Honour victim Dewaya still in hospital
Allah Dewaya, a victim of honour violence, is still under treatment at Nishtar Hospital and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) is still in the process of ascertaining the reasons of the violence.
HRCP (Multan) Spokesman Rashid Rehman told Daily Times on Monday that the HRCP was still probing into the matter and would decide in a couple of days whether to take up the case or not.
Thirty-year-old Dewaya, father of six and husband to a woman who cannot speak, was abducted on March 21 and had both his hands and a foot chopped off for allegedly having an affair with a married woman. This incident took place in Gajju Mor, Jalalpur, Multan. Dewaya was the only breadwinner of his family. The woman he was accused of having an affair with is his cousin’s wife. Dewaya had previously told Daily Times that Irshad was having trouble with her husband and did not want to stay with him. He said that he had advised her to move to a Darul Aman to get rid of her troubled marriage. “Irshad’s brothers Ishaq, Altaf, Mushtaq and Abbas accused me of having an affair with her. They kidnapped me and cut off my hands and one of my feet. I don’t know what to do,” he said.
...
Honestly, what can you say about a "way of life" (islam) that calls for & encourages such actions?!?
In today's POLITICALLY CORRECT world, one can only expose it to the light of day & hopefully enough people will get disgusted enough with it that they will, en masse, demand that this very system be disbanded by one way or another...
I don't hold out much hope that such demands will be issued any time soon, if at all...
Pertinent Links:
1) Honour victim Dewaya still in hospital
Showing posts with label pakistan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pakistan. Show all posts
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
DAR AL ISLAM-PAKISTAN: MUSHARRAF WILL HANG TO DEATH
Pro-Taliban militants vow to 'hang Musharraf to death'
Pro-Taliban militants in Pakistan have threatened to avenge the deaths of their comrades and kill the country's president Pervez Musharraf.
A report in the Asian Age newspaper quoted a Taliban spokesman who said the militants were not ready to forgive Musharraf and will "hang him to death shortly".
"He cannot be forgiven as he has ruthlessly bombed thousands of innocent Pakistanis and mujahideen (holy warriors) at the behest of America," said the spokesman of the group known as the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, Maulvi Umer.
"The nation cannot forget the massacre of thousands of religious students along with their teachers at Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa in the federal capital," he said, referring to the seige of the Lal Masjid or Red Mosque in Islamabad in which at least 100 people were killed last July.
"Thousands of people have been killed in tribal areas and in the settled parts (of Pakistan's North West Frontier Province) under the pretext of the American-sponsored so-called war against terrorism," he said.
"The list, carrying the sins of Musharraf, is so long that he deserves to be hanged. Musharraf being the powerful person till yesterday has turned out to be the weakest person today, and the change has occurred with the blessing of Allah Almighty."
"The day is not far when Musharraf would be hanged to death," Maulvi Umer was quoted as saying by a local Urdu-language newspaper in Pakistan.
He said Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud was optimistic about the outcome of impending peace talks between militants and the government. On the other hand, he said Peshawar and Islamabad have reached a consensus to constitute two separate jirgas, one each for the tribal areas and the settled areas, for negotiations with the Islamic militia.
"The shura (council) of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan met a few days back (at an undisclosed location), and welcomed the new government’s offer to settle the ongoing bloodshed in tribal as well as settled areas through negotiations," he was quoted as saying.
"Taliban Amir Baitullah Mehsud is looking forward to the future peace process," said the Tehrik-e-Taliban spokesperson.
...
Pertinent Links:
1) Pro-Taliban militants vow to 'hang Musharraf to death'
Pro-Taliban militants in Pakistan have threatened to avenge the deaths of their comrades and kill the country's president Pervez Musharraf.
A report in the Asian Age newspaper quoted a Taliban spokesman who said the militants were not ready to forgive Musharraf and will "hang him to death shortly".
"He cannot be forgiven as he has ruthlessly bombed thousands of innocent Pakistanis and mujahideen (holy warriors) at the behest of America," said the spokesman of the group known as the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, Maulvi Umer.
"The nation cannot forget the massacre of thousands of religious students along with their teachers at Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa in the federal capital," he said, referring to the seige of the Lal Masjid or Red Mosque in Islamabad in which at least 100 people were killed last July.
"Thousands of people have been killed in tribal areas and in the settled parts (of Pakistan's North West Frontier Province) under the pretext of the American-sponsored so-called war against terrorism," he said.
"The list, carrying the sins of Musharraf, is so long that he deserves to be hanged. Musharraf being the powerful person till yesterday has turned out to be the weakest person today, and the change has occurred with the blessing of Allah Almighty."
"The day is not far when Musharraf would be hanged to death," Maulvi Umer was quoted as saying by a local Urdu-language newspaper in Pakistan.
He said Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud was optimistic about the outcome of impending peace talks between militants and the government. On the other hand, he said Peshawar and Islamabad have reached a consensus to constitute two separate jirgas, one each for the tribal areas and the settled areas, for negotiations with the Islamic militia.
"The shura (council) of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan met a few days back (at an undisclosed location), and welcomed the new government’s offer to settle the ongoing bloodshed in tribal as well as settled areas through negotiations," he was quoted as saying.
"Taliban Amir Baitullah Mehsud is looking forward to the future peace process," said the Tehrik-e-Taliban spokesperson.
...
Pertinent Links:
1) Pro-Taliban militants vow to 'hang Musharraf to death'
Friday, April 04, 2008
DAR AL ISLAM-AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN/IRAN: AL LIBI CLIMBS THE JIHADIST LADDER OF AL QAEDA
From U.S. prison to the heights of Al Qaeda
By Michael Moss and Souad Mekhennet
On the night of July 10, 2005, an obscure militant preacher named Abu Yahya al-Libi escaped from an American prison in Afghanistan and rocketed to fame in the world of jihadists.
The breakout from the Bagram Air Base by Libi and three cellmates - they picked a lock, dodged their guards and traversed the base's vast acreage to freedom - embarrassed U.S. officials as deeply as it delighted the jihadist movement. In the nearly three years since, Libi's meteoric ascent within the leadership of Al Qaeda has proved to be even more troublesome for the authorities.
Libi, a Libyan believed to be in his late 30s, is now considered to be a top strategist for Al Qaeda, as well as one of its most effective promoters of global jihad, appearing in a dozen videos on the Internet in the past year, counterterrorism officials said.
At a time when Al Qaeda seems more inspirational than operational, Libi stands out as a formidable star whose rise to prominence tracks the group's growing emphasis on information in its war with the West.
"I call him a man for all seasons for AQ," said Jarret Brachman, a former analyst for the Central Intelligence Agency who is now research director of the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point and whose provocative studies on Al Qaeda have drawn praise from U.S. counterterrorism officials. "He's a warrior. He's a poet. He's a scholar. He's a pundit. He's a military commander. And he's a very charismatic, young, brash rising star within A.Q., and I think he has become the heir apparent to Osama bin Laden in terms of taking over the entire global jihadist movement."
The secrecy that still envelops Al Qaeda's leadership structure makes such estimates speculative, other analysts noted.
But one Islamist insider said that in addition to youth and charisma, Libi had one skill that Al Qaeda's top leadership had been lacking: religious scholarship. Perhaps with this in mind, Al Qaeda is featuring Libi in as many of the videos as the group's two top leaders, bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahri.
