Terrorist Islamic Republic of Pakistan (TSP): June 30, 2011

[gakakkad]

Why has terror all but dried up in India? The peaks of 2008 have never been reached. We have had terror attacks and infiltration bids since 26/11 - the attacks have a separate thread on the forum, but the numbers are "subdued"

Is it chai biskoot/Aman ki tamasha that has reduced the number?
It it US pressure?
Is there a "change of mindset" in Pakistan?

Of course there are "14,000 LeT terrorists" waiting to cross into India. What are they waiting for?

May be better intelligence of raa, threat of unkil ,threat of war etc may play a bigger role . Chai / Biskook can't achieve anything. Besides the pakis may have realised that that their nukes are duds and that photochor duped them . they may be waiting for new lizard reactors to start excreting plutonium and hoping that chinese designs work.

[rajanb]

Please read my posts in this and the earlier thread. I repeat "just sit back and enjoy the show".

Beware of the cornered rat; usually it should be given a escape route. But in this case we do not want that. So while we provide help in the cornering, let us not be a part of the inner ring. And oh, time to prepare for the bigger game. We are in for some very interesting times !!

Well, if the paki military go the flied lice way for money, the next step for Unkil to do is pounce onto the gernails and politicians ill stored wealth, safe havens and alternate housing in the west.

The long Act I is over (Six decades). Beginning of Act II.

[Suppiah]

(who would not love America if you are in America and wealthy?).

As I see it the US says "You be our whore and you can have a fun time apart from getting what you want". China says "You whoristanis will get paid, but don't expect such a fun time in addition to payment.l"

The real rich do NOT like US - because they tax you to death and chase you to corners of globe...which is why the buy-your-green-card program has been a failure. Whereas there are zillions of poor and middle class that would cut off their right arms to land in US.

That may be OT but the point is not whether TSPians love US or the other way around, the fact of the matter is Chinese hate beards. They simply cannot get along with them anywhere. I am pretty sure the PRC babus deal with TSPians the way a lab assistant deals with stool sample. It is a job to do.....The RAPE may shave off beards and flaunt their fair skins but the real face of tsp-scum is too well known to Chinese....and it will shine thru in every interaction - or ever lunch meal for that matter.

Which is why RAPE prefer west..

[SSridhar]

SS:
This aid cut off BS feel is a short-term gimmick. Its just to get the Paki generals to gubo as US demands them to. The US-TSP love fest is too important to both: India. Also, did you notice from the NYT report that there is no cut off of India specific F-solas. So TSP's H&D is not dented that much.

CRS, we have to be suspicious always of US-TSP relationship howsoever much close our relationship develops with the US. Besides, the US rides roughshod over anybody or anything when its interests are involved and rightly so too. I am therefore in agreement with what you implied above.

However, the series of incidents, statements, leaks and spoken & written words in interviews, Op-eds, Editorials etc. have been quite voluminous and shrill that it is not so easy to recover from the obvious strain in the relationship unless TSP capitulates once again. Again, the public sentiment in Pakistan and more importantly the PA's attitude towards their masters are not promising any turnaround in the US-TSP relationship. If anything, they are making the matters worse. The Pakistani masses are devoid of thinking and are nothing but a herd of sheep (no offence to the Kushboos) and they have been totally brainwashed about the US. After 1962, the Pakistani Generals and politicians have made it a point to denigrate the US in public minds and the present situation is a culmination of five decades of such efforts. Iraq and Afghanistan have only made matters very worse. As for the PA, they are arrogant and huaghty and believe in the dictum of Jinnah that the US would need TSP more than the other way around. They therefore demand like victors even when they are utterly defeated.

Therefore, it is my belief that the US-TSP relationship would not reach the glorious heights that we have seen thus far. The Afghan situation might also reach a finality soon and the US dependence on Pakistan, after phases of troop withdrawals, would come down drastically. The Americans, in my belief, are moving towards a situation akin to the end of Geneva Accord after 1989. Pakistan will once again be a used condom.

