Terrorist Islamic Republic of Pakistan (TSP): Apr. 11, 2010

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 06 May 2010 10:23

Faisal Shahzad’s father vacates Peshawar house
http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=237595
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
Javed Aziz Khan &

Mushtaq Paracha

PESHAWAR/NOWSHERA: Air Vice Marshal (R) Baharul Haq, father of Faisal Shahzad, the accused in New York’s failed bomb plot, hurriedly vacated the family home in Hayatabad town here late Tuesday apparently to avoid attention.

Eyewitnesses said he packed some belongings in a vehicle and left the house located in Phase IV of the posh Hayatabad town along with male and female members of the family. Their destination wasn’t known.

Earlier, members of the media, in particularly TV crews had converged on the house in a bid to talk to family members and learn more about Faisal Shahzad, who was arrested Tuesday in the US on charges of plotting the vehicle bomb attack and now accused of an attempted act of terrorism. However, nobody in Air Vice Marshal (R) Baharul Haq’s household or the neighbours were ready to talk to reporters. A Geo TV reporter was shown outside the house trying to engage in conversation with neighbours. Some people in the neighbourhood expressed ignorance about Faisal Shahzad’s arrest in the US.

Air Vice Marshal Baharul Haq retired from the Pakistan Air Force some years ago. Maj Gen (R) Tajul Haq, reported to be his brother, served as the Inspector General of Frontier Corps (IGFC) in the past.

A reporter of The News and Geo TV also paid a visit to the family’s village, Mohib Banda, near Pabbi in Nowshera district and met some relatives of Faisal Shahzad. They were largely unaware of the happenings in the US and some of them felt Faisal Shahzad had been trapped in the case under some conspiracy.

Enquiries revealed that Faisal Shahzad is married with two children. His Pakistani identity card was made in Karachi as he had a job there some years ago. It was learnt that he had come to the village some months ago with his wife and children to attend a wedding.

Sareerul Haq, a cousin of Faisal Shahzad and nephew of Air Vice Marshal (R) Baharul Haq, said he could not believe the allegations against his cousin. He pointed out that Faisal Shahzad had gone to the US for studies.

Sareerul Haq is living in the village house owned by Faisal Shahzad’s family. He said the house hasn’t been mortgaged as stated by interior minister Rahman Malik. Jabir Khan, another cousin of Faisal Shahzad, insisted that Faisal was innocent. He said it was a conspiracy against his cousin to charge him for committing act of terror. Nazeer, another villager from Mohib Banda, said he was a childhood friend of Faisal Shahzad. “I don’t think Faisal had links with any militant group,” he stressed.

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 06 May 2010 10:25

More breast beating, now that the free thali is in danger.

http://thenews.jang.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=237754

Terror export

Thursday, May 06, 2010
Even as exports from Pakistan fall in so many other spheres, there is one item that goes out to the world in larger and larger quantities from our country. Sadly, this brings in no monetary benefits and no goodwill. Today, it often seems that what we export most often is terrorism. The arrest in New York of a Pakistan-American, even as he boarded a plane that would have taken him to Dubai, acts to confirm this in the eyes of the world. Even if we, as Pakistanis, know that most people in the country oppose terrorism and have no sympathies with those who make killing a mission, the fact is that many in other places see Pakistanis as terrorists. The impact of this has come in the form of the unleashing of racist violence and all kinds of more subtle discrimination. In one way or another, tens of thousands of Pakistanis have suffered. The question is whether enough is being done to stop the export of violence and ensure that a softer, more flattering spotlight is directed towards Pakistan. The arrest of Faisal Shahzad indicates that the mindset which spurs on terrorism has poisoned even those who enjoy wealth and privilege.

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 06 May 2010 10:26

Times Sq Suspect Hails From High-Status Pakistani Family
5:52 pm
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/201 ... om_hi.html
May 4, 2010

By Frank James

Faisal Shahzad, the suspect in the failed car-bombing attempt of New York City's Time Square, comes from a well-to-do Pakistani family. His father is a retired vice marshal in Pakistan's air force and now one of that nation's top aviation officials.

It's a circumstance somewhat reminiscent of the alleged Christmas Day bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab whose father was former chairman of First Bank of Nigeria.

And, to a degree, it's also a reminder of the background of al Qaida leader Osama bin Laden's background, a scion of Saudi wealth who rejected it to wage a terror campaign against the West, particularly the U.S.

The Associated Press reports:

Shahzad is the son of a former top Pakistani air force officer and deputy director general of the civil aviation authority, according to Kifyat Ali, the cousin of Faisal Shahzad's father.
Ali told reporters outside a two-story home in an upmarket part of Peshawar, the main city in northwestern Pakistan, that the family had yet to be officially informed of Shahzad's arrest in the United States.
"This is a conspiracy so the (Americans) can bomb more Pashtuns," Ali said, referring to a major ethnic group in Peshawar and the nearby tribal areas of Pakistan and southwest Afghanistan.
"He was never linked to any political or religious party here."
He said Faisal often stayed in Peshawar when he came back fromthe United States.
His mother and father, retired Air Vice Marshall Baharul Haq, had left the house for an undisclosed location because of the media interest.
One man detained in Karachi was identified only as Tauseef and was a friend of Shahzad, according to one official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because Pakistani intelligence officers insist on anonymity as a matter of policy. Media reports described some of the others detained as relatives of Shahzad.
In Washington, Pakistani Embassy spokesman Nadeem Haider Kiani said early indications suggest the bomber was "a disturbed individual."

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 06 May 2010 10:28

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.as ... 2010_pg1_5

Another ‘spy’ in India’s Islamabad embassy?

NEW DELHI: Close on the heels of the arrest of Madhuri Gupta, another Indian official posted in the Indian High Commission in Islamabad has been recalled on suspicions of spying. The official, however, was not arrested like Madhuri was. Sources said he was a senior police officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre posted in the high commission as an attaché for the past three years. He has been put on “compulsory wait” and will not be assigned new duties until the investigation is completed. He has been quietly recalled after a special wing of RAW monitored his activities in Islamabad for six months.

