Analysis
- Countries
- People
- Law
- Money
- Environment
- Religion
- Terrorism
- Nuclear
- Military
- Politics
- "The
Failed States Index 2007." ... "The world’s weakest
states aren’t just a danger to themselves. They can threaten the progress
and stability of countries half a world away." ... "The problems that plague
failing states are generally all too similar: rampant corruption, predatory
elites who have long monopolized power, an absence of the rule of law,
and severe ethnic or religious divisions." ... "For the second year in
a row, Sudan tops the rankings as the state most at risk of failure. The
primary cause of its instability, violence in the country’s western region
of Darfur, is as well known as it is tragic. At least 200,000 people—and
perhaps as many as 400,000—have been killed in the past four years by janjaweed
militias armed by the government, and 2 to 3 million people have fled their
torched villages for squalid camps as the violence has spilled into the
Central African Republic and Chad. These countries were hardly pictures
of stability prior to the influx of refugees and rebels across their borders;
the Central African Republic plays host to a modern-day slave trade, and
rebels attacked Chad’s capital in April 2006 in a failed coup attempt.
But the spillover effects from Sudan have a great deal to do with the countries’
tumble in the rankings, demonstrating that the dangers of failing states
often bleed across borders. That is especially worrying for a few select
regions. This year, eight of the world’s 10 most vulnerable states are
in sub-Saharan Africa, up from six last year and seven in 2005." ... "That
is not to say that all failing states suffer from international neglect.
Iraq and Afghanistan, the two main fronts in the global war on terror,
both suffered over the past year. Their experiences show that billions
of dollars in development and security aid may be futile unless accompanied
by a functioning government, trustworthy leaders, and realistic plans to
keep the peace and develop the economy." ... "Today, two countries among
the world’s 15 most vulnerable, North Korea and Pakistan, are members of
the nuclear club. Their profiles could hardly be less similar: The former
faces the very real prospect of economic collapse, followed by massive
human flight, while the latter presides over a lawless frontier country
and a disenchanted Islamist opposition whose ranks grow by the day." (1
of 9)
US
- Iraq
- Afghanistan
- Pakistan
- Terrorism
- Money
- Military
- Intelligence
- Osama
bin Laden
- "Influx
of Al Qaeda, money into Pakistan is seen: U.S. officials
say the terrorist network's command base is increasingly being funded by
cash coming out of Iraq." ... "A major CIA [Central Intelligence Agency]
effort launched last year to hunt down Osama bin Laden has produced no
significant leads on his whereabouts, but has helped track an alarming
increase in the movement of Al Qaeda operatives and money into Pakistan's
tribal territories, according to senior U.S. intelligence officials familiar
with the operation." ... "In one of the most troubling trends, U.S. officials
said that Al Qaeda's command base in Pakistan is increasingly being funded
by cash coming out of Iraq, where the terrorist network's operatives are
raising substantial sums from donations to the anti-American insurgency
as well as kidnappings of wealthy Iraqis and other criminal activity."
... "The influx of money has bolstered Al Qaeda's leadership ranks at a
time when the core command is regrouping and reasserting influence over
its far-flung network. The trend also signals a reversal in the traditional
flow of Al Qaeda funds, with the network's leadership surviving to a large
extent on money coming in from its most profitable franchise, rather than
distributing funds from headquarters to distant cells." ... "Al Qaeda's
efforts were aided, intelligence officials said, by Pakistan's withdrawal
in September of tens of thousands of troops from the tribal areas along
the Afghanistan border where Bin Laden and his top deputy, Ayman Zawahiri,
are believed to be hiding." ... "Little more than a year ago, Al Qaeda's
core command was thought to be in a financial crunch. But U.S. officials
said cash shipped from Iraq has eased those troubles." ... ""Iraq is a
big moneymaker for them," said a senior U.S. counter-terrorism official."
-By Greg Miller -LAtimes
20070219
Noteworthy
- Pakistan
- Afghanistan
- US
- Terrorism
- Intelligence
- bin
Laden
- "Al
Qaeda Chiefs Are Seen to Regain Power." ... "Senior
leaders of Al Qaeda operating from Pakistan have re-established significant
control over their once-battered worldwide terror network and over the
past year have set up a band of training camps in the tribal regions near
the Afghan border, according to American intelligence and counterterrorism
officials." ... "American officials said there was mounting evidence that
Osama bin Laden and his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri, had been steadily building
an operations hub in the mountainous Pakistani tribal area of North Waziristan.
Until recently, the Bush administration had described Mr. bin Laden and
Mr. Zawahri as detached from their followers and cut off from operational
control of Al Qaeda." ... "The United States has also identified several
new Qaeda compounds in North Waziristan, including one that officials said
might be training operatives for strikes against targets beyond Afghanistan."
... "American analysts said recent intelligence showed that the compounds
functioned under a loose command structure and were operated by groups
of Arab, Pakistani and Afghan militants allied with Al Qaeda. They receive
guidance from their commanders and Mr. Zawahri, the analysts said. Mr.
bin Laden, who has long played less of an operational role, appears to
have little direct involvement." ... "The new warnings are different from
those made in recent months by intelligence officials and terrorism experts,
who have spoken about the growing abilities of Taliban forces and Pakistani
militants to launch attacks into Afghanistan. American officials say that
the new intelligence is focused on Al Qaeda and points to the prospect
that the terrorist network is gaining in strength despite more than five
years of a sustained American-led campaign to weaken it." (1, 2)
-By Mark Mazzetti and David Rohde with contributions
by David Johnston and Carlotta Gall -NYTimes
20060925
US
- Afghanistan
- Iraq
- Pakistan
- Osama
bin Laden
- Religious
- Terrorism
- Money
- Politics
- Military
- Intelligence
- "Afghanistan,
5 years later: U.S. confront Taliban's return." ...
"Afghanistan has become Iraq on a slow burn. Five years after they were
ousted, the Taliban are back in force, their ranks renewed by a new generation
of diehards. Violence, opium trafficking, ethnic tensions, official corruption
and political anarchy are all worse than they've been at any time since
the U.S.-led intervention in 2001." ... "By failing to stop Taliban leaders
and Osama bin Laden from escaping into Pakistan, then diverting troops
and resources to Iraq before finishing the job in Afghanistan, the Bush
administration left the door open to a Taliban comeback. Compounding the
problem, reconstruction efforts have been slow and limited, and the U.S.
and NATO didn't anticipate the extent and ferocity of the Taliban resurgence
or the alliances the insurgents have formed with other Islamic extremists
and with the world's leading opium traffickers." ... "There are only 42,000
U.S. and NATO-led troops to secure a country that's half again the size
of Iraq, where 150,000 U.S.-led coalition troops are deployed. Suicide
bombings have soared from two in all of 2002 to about one every five days.
Civilian casualties are mounting." ... "James Dobbins, who was President
Bush's special envoy to Afghanistan, said that the administration dismissed
European offers of a major peacekeeping force after the U.S. intervention
and almost immediately began shifting military assets to invade Iraq."
... "The White House "resisted the whole concept of peacekeeping," said
Dobbins. "They wanted to demonstrate a different approach, one that would
be much lower cost. So the decision to skimp on manpower and deploy one-fiftieth
the troops as were deployed in Bosnia was accompanied by a decision to
underplay economic assistance." ... ""We invaded Afghanistan in October
2001. We conquered the country in December, and Congress was not asked
to provide any (reconstruction) money until the following October," he
continued. "Much of the money didn't show up for years. And not only were
the actual sums relatively small, but with the failure to establish even
a modicum of security in the countryside, there was no way to spend it.""
... "There are 22,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan. But there are only 5,000
U.S. combat soldiers in eastern Afghanistan bordering Taliban refuges in
Pakistan, a 27,000-square-mile area of vast deserts and mountains nearly
the size of South Carolina." ... "ISAF [International Security Assistance
Force led by NATO], with 20,000 troops from 36 nations, has only 8,000
troops for 77,000 square miles - slightly smaller than Minnesota - in the
south." ... "The insurgents and their leaders operate from Pakistan, aided
by Pakistani officials, radical Islamic parties and al Qaida. They're flush
with recruits from Islamist seminaries on both sides of the border that
offer religious instruction and combat training." ... "Taliban extremists
also have been to Iraq for training in combat and bomb-making, and Iraqi
insurgents have traveled to Pakistan to forge closer ties with Afghan and
Pakistani extremists, according to U.S. intelligence officials." ... "The
Afghan army has about 30,000 troops who participate in operations with
U.S. and ISAF forces. But they lack basic equipment - helmets, radios and
armored vehicles - and rely on U.S. and other foreign funds for their salaries."
-By Jonathan S. Landay
-McClatchy-RealCities
20060906
Pakistan
- Afghanistan
- US
- Military
- Terrorism
- "Pakistan
Reaches Peace Accord With Pro-Taliban Militias: Deal
Arouses Alarm in Afghanistan." ... "The government of Pakistan signed a
peace accord Tuesday with pro-Taliban forces in the volatile tribal areas
bordering Afghanistan, agreeing to withdraw its troops from the region
in return for the fighters' pledge to stop attacks inside Pakistan and
across the border." ... "Under the pact, foreign fighters would have to
leave North Waziristan or live peaceable lives if they remained. The militias
would not set up a "parallel" government administration." ... "Reached
as Pakistan's president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, prepared to visit the Afghan
capital Wednesday, the accord aroused alarm among some analysts in Afghanistan.