[CRamS]

SS:

In addition to your insight as always, I'd like to add one more point that probably explains TSPA haughtiness. I think that TSPA truly deludes itself into believing that they are indispensable to US, and in return, TSP wants more than just equal equal with India so that their ultimate aim of ruling the subcontinent from the Moghul high seat in the red fort in New Delhi is realized. That US is not prepared to grant. Americans do have some use for us SDREs and wouldn't like to see the TSP TFTA run complete rough shod over us . And having realized this, TSPA feels nothing worse can happen, after all, equal equal is in US supreme national interests as well, and so no matter what, they are not going to hurt TSP to the extent that equal equal becomes India > TSP. Thats why F-soals are still on the table. In other words, TSPA can afford to play calibrated hardball with US.

[Anujan]

IED Mubarak in arms depot in Isloo.

[vic]

Yeah, right! What was that which Bush, Jr. said so eloquently? "fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again". Something like that.

Fool me once shame on you

fool me twice shame on me

fool me everyday for 10 years call me USA

[Anujan]

SoosaIED mubarak at PML-Q rally with six killed so far.

The (different) IED Mubarak at arms depot has caused a fire

[sum]

11:36 AM Blast hits poitical rally site in Mansehra:

Several blasts reported at Pakistan army ammunition depot on the outskirts of Islamabad. An explosion also hits the site of a political rally at Mansehra in northwest Pakistan; details are awaited.

Several blasts also reported at Pakistan army ammunition depot on outskirts of Islamabad.

AoA....IED mubarak to TSP.

[Chinmayanand]

^ ATM is having too much "M" on porkistan now a days.

[Sri]

The picture that emerges from recent articles / statements and op eds in US is quite interesting. When Obama took over the presidency he could clearly see the US strategic community split among those who favored more and more aid and assistance to Pakistan and those who had had enough with them. Obama clearly didn't take office with the burden of US history with Pakistan on his mind. This is very clear from the noises he made during the election campaign.

I think the Pakistani hawks including pentagon and state department old hands were able to convince the new president to smoke the peace pipe a little more longer. One of the things that struck me in Bob Woodward's book was Obama's insistence to these Paki biased departments to clearly draw up a chart of Opportunity cost of continuing support of PA. One might think of this a passing remark of the President but it clearly reflects Obama's psychology on Pakistan. Since he didn't buy into the historic mishandling of Pakistan by US, as he was devoid of cold war era mentality he wanted ROI clearly mapped and put up in written.

Then as the book clearly shows, Obama gave leeway of to the pipe dreamers to produce results. He also happily went along with the Kerry - Lugar bill but notice he never gave a full fledged public support himself to any such moves. So even when his administration was working on a 'Long term' assistance program for Pakistan, personally Obama wanted all his options open. He was skeptical then too.

Now that nothing has come off from all those bills and 3 rounds of strategic dialogue, clearly President is now listening to the alternative argument. I think this shift was gradual and happened sometime in December 2010 when heaps of intelligence was pointing towards the double standards. Having seen that Obama in my opinion confronted the so called doves in administration, backed by the ROI document. One can clearly see the change in Tone by Hillary, Mullen etc in recent months.

On top of that, dealing with Pakistan with firm hands and intentions is proving to be popular for his beleaguered administration. After OBL incident he saw a surge in his popularity. In general Congress, Senate and public like the tough talk. So he now has a political incentive to be tougher and meaner to PA.

Now of course after having declared a gradual withdrawal Obama, is going on offensive again speaking through various officials and not himself keeping the options open.

I think now the US administration is not really concerned with the threat of disruption of supply lines. The ease and pungent by which PA threatens the US with this King of club card should have by all probability forced US to ensure an alternative plan for these supply lines.

