Kohistan video scandal: 4 women killed

KOHISTAN: Four women, who were sentenced to death in Kohistan for singing and dancing at a wedding, are reportedly killed, Geo News reported.

Muhamamd Afzal, brother of one of the convicted men, has claimed that four women have been murdered.

Four women and two men had been sentenced to death in Kohistan for singing and dancing at a wedding.

Clerics had issued a decree after a mobile phone video emerged of the six enjoying in a remote village in the mountainous district of Kohistan.

It was decided that the men will be killed first, but they have run away.

Meanwhile, DPO Tahir Rehman has said that he has no information about the killing of four women.

Protests sweep Egypt at Mubarak verdicts

CAIRO: Hundreds of Egyptians occupied Cairo's Tahrir Square on Sunday after a night of rage against what they feel were lenient sentences handed down to ousted dictator Hosni Mubarak and his security chiefs.

A judge sentenced Mubarak, 84, and his interior minister Habib al-Adly to life in prison on Saturday for involvement in the killing of hundreds of protesters during the uprising that ousted them from power last year.

Mubarak, the only autocrat toppled in the Arab Spring to be put in the dock, could have been sent to the gallows as demanded by the prosecution. He was also cleared of graft charges.

Six police chiefs were acquitted, and Mubarak's sons Alaa and Gamal had corruption charges against them dropped on a technicality, prompting protesters to take to the streets in Cairo, Alexandria and other Egyptian cities.

Both the toppled dictator's defence team and lawyers representing his victims said the life sentence verdict could easily be appealed, triggering fears among protesters that he could be ruled innocent.

Around 20,000 people took to Cairo's iconic Tahrir Square on Saturday after the verdicts were issued.

Some of the demonstrators slept in tents or out in the open overnight on the vast intersection, epicentre of the 18-day revolt that forced Mubarak to resign on February 11 last year.

"We intend to stay today and possibly tomorrow. We expect a lot more people to come during the day," said Omar Abdelkader, a young protester in Tahrir on Sunday.

"Many people had the feeling while listening to the verdict that we were back in the days of the old regime," said student Feda Essam, another protester in the square.

The demonstrators erected a memorial depicting a miniature cemetery made of gravestones and sand in tribute to the "martyrs" of the revolution.

"Martyrs, we will not abandon you to the conspiracies of the old regime. In the name of your blood, there will be a new revolution," said a banner.

Egyptian stocks dropped 2.4 percent within half an hour of opening with the main EGX-30 index sliding to 4574.17 points.

"The street's lack of acceptance of the verdicts has cast a shadow over the Egyptian stock exchange, with individual investors selling," said financial analyst Walid Abdeen.

Early on Sunday, offices of presidential candidate Ahmad Shafiq, Mubarak's last prime minister, were attacked in two provincial towns, a security services official said.

Shafiq's campaign headquarters in Cairo had already been attacked last Monday.

On Saturday after the verdicts were passed, the Muslim Brotherhood's presidential candidate Mohammed Mursi said the revolution must continue.

"All of us, my brothers, must realise in this period that the continuation of the revolution, and the revolutionaries' staying put in their positions in the squares, is the only guarantee to achieve the goals," he told reporters before joining the crowds in Tahrir Square for around 15 minutes.

A tearful Mubarak, who enjoyed near absolute power for three decades, was flown by helicopter to Tora prison on Cairo's outskirts after the verdict but then refused to leave the aircraft.

A security official said Mubarak "suffered from a surprise health crisis" but was finally convinced to go to his cell.

Chants of "Void, void" and "The people want the judiciary purged" erupted after the sentencing.

The powerful Muslim Brotherhood said it had called for mass protests nationwide, while other groups including the pro-democracy April 6 movement announced they would also hold demonstrations.

There were similar protest rallies in Alexandria, on the Mediterranean coast, and other parts of Egypt, where many were in shock at the police chiefs' acquittal.

Rights groups also slammed the verdict.

Mubarak's sentence "is a significant step towards combatting long-standing impunity in Egypt" but the security chiefs' acquittal "leaves many still waiting for full justice," Amnesty International said.

"Many see the acquittal of all the senior security officials as a sign that those responsible for human rights violations can still escape justice."

Mubarak's defence team said it will appeal against the verdicts.

