| White House dashes rebel hopes of recognition Posted: 14 May 2011 01:58 AM PDT 
The statement comes after the first visit to the White House by a senior member of the rebel council, which is pushing for international support. Earlier, Col Muammar Gaddafi taunted Nato troops in an audio message on state TV, saying he was in a place where they "cannot reach" him. State media says 11 Muslim clerics have been killed in a Nato air strike. Mahmoud Jibril, deputy leader of the Benghazi-based National Transitional Council (NTC), met officials at the White House on Friday, including National Security Adviser Tom Donilon. 'You can't kill me' In a statement, the White House said Mr Donilon had told Mr Jibril that the US viewed the council as "a legitimate and credible interlocutor of the Libyan people". The US and Britain have not recognised the NTC as the true government of Libya - in contrast to France, Italy and Qatar. White House spokesman Jay Carney said on Thursday that such a step would be "premature". The US has said it is up to the Libyans to decide their government, not foreign powers. There was some encouragement on Friday, however, for rebel hopes of accessing seized Libyan regime assets. Mr Carney said the US was working with Congress to unblock some of the more than $30bn (£18.5bn) in frozen funds, so it could be used to aid the rebels. Six large blasts - believed to have been Nato air strikes - were heard in the Libyan capital Tripoli late on Friday and early on Saturday morning. They followed Libyan state TV's broadcast of an audio message by Col Gaddafi, pouring scorn on the alliance. The Libyan leader thanked those outside Libya who had "expressed deep and strong concern, enthusiasm and love for me by carrying out all these contacts to enquire about my safety after hearing about the crusader, cowardly and treacherous missile attack". "I say to the crusader cowards that I live in a place that you cannot reach and kill me in it because I live in the hearts of the millions," he added. "Immortality is for the martyrs, and death, infamy and disgrace are for the treacherous agents and their cowardly masters." Italy's foreign minister said earlier on Friday that Col Gaddafi had probably been wounded in Thursday's air strike on his Bab al-Aziziya compound and had fled Tripoli. Earlier on Friday, state TV reported a Nato strike hit a boarding house in the eastern city of Brega, killing 11 imams and wounding 45 people. A government spokesman said the victims were part of a larger group who had travelled to the government-held town from across Libya seeking peace talks in rebel-held Benghazi. But rebel officials in Benghazi insisted there were no civilians at all in Brega, while a Nato spokesman said he did not know anything about an attack in Brega. |
| White House dashes rebel hopes of recognition Posted: 14 May 2011 01:43 AM PDT 
The statement comes after the first visit to the White House by a senior member of the rebel council, which is pushing for international support. Earlier, Col Muammar Gaddafi taunted Nato troops in an audio message on state TV, saying he was in a place where they "cannot reach" him. State media says 11 Muslim clerics have been killed in a Nato air strike. Mahmoud Jibril, deputy leader of the Benghazi-based National Transitional Council (NTC), met officials at the White House on Friday, including National Security Adviser Tom Donilon. 'You can't kill me' In a statement, the White House said Mr Donilon had told Mr Jibril that the US viewed the council as "a legitimate and credible interlocutor of the Libyan people". The US and Britain have not recognised the NTC as the true government of Libya - in contrast to France, Italy and Qatar. White House spokesman Jay Carney said on Thursday that such a step would be "premature". The US has said it is up to the Libyans to decide their government, not foreign powers. There was some encouragement on Friday, however, for rebel hopes of accessing seized Libyan regime assets. Mr Carney said the US was working with Congress to unblock some of the more than $30bn (£18.5bn) in frozen funds, so it could be used to aid the rebels. Six large blasts - believed to have been Nato air strikes - were heard in the Libyan capital Tripoli late on Friday and early on Saturday morning. They followed Libyan state TV's broadcast of an audio message by Col Gaddafi, pouring scorn on the alliance. The Libyan leader thanked those outside Libya who had "expressed deep and strong concern, enthusiasm and love for me by carrying out all these contacts to enquire about my safety after hearing about the crusader, cowardly and treacherous missile attack". "I say to the crusader cowards that I live in a place that you cannot reach and kill me in it because I live in the hearts of the millions," he added. "Immortality is for the martyrs, and death, infamy and disgrace are for the treacherous agents and their cowardly masters." Italy's foreign minister said earlier on Friday that Col Gaddafi had probably been wounded in Thursday's air strike on his Bab al-Aziziya compound and had fled Tripoli. Earlier on Friday, state TV reported a Nato strike hit a boarding house in the eastern city of Brega, killing 11 imams and wounding 45 people. A government spokesman said the victims were part of a larger group who had travelled to the government-held town from across Libya seeking peace talks in rebel-held Benghazi. But rebel officials in Benghazi insisted there were no civilians at all in Brega, while a Nato spokesman said he did not know anything about an attack in Brega. |
