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Year 1  Issue 8  Thursday, 08.09.11

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More than 2,600 people died at the World Trade Center; 125 died at the Pentagon; 256 died on the four planes WAR ON TERROR CLAIMED More than a million Iraqis have died, directly or indirectly, because of the war. According to some studies, at least 137,000 civilians have died violently in Afghanistan and Iraq in the last ten years; 35,000 civilians and more than 3,000 security personnel have been killed in Pakistan.

on Aug. 29. The astronomers claim the moon could not be sighted on that day as it had eclipsed before sunset. According to the Islamic calendar, the Arabic months can be either 29 or 30 days long. On many occasions, Eid has been celebrated after only 29 days of fasting. But this year the debate turned heated after Al-Zaaq was widely quoted by local Continued on page 6 >>

Continued on page 31 >>

Saudi Arabia did Eid wrong on 30th August 2011? There have been false rumours about Eid: London Mosque

committee) that the Shawwal crescent was visible on Ramadan 29

(Aug. 29). After confirming the veracity of the sighting by the people who had reported to the panel, the committee declared the end to the fasting month of Ramadan and signaled the advent of Eid Al-Fitr the next day (Tuesday). The threats of action came amidst an ongoing debate between Muslim scholars and astronomers about the possibility and probability of sighting the moon

9/11 Patriotic American Colouring Book Offends Muslims An image from We Shall Never Forget 9/11: The Kids’ Book of Freedom A colouring book about the events of 9/11, complete with pictures of the burning twin towers and the execution of a cowering Osama bin Laden for children to fill in, has provoked outrage among American Muslims. We Shall Never Forget 9/11: The Kids’ Book of Freedom has just been released by the Missouribased publisher Really Big Coloring Books, which says it is “designed to be a tool that parents can use to help teach children about the facts surrounding 9/11″. Showing scenes from 9/11 for children to colour in and telling the story of the attacks and the subsequent hunt for Osama bin Laden, “the book was created with honesty, integrity, reverence, respect and does not shy away from the

Full story on page 15-17

The Saudi government has admitted that there’s been a mistake about the correct day of Eid el Fitr this year (2011). Saudi Eid sighting questioned by astronomers JEDDAH: A number of conservative scholars have threatened to sue Saudi astronomer and scientist Khaled Al-Zaaq for doubting the testimony of citizens who reported to the Hilal panel (moon sighting

Price: 90p

NEWS

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 08 September 2011

Two more arrested in Copenhagen Mosque shooting

Police still searching for one more man and a green VW Vento

wo more men have been jailed in connection with Tuesday’s mosque shooting in the Vesterbro district. One of the suspects, a 25-yearold, was already being held in connection with the incident, but after new evidence was entered a judge approved the police’s request to extend his detention for another 25 days. The second suspect, a 30-year-old man who is known to police for being involved in both the drug trade and for possessing a loaded gun, will also spend the next 25 days behind bars. It has been determined that shots were fired by both groups of people involved in the conflict which broke out on Amerikavej Street in Vesterbro and resulted in the death of 24-year-old Tamur Ashgar and the wounding of a 51-year-old man and his 26-year-old son. According to Jyllands-Posten newspaper, Publisher Salah Bu Khamas (UAE) Sabha Khan (UK) UK Office 10 Courtenay Road, Wembley, Middlesex, HA9 7ND UK Phone: +44 20 8904 0617 Fax: +44 20 8181 7575 info@satribune.co.uk India Office Satya Infomedia Pvt. Ltd. C/O Satya Group. 1st Floor, Avenue Appt., Near Sheth. R. J. J. High School, Tithal Road, Valsad - 396001 Gujarat, India Phone +91 2632 222209 / 222211 Fax: +91 2632 222212 Post Box No. 98 /108 United Arab Emirates Office S.K. Group of Companies P.O. Box 9021, Karama Dubai, United Arab Emirates Tel: +971 4 2659970, 3359929; Fax: +971 4 2659971, 3341609 www.sk-groupofcompanies.com Managing Editor & CEO Mohammad Shahid Khan Group Editorial Managers Gulzar Khan (India) Abdul Khalique (Pakistan)

the theory is that the shooting was due to an outstanding debt owed by one convenience store owner to another. A green VW Vento with RD in the

number plate is being sought by police along with another man with a ponytail.” He can be seen helping the 51-yearold away from the scene. We would

Inquiry into UK intelligence links with Libyan torture Britain handed rebel to Gaddafi torturers: Devastating secret files in Libya reveal UK ‘crossed the line’ to prop up tyrant • Letter appears to show MI6 provided intelligence which led to the ‘rendition’ of a Libyan dissident • Abdel Hakim Belhadj said he wasn’t allowed a bath for three years and was kept in an isolation cell MI6 protected Gaddafi son from death ALLEGATIONS that the UK’s intelligence services accepted information from victims of torture in Libya under the Gaddafi regime are to be investigated by an independent inquiry. In a statement to MPs yesterday, Prime Minister David Cameron announced the inquiry under the

chairmanship of Sir Peter Gibson, set up to look at whether the UK was complicit in extraordinary renditions, would also look at new evidence which had emerged in Libya. Mr Cameron said the allegations were “significant” and would be examined “very carefully”. According to one of the documents found, MI6 dispatched an intelligence officer to Tripoli after

Mr Belhadj’s detention to obtain information of “urgent importance” from him relating to UK antiterrorist operations. At the time, he was a member of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, which was affiliated to al-Qaeda. The inquiry was backed by Labour leader Ed Miliband, and Jack Straw, Labour’s foreign secretary between 2001 and 2006, said he supported an inquiry.

THE cost of a degree at Edinburgh University for students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland is set to be more expensive than anywhere else in the UK, after the institution announced plans to charge £36,000 in tuition fees.The move led to warnings that students from the rest of the UK could be put off studying in Scotland, causing universities north of the Border to lose out on vital funds.Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt universities yesterday followed Aberdeen University, which last week said it would charge students the maximum fee of £9,000 a year. However, while both Aberdeen and Heriot-Watt will offer the fourth year free to keep prices on a par with the three-year courses south of the Border, Edinburgh will charge students for each year of a four-year degree, putting the total cost at £36,000. To offset the fees, Edinburgh University said it was introducing the “most generous bursary package in the UK” for students from the lowest-income households. But critics said the cost was “staggering”, and accused the university of “cashing in” on students from elsewhere in the UK. Scots studying at Scottish universities will continue to be exempt from fees. The university said its new package of bursaries meant those from disadvantaged backgrounds who studied for a four-year degree would be eligible for a bursary of up to £28,000 and access awards of up to £5,000.

Birmingham Muslim Murders

Man appears in court charged

Editorial Board UK Frances Brunner FYI Tribune team Adrian Fellar Misbah Khan Reema Shah Rohma Khan Keziah-Ann Abakah Art Department UK Ali Ansar (Art Director) Md. Reazul Islam

like an explanation about that,” Jens Møller of the Copenhagen Police.”We don’t think he played an active role in the incident but we would still like to talk to him.”

English to be charged £36,000 for a degree at Edinburgh

Haroon Jahan, Shazad Ali and Abdul Musavir were struck by car during rioting in Winson Green

area of Birmingham A 29-year-old man has appeared in court charged with the murders of

three men who were killed as they tried to protect shops and homes in Birmingham from looters. Haroon Jahan, 21, and brothers Shazad Ali, 30, and 31-yearold Abdul Musavir were struck by a car in the early hours of 10 August during riots in the Winson Green area of the city. They were pronounced dead in hospital. Everton Graham, of no fixed abode, spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth during a brief hearing at Birmingham magistrates court. Graham was remanded in custody to appear at Birmingham crown

court on Friday. West Midlands police have arrested 11 men in connection with the killings. Ian Beckford, 30, Joshua Donald, 26, 23-year-old Adam King and a 17-year-old male who cannot be named have already been charged with murder and have been remanded in custody. Liam Young, 28, from Winson Green, was charged with perverting the course of justice. Five other males, aged 17, 23, 29, 32 and 33, have been arrested and bailed pending further inquiries.