They expressed concern that, whatever the militias promise, a Pakistani
army withdrawal might backfire, emboldening the groups to operate more
freely in Pakistan and to infiltrate more aggressively into Afghanistan
to fight U.S. and allied forces there." ... "More than 1,500 people have
been killed in combat and terrorist attacks this year as violence in Afghanistan
swelled to its highest level since 2001, when U.S.-led forces drove the
Taliban from power. Suicide bombings, once unheard of, are now almost daily
occurrences. Schools have been burned across the region and dozens of community
leaders have been assassinated." -By Pamela Constable
-WashingtonPost
20060905
Pakistan
- Afghanistan
- US
- Military
- Terrorism
- Osama
bin Laden-
"Bin
Laden Gets a Pass from Pakistan." ... "Osama bin
Laden, America's most wanted man, will not face capture in Pakistan if
he agrees to lead a "peaceful life," Pakistani officials tell ABC News."
... "The surprising announcement comes as Pakistani army officials announced
they were pulling their troops out of the North Waziristan region as part
of a "peace deal" with the Taliban." ... "If he is in Pakistan, bin Laden
"would not be taken into custody," Major General Shaukat Sultan Khan told
ABC News in a telephone interview, "as long as one is being like a peaceful
citizen."" ... "Bin Laden is believed to be hiding somewhere in the tribal
areas of Pakistan, near the Afghanistan border, but U.S. officials say
his precise location is unknown." ... ""What this means is that the Taliban
and al Qaeda leadership have effectively carved out a sanctuary inside
Pakistan," said ABC News consultant Richard Clarke, the former White House
counter-terrorism director." -By Brian
Ross and Gretchen Peters -ABCNEWS.com
20060816
Pakistan
- US
- Afghanistan
- Osama
bin Laden
- Terrorism
- Politics
- "White
House backing new plan to defuse insurrection in Pakistan."
... "A U.S.-backed plan to defeat Islamist militants in Pakistan's autonomous
tribal areas has backfired badly, and the Bush administration is working
with Pakistan to come up with a new strategy to defuse the insurrection."
... "Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf "sees that what he was doing
wasn't working," said one U.S. official who's familiar with the new plan.
"He really has a mess."" ... "Now Musharraf's government is attempting
to negotiate truces in the areas, expand local police forces and introduce
development projects to reward tribal leaders who break with the militants.
The Bush administration has pledged millions of dollars to the new effort,
said the official, who, like others familiar with the plan, spoke only
if granted anonymity." ... "Ending the uprising by Islamist militants aligned
with Osama bin Laden and Taliban rebels is crucial to American-led efforts
to contain the worst surge in Taliban violence in Afghanistan since 2001.
The bloodshed is adding to the Bush administration's woes in the Middle
East and other fronts in the war on terrorism." ... "Pakistan deployed
80,000 troops in the areas, which border Afghanistan, at Washington's behest
to hunt down bin Laden and his sympathizers and secure Pakistan's side
of the border. The Bush administration reportedly has spent nearly $1 billion
since 2003 to underwrite the Pakistan army's operations." ... "But the
army's use of artillery and helicopter gunships - as well as U.S. airstrikes
on suspected al-Qaida hideouts - has killed numerous civilians and stoked
popular ire." -By Jonathan S. Landay
-McClatchy-RealCities
20060815
British
- Pakistan
- US
- Aviation
- Terrorism
- Law
Enforcement - Intelligence
- Book
- Military
- Politics
- "The
Triumph of Unrealism." ... "The London plot against
civil aviation confirmed a theme of an illuminating new book, Lawrence
Wright's "The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11." The theme
is that better law enforcement, which probably could have prevented Sept.
11, is central to combating terrorism. F-16s are not useful tools against
terrorism that issues from places such as Hamburg (where Mohamed Atta lived
before dying in the North Tower of the World Trade Center) and High Wycombe,
England." ... "Cooperation between Pakistani and British law enforcement
(the British draw upon useful experience combating IRA terrorism) has validated
John Kerry's belief (as paraphrased by the New York Times Magazine of Oct.
10, 2004) that "many of the interdiction tactics that cripple drug lords,
including governments working jointly to share intelligence, patrol borders
and force banks to identify suspicious customers, can also be some of the
most useful tools in the war on terror." In a candidates' debate in South
Carolina (Jan. 29, 2004), Kerry said that although the war on terror will
be "occasionally military," it is "primarily an intelligence and law enforcement
operation that requires cooperation around the world."" -By
George F. Will -WashingtonPost
20060510
Human
Rights - Politics
- China
- Cuba
- Pakistan
- Russia
- Saudi
Arabia - Azerbaijan
- Iran
- Venezuela
- "New
U.N. Rights Group Includes Six Nations With Poor Records."
... "Six nations with poor human rights records were among those elected
to the new Human Rights Council on Tuesday, although notorious violators
that had belonged to the predecessor Human Rights Commission did not succeed
in winning places in the new group." ... "China, Cuba, Pakistan, Russia,
Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan, countries cited by human rights groups as
not deserving membership, were among the 47 nations elected to the council.
But in a move hailed by the same groups, both Iran and Venezuela failed
to attract the needed votes." -By Warren Hoge
-NYTimes
20060329
Pakistan
- Parents
- Abortion
- Science
- "Baby
Carrying Two Fetuses Dies." ... "A 2-month-old Pakistani
girl has died following surgery to remove two fetuses that had grown inside
her while she was still in her mother's womb, a doctor said Wednesday."
... "A report in a June 2000 issue of the U.S. journal Pediatrics called
such occurrences rare and estimated their rate at about one per 500,000
births." -AP
via -CBSNews
20060328
Pakistan
- Parents
- Abortion
- Science
- "Surgeons
Remove Two Fetuses From Infant." ... "Surgeons operated
on a 2-month-old Pakistani girl Tuesday to remove two fetuses that had
grown inside her while she was still in her mother's womb, a doctor said."
... "[Zaheer] Abbasi, the chief doctor who led the operation, said the
case was the first he was aware of in Pakistan of fetus-in-fetu, where
a fetus has grown inside another in the womb." -By
Paul Garwood-AP
via -WashingtonPost
20051230
Pakistan
- Religious
- Schools
- Politics
- Terrorism
- London
bombings- UK
- "Pakistan's
Islamic schools resist expulsion order: ·
Ban on foreign students followed London bombs · Leaders claim Musharraf
ruling is discriminatory." ... "Leaders of Pakistan's 13,000 madrasas have
vowed to defy a government deadline to expel foreign students by December
31, saying the regulations discriminate against religious schools." ...
"President Pervez Musharraf required Pakistan's madrasas to expel about
1,800 foreign students after the July 7 bombings in London highlighted
the extremist links of some schools. Three of the London bombers were of
Pakistani descent, and the Aldgate bomber, Shehzad Tanweer, attended a
Lahore madrasa that has since been linked to Islamist militants." -By
Imtiaz Gul -Guardian.co.uk
20051205
US
- Pakistan
- Egypt
- Terrorism
- Intelligence
- Aircraft
- Robots
- "Drone
said to have killed Al Qaeda's No. 3: If true, Abu
Hamza Rabia would be the third to hold the post and be taken out." ...
"In the dead of night, the US Predator aircraft swooped in over the [Pakistan]
hamlet of Haisori, locking in on an abandoned house five travelers had
quietly entered just hours before, according to neighbors. Then, they say,
the drone fired on the stone and mud dwelling for about eight minutes,
reducing it to rubble." ... "Pakistani officials say the airstrike, which
took place last Thursday in tribal region of North Waziristan, killed five
people, including Al Qaeda's No. 3 man, Egyptian Abu Hamza Rabia. Conflicting
reports cast some uncertainty on Mr. Rabia's death and his exact rank,
however." ... "If Islamabad's account holds true it would represent the
third Al Qaeda "No. 3" to be killed or captured in as many years. Taking
out the terrorist network's operations manager represents an intelligence
victory with obvious short-term gains in disrupting terrorist planning,
but also points to Al Qaeda's ability to bounce back from these losses
in the past, say analysts." -By Gretchen Peters -CSMonitor
20051130
Pakistan
- Earthquake
- Disaster
- Flying
- "Pakistan
Earthquake Aid Flights Interrupted by Winter Storms."
... "Winter storms in Pakistan's mountainous Kashmir region forced relief
organizations to interrupt helicopter flights bringing aid to more than
3 million people left homeless by last month's earthquake." ... "Flights
carrying supplies to villages above 1,500 meters (5,000 feet) were suspended
over two days beginning on Nov. 26, the International Organization for
Migration said in an e-mailed statement late yesterday from Pakistan's
capital, Islamabad. More bad weather is forecast for the rest of this week,
it said." -By Khalid Qayum and Paul Tighe -Bloomberg
20051108
Pakistan
- UN
- "Death
Toll in South Asia Quake at 87,350." ... "One month
after South Asia's massive Oct. 8 earthquake, the regional death toll jumped
to 87,350 Tuesday following a new count of Pakistan's casualties, officials
said." ... "The U.N. stepped up its appeals for more money to help victims
centered in Pakistan's portion of Kashmir, urging donors to be as generous
as with other recent disasters and saying it urgently needs $42.4 million
to keep bringing help through November." -By Sadaqat
Jan -AP via
-Guardian.co.uk
20051107
Pakistan
- India
- Politics
- "Police
Keep Kashmiris From Crossing Border." ... "Pakistani
police fired tear gas to disperse Kashmiri villagers Monday when some tried
to cross into Indian territory during an unprecedented frontier ceremony
by the South Asian rivals to exchange aid for victims of the Oct. 8 quake."
... "The border opening that India and Pakistan agreed to last month was
supposed to have been a much grander gesture: letting Kashmiris cross at
five points to check on long-lost relatives and visit relief camps set
up along the frontier." ... "But India on Saturday said it was prepared
to open only one crossing, and on Sunday officials on both sides said bureaucratic
wrangling would delay chances for people to cross, partly because India
must be assured that no Muslim militants will head into Indian territory."