| Abbottabad operation a well-articulated drama Posted: 14 May 2011 01:19 AM PDT 
THE so-called operation conducted by the American commandos in Abbottabad, one of the peaceful city of Pakistan, to hunt the world' s most wanted man Osama Bin Laden is a two weeks old story, yet confusion continues to grip millions of Pakistanis with particular reference to the inhabitants of Abbottabad who still doubt the authenticity of the action. Same is the case with thousands of other inhabitants of the planet earth including large number of Americans who see no reason to believe that Osama Bin Laden was killed in a Pakistan on the night between 1st and 2nd May. In-fact all the circumstantial evidence and the events which followed the May 2 action points out that it was a well articulated drama staged by those at the helm of affairs in Washington at a highly appropriate time to achieve number of goals. Inhabitants of Abbotabad had come to know about extraordinary movements and crashing of a helicopter followed by a military operation in a suburban area Bilal Town which is quite close to Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) Kakul on that very night. Like rest of the world they learnt on May 2 morning from the televised address of President Obama that the US special forces known as Navy seals had gunned down Osama Bin Laden along with his son , a lady and three other comrades during a unilateral action on a fortress like house in a Pakistani City Abbotabad. Since then there has been a barrage of controversial statements both from International Media as well as the American administration. The CNN and other international Media that jubilantly took the news, as their lead said the dead body of Osama was flown to Bagram Air base in the neighbouring Afghanistan, where US and allied forces staged adventure after nine eleven, for DNA test. However, US "bigs" said the remains of Osama were thrown in the sea after performing his last rituals as per the Islamic norms. All those developments took place the same night when Osama was claimed to have been gunned down: The commando operation, air lifting the dead body of Al-Qaeda chief to distant Bagram Air Base near Kabul, conducting the DNA test (the experts are of the opinion that DNA test cannot be conducted in a short time), performance of last rituals and then throwing the body into deep seas. It might be possible in a James Bond movie but not in reality at least. The US said the operation was conducted by none else but its own commandos acting on information they had been gathering since long and that Osama had been hiding in the compound and operating from there for the last five years with some American Law makers and intelligence men suggesting he also lived in a near by small city Haripur for two years. One wonders the Americans who claim to have the most advanced technology to trace even a needle in any part of the world, could remain ignorant about the presence of Osama, the man they had been vehemently hunting for, using all their intelligence means, for long five years. In fact, all the stories suggesting Osama Bin Laden' s killing in Abbottabad are only based on American claims. There is nothing on ground which could substantiate that Al-Qaeda chief was killed on May 2 nor could Americans come up with solid evidence to prove to world that they had hunted down their so- called most wanted man in Abbottabad Operation. It was totally a drama staged by the Americans to fulfill their ulterior motives", was the considered opinion of more than 90% residents of Abbottabad with whom this scribe had interacted. The land for the so-called fortress like building in which the America' s most wanted man was "hiding", was sold out by one Fazlur Rehman in 2003 and after a few transactions was finally purchased by one Arshad Khan in the same year who started construction in 2003 and completed the building in the year 2005. The piece of land measured 6 Kanal and 13 Marla. "The building has ordinary 4 inch roof slabs and its windows open to all the four directions. Nothing extraordinary was added to the construction which could give the impression of a strong structure, suitable enough to accommodate a most wanted person of the world", a credible source residing close to the compound told Observer. The only specialty the compound is its 18 feet high boundary walls which too is nothing extra ordinary keeping in view the Khyber-Pukhtunkhwa and Pashtun traditions attaching high importance to observance of Purdah by women. The compound in question falls within the jurisdiction of Cantonment Board Abbottabad which allowed the construction of high compound wall though as per the Board by laws only six feet high compound wall is allowed. "The residents of compound, who preferred to avoid interaction with the neighbours, were known as caring , peace loving and law abiding citizens. They were never found involved in mysterious activities nor any movement of suspects was ever noted" there ,another resident of the area said. It is quite intriguing that at a time when the so called operation was being conducted, there was a power break down in the vast area while the load shedding plan varied from feeder to feeder. The photos of Osama released by the Americans depicted him as