"Bin Laden is an engineer and Zawahri is a medical doctor," said Muhammad al-Massari, a Saudi dissident who lives in London. "So it is important that they also present someone who has the role of scholar."
The varied roles that Libi plays in these videos, from recruiter to ideological enforcer, also shed light on Al Qaeda's shifting tactics. In recent months, those tactics have come to include defensive maneuvers aimed at defusing the media counteroperations of the United States and its allies.
Astute and comfortable on video, Libi delivers his message with a preacher's cadence. His stylish black turban drapes down his chest, and he alternates between white Arabic robes and camouflage jackets.
"O Muslim youth in the East and West, who listen to God calling you: 'Go forth to war, whether it be easy or difficult for you, and strive hard in God's cause with your possessions and your lives,' " he said in a video sermon released this year.
...
Pertinent Links:
1) From U.S. prison to the heights of Al Qaeda
By Michael Moss and Souad Mekhennet
On the night of July 10, 2005, an obscure militant preacher named Abu Yahya al-Libi escaped from an American prison in Afghanistan and rocketed to fame in the world of jihadists.
The breakout from the Bagram Air Base by Libi and three cellmates - they picked a lock, dodged their guards and traversed the base's vast acreage to freedom - embarrassed U.S. officials as deeply as it delighted the jihadist movement. In the nearly three years since, Libi's meteoric ascent within the leadership of Al Qaeda has proved to be even more troublesome for the authorities.
Libi, a Libyan believed to be in his late 30s, is now considered to be a top strategist for Al Qaeda, as well as one of its most effective promoters of global jihad, appearing in a dozen videos on the Internet in the past year, counterterrorism officials said.
At a time when Al Qaeda seems more inspirational than operational, Libi stands out as a formidable star whose rise to prominence tracks the group's growing emphasis on information in its war with the West.
"I call him a man for all seasons for AQ," said Jarret Brachman, a former analyst for the Central Intelligence Agency who is now research director of the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point and whose provocative studies on Al Qaeda have drawn praise from U.S. counterterrorism officials. "He's a warrior. He's a poet. He's a scholar. He's a pundit. He's a military commander. And he's a very charismatic, young, brash rising star within A.Q., and I think he has become the heir apparent to Osama bin Laden in terms of taking over the entire global jihadist movement."
The secrecy that still envelops Al Qaeda's leadership structure makes such estimates speculative, other analysts noted.
But one Islamist insider said that in addition to youth and charisma, Libi had one skill that Al Qaeda's top leadership had been lacking: religious scholarship. Perhaps with this in mind, Al Qaeda is featuring Libi in as many of the videos as the group's two top leaders, bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahri.
"Bin Laden is an engineer and Zawahri is a medical doctor," said Muhammad al-Massari, a Saudi dissident who lives in London. "So it is important that they also present someone who has the role of scholar."
The varied roles that Libi plays in these videos, from recruiter to ideological enforcer, also shed light on Al Qaeda's shifting tactics. In recent months, those tactics have come to include defensive maneuvers aimed at defusing the media counteroperations of the United States and its allies.
Astute and comfortable on video, Libi delivers his message with a preacher's cadence. His stylish black turban drapes down his chest, and he alternates between white Arabic robes and camouflage jackets.
"O Muslim youth in the East and West, who listen to God calling you: 'Go forth to war, whether it be easy or difficult for you, and strive hard in God's cause with your possessions and your lives,' " he said in a video sermon released this year.
...
Pertinent Links:
1) From U.S. prison to the heights of Al Qaeda
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
DAR AL HARB-U.S.A.-NEW YORK: GROUPS TIED TO ISLAMIC TERROR MARCH IN BINGHAMTON NEW YORK
Group Tied to Pakistani Terrorist to Parade in Binghamton, NY
Topics: Understanding Islam
Alternative title: "Interfaith idiots join terrorists as dhimmis to celebrate Mo's birthday."
The Muslims of the Americas (MOA), the name used by Jamaat ul Fuqra - a terrorist group operating in Pakistan and North America (Islamberg - in Hancock, New York), has been issued a permit for a public celebration that includes a parade that will run through the downtown area and close one lane of the city's main street:
Sounds like a genuine interfaith lovefest is to go on after the terrorists' do their parade thingy, while the idiot Unitarian Universalists - dhimmis all - remain totally unaware that in Islam-speak, Interfaith = 1 Faith = Islam.
...
Pertinent Links:
1) Group Tied to Pakistani Terrorist to Parade in Binghamton, NY
Topics: Understanding Islam
Alternative title: "Interfaith idiots join terrorists as dhimmis to celebrate Mo's birthday."
The Muslims of the Americas (MOA), the name used by Jamaat ul Fuqra - a terrorist group operating in Pakistan and North America (Islamberg - in Hancock, New York), has been issued a permit for a public celebration that includes a parade that will run through the downtown area and close one lane of the city's main street:
... Jamaat ul Fuqra has more than 35 known or suspected communes in North America and more than 3,000 members spread across the United States, all in support of one goal: the purification of Islam through violence.
... The parade this Saturday will be the first one of its type in Binghamton. Following the parade, guest speakers will deliver speeches in front of the old Broome County Court-house. According to published accounts, the list of guest speakers includes the Rev. Douglas Taylor of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Binghamton and Diane O'Heron, a professor at Broome Community College.
Sounds like a genuine interfaith lovefest is to go on after the terrorists' do their parade thingy, while the idiot Unitarian Universalists - dhimmis all - remain totally unaware that in Islam-speak, Interfaith = 1 Faith = Islam.
...
Pertinent Links:
1) Group Tied to Pakistani Terrorist to Parade in Binghamton, NY
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
DAR AL ISLAM-AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN: AMERICAN COMMANDOS TO BE INVOLVED IN MILITARY OPEATIONS IN THE TRIBAL AREAS OF NW PAKISTAN?!?
US troops to participate in operations in tribal areas, says ex-spy master
Karachi, 4 March (AKI) - (by Syed Saleem Shahzad) - Hundreds of US troops will be involved in military operations in Pakistan's restive tribal areas, according to a former head of the country's powerful intelligence agency, ISI.
“Seven hundred and fifty American commandoes will participate in upcoming military operations in the Pakistani tribal areas," retired General Hamid Gul, former ISI director-general, told Adnkronos International (AKI).
“I confirm this to you on the basis of my information that those American commandoes will be sent [to Pakistan] through private [security] contracting firms like Blackwater and they will supervise the whole operation," said Gul referring to Blackwater, a private security firm that has been at the centre of a controversy over private contractors in Iraq.
...
Pertinent Links:
1) US troops to participate in operations in tribal areas, says ex-spy master
Karachi, 4 March (AKI) - (by Syed Saleem Shahzad) - Hundreds of US troops will be involved in military operations in Pakistan's restive tribal areas, according to a former head of the country's powerful intelligence agency, ISI.
“Seven hundred and fifty American commandoes will participate in upcoming military operations in the Pakistani tribal areas," retired General Hamid Gul, former ISI director-general, told Adnkronos International (AKI).
“I confirm this to you on the basis of my information that those American commandoes will be sent [to Pakistan] through private [security] contracting firms like Blackwater and they will supervise the whole operation," said Gul referring to Blackwater, a private security firm that has been at the centre of a controversy over private contractors in Iraq.