"We will appeal. The ruling is full of legal flaws from every angle," Yasser Bahr, a senior member of the defence team, said. "We will win, one million percent."

Saturday's verdict comes just two weeks before a presidential election run-off that will pit Shafiq against the Brotherhood's Mursi in a highly polarised race.

It is the first openly contested presidential election in any of the Arab countries swept by protests and uprisings since 2011 challenging decades of autocratic rule. (AFP)

Plane crash in Ghana kills at least 10, crew survives

By AFP

Published: June 3, 2012

ACCRA: 

A cargo plane crash-landed on Saturday near the airport in Ghana’s capital Accra after overshooting the runway and hit a bus on the ground, killing at least 10 people, but the crew survived, officials said.

Wreckage from the Boeing 727 Allied Air plane could be seen in an area near the airport along with a badly damaged bus. Rescue, police and fire officers flooded the scene and cordoned off the immediate area of the crash.

The plane had arrived from the Nigerian economic capital Lagos when it attempted to land in Accra.

Ghana’s airport operator confirmed in a statement that “flight number DHV 111, cargo aircraft, operating from Lagos to Accra, has overshot the runway on landing on Saturday June 2, at 7:10 pm local time.”

It added that “the crew of four people on board all survived the accident and are currently receiving treatment at the airport clinic. The aircraft collided with a minivan, resulting in 10 confirmed fatalities …”

One witness reported seeing the plane come down and hit the bus, killing those inside.

“I closed from work, walking home in the rain, only to see the plane falling and people in the Benz bus crushed to death,” said Kofi Anor.

A senior military officer said the plane crash-landed and also spoke of 10 dead.

The bus was severely damaged, while the plane’s wings and tail had broken off from its body.

The bodies of those killed were taken to a morgue at a nearby military hospital where a small crowd had begun to gather trying to identify the dead, an AFP reporter said.

Some at the morgue cried out, fearing that their relatives were among those killed, but they declined to talk to reporters.

The plane crashed in an area just outside a stadium, near the airport and a military base. It did not appear to strike any houses, and scores of people gathered in the area seeking to get a view of the crash.

Ghana’s Vice President John Dramani Mahama told reporters at the airport that a thorough investigation would be carried out.

“No early conclusions should be drawn,” he said before heading toward the scene of the accident.

“We should allow investigations to arrive at the actual cause of the accident. But I can assure Ghanaians that the situation is under control.”

Someone who answered at a number listed for Allied Air in the Nigerian oil hub of Port Harcourt identified the company as Nigerian owned but said only officials at the Lagos office could comment on the crash.

Repeated calls to the company’s other listed numbers went unanswered.

Ghana’s airport operator, Ghana Airports Company Limited, said operations were continuing as normal at the airport and flights were as scheduled.

Kofi Kportufe, head of Ghana’s national disaster management agency, said “this is a sad day for Ghana as our people have died in the accident.”

“But we are grateful for the military, fire service, for the quick response which averted further disaster,” he said. “We want to assure Ghanaians and the entire world that everything is under control. There’s no cause for alarm.”

Ghana, a West African nation of some 24 million people, is not known to have had any recent plane crashes.

US drones kill 6 militants, injure 2 in South Waziristan

By AFP June 3, 2012

PESHAWAR: 

Six militants and two others were injured when two US drones launched four missiles on a militant compound in the Birmal district, sub-division Wana in South Waziristan on Sunday, a security official said.

Four missiles were fired at the house of Malang, a local commander of the Mullah Nazir group in Wacha Dana, about 10km west of Wana near Pak-Afghan border.

“The militants had gathered for condolence of commander Malang’s brother Rehmanullah, who was killed in a US drone strike earlier on Saturday,” the official said.

“Commanders Malang and Gulam Khan were seriously injured in the attack,” said an official, adding that they were rushed to an undisclosed location by fellow militants after the strike.

Two other security officials confirmed the strikes. One intelligence officer put the toll at six dead.

Sunday’s attack in South Waziristan was the second in as many days and comes amid an upsurge in drone strikes in Pakistan since a Nato conference on Afghanistan in Chicago last month.

Washington considers Pakistan’s semi-autonomous northwestern tribal belt the main hub of Taliban and al Qaeda militants plotting attacks on the West and in Afghanistan.

Pakistani-US relations went into freefall last year.

