Terrorist Islamic Republic of Pakistan (TSP), Feb. 26, 2010

[shiv]

The sad news is that savitabhabhi is now a paid site. Just when it was getting un-banned.

Why don't we pay for subscriptions to Pakis via BR contributions if the Paki can prove that he is a genuine jihadi and a pious Islamic fundamentalist?

[Anindya]

if the Paki can prove that he is a genuine jihadi and a pious Islamic fundamentalist?

that means all they have to do is present a ration card, passport or some such positive identification - right?

[arun]

Brig. Mowadat Hussain Rana is the brother of Pakistani origin terrorist Tahawwur Hussain Rana who is currently in custody in Chicago among other things for involvement in the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attack.

Page 12 of the Criminal Complaint filed with the US District court discloses Tahawwur Hussain Rana saying this in an e-mail “ One of my brothers in Brigadier Movadat Hussain Rana and the other is Sibte Hassan Rana monie. They are in Rawalpindi. ……………..” (Clicky).

Fantastic catch. Make sure you e-mail the reporter. Click on the article, then click on her name.

Thanks for the suggestion which I have acted upon.

[shiv]

if the Paki can prove that he is a genuine jihadi and a pious Islamic fundamentalist?

that means all they have to do is present a ration card, passport or some such positive identification - right?

Paki identification like Passports etc should not be enough. A set of photographs from a terror training camp, a group photo next to Lakhvi or some such person or a recommendation letter from one such guy along with an official ISI letterhead denial that the guy is a Paki.

[Anujan]

Just had a thought..

A stable Pakistan is in India's interest right?

I always interpreted that to mean "A (mentally) stable Pakistan is in India's interest". Which is true. Unfortunately they are not mentally stable.

[abhishek_sharma]

Who fired on Qureshi, Hurriyat asked Pak Foreign Secretary

http://www.hindu.com/2010/03/01/stories ... 980100.htm

The meetings provided a glimpse of the U-turn Islamabad has made in its Kashmir policy, with Mr. Bashir assuring Mr. Geelani that the ‘out-of-the-box’ ideas on a future settlement pursued by General Pervez Musharraf through back-channel talks with India had all been jettisoned in favour of Pakistan’s traditional stand.

[Anindya]

A set of photographs from a terror training camp, a group photo next to Lakhvi or some such person

Don't most Pakis have such pictures on their mantles...

[abhishek_sharma]

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/daw ... -130-hh-04

Deeply concerned over activities of Al Qaeda and Taliban in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia has urged Pakistani leaders to unite to thwart the designs of the extremists.

“Pakistan is a friendly country. Anytime one sees a dangerous trend in a friendly country, one is not only sorry but worried,” Saudi Foreign Minister Saud Al Faisal told Indian journalists after a meeting with visiting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

[arun]

^^^ That is a rather deflating comment about the Islamic Republic of Pakistan by the Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Saud Al Faisal .

[arun]

S.M. Hali has much takleef with our former COAS General Ved Prakash Malik’s speech delivered at the 30th Bhimsen Sachar Memorial Lecture:

V P Malik’s preference for intrigue

The full text of the takleef causing speech by Gen. Malik is available in the January 2010 edition of ORF Discourse:

India's Strategic Culture and Security Challenges

[abhishek_sharma]

Saints, not Army generals spread Islam: Gilani

http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=27554

...

Addressing the closing ceremony of annual Urs of Syed Muhammad Ismail Shah Bokhari, commonly known as Karmanwaley Sarkar near Okara on Sunday, the prime minister stressed the need for promoting the teachings of Sufi saints and the Mashaikh to present the true image of Islam which is a religion of peace and abhors all types of violence.

He said that political leadership of the country showed maturity while adopting a consensus policy to root out terrorism.He said the Khankahi system was vital to eliminate terrorism from the country.

...