...
Pertinent Links:
1) US troops to participate in operations in tribal areas, says ex-spy master
Saturday, March 01, 2008
DAR AL ISLAM-PAKISTAN: VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN INCREASING - - - RELATIVES ARE THE ONES RESPONSIBLE - - - POLICE DO NOTHING
Violence against women up with relatives as likeliest offenders
According to the annual Report on Violence Against Women released by the Citizen’s Commission for Human Development, murders, rapes, abductions and even burning of women “guilty” of unislamic behaviour or infidelity are up. In 70 per cent of the cases relatives are involved. Police rarely intervene.
...
Pertinent Links:
1) Violence against women up with relatives as likeliest offenders
According to the annual Report on Violence Against Women released by the Citizen’s Commission for Human Development, murders, rapes, abductions and even burning of women “guilty” of unislamic behaviour or infidelity are up. In 70 per cent of the cases relatives are involved. Police rarely intervene.
...
Pertinent Links:
1) Violence against women up with relatives as likeliest offenders
Thursday, February 28, 2008
DAR AL ISLAM-PAKISTAN: CHRISTIANS SUFFERING A NEW WAVE OF FORCED REVERSIONS, ABDUCTIONS & GENERAL DISCRIMINATION [BY 'MODERATE' MOSLEMS OF COURSE]
A new wave of extremism falling on Christians, says Mgr Saldanha
The archbishop of Lahore, who chairs the Bishops’ Conference of Pakistan, speaks out on new forms of violence against the country’s minorities: forced conversions, abductions and discrimination. He appeals to the government to protect Christians and treat them like other ordinary citizens.
...
Pertinent Links:
1) A new wave of extremism falling on Christians, says Mgr Saldanha
The archbishop of Lahore, who chairs the Bishops’ Conference of Pakistan, speaks out on new forms of violence against the country’s minorities: forced conversions, abductions and discrimination. He appeals to the government to protect Christians and treat them like other ordinary citizens.
...
Pertinent Links:
1) A new wave of extremism falling on Christians, says Mgr Saldanha
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
DAR AL ISLAM-PAKISTAN: WORDS, NOT GUNS, ARE GOING TO BE USED ON/AGAINST MOSLEM TERRORISTS
Words, not guns, to be used on Islamic militants
Party expected to lead new government plans talks with guerrillas linked to al-Qaeda
by SAEED SHAH
PESHAWAR, PAKISTAN — The party expected to lead the new government of Pakistan's terrorism-racked North West Frontier Province plans to follow a radical new policy: opening up peace talks with Islamic militants linked to al-Qaeda.
The Awami National Party, which won the most seats in last week's election in the Frontier province that borders Afghanistan, would abandon the largely military approach of the regime of President Pervez Musharraf that was heavily backed by Washington.
"The war on terror has failed," said Haji Mohammad Adeel, secretary-general of the ANP, in an interview at the party headquarters. "There should be no war. In world history, not a single war against guerrillas was successful. Only dialogue can solve these problems."
The ANP is expected to lead a coalition government in the Frontier, based in the provincial capital of Peshawar, and form part of a federal government coalition in Islamabad that would be led by the Pakistan People's Party. No party won an outright majority, either at the provincial or federal level in the Feb. 18 election. However, the Islamist parties that had governed the Frontier for the previous five years were wiped out in favour of the ANP and the Peoples Party, both secular parties.
While the defeat of the mullahs was welcomed in the West, the policy of the nationalist ANP toward the insurgency is not believed to have yet registered in Washington. The ANP has not governed for decades.
...
Pertinent Links:
1) Words, not guns, to be used on Islamic militants
Party expected to lead new government plans talks with guerrillas linked to al-Qaeda
by SAEED SHAH
PESHAWAR, PAKISTAN — The party expected to lead the new government of Pakistan's terrorism-racked North West Frontier Province plans to follow a radical new policy: opening up peace talks with Islamic militants linked to al-Qaeda.
The Awami National Party, which won the most seats in last week's election in the Frontier province that borders Afghanistan, would abandon the largely military approach of the regime of President Pervez Musharraf that was heavily backed by Washington.
"The war on terror has failed," said Haji Mohammad Adeel, secretary-general of the ANP, in an interview at the party headquarters. "There should be no war. In world history, not a single war against guerrillas was successful. Only dialogue can solve these problems."
The ANP is expected to lead a coalition government in the Frontier, based in the provincial capital of Peshawar, and form part of a federal government coalition in Islamabad that would be led by the Pakistan People's Party. No party won an outright majority, either at the provincial or federal level in the Feb. 18 election. However, the Islamist parties that had governed the Frontier for the previous five years were wiped out in favour of the ANP and the Peoples Party, both secular parties.
While the defeat of the mullahs was welcomed in the West, the policy of the nationalist ANP toward the insurgency is not believed to have yet registered in Washington. The ANP has not governed for decades.
...
Pertinent Links:
1) Words, not guns, to be used on Islamic militants
Thursday, February 07, 2008
DAR AL ISLAM - PAKISTAN/AFGHANISTAN: U.S. REACTION TO THE 'DECLARED CEASE-FIRE' BY TALIBAN
Pakistani Militants Declare Cease-Fire
Taliban Militants Declare Cease-Fire in Fighting With Pakistani Forces, the Government Says
By ISHTIAQ MAHSUD and ROBERT H. REID Associated Press WritersDERA ISMAIL KHAN,
Taliban militants declared a cease-fire Wednesday in fighting with Pakistani forces, and the government said it was preparing for peace talks with al-Qaida-linked extremists in the lawless tribal area near the border with Afghanistan.
Any deal that allows armed Islamic extremists to operate on Pakistani soil would run counter to U.S. demands for the government to crack down on militants. The Bush administration contends a failed truce last year allowed al-Qaida to expand its reach into this turbulent, nuclear-armed country, and the U.S. has sounded warnings in recent days about a revival of militant strength.
A spokesman for Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, a militant umbrella group, said the new cease-fire would include not only the tribal belt along the Afghan border but also the restive Swat region to the east where the army has also battled pro-Taliban fighters.
Two local Pakistani security officials told The Associated Press on Thursday that the truce followed secret talks with the militants and tribal elders. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the issue is sensitive.
Tehrik-e-Taliban is led by Baitullah Mehsud, an al-Qaida-linked commander based in South Waziristan whom President Pervez Musharraf's government has blamed for a series of suicide attacks across Pakistan, including the Dec. 27 assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto.
A spokeswoman for Bhutto's party condemned the contacts with Mehsud's militants.
"The government is holding talks with the man blamed by it for the killing of Benazir Bhutto. We condemn it," spokeswoman Sherry Rehman said Thursday.
...
Pertinent Links:
1) Pakistani Militants Declare Cease-Fire
Taliban Militants Declare Cease-Fire in Fighting With Pakistani Forces, the Government Says
By ISHTIAQ MAHSUD and ROBERT H. REID Associated Press WritersDERA ISMAIL KHAN,
Taliban militants declared a cease-fire Wednesday in fighting with Pakistani forces, and the government said it was preparing for peace talks with al-Qaida-linked extremists in the lawless tribal area near the border with Afghanistan.