relaxed person with a fresh face heaving no wrinkles. How could a person living under tense condition be so relaxed. Did the dead body air lifted from a compound in Abbottabad undergo a plastic surgery some where in Kabul to give it a look of Osama Bin Laden, a dermatologist posed a serious question while interacting with this scribe. The Americans claimed to have taken into possession even the minute record as well as Osama' s "hand written diary and computer files which according to US officials revealed Al-Qaeda' s past sabotage activities as well as the future plans with a British paper claiming that Osama was planning to target American President Obama. One then wonders as to why the US commandos titled NAVY SEALS did not get hold of the Osama' s wives and other people present in the compound which could have led to more "valuable disclosures". What prompted Obama administration to go for articulating a drama of caching Osama in Pakistan, is no longer a million dollar question. By staging the play titled " Killing of Al- Qaeda chief in a Pakistani city" Americans wanted to kill two birds with one stone. They needed to have a justification to withdraw troops from Afghanistan and entry to Pakistan ( to counter the impression the US Senator John Kerry was suggesting to the Obama administration that immediate withdrawal of forces from troubled Afghanistan would be unwise) , Mr. Obama also had to show his performance by "accomplishing a mission ( hunting Osama)" ahead the mid term polls in United States. Likewise the Americans had to defend the existence of CIA spies in Pakistan. While the Pakistani government, in the backdrop of Raymond Davis ugly episode and this time loudly supported even by the military leadership, asked those at the helm of affairs in Washington to immediately stop CIA' s covert operations in Pakistan and withdraw her two hundred plus CIA operatives from here the, the US administration, the observers fear, would not only defend the presence of their agents in Pakistan but may pump hundreds of more CIA agents in to Pakistan. In this scribes story published in the same columns a few years back, it was disclosed that the Al-Qaeda chief died his natural death in the Tora Bora mountains in Afghanistan after developing a serious kidney problem and that he was buried there in the presence of his family members and a few close comrades. My contention was later supported by many people including serious people from America. A senior political American scientist Webster Tarpley believe that Osama bin Laden was a past story and that his body was frozen by the Americans for many years. Another political scientist from US Alex John said he and his other colleagues are 100% sure that Osama had died long ago. |
| Pakistan condemns Bin Laden raid Posted: 14 May 2011 01:16 AM PDT 
During a long joint session held to debate the US operation, MPs called for an independent investigation. They unanimously passed a resolution urging a ban on Nato transit convoys unless the US ends drone attacks. The session followed Friday's double suicide bombing that killed 80 people in north-western Pakistan. At least 120 others were wounded in the attack on a Frontier Constabulary training centre in Shabqadar, Charsadda district. Heightened security The Pakistani Taliban said they carried out the attack - this year's deadliest on the security forces - to avenge Bin Laden's death. The 2 May US raid on the al- Qaeda leader's Abbottabad hideout has left Washington- Islamabad relations at an all-time low, correspondents say. Members of the US Congress have been calling for Washington to cut its billions of dollars in aid to Islamabad, saying some Pakistani officials must have known Bin Laden was hiding in the country. On Saturday, the parliament in Islamabad said the American operation was a violation of Pakistan's sovereignty. The MPs' resolution was passed after a joint session, under heightened security, lasting more than 10 hours. "The people of Pakistan will no longer tolerate such actions and repeat of unilateral measures could have dire consequences for peace and security in the region and the world," the AFP news agency quoted the resolution as saying. 'Unacceptable' An investigation should take place to "fix responsibility and recommend necessary measures to ensure that such an incident does not recur", it added. The resolution also labelled as "unacceptable" the US use of pilotless planes to attack militants along the mountainous border with Afghanistan. It said if the attacks did not stop, the government should consider stopping the transit of supplies through its territory for Nato forces in Afghanistan. More than 100 drone strikes are estimated to have been carried out last year. Correspondents say Islamabad has tacitly approved of such US air strikes, although Pakistani leaders have always denied supporting them. In recent months senior Pakistani security officials have reportedly been pressing for a limit to such operations, in the face of public anger over civilian casualties. During the parliamentary session, Pakistan's army chiefs appeared before MPs to explain their actions over Bin Laden's death. Lt Gen Ahmed Shujaa Pasha, head of Pakistan's security services, is reported to have told MPs that he had offered to quit after the US Navy Seals raid, but had been turned down by the army chief. Information Minister Firdous Ashiq Awan said Lt Gen Pasha