There were hit when a CIA contractor shot dead two Pakistanis and dented further by an American raid that killed Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden and by US air strikes in November that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers.

After the air strikes, Pakistan shut its Afghan border to Nato supplies and ordered US staff out of an air base reportedly used as a hub for drones.

Seven US drone strikes have been reported since May’s Chicago summit, which failed to secure a deal on resuming the supply lines.

In March, Pakistan’s parliament agreed to reset US relations on condition that Washington apologise for the troops’ deaths and end drone attacks on its soil.

Pakistan has been incensed by Washington’s refusal to apologise for the November air strikes and US officials have so far rejected Pakistani proposals to charge several thousand dollars for each alliance truck crossing the border.

Islamabad, which is understood to have given its tacit approval for attacks on al Qaeda and Taliban targets in the past, has become increasingly vocal in its opposition to the perceived violation of national sovereignty.

Despite Pakistani criticism US officials are believed to consider the drone attacks too useful to stop them altogether. They have argued that drone strikes are a valuable weapon in the war against Islamist militants.

According to an AFP tally, 45 US missile strikes were reported in Pakistan’s tribal belt in 2009, the year US President Barack Obama took office, 101 in 2010 and 64 in 2011.

The New America Foundation think-tank in Washington says drone strikes have killed between 1,715 and 2,680 people in Pakistan in the past eight years.

China arrests high-level US spy

By: The Nation Monitoring | June 02, 2012 |

A Chinese security ministry official has been arrested on suspicion of spying for the US and passing on state secrets, Hong Kong media reports say. The man, who was private secretary to a vice-minister in the security ministry, was arrested earlier this year, various press reports say. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton declined to comment on the reports. If confirmed, it would be the third major incident to hit China-US relations in the past few months. It would also be the highest-level spy case involving China and the US to become public since 1985, when intelligence official Yu Qiangsheng defected to the US.The official had been recruited by the CIA, local press and Reuters report. Hong Kong-based Oriental Daily quotes the monthly New Way as saying on 25 May that the official "fell into a pretty woman trap" set up by the CIA. After the two were photographed in secret liaisons, he was blackmailed and agreed to supply secret information to the US, the reports say. "The destruction has been massive," a source told Reuters. The official was arrested between January and March on allegations that he had passed information to the US for several years on China's overseas espionage activities, Hong Kong press and Reuters report. China's foreign ministry did not respond immediately to a request for comment faxed by Reuters on Friday. China-US relations have been fraught with tension in recent months, following two high-profile cases. In March, rising political star Bo Xilai was sacked as Communist party chief in the city of Chongqing, after his police chief fled to the US consulate in the city of Chengdu in neighbouring Sichuan province. And earlier this month, blind activist Chen Guangcheng left for a new life in New York, after he caused a diplomatic crisis by escaping from house arrest and seeking refuge in the US embassy in Beijing. It would put further pressure on China's security chief, Zhou Yongkang. Rumours were swirling about his possible downfall in the wake of Mr Bo's sacking, wrote the BBC's Beijing correspondent Damian Grammaticas at the time.Most China-US spy cases involve industrial espionage. Last year, an Indian-born engineer was found guilty in the US state of Hawaii of selling military secrets to China to do with the B-2 bomber. In 2003, a US woman who had been recruited to spy on China by the FBI was arrested along with her lover, a former FBI agent, but a judge later dismissed the charges against her. 

Ahmed Mukhtar replaces Naveed Qamar as power minister

Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar has replaced Naveed Qamar as Water and Power Minister. According to the notification issued on Saturday, former Water and Power Minister Naveed Qamar has taken charge of Defence Ministry. According to media report the change was first discussed with coalition partners before its announcement. The change is expected to remain in place till the general elections, it said. According to sources, Zardari had taken notice of the poor management in the Ministry of Water and Power. A restructuring of the ministry is also expected after the change in its managers.