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 08 September 2011

NEWS

The West may invade Syria to search for chemical weapons

n the midst of the tragic events in Libya, the situation in Syria is faded into the background. Currently the western elite admits that “the progress of democracy in Libya” opens a wide path to putting pressure on the regime of Bashar Assad. So far the situation is not that bad for Syria. First, despite the peculiar attitude of Russia to the Syrian events, the West could not get carte blanche to deal with Assad. In the first half of August, Russia allowed two statements of the UN Security Council condemning the actions of the Syrian leadership. However, they did not have legal force and the West has failed to impose international sanctions. Second, Bashar al-Assad is at the top. The Arabs, particularly those who are not Syrians, used to be not of the highest opinion of him. They did not expect miracles from a man in civilian clothes educated as an ophthalmologist, who by some misunderstanding got the power in one of the key countries in the Arab world. However, as it often happens, this impression was deceptive. Bashar alAssad was prepared to devote his life to medicine, but the fate decreed otherwise. The elder brother of Bashar Basel was to be the successor of the former ruler Hafez al-Assad. He had a strong personality without a doubt. One example is his relentless fight against the smuggling of cars covered by some very prominent members of the Syrian leadership. In practice, he ordered to have dozens of smuggled cars seized at the border with Lebanon simply crushed by tanks. It is a popular belief in Syria that this fact led to his death, and few Syrians believe in the simple fact that he crashed his car in an accident. However, it was the tragic death of his brother that abruptly changed the life of Bashar Assad who was forced to give up his favorite thing and plunge into politics that he was a stranger to. His father left him the country with a tangle of internal and external problems. One of the primary issues was the long overdue need to modernize the state that was hindered by his father’s social circle. Despite the significant progress in Syria, associated with albeit slow, but still observable economic liberalization, the country still was not quite ready for today’s endurance test. Bashar al-Assad,

whom many in the West differentiated from the elderly Arab rulers who always wore military uniforms, came under a strong attack from the West. Here and there, in various parts of the country, one after the other armed uprisings broke out. The Western media have unleashed information terror against Bashar Assad for the “bloody suppression of the Syrian revolution,” although the tone of the summer protests was overtly dictated

of foreign intelligence services and Saudi funds threatened the existence of not only the current regime in Damascus, but the entire country of Syria. The foreign masterminds “of the Syrian democracy,” understood that Bashar Assad should suppress the riots in Hama. Not without reason the U.S. and French ambassadors came to support the insurgency, calling the local “Muslim

actions. However, they could ignore other scenarios tested in 1982 with the elder Assad. During the liquidation of the February revolt in Hama, according to different data, from 10 to 40 thousand people were killed. At the time the suppression of the rebellion was conducted by one of the relatives of the Syrian president at the time, but he was less than elegant with his military

by extremist and terrorist elements. As Pravda.ru reported earlier, the current Syrian president was suggested to resign from his post on favorable terms, threatened otherwise by the Hague Tribunal, and even military intervention (as in the case of Turkey). However, the “ophthalmologist” prepared a surprise. Those analysts who believed that one of the youngest presidents of our time would give up have miscalculated. Many considered him a really inexperienced ruler who, when left without an explicit intercession on the part of Moscow, will be forced to capitulate. However, Assad Jr., apparently, was a worthy successor to his father nicknamed the Lion. During nearly six months of confrontation he did not make any strategic errors that would have allowed the West to isolate him. The main thing is that he has successfully withstood the endurance test, “a test of Hama.” Mutiny in the city organized through the efforts

brothers” to follow “North African” example. Moreover, this scenario was considered a win-win: If the Syrian president would

operations, which explains the great number of victims. The West did not rule out that this scenario will be repeated 30 years later. However, in case of repetition of these events, Bashar al-Assad would be in line with the bloodiest dictators in history. In 1982, Hafez al-Assad was backed by the USSR, and now his son has no such protectors. The West was hoping that in this scenario even Russia and China could not ignore the events and would just have to condemn the Syrian leader. However, neither scenario worked so far. The West obviously was too quick to demonize President Assad and deprive him of legitimacy. The blood shed through the efforts of Western and Saudi intelligence agencies in Syria was not enough to make Bashar Assad if not another Saddam Hussein, then at least al-Gaddafi.

fold, then Syria could be written off. The emergence of “Syrian Benghazi” in the face of alternative power in Hama offered great opportunities for further anti-Syrian

The order in Hama was restored with relatively little blood (maximum and clearly exaggerated number of the victims in Hama is 150). The young president made his bet on conducting a sophisticated operation that deserves a separate article. The Syrian security forces carried out their tasks not in the way the West wanted them to, and the latter is now forced to change tactics. Of course, nobody is going to abandon the attempts to destabilize Syria and support subversive elements. However, because Assad proved to be tough and did not succumb to threats of military intervention, economic measures were employed as well. The tone is set by the United States that decided to deprive Syria of foreign exchange earnings from oil and gas. In the coming days the European Union is going to do the same. Italy that asked to postpone the introduction of oil and gas embargo against Damascus until November 2011 is opposed to the measures, hoping to find alternative source of hydrocarbons supplies by that time. However, no immediate effect of oil and gas embargo should be expected. Syria enjoys tangible support of Tehran that in any case would not allow the economic collapse of its key ally. This gives the rise to the parallel “Iraqi scenario” against Damascus. Allegedly, Bashar Assad has huge stockpiles of chemical weapons at his disposal and there is a threat that he may lose control over it in the event of mass protests. Therefore, there is a need to get him to renounce the possession of the chemical arsenal. At the last briefing, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Newland stated that Syria had a stockpile of paralytic and mustard gas. She added that working closely with the associates they would continue to ensure that these weapons do not fall into inappropriate hands. Naturally, the West is not going to believe the assurances from Damascus that there are no toxic substances in its possession. The main thing is to make the world believe the danger coming from Syria and under this pretext enhance hostile actions. This includes ignoring the opinion of the UN Security Council, the organization that has lost all credibility back in 1999, during the aggression against Yugoslavia.

NEWS

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 08 September 2011

Anti-Israel protesters disrupt BBC Proms

rotesters disrupted a performance by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in one of Britain’s most venerable concert series and forced the BBC to pull the concert off the air, the broadcaster said Thursday. Pro-Palestinian group The Palestine Solidarity Campaign had called for the BBC to cancel the concert and urged people to boycott the event in protest. Pro-Palestinian activists chant ‘Free Palestine’ during a Proms concert by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in London, disrupting BBC’s live coverage of the event. The orchestra was scheduled to perform at London’s Royal Albert Hall on Thursday to be broadcast at the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Proms, but

was cancelled after booing and shouting erupted, British media reported.

Gil Shaham was about to play Bruch’s violin concerto conducted by Zubin Mehta when booing and

shouting began, said the reports. Radio 3 interrupted its live broadcast at 7.45pm before

returning later. Coverage was cut off again an hour later following more protests. Pro-Palestinian group The Palestine Solidarity Campaign had called for the BBC to cancel the concert and urged people to boycott the event in protest. One of the protesters, Professor Jonathan Rosenhead, of the London School of Economics, said: “The orchestra is intimately connected with the Israeli regime. “We are saying not to forget the denial of human rights in the occupied territories of Palestine”, he added. BBC Proms is an annual summer concert series dating back to 1941 broadcast live on the radio.

US think-tanks urge Kashmir dispute settlement T

he US must encourage India and Pakistan to move forward with their dialogue to resolve the Kashmir dispute “and inject ideas into the process to help spur it along”, says a conservative Washington thinktank, the Heritage Foundation. “The strongest case for moving Indo-Pakistani dialogue forward is to improve prospects for Pakistan`s future. Islamist extremists whose lifeblood is regional conflict are strengthening their grip in Pakistan,” the study warns. “Indo-Pakistani rapprochement can help reduce conflict in Afghanistan, by reducing competition for influence and the associated violence.” Another Washington thinktank, the New America Foundation, notes that “India`s desire that no third country intervene as a mediator in Kashmir can be accommodated without precluding American efforts to positively support bilateral confidence-building measures and underwrite more

visible progress on longstanding security challenges.”

The think-tank, advocates moderate

which views,

argues that “there is also a strong case for taking action on

Kashmir for Kashmir`s sake — to reduce recurring clashes and allow Kashmiris to escape the constant menace of violence and geopolitical manoeuvring. “We therefore recommend, in the context of the regional agenda suggested above and in support of recently resumed India-Pakistan dialogues, that the United States strengthen its commitment to promoting regional confidence-building measures and progress toward resolution of disputes.” The Heritage Foundation, however, focuses on US counterterrorism efforts in Afghanistan and Pakistan and encourages the Obama administration to continue drone strikes inside Fata while seeking to rebuild its relationship with Islamabad. The report, however, acknowledges that it is in US interest to remain engaged with Islamabad and demonstrate an interest in the development of a prosperous and moderate Pakistan free of the terrorist scourge.

