Terror threat has prompted England to pull out of the badminton World Championships scheduled to begin on Monday at Gatchibowl in Hyderabad.
Badminton England released a statement saying there had been a reported threat against the championships by the Pakistan-based Islamic militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Mehsud was supported by the Pakistani army and intelligence service ISI, a Pakistani military analyst told the paper.
"He was originally supported by the military and ISI, but he had begun to bite the hand that fed him," said analyst Ayesha Siddiqa.
"His death is a very powerful signal to them all."
US anti-terror aid to Pak funds corruption in military: Report
Washington: The US 'thank you' to Pakistan in aid to fight terror during 2002-08 cost American tax payers 2.37 billion dollars but it has "funded" large-scale corruption in Pakistan's military and security services, according to a report.
The report by Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs of the prestigious Harvard University said there has been widespread agreement in this country that the US aid has not been spent effectively in Pakistan over the past decade .........................
The report said the Pakistani military did not use most of the funds for the agreed objective of fighting terror. Pakistan bought much conventional military equipment.
Examples include F-16s, aircraft-mounted armaments, anti-ship and anti-missile defense systems, and an air defence radar system costing $200 million, despite the fact that the terrorists in the FATA have no air attack capability. ........................
There is also clear evidence of corruption within the Pakistani army, the report said. The US provided $1.5 million to reimburse Pakistan for damage to Navy vehicles which had not been used in combat, $15 million for the Pakistani army to build bunkers for which there is no evidence that they exist, and about $30 million for Pakistani road building for which there is no such evidence either.
Zee News
These must be the djinns powering the railwaysGerard wrote:60,000 ghost employees in railways, says minister
Only one Hindu?
Following the death of Pak-Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud in a US drone strike, an interesting question has cropped up-Will Islamabad offer the promised bounty money of 50 million rupees to the CIA for killing Pakistan's enemy no. 1?
(Abdul Qadeer) Khan is despised by Pakistan's liberal intellgentsia, but seen as a hero by the general public because without his efforts (to develop atomic weapons) they believe Pakistan would be at India's mercy.
why compare sir ?RayC wrote:Only one Hindu?
How many Moslems in IFS?
I hope it is the lower half so that he can only watch helplessly from his wheelchair while his 72 Djinns perform seductive mujraVinodTK wrote:'Half of Baitullah Mehsud's body was blown up in attack'
Notwithstanding the plethora of presidential candidates (41) the contest is likely to boil down to one between the incumbent Hamid Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah, the former foreign minister. This is a pity because by far the more cerebral and attractive candidate is Ashraf Ghani, the former finance minister. Listening to him on CNN the other day one could not help being struck by the coherence of his views and of his vision for Afghanistan’s future. Alas, it is ethnic identity and money, not ability or vision, which will determine the outcome. Hence Hamid Karzai, a Pashtun from the largest ethnic group of Afghanistan (40 per cent) with dollops of lucre to spread around and a servile local administration at his call is the clear favourite.
By replacing Pakistan’s pervasive influence in Afghanistan by that of India Karzai obtained for his country more Indian largesse ($1.5 billion) than any Afghan regime in history. To spite Musharraf for teaming up with the Taliban (and bare-facedly denying it) Karzai forged a military alliance with India which, according to some, poses a significant threat to Pakistan’s security. We are in danger, our military pundits warn, of being outflanked. Provoked further, by Musharraf’s policy of turning a blind eye to the safe haven Mullah Omar and his ilk enjoyed in the tribal areas, Karzai is accused of conniving with India to destabilise Balochistan and fund elements within the Pakistani Taliban to attack our forces.
Musharraf not so niceAlas, Abdullah Abdullah, the former foreign minister and a one-time Ahmed Shah Massoud adviser, harbours, if anything, an even greater antipathy for Pakistan than Karzai. His hatred stems from the days when Hekmatyar, our favourite mujahidin commander, was at daggers drawn with Massoud, Pakistan shunned Massoud and supported Hekmatyar because we felt that the Pashtun Hekmatyar would be a better and more pliable tool. We were wrong, but then we often are. Indeed, the destruction wrought by Hekmatyar on Kabul in his vain attempt to oust Massoud from the capital was far greater than all of the damage Kabul endured during the entire period of Soviet occupation or subsequently.
In his article of July 30, Ikram Sehgal says that he has known Pervez Musharraf for 45 years and says that “as a cadet and a young officer he was always someone to look up to”. I beg to differ: I knew Musharraf for a year in 1960–61 when he was my senior in FC College, and a prefect in Kennedy Hall. There was a small celebration in the Hall when he went away to the PMA. Those who don’t believe me can check with those who lived in Kennedy Hall from 1960-62.
Mohammad Irshad Piracha
Islamabad
August 11 ‘Independence Day’ of Balochistan : BNP
NASIRABAD : August 11 is Independence Day of Balochistan. And it would be celebrated with great enthusiasm.
This was stated by Secretary General Balochistan National Party (BNP) Habib Jalib Baloch while speaking with journalists in Dera Murad Jamali from Quetta by telephone Sunday.
He said Chattar incident is result of ongoing military operation in Balochistan, excesses and cruelty and exploitation.