PM orders new law regarding missing persons

Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani has ordered to constitute special laws regarding missing persons. A high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani in Islamabad‚ reviewed law and order situation and developmental activities in Balochistan. The meeting was also attended among others by Chief Minister Balochistan‚ Muhammad Aslam Raisani‚ Federal Ministers of Interior‚ Finance‚ Law and Justice‚ Information‚ Postal Services‚ Food Security‚ Science and Technology. The meeting decided that no law-enforcement agency will issue any "Rahdari" in Balochistan and the existing "Rahdaris" will stand ceased forthwith. It was also decided that no one will be allowed to drive vehicles with tinted glasses or glazed papers. Besides‚ non-custom paid vehicles will not be allowed to ply on the roads. The meeting also decided that temporary permission already granted to non-custom paid vehicles also stand cancelled with immediate effect. The Prime Minister will undertake a two-day visit to Balochistan from tomorrow to meet a cross section of society. The Prime Minister directed that Interior Minister and Chief Minister of Balochistan will meet at regular intervals to review law and orders situation in Balochistan especially in Quetta. The prime minister directed law ministry to formulate necessary laws with respect to missing persons and make necessary amendments in anti-terrorism law. He directed all law-enforcement agencies to remain extra-ordinary vigilant of inimical forces which are creating disturbance in Balochistan.

Kristen credits Adele with Snow White performance

The Nation

May 30, 2012

Kristen Stewart has revealed her inspiration behind her portrayal of the fairest of them all in Snow White and the Huntsman. The Twilight actress plays the titular princess in the upcoming film, which also stars Chris Hemsworth and Charlize Theron. She opened up about how she psyched herself up for certain of the movie’s key scenes.”I had Adele on my iPod all the time while doing Snow White,” Stewart told the Chicago Sun-TImes. “I choreographed whole marches with the army behind me to Adele in my one ear.” “Adele is really good for the Snow White story,” Stewart added. “Almost oddly good. She hits the nail on the head for me, and her words are incredible.” The 22-year-old went on to say that she hopes to take her time in the movie business, choosing projects that she is actually interested in.

Nicole Kidman ‘immune’ to emotional film premieres

The Nation

May 30, 2012 

Nicole Kidman has explained her reserved response to the lengthy standing ovation her new film The Paperboy received following its big premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, admitting she’s become “immune” to the emotion tied to such events.

Director Lee Daniels and Kidman’s co-star Zac Efron were moved to tears by the loud applause which erupted as soon as the end credits rolled, but the Oscar winner raised eyebrows as she remained dry-eyed throughout the 15-minute-long reception.

But that doesn’t mean The Hours star doesn’t appreciate the positive feedback - she’s just learned to keep her emotions in check when it comes to promoting her movie projects.She tells the Associated Press, “We got an amazing standing ovation, which was great. This is my fifth time (at Cannes), so I’ve had many, many, many different reactions. –WO

US senator proposes suspending all Pakistan aid

By AFP

Published: May 30, 2012

"Pakistan must understand that they are choosing the wrong side," said Paul. PHOTO: PAUL.SENATE.GOV

WASHINGTON: 

A conservative senator called Tuesday for the United States to suspend all aid to Pakistan and grant citizenship to a doctor who was jailed for helping hunt down Osama bin Laden.

American lawmakers have already sought to cut or freeze some assistance to Pakistan, the third largest recipient of US aid, after a tribal court last week sentenced CIA recruit Shakeel Afridi to 33 years in prison on treason charges.

Senator Rand Paul, a Republican from Kentucky and leader of the Tea Party movement, proposed going further by ending all aid to Pakistan until Afridi’s sentence is overturned and also granting the doctor US citizenship.

“Pakistan must understand that they are choosing the wrong side,” said Paul, who pledged to introduce the bill when the Senate returns to session next week.

“They accuse Dr Afridi of working against Pakistan, but he was simply helping the US capture the head of al Qaeda. Surely Pakistan is not linking their interests with those of an international terrorist organisation,” Paul said in a statement.

The US Constitution under Article 1 gives Congress the right to set a “uniform rule of naturalisation,” but it is unusual in modern times for lawmakers to consider citizenship for individuals other than honorary titles.

The United States claims to have provided more than $18 billion to Pakistan since the September 11, 2001 attacks when Islamabad agreed to turn against Afghanistan’s Taliban and back the US war effort. Most of that has been in as part of the Coalition Support Fund which aims to boost Pakistani capabilities to combat militants on its own soil.

But US officials fear that some elements of Pakistan’s powerful military and intelligence services still support extremists – some quarters believe that these elements had aided Osama bin Laden hide in Abbottabad. Pakistan denies officials in commanding positions in both, the civilian government or the military knew of bin Laden’s whereabouts till the raid.