These were saints and not the Army generals who spread Islam in Indonesia, Malaysia and other countries while the first ever Hadith in Hindustan was introduced by Shaikh Abdul Haq Mahaddith Dehlvi, who was a ‘Mureed’ (admirer) of Hazrat Musa Pak (RA), he added. Gilani said Pakistan was facing numerous challenges , especially terrorism.

[arun]

Sunni Muslim on Sunni Muslim violence as the Brelvi and Deobandi go head to head.

For a self proclaimed homeland for the Muslims of the Indian Sub-Continent, Pakistanis seem overly fond of killing each other for no more reason than following a different subsect of Islam :

Sectarian clashes kill 6 in north-western Pakistan

The death toll in the dustup between two Sunni Muslim sub-sects is up to 7 and the violence has spread from Dera Ismail Khan district to Faisalabad district.

To repeat, for a self proclaimed homeland for the Muslims of the Indian Sub-Continent, Pakistanis seem overly fond of killing each other for no more reason than following a different subsect of Islam :

Violence mars Milad celebrations in two cities

[SSridhar]

This is Saud Al-Faisal:

Describing his meeting with Dr. Singh as “very pleasant,” he said that both countries were moving towards forging a strategic cooperation.

“It is not a small thing to talk about strategic relations. In order to do that you have to have clear understanding of common issues and confidence that together you can achieve what is good for our people, peace and well-being of our region. I think we are clear and we are moving in the right direction,” the prince said.

His parting shot came as a pleasant surprise to the journalists. “Why don’t you people come here without political leaders? All your organisations are well known here. Namaste,” he said.

http://beta.thehindu.com/news/internati ... epage=true

That's a big change. I still remember the vitriol he used to pour on India in the OIC meetings.

[abhishek_sharma]

That's a big change. I still remember the vitriol he used to pour on India in the OIC meetings.

Why this change? Given that the relations with India and Pak are seen as a zero-sum game, they should not leave their Ummah
brothers.

[Gagan]

How much of this MMS saudi arabia visit to do with Pakistan? The DDM is not sophisticated and in-depth enough to report on the real tangibles that were discussed and analyze them immediately. That comes later when the experts write editorials.

These DDM reporters are a lazy bunch of idiots. The bimbettes are the worst. Indian bimbettes just don't want to do any research, they think that their pretty face is all that is needed for them to stand in front of a camera and keep repeating line after line that some hard working, but camera shy guy prepares for them.

I haven't been able to see the visit in any details yet, but I'll bet the media are making complete asses of themselves.

[shyamd]

^^^ That is a rather deflating comment about the Islamic Republic of Pakistan by the Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Saud Al Faisal .

Some KSA guys call it a time bomb waiting go Boom.

KSA govt has changed, pragmatists are being bought in. US is down at the moment, so India is filling the vacuum.

[Pranav]

Why this change? Given that the relations with India and Pak are seen as a zero-sum game, they should not leave their Ummah
brothers.

In fact, the zero sum game is not between India and Pak, but between Pak and Sanity. One is cautiously optimistic that the Saudis may be making a move towards sanity.

But this equation does not apply to the west - there is a method to their mad support of Pak.

[Prem]

Talibans were/are the patron of AQ and AQ /OBL has open hostility and show disdain for Royal family of Saudi Arabia. Just like Uncle, Saudi might too want to hold Indian talwar on Paki/ talibani retards to keep them in line. Wonder if circumstances are moving toward Pakitalikota .

[RamaP]

The worst enemy for the TSP elite is apparently not India or US or Israel. The real enemy of TSP elite is the common Abdul living in absolute poverty and no real opportunities for development. Added to this is the radical Islam factor and we have a dangerous Molotov cocktail ready. Over the years, TSP elite tried to divert the attention of the common Abdul (and is still doing so) by projecting India as the main enemy. Potential suicide bombers who could have wreaked havoc on these elites themselves were "trained" and sent across the LOC to die in the name of Kashmir. The intermediate Soviet occupation of Afghanistan also helped TSP a lot in terms of getting foreign aid and in diverting the energy of Abduls in this conflict as well.