Balochistan has been completely handed over to army and FC who have unleashed excesses against Baloch people.
Answering a question he said murder of provincial minister Rustam Jamali is work of agencies.
He was a Baloch Sardar and Baloch nation has suffered a loss.
Prior to his murder, Abdullah Baloch, Asif Baloch and Zahid Baloch were also killed in Karachi and their killers were not arrested yet.
Answering another question BNP leader said that present government is product of dictatorship. And policies of dictator like Musharraf were continuing.
He said era for depriving Baloch nation of its resources and right to rule is over now. Now destination is near.
Answering another question he said August 11 is day of Independent Balochistan.
A public meeting would be held in Sarab. It is because once Sarab was the headquarter of Balochistan.
He strongly criticised provincial government and said it has arrested our important leaders and it has revealed government's frustration clearly.
Editorial in the nutty nation..remember all the aid promised to 10% at tokyo? yeah...that's taking a little longerA survey commissioned by Al Jazeera has revealed a widespread disenchantment in Pakistan with the United States for interfering with what most people consider internal affairs.
The polling was conducted by Gallup Pakistan - an organisation affiliated with the US-based Gallup Inc -and more than 2,600 people took part.
Interviews were conducted across the political spectrum in all the four provinces, and represented men and women of every economic and ethnic background.
When respondents were asked what they consider to be the biggest threat to the nation, 11 per cent of the population identified the Taliban fighters, who have been blamed for scores of deadly bomb attacks across the country in recent years.
Another 18 per cent said that they believe neighbouring India is the biggest threat, which has fought three wars with Pakistan since partition in 1947.
But an overwhelming number, 59 per cent of respondents, said the greatest threat to Pakistan right now is, in fact, the US, a donor of considerable amounts of military and development aid.
THEY insist on calling themselves Friends of Democratic Pakistan, much like some beleaguered African dictatorship that insist on being called a democratic republic. The government of Pakistan has requested for an additional $3.1 billion from the International Monetary Fund as the ironically nomenclatured FoDP hasn't shown any signs of immediate aid.
All super power generate paranoia to some extent.Wonder what the BRF "US is out to screw India using TSP" brigade has to say about this?
Such a naive understanding Vaman Ji.vaman wrote:I hope it is the lower half so that he can only watch helplessly from his wheelchair while his 72 Djinns perform seductive mujraVinodTK wrote:'Half of Baitullah Mehsud's body was blown up in attack'
:EXCLUSIVE: AL JAZEERA-GALLUP PAKISTAN SURVEY
Pakistan: State of the nation
An exclusive Al Jazeera survey of public opinion in Pakistan has revealed widespread disenchantment with the United States for interfering with what most people consider internal Pakistani affairs.
Gallup Pakistan, an affiliate of the Gallup International polling group, carried out the survey.
The field work was done among more than 2,500 men and women across the rural and urban areas of all four provinces of Pakistan on July 26 and 27 this year. The field work was done face to face. The margin of error is + 2-3 per cent at 95 per cent confidence level. ………………
Al Jazeera
Monday 10 August 2009 (19 Sha`ban 1430)
Hidden secrets of Kargil
Azhar Masood | Arab News
What professional faults did you detect in the Kargil Operation's planning?
It was a classic example of military incompetence. Musharraf and the three other generals in the know (Musharraf, his then Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aziz Khan, Commander 10 Corps Lt. Gen. Mehmud Khan and Force Commander Northern Areas Maj. Gen. Javed Hassan) only provided light-grade weaponry to combat soldiers. No air cover was given, not even proper clothing for the high-altitude environment. There was no counter-plan for a full-scale war. No contingency plan was made for the Indian navy's expected blockade of Pakistan's main naval ports. During the highest-level briefings, the naval and air chiefs expressed their protest at being kept in the dark.
Arab News
But Religious Affairs Minister Hamid Saeed Kazmi said the government could not risk a “full-fledged review” inciting a religious backlash.
“Any move for a major amendment in the law will generate another controversy that will benefit extremists and harm the cause of our Christian brothers.”
But Religious Affairs Minister Hamid Saeed Kazmi said the government could not risk a “full-fledged review” inciting a religious backlash.
“Any move for a major amendment in the law will generate another controversy that will benefit extremists and harm the cause of our Christian brothers.”
what christians?? what are they talking about? Pakistan is 400% islamic onlee.Well if they(India) rush in and recognize then it gives lie to the posture at S-e-S. So need to let someone else be the first to recognize. Could be a Groper move to corner Indian response.John Snow wrote:So India wont recognize and Back Stab Balochis?
Times of UK’s take on the matter:arun wrote:The US catches on a bit late in the day that the Pakistani’s, particularly the Pakistani military, has adroitly milked them :
US anti-terror aid to Pak funds corruption in military: Report
Washington: The US 'thank you' to Pakistan in aid to fight terror during 2002-08 cost American tax payers 2.37 billion dollars but it has "funded" large-scale corruption in Pakistan's military and security services, according to a report.
The report by Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs of the prestigious Harvard University said there has been widespread agreement in this country that the US aid has not been spent effectively in Pakistan over the past decade .........................