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 06 May 2010 10:32

Book review: Creation of the state of Pakistan —by Iftikhar Ahmad
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.as ... 2010_pg3_6
Jinnah: India-Partition-Independence
By Jaswant Singh Oxford University Press; Pp 565, Price Rs 995

It is claimed that Jaswant Singh’s book, Jinnah: India-Partition-Independence, attempts an objective evaluation. It is for the impartial reader to pass a verdict. The focus of the author is on a number of factors, including the partition of India in 1947, an event labelled as the most “wounding trauma” of the 20th century. The questions raised are: why did the partition of the subcontinent take place at all? Who was responsible? Jinnah’s political journey began as an ambassador of Hindu-Muslim unity and ended with his becoming the “sole spokesman” of the Muslims in India, the creator of Pakistan and the Quaid-e-Azam. How and why did this transformation take place? Jaswant Singh asks where and when this questionable thesis of ‘Muslims as a separate nation’ first originated and where it led the Indian subcontinent. He believes that for the return of lasting peace in South Asia there is no alternative but to first understand what made Muslims ‘abandon’ us in the first place.

Like many others in India, Jaswant Singh seems to not have reconciled with the reality of the partition of the subcontinent. He calls partition a “disruptive and destructive path” and rejects the call that “Muslims are a separate nation” to finally emerge as Pakistan, even if “moth-eaten”. For the partition in 1947, he blames Nehru and Jinnah. He writes, “In India our having once accepted this principal of reservations, Circa 1909, then of partition, how can we now deny it to others, even such Muslims as have had to or chosen to live in India?”

Jaswant Singh writes, “We have all been born of partition; we were one, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, until the third quarter of 1947, now we are three separate entities, but are we truly all that different? I cannot help querying so.” Perhaps the answer lies in the circumstances stated by the author himself in chapter three (‘The Turbulent Twenties’) of the book. Similar circumstances have prevailed in India for over 63 years after partition. The Indian government failed to provide protection to minorities (especially Muslims). The equality as mentioned in the Indian constitution neither lives in the minds of the Hindu majority nor the government authorities.

Many years before the Pakistan Resolution (1940), Lala Lajpat Rai, a very astute politician and staunch Hindu Mahasabhite wrote, “I am inclined to think it is neither possible nor practicable to achieve Hindu-Muhammedan unity. Assuming that we can unite against the British, we cannot do so to rule Hindustan on British lines. We cannot do so to rule Hindustan on democratic lines.” Although Hindus and Muslims had been living together for centuries in the Indian subcontinent, yet there had never been any signs of a merger between Hindu and Muslim societies, or any serious attempt to develop a working relationship between the two major religious groups. The two always remained two distinct social systems, distinct cultures and different civilisations. The Hindu customs and their hatred for Muslims was the main factor against developing a working relationship between the two major communities.

Jaswant Singh’s authorship no doubt reflects his patriotism as an Indian citizen and an important political personality. His writing is powerful. But to arrive at valid conclusions the assumptions, to start with, should be realistic. Sincere deliberate efforts are required to persuade peace to return. Return of lasting peace in South Asia, especially in relation to India and Pakistan, is possible only if the leaderships of both countries put the past in the past and avoid conditions that could possibly lead to conflicts. Where there is a will there is a way. If both countries resolve to find a way forward and learn from past mistakes, there should be no reason that peace cannot be persuaded to return. Jaswant Singh may like to consider that what made peace abandon us in South Asia in the first place was the absence of positive thinking, a spirit of cooperation and feelings for others. This task involves accepting the reality of partition, recognising the ideology of Pakistan and existence of Hindus and Muslims as separate entities with distinct cultures and way of life. Tolerance, patience and cooperation are the necessary ingredients of peace. A new beginning is essential for friendship between India and Pakistan. Mutual respect and understanding is essential for good neighbourly relations and peace in the region. We need to put the past in the past. But it requires a spirit of reconciliation to admit that the creation of the state of Pakistan was the only just, honourable and practical solution of the most complex constitutional problem of the subcontinent.

As Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah put it, “Pakistan is a moral and intellectual achievement. Pakistan is now a fait accompli.” For meaningful progress it is absolutely essential that peace must be restored and assured and order maintained in both India and Pakistan. We have to put the past in the past despite all that has happened. Sincere deliberate effort is required.

The writer is former director, National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA), Pakistan, and can be reached at iftahmad786@hotmail.com

svenkat · Post by **svenkat** » 06 May 2010 10:34

Is it just a coincidence that Ahmediyyas respect Sri Rama and Sri Krishna,their founder was born in Gurdaspur Tehsil(in our Punjab) and they are heretics in Pakjab.

A_Gupta wrote:
Is there any kind of documentary evidence for this claim? E.g., we have the Nixon-Kissinger tapes, we have piles of other declassified stuff. Is there anywhere this alleged frustration expressed?

Starting from Madeline Albright's Dad,refusal by gora C-in-C disobeying JLN,UN resolutions by UK/US in Security Council,Robin Raphael in 90s,psy-ops in Western media,consistent SUPPORT to porki terrorism,Holbrokes efforts to include India in his brief,Obamas effort to 'resolve' Kashmir,Milliband's sermons,Mullen,Petraeus,Machrystals attempts to understand pakistans concerns not just in general terms but specifically the claims/grievances of porkistan on kashmir.

For the goras,India is an artificial state.Kashmir will be the start of the unraveling of India.For the Indian nationalists,while not denying faultlines India has civilisational unity and political unity is a must for better life for the Indian people for which we need political space in our neighbourhood .

While India has no interests in competing with the US in the Americas,Europe or the Balkans,there is a definite conflict of interest in our neighbourhood.Otherwise why is Unkil supporting TSP.

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 06 May 2010 10:38

Another variation of the " Bomb you back to the stone age " gambit?

