Jacob Bronsther, a Fulbright scholar at New York University, has attributed conspiracy syndrome a consequence of “cognitive dissonance – the mental disturbance caused by the collision of contradictory ideas, stemming from the Muslim world’s lack of prosperity and power.” There may be some truth in this observation as it is difficult for a Muslim to reconcile to the painful reality that he is weak and the rest of the world has progressed rapidly and gone past him.
But in pursuit of this objective, “it is inevitable that the US is not only rendering the warheads more operationally reliable, we are also transferring the technology required to design more sophisticated warheads without having to test them”, the report adds.
The author quotes a former national security official as saying that if the US is involved, “we can make sure they don’t start testing, or start a war”.
This system known as “stockpile stewardship” was conceived after the US forswore live testing in 1993. It allows scientists to “test” weapons through computer simulations. This vastly expensive programme not only ensures the weapons’ reliability but also the viability of new and improved designs.
The report says that in 2008, the Pakistan military approached Bruce Blair, president of a Washington-based World Security Institute, seeking advice on means to render their weapons more secure.
“Their aim was clearly to render their nuclear force mature and operational,” says Mr Blair. In the same way, says Mr Blair, a few years ago an Indian military delegation turned up at the Russian Impulse Design Bureau in St. Petersburg, to ask for help on making their weapons safer to handle. “They said they wanted to be able to assure their political leadership that their weapons were safe enough to be deployed.”
The author argues that the United States has allowed Pakistan’s nuclear programme to continue because it needs Islamabad’s help in other issues.
In 1979, Zbigniew Brzezinski, a former US national security adviser, underlined that to get full Pakistani cooperation against the Soviets in Afghanistan, the US required “a review of our policy toward Pakistan, more guarantees to it, more arms aid, and, alas, a decision that our security policy toward Pakistan cannot be dictated by our non-proliferation policy”.
The author also recalls that when President Reagan was asked for his views on Pakistan’s nuclear ambitions, he replied “I just don’t think it’s any of our business.”
The author claims that “during the years Dr A. Q. Khan was peddling his uranium enrichment technology around the place, his shipping manager was a CIA agent, whose masters seem to have had little problem with allowing the trade to go forward”.
One logical explanation (which will surely be discounted by many) would be that a foreign power with knowledge of the inner workings for the Pakistani military, paramilitary and governmental bureaucracy sent a message to a paramilitary official in the district to 'kindly please demolish illegal bazar as VVIP will soon make inspection'Any thoughts what might be going on ?. It seems to me as if someone in the Puki army is actually pro Baitullah ?.
When that happens, it usually means that there are multiple power centres operating in that country with no cohesiveness, no governance and no purpose except very short-term survival strategies by various groups.Singha wrote: . . . bakistan is getting too complex to understand.
It is becoming too difficult to remember who is who in Pakistan, PA, Taliban and PA-Taliban cusp. I request the knowledged BR folks ( may be SSridhar - I understand it may be a lot of work) to create a table of who is who and put it in the first post of this thread and update it as soon as some new player emerge. TSP is heading for civil war and no force on this earth has ability to stop the onward march towards that end. The complexity of TSP is now a multi-dimensional zigsaw puzzle. Thanks.SSridhar wrote: The most important thing in the above news item is that it was Hafiz Gul Bahadur whose forces attacked the Pakistani Army. In September 2006, after suffering massive losses and loss of morale in fighting with Maulvi Nazir and Gul Bahadur, the PA decided to enter into peace deals with both of them. The PA then decided to widen the already existing gap between Baitullah on the one hand and Maulvi Nazir/Gul Bahdur on the other hand. However, in Feb. 2009, Mullah Omar asked irajuddin Haqqani to broker a deal between these two warring factions of Taliban and they announced Shura Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen. There was always a sneaking suspicion that this Shura could unravel and PA made every effort to do that through planted stories etc.
It now transpires that such has not been the case, at least for now. If Baitullah/Maulana Nazir and Gul Bahadur jointly fight the PA, there is absolutely no hope for the PA in Waziristan.
Pakistan and Afghanistan came after Iraq in political turmoil and terrorism, World Bank’s report about Governance Indicator for 2008 said.