had told MPs he was ready to take responsibility for any criminal failing. Pakistani leaders have insisted they had no idea Bin Laden was holed up in the country. Pakistan condemns Bin Laden raid and US drone attacks US drone attacks in Pakistan have led to increasing public anger People protest outside parliament in Islamabad, Pakistan (13 May 2011) Revealing images What videos show At al-Qaeda's helm? Was killing legal? Analysis None of the new resolutions adopted by Pakistan's parliament following the Bin Laden affair deals with the issue of the al- Qaeda leader's presence in this country. Instead, most of the discussion in this special session centred on Pakistan's relationship with the United States. There was strong condemnation in the resolutions that were adopted - of US operations in Pakistan and of what parliament called the "campaign to malign Pakistan". Rather than any public criticism of the Pakistani security forces from the government, there was a resolution affirming full confidence in them. MPs who attended the closed session though, said the head of the intelligence agencies, Gen Pasha, who made a rare appearance to explain himself, had a tough time from some quarters and offered his resignation - though the prime minister did not accept it. Aleem Maqbool BBC News, Islamabad image of Aleem Maqbool In pictures: Bombs wreak havoc Eyewitness: Carnage in Shabqadar Man wounded in bomb attacks in Shabqadar, Charsadda district, north-west Pakistan, is rushed to hospital - 13 May 2011 |
| Mamata Banerjee: Hysterics to history Posted: 14 May 2011 01:04 AM PDT 
KOLKATA: From a street fighter to a change agent. And now an icon. Mamata Banerjee' s single- handed demolition of the Left Front in Bengal is the stuff legends are made of. Over the years, the Trinamool Congress supremo has transformed herself from the mercurial, impulsive boss of a regional party to the responsible leader of a state. The metamorphosis has come through times that have been rough, tough and testing. Under her, the Trinamool can now boast of stronger national ambition. All because a hurt, humiliated woman refused to be cowed down. The impulsive Mamata, who went into isolation after she quit the NDA ministry in early 2001, held her nerve after the Jnaneswari Express disaster in 2006. She carved out a tangible development model for West Bengal using the railway ministry, which helped her earn the confidence of the industry without comprising on her achievements in Singur and Nandigram. This was not the case in 2001. At the end of polling in the 2001 assembly polls, Mamata flashed the ' V' sign, only to shut herself in her modest home at 30B Harish Chatterjee Street, a nondescript locality in south Kolkata, after the crushing defeat. Those were the days when the only ' mantra' of Mamata' s politics was blind opposition to CPM, when she would switch alliance without much thought so long as she was facing away from the Left. This was a time when Mamata liked to hog the limelight in her own party meetings by denying others present an opportunity to speak. Not any more. "I am not going to resign. Even if there are accidents, I will not quit," she had said after the Jnaneswari Express disaster. For, she had realized that the railway ministry was important for her to do something positive for Bengal before the all-important assembly elections in 2011. Despite a now-bitter-now-bland relation with Congress and the breakdown in seat sharing arrangement in the municipal elections in 2010, she did not leave the UPA, nor did she throw tantrums, correctly assessing that the relationship with Congress would be necessary to prevent a split in Opposition votes. It would also help immensely if she was on the right side of the Centre in the run-up to the elections. She rejected all overtures by BJP, realizing the importance of retaining Muslim support. Embracing Rizwanur Rahman' s family after the tragic death of the computer graphics engineer could have been part of a shrewd political strategy but the way she did it — with a humane touch — is remarkable and could be a lesson for leaders who would rather maintain a stiff upper lip. Less obvious, but no less important, is the gradual shaping up of her political ideology. Those who admired Mamata for her raw courage against the CPM — that no other person in the Opposition could even remotely match — could find in her a mature politician who talked about "badal" (change), and not "badla" (revenge against CPM). "I am against CPM, but I am not against communists. There are good people among Left sympathizers, but they should leave the company of CPM which has lost its moorings and deviated from the path of socialism," she keeps repeating in public meetings. Sensing the depth of the sentiment against forcible land acquisition, she took up in Delhi the question of amending the Land Acquisition Act 1894, a relic of the British era. Her detractors are often sarcastic about the lack of sophistication in her speeches in public meetings, but this possibly builds a bridge with the poor and the uneducated who still comprise the multitude in Bengal. Her slogan — Ma Mati Manush — could touch hearts more than the Left jargons could. There have been occasions when her supporters, some from Left background, would sing songs of the IPTA or lyrics from Salil Chowdhury during the anti-land acquisition stir. Mamata would sit in the audience and encourage speakers