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/daw ... kistan-650

US mounts pressure on Pakistan over NY plot
By Anwar Iqbal
Thursday, 06 May, 2010

WASHINGTON: In a series of meetings with and telephone calls to President Asif Ali Zardari and other Pakistani leaders, senior US officials have informed Islamabad that the failed attempt to bomb New York’s Times Square had ‘clear links’ with Pakistan, the US State Department said on Wednesday.

“The purpose of the meetings was to inform Pakistan that there are clear links to Pakistan and that we would fully expect them to do what they should do and what they have been doing,” Assistant Secretary of State Philip J. Crowley told a briefing in Washington.

“We came away from these contacts today with full confidence that we are on the same page in terms of how this investigation will proceed,” he added.

Asked why was he confident that Pakistan would fulfil its pledge to cooperate with the United States in investigating the bombing attempt, the State Department official said: “Rest assured that Pakistan understands that this investigation is important to the United States, it is important to Pakistan, based on very strong political commitments, we are confident that we can work through those issues together.”

Karna_A · Post by **Karna_A** » 06 May 2010 10:59

chetak wrote:
abhishek_sharma wrote:
So, Vice Air Marshal saab has disappeared.

abhishek_sharmaji,

AVM saab has been made to disappear.

Not every supreme court is as benevolent as our own.

Kayani must be having him skinned alive, after pumping him full of sodium thiopental, as we speak.

He is soon going to join his boss Mushaf Ali Mir.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mushaf_Ali_Mir

According to investigative journalist Gerald Posner, the death of Mushaf Ali Mir was not an accident but an act of sabotage. The author claims in his book Why America Slept: The Failure to Prevent 9/11, that Osama bin Laden struck a deal with Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) through Mushaf Ali Mir in 1996 to get protection, arms and supplies for al-Qaeda. The meeting was blessed by the Saudi's through Prince Turki bin Faisal Al Saud, the then intelligence chief. However, after the September 11 attacks on the United States in 2001, and reversal of Pakistani and Saudi stances favoring Taliban and al-Qaeda, the three Saudi princes associated with the deals died within days and seven months after that Mushaf Ali Mir's plane crashed near the Pakistan-Afghan border. Prince Turki bin Faisal, on the other hand was removed as intelligence chief and sent as Ambassador to United Kingdom during the same time.[4]

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 06 May 2010 11:17

Now that the Times Sq. terroist pig has been exposed,as being the son of an apparently infamous Air Marshal of the PAF (why did he vamoose so quickly,was it on orders fron his top brass and Gen. Kill-any?),the links between the Paki uniformed tribes and the Islamist terrorist brigades has been revealed in all its nakedness.How much longer will the United Soviets of America continue to mollycoddle its favourite rent-boy Pak,which has been exposed as "biting the hand that fed it"? And how much longer can the GOI also remain silent and not punish the USA for its military support to Pak to wage war against India?

More news of the terrorist spawn of the Paki Air Marshal in this report.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/w ... 117533.ece
Car bomb suspect who slipped under radar is son of air force chief

What is beyond doubt is that he first came to the US in 1998 as 19-year-old student, the son of an air vice-marshal of the Pakistani Air Force, Baharul Haq, who remains well known as the founder of the Sherdils, the country’s leading military aerobatics team. He acquired two degrees, in computer science and business administration, from small private colleges in Washington and Bridgeport, Connecticut.

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 06 May 2010 11:25

Acharya wrote:http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.as ... 2010_pg1_5

Another ‘spy’ in India’s Islamabad embassy?

Acharya ji,

Get a load of this

And also realize how much under close scrutiny the amrekis are placing the entire region in.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/army- ... us/615795/

Army Major caught spying for Pak, tip-off came from US

Posted: Thursday , May 06, 2010 at 0215 hrs
New Delhi:

Around the time last month when the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) was alerted about the possibility of one of their officers being involved in espionage, another sensitive counter-intelligence operation involving the Ministry of Defence (MoD) was in progress.

For over two weeks now, top Government sources say, an Army Major has been kept in “safe custody” of the Military Intelligence (MI). The officer—posted in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands—is alleged to have passed on classified information to Pakistan.

The first tip-off in what could develop into another espionage scandal, according to sources, came from American authorities. Suspicious internet traffic first came to the notice of American intelligence agencies when intercepts showed a user in Andaman and Nicobar Islands had dispatched a picture of a serving Indian Brigadier, who was attending a training programme in the US, to Pakistan.

sum · Post by **sum** » 06 May 2010 11:35

3 Paki moles unearthed in just a month?

How much have the Pakis penetrated the Indian establishment? I used to think that Pakis only had tons of low level spotters etc in Desh till now.

shravan · Post by **shravan** » 06 May 2010 11:37

Blast in Bahawalnagar; one killed

BAHAWALNAGAR: A man was killed as an explosion occurred in Cantonment area of the city, ARY NEWS reports Thursday.

According to preliminary reports the blast took place in the army camp area, killing a man.

naren · Post by **naren** » 06 May 2010 12:11

chetak wrote: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/army- ... us/615795/

Army Major caught spying for Pak, tip-off came from US

Why Unkil is acting all so saintly ? Did shiite really hit the fan in Unkil-TSP relations ?

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 06 May 2010 13:10

Terror Export- Edit in The News

Even as exports from Pakistan fall in so many other spheres, there is one item that goes out to the world in larger and larger quantities from our country. Sadly, this brings in no monetary benefits and no goodwill. Today, it often seems that what we export most often is terrorism.

Perhaps our thesis that it is essentially the poor who are exploited by the militants is somewhat flawed. Perhaps we need to do more to stop the slow poisoning of minds. A process of brainwashing has continued for years. It needs to be reversed. The strategy for this must be worked out. Psychologists, educators, media people, clerics and others with social influence need to be involved. We must convince people, particularly the young, that militancy and extremism threaten to destroy all that is good about their country. They must play a part in building for it a different future.