-AP via
-CBSNews
20051101
Pakistan
- People
- Earthquake
- History
- Homes
- "Pakistan
seeks more medical aid as quake toll rises." ...
"Pakistan appealed for antibiotics and painkillers on Tuesday as it raised
the toll from last month's devasting earthquake to 57,597 killed and nearly
79,000 injured." ... "The updated figures from Pakistan Federal Relief
Commission brought the total official toll from the disaster to nearly
59,000 -- including 1,309 confirmed deaths and 6,622 injuries on on the
Indian side of the devasted Kashmir region." ... "At 7.6 magnitude, the
quake was the strongest to hit the South Asian region in 100 years. It
destroyed huge numbers of houses and left more than three million people
homeless or in need of emergency shelter with a brutal winter just weeks
away." -By Robert Birsel with contributions by David
Brunnstrom -Reuters
via -AlertNet.org/Newsdesk
Pakistan
- Earthquake
- Weather
- US
- Military
- "Worsening
weather threatens more misery for Pakistan quake survivors."
... "The U.S. military promised to keep flying helicopter relief missions
to help survivors of Pakistan's worst earthquake through the harsh winter,
as a bleak weather forecast for Tuesday loomed over hundreds of thousands
of people living without shelter." ... "With the brutal Himalayan winter
approaching, the relief effort is rushing to deliver tents, food and medicine
to victims of the Oct. 8 quake before villages are cut off by snow and
helicopter-grounding fog." (1, 2)
-By Zarar Khan -AP
via -Canada.com
20051026
Pakistan
- Earthquake
- Disaster
- UN
- "Pakistan
quake toll could double without swift help." ...
"More people could die of hunger, cold and injuries in the wake of Pakistan's
earthquake than during it unless rich countries meeting in Geneva come
up with more money fast, a top U.N. aid official said on Wednesday." ...
""The disaster is looming large. We have thousands and thousands of very
vulnerable people," U.N. chief aid coordinator Rashid Khalikov said hours
before 65 nations were due to meet at the United Nations in Geneva to talk
about how to help." ... ""This disaster may have the number of people who
died after the disaster bigger than those killed by the earthquake," he
said outside his tent office in the destroyed Pakistani Kashmir capital
of Muzzafarabad." (1, 2)
-By Robert Birsel -Reuters
20051020
UN
- Pakistan
- Earthquake
- People
- Health
- "U.N.:
Berlin-Type Airlift Needed in Asia." ... "The top
U.N. relief coordinator warned Thursday that bold initiatives like the
Berlin Airlift are needed to save as many as 3 million people left homeless
by the South Asian earthquake as winter approaches in the Himalayas." ...
"The World Health Organization, meanwhile, reported three quake survivors
died of tetanus, reinforcing fears that disease and infected injuries could
drive the 79,000 death toll far higher." ... "Jan Egeland, the U.N. relief
coordinator, appealed to NATO and other potential donors to step in with
an army of helicopters to fly in relief supplies and evacuate perhaps hundreds
of thousands of people." -By Munir Ahmad
-AP via -SFGate.com
20051019
Pakistan
- Earthquake
- Disaster
- "Number
of dead in Pakistan over 79,000." ... "A series of
fresh landslides have been triggered by two strong aftershocks from south
Asia's earthquake, inflicting more damage on the already hard-hit cities
of Balakot and Muzaffarabad in northern Pakistan." ... "The 5.8-magnitude
aftershock struck 129 kilometres north of Islamabad, near the epicentre
of the first earthquake, and was strong enough to be felt in the capital."
... "It was followed less than an hour later by another strong tremor measuring
5.6." ... "But the suffering continues and now officials, using figures
from local governments and hospital sources, are projecting the number
of dead from the disaster at over 79,000."
-CBC.ca
20051018
Pakistan
- Earthquake
- Parents
- People
- School
- Psychology
- "Grim
future for young quake survivors: Schoolchildren
learn to cope with losing classmates." ... "Imagine being the only child
in class to survive after friends and teachers were all buried beneath
the rubble." ... "This is the scenario now facing young student Mohammad
Waseem after his school in Muzaffarabad [Pakistani-controlled Kashmir]
was destroyed by the South Asia earthquake." ... "Children were among the
hardest hit by the disaster since many were in school when the magnitude
7.6 tremor struck." -By Matthew Chance
-AP -CNN
20051012
Pakistan
- Earthquake
- Disaster
- Homes
- UN
- Food
- "Aid
still failing to reach most of Pakistan's 4m earthquake survivors."
... "Humanitarian aid has reached only a small proportion of the 4m people
whose homes have been destroyed or damaged by the devastating earthquake
that struck Pakistan four days ago, according to a disaster assessment
by UN officials." ... ""This is a huge catastrophe and the more we see
the worse it's getting," said Andrew Macleod, a member of the UN's disaster
assessment team, yesterday. "It's no criticism of Pakistan to say that
it's only a small proportion of the affected population that has received
any aid, and that there are areas that may not for some time."" ... "The
UN yesterday appealed for $272m (€225m, £150m) to support its
efforts for six months, of which $62.5m would be spent on shelter and non-food
items and $50m on food. It said strong aftershocks had left survivors afraid
to go back inside damaged houses and many preferring to sleep in fields."
-By Jo Johnson and Farhan Bokhari
-FT.com
Pakistan
- India
- Earthquake
- Disaster
- "Disease
threat for quake zone: Top U.S. diplomat will visit
Pakistan." ... "Weather is hampering relief efforts to survivors of the
deadliest quake in South Asia for a century, as health experts warn the
Himalayan region could become a fertile breeding ground for disease." ...
"Millions of people remain homeless in the mountainous areas of northern
Pakistan and India following the quake, which is estimated to have claimed
more than 41,000 people." ... "As Wednesday arrived, new threats loomed
for the people left without shelter following the quake; international
health experts warned of potential disease threats from the devastated
public sanitation systems." -With contributions by
Andrew Stevens, Satinder Bindra, Matthew Chance, Ram Ramgopal, Becky Anderson,
Syed Mohsin Naqvi, John Raedler, Mukhtar Ahmed, Tom Coghlan and
-AP -CNN
20051011
Pakistan
- India
- Earthquake
- Disaster
- "Food
arrives as toll tops 42,000." ... "The death toll
from the massive South Asia earthquake soared above 42,000 as the first
trickle of humanitarian aid began to flow into the region, authorities
said." ... "Meanwhile, 120 metric tons of ready-to-eat food arrived Tuesday,
enough to feed 240,000 people for five days, a World Food Programme spokesman
told CNN." ... "Another 80 million metric tons of food aid is in the pipeline,
Amjad Jamal said." ... "But he acknowledged the need was great and said
appeals were being made to the international community for additional donations
of food, supplies and money." ... "Even with many far-flung areas still
not reached, the death toll has hit 41,000 in Pakistan alone, with another
1,239 dead in India and one reported death in Afghanistan, officials have
said." -By Andrew Stevens, Satinder Bindra, Matthew
Chance, Ram Ramgopal, Syed Mohsin Naqvi and John Raedler with contributions
by Mukhtar Ahmed and Tom Coghlan -CNN
Pakistan
- India
- Earthquake- People
- Military
- "Quake
relief fights tough terrain: The Asian temblor is
being described as the worst disaster in Pakistan's history." ... "Relief
workers and military officials on both sides of the border in the Himalayan
region of Kashmir struggled to reach hundreds of villages cut off by the
worst earthquake to hit this region in a century. Estimates of the death
toll ranged Monday between 20,000 and 30,000. Relief agencies have put
out a massive appeal for food, tents, and medicines for an estimated 2.5
million people who are thought to be homeless - a number similar in scope
to the Indian Ocean tsunami." ... "Just as Americans voiced anger at the
slow response of emergency relief agencies in the wake of hurricane Katrina,
many Kashmiris in both the Indian and Pakistani portions of the divided
territory decried what they called a slow emergency response." ... "The
earthquake of Oct. 8 could be a crucial test of both the military-dominated
government of President Pervez Musharraf, as well as renewed peace efforts
between India and Pakistan, who both claim the quake-ravaged state of Kashmir."
-By Scott Baldauf and Laura Winter with contributions
by Anuj Chopra -CSMonitor
20051004
Pakistan
- Afghanistan
- MIL
- Terrorism
- "Taliban
spokesman arrested in Pakistan." ... "The self-proclaimed
Taliban spokesman, known for changing his phone number weekly and making
wild claims about purported Taliban attacks, has been arrested in Pakistan,
officials said." ... "Mullah Hakim Latifi, who has served as a roving one-man
Taliban press secretary for almost two years, was captured in Baluchistan
province, just over the border from southern Afghanistan, Pakistan government
spokesman Sheikh Rashid Ahmed told reporters in Islamabad." -By
Kim Barker -ChicagoTribune
via -MercuryNews
20051003
Pakistan
- India
- Military
- "Pakistan,
India sign agreement to give advance notice of missile tests."
... "Pakistan and India signed agreements today for giving advance notice
of ballistic missile tests, and on setting up a hotline between their coast
guard agencies, officials said." ... "The missile test warning deal was
first struck during talks between Indian and Pakistani officials in New
Delhi in August but is now being officially brought into force."
-AFXNews via -Forbes
20050831
- CA
-
-
- "Terrorism
charges expected in California probe: Sources: One
state prisoner involved in alleged plot." ... "Federal prosecutors are
expected to seek terrorism-related charges Wednesday against four men in
connection with an alleged plot in the Los Angeles, California, area, three
sources told CNN." ... "The charges of conspiracy to commit terrorism are
expected to be announced Wednesday after a federal grand jury returns an
indictment." ... "Three of the four men are in custody on separate charges.