The report issued from Washington, stated that Iraq is on top in political turmoil, violence and terrorism there, the indicator gives zero level to Iraq. Pakistan and Afghanistan at level one
Muppalla, given below is a partial list as far as Pakistani Taliban go.Muppalla wrote:It is becoming too difficult to remember who is who in Pakistan, PA, Taliban and PA-Taliban cusp. I request the knowledged BR folks ( may be SSridhar - I understand it may be a lot of work) to create a table of who is who and put it in the first post of this thread and update it as soon as some new player emerge. TSP is heading for civil war and no force on this earth has ability to stop the onward march towards that end. The complexity of TSP is now a multi-dimensional zigsaw puzzle. Thanks.
Pakistani Taliban & allied Warlords
In addition to Taliban, operating under the overall command of the TTP (Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan), there are other influential warlords who owe allegiance to the Taliban and Al Qaeda espousing the same worldview but operating independently of Mehsud. These are people like Mangal Bagh Afridi of Lashkar-e-Islam in Khyber agency, Haji Namdar (killed on Aug. 13, 2008), chief of Amal Bil Maroof Nahi Anil Munkir (Prevention of Vices and Promotion of Virtues), modelled after the Muttawwas of the wahhabi Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Sadiq Noor of North Waziristan (10000 men), Maulana Qazi Mehboob-ul-Haq of Ansar-ul-Islam, Maulvi Nazir of South Waziristan (who is close to Kandahar Taliban and similarly sports a long kameeze and incidentally opposed to the Uzbeks operating under Tahir Yuldashev of IMU, though), Maulvi Faqir Mohammed of Bajaur (with 5000 men), Umar Khalid of Mohmand Agency (also known as Abdul Wali), Shah Khalid also of Mohmand Agency (actually an LeT commander, later killed by Baitullah Mehsud) and others like Tariq Afridi in Darra Adam Khel who professes dual allegiance to both the Taliban and Jaish-e-Mohammed. Maulvi Nazir is the Taliban commander for South Waziristan and Hafiz Gul Bahadur for North Waziristan.
Kyrgyzstan says dead militant trained in Pakistan
Mon Jun 29, 2009 6:12pm IST
BISHKEK (Reuters) - The leader of a group of Islamist militants killed last week by Kyrgyz security forces was trained in Pakistan, officials said on Monday. …………...........
The State National Security Committee said on Monday it had identified the body of the leader of three fighters killed in the southern region of Osh on Saturday.
"The leader of the destroyed terrorist group (was) Khasan Suleimanov, born in 1977 in Osh, Kyrgyzstan, trained at the international terrorist centres in Pakistan," it said. …………................
Reuters
Polish engineer's refusal to convert costs him his life
South Asia Features
By Nadeem Sarwar and Sajjad Malik Jun 29, 2009, 5:28 GMT
Islamabad - Piotr Stanczak did not exhibit the slightest hint of hesitation when the Pakistani Taliban asked him to choose between execution and conversion to Islam. ………………
Deutsche Presse-Agentur via M&C
:06/29/2009
ANTI-TERROR ACTION PLAN
Germany Heightens Security Ahead of Election
Germany's police and intelligence agencies are planning to beef up the country's security in the run-up to the September election. ……………………
The German Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) and the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, the domestic intelligence agency, have devised an anti-terror plan similar to the one used during the World Cup in 2006. ………………………..
The plan includes a comprehensive monitoring of all passengers flying into and out of Germany if their journey includes a stop in North Africa or Pakistan. …………...........
Spiegel Online
The federal cabinet, without taking the matter to parliament or getting the consent of the government and people of Balochistan, agreed to allow the import of one billion cubic feet of gas from Iran at the rate of 80 per cent of the price of crude oil.
D'Oh!The price does not include infrastructure, security and other costs.
The imported gas price would be 10 to 20 times more costly than the gas being extracted from Balochistan and Sindh by the central government.
The level of discrimination and exploitation of Baloch wealth can only be gauged by these figures — Balochistan produces $1.4bn worth of gas annually but receives only $116m in royalties.
No doubt Pakistan’s civilian establishment has made a historic blunder by signing such a costly gas purchase accord.
Then there's the Balochistan factor. But what's a few million Baloch between two brotherly nations. I don't know whether to weep for the Baloch or laugh at the pookies. How about both?ISGS officials have said that this rather costly gas will be used for power generation. If this is true, then instead of placing thousands of kilometres of pipelines, the Pakistani establishment could save billions of dollars by simply importing cheap and surplus electricity from Iran which has been offered by the Iranian government.
Now why couldn't he do a Taqqiyya and agree to convert, go to a mosque and do that show, then plan to get out of there immediately and revert back quietly?arun wrote:X Posted.