The first thing that Pakistan has to do is to realize that they cannot destroy India. That is the only thing they have to realize. The rest will fall into place automatically. This is what the US must aim to do in Pakistan. They should not try to resolve the Kashmir dispute etc. The basic malaise in Pakistan that is slowly eating it from the inside is this overwhelming desire to destroy India. Unfortunately, by delivering arms and alms to Pakistan very generously, the US is doing just the opposite as it generates a false sense of capacity within Pakistan to destroy India.

amit · Post by **amit** » 06 May 2010 13:19

Acharya wrote:
MICHAEL GOODWIN: U.S. Muslims Finally Take the Right Stand
By Michael Goodwin - FOXNews.com
A major Islamic group is denouncing terrorism and calling on Muslims to show loyalty to America, or get out.

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2010/05/ ... -pakistan/

This is the problem with the Americans. Michael Goodwin doesn't even know that Ahmadiyyas are not considered Muslims in Pakistan and so what a leader from their community says matters zilch as far as the Paki community in the US is concerned.

This massive ignorance is what helps suave Pakis to spin yarns about how most Pakis are moderate, peace loving etc.

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 06 May 2010 14:03

Official: NY Car Bomb Suspect Did a Dry Run

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/05 ... -Bomb.html

Atri · Post by **Atri** » 06 May 2010 14:16

Pakistan Taliban may be linked to New York car bomb suspect: US officials

WASHINGTON: American officials said that it was very likely that a radical group once thought unable to attack the United States had played a role in the bombing attempt in Times Square, elevating concerns about whether other militant groups could deliver at least a glancing blow on American soil.

How does this fare to India? How does it help us, if US does not force Pakis to act upon Afghan taliban, haqqani network and LeT?

Its just same old story..

Suppiah · Post by **Suppiah** » 06 May 2010 15:02

SMK -> TSP epicentre of terrorism, proof is in NY arrest

Expect a torrent of inner pakistaniyat from the pakbarian animals on this comment....

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 06 May 2010 15:31

Karna_A wrote:
Now you tell me if Krishna Menon thinking for 40 years worked for India or did PVNR thinking for 10 years worked for long term India's benefit.

Ah, Serendipity itself. Neither worked because it is not what Indians think that matters to the US. It is what the US thinks. The US will do what it wants to do no matter what I think or what PVNR or Krishnamenon might have thought as per your estimation.

Imagining that changing India's way of seeing the US will make things better is a delusion. We need to change how the US thinks. This cannot be done by imagining that "Indians should not think like Krishnamenon or PVNR and should show the US more love"

That is my view. However India is a democracy, however flawed it may be. People who hold "Let's Love the US more and not complain" are more numerous than the people who want to tell the US where to get off. So I am sure India will, as you wish, stop thinking like me, PVNR and Krishnamenon and hope that more love will get the US to see India's viewpoint. Since that is what our PM is accused of doing, I hope nobody has any complaints about that.

I will likely not be here 40 years from now to see the fallout of this new strategy but I don't think it will work.

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 06 May 2010 15:41

surinder wrote: typically, humans respond to direct aggression and hidden aggression differently. They also percieve differences in motives behind the actions, not just the act itself.

Surinderji, The US is a problem even without attacking India the way Pakistan has done. What is being missed in this series of exchanges is the reason why I wrote what I wrote.I will not bother going back over the details and am going to drop the subject here and now.

arun · Post by **arun** » 06 May 2010 15:43

Excerpt from the US State Department press briefing dealing with the matter of the Islamic terrorist Shahzad Faisal who originated from the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and tried to car bomb New York’s Time Square.

Sections of the US media it would seem are not very impressed with the Islamic Republic of Pakistan’s track record in reining in IT ie: Islamic Terrorism:

Philip J. Crowley
Assistant Secretary
Daily Press Briefing
Washington, DC
May 5, 2010 ………………………….

QUESTION: Can you be a little bit more specific about these conversations that Ambassador Patterson had and Ambassador Holbrooke had with their interlocutors?

MR. CROWLEY: In what respect? Well, I mean, the investigation is obviously ongoing. The FBI and Justice Department are in the lead. Pakistan is taking its own steps and we expect we’ll do more as more information is yielded through this investigation. So I think we have a full and complete pledge of cooperation from Pakistan. We’re heartened by that. And we will move forward step by step as we go through this and try to determine who else might be implicated.

QUESTION: Yeah, but what did they talk about?

MR. CROWLEY: I mean, the –

QUESTION: Did Patterson walk into Zardari’s office and he said “We’re going to cooperate fully,” and she said “Great, thanks,” and then left? What did they – can you – I mean, is there any substance there?

MR. CROWLEY: Of course there’s substance there, but – I mean, we will be exchanging information as the investigation is ongoing. Whatever leads are generated –

QUESTION: Okay. Well, was there an exchange?

MR. CROWLEY: -- here in the United States, we would fully expect Pakistan to follow up on. Pakistan, as you’re seeing, has already taken its own steps. I’ll defer to the Pakistani Government to describe what it is doing. So we are touching all the right bases. You have law enforcement, intelligence officials that have established contact with their counterparts in Pakistan. And I mean, remember, we are still in the early stages of this investigation.

QUESTION: Right. I guess – but I just – what was the purpose of these meetings?

MR. CROWLEY: The purpose of the meetings was to operationalize that as we have an investigation here, it is to inform Pakistan that we – there are clear links to Pakistan and that we would fully expect them to do what they should do and what they have been doing. I mean, as you know, Pakistan has itself faced this significant threat. Probably in the last year, there have been more Pakistanis killed by terrorists than in any other country. We’ve long recognized that this is – it’s a shared threat, it’s a shared responsibility, and there’s a commitment on both sides to fully cooperate as this investigation unfolds.

Once you get that kind of political commitment, then it moves down through the relevant agencies. And we are encouraged by Pakistan’s response since the bombing happened, or the attempted bombing happened on Saturday.

QUESTION: That means that you’re pleased with what they’ve done so far?