The PA insistence of withdrawing US army from it's soil was clearly the last straw. Now as far as US is concerned it is a open house till PA does something dramatic to change the course.

PA on the other hand is not in a make believe world. It clearly knows the limits to which it can go, so does Zardari and Gilani. But internally as we at BRF always do we have to see PA's policy separate from the policies persuaded by RAPE politician devoid of the noises they make.

One thing the PPP government has successively done is to show to the world and aam janta that army is responsible for strategic decisions and not them. Now having failed it's commitments, RAPE politicians will be hoping for the Army brass to come to them to pull them out of this logjam. Signs that this is happening are already there. Kiyani did request a public defense of the armed forces by Gilani in recent days. Gilani obliged but not too much. PA is losing the grip in Pakistan, the terror machinery, it's own forces and internationally.

Thing is what will PA do next? Bloodless Cue? or to really in all earnestness act against Haqani network?

[SSridhar]

Thing is what will PA do next? Bloodless Cue? or to really in all earnestness act against Haqani network?

Sri, I do not subscribe to the view that a coup is around the corner. If a coup does take place, the PA will be caught between the fire and a frying pan. The fire is the PA-hating Punjabi Taliban & TTP and the frying pan will be the US and allies. The US will not approve of the coup at all even if PA were to suddenly materialize Ayman Al Zawahiri from nowhere. There will be no support from the people of Pakistan either. It will be a bloody mess and the Generals will be aware of that. Ayub Khan, Zia-ul-Haq & Musharraf had extensive public sympathy when they seized power. It will not be so now. In fact, there will be extensive antagonism.

I would discount the PA acting against Haqqani network too. This would be interpreted by the aam junta of Pakistan as surrender to the US, something that a defiant PA cannot afford. It will further dent its already damaged image. Moreover, the requirement for strategic depth is indelibly imprinted in the minds of TSP Generals. Such doctrines are not easily rewritten in an honour & dignity based closed society. Haqqani, Hekmatyar, Mullah Omar, Gul Bahadur et al are essential ingredients of strategic depth and PA will not give them up easily. I expect that PA will use the strained relationship to delay the attack on North Waziristan.

If the situation becomes too hot for the PA, it will have to attack India through one of its two proxies, either Professor saheb or Fazlur Rehman Khaleel.

[Philip]

When the neighbour's house catches fire
M. K. Bhadrakumar

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/ar ... epage=true

MKB's take that the US is trying to use the hammer and anvil (US and India) to tame Pak.

Xcpt:

India should evolve a joint strategy with Pakistan to fight terror and build a regional initiative on Afghanistan.

Two things that happened in the subcontinent last Wednesday promise to be a game changer in regional politics. That they happened simultaneously in India and Pakistan and manifested an unspoken harmony of spirit — although by no means coordinated — make them meaningful. First, seldom, if ever, would soft-spoken Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram feel the need to raise his voice and firmly contradict a newspaper story — as he did on Wednesday in the Indian capital. But then, the New York Times story was, as Mr. Chidambaram said, “highly exaggerated.”

It was based on the musings of an erstwhile “unidentified” Pakistani militant commander who apparently fell out of favour with his mentors in the security establishment in Islamabad for unknown reasons, to the effect that the Pakistani military establishment is keeping in reserve an army of trained Kashmiri militants numbering 14,000 to be unleashed on India at a future date. The import of the narrative is all too apparent: succinctly put, India is barking up the wrong tree by trying to sustain a dialogue with Pakistan. From a slightly different angle, the message is also that India and the United States are sailing in the same boat and that the commonality of interests demands that they act in concert to squeeze Pakistan — a sort of variant of the “hammer-and-anvil” proposition that U.S. commander in Afghanistan David Petraeus used to propose to the Pakistani army chief, Parvez Kayani, in happier times with the intent to squeeze the Pashtun tribes on the Durand Line.....

However,despite all his fondness for a regional approach (without the US) to unravel the Afghan "knot",his last words nail the crux of the problem.