Any deal that allows armed Islamic extremists to operate on Pakistani soil would run counter to U.S. demands for the government to crack down on militants. The Bush administration contends a failed truce last year allowed al-Qaida to expand its reach into this turbulent, nuclear-armed country, and the U.S. has sounded warnings in recent days about a revival of militant strength.
A spokesman for Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, a militant umbrella group, said the new cease-fire would include not only the tribal belt along the Afghan border but also the restive Swat region to the east where the army has also battled pro-Taliban fighters.
Two local Pakistani security officials told The Associated Press on Thursday that the truce followed secret talks with the militants and tribal elders. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the issue is sensitive.
Tehrik-e-Taliban is led by Baitullah Mehsud, an al-Qaida-linked commander based in South Waziristan whom President Pervez Musharraf's government has blamed for a series of suicide attacks across Pakistan, including the Dec. 27 assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto.
A spokeswoman for Bhutto's party condemned the contacts with Mehsud's militants.
"The government is holding talks with the man blamed by it for the killing of Benazir Bhutto. We condemn it," spokeswoman Sherry Rehman said Thursday.
...
Pertinent Links:
1) Pakistani Militants Declare Cease-Fire
DAR AL ISLAM - PAKISTAN/AFGHANISTAN: A UNILATERAL CEASEFIRE DECLARED BY TALIBAN LEADER
Taliban leader declares ceasefire in border area
Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud has declared a unilateral ceasefire in the South Waziristan region of Pakistan on the Afghan border
According to the Pakistani daily Dawn, the ceasefire was declared on Wednesday after security forces started vacating positions in key places.
“Since the army has minimised the scale of operations, the Taliban shura decided to halt activities across the country for an indefinite period,” Maulvi Umar, Mehsud’s spokesman, told Dawn by telephone.
“There is no secret deal with the government. This is our unilateral decision,” the spokesman said in reply to a question whether militants had struck a fresh deal with the security forces.
Umar said the shura (or consultative meeting) that endorsed the truce was held at a secret location.
But Pakistan army spokesman Maj-Gen Athar Abbas said he had not received any formal announcement regarding a ceasefire.
"Troops have not stopped the operation and it will continue till all strategic objectives are achieved," he said. “We are waiting and monitoring the situation. It could be a strategic move by the militants.”
...
Pertinent Links:
1) Taliban leader declares ceasefire in border area
Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud has declared a unilateral ceasefire in the South Waziristan region of Pakistan on the Afghan border
According to the Pakistani daily Dawn, the ceasefire was declared on Wednesday after security forces started vacating positions in key places.
“Since the army has minimised the scale of operations, the Taliban shura decided to halt activities across the country for an indefinite period,” Maulvi Umar, Mehsud’s spokesman, told Dawn by telephone.
“There is no secret deal with the government. This is our unilateral decision,” the spokesman said in reply to a question whether militants had struck a fresh deal with the security forces.
Umar said the shura (or consultative meeting) that endorsed the truce was held at a secret location.
But Pakistan army spokesman Maj-Gen Athar Abbas said he had not received any formal announcement regarding a ceasefire.
"Troops have not stopped the operation and it will continue till all strategic objectives are achieved," he said. “We are waiting and monitoring the situation. It could be a strategic move by the militants.”
...
Pertinent Links:
1) Taliban leader declares ceasefire in border area
DAR AL HARB/ISLAM - U.S.A./PAKISTAN: U.S. IS TRAINING PAKISTANI SPECIAL FORCES
U.S. confirms it is training Pakistani special forces
U.S. military advisers are helping the Pakistanis double the size of their elite commando force in a continuing effort to blunt the rising threat of terror groups and anti-government militants operating in Pakistan's unruly tribal areas, a senior Defense Department official said.
The U.S. military presence in the country is fewer than 100 people, said the official, Mike Vickers, assistant secretary of defense for special operations and low-intensity conflict, and is focused on what he called "targeted training." That includes assisting Pakistan's Special Service Group and teaching specialized fighting techniques, like helicopter assaults.
"It's been ongoing for a while," Vickers said Wednesday. "They're expanding their capability substantially; they're essentially doubling their force. So we're helping them with that expansion and trying to improve their capabilities at the same time. There's also some aviation training. It's been ongoing for several years."
The number of U.S. forces in Pakistan is a sensitive issue. Many Pakistanis openly support or sympathize with Al Qaeda, the Taliban or other militant groups and would view a sizable American presence in their country as an unwelcome intrusion.
U.S. intelligence agencies maintain that Osama bin Laden, leader of Al Qaeda, is in the tribal area, a swath of rugged land that runs along Pakistan's border with Afghanistan.
...
Pertinent Links:
1) U.S. confirms it is training Pakistani special forces
U.S. military advisers are helping the Pakistanis double the size of their elite commando force in a continuing effort to blunt the rising threat of terror groups and anti-government militants operating in Pakistan's unruly tribal areas, a senior Defense Department official said.
The U.S. military presence in the country is fewer than 100 people, said the official, Mike Vickers, assistant secretary of defense for special operations and low-intensity conflict, and is focused on what he called "targeted training." That includes assisting Pakistan's Special Service Group and teaching specialized fighting techniques, like helicopter assaults.
"It's been ongoing for a while," Vickers said Wednesday. "They're expanding their capability substantially; they're essentially doubling their force. So we're helping them with that expansion and trying to improve their capabilities at the same time. There's also some aviation training. It's been ongoing for several years."
The number of U.S. forces in Pakistan is a sensitive issue. Many Pakistanis openly support or sympathize with Al Qaeda, the Taliban or other militant groups and would view a sizable American presence in their country as an unwelcome intrusion.
U.S. intelligence agencies maintain that Osama bin Laden, leader of Al Qaeda, is in the tribal area, a swath of rugged land that runs along Pakistan's border with Afghanistan.
...
Pertinent Links:
1) U.S. confirms it is training Pakistani special forces
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
DAR AL HARB/ISLAM: WESTERN RECRUITS STREAMING INTO AL QAEDA CAMPS
Western recruits bolster al-Qaida, pose new threat
A steady stream of Western recruits to al-Qaida camps on the Pakistani border bolsters the group’s ability to strike the United States, the nation’s top intelligence official told the Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday.
Those camps are preparing recruits to launch terror attacks around the world, and are also a staging ground for assaults on neighboring Afghanistan, said National Intelligence Director Michael McConnell.
“Al-Qaida is improving the last key aspect of its ability to attack the U.S.: the identification, training and positioning of operatives for an attack on the homeland,” McConnell testified.
In addition, radical elements are now a threat to the survival of Pakistan, prompting Pakistani military leaders to recognize that more aggressive efforts are needed to get the elements under control, McConnell said.
Meanwhile, Senate Democrats demanded a criminal investigation into waterboarding by government interrogators after the Bush administration acknowledged for the first time that the tactic was used on three terror suspects.
...
Pertinent Links:
1) Western recruits bolster al-Qaida, pose new threat
A steady stream of Western recruits to al-Qaida camps on the Pakistani border bolsters the group’s ability to strike the United States, the nation’s top intelligence official told the Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday.
Those camps are preparing recruits to launch terror attacks around the world, and are also a staging ground for assaults on neighboring Afghanistan, said National Intelligence Director Michael McConnell.
“Al-Qaida is improving the last key aspect of its ability to attack the U.S.: the identification, training and positioning of operatives for an attack on the homeland,” McConnell testified.