However, things have changed a lot in the past couple of years. The diversionary tactics no longer seems to be working that well. NWFP is as good as a semi or a full autonomous region. Last year, SWAT valley saw the first experiment in the form of TTP joining hands with the local peasants and taking on the landlords or the zamindars. This experiment, has unfortunately slowed down since then but is slowly picking up even in the rural areas of Punjab. If anyone still remembers the coverage of TTP's expansion in the electronic media, many Paki elites went on air and declared that these TTP guys are not true Muslims, they are Indian agents and so on. The elite were visibly shaken. Now, Baluchistan is as good as gone and even Uncle has apparently established a foothold in this area in the form of drone air bases et.c.

I think that things are approaching a critical mass in TSP. Any of the following factors might trigger a big change in the way things are currently working in TSP. 1. Elements of Afghan Taliban (or the good guys) start playing their own little game against TSP. We must remember that North Waziristan guys ditched the TSP elite in the recent South Waziristan war and sheltered the TTP elements during the conflict. 2. A Khmer Rouge type social movement mixed with TTP elements that wreaks havoc on Pakjabi feudal lords and TSPA elites. 3. An Iranian style Islamic revolution with a figure head like Ayatollah Khomenei out to overthrow the Pakjabi elite monopoly. 4. Any rupture in fault line that exists between Sindh and Pakjab. Another Pakistan Na Khappay might push things off the brink.

[CRamS]

These DDM reporters are a lazy bunch of idiots. The bimbettes are the worst. Indian bimbettes just don't want to do any research, they think that their pretty face is all that is needed for them to stand in front of a camera and keep repeating line after line that some hard working, but camera shy guy prepares for them.

I know this thread is not about media matters, and I know you are not making any comparisons, but most western bimbettes are no different. Look at the silly India TSP equal equal rubbish they put out that is fed to them. It looks a bit more researched because western govt and their media operate in unison, both operate on the goal of securing their interests. No deviation from the script allowed. The whole show is choreographed. Thus, think tanks, pentagon, state dept, all do the research, some media honchos chime in, and the end result is what Bimbettes and Michael wares type morons regurgitate with lots of theater.

[abhishek_sharma]

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.as ... 2010_pg3_1

Editorial: Closet Taliban?

It is a matter of extreme concern that a provincial law minister has been seen pandering to a banned organisation’s senior leader. Rana Sanaullah, who happens to be Punjab’s Law Minister, either forgot his own designation during his recent visit to Jhang or was suffering from amnesia when he took Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) leader Maulana Muhammad Ahmed Ludhianvi on a ride in his car. He also visited the banned organisation’s madrassa. Is it not ironic that the law minister gave full protocol to a sectarian outfit’s leader, an organisation that has officially been banned by the government? Thus it was all but inevitable that there was an uproar over Rana Sanaullah giving official patronage to Ludhianvi in the National Assembly.

...

Just last month, Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed addressed a seminar in Lahore. The Punjab government needs to be reminded that the JuD is just a new name of the banned terror outfit, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT). In January 2002, General Musharraf banned some jihadi outfits and launched a crackdown, but it was a complete failure as most of these groups renamed themselves before the ink had even dried on the proscription papers. JuD is a classic example. To let its leader address a seminar in Lahore is a grave violation of the rule of law. The judiciary should also take note of this as the Indian government has accused Hafiz Saeed of masterminding the Mumbai terror attacks in 2008.

The Punjab government has long been in denial over the presence of terror outfits in Punjab, particularly South Punjab. The audacity of the PML-N to call itself a ‘progressive’ party — at best, it is a centre-right party — when it is pursuing such policies should serve as a wake up call for the people of Pakistan.

...

[arun]

X Posted.

Kingdom’s ‘look East’ policy has a new meaning for India
http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article23626.ece

From the linked article:

“Saudi Arabia has supported granting observer status to India in the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and has expanded its cooperation with India to fight terrorism,” said Saudi Ambassador to India Faisal H. Trad, who is currently in Riyadh.