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 08 September 2011

EDITORIAL

Pakistan major sources of terrorism or victim

Ten years have passed since the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001 that caused major upheaval in the global system and the socio-political landscape in some countries. Pakistan is one such country that faced unprecedented internal and external pressures during these years. Terrorist threats have intensified and there is no hope that Pakistan will be able to overcome this challenge in the near future. The world views Pakistan as one of the major sources of terrorism but Pakistan views itself as the victim. The UN and several international organisations condemned the 9/11 attacks and vowed to fight terrorism. The US air attacks on Afghanistan were launched on October 7, 2001. There were also demands by non-official circles in the US and many Western countries for handing over Osama and his close associates to the US for trial for the death of around 3000 people and destruction of property. When the 9/11 incident took place, the ISI Director General, Lt-General Mahmood Ahmad, and Qazi Hussain Ahmed were in Washington and the meetings with senior US officials after the attacks must have made it clear to them that the US Administration was furious over the terrorist attacks and wanted Pakistan’s cooperation for countering Afghanistan-based AlQaeda. The most popular description in Pakistan of how the Musharraf regime abandoned the Taliban is that Musharraf agreed straight away when he received a phone call from the US Secretary of State and that some senior American official had threatened that Pakistan would be bombed back to the stone-age if it continued to support the Taliban. Leaving aside the controversy about who said what, the report of the 9/11 Commission and other evidence suggests that Pakistan took over 24 hours to decide about its policy and all US demands were not accepted. This decision was made by Pervez Musharraf in consultation with his close associates. The matter was later taken up at the Corps Commanders’ meeting where some commanders expressed reservations but accepted the decision. The civilian cabinet was informed about the decision. On October 7, hours before the American attack on Afghanistan, a number of senior army officers, including Mahmood Ahmad, were retired. Today, Pakistan is more embroiled in terrorism with extremely high material and human losses.

NEWS

Germany Says Abu Malik, a convert Muslim rapper from Berlin Promotes Jihad

he man German security officials call a major security risk looks like a figure from a rap video, especially with the tattoos on his hands. The right one says “STR8,” and the left one “Thug.” “This is from the days when I lived the life of an unbeliever,” said the man, Denis Mamadou Cuspert, as he clenched his fists and looked at the tattoos. “Allah will erase them from me one day.” Mr. Cuspert, once a popular rapper in Germany, today is one of the best-known singers of nasheeds, or Islamic devotional music, in German. Security officials say, though, that he is an influential figure who incites violence and unrest through inflammatory videos and fiery speeches that praise terrorists and attack the West. German authorities say people like him inspired the fatal shootings of two American airmen at the Frankfurt airport in March. The 21-year-old man accused of the killings, Arid Uka, whose trial began in Frankfurt on Wednesday, has said he opened fire on a busload of American service members after seeing a video that claimed to show Muslim women being raped by men in United States military uniforms. American officials have said the video — which Mr. Cuspert acknowledged posting on his Facebook page, and which Mr. Uka copied — was staged by militants. Mr. Uka said he was listening on his iPod to nasheeds calling for opposition against occupation forces and the West as he traveled to the airport just before the shootings. “It made me really angry,” Mr. Uka told the judge on Wednesday, referring to the songs’ lyrics. During a tearful confession, he said that Islam had given him strength after a period of depression, but that he now realized that “I have damaged my faith.” German terrorism investigators see Mr. Cuspert, 35, as a threat who provokes young people angered by what they see as a Western campaign against Islam; some even likened him to Anwar al-Awlaki, . “After establishing rapport through music, he introduced radical ideology to an audience already receptive to him,” said Raphael F. Perl, who runs the antiterrorism unit for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

In an interview at a mosque here, Mr. Cuspert denied any direct connection to Mr. Uka, though he said he supported his actions. “The brother hasn’t killed civilians,” he said. “He has killed soldiers who had been on their way to kill Muslims.” That is similar to the message in videos posted on YouTube and jihadi Web sites that have made Mr. Cuspert popular among Al Qaeda supporters in Europe and elsewhere. As evidence of his reach, a man who goes by the name Abu Bilal in the tribal areas in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region said of Mr. Cuspert: “The brother’s voice has reached the hearts of many people here, too.” Mr. Cuspert gives speeches all over Germany, and young people are drawn to elements of his personal story,

including his membership in Berlin street gangs — he said he used to be a “real bad boy” — and the notion that he finally found the “right way.” Mr. Cuspert says that Shariah, the legal code of Islam based on the Koran, permits self-defense. “My duty is to use my voice for telling people the truth, and the truth is, jihad is a duty,” he said. Security officials say that young people who are clicking on his videos do not realize that what they are listening to has been inspired by a radical jihadist theology based on the fundamentalist Salafi branch of Islam.

At the end of June, Mr. Cuspert recorded a nasheed that praised Al Qaeda’s late leader, Osama bin Laden. “Your name flows in our blood,” he sings. “I have sworn allegiance to Mullah Muhammad Omar, emir of the Taliban,” he said in the interview, smiling. “He is one of the greatest men.” In his speeches, Mr. Cuspert has expressed outrage over United States drone strikes in Pakistan’s tribal areas, Yemen and Somalia, and has said that his biggest wish right now is the death of President Obama, who he said was an enemy of Islam. Suspecting that Mr. Cuspert was planning to join his friends in Pakistan, German authorities in July demanded that he surrender his passport. “I told them that I had lost it,” he said.

So far, the authorities say, they have not had enough evidence to arrest him for his speeches, but they are trying to put him behind bars for offenses they say he committed during his former life as a rapper. On Aug. 18, Mr. Cuspert was tried here on charges of possessing illegal weapons. Prosecutors said that he held a gun in a video and that the police found rounds of ammunition during a search of his apartment. German security officials said they sought to jail Mr. Cuspert and stop his “video propaganda for jihad.” The trial

judge convicted Mr. Cuspert, but spared him a prison sentence, ordering him to pay a fine of 1,800 euros, about $2,600. Before he took his new name, Abou Maleeq, Mr. Cuspert had another life. He was born and reared in Berlin by his German mother. His father, who was from Ghana, left the family when Mr. Cuspert was a baby. When conflicts increased at home with his stepfather, a former American Army soldier and strict disciplinarian, Mr. Cuspert was sent to a home for difficult children. After five years, he returned home. “I grew up with racism,” Mr. Cuspert said. “Though my mother is German, some teachers back then would call me ‘Negro’ and treat all Muslim kids bad.” His argument with American foreign policy grew in 1990 in the months leading up to the first Persian Gulf war, and he joined demonstrations in Berlin. “We marched, shouted and burned the American flag,” he said, smiling. The 2003 invasion of Iraq became a source for new conflicts with his stepfather. He joined youth gangs, Mr. Cuspert said, because he was in search of an identity; he found it in the streets of Berlin with the children of Arab and Turkish immigrants. He said that from an early age he trained himself in Thai boxing, tae kwon do and Brazilian jiujitsu. Social workers in Germany sent him to a special farm in Namibia that sought to rehabilitate juvenile delinquents. In 1995, he found a new outlet for his anger: as the rapper Deso Dogg. He said, “My songs were about the time in prison, racism, war.” His music career soared. He went on tour with rappers like DMX and worked on the soundtrack for a German film. But after surviving a car accident, he started questioning his lifestyle and turned to Islam for answers. In 2010, he ended his career as a rapper and turned his focus to fighting the United States and the West. The message on his cellphone’s voice mail system makes no secret about his ultimate aim in life. “The martyrdom is the most beautiful,” he says in his recording. “Allah is the greatest.

COMMENT

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 08 September 2011

LESSONS FROM NATO’S ATTACK ON LIBYA “. . . . they have hearts and yet do not understand, they have eyes and yet do not see, they have ears and yet do not hear; Such people are just like cattle. . . .” (Qur’an, al-An’am, 7:179) Those who see with two eyes, the internal as well as the external, would recognize ‘Zionism’ and ‘Zionist Imperialism’ written all over the well-armed and long-planned insurrection which toppled the Libyan government. This was no spontaneous popular uprising of a people against their dictatorial ruler as the Zionist-controlled news media around the world would have us believe. Nor was the regime toppled because the people responded with rage to the regime’s alleged slaughter of innocent protestors. That is the brain-washing that passes for news and is swallowed by cattle as Truth It is quite easy to recognize Zionist intimidation and control of news media when mainstream newspapers radio and television around the world (including Al-Jazeerah) adamantly refuse to question the blatantly false official explanation of the 9/11 terrorist attack on America. The bitter truth is that there are many Libyan Muslims who will now be mercilessly killed unless they submit and embrace the new bloodstained dictatorship which has been imposed upon them at the point of a Zionist sword. Using a barbarian strategy which came from the ‘beast of the earth’, the forces of insurrection struck their final Satanic blow at dusk in the month of Ramadan when believers were breaking their day-long fast. They embarked on an indiscriminate killing-spree intended to instill panic in the Libyan capital city of Tripoli and to thus destabilize its military defense. More than a thousand innocent Libyan Muslims << Continued from page 1 press and electronic sites that there was no way to sight the crescent on the night of Ramadan 29, thus casting doubts on the testimony of those who claimed to have seen it. The purists said the astronomer should not have cast doubts on the testimonies of the people who sighted the moon because their antecedents are checked before their word is accepted. Those who call in after sighting the moon are known for their integrity and straightforwardness. A number of Saudi astronomers had issued press statements claiming that the moon could not be sighted while renowned Islamic scholars defended the testimonies of the people who sighted the moon and said Eid came at the right time. Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah Al-Asheikh in his Friday sermon at Imam Turki bin Abdullah

became shuhada - having just completed a day of fasting - as they were mercilessly mowed down with weapons supplied by the Zionist Kuffar. Only a brain-washed people would accept that satanic warfare as a spontaneous popular uprising.