MR. CROWLEY: I’ll defer to Pakistan to –

QUESTION: I’m not asking what they’ve done.

MR. CROWLEY: Yeah. I mean –

QUESTION: Are you happy with what they’ve done so far?

MR. CROWLEY: I think it’s more a matter of what we do from this point forward.

QUESTION: P.J., let me try it a little different way. Did they talk about arrests that the Pakistanis had made?

MR. CROWLEY: I will defer to – we are certainly aware of various reports of arrests. We don’t have a number that we can verify. That really is for Pakistan to announce. Obviously, the individual in custody had links to Pakistan, has family members in Pakistan, and I think we understand that there are – that law enforcement have made contacts with family members and are questioning them and are (inaudible) taking their own steps to do their part of this investigation.

QUESTION: Look. Ambassador Patterson was in a meeting with senior Pakistani officials.

MR. CROWLEY: We are not –

QUESTION: I’m not asking you to –

MR. CROWLEY: Okay.

QUESTION: -- announce arrests. You say you’ve seen reports of arrests. Did the subject of arrests come up in a meeting that your ambassador was in -- or in the meetings?

MR. CROWLEY: I happened to talk to Ambassador Patterson this morning myself. I asked her about that issue. And she indicated, at this point, we are not in a position to verify any number of arrests by Pakistan.
Yes.

QUESTION: There have been some reports about ties between Pakistan’s ISI and militants in Waziristan. Did this come up at all with Ambassador – did Ambassador Patterson bring this up at all?

MR. CROWLEY: I mean, without prejudicing the current investigation, let me take it slightly higher. This has been a topic of conversation between the United States and Pakistan for several years. And obviously, Pakistan in the last couple of years has recognized that elements in the past that Pakistan has supported and links – potential links between terrorist networks or terrorist organizations now threatens not only regional security, but Pakistan itself.

So – but let’s not jump ahead of the current investigation. Clearly, there are international implications to what occurred in Times Square. We are investigating those. We would expect Pakistan – and would fully expect Pakistan will help us with that. But as to where that investigation takes us, this is still way too early to make that judgment.

Jill.

QUESTION: P.J., a change of subject?

MR. CROWLEY: Go ahead.

QUESTION: No, wait. Can we stay – can we please stay on this?

MR. CROWLEY: Sure.

QUESTION: Are you seeking access to anyone who might be detained by the Pakistanis? Have you requested –

MR. CROWLEY: Since – we are not aware of any specific arrests at this point, but I think you safely – safe to say that our law enforcement-intelligence relationship is very strong. Should there be arrests and should we see clear links to what happened here – we have, in the past, asked for that kind of access, but that’s more an issue for Justice.

QUESTION: Well, but wouldn’t the request come from you? And in the past, you asked – you have asked for access, and you’ve been turned down.

MR. CROWLEY: Yeah. Well, all right. This is part of the investigation, and for that, I would defer to Justice. But I think we are confident in our – the relationship we have, and let’s let the investigation take its course.

QUESTION: Well, but the record isn’t – the record of cooperation in this area is not – I mean, you haven’t yet ever been able to talk to A.Q. Khan.

MR. CROWLEY: I think – put it – rest assured that Pakistan understands that this investigation is important to the United States, it is important to Pakistan. We will expect full cooperation. There has been a pledge of full cooperation. And now as we go forward, I think based on those strong political commitments, I think we are confident that we can work through those issues together.

QUESTION: Did the ambassador – when she met with Zardari and Qureshi, did she give a – sort of a list of things that the U.S. would consider full cooperation? You say we expect to have it in (inaudible) future. Is there a game plan for how this goes forward – that she was bringing to them?

MR. CROWLEY: I think that – I mean, as our investigation here proceeds, and to the extent it points to possible events in Pakistan, I expect we will make specific requests of Pakistan in terms of cooperation. But we’re still very early in the investigation.

QUESTION: Just following up, did the ambassador give a list of names of associates of the suspect Shahzad here, to check out?

MR. CROWLEY: I mean that – those are the kinds of things that are – that can be done at that level, but it also can be done at a working level.

QUESTION: So you –

MR. CROWLEY: Again, I’m just trying to say, look, I’m not going to get into the tos and fros of the investigation of itself. We are confident that we have a pledge of cooperation from Pakistan. I think there’s a mutual recognition of why this is important to both countries. And now, we’ve got to let the investigation take its course.

QUESTION: So is that essentially what the meeting – the two meetings were, is just getting a pledge of cooperation?

MR. CROWLEY: I’m not going to – I wasn’t in the meetings with the ambassador and the president and the foreign minister.

QUESTION: Well, you spoke to Ambassador Patterson.

MR. CROWLEY: I understand that. I’m just – I’m telling – but –

QUESTION: When you came out and you announced that these meetings had happened, it was the first thing you said.

MR. CROWLEY: We came away from these contacts today with full confidence that we are on the same page in terms of how this investigation will proceed.

QUESTION: Just to pin something else down, did Ambassador Patterson have any meetings with Pakistani officials yesterday as well, or just today? And the same for Ambassador Holbrooke, in addition to the (inaudible).

MR. CROWLEY: I think yesterday, Ambassador Holbrooke talked with Ambassador Haqqani, the Pakistani ambassador to the United States. I’m sure that Anne Patterson had contacts with Pakistani officials yesterday. I mean, she meets with them all the time, so it could well be that she had regularly scheduled meetings and then this issue was part of that discussion.

US State Department]

arun · Post by **arun** » 06 May 2010 16:03

X Posted. Our Minister of State for Power, Shabir Ahmad Khan, affirms GOI’s determination to go ahead with Kishanganga and says “We are not going to halt the work. It will go on in full pace,”:

India snubs Pak over hydro project

Hari Seldon · Post by **Hari Seldon** » 06 May 2010 16:57

So this faisal shahzad chappie was some lone ranger outta-control whackie, eh? unkil would be dumber than rocks to believe that 400%. And nope, I doubt unkil's that dumb.