In addition, radical elements are now a threat to the survival of Pakistan, prompting Pakistani military leaders to recognize that more aggressive efforts are needed to get the elements under control, McConnell said.
Meanwhile, Senate Democrats demanded a criminal investigation into waterboarding by government interrogators after the Bush administration acknowledged for the first time that the tactic was used on three terror suspects.
...
Pertinent Links:
1) Western recruits bolster al-Qaida, pose new threat
Friday, February 01, 2008
DAR AL ISLAM - PAKISTAN: INTERMEDIATE RANGE BALLISTIC MISSILE TESTS IN PAKISTAN
Army successfully tests nuclear-capable missile
Rawalpindi, 1 Feb. (AKI) - Pakistan successfully test-fired the nuclear-capable Ghauri (Hatf-V) Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM), the military said in a statement quoted by the Associated Press of Pakistan news agency.
The missile can hit a target up to 1,300 kilometres away.
"The field launch exercise of the Army' Strategic Force Command (ASFC) was witnessed by President Pervez Musharraf, chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, senior military officers and scientists," the statement said.
Musharraf congratulated the army on achieving what he said was a high standard of training and excellent results.
Pakistan formally kicked off its medium-range missile programme in April 1998, with the first successful test flight of the Ghauri I missile, followed by similar tests involving the nuclear-capable Ghauri, Shaheen, Ghaznavi and Abdali missile systems.
...
Pertinent Links:
1) Army successfully tests nuclear-capable missile
Rawalpindi, 1 Feb. (AKI) - Pakistan successfully test-fired the nuclear-capable Ghauri (Hatf-V) Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM), the military said in a statement quoted by the Associated Press of Pakistan news agency.
The missile can hit a target up to 1,300 kilometres away.
"The field launch exercise of the Army' Strategic Force Command (ASFC) was witnessed by President Pervez Musharraf, chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, senior military officers and scientists," the statement said.
Musharraf congratulated the army on achieving what he said was a high standard of training and excellent results.
Pakistan formally kicked off its medium-range missile programme in April 1998, with the first successful test flight of the Ghauri I missile, followed by similar tests involving the nuclear-capable Ghauri, Shaheen, Ghaznavi and Abdali missile systems.
...
Pertinent Links:
1) Army successfully tests nuclear-capable missile
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
DAR AL ISLAM - PAKISTAN: NORTHWEST FRONTIER PROVINCE OF PAKISTAN HAS PLANS TO SET UP A HARD-LINE ISLAMIC JUDICIAL SYSTEM
Shari'a Courts Spark Fears Of 'Taliban-Like State' On Afghan Border
By Abubakar Siddique
Fearing the creation of a Taliban-like state near the Afghan border, Pakistani rights activists are up in arms over plans to set up a hard-line Islamist judicial system in Pashtun-populated parts of the country's Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP).
Authorities recently proposed greatly expanding the powers of already-existing Shari'a courts in the provincially administered areas of Swat and its adjacent districts of Dir, Chitral, and Kohistan.
Activists say the proposal is a bid to appease militants, who are locked in a battle with the military that recently has killed hundreds of pro-Taliban fighters, soldiers, and civilians in the scenic area once popular with tourists.
Activists warn that the plan by the NWFP's caretaker government would be a first step toward creating a Taliban-like state within Pakistan, strengthening the militants and further radicalizing the already restive region, including the Pashtun areas across the border in Afghanistan.
It's unclear when the changes would take effect. But provincial authorities could only push them through before national elections scheduled for February 18.
"It's an attempt to pacify the extremist, militant forces in Swat and Dir and Chitral," Iqbal Haider, the secretary-general of the Karachi-based Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), told RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan. "This strategy of appeasement of the religious fanatic killers has only resulted in increasing the influence and activities of the terrorists."
If implemented, the proposal would greatly expand the powers of Shari'a courts, whose judges rule solely according to their own interpretation of Islamic law. The tribunals would also be able to review laws and there would be limited opportunity to appeal their rulings.
Haider says the NWFP's caretaker government has only one legal mandate: to hold free and fair elections on February 18. He says such fundamental legislation should be left to the next elected government, once it assumes office.
Rights Issue
Provincial authorities say the proposed courts are a response to rising popular demands in Swat that call for strengthening Shari'a courts to dispense what locals say would be inexpensive and speedy justice. Provincial authorities say the move would also help ease unrest by meeting some of the militants' demands.
But Kamaran Arif, the provincial head of HRCP in Peshawar, says there has been no consultation with local civil society leaders in the area. "Swat is quite developed -- they have quite a lot of [educated] people," he says. "All the political parties are active there. If such big changes have to be made, then obviously, they have to discuss it with the people. It has to be with the consent of the people."
Arif adds that the proposal would empower the Shari'a courts to decide whether existing laws are "Islamic" -- even though the Pakistani Constitution only grants parliament the authority to make such decisions.
Arif also says the Shari'a court rulings could not be appealed in Pakistan's highest secular courts, depriving citizens of a fundamental right under the Pakistani legal system.
...
Pertinent Links:
1) Shari'a Courts Spark Fears Of 'Taliban-Like State' On Afghan Border
By Abubakar Siddique
Fearing the creation of a Taliban-like state near the Afghan border, Pakistani rights activists are up in arms over plans to set up a hard-line Islamist judicial system in Pashtun-populated parts of the country's Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP).
Authorities recently proposed greatly expanding the powers of already-existing Shari'a courts in the provincially administered areas of Swat and its adjacent districts of Dir, Chitral, and Kohistan.
Activists say the proposal is a bid to appease militants, who are locked in a battle with the military that recently has killed hundreds of pro-Taliban fighters, soldiers, and civilians in the scenic area once popular with tourists.
Activists warn that the plan by the NWFP's caretaker government would be a first step toward creating a Taliban-like state within Pakistan, strengthening the militants and further radicalizing the already restive region, including the Pashtun areas across the border in Afghanistan.
It's unclear when the changes would take effect. But provincial authorities could only push them through before national elections scheduled for February 18.
"It's an attempt to pacify the extremist, militant forces in Swat and Dir and Chitral," Iqbal Haider, the secretary-general of the Karachi-based Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), told RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan. "This strategy of appeasement of the religious fanatic killers has only resulted in increasing the influence and activities of the terrorists."
If implemented, the proposal would greatly expand the powers of Shari'a courts, whose judges rule solely according to their own interpretation of Islamic law. The tribunals would also be able to review laws and there would be limited opportunity to appeal their rulings.
Haider says the NWFP's caretaker government has only one legal mandate: to hold free and fair elections on February 18. He says such fundamental legislation should be left to the next elected government, once it assumes office.
Rights Issue
Provincial authorities say the proposed courts are a response to rising popular demands in Swat that call for strengthening Shari'a courts to dispense what locals say would be inexpensive and speedy justice. Provincial authorities say the move would also help ease unrest by meeting some of the militants' demands.
But Kamaran Arif, the provincial head of HRCP in Peshawar, says there has been no consultation with local civil society leaders in the area. "Swat is quite developed -- they have quite a lot of [educated] people," he says. "All the political parties are active there. If such big changes have to be made, then obviously, they have to discuss it with the people. It has to be with the consent of the people."