In Pakistan, convert to Islam or get beheaded:
Polish engineer's refusal to convert costs him his life
South Asia Features
By Nadeem Sarwar and Sajjad Malik Jun 29, 2009, 5:28 GMT
Islamabad - Piotr Stanczak did not exhibit the slightest hint of hesitation when the Pakistani Taliban asked him to choose between execution and conversion to Islam. ………………
Deutsche Presse-Agentur via M&C
MARDAN, Pakistan — For the past month and a half, the Pakistani military has claimed success in retaking the Swat Valley from the Taliban, clawing back its own territory from insurgents who only a short time ago were extending their reach toward the heartland of the country.
Yet from a helicopter flying low over the valley last week, the low-rise buildings of Mingora, the largest city in Swat, now deserted and under a 24-hour curfew, appeared unscathed. In the surrounding countryside, farmers had harvested wheat and red onions on their unscarred land.
All that is testament to the fact that the Taliban mostly melted away without a major fight, possibly to return when the military withdraws or to fight elsewhere, military analysts say. About two million people have been displaced in Swat and the surrounding area as the military has carried out its campaign
Karkala Joishy wrote: quote="arun" X Posted.
In Pakistan, convert to Islam or get beheaded:
Now why couldn't he do a Taqqiyya and agree to convert, go to a mosque and do that show, then plan to get out of there immediately and revert back quietly?Polish engineer's refusal to convert costs him his life
South Asia Features
By Nadeem Sarwar and Sajjad Malik Jun 29, 2009, 5:28 GMT
Islamabad - Piotr Stanczak did not exhibit the slightest hint of hesitation when the Pakistani Taliban asked him to choose between execution and conversion to Islam. ………………
Deutsche Presse-Agentur via M&C
Or do these guys chop the thingie off as a part of the deal?
Didn't the prophet say in the al-kitab that nobody should be converted to the religion of peace via force? I guess in certain situations, that "law of god" changes to an optional guideline, eh? Further proof that those who have the Kalashnikov make their own laws. Islam is what the Taliban say it is...arun wrote:Islamabad - Piotr Stanczak did not exhibit the slightest hint of hesitation when the Pakistani Taliban asked him to choose between execution and conversion to Islam.
Deutsche Presse-Agentur via M&C
Looks like TSP is very apt in appropriating Urdu from India. She/He has a Urdu relationship with the US with frequent role reversals.Spread the word: Obama says he digs Urdu poetry
If you want to make high-brow small talk at one of President Barack Obama’s cocktail parties, don’t bother brushing up your Shakespeare. Try reading Urdu poetry.
As POLITICO’s Ben Smith points out in his blog, Obama showed off his intellectual flair by evoking a standard of Pakistani culture in a recent interview with Dawn, a popular English-language newspaper in Pakistan.
“‘I would love to visit. As you know, I had Pakistani roommates in college who were very close friends of mine. I went to visit them when I was still in college; was in Karachi and went to Hyderabad. Their mothers taught me to cook,’ said Mr Obama.
‘What can you cook?’
‘Oh, keema ... daal ... You name it, I can cook it. And so I have a great affinity for Pakistani culture and the great Urdu poets.’
‘You read Urdu poetry?’
‘Absolutely. So my hope is that I’m going to have an opportunity at some point to visit Pakistan,’ said Mr Obama.”
It may sound somewhat esoteric, but this ancient form of mystical and oft-times philosophical love poetry has been popular in Pakistan and parts of India for centuries. And there are a few things to know before you try to impress the poetry-lover-in-chief.
One of the most popular poets was Mirza Ghalib, whose work dates from the mid-19th century. The still-popular art form usually features the story of a lover scorned by his beloved. And there is almost never a happy ending. “Often the beloved is often a total witch,”says Gwen Kirk, a University of Texas master’s candidate in the subject of Urdu poetry. “She breaks the lover’s heart all the time; she neglects him. It’s all about the process of trying to get closer to the beloved, and it’s got a lot of Sufi and mystical elements as well.”
The ghazal is the most common form of Urdu poetry, and, like sonnets, it follows strict rules of form: four to 12 couplets with a meter and rhyme scheme. But the similarities end there. Couplets in an Urdu poem can sometimes be completely unrelated to each other, each delving into themes that range from unrequited love to the meaning of life.
Fear not if your Urdu — one of two official languages in Pakistan — is a little rusty. Obama likely reads one of the many translated compilations of the texts, according to Kirk. Or if he is a truly savvy Urdu poetry enthusiast, he may choose to listen to the poems recited or sung, as it is commonly performed in the region.