and singers to harp on the Left cause that the CPM party managers have unlearnt. In an effort to build mass contact, she would walk tirelessly for miles on ' padyatras' , something rarely done these days by politicians used to air-conditioned SUVs or bulletproof Ambassador cars. Mamata took meticulous care to prepare herself for these hardships — insiders say it would not have been possible without regular physical exercise. What is remarkable is her disregard for danger, as she does undergo considerable personal risk in such mass contact programmes. The change has not come suddenly. The successive reverses in 2001 and 2006 assembly elections and 2004 Lok Sabha election gave Mamata time to reflect. "I would sit alone in Parliament and think," she had said on one occasion. She must have understood that with her brand of impulsive politics it would not be possible to achieve her goal of unseating the Left Front government. Then came Singur and Nandigram and she grabbed the opportunity with both hands. The maltreatment she had received when being brought from Singur to Kolkata in a police vehicle — which she recounted on occasions — must have steeled her resolve to fight till the last. It would have brought back memories of the brutal beating at Hazra crossing. Gone were the histrionics — past acts like wrapping a shawl round her neck and threatening to hang herself in public or squatting in front of the chief minister' s chamber at Writers' Buildings and being thrown out. Instead, she stunned the government by the way she organized a ' dharna' outside the Nano factory gates at Singur and forced Tata Motors to withdraw, and at the same time garnered support of powerful people for her cause. Instead of trying to hang herself, she went on a life- threatening 26-day fast, knowing that in the land of Mahatma Gandhi fasting is more powerful a weapon than violence. She also realized it would not be possible to fight this battle on her own along with the band of leaders who had left Congress to join Trinamool, particularly in a state where the Left ideology is deep-rooted. She needed people who knew the agrarian scene, who could take on CPM on its own turf. Which made her turn to parties like SUCI, to former CPM leaders as well as Naxalites. Some of them played an important role in shaping Mamata' s political strategy, helped her in winning the support of farmers in rural Bengal. She became the messiah of all victims of forcible land acquisition in the state and the rallying point of the multitude of poor people who felt left out as they were not with the ruling CPM. This has admittedly made Trinamool a broad spectrum political party, with people from different walks of life drawn to it. Critics may call it a hotchpotch set-up, but Mamata has made it clear she wants to take everyone along in the road to prosperity for Bengal. Today, Mamata, too, harps on the need for industrialization. But, she wants to take the public sector route. With the railway ministry under her control, she wants to make railway projects the fulcrum of industry in Bengal. Where private industries are concerned, she wants them to buy land on their own, allowing the market mechanism to operate down the chain. The Left Front' s has been a mixture of laissez-faire and state intervention, allowing the private sector to do unfettered business, but the state acquiring land for them. It has paid the price for the confusion too. Her plain saree, her hawai chappal, her ' jhola bag' , her preference to travel in a non- air-conditioned small car, all these make Mamata a picture of plain living. Though her entire life revolves around politics, she is still an intensely private person, who likes to paint, write poems, take care of her mother, get up late but work till late in the night and eat ' muri' and ' telebhaja' over ' adda' . Even during the height of poll campaigning, when Mamata was travelling the length and the breadth of the state, she took time off to return to her Kalighat home on ' Nababarsha' , the Bengali New Year' s Day, to pay respects to her mother. Administrative stints are not new to her, she has been railway minister and held other portfolios in the Union cabinet. Now one has to watch how she reconciles her personal life with her new and more demanding role as the chief minister of West Bengal. |
| US disappoints Libyan rebel envoys Posted: 13 May 2011 07:41 PM PDT 
The statement comes after the first visit to the White House by a senior member of the rebel council, which is pushing for international support. Earlier, Col Muammar Gaddafi taunted Nato troops in an audio message on state TV, saying he was in a place where they "cannot reach" him. State media says 11 Muslim clerics have been killed in a Nato air strike. Mahmoud Jibril, deputy leader of the Benghazi-based National Transitional Council (NTC), met officials at the White House on Friday, including National Security Adviser Tom Donilon. 