Leading members of both major US parties supported a 2009 bill that authorised $1.5 billion a year to Pakistan to promote civilian infrastructure and democratic institutions in the nuclear-armed nation.

US President Barack Obama, a Democrat, has also voiced impatience with Pakistan. He refused to hold substantive talks with President Asif Ali Zardari at a recent NATO summit in Chicago as Pakistan has not reopened its border with neighboring Afghanistan, stopping supplies from reaching international troops.

Pakistan had shut its borders after a Nato raid on a border checkpost left 24 Pakistani soldiers dead, and another 26 injured in November last year. This year, after a parliamentary review, Pakistan subjected the reopening of the supply lines to a high level unconditional apology from the US, and cease drone strikes within its territories. Negotiations between US and Pakistan have also been stuck over the narrow point of new tariffs Pakistan wants to impose on Nato cargo utilising its ports and highways.

China urges world to recognise Pak efforts

By Kamran Yousaf

Published: May 30, 2012

ISLAMABAD: 

China on Tuesday urged the world to recognise Pakistan’s role in the global battle against terrorism in a message that appears to be aimed at the United States, which in recent months has been critical of Islamabad’s contributions to fighting militancy.

“This country (Pakistan) has made huge sacrifices and has made huge contributions in the struggle against terrorism. This should be recognised by the international community and Pakistan deserves whole-hearted support from the international community,” said Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi.

The top Chinese diplomat is leading a high-level delegation including senior intelligence officials to Pakistan at a time when relations between Islamabad and Washington are at their lowest ebb.

Yang met President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and held formal talks with Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar. He is also scheduled to meet Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani today.

At a joint news conference with his Pakistani counterpart, the Chinese foreign minister threw his country’s weight behind Pakistan’s efforts to safeguard its sovereignty, security, territorial integrity and dignity.

Without referring to the ongoing tensions between Pakistan and the United States, he pointed out that partnership between Pakistan and China had become ever more important due to recent international developments.

“Against the backdrop of  the evolving international situation, it is all the more important for us that Pakistan and China have a strong partnership,” he added. He said the purpose of his visit was to further enhance long-term strategic partnerships between the two countries.

Diplomatic sources revealed that although China has backed Pakistan in the face of its strained ties with the US, it has advised Islamabad to avoid a confrontational path.

This was also reflected in a statement issued by the Prime Minister House after the meeting between Prime Minister Gilani and the Chinese delegation. The statement quoted the Chinese foreign minister as saying that Beijing had encouraged both India and the US to improve ties with Pakistan and accept its legitimate demands. (WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM APP)

Published in The Express Tribune, May 30^th, 2012.

US says ambassador's remarks 'misunderstood' in Moscow

US says ambassador's remarks 'misunderstood' in Moscow
TimesodIndia
AFP | May 30, 2012, 06.40AM IST
WASHINGTON: Remarks by the US ambassador in Moscow that angered his hosts were "misinterpreted or misunderstood" by the Russian foreign ministry, the US State Department said on Tuesday.

US ambassador Michael McFaul was forced on Monday evening to defend himself after Russia's Foreign Ministry expressed "utmost puzzlement" over his remarks delivered Friday to a group of students at Moscow Higher School of Economics.

State television reported that McFaul said Russia offered former Soviet republic Kyrgyzstan a massive loan to shut the US military base there, a source of irritation, implying Moscow was trying to bribe its partner.

But State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said "something that he said seems to have been misunderstood or misinterpreted by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs."

He was simply trying to say that both the United States and Russia currently have strong relations with Kyrgyzstan, which "is playing an important role" in support of NATO operations in Afghanistan, she said.

"And he was contrasting this to times past in the Soviet era when we used to compete over this sort of thing. And somehow the Russian government seems to have taken that amiss, and they are trying to sort it out there in Moscow."

She did not have a transcript of what was said, but acknowledged that McFaul, a former academic who has angered his Russian hosts in the past, does not use the typical language of a diplomat.

"He speaks plainly, he speaks clearly, he doesn't mince words, he's not a professional diplomat," Nuland said.

"And I think that for the Russian government, the fact that he speaks clearly when things are going well and he speaks clearly when they're going less well, is something that they're having to get used to," she added.