Obama’s admission that he shares an affinity with the “great Urdu poets” may get him further in the region than most think. The language and poetry are commonly associated with Pakistan’s and India’s Muslim population, according to Kirk, and it remains intensely popular in the region — poetry recitals sometimes attract gatherings of thousands of people.
“It does show a willingness to understand that part of the world,” says Kirk.
And in general, it gives Obama further credibility as a supporter of the arts. Not only is he one of three American presidents to have poetry read at their Inaugurations, but he reads the stuff, too!
Want to dig into Urdu poetry? Here’s an example of what awaits you:
To hell with all hindering walls and doors!
Love’s eye sees as feather and wing, walls and doors.
My flooded eyes blur the house
Doors and walls becoming walls and doors.
There is no shelter: my love is on her way,
They’ve gone ahead in greeting, walls and doors.
The wine of your splendor floods
Your street, intoxicating walls and doors.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0609/24055.html
In his book Shadow War -- The Untold Story of Jihad in Kashmir, Pakistani journalist Arif Jamal, unveils the involvement of Pakistan in the insurgency and provides some new and quite startling details of the jihad that Pakistan waged against India in Kashmir. Having covered and observed this jihad from very close quarters, Arif was ideally placed to write this book. There is little that he doesn't know about the people and organisations involved in spawning militancy and terror in Kashmir. But while he is brutally honest in exposing all the misdeeds and murders that were committed in the name of 'Kashmiri struggle for independence', he has concentrated more on the involvement of the Jamaat Islami and its terrorist arm, Hizbul Mujahideen [ Images ], in spreading murder and mayhem in Kashmir.
In the process, Arif has ignored the role of terror outfits like Lashkar-e-Tayiba [ Images ] and Jaish-i-Mohammed because, according to him, "they have a global agenda in which Kashmir is no more than a training ground."
Arif busts many myths in his book, not the least of which is the commonly held view that the alleged rigging in the J&K state assembly elections in 1987 sparked the insurgency. According to Arif, right from the time of partition, Pakistan was always on the lookout for opportunities to stir up trouble in Kashmir. There were occasional lulls in Pakistani efforts to destabilise Kashmir, for instance after the 1971 war. But these periods had more to do with Pakistan's compulsions rather than any change of intentions. As Arif puts it, "Jihad, holy war and diplomacy were thus the first elements of Pakistan's foreign and defence policy -- and they remain so more than 60 years later."
He reveals that in early 1980, General. Zia-ul Haq held a meeting with the chief of Jamaat Islami in PoK, Maulana Abdul Bari. In this meeting Zia told Bari that he "had decided to contribute to the American-sponsored war in Afghanistan in order to prepare the ground for a larger conflict in Kashmir".
Zia predicted that "the Americans would be distracted by the fighting in Afghanistan and as a result would turn a blind eye to Pakistani moves in the region" [If one goes by what Arif writes later in this book, a similar calculation is being made by the Pakistan army [ Images ] today]. When Bari asked Zia who in Afghanistan will receive the biggest share of US assistance, Zia said "whoever trains the boys from Kashmir".
http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/flin ... 104900.htmArif busts many myths in his book, not the least of which is the commonly held view that the alleged rigging in the J&K state assembly elections in 1987 sparked the insurgency.
In a new edition of his book Continuous Struggle, which was first published in 1992, Amanullah Khan says the ISI first made contact with the JKLF in early 1987 through the organisation's senior leader, Farooq Haider. He says Haider made a deal with the ISI whereby the JKLF was to bring to POK young Kashmiris willing to fight Indian rule; they would then be given military training and arms by the ISI to start an insurgency in the Valley.... The first batch of eight young fighters from Indian Kashmir were said to have reached POK in February 1988. They were given military training and weapons by the ISI and sent back with instructions not to start anything until they got a green signal from Pakistan, Khan writes.... Khan then says that three separatist leaders, Mohammed Afzal, Ghulam Hasan Lone and Ghulam Nabi Bhatt, were called to POK in June 1988. "After lengthy deliberations, we asked them to start the insurgency on 13 July, 1988.
"But for some reason, the insurgency could not begin before 31 July when the Amar Singh Club and the Central Post and Telegraph Office in Srinagar were bombed."