Pakistan intends to host a trilateral summit with Iran and Afghanistan by the year-end, which could be an appropriate occasion for an enlarged regional initiative. However, for all this to gain traction, Pakistan must conclusively turn away from the use of force to settle differences with India.

PS:The official statements that India truly wants a "strategic relationship" with Iran despite difficulties in recent times,perhaps indicates a more pragmatic shift towards a more Indo-centric foreign policy instead of relying upon an un-reliable US,especailly the current US administration who appear to be reneging upon Bush's assurabcs to India on several issues,including the N-deal.

[Sri]

Sridhar Sir, is attacking India, to ward off international / internal pressures a good alternative? With US on offensive, this will only add to one another 'see I told you so' moment. I fully agree that coup might not be an options for the similar reasons.

What they need first is a PR coup. To somehow restore it's credibility in Pakistan. This can happen 1) India decides to attack 2) they clear some of the mess in Pakistan itself, Karachi violence for example.

Which one is easier?

[SSridhar]

What they need first is a PR coup. To somehow restore it's credibility in Pakistan. This can happen 1) India decides to attack 2) they clear some of the mess in Pakistan itself, Karachi violence for example.

Which one is easier?

Sri, it is my belief that it is no longer possible for the PA to clear any internal mess because the PA itself is constituted of the same mess. So, redeeming PA's image through conquering its own territory and its own people, as it is used to doing, is no longer a viable option for the PA.

The next best things is to attack India through proxies and provoke a counter attack. PA may determine that India is unlikely to let another terrorist attack on it go unchallenged. Once they are convinced of that, they may let loose a proxy, hoping that an Indian response will at least temporarily unite the fractions. Moreover, Operation North Waziristan can be given another excuse to be delayed. But, attack on India will not happen until the heat from the US & Allies becomes unbearable and the Chinese continue to offer support. This time, the PA will ensure it covers its tracks very carefully and India takes a lot more time to uncover the perfidy thus blaming India for a war, even if only temporarily.

Pakistan has been singularly successful to have lived thus far on fond hopes and borrowed time even if it was becoming more moth-eaten internally than at Jinnah's time. It would be interesting to see how it develops from now onwards.

[Sri]

It would be interesting to see how it develops from now onwards.

You can bet on that... Someone I am sure is working on a 'tactically brilliant and strategically horrible' plan somewhere in GHQ.

[sum]

^^ Any news on diwali crackers heard near GHQ?

[shiv]

^^ Any news on diwali crackers heard near GHQ?

http://nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-news ... ala-blasts#

Blasts hit Army ammunition depot: Army soldier killed
Submitted 2 hrs 18 mins ago

Blasts hit Army ammunition depot: Army soldier killed

At least three blasts ripped through a Pakistan Army arms depot on the outskirts of Islamabad on Monday, killing an army man and injuring three others.
The blasts, which occurred, around 10.30 am at the arms depot in Sihala area are located nearly 20 km from the garrison city of Rawalpindi.
The blasts dashed two buildings to grounds, besides triggering a fire at Sihala army depot on the highway near Kok Pul, Army troops and Policemen cordoned off the area and prevented people and the media from approaching the arms depot.
Rescue service and fire brigades managed to extinguish the fire.

IED Mubarak Pakhanastan

[Lalmohan]

The blasts dashed two buildings to grounds, besides triggering a fire at Sihala army depot on the highway near Kok Pul, Army troops and Policemen cordoned off the area and prevented people and the media from approaching the arms depot.
Rescue service and fire brigades managed to extinguish the fire.

Is this an NSN report?

[SSridhar]

War of words. Hot gas from TSPA.

Less US military Aid Harms Relations, not TSPA

It would be damaging to the relationship if Washington held back on these funds, said Pakistan’s former ambassador to the United States, retired major-general Mehmood Durrani said, reflecting a widespread view in Pakistan that it was fighting America’s war, and Washington must pay for it.