Irate India questions rule of law in China

Irate India questions rule of law in China

Time of IndiaSaibal Dasgupta, TNN | May 30, 2012, 05.38AM IST

BEIJING: The Yiwu kidnapping controversy took a new turn on Tuesday when the Indian embassy wrote a strong rejoinder to an article by a Chinese professor criticizing its advisory to Indians visiting China. The state-run paper,Global Times, published an article by a law professor which justified the kidnapping and beating of three Indian traders over business disputes. 

"It's understandable that the sellers may adopt some radical actions to demand payment, given the potential damage to their business," the article said. "Those Indian merchants who deliberately don't pay for their goods betray the trust of their Yiwu counterparts and damage the interests of the sellers," it said. 

In the letter to Global Times, the Indian government has taken the rare step of publicly questioning the rule of law in China. "The professor from Yiwu thinks that 'radical actions' are a solution to trade disputes. Others like us expect, perhaps optimistically, the rule of law," the embassy letter said. 

It further said such attitude makes the case for issuing travel advisories for Indians "even more compelling" . 

This is the first time that the Indian embassy has made public a letter to a Chinese newspaper and uploaded it on its website. It told the paper's editor that "the prevalence of such views and that your newspaper has chosen to print them makes the case for our advisory even more compelling" .

I will quit public life if graft charges proved: Manmohan Singh

I will quit public life if graft charges proved: Manmohan Singh

I will quit public life if graft charges proved: Manmohan

ONBOARD PM'S SPECIAL AIRCRAFT: Strongly rebutting Team Anna's allegations of corruption against him, Prime MinisterManmohan Singh today offered to quit public life and face any punishment if charges on coal block allotments are proved. 

"Let the people of India decided as to what crime the Prime Minister has committed for which such hard and harsh words are being used against him. 

"If I have indulged any such misdeed, then my entire public career, be it as finance minister, leader of the opposition in Rajya Sabha or as Prime Minister ... whoever levels allegations in this regard should substantiate it," Singh told reporters on his way back from Myanmar. 

He said it was unfortunate that irresponsible allegations relating to irregularities in allocation of coal blocks are being made without confirming facts. 

"If there is even an iota of truth in it, then I will give up my public career and the country can give me any punishment," he said, adding his public life has been an open book. 

Singh deprecated use of harsh words against him by Team Anna. "To use such words, which have been used without reason or rhyme, I think, the public in India should make up its mind whether this sort of politics will rule the roost in the country," Singh said. 

This is Prime Minister's first reaction to Team Anna members Prashant and Shanti Bhushan's allegations last week accusing him of corruption for the first time when they referred to a draft CAG report on allocation blocks when he held charge of coal ministry. 

He also termed as "unfortunate and irresponsible" the corruption allegations levelled against him and 14 of his ministerial colleagues by Team Anna. 



RSS disapproves of Team Anna comments 

Meanwhile, the RSS in Nagpur on Tuesday disapproved of Team Anna's comments against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over the issue of corruption. Decency in language should be maintained while criticising the Prime Minister, who holds the highest office in the government, RSS joint general secretary Dattatraya Hosbale told reporters here. 

Key aides of anti-graft crusader Anna Hazare have levelled corruption charges against Singh and some of his ministers. The charges against the PM related to allotment of coal blocks when he was in-charge of the coal ministry. Hosbale ridiculed Hazare for distancing himself from the Sangh, saying the veteran social activist had addressed its volunteers in the past. 

Nagpur-based RSS had also organised programmes in Ralegan Siddhi, Hazare's native village in Ahmednagar district, he added.