Now BBC uncovers Pakistan's duplicity....Banned Pakistani groups 'expand'
Syed Shoaib Hasan
BBC News, Islamabad
Militant groups banned in Pakistan are expanding operations and recruitment in Pakistani-run Kashmir, according to a government report seen by the BBC. The observations are from a detailed secret report submitted to the region's government on the groups' activities in the city of Muzaffarabad and elsewhere. Pakistan banned the groups in 2002 after an attack on India's parliament brought the two states close to war. There was no immediate comment on the revelations from Pakistan's government.
Pakistan's allies, including the US, have expressed fears regarding the groups' proliferation and their close links to al-Qaeda.
'Cover for militancy'
A copy of the report, which was submitted by regional police to Pakistan-administered Kashmir's cabinet on 25 March, was obtained by the BBC in Islamabad. It finds that three banned groups - Harkatul Mujahideen, Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba - are active in Muzaffarabad. Harkatul Mujahideen and Jaish-e-Mohammad are said to be planning to open madrassas, or Islamic schools, in the city where Lashkar-e-Taiba is already operating a madrassa. "No officials are allowed to enter these premises to gather any sort of information," the report says. "We fear these madrassas maybe a cover for furthering militant activities."
The report also elaborates how the militant groups are growing in size and number across Kashmir.
It especially mentions the Neelum district, where they are said to be at their most powerful.
The report says the militants are involved in the logging of trees, one of the most lucrative trades in the region.
They have also set up offices in the Kandal Shahi market in Neelum, where they have become a major law and order headache, the report says.
The report mentions an incident which led to the killing of some locals and a resulting stand-off with the militants.
"The situation was only resolved by the intervention of the local administrator and senior army officials," the report says.
It then goes on to say that the authorities should take up the matter with the intelligence agency responsible for the militants.
The report says officials from that agency should relocate the militants to some area near the border, otherwise clashes with locals could take place.
Deadly groups
The report's contents are astonishing, as they come at a time when Pakistan's security forces are involved in a fully fledged operation against the Taliban.
The militants are said to be backed up by the jihadi organisations, especially the Jaish-e-Mohammad and the Harkatul Mujahideen.
Jaish-e-Mohammad has been involved in several assassination attempts on top Pakistani officials, including former President Pervez Musharraf.
Its members were also responsible for the kidnapping and murder of Wall Street journalist Daniel Pearl, and are said to have carried out the attack on the Indian parliament.
Harkatul Mujahideen is the Jaish's parent organisation and one of the largest militant groups in the world.
Lashkar-e-Taiba remains the prime suspect in the Mumbai attacks and is India's enemy number one.
Local people have confirmed to the BBC that there has been a great increase in militant activity in the regions mentioned.
"These people are being protected here," said Raja Faisal Majeed, a lawyer living in a village near where some of the militant groups have set up base.
"Sometimes they operate under the guise of a charity, sometimes as a school. We have protested against them to no avail."
Despite the fact that the groups mentioned are banned under Pakistan's terrorism act, the report does not advocate any action against them other than to keep an eye on their activities.
No doubt. But its just a productive life wasted. Maybe if he had gone along with it for a time, he would have been around for his family. There was no way he could have gotten out of that situation otherwise.chetak wrote: If the report is true, this gentleman deserves our highest regard and admiration.
RIP.
Only because it may hurt the UK and the US. As long it was hurting only India they did nothing.Now BBC uncovers Pakistan's duplicity....
No prize for guessing what is common in the three 'Toppers' - Iraq, Afghanistan & Pakistan!SSridhar wrote:Pakistan is No 2 in the world
BravoPakistan and Afghanistan came after Iraq in political turmoil and terrorism, World Bank’s report about Governance Indicator for 2008 said.
The report issued from Washington, stated that Iraq is on top in political turmoil, violence and terrorism there, the indicator gives zero level to Iraq. Pakistan and Afghanistan at level one
Jinnah’s ‘penniless’ great grandson finally gets his maiden flightAslam Jinnah the great grandson of the founder of Pakistan Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah Monday ... said that his family had been living in miserable condition for the last 62 years adding that in past a number of politicians and high ups made promises for his welfare but did not fulfill them.
Yo paklurks...this penniless man is not Jinnah's great grandson. The actual great grandson would be Ness Wadia, who is (a) an Indian citizen (b) a millionaire industrialist (c) boyfriend of Preity ZintaAslam Jinnah, who is the son of Jinnah's niece, got a warm welcome on arrival at the Benazir Bhutto International Airport
Aslam told reporters that he was thankful to God for giving him a chance to see the capital of the country his great grandfather had created in 1947.
