Mar 03
There are reports from Kabul city that at least 50 foreign diplomats and puppet Afghan terrorists were killed in Friday’s attack in Safi Landmark hotel located in Shahri Now in the heart of Kabul city. As per details, a Mujahid reached by the telephone, said that five martyr-seeking Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate, penetrating into all security checks and barriers had entered heavily-secured Kabul city in the early morning hours of Friday who had conducted a series of attacks and gunbattles using martyr and heavy and small arms attacks.
The Mujahid in his telephonic conversation said the first martyr attacker, Naseer Ahmad, had slammed his explosive-filled vehicle into a part of the hotel where at least 24 had been killed and a number wounded out of 50 foreign and domestic officials who were staying there, which was moments later followed by a second martyr bomb attack by another Mujahid, killing the rest of the wounded from the first bomb attack. Continue reading »
Tagged with: Afghanistan • Kabul
Mar 01
By Riyaz Wani
At long last, a series of conferences and engagements has given us tentative hope for the resolution of the 62-year-old Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan. If these efforts reach their goal, they might not only transform the long-troubled relations between the two nuclear-armed neighbors; they may also substantially contribute to peace in nearby Afghanistan.
Kashmir has been at the center of a long-standing territorial dispute between Pakistan and India, resulting in several wars, as well as ongoing military operations by India against Kashmiri separatist militants. The decades-old rivalry and suspicion between India and Pakistan have persuaded both to act at cross-purposes in Afghanistan. Pakistan wants a pro-Islamabad regime in Kabul to achieve its goal of strategic depth as a cushion against India. India, on the other hand, seeks a pro-New Delhi government to deny Pakistan this advantage.
A solution in Kashmir would considerably reduce the trust deficit between India and Pakistan and most likely promote cooperation in Afghanistan. Continue reading »
Tagged with: India • Kashmir
Feb 26
The Obama administration plans to spend nearly $50 million on Pakistani media this year to reverse anti-American sentiments and raise awareness of projects aimed at improving quality of life, confirms a Washington insider.
After the Kerry-Lugar Bill debacle, the Obama administration had struggled with the idea of ‘branding’ aid and many within the State department and the USAID had argued that identifying projects may backfire.
“By announcing that a school was built and is being maintained – partly because of the aid received from America – you can alienate people,” said someone who had proposed not ‘branding’ the aid.
The US Special Representative to Pakistan and Afghanistan, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke believes that a substantial amount of monies spent on media- especially private TV channels will reduce tension and may even bring Pakistan-US relations back on the right path.
Senator John Kerry, the main architect of Kerry-Lugar bill also supports the idea of claiming credit for all “the good work being done to improve infrastructure, energy and education,” said a source in Senator’s office.
Reuters today reported that the Obama administration has sent lawmakers a plan for funding water, energy and other projects. Report said the US intends to spend $1.45 billion of earmarked for the Kerry-Lugar bill in fiscal 2010. Continue reading »
Tagged with: Media • US Policies • USA
Feb 22
by Mark Weisbrot
In a visit to Qatar and Saudi Arabia this week, Hillary Clinton said that Iran “is moving toward a military dictatorship,” and continued the administration’s campaign for tougher sanctions against that country.
What could America’s top diplomat hope to accomplish with this kind of inflammatory rhetoric? It seems unlikely that the goal was to support human rights in Iran. Because of the United States’ history in Iran and in the region, it tends to give legitimacy to repression. The more that any opposition can be linked to the United States’ actions, words, or support, the harder time they will have.
Second, it is tough for anyone – especially in the region – to believe that the US is really concerned about human rights abuses. In addition to supporting Israel’scollective punishment of the Palestinians in Gaza, Washington has been remarkably quiet as the most important opposition leaders in Egypt were arrested as part of the government’s preparations for October elections.Amnesty International stated that the arrestees were “prisoners of conscience, detained solely for their peaceful political activities”. Continue reading »
Tagged with: News • World
Feb 21
Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende said Sunday Dutch troops will begin leaving southernAfghanistan in August, since his caretaker government has no authority to accept a NATO request to stay on.
Speaking a day after his coalition government collapsed over the issue, Balkenende said the Netherlands will end its role in Uruzgan province, where 21 Dutch soldiers have been killed since the mission was first deployed in 2006.
“Our task as the lead nation ends in August this year,” he said on Dutch television.
A marathon cabinet meeting that broke up before dawn Saturday ended with the walkout of the second largest party in the government, Labor, which accused the dominant Christian Democratic Alliance of reneging on a 2007 agreement to bring the troops home this year.
On Monday, the premier formally will advise Queen Beatrix that he no longer commands a majority in parliament and will hand in the resignations of the six Labor Party ministers. That will begin the process likely to lead to an election in May, one year ahead of schedule. Continue reading »
Tagged with: Afghanistan • NATO
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