Seems to me the TSP establishment has subtly signaled to the khanate, despite all the diversionary breast-beating, promises to 'cooperate' and extra-free gubos, that "look, we can send suicidal bummers who're tfta rape class and hence not immediately suspect up your musharraf if we really wanna. Now imagine for a moment if that failed plot hadn't failed and that explosive material had dirty radioactive material in it or heaven forbid, cheen passed on a suitcase nook to us onlee. Now, now, what a shame it would be if something like that happened, eh? So lemme tall ya what we can both cooperatively do to avoid such a catastrophe.... send me a few extra billion (its wampum anyway, why dya care, eh?), back off on my nook program, gimme more new shiny arms to keep balance with yindia and get them cowardly SDREs to vacate cashmere."

Of course, just my hunch only, but wouldn't quite put it beyond pak to ensnare unkil's balls in its jihadi jaws onlee.
Heaven only knows how this will end but we can rest assured that jdam will go off in yindia for sure to sow FUD should it also go off anywhere else. just my 2 paisa fears. jai ho and good luck.

Bhima · Post by **Bhima** » 06 May 2010 16:59

India and Pakistan's proxy war puts Afghanistan exit at risk

shravan · Post by **shravan** » 06 May 2010 17:25

Kidnappers free Col Imam, Qureshi

MIRANSHAH : Colonel Imam, the former intelligence official and British journalist Asad Qureshi, abducted by an alleged militant group of North Waziristan last month, were released here in the wee hours of Thursday.

Brad Goodman · Post by **Brad Goodman** » 06 May 2010 17:35

archan wrote:
A_Gupta wrote: As to who is the master and who is the servant in US-Pak relations, we all have our opinions. Question is - who is getting what they want? Seems to me the US is mostly not and Pakistan mostly is.
You mean the paki army and "establishment" is. The life of their common man has gone from bad to worse. There is a limit to how much general populace can take. I am waiting to see when that happens, if it does, and what the repercussions are. You cannot wage jehad empty stomach for too long.

Archan Ji right now the masses are not on empty stomach but half full stomach and to make sure they dont feel hungry the ISI injects them with regular doses of opium in form of religion and roumours so for example why is mango abdul feeling hungry the reason is kashmir is occupied and he needs to free palestine and then establish khilafat e rashida. Why is mango abdul not prospering because India has blocked all water. Because Unkil's national bird is hunting in p'kwa .......

The best part is right from dahi wada seller in faridkot to suit boot wearing abduls in Kanada lap up this opium like sheer kurma and keep passing to everyone else. Their solution call is RAW Mossad conspiracy and then ask for more islamization which means bigger doses of opium so that they can live in their la la land of fantasy.

shravan · Post by **shravan** » 06 May 2010 17:36

Dawn News ONE GUARD KILLED IN FIRING INCIDENT AT MAIN GATE OF PAF BASE KOHAT

sum · Post by **sum** » 06 May 2010 18:03

shravan wrote:Kidnappers free Col Imam, Qureshi

MIRANSHAH : Colonel Imam, the former intelligence official and British journalist Asad Qureshi, abducted by an alleged militant group of North Waziristan last month, were released here in the wee hours of Thursday.

The release of Col.Imam after Khwaja met his 72 means there is more than what meets the eye and could be a ISI drama ( as ramana-garu was mentioning all along)

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 06 May 2010 18:35

svenkat wrote: Starting from Madeline Albright's Dad,

Joseph Korbel was Czech.

refusal by gora C-in-C disobeying JLN,

I don't know of a gora C-in-C disobeying Nehru. I do know of one disobeying Jinnah.
This is what Wiki says
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_Ali_Jinnah

When informed of Kashmir's accession to India, Jinnah deemed the accession illegitimate and ordered the Pakistani army to enter Kashmir.[62] However, Gen. Auchinleck, the supreme commander of all British officers informed Jinnah that while India had the right to send troops to Kashmir, which had acceded to it, Pakistan did not. If Jinnah persisted, Auchinleck would remove all British officers from both sides. As Pakistan had a greater proportion of Britons holding senior command, Jinnah cancelled his order, but protested to the United Nations to intercede.

UN resolutions by UK/US in Security Council,

Yes in 1948-50. But US, UK haven't talked of settling J&K in terms of those UN resolutions in how long?

Robin Raphael in 90s,psy-ops in Western media,consistent SUPPORT to porki terrorism,Holbrokes efforts to include India in his brief,Obamas effort to 'resolve' Kashmir,Milliband's sermons,Mullen,Petraeus,Machrystals attempts to understand pakistans concerns not just in general terms but specifically the claims/grievances of porkistan on kashmir.

Let's start with the first three.

For the goras,India is an artificial state..

Which goras?

amit · Post by **amit** » 06 May 2010 18:38

Hari Seldon wrote:Seems to me the TSP establishment has subtly signaled to the khanate, despite all the diversionary breast-beating, promises to 'cooperate' and extra-free gubos, that "look, we can send suicidal bummers who're tfta rape class and hence not immediately suspect up your musharraf if we really wanna. Now imagine for a moment if that failed plot hadn't failed and that explosive material had dirty radioactive material in it or heaven forbid, cheen passed on a suitcase nook to us onlee. Now, now, what a shame it would be if something like that happened, eh? So lemme tall ya what we can both cooperatively do to avoid such a catastrophe.... send me a few extra billion (its wampum anyway, why dya care, eh?), back off on my nook program, gimme more new shiny arms to keep balance with yindia and get them cowardly SDREs to vacate cashmere."

I think Hari is spot on the money on this. That bomb was never meant to go off but to serve as a warning of the reach of TSP in Khanate. Remember that if the bomb had indeed gone off and even killed a few dozen people it would have had a similar emotion response from the US of A as 9/11 because of the prestige and history of Times Square. I don't think the Paki brass would have welcomed the kindly response they would have got.