With tearful eyes, he said it's his and the family's first-ever travel by an airplane and they had never thought of getting such a tremendous welcome at the Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Airport.
Aslam said he didn't own a house and was leading a miserable life in a Karachi slum before the Bait-ul-Maal recently provided him and the family with basic facilities of life.
The Daily Times quoted Aslam as saying that his family makes plastic bags to earn a living. He said President Asif Zardari had promised to ensure free treatment of his disabled daughter Zainab, 20, in the US.
(d) And a non muslim to boot. He is a Parsi.Gerard wrote:Yo paklurks...this penniless man is not Jinnah's great grandson. The actual great grandson would be Ness Wadia, who is (a) an Indian citizen (b) a millionaire industrialist (c) boyfriend of Preity Zinta
60-Second Expert: Pakistan's Identity Crisis
On the surface, it appears that Pakistan's greatest internal threats stem from the dangerously autonomous Swat Valley and Southern Waziristan. Look deeper and you'll see that the country's ailment is rooted in a crisis of national identity
--
Foreign Policy In Focus (FPIF) is a "Think Tank Without Walls" connecting the research and action of more than 600 scholars, advocates, and activists seeking to make the United States a more responsible global partner. It is a project of the Institute for Policy Studies.
Liaquat Merchant, grandnephew of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, has categorically denied any knowledge of one, Mr Mohammad Aslam Jinnah, being grandson of the Quaid.
He has also denied having any knowledge of one, Mrs Saeeda, as being daughter of the Quaid's elder brother Jan Mohammad Nathoo Poonja. Mr Merchant has described as 'incorrect' the claims contained in a report appearing in a section of press on Wednesday.
his backgroundSheik Qazi Asad, 47, will serve as a reserve chaplain at the LAPD's North Hollywood station.
Asad arrived in the United States at age 24, with virtually no money and speaking very little English. He learned to speak the language by taking classes at Los Angeles City College and by watching the news on television. And he learned a profession, the insurance claims business. Meanwhile, he began serving informally as a religious advisor to other Muslims -- presiding over weddings and funerals, heading a nonprofit organization whose members prepare the dead for burial, conducting weekly spiritual classes at a storefront office space in Inglewood.
I am shocked I say ! Who'd have thunk that the Pakis are not Biss loving enlightened moderates !Killed cleric's son: Some suicide attacks OK
Two weeks ago in Pakistan a leading anti-Taliban cleric was killed by a suicide bomber. CNN's Senior International Correspondent Nic Robertson visited his son at the school where his father was killed and found surprises in security and nuances in attitudes toward suicide bombers.
Naeemi's crime in the eyes of the Taliban was to issue a religious ruling, a Fatwa banning suicide bombing. ... At least I thought that was the scoop until I started asking Naeemi junior more about the suicide issue. ...Then he told me suicide bombings in Afghanistan against U.S. and NATO troops are justified because they are invaders killing Muslims. That is when the penny dropped so to speak...
While Pakistan and Pakistanis are more committed than they have ever been to crushing their own internal Taliban problem, they are far from turning on the Taliban across the border in Afghanistan.
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Inside Pakistan the sentiment is clear; the Taliban are a menace to stability. Outside the country however they are still seen as a tool to achieve regional goals.
If I were a patriotic representative of the US and I wanted Pakistan's cooperation, I would not attempt to deny Pakistan's fears of India. I would help Pakistan become stronger against India in exchange for guarantees that the US/West is not attacked.SKrishna wrote:BBC Link
Banned Pakistani groups 'expand'
Now BBC uncovers Pakistan's duplicity....
Well there is a lot more duplicity in the works than mere Pakistani duplicity - going by a link posted earlier
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/daw ... rsenal-969
US helping modernise Pakistan’s N-arsenal
Andrew Cockburn, a renowned author who has written several books on security issues, says that the official aim of US technical support, at an estimated cost of $100 million a year, is to prevent accidents and to ensure that they are out of the extremists’ reach.
But in pursuit of this objective, “it is inevitable that the US is not only rendering the warheads more operationally reliable, we are also transferring the technology required to design more sophisticated warheads without having to test them”, the report adds.
The author quotes a former national security official as saying that if the US is involved, “we can make sure they don’t start testing, or start a war”.
This system known as “stockpile stewardship” was conceived after the US forswore live testing in 1993. It allows scientists to “test” weapons through computer simulations. This vastly expensive programme not only ensures the weapons’ reliability but also the viability of new and improved designs.