Arif adds that the proposal would empower the Shari'a courts to decide whether existing laws are "Islamic" -- even though the Pakistani Constitution only grants parliament the authority to make such decisions.
Arif also says the Shari'a court rulings could not be appealed in Pakistan's highest secular courts, depriving citizens of a fundamental right under the Pakistani legal system.
...
Pertinent Links:
1) Shari'a Courts Spark Fears Of 'Taliban-Like State' On Afghan Border
DAR AL ISLAM - PAKISTAN: AL QAEDA IS GROWING IN PAKISTAN
U.S. sees Al Qaeda growing in Pakistan
by Bill Gertz
Al Qaeda forces are gaining strength in remote areas of Pakistan and stepping up activities in that country, the region and farther abroad, according to recent U.S. intelligence assessments.
The terrorist group that carried out the September 11 terrorist attacks is operating freely in tribal areas of Pakistan, where new recruits are joining the group, being trained, and then traveling to Europe and North Africa, said U.S. officials familiar with the assessments.
"Post 9/11, we undertook aggressive action, but within the last couple of years al Qaeda has had a resurgence," one official said. "They are not as strong as they were Sept. 10, [2001], but they are surely better off than they were two to 2½ years ago."
Three main worries among U.S. security officials about al Qaeda are its activities in and out of Pakistan, its operations in North Africa and Europe, and its sophisticated propaganda activities worldwide, the officials said.
Al Qaeda continues to be viewed as the main national security threat to the United States and the assessment of its activities is expected to be disclosed formally next month when senior U.S. intelligence officials brief Congress.
The major concern among U.S. intelligence agencies is al Qaeda's stepped up activities — operations, recruitment and training — in the border regions of Pakistan.
...
Pertinent Links:
1) U.S. sees Al Qaeda growing in Pakistan
by Bill Gertz
Al Qaeda forces are gaining strength in remote areas of Pakistan and stepping up activities in that country, the region and farther abroad, according to recent U.S. intelligence assessments.
The terrorist group that carried out the September 11 terrorist attacks is operating freely in tribal areas of Pakistan, where new recruits are joining the group, being trained, and then traveling to Europe and North Africa, said U.S. officials familiar with the assessments.
"Post 9/11, we undertook aggressive action, but within the last couple of years al Qaeda has had a resurgence," one official said. "They are not as strong as they were Sept. 10, [2001], but they are surely better off than they were two to 2½ years ago."
Three main worries among U.S. security officials about al Qaeda are its activities in and out of Pakistan, its operations in North Africa and Europe, and its sophisticated propaganda activities worldwide, the officials said.
Al Qaeda continues to be viewed as the main national security threat to the United States and the assessment of its activities is expected to be disclosed formally next month when senior U.S. intelligence officials brief Congress.
The major concern among U.S. intelligence agencies is al Qaeda's stepped up activities — operations, recruitment and training — in the border regions of Pakistan.
...
Pertinent Links:
1) U.S. sees Al Qaeda growing in Pakistan
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
DAR AL ISLAM - PAKISTAN: ARE MOSLEMS NOW KILLING CHRISTIANS FOR THEIR ORGANS?!?
Pakistan Christian Teenager "Sold" For Illegal Organ Transplant, Father Says
By Jawad Mazhar, BosNewsLife Special Correspondent reporting from Pakistan
Christians in Punjab province have suffered several attacks in the past. Via CNN MARR
BALOCHAAN, PAKISTAN (BosNewsLife)-- The father of a disappeared Christian teenager in a poverty-stricken village of Pakistan's Punjab Province continued searching for his son Monday, January 28, saying suspected Muslim criminals kidnapped and sold him for "illegal human organ extraction and transplantation," following similar cases in the region.
The detained suspects, identified as brothers Muhammad Imran and Muhammad Zaman, reportedly told police interrogators that they "killed" 15-year-old Francis Nadeem, and threw his corpse in a water canal near Marr Balochaan village, close to Punjab's Nankanna District.
However the boy's father, Sadeeq Masih, told BosNewsLife and investigators of human rights group Rays of Development (ROD) that he does not believe their version of events because the canals "have been dry" since December 1, 2007 due to extreme dry weather.
In addition, Francis Nadeem's human remains have not been discovered, he said. "Till now police have totally failed in recovering the corpse...The culprits have not killed [my] teenage son as they are admitting in the police interrogation. Instead they have sold him to illegal human organ traffickers."
SEVERAL DISSAPEARANCES
He said "many people" have disappeared "mysteriously" in the area, apparently because a gang is involved in illegal human organs smuggling. It was not immediately clear how many Christian families were impacted by the apparent human organs trade.
Masih said he has been searching for his son since December 20 when the suspects of nearby village Mahesh Shumali came to their house and took Francis Nadeem with them. "They rented a motor bike from a ‘Rent a Motor Bike Shop’ and left for an unknown destination [with him] and never returned."
He added he managed to reach the suspects' home, but was unable to find his son there. "Finally, after all the fruitless searches we registered a case against Muhammad Imran and Muhammad Zaman on Dec 27, 2007. at nearby Sanglla Hill Police Station," he said, his voice trembling.
...
Pertinent Links:
1) Pakistan Christian Teenager "Sold" For Illegal Organ Transplant, Father Says
By Jawad Mazhar, BosNewsLife Special Correspondent reporting from Pakistan
Christians in Punjab province have suffered several attacks in the past. Via CNN MARR
BALOCHAAN, PAKISTAN (BosNewsLife)-- The father of a disappeared Christian teenager in a poverty-stricken village of Pakistan's Punjab Province continued searching for his son Monday, January 28, saying suspected Muslim criminals kidnapped and sold him for "illegal human organ extraction and transplantation," following similar cases in the region.
The detained suspects, identified as brothers Muhammad Imran and Muhammad Zaman, reportedly told police interrogators that they "killed" 15-year-old Francis Nadeem, and threw his corpse in a water canal near Marr Balochaan village, close to Punjab's Nankanna District.
However the boy's father, Sadeeq Masih, told BosNewsLife and investigators of human rights group Rays of Development (ROD) that he does not believe their version of events because the canals "have been dry" since December 1, 2007 due to extreme dry weather.
In addition, Francis Nadeem's human remains have not been discovered, he said. "Till now police have totally failed in recovering the corpse...The culprits have not killed [my] teenage son as they are admitting in the police interrogation. Instead they have sold him to illegal human organ traffickers."
SEVERAL DISSAPEARANCES
He said "many people" have disappeared "mysteriously" in the area, apparently because a gang is involved in illegal human organs smuggling. It was not immediately clear how many Christian families were impacted by the apparent human organs trade.
Masih said he has been searching for his son since December 20 when the suspects of nearby village Mahesh Shumali came to their house and took Francis Nadeem with them. "They rented a motor bike from a ‘Rent a Motor Bike Shop’ and left for an unknown destination [with him] and never returned."
He added he managed to reach the suspects' home, but was unable to find his son there. "Finally, after all the fruitless searches we registered a case against Muhammad Imran and Muhammad Zaman on Dec 27, 2007. at nearby Sanglla Hill Police Station," he said, his voice trembling.
...