However, I do think that FS dude was supposed to escape. Take the flight to Dubai, get a fresh passport and then fly to Nepal or some such place and from their go to Pakistan and disappear while the Pakis took more money to try and find him. Look at the situation, he had his wife and children already in place in Pakistan, his pop and family had a hideout ready, everything was arranged.

I think he botched up by leaving his keys in the car and I suppose the plan didn't expect that the car would be noticed so fast. Do note that it appears his other car had been parked for a several days 8 blocks down the road and nobody seemed to have noticed it. As it is, he almost slipped out.

On another note, I think the Bangalore IPL blasts were also a part of a warning. They had threatened to bomb the IPL, however, I don't think the Pakis were prepared for the consequences. But just to show that they could have, those pathaks went off.

I have a nasty feeling we'll see a similar IPL type blast during or just before the Commonwealth Games. Unless Kyani finds himself in a corner, I don't think he'd like to face the international response if a major device goes off during the Commonwealth Games killing a lot of people. But something minor would send the message.

After all both in India and in Khanate what other leverage do these pukers have save the threat to blow everyone up? I guess this will only stop the day the RAPE and Abduls are threatened with a blow up in their own backyard. But then if wishes were horses, beggars would ride...

JMGT

svenkat · Post by **svenkat** » 06 May 2010 18:58

A_Gupta wrote:
Which goras?

I dont see the point of arguments for arguments sake.TSP has done nuclear proliferation,it has started kargil war,supported terrorism for 30 years now,involved in 9/11 etc.What is there to argue?

Does this not indicate tacit support for paki position.Pakistan has not been punished for 26/11.Look at how american media is hounding State Department for virtually nothing.I do not know what evidence you are expecting.The US has virtually conceded Paki strategic depth in Afghanisthan because every military general claims Pakistan has claims on kashmir.What right does ISI have to decide the govt in kabul?The US has not touched the Quetta Shura.Why?It is acceptance of Pakistan's claims of hedging in Kabul.Ostensibly for future use in Kashmir etc.

Robin Raphael said in 90s that Kashmir will inevitably go to Pak.These are the career diplomats who carry the prejudices of generations of Anglo-Americans.Its only a strong India that is stopping the mischief.It is common knowledge Hurriyat was formed by the pressure from State Dept and PVNR had to acquiesce in it.

The Americans are frustrated there is no easy exit from Afghanisthan.There is a report in Guardian in this very page.And Guardian is a liberal paper.The Democrats and Labour are more virulent on Cashmere.The Conservative Republicans understand the Indian position a little better.I have said enough.

menon s · Post by **menon s** » 06 May 2010 18:59

i remember christian fair famous quote on Indian influence in Baluchistan, saying " the Indian consulate in zahedan, is not just there issuing visas". Implying as to why? India should at all be there at these remote outposts near to Pakistani territory. The true story. India inherited many consulates after the British had left, on was in Zahedan and the other in Urumqi. in Xinjiang province. The one in Urumqi was closed on Chou en lai`s insistence, in 53. But the Zahedan one stayed on, as it existed as a remote outpost, for people entering British India through Quetta. there are about 200 Sikh families living in Zahedan. They regularly travel to Amritsar and other places, and this consulate is very adjacent to the one and only gurudwara in Zahedan. This gurudwara is the first one in the entire Arab world. the sikhs here are married to girls in Punjab, haryana and uttar pradesh.

here is an article that links noble sikhs to Zahedan. http://www.kobi.ca/history.html

"Recalling Reza Shah's visit to Sistan province, he said the capital of the province was then known as Duzdab or the place of thieves. Upon seeing the Sikh settlers of India in Duzdab, Kohli recalls, Reza Shah deplored that the place inhabited by the "noble Sikhs" should be named Duzdab and ordered that the name be changed immediately to Zahedan or the place of noble people. The change of name took place in 1930, Kohli says."

Well what to say? As usual Christian fairs sense of history, Pakistani lies and how a small group of Sikhs changed the name of a city. Vasaudeyva kudumbakam. there are 5 Indian origin consulate members at this office here, folks who would rather go home and watch TV rather train insurgents. As usual lies travel faster.....truth has to follow, thats the way... but indians will persist... no matter what. thank you.

AjayKK · Post by **AjayKK** » 06 May 2010 19:05

Maroof Raza on talks with Pakistan.

Only Pak Army can sign off on bombs

The verdict against Ajmal Kasab has not only brought back memories of the well planned and ruthlessly executed attack on Mumbai by terrorists from Pakistan. It is an open secret that Pakistan’s military and intelligence agencies have been using cross-border terror as a tool to extend their foreign policy agenda. In fact, eminent Pakistanis have alluded to this in the aftermath of 26/11, saying that India must address the root cause of tension, ie Pakistan’s demands on Kashmir. Therefore, Kasab’s judgement day has brought the central question back into focus: How should India deal with Pakistan?

If Indian public sentiment is anything to go by, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his key advisors need to revisit their idea of putting the past aside. Clearly there is little support for New Delhi’s decision to resume talks with Islamabad, first at foreign secretary and then at foreign minister level, all of which is to lead to the ‘composite dialogue’ that will signal all is hunky-dory between India and Pakistan. The opposition to ‘talks’ isn’t simply from the UPA’s political rivals but from an informed bunch of diplomats and analysts who are convinced Dr Singh and his team are missing a key point — namely, Pakistan’s PM Yusuf Raza Gilani, like many of his civilian predecessors, is not ‘empowered’ to deliver. Only the Pakistan army can do so.

When Musharraf spoke about his out-of-the-box solutions — essentially on Kashmir — it was suggested the Pakistan army supported the General’s views. Today, his hand-picked Generals have disowned whatever was agreed or achieved. The reason is simple. Any long-term peace arrangement with India is anathema to the Pakistani military, which has a long anti-India tradition that it uses not only to keep acquiring toys for its boys, but to keep alive its unchallenged position as ‘guardians of Pakistan’. An additional bonus of course is that the lion’s share of Pakistan’s budget goes to them.