Granting that India accepting “Observer Status” Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) is going to create a whole lot of takleef to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, I am not sure of the appropriateness of a secular nation like India belonging to a communal organisation like the OIC.

[abhishek_sharma]

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.as ... 2010_pg3_5

COMMENT: Deep freeze! —Shahzad Chaudhry:


India and Pakistan still reside in mediaeval times.

...


The extra keenness that the Pakistani leadership showed in their initial interaction with the Indians to win peace at all costs placed them at a certain perspective vis-à-vis the Indians that was less than salutary; they seemed dependent, unsure and weak.


There is an inherent proclivity within the Pakistani civil society and political elites to appear progressive and liberated through seeking fraternal relations with India.

...

In its current form, Pakistan is perhaps at its weakest on many counts in such an envisaged interaction. Internationally, Pakistan is perceived more as part of the problem than the solution, though in recent weeks this may have begun to change somewhat.

...

In such a state of relative weakness, there is more for Pakistan to lose in any such interaction. At the same time, Pakistan may just about be seen to be emerging from its strategic bind to the notion of ‘strategic assets’; the economy having seen its lowest ebb has only one way to go; and, regionally, Pakistan’s role as the guarantor of peace and security may have gained an inalienable recognition, almost granting it a prime position of responsibility to forge a regional solution to the difficult Afghanistan equation. Such positivity renders an improving Pakistan position of relative strength, auguring just the right moment to re-engage with India.

It is also a matter of the individual players who have at various times influenced how the relations between Pakistan and India shape up. A change of the National Security Advisor in the Indian establishment portends well for the region. Shiv Shankar Menon, the former foreign secretary, has replaced Narayanan in that position and that should help greatly. Menon is known as a proactive, engaging and thinking diplomat, who believes in the value of negotiation and engagement. He was the key to urging Manmohan Singh to sign the Sharm el-Sheikh agreement; just that the duo could not defend the stance back home and had to rescind under pressure.

Sharm el-Sheikh was actually a smart move by India, and Menon was able to extricate terrorism as a separate issue from the larger intractable gamut of the remaining dialogue. In another sub-clause of the same agreement, talks on terrorism were to go on unimpeded even if progress on other issues was seen to be negligible. The Pakistani side played victors by default when the Indians wrongly assumed the agreement a shameful submission, thereby saving the day for the Pakistani duo, who had walked into the Indian trap, hook line and sinker.


...

Chidambaram, the home minister, makes up sufficiently for Narayanan’s absence, and famously declared on the eve of talks that though he knew no progress was possible, it was to give a chance to those “who have hopes [of such talks]”.

The Pakistani strategy too has become evident in the light of how the talks progressed. Not that it should have been under any illusion expecting India to say and behave in any other way than what they did; it nonetheless had the scenario well considered. If, by a stroke of luck, India would show a more progressive approach, Pakistan must go along; if however the Indian obduracy became apparent, the opportunity of media engagement must be used to enunciate the entire ambit of Pakistani concerns. This was well articulated as a strategy. Though in the final analysis, it all amounted to a zero-sum game and another grand strategic failure, frittering away the opportunity to break from the bind that has held the region back while the rest of the world plods merrily along.

...

Shahzad Chaudhry is a retired air vice marshal and a former ambassador

[Philip]

The military in Pakiland used to behave as "yours obediently" in the past.See the speed and indecent haste with which Gen.Musha-a-rat made an about turn on the Taliban in the aftermath of 26/11.Even the Yanquis were suprised at the speed and total support he gave when he saw the "stick" !

However,these days,the uniformed tribes in Pak have become emboldened and are far more independent,pursuing their own agenda,despite being kept alive by the US,China and the KSA.For their three chief sponsors too,there is a lot of irritation and even anger at times at the manner in which they are not behaving as before.In fact,at times orders are disobeyed,the Taliban (elements whom they like) tipped off and the continuing war being waged against India seems to be almost out of control and gravely endangering the fragile Indo-Pak "peace".Any military action by India will destroy the US's gameplan for the region.The Pakis are trying to see how they can have their cake (US arms and aid and a continuous proxy war against India) and eat it.So far all our attempts at getting the US to control Pak have failed.