Pertinent Links:
1) Pakistan Christian Teenager "Sold" For Illegal Organ Transplant, Father Says
Friday, January 25, 2008
DAR AL HARB/ISLAM - U.S.A./PAKISTAN: TIME FOR THE UNITED STATES TO MAKE PLANS FOR THE TIME MUSHARAFF IS ASSASSINATED BY PEACEFUL & MODERATE MOSLEMS
Pakistan Is Turning on Musharraf
By HUSAIN HAQQANI
January 25, 2008; Page A15
Pakistan's embattled President Pervez Musharraf is touring European capitals to try and convince Western governments of the country's stability, and his own good intentions. He should instead face the evaporation of support for his authoritarian regime at home.
Opinion polls show that 68% of Pakistanis want Mr. Musharraf to step down immediately. While he was in Davos, Switzerland, this week for the World Economic Forum, 100 retired senior military officers signed a statement in Pakistan describing him as an embarrassment to the powerful military that has so far been his power base. Western governments should no longer accept Mr. Musharraf's sales pitch that he is a valuable ally in the war against terrorism. A ruler widely hated by his own people is unlikely to be effective in defeating the expanding insurgency waged by al Qaeda's Taliban allies.
Pakistanis are increasingly uniting in their disapproval of Mr. Musharraf, and of the civil-military oligarchy he represents. The first opinion poll after Benazir Bhutto's murder showed that nearly half of the sample suspected government agencies and government-allied politicians of killing the opposition leader. Mr. Musharraf's unpopular domestic policies helped al Qaeda get a free pass in an assassination widely mourned throughout the country.
...
Pertinent Links:
1) Pakistan Is Turning on Musharraf
By HUSAIN HAQQANI
January 25, 2008; Page A15
Pakistan's embattled President Pervez Musharraf is touring European capitals to try and convince Western governments of the country's stability, and his own good intentions. He should instead face the evaporation of support for his authoritarian regime at home.
Opinion polls show that 68% of Pakistanis want Mr. Musharraf to step down immediately. While he was in Davos, Switzerland, this week for the World Economic Forum, 100 retired senior military officers signed a statement in Pakistan describing him as an embarrassment to the powerful military that has so far been his power base. Western governments should no longer accept Mr. Musharraf's sales pitch that he is a valuable ally in the war against terrorism. A ruler widely hated by his own people is unlikely to be effective in defeating the expanding insurgency waged by al Qaeda's Taliban allies.
Pakistanis are increasingly uniting in their disapproval of Mr. Musharraf, and of the civil-military oligarchy he represents. The first opinion poll after Benazir Bhutto's murder showed that nearly half of the sample suspected government agencies and government-allied politicians of killing the opposition leader. Mr. Musharraf's unpopular domestic policies helped al Qaeda get a free pass in an assassination widely mourned throughout the country.
...
Pertinent Links:
1) Pakistan Is Turning on Musharraf
Friday, November 30, 2007
"I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR 11 SEPTEMBER & THE TALIBAN IS NOT INVOLVED"
Bin Laden urges Europeans to stop helping US in Afghanistan
Dubai, 30 Nov. (AKI) - Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden has called on European countries to end their military participation with the United States in Afghanistan.
A new audio tape purportedly made by Osama bin Laden was broadcast on Al Jazeera television on Thursday.
In the tape which was entitled "Message to the European Peoples", Bin Laden said that he was responsible for the 2001 September 11 terrorist attacks in the US.
"I am responsible for 11 September and the Taliban are not involved," said the al-Qaeda leader. This is the first time that bin Laden has assumed complete responsibility for the terrorist attacks in the US.
"The events of Manhattan were in retaliation against the American-Israeli alliance's aggression against our people in Palestine and Lebanon, and I am the only one responsible for it. The Afghan people and government knew nothing about it. America knows that," the al-Qaida leader said in the five-minute tape.
"This is the reason why the Taliban government had asked the Americans to provide the proof that they were involved [in 9/11] before beginning their invasion of Afghanistan but they [the US] never provided any and then Europe, followed in the operation," he said.
For this reason, the al-Qaeda leader called on European nations not to participate in the current military operation in Afghanistan, which he says is killing women and children.
"You in this war have not respected any code of honour with women and children the main victims of your bombings," he said on the tape. "You knew that women do not fight but you have targeted them to lower the morale of the mujahadeen."
The al-Qaeda leader called on European politicians not to follow American policies, which he claims are destined for defeat.
"Remember that in the end the American influence is ending, with God's help, and they will return to their homes on the other side of the Atlantic, making their neighbours pay for what they have done, "he said addressing Europeans.
"For this reason you have to speak to your politicians who follow the White House, so that they turn back and peace will be on those who choose the right way," he said.
Pertinent Links:
Dubai, 30 Nov. (AKI) - Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden has called on European countries to end their military participation with the United States in Afghanistan.
A new audio tape purportedly made by Osama bin Laden was broadcast on Al Jazeera television on Thursday.
In the tape which was entitled "Message to the European Peoples", Bin Laden said that he was responsible for the 2001 September 11 terrorist attacks in the US.
"I am responsible for 11 September and the Taliban are not involved," said the al-Qaeda leader. This is the first time that bin Laden has assumed complete responsibility for the terrorist attacks in the US.
"The events of Manhattan were in retaliation against the American-Israeli alliance's aggression against our people in Palestine and Lebanon, and I am the only one responsible for it. The Afghan people and government knew nothing about it. America knows that," the al-Qaida leader said in the five-minute tape.
"This is the reason why the Taliban government had asked the Americans to provide the proof that they were involved [in 9/11] before beginning their invasion of Afghanistan but they [the US] never provided any and then Europe, followed in the operation," he said.
For this reason, the al-Qaeda leader called on European nations not to participate in the current military operation in Afghanistan, which he says is killing women and children.
"You in this war have not respected any code of honour with women and children the main victims of your bombings," he said on the tape. "You knew that women do not fight but you have targeted them to lower the morale of the mujahadeen."
The al-Qaeda leader called on European politicians not to follow American policies, which he claims are destined for defeat.
"Remember that in the end the American influence is ending, with God's help, and they will return to their homes on the other side of the Atlantic, making their neighbours pay for what they have done, "he said addressing Europeans.
"For this reason you have to speak to your politicians who follow the White House, so that they turn back and peace will be on those who choose the right way," he said.
Pertinent Links:
Thursday, August 09, 2007
DAR AL HARB/ISLAM - PESHAWAR: CONVERT OR DIE IN A SUICIDE ATTACK
Threatening letters make their way to Peshawar
by Javed Aziz Khan
PESHAWAR: Members of Christian and Hindu communities settled in the city have been threatened by the so-called militants through a stunning letter to convert to Islam or face suicide attacks, sources confided to The News here on Wednesday.
The intimidation sent the alarm bells ringing at the headquarters of law-enforcement agencies as well as among the senior government functionaries.
The threats, according to reliable sources, were hurled to the Christian community settled in different parts of Kohati, interior city and cantonment through a number of letters. Similar letters, it is learnt, were also dispatched to the elders of Hindu community scattered in jurisdiction of West Cantonment police station.
“You are invited to embrace Islam and make your home in heaven. If you did not comply, you will be eliminated till Friday August 10,” read a letter dispatched to members of the Christian community in interior city. The dispatchers introduced themselves as members of previously unheard organisation, Al-Jihad. “It is a sensational letter that shows the non-seriousness of the dispatcher or dispatchers. The heading of the letters is ‘knock of the death’ while the rest of the text carried dialogue-like words that are generally used in films,” a senior government official, requesting anonymity, told The News about the letter received by a Hindu community member.