In the past two decades, Pakistan’s army initiated a campaign ‘to bleed India by a thousand cuts’ after having failed to wrest Kashmir. The realization that nuclear neighbours cannot fight a war without the possibility of it slipping out of control led General Zia to tap the mullahs and madrassas in order to wage a new age war on India and Afghanistan.

Like his army, Musharraf saw the Taliban as one entity, working to further Pakistan’s agenda so he couldn't distance himself from them. Today, they are both Pakistan’s bane and its strategic asset. Almost all of them see India as an enemy on a par with the US and Israel.

But Pakistan’s generals seem to have reached tacit understanding with the Taliban. To let Pakistan’s Punjab be, never mind the shoot-outs on the Af-Pak frontier. In the words of the army chief, General Kayani, the Taliban are Pakistan’s strategic assets. But as long as they are at large — Hafeez Saeed, Zikrur Rahman Lakhvi, Masood Azhar and their cronies — they will be the stumbling blocks for every peace initiative.

Pakistan’s strategy appears to be to make the right diplomatic noises to attract the world’s attention while doing little to stem the rot within. Pakistanis have defended themselves against Indian anger after 26/11 by saying they too are victims of terror. But there is a difference. Indians are victims of Pakistansponsored terror – and Ajmal Kasab is proof of that; Pakistan is a victim of its own terror machine.

This is why any initiative to set aside the past — as Mr Vajpayee tried and now Dr Singh wants — runs into a road block at GHQ Rawalpindi. History tells us that most army top brass only respects the arrangements it signs. This is why the Pakistan army accepts the Line of Control but not the rest of the Shimla Accord. Maybe, it’s time we insisted on the army’s inclusion at bilateral talks.

Suppiah · Post by **Suppiah** » 06 May 2010 19:07

TSP under pressure over failed Ny bombing attempt

A quote from the article...

Obviously, there are, you know, hundreds of thousands of Pakistani-Americans here in the United States. They enrich our society and our culture

.... so does cowdung..

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 06 May 2010 19:16

shiv wrote: Ok accepting both as absolutely true can it be said that the solution that India can apply to its Pakistan problem is the same solution that the US is applying and that India needs to learn how to handle Pakistan from the US?

Of course not. Even if US and India had equal weight, nevertheless one nation halfway around the world, and the other next-door neighbor would deal with Pakistan differently.

There is no way that India can treat Pakistan the way the US does. Viewing the India Pakistan relationship from a US viewpoint and stating how rosy it looks from the US side and how India must aspire to make things look equally rosy is the particular attitude that I have a problem with. I also have a problem with an attitude that claims that it is possible for India to deal with Pakistan without taking US aid to Pakistan and US interests into consideration.

Whoever suggests that India can/should treat Pakistan like the US does is not worth listening to; put them in your ignore file; I did so.

Whoever suggests that India can deal with Pakistan without taking US interests and aid to Pakistan in consideration also is not worth listening to; but them in your ignore file; I did so.

The US (and in general the 3.5 friends) make the problem of Pakistan much more complicated instead of a relatively simple two-body problem. But this is the strategy started by Jinnah and continued ably by Pakistan, playing off parties from each other.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 06 May 2010 19:24

svenkat,

You make a claim - "goras think India is an artificial state" - and then go off on a tangent when asked to substantiate it. You make leaps of deduction with no reasoning in between - "US aid to Pakistan" implies "US thinks India is an artificial state". Therefore, I agree, there is no point in arguing. This is not a reasoned position to be debated, it is paranoia.

-Arun

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 06 May 2010 19:25

A_Gupta wrote:put them in your ignore file; I did so.

words of wisdom

RamaY · Post by **RamaY** » 06 May 2010 19:25

The Islamic doctrine of jihad means many things, including taking arms in self-defense, against an oppressor. Even the British take-over of India was not considered oppression enough to warrant jihad, according to prominent Muslim scholars, for the reason that the British were not actively preventing the practice of Islam. (Though if a foreign power were to take over the United States, I suspect Americans would not calmly submit.) And if, historically, some Muslims have interpreted "self-defense" more broadly to allow them to make war (as people of other religions have, as well), other Muslims have interpreted jihad to mean only nonviolent resistance. A modern example of the latter was Badshah Khan, a Pashtun who led unarmed, nonviolent protests against the British, basing his actions on the Qur'an.

[/quote]

It is kinda funny to see the great lengths that muslims go to justify Jeehard!

well it is at personal level, and then social level when someone occupies, but not when they allow you practice your religion, wait a minute - it doesn't hold when they occupy your lands, but what is islamic land, the sand dunes of arapia or the occupied lands, oh my god i am confused onlee.. jeehard on the yyy conspiracy which is throwing logic at me...

I can't believe there are so many "so-called" muslims who are interpreting holy texts to fit into their world view. It is so haraam that the silent majority is nothing but blasphemous, and deserve to be stoned....

wamanrao · Post by **wamanrao** » 06 May 2010 19:45

At 1700 GMT/1200 EST/2230 IST today (06-May), BBC's World Have Your Say program is going to focus on Kasab's death sentence.

Here's the link to post comments:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/worldhaveyou ... tml#212788

You can call into the show at +44 20 70 83 72 72 or text/SMS them: +44 77 86 20 60 80

Alternatively, email the show at worldhaveyoursay@bbc.com.

Subject is : "Do you favour the death penalty for terrorists?" / Focus on Ajmal Kasab.

RamaY · Post by **RamaY** » 06 May 2010 19:58

sum wrote:
shravan wrote:Kidnappers free Col Imam, Qureshi

MIRANSHAH : Colonel Imam, the former intelligence official and British journalist Asad Qureshi, abducted by an alleged militant group of North Waziristan last month, were released here in the wee hours of Thursday.
The release of Col.Imam after Khwaja met his 72 means there is more than what meets the eye and could be a ISI drama ( as ramana-garu was mentioning all along)

That is what I am thinking. Colonel Imam accompanied Khwaja to ensure that he doesn't get suspicious. Looks like internal job. For what though???