Shiekh Imran Hossein

Tribune Comment I suspect there are some in Egypt who would have sleepless nights if a substantial reward were to be offered for credible information of how so many weapons - capable of outmatching a standing army reached the insurrectionists in Libya, - perhaps from across the Egyptian border? With all their weapons however, the insurrectionists could never have succeeded without the active and visible assistance and support of Zionism’s military arm, i.e., the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO); nor can the new government survive without NATO protection. In this sense therefore, Israel, Saudi Arabia and Libya’s new government all belong to the same group of countries whose tortured birth and continued survival cannot be explained without reference to Zionism. NATO is already firmly established in Afghanistan and in Iraq and will never withdraw from those countries until Israel rules the world for ‘a day like a week’ and Dajjal declares himself to be the promised Messiah (see my book entitled ‘Jerusalem

in the Qur’an’ for an explanation of this subject). The one-eyed do not realize that NATO is in Libya in order to protect and promote Israel’s imperial interests. Israel is about to launch big wars against the Arabs in particular, and this writer warns that the world could then face at least another 25 years of continuous war until return of the son of Mary (Allah’s blessings be upon them both - virgin mother and Messiah son). Those who see with one eye perhaps still do not realize that NATO will now seek to remain in Libya for the next 25 years. The first implication of the above that we wish to share with our readers is that those Muslims who refuse to submit to Dajjal’s Zionist State of Israel must now part company, for their own safety, from the one-eyed active participants and vocal supporters of the Libyan insurrection. No matter how loudly they may yell and scream in response to this essay, the fact is that - unless they repent - such people are not of us and we are not of them: “O you who have faith (in Allah) do not take (such) Jews and (such) Christians as your friends and allies who themselves are friends and allies of each other. And whoever from amongst you turns to them (for friendship and alliance) now belong to them (and not to us). Surely Allah does not guide a wicked people.” (Qur’an, al-Maida, 5:51) [Note: The Qur’an does not here refer to individual friendship between a Jew and a Christian. Rather the verse anticipates the emergence of the Judeo-Christian Zionist alliance which is now waging unjust war on Islam and Muslims on Israel’s behalf.] Pakistani and Egyptian Muslims in particular must sever all ties with

those within Pakistan and Egypt who dance with NATO. When the NATO attacks on Pakistan and Egypt are inevitably unleashed, such people will be used to play the same role in Pakistan and Egypt as they have just played in Libya. I have no doubt that large numbers of Egyptians are now waking up to the dangerous implication of NATO’s success in Libya, i.e., that the noose is tightening around Egypt’s neck. This brief essay helps to explain that subject. Israel has to expand her territorial frontiers to encompass the (false) Biblical frontiers of the Holy Land (al-Ard al-Muqaddasah). The Bible (i.e. the Torah) declares that the Holy Land extends “from the river of Egypt to the river Euphrates”. Whoever rewrote the Bible to insert this falsehood almost certainly did so because the Jews lived in the fertile Eastern Delta of Egypt for 400 years and they were also enslaved in Iraq (Babylon) for a long period of time. No Jew will accept Dajjal’s claim to be the Messiah when he does make that claim from Jerusalem in another 20-30 years from now, unless he rules over an Israel that encompasses the Biblical frontiers of the Holy Land. And so it is inevitable that Israel will have to attack Egypt in order to physically occupy Egypt’s Eastern Delta. The implication of NATO’s success in Libya is that Egypt would now be attacked from both East and West; and as in the case of Pakistan, so too in the case of Egypt, the strategy would be to break up both Pakistan and Egypt into small states that can easily be controlled by India and Israel. (See my essays entitled ‘Explaining Israel’s Mysterious Imperial Agenda’ and ‘Obama’s Afghan Surge, Pakistan’s Moment of Truth and Death of the US Dollar’ on

Saudi Arabia did Eid wrong on 30 August 2011 ? Mosque in Riyadh described those who doubted the moon sighting as “motivated and deviated people with foul mouths.”“There are unjust pens and foul tongues that cast doubt on our religion which should be silenced. We are strictly following the Sunnah of our Prophet in fasting and marking Eid days,” he said, accusing the doubting astronomers of trying to impose their opinions on the nation. The mufti said the Shariah was clear in the procedures of moon sighting and added that Muslims would never give up the Sunnah for false opinions.The moon was very clear the next day and was seen in various areas on Tuesday night. This supported the stand of those who said they had sighted the moon on Monday evening. A number of citizens in the western Al-Ais area said they were able to sight the moon on the night of Monday for half an

hour. Their testimony contradicts the claims of the astronomers who said that the moon could not be sighted.

Clarity on false rumours regarding the date of Eid ul Fitr 2011 There have been false rumours circulating over the internet and media that Eid ul Fitr was celebrated on the wrong date and that the sighting of the new moon was incorrect. It seems that one falsely

written article designed to show disunity amongst the ummah and also to discredit the Saudi Arabian Government has been repeated and circulated by many websites and forums without any proof or authority given on where the news originated. The Saudi Governments official website states the date to be the 7th Shawwal 1432 Hijri on the 5th of September 2011 which correctly equates that Eid was celebrated on the correct date of Tuesday 30th September 2011. All media articles pertaining to the Saudi Government admitting to making any such mistake are completely false. The Saudi Government has not paid 1 Billion Rayal in Kufara also stated by false news articles. The misunderstanding could have arisen from Umm al Qura’s official website as it states it is the 8th Shawwal

my website.) Despite his faults and eccentricities, this much we can say with confidence about Moammar Gadhafi that so long as he ruled over Libya he would never have permitted a NATO military presence in that country. It follows that so long as he ruled over Libya NATO could never launch an attack on Egypt with ground troops pouring into Egypt from across the Libyan border. Thanks to the cattle, such an attack on Egypt is now possible. It is time therefore for every Egyptian to be armed - as every Venezuelan is armed - in preparation for what can now be clearly seen in the horizon. We may also note that there were economic and monetary reasons as well for the shameless NATO attack on tiny Libya. The Zionists now have not only Iraqi but also Libyan oil in their control, and it seems only a matter of time before they assume direct control over Saudi oil as well. Zionist control over oil would eventually translate into Israeli oil blackmail for a world now dependent on oil for economic survival. Finally it is reported that Libya had no foreign debts. As a consequence the Zionist-controlled international banking system could not bring this errant state under its influence and control. But the Zionists never give up. When the banking system failed to deliver this country to their control they then resorted to NATO. There remains one part of this puzzle which defies explanation. Why did Russia and China support the UN Security Council resolution which permitted NATO military intervention in Libya? Were these two States really that dumb that they could not foresee the consequences of their support for the resolution? Or is there more to this than meets the eye? on the 5th September 2011 which is one day ahead of the Hijri date. This website clearly states on its homepage that they calculate the month by the technical birth of the new moon . The introduction on the website goes on to state that this does cause confusion during Eid. As it is well known that Eid is declared on the actual physical sighting of the lunar crescent by the naked eye which is the correct method for declaring Eid and NOT by the birth of the new moon. Allah says in the Quran, O you who believe. When a faasiq comes to you with news and tidings, investigate thoroughly. (Surah Hujuraat). If you still have any doubts about Saudi Arabia’s decision about Eid then contact Saudi embassies directly or review the Saudi government official sites. Do not believe the lies of fake websites and false sources. The London Central Mosque Trust and Islamic Cultural Centre.