Troops are coming home: Obama’s Memorial Day message

The Nation

By: AFP | May 29, 2012 | 

ARLINGTON  - US President Barack Obama said Monday that America’s troops were coming home after a decade of war, as he marked Memorial Day, the annual commemoration of fallen and missing warriors.Obama noted that US troops were no longer fighting Iraq, and remembered his nation’s first and last victims of that divisive conflict, adding that he was “winding down” America’s war in Afghanistan.After sweeping to power in 2008 partly owing to his promise to end the war in Iraq, Obama followed through by bringing the final US soldiers home last year.“For the first time in nine years, Americans are not fighting and dying in Iraq,” Obama said.“We are winding down the war in Afghanistan and our troops will continue to come home,” Obama said, after laying a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknowns, in Arlington National cemetery outside Washington.“After a decade under the dark clouds of war, we can see the light of a new day on the horizon,” Obama said at the cemetery, a final resting place for US war dead and veterans, which features many fresh graves from Iraq and Afghanistan.Obama is highlighting his honored promise to end the Iraq war, and plan to get US combat troops out of Afghanistan by the end of 2014, to bolster his leadership credentials as he faces reelection in November.But the president, who also serves as commander-in-chief of US forces, noted that for relatives of the fallen, the end of America’s foreign wars, may hold little consolation.“Especially for those who have lost a loved one, this chapter will remain open long after the guns have fallen silent,” Obama said, speaking from a memorial amphitheater at the cemetery.Obama singled out for special mention four US marines who died when their helicopter crashed early in the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, making them the first US servicemen of the nearly 4,500 US troops who would die in the war.The president also mentioned Army specialist David Hickman, who became the last American soldier to die in Iraq last year, when his vehicle hit a roadside bomb in Baghdad.“I cannot begin to fully understand your loss,” Obama told relatives of the fallen.“As a father, I cannot begin to imagine what it’s like to hear that knock on the door and learn that your worst fears have come true.”In return for the sacrifices of their loved ones, Obama told relatives that he would take the “wrenching” decision to send troops away to war only if it was absolutely necessary.Obama’s Republican opponent in November’s presidential election, Mitt Romney, also issued a message, as he joined Vietnam war hero, and defeated 2008 Republican candidate Senator John McCain to mark Memorial Day in San Diego.“A lot of young Americans are risking their lives in distant battlefields today,” Romney said in the statement.“Memorial Day is a day to give thanks to them, and to remember all of America’s soldiers who have laid down their lives to defend our country.“As we enjoy our barbecues with friends and families and loved ones, let’s keep them in our thoughts and in our prayers.”

Egyptians make history again

The Nation

May 29, 2012

Egypt’s 51 million voters have made history by voting in their country’s first-ever free and open presidential election. They have also proved almost all commentators wrong in the choices they made. The Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohamed Morsi, standing on the ticket of the Freedom and Justice Party, has 25.3 per cent of the first-round vote to 24.9 for Ahmed Shafik, standing as an independent candidate. Final figures will not be known before May 29, and the runoff will be held on June 16 and 17. None of the 12 candidates emerged as a clear pre-election leader, but the surprises include the left-Nasserist independent Hamdeen Sabbahi, who took approximately 20 per cent on a strong social-justice platform. The candidates with higher campaign profiles, such as Amr Moussa, former secretary general of the Arab League, or the ex-Brotherhood independent Islamist, Abdul Moneim Aboul Fotouh, made little impression in the poll itself. It is highly significant that neither of the two front-runners has been harmed by their antecedents. The Brotherhood chose the uncharismatic Morsi only when the Higher Presidential Electoral Commission disqualified its first choice, Khairat al-Shater, for an unresolved criminal conviction. For his part, Mr. Shafik, a former fighter pilot and long-term civil aviation minister in the Hosni Mubarak dictatorship, was also Prime Minister for a month before Mr. Mubarak was ousted by the Tahrir Square revolution.

Mr. Morsi has benefited from the Brotherhood’s huge party machine and its supporters’ deep social conservatism, and Mr. Shafik from political conservatism among those who staff major institutions like the military, the civil service, the judiciary, and the police. They could well see him as Egypt’s best defence against the Islamism, however moderate it is said to be, of the Brotherhood, and against the uncertainties embodied by the urban and tech-savvy younger generation whose courage precipitated the end of the dictatorship 15 months ago. The liberal or left-liberal vote may have been split between Mr. Sabbahi and Mr. Moussa, and the younger democrats are the biggest losers in this election, because the greatest impact of the conservatives’ first-round win will probably be shown in the new constitution, which is yet to be written and will either reflect the dominance of Islamist MPs in the already-elected parliament or reveal tensions between them and Mr. Shafik. Irrespective of the eventual outcome, however, the whole election remains a triumph for the hundreds of thousands of young people who started the Egyptian revolution in February 2011. Democracy is not a one-shot game and their continued engagement and vigilance are essential for its success.        –The Hindu Editorial

NATO says senior al Qaeda militant killed near Pakistan border

By AFP

Published: May 29, 2012

KABUL: 

NATO said Tuesday that al Qaeda’s second in command in Afghanistan had been killed in an air strike near the Pakistani border.