“This is something that they have to pay, and if they don’t then it’s breach of agreement and breach of trust.”

The US cutback may, however, influence the Pakistanis to do the exact opposite of what the Americans are pushing them to do, Siddiqa said.

The decrease in training, spare parts and specialised equipment might push the Pakistani military to negotiate with groups rather than fight them, she said.

“If the partnership frays,” she said. “Pakistan is no longer seen as fighting America’s war. You can negotiate with militant groups then.”

But, she added, that would only be to seek breathing room while the army recalibrates the balancing act it has maintained for a decade: Stage enough military operations to keep anti-Pakistan militants off-balance (and US money flowing in) but avoid going all out against militant groups targeting allied troops in Afghanistan.

“There will be no major change of strategy.”

“America understands that Pakistan needs money,” she said. “Pakistan is insolvent. It cannot disengage (from the United States), so eventually it will turn around.”

“Military aid is just an indicator of what American can do,” she added. “If they pull back economic aid as well, everything else would dry up, including the multilaterals.”

TSPA Capable of Fighting Without US Assistance

“The army in the past as well as at present, has conducted successful military operations using its own resources without any external support whatsoever,” military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas wrote to AFP.

[anupmisra]

Is this the same arms depot that had exploded in the 80's and people thought that India was about to attack? Turned out later that the whole thing was blamed on Soviet and Afghan agents.

[anupmisra]

Pakistan capable of fighting without US assistance

The Pakistani military said Monday it was capable of fighting without American assistance, adding that it had not been informed officially of a US decision to suspend $800 million worth of aid.

The army in the past as well as at present, has conducted successful military operations using its own resources without any external support whatsoever

Abbas referred AFP to an extraordinary statement from army chief of staff General Ashfaq Kayani on June 9 recommending that US military aid be re-directed towards civilians

A position akin to what an eight year old would make after being told to buzz off from the playground. Two questions:

1. If the PA was capable of fighting without US assistnace, why was there a demand (or insistence) for money till now?
2. The doubt is not whether PA is capable of fighting without $$ assistnace. The question is for how long? One week?

[jrjrao]

The pompous Lodhi is being trotted out as the cussed panhandler. "If you don't drop alms in my palm, it is only going to hurt you":

(PAKI) Experts: US aid 'snub' to Pakistan blow to America

Holding back the $800 million in aid is unlikely to pressure Pakistan to increase cooperation with the U.S. and could strengthen those in the government who argue that Washington is a fickle ally who can't be trusted, they (former Pakistani officials and analysts) said.

"If you still need the relationship, which clearly the United States does, then it really doesn't make sense to take action at this time because it leaves the United States with less, not more, influence with the Pakistani military," said Maleeha Lodhi, a former Pakistani ambassador to the U.S. "Cooperation cannot be coerced by punitive actions."

Tariq Fatemi, another former Pakistani ambassador to the U.S., said he thought the American strategy to pressure Pakistan was destined for failure.
"I think it is unwise to expect the Pakistanis to buckle under what is a publicly delivered snub," said Fatemi. "It will strengthen those elements in the armed forces that have always had grave misgivings of the relationship with the United States."

"I think it hurts Washington more than it hurts Islamabad," said Lodhi, the former ambassador. "Assistance is influence, and when you withhold it or suspend it, you deprive yourself of influence."

"When you take this kind of action, you reinforce the transactional nature of the relationship," said Lodhi. "The moment you do that all bets are off because the response will not be a very positive one."

So, as expected, the Pakis are now trying out those same ol' negotiation tactics that have been so nicely summarized in the book by the Schaffers.

[Lalmohan]

i get the feeling that paks are being deliberately set up...

[SSridhar]

Pakistan demands US to share data on Zawahiri]
Pakistan is like a broken record. Hand over Dawood Ibrahim. Show me proof that he is in Pakistan. Arrest Professor saheb. Show me proof he organized 26/11. Take action against Zawahiri. Show me data he is in Pakistan.