The visit of MMS to the KSA is another attempt to see how the KSA can use its considerable influence upon Pak.The recent media reports about the years of back-channel diplomacy during the Gen.Mush-a-rat days which almost achieved a result,is being "outed" for obvious reasons for both "home" constituencies,hoping that the remaining moderates on both sides can get their act together yet again.Reports about a crack appearing between Dr.Singh and his party and party pres.,Sonia, are also indicators that there is a time limit before the pendelum will swing back in the opposite direction.Our good spin-doctor well knows that his time is very limited,both from the point of view of his health and the waiting party pressure for him to step down before the next election in favour of Rahul.Have the US promised him the "Peace Prize" if he and the Pakis can pull off a "Peace for our time" stunt?
Knowedgable and eminent analysts know that there can never be a true peace unless true democracy returns to pak-something impossible for the immediate future and unless Pak breaks up yet again into two or three smaller entities.This generation,like that of the freedom movement might never get to see a true "Peace for our time" at all.

"PS:Paratrooper" Tharoor,who dropped into the Congress Party from the heights of the UN HQ is unpopular for just that fact.Loyal psycophants would love to see him ousted and jump into his sensitive post and enjoy freebies abroad.Hence the campaiign against him.However,he must remmber while "tweeting" on "Twitter" ,not to tweet undiplomatically,otherwise he will end up looking like a real "twit" and nd up in the garbage bin,or shunted out to Haiti or Upper Volta or Outer Mongolia as a diploduck.

[VikramS]

In the light of what is emerging from KSA, the Tharoor comment about KSA role's in India-Pak interaction makes a lot more sense. It was not an off-the-cuff remark but perhaps an observation that the TSP might be getting more missives from the KSA when it comes to its interaction with India.

KSA might have been prodded by the US to engage India more actively on the strategic frontier.
-Part of it is self interest on the part of KSA to prevent a complete AQAM takeover in Af-Pak:AQAM are not particularly pleased at the actions of the Kingdom who are seen as Western stooges; another 9/11 might result in a much more brutal US backlash.
-If the vision of sustained 8% GDP growth becomes a reality than KSA can no longer afford to ignore India.
-China is particularly close to Iran when it comes to strategic matters, and co-opting India might provide KSA with some kind of a foil to Iran


This might also be a part of US strategy to sooth Indian nerves by getting KSA to do some sweet talking before they withdraw from Af-Pak.

As long Indians do not go overboard or give up too much, this is a positive development. Whatever people might think of KSA, it is a major power broker in the region and better relations between KSA & India are desirable. The heartburn it seems to have caused to the TSP netizens, seem to indicate that they do fear the second of their three and a half friends also favoring India. That by itself might help deter another 26/11 type attack.

It seems KSA sent a high level envoy (intelligence/defense minister) after 26/11 to sooth India and dissuade an all out attack on TSP post 26/11. Post 26/11 perhaps the KSA too felt that the TSPians were too much of a wild card and they needed a balance in their relationship with TSP/India.

The KSA-TSP relationship is that of a master-slave. Though Indians continue to be abused in KSA, I do hope that the KSA-India relationship is able to rise above that and become one based on mutual self-interest and respect.

[abhishek_sharma]

India tests war readiness near Pak border

http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=27550

POKHRAN, India: Indian fighter jets pounded mock enemy bunkers close to the Pakistan border on Sunday in a show of air power at a time when the two nuclear-armed rivals are trying to improve relations.

The exercise was watched by military attaches from about 30 countries but not Pakistan and China , neighbours who would be keen to take a look at India’s military firepower.

[SSridhar]

The KSA-TSP relationship is that of a master-slave.