The US-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan said Saudi-born Sakhr al-Taifi, also known as Musthaq and Nasim, commanded foreign fighters and directed attacks on NATO and Afghan troops.

It described him as al Qaeda’s “second highest leader in Afghanistan”, saying he frequently travelled between Afghanistan and Pakistan, “carrying out commands from senior al Qaeda leadership”.

He also supplied weapons and equipment to insurgents, and managed the transport of insurgent fighters into Afghanistan, the military said.

NATO said he was killed in an air strike on Sunday with “one additional al Qaeda terrorist in Watahpur district, Kunar province” which borders Pakistan.

The United States announced last year that it would focus military operations in Afghanistan towards the eastern provinces, which border Pakistan’s lawless tribal belt where US officials say Taliban and al Qaeda-linked militants have sanctuary.

NATO forces are in Afghanistan helping the Western-backed government fight a bloody, Taliban-led insurgency following the US-led invasion shortly after the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States.

There are around 130,000 international troops in Afghanistan and all NATO-led combat forces are due to leave by the end of 2014.

India, Pakistan kick off oil talks

By AFP

Published: May 29, 2012

ISLAMABAD: 

India and Pakistan opened talks Tuesday on Islamabad importing oil from its eastern neighbour in a bid to ease a crippling energy crisis, an official said.

The talks were held by senior civil servants from both countries’ petroleum ministries at a hotel in Islamabad.

India has offered to export petroleum products to Pakistan to help it overcome an energy crisis which cripples the country’s industry and leaves millions of people suffering during the hot summers and chilly winters.

“India has surplus petroleum products and wants to export it to Pakistan. If we can save some money by buying it from India, we will buy it from them,” a senior official at Pakistan’s petroleum and natural resources ministry told AFP.

The official attended the talks but spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media.

“We today discussed how to import products from India. We would like to get diesel in Karachi and furnace oil through the Wagah border. We are very interested in getting furnace oil in Punjab for the power plants,” he said.

The official said quantity and price had yet to be discussed and that the cabinet would have to approve any future petroleum trade.

“We will discuss the issues related to quantity and price in a second session of talks scheduled in New Delhi in the first week of July and then cabinet will make a final decision on the proposals,” he said.

Pakistan’s annual requirement for petroleum products is around 80 million tons. The country imports 85 percent of its needs, the official said.

Last year India exported goods worth $2.33 billion to Pakistan, while its imports from its neighbour were worth $330 million.

Efforts are being made to boost Indian-Pakistan trade since Pakistan decided to grant India “Most Favoured Nation (MFN)” status by the end of the year.

Trade has been hampered by restrictions and tariffs – even now, direct cross-border traffic accounts for less than one percent of their global commerce.

Siachen tragedy: Army declares buried troops dead after 52 days

By AFP

Published: May 29, 2012

ISLAMABAD: 

Pakistan on Tuesday declared dead 140 people buried alive by a huge avalanche in Gayari more than seven weeks ago.

A huge wall of snow crashed into Siachen Glacier base high in the mountains in disputed Kashmir in the early hours of April 7, smothering an area of one square kilometre (a third of a square mile).

Only three bodies have so far been recovered from the remote glacier, dubbed the world’s highest battleground, despite desperate rescue efforts assisted by foreign teams, including from the United States.

The military said that given the improbability of recovering anyone alive, and after consulting religious leaders, “it has been decided to declare the remaining brave soldiers as ‘shuhada‘ (martyrs)” to try to reduce the families’ suffering.

“This is being done with mixed feelings of pride, grief and above all unflinching resolve to continue all out efforts to recover the bodies of all shuhada,” the military said in a statement posted on its website.

Rescuers have dug tunnels into the mass of snow and ice that hit the battalion headquarters of the 6th Northern Light Infantry to try to recover the bodies of 129 soldiers and 11 civilians at the Gayari camp.

The site is 4,000 metres (13,000 feet) up in the mountains, just below the glacier where Pakistani and Indian troops have faced off since the 1980s.

Kashmir has been the cause of two wars between India and Pakistan and the nuclear-armed rivals fought over Siachen in 1987, though guns on the glacier have largely fallen silent since a peace process began in 2004.