One of the men is Hammad Samana, a Pakistan native who was taken into custody
earlier this month on charges that remain under seal." -By
Kelli Arena and Dree DeClamecy -CNN
20050818
Bangladesh
-
-
- Religion
- "Bombings
strike Bangladesh." ... "The bombs reportedly targeted
mainly government offices, bus and train stations, and markets in 63 of
the country's 64 districts." ... "Most of Bangladesh's 141 million people
are Muslim." ... "Bangladesh has many of the same demographic and cultural
factors at play that led to the rise of militant Islam in nearby Pakistan
and in Afghanistan. In particular, it has a network of Deobandi religious
schools, or madrassas that, like Pakistan's, have contributed to radicalization
of many poor youth." -CSMonitorand
-AP via -SeattleTimes.NWsource
20050811
-
- "Pakistan
Successfully Tests Nuclear-Capable Missile (Update2)."
... "Pakistan successfully test-fired a cruise missile capable of carrying
a nuclear warhead, the army said in a statement[.]" ... "``Pakistan today
conducted a successful test of its first- ever ground-launched cruise missile
HATF-VII, also known as Babur,'' the army said from Islamabad. The ``Babur
cruise has the capability to carry nuclear and conventional warheads to
a range of 500 kilometers (300 miles) with a pinpoint accuracy.''" -By
Khalid Qayum -Bloomberg
20050706
-
-
-
-
- "Iraq
Abductors Threaten to Kill Diplomat." ... "Kidnappers
linked to al-Qaida's branch in Iraq threatened Wednesday to kill Egypt's
top envoy here, as Iraq's prime minister called on other countries to stay
the course and keep their diplomats in Baghdad." ... "The threat to kill
Ihab al-Sherif, seized by gunmen in western Baghdad on Saturday, marks
a dramatic escalation in a campaign to isolate Iraq diplomatically in the
Arab and Muslim worlds. On Tuesday, gunmen fired on senior envoys from
Bahrain and Pakistan in apparent kidnap attempts." -Mariam Fam
-AP via -Guardian.co.uk
20050630
-
-
- "All
16 U.S. troops killed in Afghan crash." ... "The
remains of those killed were being recovered at the site in Kunar province
where the MH-47 chopper went down Tuesday, the military said in a statement.
The helicopter crashed while ferrying reinforcements to a battle against
insurgents near the Pakistan border." ... "The military reported earlier
that 17 people were on board but revised that figure to 16 later Thursday."
... "Military officials said there were eight Navy SEALs and eight Army
air crew on board." -By Daniel Cooney with contributions
by John J. Lumpkin -AP
via -Boston/Globe
20050629
-
-
-
- "17
Aboard Downed U.S. Copter Feared Dead." ... "U.S.
military officials said Wednesday they feared all 17 troops aboard a special
operations helicopter were dead after hostile fire downed the craft and
it slid or rolled into a rugged mountain ravine in eastern Afghanistan."
... "Stormy weather hampered rescue efforts after the MH-47 helicopter
crashed Tuesday while ferrying in reinforcements for troops already on
the ground pursuing al-Qaida militants near the border with Pakistan."
... "On May 31, U.S.-led coalition soldiers gave the 8,000-strong NATO
force responsibility for security in much of western Afghanistan. The International
Security Assistance Force, currently under NATO command, already maintains
security in the capital, Kabul, and other parts of the nation."
-AP via -SFGate.com
- -
-
- "Fighting
Prevents U.S. From Learning Fate of 17 on Copter."
... "Nine helicopters have been lost to various causes in Afghanistan since
the Taliban were ousted from control of Kabul, the capital, in 2001." ...
"The helicopter was the second Chinook to go down in Afghanistan this year.
Fifteen American military personnel and three civilians were killed in
April when their helicopter crashed in a sandstorm while returning to the
airbase at Bagram. So far this year, 38 members of the American military
have died in Afghanistan, including 13 in combat, according to Pentagon
figures put out before the latest crash. In all of 2004, 52 Americans died
in Afghanistan." ... "Kunar, the area where the chopper went down on Tuesday,
borders Pakistan and for the last three years has been one of the provinces
most troubled by insurgent activity." -By Carlotta
Gall -NYTimes
-
-
-
- "All
17 US troops in Afghan crash believed dead." ...
"The [unidentified US] official told Reuters the twin-rotor CH-47 Chinook
was believed to have been hit by a rocket-propelled grenade in mountainous
terrain near the border with Pakistan, an attack claimed by Taliban guerrillas."
... "The crash was the second of a U.S. Chinook in Afghanistan in less
than three months and comes amid a surge in guerrilla activity aimed at
derailing September 18 parliamentary elections, the next big step in Afghanistan's
difficult path to stability." ... "The Pentagon has previously reported
149 U.S. military deaths in and around Afghanistan since 2001, including
77 killed in action." -By David Brunnstrom -Reuters.co.uk
20050616
-
-
-
- "Saudi
Arabia Exempt From Nuke Inspections." ... "The U.N.
atomic watchdog agency approved a deal Thursday that keeps nuclear inspectors
out of Saudi Arabia despite an international push to scrap such arrangements
because they can be abused by proliferators." ... "In the past two decades,
the kingdom has been linked to prewar Iraq's nuclear program and to the
Pakistani nuclear black marketeer Abdul Qadeer Khan." -By
George Jahn -AP
via -Guardian.co.uk
20050609
-
-
-
-
- "FBI:
Al Qaeda plot possibly uncovered." ... "Papers filed
in federal court said Hamid Hayat eventually admitted to interrogators
that he attended a terror training camp funded and operated by al Qaeda
near Rawalpindi, Pakistan, for six months in 2003 and 2004." ... "Terror
expert Peter Bergen cast doubt on that detail." ... ""I'm a little skeptical
of that, after all, the Pakistani government has been on a pretty massive
campaign against al Qaeda in Pakistan and the affidavit in this case is
suggesting that the training camp was near Rawalpindi," Bergen said. "Well,
Rawalpindi happens to be the Pakistani Army headquarters, right next to
Pakistan's capital. To me, its seems extremely improbable that an al Qaeda
training camp with hundreds of people would be in that location."" ...
"Instead, Bergen suggested, the camp might have been aimed at training
Pakistanis for action in the disputed Kashmir region." -Contributed
to by Nic Robertson and Kelli Arena -CNN
-
-
-
-
- "California
Father and Son Face Charges in Terrorism Case." ...
"An American man of Pakistani descent has been arrested along with his
father, a naturalized American citizen, as part of an investigation by
federal law enforcement officials into possible terrorist connections with
Al Qaeda." ... "According to an F.B.I. affidavit filed in Federal District
Court in Sacramento, about 40 miles north of this agricultural town, Hamid
Hayat, 22, told investigators last weekend that he had been trained "on
how to kill Americans" at a camp in Pakistan affiliated with Al Qaeda.
The affidavit said that during Mr. Hayat's weapons training, "photos of
various high-ranking United States political figures, including President
Bush, would be pasted on their targets."" ... "Mr. Hayat, who was born
in California, returned to the United States on May 29 after spending more
than two years in Pakistan." ... "The affidavit said Mr. Hayat's father,
Umer Hayat, 47, who drives an ice cream truck in Lodi, provided financial
support for his son's training." ... "They have been charged with lying
to federal investigators about the training camp and are scheduled to appear
in court on June 21, said Johnny L. Griffin III, a lawyer for the father."
-By Dean E. Murphy and David Johnston with contributions
by Carolyn Marshall -NYTimes
20050527
- Religion
- "Islamabad
Bombing Kills 50, Ambulance Service Says (Update1)."
... "A suicide bombing at a Muslim shrine in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad,
today killed at least 50 people, according to a private ambulance service
that responded to the scene." ... "Another 200 people were injured by the
blast inside the Bari Imam shrine in the east of the city, the ambulance
service, the Edhi Welfare Trust Group, said in an e-mailed statement."
... "According to police official Naseer Khan, the police estimate at the
moment is that at least 19 people have been killed and more than 100 injured."
-By Khalid Qayum -Bloomberg
20050513
-
-
-
-
- Religion
- "Protests
Against U.S. Spread Across Afghanistan." ... "Anti-American
violence spread to 10 of Afghanistan's 34 provinces and into Pakistan on
Thursday as four more protesters died in a third day of demonstrations
and clashes with the police." ... "The Afghan authorities and Kabul residents
said the spate of violence was the fault of outsiders, who they said were
seeking to capitalize on student protests stirred up by reports, most recently
in the May 9 issue of Newsweek, that Americans had desecrated the Koran
during interrogations at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba." ... "Seeking to
calm the passions raised by the desecration report, Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice expressed regret for the loss of life and promised a full
investigation of the allegation against Americans at Guantánamo.
"Disrespect for the Holy Koran is not now, nor has it ever been, nor will
it ever be tolerated by the United States," Ms. Rice said in a surprise
statement issued before an appearance at the Senate Appropriations Committee."
-By Carlotta Gall -NYTimes
20050504
- "Pakistan
Nabs Qaeda 'No. 3'." ... "President Bush on Wednesday
hailed the arrest of a high-ranking al Qaeda leader in Pakistan as "a critical
victory in the war on terror."" ... "Mr. Bush, speaking during an appearance
on Social Security in Washington, praised the government of Pakistan for
the capture of Abu Farraj al-Libbi, considered the terror network's number-three
leader, after Osama bin Laden and his top deputy Ayman al-Zawahri." ...
"Al-Libbi, a Libyan wanted in two attempts to assassinate Pakistan's President
Gen. Pervez Musharraf, was arrested earlier this week after a fierce gunbattle,
the Pakistani government said Wednesday." (1, 2)
-AP via -CBSNews
20050418
-
-
- Travel
- "India,
Pakistan Vow to Settle on Kashmir." ... "India and
Pakistan will reach a ``final settlement'' to the decades-old dispute over
Kashmir, their leaders vowed Monday, concluding three days of talks with
a series of agreements to boost trade and cross-border travel." ... "With
Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf beside him, Indian Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh announced the two had agreed to continue talks on Kashmir
in ``a sincere and purposeful and forward-looking manner for a final settlement.''"