That is true to a large extent but, TSP is not entirely bereft of its leverage with KSA either. Money, oil & Islam are the big sticks with which KSA beats Pakistan. For its part, Ar Riyadh depends on Pakistan for manpower, nukes and checkmating Iran. KSA needs PA to protect Al Yamamah in Riyadh and the Red Sea Palace at Jeddah with PA. The nuclear quid-pro-quo means that KSA expects Pakistan to give it nukes when the situation demands in return for all the bankrolling it had done earlier. China may not be able to substitute for Pakistan for that. Thirdly, KSA is deeply worried about Iran and needs Pakistan's help.

Though King Abdullah's ascension to the throne was looked upon as a catastrophic event as he was rumoured to be a hardliner, compared to even the late King Fahd, he has turned out to be a reformist. He opened a large co-ed university, appointed woman minister, rescinded shariat-based punishments especially against women etc. KSA, in the last year or two, has also been tightening the screws on Pakistan. It started off with the denial of prime houbara hunting grounds to the Saudi royalty thought that itself would have been due to the cracks between KSA & TSP with TSP trying to play smart.

Anyway, if Pakistan has to be thoroughly defeated, we have to work on multiple angles. KSA is one of them.

[svenkat]

saudi investment in india will open up a fifth column in india.Also saudis interest is only in placating india and 'moderating' pa*is.Are they not the originators of 'taqqiya'.

[SSridhar]

We are willing to walk the extra mile: Man Mohan Singh in the Saudi Majlis-al-Shoura

"History teaches us that the scourge of terrorism must be confronted with determination and united effort. Nowhere is this challenge greater than in Afghanistan," Mr Singh said.

He should have said Pakistan, instead.

[Suppiah]

We are willing to walk the extra mile: Man Mohan Singh in the Saudi Majlis-al-Shoura

"History teaches us that the scourge of terrorism must be confronted with determination and united effort. Nowhere is this challenge greater than in Afghanistan," Mr Singh said.

He should have said Pakistan, instead.

What he means is 'scourge of Pakistani terrorism' The challenge is not IN Pakistan, the challenge IS Pakistan.

[SSridhar]

Half of Quetta Shura wiped out by Pakistan - Amir Mir

However, well informed diplomatic circles in Islamabad maintain that American pressure alone could not have made Pakistan to act against the Taliban network. They claim the influence of the Saudi royal family, coupled with the US pressure, eventually compelled the Pakistani intelligence establishment to finally abandon the Afghan Taliban, who were earlier being protected as a strategic asset to be used in Pakistan’s favour after the exit of the allied forces from Afghanistan. These circles further claim that the Pakistan intelligence establishment was in fact persuaded to cooperate with the Americans by Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz, the younger half-brother of King Abdullah. Being the chief of General Intelligence Presidency, which is the Saudi Arabian intelligence service, Muqrin reportedly conducted shuttle diplomacy between the key civil and military leadership of the two important Muslim countries, finally making Pakistan to proceed against the leadership of the Afghan Taliban.

Subsequently, in a swoop carried out against the well-entrenched network of the Afghan Taliban, the Pakistani authorities first arrested Mullah Mir Muhammad, the shadow governor of Baghlan province, who was detained from Faisalabad on January 26, 2010. The next arrest was that of Mullah Abdul Salam, the shadow governor of Kunduz province, who was nabbed a few days later. The third arrest was that of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, who was nabbed on February 11, 2010 from the premises of a Sunni-Deobandi-run religious seminary in Karachi. The seminary, Khudamul Quran, is located 10 to 25 kms from the Toll Plaza on the Super Highway in the jurisdiction of the Lonikot police station in Hyderabad district.

Almost a week after Mullah Baradar’s arrest, the Pakistani authorities arrested Maulvi Abdul Kabir, the shadow governor of Nangarhar province on February 20 in Nowshehra. Three other arrested members of Quetta Shura include Mullah Abdul Qayyum Zakir, who used to co-supervise the military affairs of the militia, Mullah Muhammad Hassan, a former foreign minister in the Taliban regime, Mullah Abdul Rauf, the former chief operational commander of the Taliban in northeastern Afghanistan, Mullah Ahmad Jan Akhundzada, the former governor of Zabul province and Mullah Muhammad Younis, an explosives expert who had served as a police chief in Kabul during the Taliban rule. However, the Pakistani authorities have so far only confirmed the arrest of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, since he was nabbed during a joint operation carried out by the ISI and the CIA.