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 08 September 2011

With or Without Gaddafi Keziah-Ann Abakah As the uprising in Libya shows no signs of slowing down I’d like to address a question that most have kept edged at the vey back of their mind. Is Libya really better off without Gaddafi? The facts can not be changed and the past events cannot be disputed but has anyone really taken a second out of time to think, really think. Are the rebels as just as they seem? In his forty one years and 360 days as ruler of Libya Gaddafi has done a number of things but not all of them have been bad. If we look from one angle we see that under his rule Libya has gained a lot of media attention, opened the lines of communication with other nations and seen an increase in wealth. If we look from the other we see that the media attention Libya has gained has been because of Gaddafi’s acts of terror, the open lines of communication have been so that Gaddafi can conduct sales of his weapons (of mass destruction) and the increase of wealth has only lined Gaddafi’s pockets. There is

nothing Gaddafi has not done during his reign and now that the sun no longer shines on Libya’s morning star what comes next? So far it seems that peace is on the horizon. The rebels have secured most of Libya;

Gaddafi is nowhere in sight and most if not all of his comrades have forsaken him so now what happens? How will the rebels bring to a nation what was deprived for forty one years? How can we be sure

that the rebels don’t intend to start a new reign of terror? How can we know that the rebels will not squander the income they are gaining? The rebels have used violence to extinguish violence what’s not to say that they’ll continue this violence when all is said and done? Gaddafi has killed in order to protect what he saw was right (his power) and the rebels have killed in order to protect what they see is right (their freedom). So I ask again? What’s next? No one can state the exact intentions of the rebels? No one can be sure that all they intend to do will benefit Libya? And no one knows what they will do when (not if) Gaddafi is found? What one does know is this. It is unlikely for people as loving, vibrant and hopeful as Libyans to suffer as they have suffered for a freedom they deserve and toss it to the winds once it is gained. No matter what lies in wait the world must bear in mind that it will take more than a single minded ruler to diminish as nation as great as Libya. For Libya will prosper with or without Gaddafi.

EDUCATION

Back to School Gizmos New Term needs new Technology- Going back to school isn’t only about buying new uniform it’s also about buying new gadgets. With technology being easily available and more inexpensive, it is becoming more essential for students to have. Take the computer for example, now rarely purchased, has been overpowered by the laptop due to the efficiency and advancement of the gadget. To make sure you are updated in the latest gizmos here are a few good buys…

Kodak has cheap and efficient printers. This all in one printer, KODAK ESP 3250 is available from £45. Another advantage of KODAK printer’s ink is ridiculously cheap.

This will surly make waking up in the morning easier. This wondrous Sony Serene alarm clock is available from £34.00

HP offers a range of laptops and netbooks in unusual colours and designs. This model is the Mini 110 available form £199

By Misbah Khan

With a sleek new design and enhanced features, the Echo smartpen is Livescribe’s most powerful and easy to use smartpen yet. Available from £179

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 08 September 2011

DEBATE

ENTERTAINMENT

Watch Wait Wither Keziah-Ann Abakah

Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me. Finders keepers, losers’ weepers. See no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil. If ever there was an evil saying it would have to be the last of the three. Choosing to speak, see and hear no evil is a preaching put into practice by the average human being. We wake and hear of the evil going on in the world. We work and see the evil in the world. We live and speak of the evil going on in the world and yet we all seem to go around as if we are blind, deaf and mute. Which begs the question...Do we act or choose not to interfere? Our planet seems to be engulfed in a never ending cycle of pain, suffering and sorrow yet most of us choose to turn a blind eye and think this is ok. Who hasn’t seen reports of the famine going on in Somalia? Who doesn’t know of Zimbabwe’s president (Mugabe) and his less

than just ways of dealing with his people? Who hasn’t heard of North Korea’s iron fist Kim JongIl. I have, you have and it’s most likely that the next person over also knows of this.

If you see the evil going on in the world, if you hear the evil going on in the world and speak of the evil going on in the world what are you going to do about it? I am not, if you have concluded asking you to be a modern day superman or the neighborhood vigilante but I am asking you this… If you see the evil going on in the world, if you hear the evil going on in the world and speak of the evil

going on in the world what are you going to do about it? Are you going to watch it? Are you going to wait for it to sort itself out? Are you going to let those who suffer at the hand of evil continue to suffer or are you going to do something? Recently Al Jazeera did a documentary under their ‘witness’ section based on one of Congo’s many rape victims and how one of these victims has risen above the others to build an establishment of hope for so many who have had it taken away. I saw it, I heard it and now to you I’m speaking about it. I’ve refused to live in the world of the blind, the deaf and the silent and to you my question is this. I’ve given you this knowledge and with it you can do one of two things. Wait, watch and let those who suffer wither away or refuse, take action and do something with the knowledge you have. The choice is yours. Do you act? Or choose not to interfere?

All white, on the Night

t is arguably the most important day in a women’s life, the day where she can be superior in-front of everyone else and be the most beautiful bride of all. However when Kim Kardashian wedded Kris Humphries earlier this month, Kim decided to dress her sisters in similar gowns to hers, which was the miraculous Vera Wang gown. Although, the three sister’s dresses

FASHION

By Rohma Khan

Dear Miss R, My best friend wants to be a singer and she is really good. I ‘m afraid that when we grow up, she might become famous and not remember me. What do I do? - Julia Dear Julia “When you grow up” is a long time ahead. The future is not ours to know, so stay in the present, and enjoy your friend. Perhaps you will become her manager. - Miss R

Cream lace babydoll dress £15.00

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Dear Miss R, I love my father and I am pretty sure he loves me to but he and I don’t really ever talk except when I ask him to go somewhere or when I want something. That’s the only time I ever get a chance to hug him. What should I do so I can be closer to him? - Joanne

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were alike, Kim still was without question, the centre of attention in her stunning Vera Wang. This was completed with a jaw-dropping $15million worth of diamonds. Kourtney and Kim also stood out in their spectacular strapless fishtail dresses. (Left to right), Kourtney, Kim and Khloe; looking absolutely amazing in their Vera Wang’s.

ADVICE

Laces have been a major hit this year. They are feminine yet sophisticated and great to wear on a night out ...

Cream chelsea girl lace angel sleeve dress £35.00 http://www.riverisland.com

By Misbah Khan

Dear Joanne, The best way to become closer is to spend time, talk to, and do things with him. Ask him how his day has been and offer to help when he is doing household chores. Talk about his interests and hobbies. Ask for help in an area that he has some expertise. Update him about your life and friends. Go for walks. Turn off the television. Thank him for being your dad. Every father loves that. - Miss R

aarc S

Saarc international I Thursday 08 September 2011

SAARC Summit

See Page 21

Thursday, 08.09.11

Pakistani forces capture senior al Qaeda leader in Quetta

The Pakistani military claimed it captured Younis al Mauritania, a senior al Qaeda leader suspected of directing attacks against the US, Europe, and Australia, along with two associates during a raid in the southwestern city of Quetta. The Pakistani Army announced today that al Mauritania and “two other senior Al Qaeda operatives, Abdul Ghaffar Al Shami (Bachar Chama) and Messara Al Shami (Mujahid Amino)” were captured in a joint raid carried out by the Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate (ISI), the military’s notorious intelligence service, and the Frontier Corps Balochistan. The arrests were “conducted with technical assistance of United States Intelligence Agencies,” the Pakistani military’s press release stated. The announcement included a grainy file photograph of al Mauritania but did not mention the date of the raid. Al Mauritania “was tasked personally by Osama Bin Laden to focus on hitting targets of economical importance in United States of America, Europe, and Australia,” according to the Pakistani military’s announcement.

Work displayed in saarc int. are a review of southasianmedia.net. The information on this page is for information purposes only. The South Asia Tribune and SAARC International Ltd. assume no liability for any inaccurate, delayed, or incomplete information, nor for any actions taken in reliance thereon. The full story can be viewed at www.southasianmedia.net

international

India’s PM begins key visit to Bangladesh

See page 12

Briefcase bomb 11 dead and at least 76 injured in New Delhi High Court bombing See page 14

SPECIAL FEATURE

Saarc international I Thursday 08 September 2011

US was keen on preserving India, Pakistan truce: Wikileaks

erming the ceasefire between India and Pakistan in Held Jammu & Kashmir as an important achievement, classified United States documents released by Wikileaks revealed that Washington was keen on ‘preserving’ the truce, The Economic Times reported. Terming the ceasefire between India and Pakistan in Held Jammu & Kashmir as an important achievement, classified United States documents released by Wikileaks revealed that Washington was keen on ‘preserving’ the truce, The Economic Times reported on Friday. In a 2005 cable to US State Department under the heading ‘preserving the LoC ceasefire’, then Ambassador to India David C Mulford urged Bush Administration to issue a statement to support the truce announced by New Delhi & Islamabad on November 24, 2003. “We urge the Department to issue a firm statement supporting the ceasefire; reiterating our

unequivocal opposition to crossborder terrorist infiltration; condemning the recent shelling and reaffirming our support for the Composite Dialogue process,” Mulford said in the cable sent in January 2005. The cable is one of 138,887 released by Wikileaks on August 30. “The LoC ceasefire is one of the most important achievements