-By Rajesh Mahapatra -AP
via -Guardian.co.uk
20050314
-
-
-
-
-
- "China
Threat to Attack Taiwan Alarms Asia." ... "China's
threat Monday to oppose Taiwanese independence with military force triggered
a call for peaceful dialogue from Japan and a discussion of Australia's
treaty obligations should a war break out. But Russia and Pakistan supported
Beijing's new legislation." ... "An outbreak of hostilities would be a
severe blow to stability in East Asia, possibly prompting a response from
the United States — which has some 50,000 troops in Japan and 35,000 in
South Korea — to defend Taiwan." -By Joseph Coleman
-AP
via -SFGate.com
20050301
-
-
-
-
-
- "Iran
admits it considered purchasing weapons technology."
... "As the International Atomic Energy Agency prepared to open a meeting
in Vienna on Monday to review Tehran's nuclear program, Iranian officials
reluctantly turned over new evidence that strongly suggests it discussed
acquiring technologies central to making nuclear weapons and hid that fact
for 18 years, U.S. and European officials say." ... "The officials said
the documents, which are dated 1987, were handed over after investigators
for the agency confronted Iranian officials with evidence gathered in interviews
with members of the network run by Pakistan's top nuclear expert, A.Q.
Khan. The documents, according to officials who have seen them, include
an offer by Khan's representatives to provide a package of technologies
- for a price that ran from tens of millions to hundreds of millions of
dollars, according to a European diplomat - including the difficult-to-master
process of casting uranium metal." -By Elaine Sciolino
and David E. Sanger with contributions by William J. Broad -NYTimes
via -IHT.com
20050228
-
-
-
-
- "Iran,
North Korea Focus of Nuclear Meeting: Iran and North
Korea Focus of Top-Level Meeting of U.N. Nuclear Monitoring Agency." ...
"Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, was
reacting to revelations by diplomats that Tehran had been approached by
members of the nuclear black market network in the late 1980s with a written
offer to set up the basics of the enrichment program now causing concerns
about the Islamic Republic's nuclear aims." ... "In giving the agency the
written offer from the network of Pakistani scientist A. Q. Khan, Iran
"showed us for the first time the offer they had, and that is good," ElBaradei
told reporters." ... "However, he suggested in his opening remarks to the
board meeting that Iran is providing information too late, saying that
"in view of the past undeclared nature of significant aspects of Iran's
nuclear program, a confidence deficit has been created."" (1, 2,
3)-AP
via -ABCNEWS
20050226
-
-
-
-
- "Iran
Was Offered Nuclear Parts: Secret Meeting in 1987
May Have Begun Program." ... "International investigators have uncovered
evidence of a secret meeting 18 years ago between Iranian officials and
associates of Pakistani scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan that resulted in a
written offer to supply Tehran with the makings of a nuclear weapons program,
foreign diplomats and U.S. officials familiar with the new findings said."
... "The meeting, believed to have taken place in a dusty Dubai office
in 1987, kick-started Tehran's nuclear efforts and Khan's black market.
Iran, which was at war with Iraq then, bought centrifuge designs and a
starter kit for uranium enrichment. But Tehran recently told the International
Atomic Energy Agency that it turned down the chance to buy the more sensitive
equipment required for building the core of a bomb." ... "There is evidence,
however, that Iran used the offer as a buyer's guide, acquiring some of
the pricier items elsewhere, officials said."
-By Dafna Linzer
-WashingtonPost
20040217
- "Pakistan
Opposition Charges Atomic Cover-Up." ... "Opposition
parties accused the military-dominated government of hiding the army's
role in the proliferation scheme; humiliating the scientist, Abdul Qadeer
Khan; appeasing the United States; and bypassing the elected legislators."
-By Salman Masood and David Rohde -NYTimes
via -Google-News
20040210
-
-
-
- "Pakistan's
Nuclear Ali Baba." ... ""Nobody could touch him,"
says Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, Pakistan's foreign minister. The regret in
his voice is palpable. "Imagine an American government doing this to Charles
Lindbergh, or Albert Einstein, at the height of his popularity. Dr. A.Q.
Khan is that kind of national hero in Pakistan."" ... "Abdul Qadeer Khan,
an accomplished scientist, is also by his own account a thief of Ali Baba
proportions. He became a national hero by stealing the designs of a European
nuclear centrifuge system that enabled Pakistan to explode several nuclear
devices in 1998. Khan's original nuclear larceny, as Kasuri says, "gave
us strategic balance."" -By Jim Hoagland
-WashingtonPost
20040205
-
-
-
-
- "Musharraf
issues pardon to nuclear scientist." ... "A Pakistani
nuclear scientist whose involvement in international WMD proliferation
was described by the head of the UN's nuclear watchdog as "the tip of an
iceberg" was today pardoned for his part in the trade." ... "Pakistan's
president, Pervez Musharraf, said that he had accepted a written apology
from Abdul Qadeer Khan - known as the father of the country's nuclear bomb
- for selling nuclear secrets to Iran, Libya and North Korea."
-Guardian.co.uk
20040202
-
-
-
- "Pakistani
nuclear scientist confesses to sharing secrets: Abdul
Qadeer Khan confessed Sunday to trading nuclear technology to Iran, Libya,
and North Korea." ... "Pakistan's chief nuclear scientist, Abdul Qadeer
Khan, has confessed to sharing nuclear technology with Iran, Libya, and
North Korea in a 12-page document presented to President Pervez Musharraf,
according to a briefing given by government officials in Islamabad." ...
"News of the confession followed a decision to dismiss Mr. Khan from his
government post on Saturday by the nuclear command authority, a grouping
of top military and political officials supervising the probe." -By
Owais Tohid -CSMonitor
20040127
-
-
-
-
- "From
Iraq to Libya, US knew little on weapons: Doubts
that Hussein had WMD raise questions about war's rationale and intelligence
reliability." ... "When it comes to unconventional weapons, Iraq may have
been far from the most dangerous country in the world after all. In recent
days a string of surprising revelations has scrambled the world's proliferation
threat assessments." ... "Iraq's weapons programs were apparently in shambles,
for instance, while Libya's were surprisingly advanced. Pakistan's nuclear
scientists might have been rogue agents, proffering secrets for cash. And
it appears that North Korea may be the most advanced rogue nuclear nation
of all, with an advanced capacity to produce fissile material." -By
Peter Grier -CSMonitor
20040124
-
-
- "Pakistan
Chief Says It Appears Scientists Sold Nuclear Data."
... "Pakistan's president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, acknowledged Friday that
scientists from his country appeared to have sold nuclear designs to other
nations probably "for personal financial gain." He denied that the Pakistan
government knew of any sales at the time but vowed that suspects would
be dealt with "as antistate elements."" ... "General Musharraf's statement
at a global economic forum here came after weeks of delicate efforts to
force Pakistan to deal with the scientists, according to diplomats and
American officials. Technical documents recently obtained from Libya on
its nuclear program, as well as documents relating to Iran's nuclear activities,
undercut years of Pakistani denials and appeared to force General Musharraf's
hand, diplomats and American officials said." (1, 2)
-By Mark Landler and David E. Sanger-NYTimes
via -Google-News
20040118
-
-
- "Pakistan
Expands Nuclear Investigation." ... "Pakistan has
expanded an investigation of its premier nuclear weapons laboratory, detaining
as many as seven scientists and administrators amid allegations sensitive
technology may have spread to countries such as Iran, North Korea and Libya,
officials said Sunday." ... "Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said
over the past few days between five and seven personnel at the Khan Research
Laboratories were taken in for questioning. But he said the detained men
were not "necessarily involved in something or have allegations against
them."" -By Matthew Pennington
-AP via -Miami/Herald
20040113
-
-
- "Pakistan
may have supplied nuclear info." ... "Libya pledged
to name its suppliers when it announced last month it was giving up its
nuclear, biological and chemical weapons programs." ... "Officials say
many of the names probably will be Pakistani. They say evidence points
to Pakistani nuclear experts as the source of at least some technology
Libya used in its nuclear weapons program. Similar reports have arisen
about probable Pakistani assistance to Iran and North Korea, countries
President Bush said comprised an ``axis of evil'' with Saddam Hussein's
Iraq." -By Matt Kelley
-AP via -Salon/news/wire
20040112
-
- "Pakistan
vows to beef up security on Afghan border." ... "Pakistan's
prime minister vowed on Monday to beef up security along the border with
Afghanistan, where Islamic militants are active, as part of the neighbours'
joint fight against terrorism." ... "Zafarullah Khan Jamali also offered
to donate 100 buses and 200 trucks to Pakistan's war-torn neighbour and
pledged to build a railway and repair a road in two Afghan border provinces."
-By Sayed Salahuddin -Reuters
-
-
-
- "In first
visit by outsiders in a year, U.S. experts tour Korea nuclear site."
... "North Korea declared Saturday that it had shown what it called a "nuclear
deterrent" to the unofficial delegation, but officials familiar with their
visit to the North's main nuclear site said they had seen the facilities
to produce bomb fuel rather than an actual weapon." ... "The members of
the delegation declined to give a description of the facilities they inspected
until they had a chance to brief the Bush administration. But officials
who have received sketchy reports say the tour was clearly intended to
signal to the United States that President George W. Bush's efforts to
dissuade North Korea from moving forward with its nuclear program had failed,
and that officials in Washington should accept that North Korea is an undeclared
nuclear power, much as it accepts that Pakistan and Israel are nuclear-weapons
nations." -AP,
-Reuters, & -NYTimes
via -IHT.com
20040107
-
-
- "Militants
to fight on in Kashmir: Islamic militants have vowed
to continue fighting against Indian forces in the disputed region of Kashmir."