The remaining nine members of the Quetta Shura who are still at large are believed to be Mullah Hassan Rehmani, the former governor of Kandahar province in Taliban regime; Hafiz Abdul Majeed, the former chief of the Afghan Intelligence and the surge commander of the Taliban in southern Afghanistan; Amir Khan Muttaqi, a former minister in Taliban regime; Agha Jan Mutasim, the Taliban’s head of political affairs; Mullah Abdul Jalil, the head of the Taliban’s shadowy interior ministry, Sirajuddin Haqqani, the son of Maulvi Jalaluddin Haqqani and the commander of the Haqqani militant network; Mullah Abdul Latif Mansoor, the commander of the Mansoor network in Paktika and Khost; Mullah Abdur Razaq Akhundzada, the former corps commander for northern Afghanistan; and Abdullah Mutmain, a former minister during the Taliban regime who currently looks after the financial affairs of the extremist militia.

[negi]

Wow so India ready to walk a mile if TSP stops killing innocents , this all the more justifies the ISI and TSPA tactic and why should they stop from doing what forces India to make concessions ; this is a success as far as TSPA covert ops in India are concerned.

Here the gems from well

"If Pakistan cooperates with India, there is no problem that we cannot solve and we can walk the extra mile to open a new chapter in relations between our two countries," Singh, who is on a three-day visit to the oil-rich kingdom, said.

Btw what could be this extra mile ? Talks on Kashmir , IWT ?
And again

"Nowhere is this challenge greater than in Afghanistan," Singh said.

What about India ? (Af-Pak at least has Unkil to care of it ).

[Philip]

"India loves you"..."India will walk the extra mile"...
In actual fact is it Dr.Singh who "loves" Bush and is willing to walk the extra mile.The mass of humanity in India and much of Dr.Singh's colleagues might be found missing when Dr.Singh begins his epic walk.He might very well find himself alone on the road to perdition when the inevitable next terror strike happens.

[SSridhar]

Two kidnapped Sikhs rescued from the Taliban

Two Sikhs, abducted by the Taliban, have been rescued by security forces in the restive Khyber tribal region in northwest Pakistan, a week after two members of the community were beheaded by the militants, a military spokesman said on Monday.

The operation was conducted in a remote area along the boundary between Khyber and Aurakzai tribal regions on the basis of a tip-off from intelligence sources, the spokesman from the Inter-Services Public Relations said.

The two abducted Sikhs — Surjeet Singh and Gurvinder Singh — are safe, the spokesman said.

“Many” militants were also killed during the operation and further details about the action would be provided soon, the spokesman said.

[kancha]

Then : India not Invited for Tour de Pakistan due to the IPL snub.

Now : Ummah bros and Nepal pull out of Tour de Pakistan due to security concerns.

[negi]

Real reason ij

The tournament carries a total prize purse of US$ 10,000 which would be distributed between the top six cyclists.

[krishnan]

10,000 between 6 cyclists? Thats 1666.6666666666666666666666666667 each

[Dilbu]

TSP had given up a few top KSA jihadi assets to unkil very recently. Shyamd had written about it. How much of it has got to do with KSA's new found love towards SDREs. I am all for it though. Lets mend fences with whoever and whenever possible.

[biswas]

Real reason ij

The tournament carries a total prize purse of US$ 10,000 which would be distributed between the top six cyclists.

Pocket change compared to the IPL.

[ArmenT]

10,000 between 6 cyclists? Thats 1666.6666666666666666666666666667 each

Not really. You forget that 10% needs to get his cut first.
Total prize money = $10,000
Zardari's cut of 10% of the prize money = $1000
Therefore, prize money left for top 6 cyclists = $9000
which works out to a nice round $1500 per cyclist