A day after United States Defence Secretary Leon Panetta said Washington believed that al-Qaeda chief Aymin Al Zawahiri was living in Pakistan's tribal areas, the military here on Sunday asked the Americans to share “available information” and “actionable intelligence” regarding him and other high value targets (HVTs) with Islamabad, to carry out targeted operations.

[abhishek_sharma]

Pakistan demands US to share data on Zawahiri

I think U.S. should provide more specific evidence about Zawahiri. If Zawahiri manages to plan and execute another attack, U.S. is at fault.

[jrjrao]

This $hit named John Schmidt is another one from the George Washington Univ in DC. He goes to bat for the ISI, having "served as the U.S. political counselor in Islamabad a decade ago" and thus having been well maalished then by the Pakis:

ISI Wrongfully Accused of Killing Journalist?

And having drunk the Paki coolaid, he takes a whack at India:

Washington has been increasingly frustrated at Islamabad’s unwillingness to go after those Afghan Taliban forces using the North Waziristan tribal area as a safe haven for conducting operations in eastern Afghanistan. The Pakistanis have refused to do so because they see the Afghan Taliban as a hedge against the emergence of a hostile government in Kabul allied to India after U.S. forces depart the region. Although little publicized in the West, the Indians have developed close ties to the Karzai government, flooded the country with aid workers and provided the Afghans with over a billion dollars in aid.

Not only has the United States shown little sympathy for these Pakistani concerns (about India), it has grown increasingly angry at Pakistani reluctance to do what it wants.

[Singha]

looks like the US will have to locate and kill jawahiri sir next - hopefully in some urban area like lahore or karachi.

[Sri]

Why would they say he is in Pakistan if they are going to do the operation themselves? Do they know that Pakistnis know and that when they say it, Pakis will try to move him? Or

It's a fire in the dark. Someone should get the mirchi and all off a sudden activity increases....

[CRamS]

The pompous Lodhi is being trotted out as the cussed panhandler. "If you don't drop alms in my palm, it is only going to hurt you":

(PAKI) Experts: US aid 'snub' to Pakistan blow to America

But Lodhi also noted that Pakistan and the U.S. do share common interests in combatting terrorism and fostering a stable Afghanistan — even if the details don't always match up.

The devil is in the details, but one needs to asks this pompous RAPE b!tch if "combating terrorists" includes going after LeT?

[CRamS]

i get the feeling that paks are being deliberately set up...

for what?

[CRamS]

It would be interesting to see how it develops from now onwards.

More than any Indian response, I mean anything aggressive, even diplomatic, beyond toothless dosas that is, it is the US response that will dictate the course of events. Forget the chutiyas like Uneven and Fair etc who wll do equal equal or dowright issue pro-TSP propaganda. But CIA/Pentagon know TSP perfidy very well and they would be well aware of any TSP hanky panky against India to divert attention. Despite that, if they start doing equal equal, and in the outside chance that India does militarily respond, issuing travel advisories etc, then TSP wins through such a strategy. But if US plays an honest game, TSP's game will be exposed. It all depends on whether a TSP pigLeT attack on India at this time is in US interests or not.

[Dilbu]

No kafirs, it is not pindi channa this time.
Officials claim accidents behind arms cache explosions

An explosion at a Pakistani army weapons depot on Monday was an accident likely caused by faulty electrical wiring and not a militant attack, a military official said.

The weapons depot at Sihala, on the outskirts of Islamabad, is near a police academy which had been attacked by militants in the past. Monday's blast injured three people.

"It was not a terrorist act. It was an accident," the military official said.

[SSridhar]

Why would they say he is in Pakistan if they are going to do the operation themselves? Do they know that Pakistnis know and that when they say it, Pakis will try to move him? Or

It's a fire in the dark. Someone should get the mirchi and all off a sudden activity increases....