... "The pledge came after India and Pakistan agreed to hold historic talks
to try to resolve their long and bitter dispute over the region." ... "Jaish-e-Mohammad
spokesman Mohammad Hassan Burki told the BBC by mobile phone that his group
would keep up its jihad, or holy war, until Kashmir was freed from Indian
control." ... "Syed Salahuddin, the chief of Kashmir's largest militant
group, the Hizbul Mujahideen, also said its military operations would continue."
-BBC/News
20040105
-
- "India,
Pakistan hope to improve relations further." ...
"The leaders of nuclear-armed India and Pakistan will try to build on recent
moves to improve ties after meeting on Monday, India's foreign minister
said, but there was no word on whether they had made concrete progress."
... "India's Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Pakistani President
Pervez Musharraf held their first meeting in over two years on Monday on
the sidelines of a regional summit in Islamabad, boosting hopes for peace."-Reuters
via -AlertNet.org
-
- "Further
thaw for India, Pakistan: The prime ministers of
the two nuclear powers met Sunday, a first since the nations averted war
in 2001." ... "As the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation
(SAARC) opened its summit in the Pakistani capital Islamabad under a dense
umbrella of security, the leaders of India and Pakistan made their first
cautious moves in more than two years to shake hands and brush off piles
of accumulated mistrust." ... "Hopes have risen after Indian Prime Minister
Atal Behari Vajpayee and his Pakistani counterpart, Mir Zafarullah Jamali,
met Sunday for the first time. In an unexpected breakthrough, diplomatic
sources have said that Mr. Vajpayee is scheduled to meet with Pakistani
leader Pervez Musharraf Monday." -By Owais Tohid
-CSMonitor
20031126
-
-
- "Pakistan,
Kashmir and India breathe easier with cease-fire."
... "Indian and Pakistani military commanders agreed yesterday to a cease-fire
along their common border, including the volatile and heavily militarized
front line in the disputed territory of Kashmir, officials in both countries
said." ... "The truce, which was to take effect at midnight last night,
is the first formal cease-fire between the nuclear-armed rivals since a
separatist insurgency began in Indian-controlled portions of Kashmir 14
years ago." -By Hari Kumar
-NYTimes via -SeattlePI.NWsource
20030722
- "Back
to Kashmir: Tourists Return to Himalayan Jewel,
But Signs of War Linger." ... "For the first time since an Islamic insurgency
erupted here in 1989, thousands of Indian tourists — encouraged by recent
peace overtures between India and Pakistan — are leaving the sweltering
summer plains to enjoy vacations in this picture-perfect place." -By
Mujtaba Ali Ahmad -AP
via -ABCNEWS.com
20030705
"Mosque
massacre in Pakistan." ... "At least 32 people were
killed and 52 injured in an attack on a Shia mosque in the western Pakistani
city of Quetta yesterday." ... "Some witnesses blamed two suicide bombers,
others said the assailants threw grenades into the mosque, where at least
2,000 were gathered for prayers."-Reuters
via -Guardian.co.uk
20030625
-
- "Musharraf
to U.S.: Appease Muslims: Pakistan President
Pervez Musharraf has urged the United States to do more to ease Muslim
grievances around the world, which he described as the "root causes" of
terrorism." ... "Musharraf said Washington's war on terrorism needed to
focus on the cause of terrorism rather than just the symptoms, adding that
the conflicts in Kashmir and the Middle East were important in improving
the United States' image in the Muslim world." -CNN
- "Bush
pledges $3bn aid to Pakistan." ... "US president
George Bush has pledged $3bn (£1.8bn) in aid to Pakistan in return
for its help in the fight against global terrorism." ... "Following a meeting
with Pakistan's president, Pervez Musharraf, at Camp David yesterday, Mr
Bush praised his counterpart as "a courageous leader and a friend of the
United States", and proposed the aid package to "help advance security
and economic opportunity for Pakistan's citizens"." ... "The $3bn package,
which must be ratified by the US congress, is in addition to the cancellation
of $1bn in debts owed by Pakistan and will be paid over five years, Mr
Bush said." -By George Wright
-Guardian.co.uk
20030502
-
- "India,
Pakistan to Hold Peace Talks: India, Pakistan
Will Hold Talks Aimed at Ending Five Decades of War." ... "Prime Minister
Atal Bihari Vajpayee,78 and ailing, indicated he would like to leave a
legacy of peace between India and Pakistan." ... ""This round of talks
will be decisive," he said in a speech to India's parliament. "And at least
for my life, these will be the last."" ... "A dispute over divided Kashmir
is the main source of the friction between the nuclear-armed neighbors.
Both countries claim Kashmir in its entirety and have fought two wars over
the region since their independence from Britain in 1947."
-AP via -ABCNEWS.com
20030313
-
-
-
- "Japan
lobbies Security Council for support of US stance on Iraq."
... "Usually reluctant to step into the fray, Japan's leaders are working
the phones to persuade the UN Security Council to back the United States
on Iraq." ... "In the past few days, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has
called five of the six undecided council members - Pakistan, Chile, Guinea,
Cameroon, and Mexico - to urge them to support Washington. He's also warned
that a divided Security Council could undermine the United Nations' authority,
officials say." -By Kenji Hall
-AP via -Boston/Globe
20030311
- Osama
bin Laden
- "Aide met bin
Laden in December, Pakistan says." ... "A top Al
Qaeda planner captured in Pakistan nine days ago told interrogators that
he met with Osama bin Laden in December, but he refused to describe the
location, Pakistan's top intelligence officials said Monday as they gave
the first detailed, official account of the arrest and questioning of the
terror planner, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed." ... "The officials spoke Monday
night at an unusual press conference inside the halls of Interservices
Intelligence, or ISI, the secretive and powerful military intelligence
agency that now leads the country's anti-terror efforts." -By
Eric Eckholm -NYTimes
via -IHT.com
20030304
-
-
- Law
Enforcement News - "U.S.
disrupts arms smuggling plots: Post-Sept. 11
scrutiny stems flow of materiel to potential foes." ... "In a byproduct
of stepped-up enforcement after Sept. 11, the federal government has foiled
a series of recent attempts by foreigners to smuggle military materiel
from the United States to potentially hostile countries, officials say."
... "The cases involved parts for surface-to-air missiles, fighter jets
and spymaster equipment headed for locations that included China, Pakistan
and Iran, the officials said." -AP
via -MSNBC
20030301
Law
Enforcement News
- "Police
in Pakistan arrest a top suspect in Sept. 11 terrorist attacks."
... "Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the suspected mastermind of the Sept. 11 terrorist
attacks, was arrested Saturday in Pakistan, a senior official told The
Associated Press." ... "Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said Mohammed
was one of three men arrested in a 3 a.m. raid in Rawalpindi, a city near
Islamabad." -By Kathy Gannon
-AP via -SFGate.com
20030225
-
-
- "Who
is for and who against a war on Iraq?" ... "A new
resolution on Iraq which Washington would like passed by mid-March will
need backing from at least nine of the 15 members of the U.N. Security
Council, and no vetoes." -Reuters
-AlertNet.org/Newsdesk
currently calculates four Security Council member countries are for a new
resolution: the US, UK, Spain, and Bulgaria; six member countries have
voiced opposition to a new resolution: China, France, Germany, Mexico,
Russia, and Syria; and five member countries are "unclear": Angola, Cameroon,
Chile, Guinea, and Pakistan.
The
five permanent UN Security Council members can each independently veto
any resolution.
Permanent
Members: France, China, Russian Federation, United Kingdom, United
States
Rotating
Members: Angola,
Bulgaria, Cameroon, Chile, Germany, Guinea, Mexico, Pakistan, Spain, Syrian
Arab Republic
-
- "Human
Rights Watch: U.S. undermines its own war on terrorism."
... "The United States is undermining its own war on terrorism by turning
its back on human rights abuses in countries that are nominal allies against
terrorists, according to Human Rights Watch in its annual report released
Tuesday." ... "Pakistan, Indonesia, Russia, China and several central Asian
republics have avoided U.S. scrutiny and criticism of their rights records
by aiding anti-terrorist efforts, but that creates long-term problems,
said Kenneth Roth, executive director of the international rights group."
-By Frank Davies-Miami/Herald
Press
Release: "New
Survey Documents Global Repression: U.S. Human Rights
Leadership Faulted." ... "Global support for the war on terrorism is diminishing
partly because the United States too often neglects human rights in its
conduct of the war, Human Rights Watch said today in releasing its World
Report 2003." ... "Terrorists violate basic human rights principles because
they target civilians. But the United States undermines those principles
when it overlooks human rights abuses by anti-terror allies such as Pakistan,
China, Saudi Arabia and Afghan warlords, Human Rights Watch said in its
annual survey of human rights around the world." -HRW.org
- "19
Journalists Killed [Worldwide] For Their Work In 2002:
Lowest number on record; Russia, Colombia, and the West Bank top list."