Caution is key when dealing with the West Nations such as the US, UK propped Gaddafi up and gave him legitimacy. Riding side-by-side with the excesses of Muammar Gaddafi it is becoming evident that western powers have once again played a hand of duplicity, betrayal and selfserving interests. Talks between Gaddafi and the National Transitional Council (NTC) have failed. The call is for one final all-out offensive to wipe out the dictator from Libya’s future. Even as they stand on the threshold of success the revolutionaries must remember not to sell their souls

but the NTC must be wise enough to remember that alliances must be viewed with scepticism. These are the same people who propped Gaddafi up and gave him legitimacy, sometimes even being complicit in torture of suspects and human rights abuse. Vis-a-vis the support by Nato, the NTC must remember that there is no such thing as a free lunch. Ultimately, it is a self-serving intervention by resource-hungry western powers. The only difference here is that the US and UK have learnt their lessons from when they showed open contempt for international

Dozens of CIA documents, MI5 and MI6 files recovered from the residence of former foreign minister Mousa Kousa and, by virtue of that, Libya’s progress to their so-called wellmeaning allies. , who has since defected, indicate that the roots of friendship with certain western powers — namely the US and UK — are fragile. They can be depended upon when times are pleasant, but there is a serious trust deficit when matters come to a head. This does not mean that one should condone Gaddafi,

laws to attack Iraq, after convincing the world that Saddam Hussain had stockpiled weapons of mass destruction. The after-effect of that offensive and subsequently, the one on Afghanistan, has brought nothing but misery to people. The common man will always pick up the tab for the immature, triggerhappy misadventures of their governments.

in the slow but steady Indo-Pak rapproachment process that began in mid-2003 with former PM Vajpayee’s ‘Hand of Friendship’ speech, but without US engagement that accomplishment could soon founder,” Mulford reported. He appreciated response of New Delhi & Islamabad in the aftermath of two ceasefire violations in three days in January 2005 terming it as

“measured” and “serious”. “Despite shelling of Indian side of LoC twice in three days (January 18 & 20), both governments have responded in a measured and serious manner, conscious that 14 months of silence along the LOC has come to symbolize de-escalation of Indo- Pak conflict, while providing tens of thousands of Kashmiris the longest respite from daily shelling

since the 1999 Kargil War,” he added. “The ceasefire… has fuelled hopes for broader progress in military CBMs. These instances of shelling, if they do not stop, could spill over into Composite Dialogue and negatively affect broad sense of goodwill that exists in India for fixing relations with Pakistan,” Mulford said.

Half of Americans face mental disorders

About half of all the people in the US will experience some form of mental health problems during their life time, a new federal report says. The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in its latest Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report announced that the level of mental disorders has increased in the US. The survey revealed that about 11 million Americans experienced serious mental health illness during the past year - that represents about five percent of the population. “In 2004, an estimated 25 percent of adults in the United States reported having a mental illness in the previous year. The economic cost of mental illness in the United States is substantial, approximately $300 billion in 2002,” CDC experts reported

in Mental Illness Surveillance Among Adults in the United States. “The prevalence of current depression varies substantially by state from 4.3 percent in North Dakota to 13.7 percent in Mississippi and West Virginia as does the prevalence of serious psychological distress from 1.9 percent in Utah to 9.4 percent in Tennessee,” the report added. “Southeastern states generally have the highest prevalence of depression, serious psychological distress, and mean number of mentally unhealthy days. This finding likely reflects, in part, socio-demographics, access to and use of health care, and the association between mental illness and certain chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.” Not only the frequency of mental

problems but also the dramatic and shocking findings of the cost associated with treatment and loss of productivity cause concern for US health officials. There are “unacceptably high levels of mental illness in the United States,” said Ileana Arias, principal deputy director of the CDC. “Essentially, about 25 percent of adult Americans reported having a mental illness in the previous year. In addition to the high level, we were surprised by the cost associated with that we estimated about $300 billion in 2002.” The alarming report also showed that about 84 million of the US population reported having suicidal thoughts; 2.2 million made plans to kill themselves in the past year. However, about one million of Americans attempted suicide last year.

Saarc international I Thursday 08 September 2011

WEEKLY REVIEW OF AFGHANISTAN NEWS

Floods cause heavy losses, casualties in Afghanistan Five people suffered casualties, dozens of cattle were killed, several houses were damaged and hundreds of jirabs of land and crops were washed away by flash floods caused by heavy rains in various parts of the Nangarhar province. A Nangarhar media centre press release Saturday (September 03) said that two persons were injured, 500 cattle were killed, 88 houses were damaged, 1000 jirabs of crops were destroyed and 800 jirabs of land was washed away due to flash floods in Sherzad ddistrict of Nangarhar province on Thursday and Friday. The press release said 850-metrelong nullah providing water for 2000 jirabs of land was damaged by flood waters in Marki Khel area of Sherzad district.A person was killed and two more injured while 400 cattle were killed, 900 jirabs of crops were damaged, 20 dams were washed away, a break furnace was completely destroyed and roads were washed

away in several areas of Kot district, the press release said.About 70 houses were destroyed, 400 jirabs of land was washed away and official farms were damaged due to flash floods

in Batikot district, the press release maintained.Twenty-four residential houses were damaged due to flood waters in Mohmandara district, the press release said, adding there were

reports of casualties in various parts of Kama district.Flash floods had caused damage to properties and losses to lives in Nangarhar province before the Eidul Fitr.

Disqualified Afghan MPs barred from parliament Nine Afghan lawmakers kicked out of the country’s lower house as part of efforts to end a long-running vote-rigging row were refused access to parliament on Saturday. The Independent Election Commission (IEC) last month ordered that the nine MPs be replaced, after almost a year of street protests and controversy over last September’s fraud-tainted parliamentary polls.

While nine was far lower than other figures previously floated, a special tribunal said in June it should be 62, a quarter of all lawmakers, the ruling still prompted fury among many politicians. The row has raised questions about transparency in Afghan politics and is prolonging uncertainty as foreign combat forces start withdrawals ahead of a 2014 deadline for all of them to leave.

Afghanistan opens political offices in five countries

The Interior Ministry Spokesman Jajan Musazai has said that Afghanistan has opened new embassies and consulates in five countries. Talking to reporters in Kabul on Sunday, Musazai said that by opening embassies and consulates Afghanistan would improve its political ties with more countries of the world.“Embassies have been opened in Iraq, Brazil and Hungary while consulates established in Vancouver city of Canada and Monsion city of Germany,” the spokesman said.“We want to create political ties with more countries on the international level,” he said. He said several Afghan citizens have been living in Vancouver and Monsion cities of Canada and Germany respectively, and that Afghanistan needed political representation there.

‘US money Taliban’s Medvedev urges regional solution to Afghan issues biggest source of revenue’

S contracts have been the biggest source of funds for the Taliban except for the opium harvest, a report issued by the Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan has said. US contracts have been the biggest source of funds for the Taliban except for the opium harvest, a report issued by the Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan has said. The report said the United States had wasted billions in Iraq and Afghanistan and more tax dollars would go down the drain unless

the government introduced major changes. A separate investigation estimated that $360 million had ended up in the hands of the Taliban, CBS News reported. “We are wasting between $30 and $60 billion during the course of our engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Commission on Wartime Contracting Chairman Christopher Shays said. The sheer volume of spending 260,000 contractors on the payroll at any one time amid the chaos of war was simply too much for the US to manage, the report said.

ussian President Dmitry Medvedev said Friday that the fate of Afghanistan and surrounding nations should be decided by regional powers, an apparent call for reduced US engagement. The remarks appear to mark a new effort by Moscow to make strategic and economic inroads in Afghanistan at the expense of the United States, whose relations with Afghan President Hamid Karzai have become strained.”What is happening

in Afghanistan in the security sphere ultimately lies on our shoulders, so we need to strengthen cooperation within regional organizations” Medvedev said. In a sign of Russia’s effort to exert influence in the region, Medvedev announced that a deal will be signed early next year with Afghanistan’s northern neighbor, Tajikistan, to extend the presence of Russian troops in the country by 49 more years. Medvedev and Karzai met at a

four-nation summit in the capital of Tajikistan that also included Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, whose countries both share porous borders with Afghanistan. Medvedev singled out the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Collective Security Treaty Organization, two Russia-dominated security blocs comprising mainly former Soviet Central Asian members, as being key to preserving stability.