'You can't kill me' In a statement, the White House said Mr Donilon had told Mr Jibril that the US viewed the council as "a legitimate and credible interlocutor of the Libyan people". The US and Britain have not recognised the NTC as the true government of Libya - in contrast to France, Italy and Qatar. White House spokesman Jay Carney said on Thursday that such a step would be "premature". The US has said it is up to the Libyans to decide their government, not foreign powers. There was some encouragement on Friday, however, for rebel hopes of accessing seized Libyan regime assets. Mr Carney said the US was working with Congress to unblock some of the more than $30bn (£18.5bn) in frozen funds, so it could be used to aid the rebels. Six large blasts - believed to have been Nato air strikes - were heard in the Libyan capital Tripoli late on Friday and early on Saturday morning. They followed Libyan state TV's broadcast of an audio message by Col Gaddafi, pouring scorn on the alliance. The Libyan leader thanked those outside Libya who had "expressed deep and strong concern, enthusiasm and love for me by carrying out all these contacts to enquire about my safety after hearing about the crusader, cowardly and treacherous missile attack". "I say to the crusader cowards that I live in a place that you cannot reach and kill me in it because I live in the hearts of the millions," he added. "Immortality is for the martyrs, and death, infamy and disgrace are for the treacherous agents and their cowardly masters." Italy's foreign minister said earlier on Friday that Col Gaddafi had probably been wounded in Thursday's air strike on his Bab al-Aziziya compound and had fled Tripoli. Earlier on Friday, state TV reported a Nato strike hit a boarding house in the eastern city of Brega, killing 11 imams and wounding 45 people. A government spokesman said the victims were part of a larger group who had travelled to the government-held town from across Libya seeking peace talks in rebel-held Benghazi. But rebel officials in Benghazi insisted there were no civilians at all in Brega, while a Nato spokesman said he did not know anything about an attack in Brega. |
| Pak general cancels US visit as angry military continues to sulk Posted: 13 May 2011 07:39 PM PDT 
WASHINGTON: A top Pakistani general on Friday cancelled a scheduled visit to the United States in a show of the Pakistani military's pique and anger against Washington as the Obama administration struggled to put ties back on the rails after the American raid that killed Osama bin Laden sparked off a furore in both countries. The efforts were complicated by a massive blowback from militants in the form of a suicide attack that killed 80 people in Pakistan on Friday, compounded by a fourth drone strike inside Pakistan after the Osama kill as part of an unsparing American policy against suspected terrorists. There was some marginal improvement in civilian engagement between the two sides with Pakistan providing access to the three widows of Osama bin Laden for questioning that reportedly yielded little in face of their hostility. Pakistan ambassador to the US also did his bit to douse disquiet in Washington by offering assurances that his country would not give China access to the US helicopter wreckage from which Beijing could extract proprietary American technologies. But while the implicitly pro-US troika in Pakistan of President Zardari, Ambassador Haqqani, and interior minister Rehman Malik did their bit to re-engage the Americans, the Pakistani military is still furious over perceived humiliation from the Abbottabad raid. On Friday, Pakistan's Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Khalid Shamim Wynne scrubbed a six-day visit to the US scheduled from May 22. No reasons were given for the cancellation, but it was widely seen as an expression of displeasure over US unilateralism and mistrust of the Pakistani military. Wynne, who was born is Abbottabad and was on the faculty of the Pakistani Military Academy nearby, is among the senior-most Pakistani generals and was in line to succeed army chief Kayani but for the latter's three-year extension of service. The Pakistani military is seething with anger over the U.S raid which was seen as exposing its weakness and incompetence, even as it is fending off charges of complicity in sheltering bin Laden. Blaming the civilian government for the fiasco, army chief Kayani has been touring garrisons to boost morale and give the army's version of the events amid nationwide criticism about its role. The Express Tribune newspaper related an incident this week where a young military officer reportedly made what it called a "stinging" comment before the army chief during one such tour, saying "Sir, I am ashamed of what happened in Abbottabad." General Kayani was said to have replied, "So am I." The Obama administration has determined that despite the hostility emanating from Pakistan's military, it needs to stay engaged with the civilian government and stiffen its spine to take on the oversized generals who most analysts have concluded are leading the country to rack and ruin. On Friday, a White House official once again emphasized the "importance of maintaining our cooperative relationship with Pakistan, precisely because it's in US national security interests," despite growing calls from the Hill and the strategic community to re-evaluate ties. But many analysts are starting to write off any prospect of cooperation from the Pakistani military, once regarded as westernized and professional by U.S pundits, but now seen as "jihadized" beyond salvage. Urging greater engagement with Pakistan civilian government, Lisa Curtis, a former CIA analysts now with the Heritage Foundation, warned nevertheless that "without a change in perspective from Pakistan's security establishment ...the relationship (with US) would seem to be poised for failure. Simply maintaining the status quo is no longer feasible." But all signs from Pakistan point to the military digging in its heels and expanding the security state paradigm that involves use terrorism as a policy instrument, an approach that was publicly defended recently by Asad Durrani, a former head of Pakistan's spy agency ISI. Kayani's continued intransigence and Wynne's baling out of the US trip indicates that Washington's optimism that it can persuade Pakistan to reverse course is a losing prospect |