The senior official admitted the matter was in the knowledge of the Frontier Police high-ups who have ordered to further beef up security around the worship places and colonies of minorities in Peshawar.
“The worship places of minorities are being strictly guarded. We have now further beefed up security around these buildings as well as residential colonies where people belonging to minorities are living in a chunk,” a police officer, who also requested not to be mentioned, told The News.
The elders of the Christian community held an emergency meeting in Kohati to discuss the situation. Some participants briefed the rest of the members about the measures being taken by the police for the security of minorities. “Many members expressed satisfaction over the arrangements but also asked for doing more for their security,” sources disclosed.
It is to be mentioned that similar threats were also hurled at the Christian community in Charsadda. Later the police nabbed a young boy who confessed to have written the threatening words on a wall just for fun.
Pertinent Links:
1) Threatening letters make their way to Peshawar
by Javed Aziz Khan
PESHAWAR: Members of Christian and Hindu communities settled in the city have been threatened by the so-called militants through a stunning letter to convert to Islam or face suicide attacks, sources confided to The News here on Wednesday.
The intimidation sent the alarm bells ringing at the headquarters of law-enforcement agencies as well as among the senior government functionaries.
The threats, according to reliable sources, were hurled to the Christian community settled in different parts of Kohati, interior city and cantonment through a number of letters. Similar letters, it is learnt, were also dispatched to the elders of Hindu community scattered in jurisdiction of West Cantonment police station.
“You are invited to embrace Islam and make your home in heaven. If you did not comply, you will be eliminated till Friday August 10,” read a letter dispatched to members of the Christian community in interior city. The dispatchers introduced themselves as members of previously unheard organisation, Al-Jihad. “It is a sensational letter that shows the non-seriousness of the dispatcher or dispatchers. The heading of the letters is ‘knock of the death’ while the rest of the text carried dialogue-like words that are generally used in films,” a senior government official, requesting anonymity, told The News about the letter received by a Hindu community member.
The senior official admitted the matter was in the knowledge of the Frontier Police high-ups who have ordered to further beef up security around the worship places and colonies of minorities in Peshawar.
“The worship places of minorities are being strictly guarded. We have now further beefed up security around these buildings as well as residential colonies where people belonging to minorities are living in a chunk,” a police officer, who also requested not to be mentioned, told The News.
The elders of the Christian community held an emergency meeting in Kohati to discuss the situation. Some participants briefed the rest of the members about the measures being taken by the police for the security of minorities. “Many members expressed satisfaction over the arrangements but also asked for doing more for their security,” sources disclosed.
It is to be mentioned that similar threats were also hurled at the Christian community in Charsadda. Later the police nabbed a young boy who confessed to have written the threatening words on a wall just for fun.
Pertinent Links:
1) Threatening letters make their way to Peshawar
DAR AL ISLAM - PAKISTAN: NO NEED FOR EMERGENCY RULE
Musharraf Sees No Need for Emergency Rule in Pakistan (Update1)
By Khalid Qayum
Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf, facing the biggest test to his eight-year military rule, won't declare a state of emergency to quell unrest because he wants to hold national elections next year, the Information Minister said.
"The challenges of terrorist attacks are there but the president thinks the present situation does not call for imposing emergency,'' Mohammad Ali Durrani said in a phone interview from the capital, Islamabad, today. "Musharraf said he doesn't want to disrupt the political process.''
Opposition to Musharraf has escalated as he plans to ask lawmakers for a second five-year presidential term before parliamentary elections in January. A key ally of President George W. Bush, the 63-year-old Pakistani leader faces dwindling support in the U.S., where Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said he would consider sending in American troops if Musharraf didn't to take a tougher line against al-Qaeda.
The minister spoke with the president on the phone today to clarify reports he was planning to impose emergency rule. "The reports he plans to impose emergency are mere speculation,'' Durrani said.
The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid-i-Azam party did not suggest imposition of emergency rule, Durrani said, without identifying who made the suggestion to the president.
Terrorist Attacks
Musharraf, a U.S. ally in the war against terrorism, is dealing with a series of attacks in the country that killed more than 160 people in the past month. The attacks followed an army raid at Islamabad's Red Mosque on July 10 that killed 75 pro- Taliban militants and ended a challenge by clerics who wanted to impose Islamic law in the capital.
The president may declare a state of emergency because of deteriorating security, Junior Information Minister Tariq Azeem told GEO television channel yesterday.
"This would be a really bad idea,'' Michael Krepon, co- founder of the Henry L. Stimson Center in Washington said earlier in an interview. "It would weaken his ties with Washington. It would especially weaken his ties with Congress.''
Pakistan's opposition parties have demanded Musharraf quit as president and army chief and restore full civilian rule in the country, while the religious parties oppose his support for the global war against terrorism.
Qazi Hussain Ahmed, the chief of Islamic alliance Mutahidda Majlis-e-Amal, filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the legality of Musharraf's decision to run for a second term as president while he is also the country's army chief. The court has yet to set a date for the hearing.
...
Pertinent Links:
1) Musharraf Sees No Need for Emergency Rule in Pakistan (Update1)
By Khalid Qayum
Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf, facing the biggest test to his eight-year military rule, won't declare a state of emergency to quell unrest because he wants to hold national elections next year, the Information Minister said.
"The challenges of terrorist attacks are there but the president thinks the present situation does not call for imposing emergency,'' Mohammad Ali Durrani said in a phone interview from the capital, Islamabad, today. "Musharraf said he doesn't want to disrupt the political process.''
Opposition to Musharraf has escalated as he plans to ask lawmakers for a second five-year presidential term before parliamentary elections in January. A key ally of President George W. Bush, the 63-year-old Pakistani leader faces dwindling support in the U.S., where Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said he would consider sending in American troops if Musharraf didn't to take a tougher line against al-Qaeda.
The minister spoke with the president on the phone today to clarify reports he was planning to impose emergency rule. "The reports he plans to impose emergency are mere speculation,'' Durrani said.
The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid-i-Azam party did not suggest imposition of emergency rule, Durrani said, without identifying who made the suggestion to the president.
Terrorist Attacks
Musharraf, a U.S. ally in the war against terrorism, is dealing with a series of attacks in the country that killed more than 160 people in the past month. The attacks followed an army raid at Islamabad's Red Mosque on July 10 that killed 75 pro- Taliban militants and ended a challenge by clerics who wanted to impose Islamic law in the capital.
The president may declare a state of emergency because of deteriorating security, Junior Information Minister Tariq Azeem told GEO television channel yesterday.
"This would be a really bad idea,'' Michael Krepon, co- founder of the Henry L. Stimson Center in Washington said earlier in an interview. "It would weaken his ties with Washington. It would especially weaken his ties with Congress.''
Pakistan's opposition parties have demanded Musharraf quit as president and army chief and restore full civilian rule in the country, while the religious parties oppose his support for the global war against terrorism.
Qazi Hussain Ahmed, the chief of Islamic alliance Mutahidda Majlis-e-Amal, filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the legality of Musharraf's decision to run for a second term as president while he is also the country's army chief. The court has yet to set a date for the hearing.
...
Pertinent Links:
1) Musharraf Sees No Need for Emergency Rule in Pakistan (Update1)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