Saarc international I Thursday 08 September 2011

WEEKLY REVIEW OF BANGLADESH NEWS

India’s PM begins key visit to Bangladesh

Manmohan Singh’s trip aimed at mending ties with eastern neighbour, but water sharing and transit deals remain unlikely. Manmohan Singh, the Indian prime minister, has arrived in Dhaka, the Bangladeshi capital, on a high-profile visit aimed at mending often fractious relations with his country’s eastern neighbour.”We attach the highest importance to further developing and strengthening our relations with Bangladesh,” Singh said in a statement on Tuesday issued before his trip.”Our partnership with Bangladesh is

important for the stability and prosperity of our own northeast region.”However, breakthroughs on key disputes, including the sharing of water from rivers and transit rights, look unlikely during the two-day visit.Officials in both countries said a deal to share water from two rivers, the Teesta and the Feni, that flow via India into Bangladesh may not be signed during Singh’s visit because the government of the Indian state of West Bengal state refused to accept the agreement.Ranjan Mathai, India’s foreign secretary, said on Tuesday

that the government would go ahead with the Teesta river deal only if it was acceptable to the state government.”In our federal scheme, any agreement we do will have to be acceptable to the state government ... won’t get into details on where we are now,” Mathai said.Dipu Moni, the Bangladeshi foreign minister, said late on Monday that India had not ruled out the signing of an agreement. “We are still hopeful,” she said.But a Bangladesh foreign ministry official told the Reuters news agency on Tuesday the river deal “looks very unlikely” during Singh’s visit.

Transit rights There was also not expected to be agreement on an Indian request for transit rights through Bangladesh for India’s land-locked northeastern states, because terms and conditions had not been finalised, the official said. However, Bangladesh would allow India to use its Chittagong and Mongla ports from next year to supply the states, Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, the Bangladeshi finance minister, said. Begum Khaleda Zia, the Bangladeshi opposition leader, is against giving India a “corridor” to the states and the

Dhaka seeks extension of waiver up to 2028

Bangladesh, Coordinator of LDC Group in World Trade Organisation (WTO), has sought general waiver up to 2028 from maintaining mandatory patent protection under the intellectual property rights (IPR) criteria for pharmaceutical products.Presently, Bangladesh, along with 48 other Least Developed

Countries (LDCs), is exempt from

the provision of IPR until 2016. A petition has recently been submitted to WTO headquarters in Geneva in favour of 49 LDCs including Bangladesh. The Ministry of Commerce (MoC) in consultation with different stakeholders in the country and other LDCs including Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda and

Sierra Leone, made the petition to WTO. The petition described the socioeconomic backwardness of LDCs, lack of their capacities in trade and intellectual affairs and climate change vulnerabilities as major reasons behind the extension of waiver beyond 2016.

Khaleda zia accuses ABM Khairul Haque

NP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has accused immediate past chief justice ABM Khairul Haque of annulling the caretaker government system “in exchange for money.” “Khairul Haque destroyed the judiciary and it’s now crystal clear that he gave the verdict in exchange for money,” she noted while talking to newsmen at an Eid reception at Eskaton Ladies Club on Eid day (Wednesday). The 15th amendment has been adopted only to make sure the present government stays in power forever, she mentioned adding, no election would be allowed without reinstating the caretaker government system to the constitution. The former premier said she will announce a fresh agitation programme soon to protect the

country and its people. “It will not be for going to power but to save the people from the government’s torture.” Referring to the death of pro-BNP

lawyer Mamtaz Uddin Ahmed on August 26, Khaleda reiterated that the lawyer was tortured to death in police custody. On the upcoming visit of the Indian

prime minister, she said BNP wants good relations with India on the basis of equality. At the reception the leader of the opposition exchanged Eid greetings with party men, diplomats, political leaders, eminent citizens and the general people. BNP has been highly critical of Khairul Haque for giving verdicts on some important political issues. His SC bench in a verdict declared the caretaker government system illegal but said the system could continue for the next two general elections. The full text of the verdict is yet to be disclosed. Later parliament cancelled the caretaker system through adopting the 15th amendment defying protests from BNP and its allies.

right to use the ports because she feels it would give India “an upper hand” over Bangladesh. The two sides are expected to sign a key agreement to definitively demarcate their 4,000km shared border. As part of the deal, they will swap scores of enclaves tiny, landlocked communities in each other’s territory -in which more than 50,000 people live, cut off from their respective governments and without access to even basic services.Singh is due to meet Khaleda on Wednesday, while he will hold talks with the Bangladeshi PM a day before. Growing trade Bilateral trade has grown steadily but remains heavily in India’s favour, with the gap widening, causing concern in Bangladesh where businesses are asking for the removal of both tariff and non-tariff barriers.Last year, India gave Bangladesh a billion-dollar soft loan, the biggest credit package New Delhi has ever earmarked for any nation. The visit comes after an embarrassing slip-up in June, when Singh, in an interaction with senior journalists, claimed that many Bangladeshis were “very anti-Indian”. Singh’s visit, which ends on Wednesday, is the first by an Indian prime minister to Bangladesh in 12 years.

Amnesty in Malaysia: 4 lakh expat workers get registered Around 4 lakh Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia got registered under its amnesty programme, said Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur. On June 22, Kuala Lumpur announced amnesty to foreign workers, allowing them to get registered for regularisation or to return home without facing any penalty. Malaysia started registration of regular foreign workers on July 13 and irregular foreign workers on August 1. The deadline for registration was August 31.

Saarc international I Thursday 08 September 2011

WEEKLY REVIEW OF BHUTAN NEWS

A 2011 wishlist of eight projects

hutan proposed eight projects for grant assistance in survey and technical cooperation from Japan for 2011 during the sixth annual consultation between Bhutan and Japan on September 3 in Thimphu. One of the proposed projects is the Taklai irrigation scheme that has been damaged from consecutive floods. Under the KR II 2012 project, Bhutan proposed assistance of 350 two-wheeler tractors with rotary tiller, 350 single reversible ploughs, 10 combined harvesters and 50 power threshers. The third proposal is assistance from Japan for the construction of

development of an integrated GLOF early warning system, with operational capacity enhancement for climate change adaption in Mangdechu and Chamkharchu river basins. Bhutan also proposed technical assistance from Japan to strengthen farm mechanism phase II; to strengthen the community policing system; in the development of national procedure for technical assessment of manufacturing pharmaceutical firms and establishing inspection.

an 800m long motorable bridge over the MaoKhola in Gelephu that cost around Nu 327M.Reconstruction

The winter session of the Parliament has been postponed until January 2012.

This was the eighth session of the first Parliament of the first democratically elected government. The National Assembly had proposed the upcoming session to begin sometime towards the end of November. Assembly secretary Nima Tshering

said there was no valid reason as such for the decision. “It’s certain that the winter session will begin in the first week of January,” he said. “A fixed date cannot be ascertained at the moment as we have to study the zakar, it has to fall on an auspicious day.”

of the 325m long Diana Kuenphen bridge in Samtse, that’s estimated to cost about USD 18.20M is the

fourth proposal. One of the four proposed projects for technical cooperation includes the

May take to wing by mid-October Private airline Tashi Air says it can commence domestic air operations by mid-October, and could also start flying internationally by March next year.Tashi Air CEO David Young said that the private airline is expecting its domestic aircraft on 7 October. The private airline will operate a Swissbuilt single propeller engine, the Pilatus PC-12. This aircraft, which can seat up to nine passengers, will not be brand new. But the CEO, who is a former Drukair pilot, pointed out that the aircraft had flown 800 hours in its three years of existence. “It’s virtually a new aircraft,” he said.Tashi Air will initially employ foreign pilots, while its Bhutanese pilots are being trained, said David Young. It has also already employed a foreign chief engineer, and two Bhutanese engineers.He pointed out that domestic operations are dependent on when Batpalathang

airstrip in Bumthang is ready. He added that, if the airstrip is ready by October, Tashi Air domestic operations would begin that month. Completion of Batpalathang airstrip

donor perception was good, Lyonpo Yeshey Zimba shared with a few Bhutanese journalists, gathered at one of the conference halls of the convention centre, right as he

entered after the meeting. “I expected there would be discussions about phasing out,” he said, adding the donors were instead forthcoming, and that, almost without exception, committed they are with Bhutan and would be through the next plan. The meeting did not delve into figures, he said, because the Eleventh Plan was at a very early stage, a conceptual stage.“This will, however, be followed up by bilateral discussions later,” he said. “But the indication are very positive.”The UN assistant secretary general Dr Ajay Chhibber shared with reporters at the press conference a range of reactions from the development partners.

continues to face hurdles, and has been delayed by nearly a year now. The airstrip continues to possess a rolling deadline, with the latest being this month.