| Porn videos found in Abbottabad house Posted: 13 May 2011 07:37 PM PDT 
WASHINGTON: A stash of pornography was found in the hideout of Osama bin Laden by the US commandos who killed him, current and former US officials said. The pornography recovered in bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad consists of modern, electronically recorded video and is fairly extensive, according to the officials. The officials said they were not yet sure precisely where in the compound the pornography was discovered or who had been viewing it. Specifically, they did not know if bin Laden himself had acquired or viewed the materials. Reports from Abbottabad have said that bin Laden's compound was cut off from the internet or other hardwired communications networks. It is unclear how compound residents would have acquired the pornography. But a video released by the Obama administration confiscated from the compound showed bin Laden watching pictures of himself on a TV screen, indicating that the compound was equipped with video playback equipment. US officials familiar with evidence gathered during investigations of other Islamic militants said the discovery of pornography is not uncommon . |
| Osama shown speaking on Middle East unrest in his last video Posted: 13 May 2011 07:34 PM PDT 
WASHINGTON: US investigation officials have stumbled upon an unreleased video of Osama bin Laden which shows the slain al- Qaida chief speaking on the recent unrest in the Middle East but has no reference to the uprisings in Libya, Yemen and Syria. The CIA-led inter agency Task Force officials said the video was apparently recorded a few days before Osama was shot dead at his Abbottabad hideout on May 2 by the US Navy SEALs. In the video, the al-Qaeda leader talks about the recent unrest in the Middle East, including Egypt and Tunisia, but has no reference to Libya, Yemen and Syria, officials familiar with the video said. The said video is part of a huge cache of electronic and other materials obtained by the Navy SEALs who raided the house where bin Laden was hiding. Officials, however, expressed surprise as to why the video did not mention the popular uprising in Libya and Yemen. Analysing the video, officials said through this "it seems bin Laden is trying to prove that al-Qaeda is still relevant in these historic uprisings. He is trying to insert himself into these historic events and the news cycle when he hasn't been part of it." The analysers said it was a "head scratcher" why bin Laden would not indicate his support for the uprising against Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi - a man he detested, a media report said. |
| Laden urged ‘ spectacular’ attacks on US Posted: 13 May 2011 10:56 AM PDT 
Washington: From his hideout in Pakistan, Osama bin Laden pushed for dramatic attacks on American cities and asserted his authority in correspondence with al-Qaeda deputies, a US official said Thursday. Notebooks and computer files seized in the US raid that killed bin Laden show the al-Qaeda chief displayed "a continuing emphasis on spectacular attacks," urging his lieutenants to focus on US and Western targets instead of striking closer to home in Yemen or Somalia, the official told AFP. Behind the walls of his compound in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad, bin Laden wrote to senior leaders that he wanted al-Qaeda to strike at major US cities, including Los Angeles, and to hit trains as well as airplanes, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The al-Qaeda mastermind was focused on "transportation and infrastructure" and wanted the timing of a strike to coincide with key dates such as America' s July 4th Independence Day celebrations or the upcoming 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, the official said. Despite some media reports that questioned whether bin Laden exercised operational control from his residence, the official insisted that intelligence analysts believe bin Laden' s compound served as an important headquarters. "We remain convinced that this was in fact an al-Qaeda command and control center... It was a leadership node for al-Qaeda," he said. Although the compound did not resemble an American intelligence or military command post, "that doesn' t make it any less dangerous," the official said. "This was not an al-Qaeda think tank or the Abbottabad retirement home for terrorists," the official said. |
| Shilpa suffers dual loss in Jaipur Posted: 13 May 2011 10:51 AM PDT 
Shilpa Shetty suffered dual loss in Jaipur recently. The day her team Rajasthan Royals lost the match to Chennai Super Kings at Sawai Man Singh Stadium in Jaipur, the actress also lost her mobile phone. Shilpa wrote on a micro-blogging site, "First RR lost the match then I lost my phone in Jaipur : ( Grrrrrrrr, sooooo frustrating.So all those trying to contact me jus filling u in." Shilpa had also missed out on some IPL action earlier when she had to rest to recover from sprained neck. Her husband Raj Kundra had shared that the injury had worsened because of an overdose of work. |