... "A total of 19 journalists were killed worldwide for their work in
2002, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). This number
marks a sharp decrease from 2001 when 37 journalists were killed, eight
of them while covering the war in Afghanistan. Of the 19 journalists killed
in 2002, most were targeted in direct reprisal for their work, and their
killers had not been brought to justice at year's end." ... "This is the
lowest number of journalists killed in the line of duty that CPJ has recorded
since it began tracking the deaths in 1985." ... "Still, in 2002, journalists
remained at great risk. In countries such as Russia, Colombia, Pakistan,
India, Bangladesh, and the Philippines, local journalists were murdered
in direct reprisal for their reporting on crime and corruption, most of
them with impunity. Cameramen and photographers were especially vulnerable
to cross fire and targeting by military forces—five were killed in 2002,
including two who were covering conflict in the West Bank." ... "Some statistics
fluctuate from year to year, but others remain constant in such countries
as Russia and Colombia, where journalists die virtually every year because
of their work." -CPJ.org
20021119
"Pakistan
gets new speaker." ... "After intense lobbying and
uncertainty, Pakistan's political future is now becoming clearer with a
candidate from the pro-government Pakistan Muslim League securing the post
of speaker in the newly reconvened national assembly." ... "The League's
candidate, Chaudhry Amir Hussain -- a supporter of military President Pervez
Musharraf -- received 167 out of 327 votes polled, far higher than his
main rival from a coalition of Islamic parties." ... "Parliament opened
on Saturday -- the first time since a blodless coup in October 1999 installed
Musharraf as leader." -CNN
/World
/Asia
20021018
- "U.S.
Says Pakistan Gave Technology to North Korea." ...
"American intelligence officials have concluded that Pakistan, a vital
ally since last year's terrorist attacks, was a major supplier of critical
equipment for North Korea's newly revealed clandestine nuclear weapons
program, current and former senior American officials said today [20021017]."
... "The trade between Pakistan and North Korea appears to have occurred
around 1997, roughly two years before Gen. Pervez Musharraf took power
in a bloodless coup. However, the relationship appears to have continued
after General Musharraf became president, and there is some evidence that
a commercial relationship between the two country's extended beyond Sept.
11 of last year.." (1, 2)
-By
David E. Sanger and James Dao -NYTimes
via -AltaVista-News
20021015
"Pakistan
tilts toward extremism? Musharraf this week
said he will still support the US terror war, despite Islamic parties'
election success." ... "Pakistan's masses have sent a clear signal of simmering
resentment over the US war on terror which is playing out in their own
backyard." ... "The Muttahida Maklis-i-Amal (MMA) – an alliance of five
fundamentalist Islamic parties that opposes the US hunt for Al Qaeda terrorists
here and wants to impose strict sharia or Muslim law –surpassed
even the wildest of expectations in last Thursday's general elections.
The MMA swept the vote in two provinces bordering Afghanistan, Baluchistan
and Northwest Frontier Province, and made significant gains nationwide
to become the third largest political block in the 342-seat National Assembly."
-By Gretchen Peters -CSMonitor/buy
20020916
"Arab
Reporter Fears Reprisal From Allies Of Al Qaeda Suspect:
Al-Jazeera Interviewer Denies Any Link to Arrest." ... "Journalist Yosri
Fouda says he believes that the suspected coordinator of the Sept. 11 attacks,
Ramzi Binalshibh, thought highly of his news reports and so offered him
an exclusive interview." ... "Now that Binalshibh has been captured by
Pakistani police, Fouda is afraid, in a real sense, that he is not so popular
among Binalshibh's followers -- for the moment, fearful enough not to return
to the scene of the interview, Pakistan." -By Daniel
Williams -WashingtonPost
20020914
"Key
9/11 plotter seized in Pakistan." ... "U.S. officials
say Pakistan is holding one of America's most wanted al Qaeda operatives
-- a man who by his own recorded admission played a key role in the September
11 attacks." ... "Ramzi Binalshibh, a Yemeni national, was arrested by
Pakistani officials in the city of Karachi last Wednesday, a year to the
day after the terrorist strikes on New York and Washington." -By
Kelli
Arena, et. al. -CNN
"U.S.,
Pakistan Officials Question Key 9/11 Suspect." ...
"A U.S. official said Binalshibh was captured in Karachi by Pakistani authorities
with help from the FBI and CIA." ... "[Pakistan's Interior Minister Moinuddin]
Haider said Pakistan was ready to hand the suspects over to the U.S. authorities
if there was evidence they were involved in terrorist activities. But the
German government said it also wanted to try Binalshibh." ... "Pakistani
police said U.S. agents had traced Binalshibh to a three-story building
in an upmarket district of the sprawling port city of Karachi thanks to
a satellite phone call." -By Aamir Ashraf -Reuters
via /World
"Ramzi
Binalshibh: al-Qaeda suspect." ... "Western intelligence
officials believe he is the missing link - the one person who can put all
the pieces of the al-Qaeda strategy into context." ... "Mr Binalshibh is
the only person believed to have attended both of the crucial meetings
held to plan the operation, one in Malaysia and the other in Spain." -BBC
/News
20020821
"Musharraf
Redraws Constitution." ... "Gen. Pervez Musharraf
unilaterally redrew Pakistan's Constitution today, imposing 29 amendments
that expand his control of the country he took over by coup in 1999 — changes
that undermine coming parliamentary elections meant to return the nation
to democracy." ... "The new measures state that he may make further amendments
at will and allow him to dissolve the elected Parliament and to appoint
the country's military chiefs and Supreme Court justices. The changes will
also institutionalize the political role of the military in politics by
allotting it some seats on a newly created National Security Council."
-By David Rohde -NYTimes
via -AltaVista-News
20020815
- "India
celebrates 55th anniversary of independence; accuses
Pakistan of double standards." ... "India celebrated 55 years of independence
from Britain on Thursday amid tight security against threats of Islamic
militant attacks and accused its rival Pakistan of having "double standards"
in its fight against terrorism." -By Nirmala George
-AP via -SFGate.com
20020810
"Pakistan
Issues Warrants for 6 US Bombing Suspects." ... "A
Pakistani court issued arrest warrants on Saturday for six fugitives suspected
of being involved in a car bomb attack on the U.S. consulate in Karachi
that killed 12 people and injured 20, defense lawyers said." ... "Three
leading suspects in the attack ... have already been arrested...." ...
They "are members of al-Almi, an offshoot of the radical Harkat-ul-Mujahideen
organization." -By Imran Maqbool
-Reuters via -Miami/Herald
"Pakistan
IDs One Hospital Attacker." ... ""The body of one
terrorist who died in the attack has been identified and further investigations
are in progress," said Iftikhar Ahmad, a spokesman for Pakistan's Interior
Ministry. Ahmad declined to release the man's identity or identify the
militant groups that trained him." -By Munir Ahmad
-AP via -Miami/Herald
- OPINION
- "India,
Pakistan and G.E.." ... "Two months ago India and
Pakistan appeared headed for a nuclear war. Colin Powell, the U.S. secretary
of state and a former general, played a key role in talking the two parties
back from the brink. But here in India, I've discovered that there was
another new, and fascinating, set of pressures that restrained the Indian
government and made nuclear war, from its side, unthinkable. Quite simply,
India's huge software and information technology industry, which has emerged
over the last decade and made India the back-room and research hub of many
of the world's largest corporations, essentially told the nationalist Indian
government to cool it. And the government here got the message and has
sought to de-escalate ever since. That's right — in the crunch, it was
the influence of General Electric, not General Powell, that did the trick."
-By Thomas L. Friedman
-NYTimes via -Moreover
20020809
"Deadly
grenade attack at Pakistan hospital." ... "Four people
have been killed in a grenade attack on a missionary hospital near Islamabad,
the second assault on a Christian institution in Pakistan in less than
a week." ... "The assault was the fourth fatal attack by suspected Islamic
militants on Christian establishments since October." ... "On Monday, six
people were killed when three gunmen attacked a Christian missionary school
in the resort town of Murree, also near Islamabad." -CNN
20020721
- "Al-Qaeda's
New Hideouts: Chased out of Afghanistan, bin
Laden's fighters are lying low — but are hot to strike back — in Pakistan."
... "While the U.S. and coalition forces continue to squeeze al-Qaeda inside
Afghanistan, thousands of militants have slipped across the border since
last winter. Officials estimate that, altogether, more than 3,500 al-Qaeda
operatives and their Pakistani comrades are hunkered down in the tribal
belt along the Afghan border and in the sprawling cities of Karachi and
Peshawar, sheltered by homegrown extremists. Since December, Pakistani
authorities working with U.S. intelligence agents have caught more than
380 suspected al-Qaeda members. In Peshawar last week, U.S. and Pakistani
officials detained seven suspected terrorists but failed to snatch two
senior al-Qaeda aides who were the main targets of the raids." -By
Tim McGirk
-TIME.com
20020718
"Christian
sentenced to death for remarks about Islam." ...
"A Pakistani Christian who claimed he was Jesus Christ and called Islam
a fake religion was convicted of blasphemy on Thursday and sentenced to
death by hanging, court officials said." -AP
via -AJC
20020715
"Pakistanis
on Alert After Verdict." ... A Pakistani "judge handed
down a guilty verdict Monday against British-born Islamic militant Ahmed
Omar Saeed Sheikh and his three co-defendants. Saeed was sentenced to die
by hanging in the kidnap-murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel
Pearl. The three others were sentenced to life in prison." ... "Police
said the verdict could incite militant Muslims to retaliate." -By
Kathy Gannon -AP
via -Miami/Herald
20020714
"F.B.I.
and Military Unite in Pakistan to Hunt Al Qaeda."
... "American law enforcement agencies have been working in tandem with
the American military in Pakistan in an unusual and sustained effort to
hunt down fighters of Al Qaeda who fled their sanctuaries in Afghanistan
and are struggling to revive their group." (1, 2)
-By Dexter Filkins -NYTimes
via -AltaVista-News
20020710
"U.S.