Zee News
The discussion paper put out by Harvards Belfer Center is titled :
US Aid To Pakistan – US Taxpayers Have Funded Pakistani Corruption
The paper (1.5 MB) is available here:
Clicky
August 9, 2009
US ‘aids Pakistani corruption’
Glasgow-born counter-terrorism adviser Azeem Ibrahim says money given by the US government has been used to buy weapons
Mark Macaskill
Billions of pounds of American aid given to Pakistan for the war on terror have been used to bolster its defences against India in its dispute over Kashmir or looted by corrupt officials, according to a study by a government adviser……………
Ibrahim found that £121m was spent on an air defence radar system despite terrorists in the region having no air attack capability.
About £48m per month was paid to soldiers to fight during months when there was a ceasefire, £33m to maintain helicopters which were not maintained, £18m for roads which were never built, £9m for bunkers which were never dug and £900,000 to repair damage to navy vehicles which did not see combat. Last year, of the £550m of military support the United States gave Pakistan, only £180m reached the army, according to American government reports.
Ibrahim’s study calls for greater scrutiny of how American aid is spent in Pakistan and for a crackdown on the madrasahs, which have been used to groom Islamist extremists.
“For the past eight years, US taxpayers’ money has funded corruption in the Pakistani army and intelligence service,” said Ibrahim.
“It has enriched Pakistani individuals at the expense of the proper functioning of Pakistani institutions. It has provided already kleptocratic institutions with further incentives for corruption.
“Despite the Bush administration’s stated intention to encourage democratisation, it actually discouraged democratisation in Pakistan. But perhaps worst of all, it actually hindered Pakistan’s ability to fight terrorists.” ……………
Times Online
Spinster bhai: You know the answer to that. India has shown time and again that it is willing to pass up on golden opportunities to do what needs to be done.....and then you have some jingoes blaming the US for India's own damn failings.John Snow wrote:So India wont recognize and Back Stab Balochis?
Ask and ye shall receive... just don't bomb us this month please! AOA!Vivek_A wrote:What friends!THEY insist on calling themselves Friends of Democratic Pakistan, much like some beleaguered African dictatorship that insist on being called a democratic republic. The government of Pakistan has requested for an additional $3.1 billion from the International Monetary Fund as the ironically nomenclatured FoDP hasn't shown any signs of immediate aid.
The extra $100 million is the penalty incurred by the IMF for the "inconvenience" experienced by Pakis while the loan paperwork was being processed. Fair onlee...The International Monetary Fund on Friday boosted a loan extended to Pakistan late last year by $3.2 billion, bringing the total value of the aid package pledged to the South Asian nation to approximately $11.3 billion. The total loan extended to Pakistan by the IMF is equal to about 6.3% of the country's gross domestic product.
Another Minority Killing in Pakistan
LONDON, August 8 /PRNewswire/ -- It is with great sadness that the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat confirms that another member of its community, Rana Ata-ul Karim (36) was killed on 6 August 2009 in Multan, Pakistan. He was murdered simply for being an Ahmadi. Mr Karim, a well educated agriculturist, left his home for a few minutes in the afternoon and returned to find that his wife had been locked in their bedroom by three young men who had entered his home. Mr Karim was shot 3 times and died on the spot. ...............
IT News
....Shaun Gregory, a professor at Bradford University in the UK, acknowledges the great strides the Pakistanis have made in securing their weapons (with some US help he doesn't mention) but he also points out something that was news to me (and shouldn't have been) which is that a series of attacks on Pakistan's nuclear weapons facilities have already happened. According to Gregory, "These have included an attack on the nuclear missile storage facility at Sargodha on November 1, 2007, an attack on Pakistan's nuclear airbase at Kamra by a suicide bomber on December 10, 2007, and perhaps most significantly the August 20, 2008 attack when Pakistani Taliban suicide bombers blew up several entry points to one of the armament complexes at the Wah cantonment, considered one of Pakistan's main nuclear weapons assembly sites."
One exampleAnalysis: Pakistani claims regarding Baitullah’s death, shura clash, are suspect
By Bill RoggioAugust 9, 2009 12:28 AM
After several senior Taliban leaders went on the record to deny reports that Baitullah was killed in a US airstrike in South Waziristan, the Pakistani government's claim that Baitullah is dead is now in doubt. Similarly, Pakistani government claims of infighting between potential successors to Baitullah also must be viewed with skepticism. Given the Pakistani government's poor track record when claiming senior al Qaeda and Taliban leaders have been killed, the reports of Baitullah's death are now suspect.
Recent history favors the Taliban's account
While it is still unknown if Baitullah survived the strike, the Pakistani government's track record in accurately reporting on the deaths of senior Taliban and al Qaeda leaders is poor [see the list below]. The Taliban, on the other hand, have been honest about the deaths of their senior leaders. Each time they have refuted a claim of a leader being killed, they have been able to prove the commander is alive.
We knew average Paki is a rabid Paki.The perpetrators were not just a few masked fanatics but a large crowd of ordinary people. Indeed they represented the average Pakistani. Sadly that is what we have become. And that is the real existential crisis that confronts us as a nation at this time