| Mamata takes Bengal, TN goes to Jaya; Assam, Kerala to Cong Posted: 13 May 2011 10:50 AM PDT 
NEW DELHI: Mamata Banerjee stormed the Red bastion terminating the Left Front's 34- year stranglehold on West Bengal, while Jayalalithaa wrested power with a landslide victory over DMK in the assembly elections whose results were out on Friday. Congress added to Left's discomfiture by snatching power in Kerala by a slender margin while it scored a spectacular hattrick in Assam bagging a near two-third majority to retain power. However, the party surrendered power to a rebel in Puducherry who left the party only a few months ago and teamed up with AIADMK to secure two-thirds majority in the 30-member assembly. Although it put up a brave face, there was more bad news for the Congress in the two Lok Sabha by-elections. The Congress was humiliated in Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh -- a development bound to cost the party dearly in the politically crucial state -- and defeated by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Bastar in Chhattisgarh. In Kadapa, the Congress candidate came second but lost his deposit after YS Jaganmohan Reddy, son of the late chief minister YSR Rajasekhara Reddy, retained the seat with a record margin of 543,053 votes -- three times the winning margin of 2009. Riding a wave of change in a state where Left ideology ruled the roost for over three decades, Banerjee along with allies Congress and SUCI gave a severe drubbing to the Left Front. The Banerjee-led alliance was set to capture over two-thirds majority by winning over 225 seats in the 294 seat assembly. Banerjee, railway minister at the Centre, did not contest the elections. Trinamool Congress has won 224 seats and was leading in 1 seat, while Congress bagged 42. On the rival side, the CPI(M), which headed the Left Front, has won 63 seats. The CPI(M) suffered humiliation when a number of its bigwigs, including chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, bit the dust. Shortly after defeat, Bhattacharjee resigned. With defeats in West Bengal and Kerala, the Left will have power only in Tripura. Tamil Nadu lived up to its 'winner takes all' reputation as Jayalalithaa swept back to power with a landslide victory with her alliance set to cross the 200 mark in the 234-member assembly. Riding the plank of DMK's alleged corruption in the form of 2G spectrum scam and perceived resentment over the 'family rule' of chief minister Karunanidhi, AIADMK on its own is set to get 151 seats. The party has won 198 seat and was leading in another 6 seats. The DMK and allies won 28 seats and was ahead in 2. State Congress president KV Thangkabalu, who made a dramatic entry into the contest after the alleged bungling over his wife's candidature, lost the Mylapore seat by nearly 30,000 votes. |
| Kangana Ranaut shoots for the commercial of Emami Skincare Posted: 13 May 2011 10:48 AM PDT |
| Salman Khan & Katrina Kaif come together for YRF’s ‘Ek Tha Tiger’ Posted: 13 May 2011 10:46 AM PDT 
 So, finally we have Salman Khan working for the Yash Raj banners and that too, opposite Katrina Kaif, her ex-flame. The film is titled ' Ek Tha Tiger' and is being directed by Kabir Khan. The movie happens to be an out and out masal film with the right mix of romance and action. The idea for the script came from Aditya Chopra and soruces also say that it is based on a true story. Salman Khan admits that he is thrilled to be associated with Yash Raj films and his association with the banner stems from the days when his father Salim Khan worked with Yash Chopra in many of blockbusters such as the Deewar in 1975. Before this film, Salman had also been offered the lead in ' Chak De India' but unfortunately he could not make it because of date issues. Also, his breakup with Katrina Kaif will pose no problem for the two working together as the big hearted hero is still all praise for her. He says, "Katrina and I get along well. She' s a lovely girl and one of my closest friends. There' s nothing better than working with someone who is part of my family." Must say here, Salman Khan is as great a person as an actor!! |
| SSC exams results today Posted: 13 May 2011 01:41 PM PDT 
The results of this year's Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and its equivalent examinations held under ten educational boards will be published simultaneously today. Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid will announce the results through a press briefing at his ministry at about 1:30pm. The SSC and its equivalent Dakhil and SSC (vocational) results will be available in the educational institutions and on the website SSC/Dakil exams results 20110 Click here www.educationboardresults.gov.bd Besides, anyone having any mobile operator connections, has to enter in the massage option and type the first three letters of the respective board (for example DHA for the Dhaka Board), give a space and type the roll number and then send it to 16222 to get the results. The students can apply for review of the results only through the Teletalk's prepaid mobile phones, says a press release of Teletalk. Some 13.15 lakh examinees took this year's SSC examinations in February. |
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