exchange, which closed an hour early on Tuesday amid security concerns. The main index was, however, up 0.69 percent by 11:55 a.m. (0655 GMT).
"The attendance in the market is still very thin and the turnover is likely to be low again today as people are still scared," said Asad Iqbal, chief investment officer at Faysal Asset Management Ltd.
Karachi has a long history of ethnic, religious and sectarian violence. It was a main target of al Qaeda-linked militants after the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, when Pakistan joined the U.S.-led campaign against militancy, and foreigners were attacked in the city several times.
Including the killings this week, officials say at least 214 people have been killed in targeted attacks since the start of the year, although analysts and political parties say the number is likely much higher.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)