Sri, after asking TSP to catch Zawahiri, I am sure the US will closely monitor the movements and traffic. May be they are setting up TSP, as Lalmohan says. Or, the US is telling the Pakis, "Guys, we know where Zawahiri is. Either you hand him over to us or face our music after we do another Abbottabad". It may be ambiguous to us but the quarters that need to know, do know exactly what the US means. In either case, the unmentionables of the Pakis are in the nut-cracker.

[SwamyG]

I would like some one in India to step up and announce that 'India might be willing to consider giving military aid to Pakistan to fight its war against Terror'. Then talk about under right conditions, yada yada blah blah India will help out Pakistan in these tough and trying times. Then watch signals & fun from Pakistan

[jrjrao]

Pakistan-US Relations: The Worst Co-Dependency

We support Pakistan today -- and remain engaged -- because it is the most dangerous nation on the face of the planet today.

Withdrawing from Pakistan, despite what Hitchens accurately describes as a nearly criminally perverse relationship, would trigger wildly dangerous scenarios -- in part because a substantial portion of the Islamist radical cells that exist in key corners of Pakistan's national security establishment seem to relish a nuclear conflagration with India and are as ideologically committed to global destabilization schemes as Osama bin Laden was.

But America needs to invent leverage in this relationship rather than become more trapped in the muck of it. Today, Pakistan is engaged in high stakes extortion -- demanding funds and support or its already bad behavior could get much worse. That's how North Korea survives.

[Dilbu]

The light is spreading. TSP's mask is coming off. Slowly but surely.

[Rangudu]

Guys,

What do you make of this

"Indian hacker" claims to have hacked the personal gmail account of ISI chief Pasha.

[SSridhar]

From Washington Post
Excerpts

Pakistan’s actions “have given us reason to pause,” White House Chief of Staff William M. Daley said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.” “Until we get through these difficulties, we’ll hold back some of the money that the American taxpayers have committed to give.”

A senior Pakistani military official suggested Sunday that the U.S. trainers have been unnecessary from the start of the nearly three-year-old program and that the Americans wanted a military presence on the ground as an “excuse to shape and influence behavior” within Pakistan’s armed forces. “We don’t need trainers,” the official said, noting that the Pakistani military has trained the troops of more than a dozen nations. “We need the equipment. . . . These are all games.”

In a statement issued Sunday, one day after Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri is hiding in Pakistan’s tribal areas, that nation’s army suggested that it had not been told about his whereabouts.

Pakistan’s army chief, Gen. Ashfaq Kayani, has been openly jeered by junior officers demanding that he not make concessions to the Americans.

“We understand there is a lot of discussion and debate” in Washington over the U.S.-Pakistan relationship and that the Defense Department is “slowing things down to make sure their point of view” is being fully understood in Islamabad, said a second Pakistani official, who is supportive of close ties between the two nations.

“But the government of Pakistan has not been told of any aid cutoff,” the official said. “To the contrary, we have been told the administration is working very hard” to persuade Congress not to cut aid.

[sum]

India-Pakistan to play football series in England

The uncertainty that had loomed over the India-Pakistan football series has finally come to a end with the arch-rivals all set to play a three-match series in England [ Images ], starting August 25.


The tour, which has been dubbed as 'Clash of the Titans -- India-Pakistan UK tour,' ends on September 11 with matches to be held in Manchester, Coventry and London

AIFF president Praful Patel at the meetingThe event had previously been postponed after the Indian interior ministry refused to issue the NOC for the series.

The President of the All India Football Federation, Praful Patel expressed his delight at the tournament finally taking place.

"Playing Pakistan is always special. It's a positive sign that we will play a bilateral football series against Pakistan. I'm sure all sporting fans are eagerly looking forward to it," said Patel.

This is the first-time ever that India would be playing a three-match series against Pakistan at a neutral venue.