Deported 131 Pakistanis In Secret Airlift:
Diplomatic Issues Cited; No Terror Ties Found." ... "U.S. and Pakistani
officials arranged the airlift as a way to resolve contentious diplomatic
issues that have arisen between the two countries since the Justice Department
began detaining immigrants in the United States. U.S. authorities have
arrested about 1,200 people, most of Arab and South Asian descent, on immigration
violations and in connection with the terrorism investigation. According
to the latest government figures, 74 foreign nationals are still being
held on immigration charges related to the probe." -By
Steve Fainaru -WashingtonPost
20020708
"Men
Arrested in U.S. Consulate Bombing: Three Men
Arrested in Pakistan in Connection With U.S. Consulate Bombing and French
Hotel Blast." ... "Officials said the trio arrested Monday were suspected
in the June 14 car bombing outside the U.S. Consulate in Karachi that killed
at least 12 Pakistanis and injured 50 others, and the May 8 suicide bombing
outside the Sheraton Hotel in Karachi, which killed the 11 Frenchmen and
three other people, including the bomber."
-AP via -ABCNEWS.com
20020621
"Pakistan
to ban teaching radical Islam." ... "Pakistan will
soon enact laws that ban the teaching of extreme Islamic views at its 8,000
madrassas, or religious schools, the country's religious minister said
Thursday." -By Jack Kelley
-USATODAY
20020612
- "Rumsfeld sees ‘constructive’
Kashmir steps: U.S. defense chief holds
talks as India moves to ease crisis." ... "Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld
said on Wednesday India had taken constructive steps toward averting a
war with Pakistan, but that Washington was anxious to see tensions
lowered further over the disputed Kashmir border region. Rumsfeld was scheduled
bring similar pressure to bear on neighboring Pakistan — the next stage
of the defense chief’s tour." -MSNBC
20020608
- "Pakistan
protests over [Indian] spy plane." ... "Pakistan
has lodged a formal protest with India for deliberately violating its airspace
with a spy plane, which Pakistani forces say they shot down." ... "In spite
of the spy plane incident, US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage
said India was considering making military and diplomatic gestures, in
response to international pressure to reduce tension."-BBC
/News
20020605
- "No
thaw for India, Pakistan at summit." ... "Although
the leaders again sharply blamed each other for the violence, a few small
signals did emerge to indicate that intense international diplomatic pressure
was beginning to take effect on the two nuclear-armed nations facing off
over the disputed Himalayan region."
-By Liz Sly -ChicagoTribune
20020603
- "India's
mixed Kashmir messages: India is giving out
conflicting signs over whether it will resort war over the disputed territory
of Kashmir."-BBC
/News
20020601
- "Military
Disparity Adds to Uncertainty: Analysts Say
India's Advantage Contributes to Escalatory Situation." ... "This disparity
increases uncertainty and contributes to an escalatory situation in which
both sides are tempted to take the offensive with preemptive moves, according
to analysts. "It's kind of like World War I, with both sides mobilizing
on automatic," said retired Marine Gen. Anthony C. Zinni, who watched India
and Pakistan take a series of planned escalatory steps in 1999. "When they
see an action on one side, there is a pre-programmed counterreaction, which
makes it extremely dangerous right now."" -By Bradley
Graham and Thomas E. Ricks -WashingtonPost
- "Musharraf
tries to quell nuclear war fears: Pakistani
President Gen. Pervez Musharraf on Saturday tried to defuse fears of nuclear
war between his nation and India, saying that such a war was all but unthinkable."
-CNN
20020531
- "The
general under pressure: General Pervez Musharraf,
Pakistan's president, is facing mounting international pressure to fulfil
his promises to stop militants from crossing into Indian-controlled Kashmir.
America is adding its weight to peace-making efforts." ... "Most signals,
it is true, have pointed to anything but peace in the past few days. On
May 27th General Musharraf promised for the second time since January that
Pakistan would not export terrorism to India, but in a manner so belligerent
that he seemed to be daring India rather than placating it. To prove the
point Pakistan test-fired three missiles. India called the speech "disappointing
and dangerous". It ridiculed Pakistan s claim that it is not exporting
terror. "Mere verbal denials are untenable," said India s foreign minister,
Jaswant Singh, "because they run against facts on the ground.""
-Economist
- "India
set to launch 'small war': US Secretary of
Defense Rumsfeld will go to Asia next week to try to ease tensions between
India and Pakistan." Despite the tense standoff, one analyst suggests ""the
Indians are practicing a policy of 'compellance,' " says Stephen Cohen,
a senior fellow in security issues at the Brookings Institution, reached
at a conference in Tokyo. "They are threatening to use force to compel
another country to alter its behavior. In this case, their target is both
Pakistan and the US, and they are compelling the US to put pressure on
Musharraf to rein in cross-border terrorism."" -By
Scott Baldauf and V.K. Shashikumar -CSMonitor/buy
"Pakistan
to redeploy troops from Afghan border: Pakistan
has decided to redeploy troops from its Afghan border to its border with
nuclear rival India, a spokesman for President Pervez Musharraf told CNN
Friday." -Contributers: Ash-Har Quraishi, Kasra
Naji, and David
Ensor -CNN
20020530
OPINION
-
- "The
weakest link:Why
the world needs Pakistan's dictator to survive, and how to rescue him."
... "The general's only chance of being able to deliver a cessation of
violence lies in him being able to demonstrate that something is moving
on Kashmir. Here, India's policy has been lamentable. It has never accepted
that Kashmir is a subject fit for international mediation indeed, it refuses
even to accept what is obvious, that Kashmir is central to
the dispute between the two countries. It has refused to allow Kashmiri
leaders passports to travel to Pakistan to confer with Kashmiris there.
It missed a valuable opportunity for a rapprochement with Pakistan after
January 12th, when General Musharraf made a bold speech promising to crack
down on extremism, and pledged that his country would not be used to support
terrorism. Deprived of any reward from India, it is not surprising that
the general's grip started to weaken."
-Economist
20020530
- "Kashmir
leads to U.S. plan for airlift." ... "As border tensions
heighten between nuclear powers Pakistan and India, a U.S. government team
is in India to plan the possible evacuation of 1,100 U.S. troops and up
to 63,000 U.S. citizens from both countries." -By
Jonathan Weisman -USATODAY
20020528
"Pakistan
ready to pull troops from Afghan border." ... "In
a potential blow to the antiterror war, Pakistan appears to be preparing
to pull troops away from the Afghan border to focus on its own dispute
with India, U.S. defense officials said Tuesday." ... "American military
officials made clear Tuesday they are worried that the dispute between
Pakistan and India over the Kashmir region could disrupt the campaign against
the al-Qaida in the anarchic tribal areas of western Pakistan."
-By Robert Burns -AP
via -Salon
20020525
- "Pakistan
conducts missile exercises: Move roils India;
global leadership races to avert war." ... "New Delhi said it was notified
by Islamabad that Pakistan intended to test short- and medium-range missiles
today through Monday." -By Beth Duff-Brown
-AP via -Boston/Globe
20020524
- "A
deadly game: Atal Behari Vajpayee, India s prime
minister, is taking a weekend break after threatening a decisive
battle over Kashmir. But Pakistani missile tests have ensured that
tensions remain high." -Economist
20020523
- "Indian
PM steps back from brink: In a televised address
to the nation, India's prime minister [Atal Behari Vajpayee] has stepped
back from the strong military posturing that has marked his stance on the
disputed territory of Kashmir." -CNN/Asia
20020522
- "Nuclear
rivals talk tough over Kashmir: India and Pakistan
have exchanged belligerent warnings over disputed Kashmir, where a massive
troop build-up and continued shelling have fuelled fears of all-out war."
-BBC /News
20020519
-
"Pakistan
reacts to India's ousting of envoy: In a low-key
statement that seemed aimed at defusing a diplomatic row, Pakistan said
it 'noted with disappointment' India's decision to ask Pakistan's top envoy
to New Delhi to leave India." -CNN
20020518
-
- "To
the Drums of War, India Expels Pakistan's Ambassador."
... "Already, India and Pakistan have stationed a total of a million men
along their border — a mobilization India initiated after a five-man squad
attacked its Parliament on Dec. 13. India held Pakistan responsible, recalling
its ambassador and severing bus and train service between the two countries."
-By Celia W. Dugger with Howard W. French -NYTimes
via -AltaVista.com
20020516
"Body
found in Pakistan may be Daniel Pearl's: Pakistani
police said they believe a body recovered Thursday is that of slain Wall
Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, but its identity has not been confirmed."
... "Pearl was kidnapped in January by Muslim extremists in Pakistan and
was confirmed dead by the U.S. State Department on February 21 after authorities
obtained a video that showed Pearl being forced to make propaganda statements
before being killed." -CNN
"Group
threatens to kill kidnapped U.S. reporter:
The kidnappers of a Wall Street Journal reporter in Pakistan claim their
hostage is an agent for Israel and have threatened to kill him within 24
hours if their demands are not met." -CNN
-
-
- Animals
-
- "Birds
'missing' after US bombing." ... "Ornithologists
in Pakistan fear that populations of birds whose migration route takes
them over Afghanistan may have been devastated by the weeks of bombing
there." -By Jill McGivering -BBC
/News
"India,
Pakistan Impose Sanctions: Pakistan bans Indian
airliners and orders embassy staff cuts after India announced the same
actions against Pakistan earlier in the day." -By Laurinda Keys-LAtimes
"Political
Shift Stifles Islamic Anger at U.S. Pakistan:
After years of quiet support for extremism, government promises a crackdown.
Air raids may have been catalyst for containment of radical groups."
-By Kim Murphy-LAtimes
"Extremists
challenge Pakistan: The rebels have given the
president a Nov. 7 deadline to end his support of US airstrikes on Afghanistan."
-By Philip Smucker-CSMonitor
"Opening
door to hard-liners worries U.S.: Popular backlash,
nuclear weapons spur policy jitters." ... "The chances of Pakistan's government
being destabilized are considered slim, but the thought gives U.S. policy
planners the willies: It could put nuclear weapons in the hands of Muslim
militants." -By Tom Hundley and Michael Lev
-ChicagoTribune