Multiple moves to cut down crime

Donors communicate continued aid

“The pulse is good,” was ministerin-charge of foreign affairs Yeshey Zimba’s hunch from having sat through the two-day round table meeting that ended Friday.That the

Commenting on the proposals, director of country assistance planning division of Japan, Shuichi Tokuda, said the proposals were taken note of and would be looked at in the order of importance.

n a move to combat rising crime in Thimphu city, the Royal Bhutan Police (RBP) has found it necessary to establish more police stations, called community watch centres, in the capital, said police chief Kipchu Namgyel. He was speaking on the occasion of his agency’s 46th Police Raising day in Thimphu Friday. Brigadier Kipchu Namgyel also revealed that, beginning this year, the RBP will implement a competitive system for its various superintendents and officer-in-

charges in a move to reduce crime nationwide. The intention will be to motivate police personnel to work harder to prevent crime, he said. The RBP also adopted “We Serve and Protect the Community” as its slogan. The police chief pointed out that this year’s police Raising Day is dedicated to the youth of Bhutan. The theme for the day this year is entitled ‘A year in partnership with the youth’. The police have been attempting to reduce crime by strengthening links with school students through its ‘police-youth partnership program’. Division heads, including the police chief, have been visiting schools and colleges nationwide, to speak on youth related crime issues, and answer student questions, this year.

Saarc international I Thursday 08 September 2011

WEEKLY REVIEW OF INDIA NEWS

Briefcase bomb 11 dead and at least 76 injured in New Delhi High Court bombing Pakistan-based Harkat-ul-Jehadi Islami has claimed responsibility

Terror revisited New Delhi on Wednesday when a powerful explosion ripped through a crowd at the Delhi High Court, killing 11 people and injuring at least 76 in India’s third worst bombing since the November 2008 Mumbai attack. The suitcase bomb went off around 10.30 a.m. just outside Gate No. 5 of the complex near India Gate in central Delhi, where passes are issued for hundreds of litigants, media personnel and other visitors to the court.At the time of the explosion, around 300 people were waiting outside various gates of the court.According to Home Secretary R.K. Singh, the bomb was in a suitcase. “We have remains of the suitcase,” he told reporters. Police also suspect the use of ammonium nitrate in the explosive. “We are investigating how the brief case was placed there It is not a controlled area. There were lots of

people,” said Special Commissioner Dharmendra Kumar. Terror email And in an email to various media houses Pakistan-based Harkatul-Jehadi Islami has claimed responsibility for bombing outside the Delhi High Court.The group demanded the death sentence of 2001 parliament attack convict Afzal Guru be immediately ‘repealed’.”We own the responsibility of today’s blast at (the) high court (in) Delhi. Our demand is that Afzal Guru’s death sentence should be repealed immediately else would target major high courts and the Supreme Court of India,” the email read. Guru has been sentenced to death by the Supreme Court after he was convicted for the December 13, 2001 parliament attack.”We are taking the email seriously,” National Investigation Agency (NIA) chief S.C. Sinha told reporters. ‘Unite to crush terrorism’

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in a statement condemned the blast saying the country ‘must unite to crush the scourge of terror’”This is a long war in which all political parties, all the people of India have to stand united so that the scourge of terrorism is crushed,” Singh said from Dhaka, where he is on a trade visit. Scenes of horror At the site, where the blast was marked by a crater, Bhagwan Das, an eyewitness, recounted his ‘close encounter’ with a moment of terror that left him numbed. “I saw some people losing their hands and legs. Their bodies drenched in blood. God, it was terrible,” Das said.At the nearby Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital where the injured were taken, the scene was grim. Allauddin, 40, lost one of his legs in the blast. He was at the court for the hearing of a case related to his factory.”My son...my son lost his

leg,” cried his devastated father, as scores of people scurried around him. There was intelligence Home Minister P. Chidambaram admitted in the Lok Sabha that Delhi Police did receive intelligence inputs on terror threats in July this year. He also said the attack occurred although the capital was on high alert.”Intelligence pertaining to threats emanating from certain groups was shared with Delhi Police in July… despite Delhi Police remaining on high alert, the tragic incident occurred today,” he said.The minister said the investigation will be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).The terror attack on Wednesday is also the second time in four months that the Delhi High Court has been targeted. On May 25, a low-intensity explosion, from a plastic bag near a car, took place without causing any damage.

Mamata refuses to go to Dhaka with PM

Banerjee is upset with the Teesta water sharing treaty the two countries are about to sign, as she feels the agreement will go against the interests of West Bengal.In what could be a setback for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s upcoming Bangladesh visit on September 6-7, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has refused to accompany him to Dhaka. Banerjee is upset with the Teesta water sharing treaty the two countries are about to sign, as she feels the agreement will go against the interests of West Bengal.

Cong takes big hit as BJP gains from Anna fast: Poll

An opinion poll conducted by market researcher Nielsen for a TV channel has found that BJP has gained a 12point lead since May, when it lagged behind the Congress. Anna Hazare’s anti-corruption agitation and the UPA government’s poor handling of it have cost the Congress dear, shaving off onethird of its support while boosting the popularity of its principal rival BJP.

Left parties demand effective Prashant Bhushan receives breach of privilege notice laws to combat graft

he Left parties on Friday demanded a strong and effective Lokpal but emphasised that creation of an ombudsman to tackle corruption would need to be reinforced by laws

and reforms in other areas. Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat, at a joint rally here, described the UPA government as the “most corrupt”

regime in independent India, with a scam surfacing every passing day. He said that in order to check corruption, the country must enact laws to carry out reforms in elections, land and in the corporate sector. “We need a strong Lokpal. But one single Lokpal will not help us in the fight corruption,’’ he said. Mr. Karat said the draft Bill introduced by the government did not contain any provision to check the corrupt practices of the corporate sector or covering the entire bureaucracy under the institution of the Lokpal. All India Forward Block leader Debabrata Biswas said the fight against corruption was a long drawn one and would not conclude with the passage of a Lokpal Bill.

awyer Prashant Bhushan on Saturday said he has received a breach of privilege notice for his remarks against Parliamentarians, the second Team Anna member to get such a notice. Mr. Bhushan said he has been accused of using derogatory words against MPs and has been asked to file a reply.

Terming the notice as “totally unjustified”, he told PTI that “speaking the truth in public interest does not amount to breach of privilege“. “If speaking truth in public interest amounts to breach of privilege, then time has come for the country to review the whole notion of Parliamentary privileges,” he said.

Saarc international I Thursday 08 September 2011

SPECIAL FEATURE

Ten Years After 9/11 Disturbing Questions Remain Did members of the CIA and NSA have foreknowledge of the coming 9/11 attacks? Disconnecting the Dots book proves they did.

As the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon nears, disturbing information about US government’s foreknowledge of the perpetrators is coming to light. In the book Disconnecting the Dots, recently released in paperback, author Kevin Fenton delves deeply into the questionable actions taken by some

Laden unit, Alec Station – the “Alec Station group”. In fact, the author shows how certain intelligence officials deliberately tried to keep the plot from being discovered by colleagues. In addition to the withholding of information by the CIA, another key aspect of the book is the NSA’s surveillance of an al Qaeda safe house and communication hub in Yemen. The bombings of the US embassy in Africa, the attack on the USS Cole and the 9/11 attacks were all coordinated from this location. Even though the NSA and CIA monitored all the communications through this hub, they failed to take action to stop the attacks. Fenton specifically names Alec Station deputy chief Tom Wilshire and his boss Richard Blee as being primarily responsible for many of the intelligence failures. The author’s research points to multiple occasions when the FBI was not notified that known terrorists had US visas and were traveling to the country. In addition, the Alec Station group’s influence reached into the FBI and prevented it from conducting investigations into certain terrorists that ultimately allowed the 9/11 attacks to go forward. Publisher Kris Millegan states, “Kevin’s book is very sober, and examines events

members of America’s intelligence community in the months before the tragedy. Using official reports, source records and other reports, Fenton places the blame for not apprehending the terrorists squarely at the feet of a small group of officials centered around the CIA’s bin

through multiple viewpoints. The book narrowly focuses on a few government officials who had verified intelligence about two of the ‘hijackers,’ but then kept that information away from critical US investigative bodies, which could have intervened in the 9/11 plot. It’s a damning tale.”

September 11, 2001

15 August 04, 2011

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 08 September 2011

Was 9/11 an ‘inside job’? About one out of seven US and British citizens believe that the US government was behind the 9/11 attacks, according to a poll recently conducted in the United States and Britain. The survey interviewed 1,000 people on August 28, asking them, “It is generally accepted that these attacks were carried out by al-Qaeda. However some people have suggested there was a wider conspiracy that included the American

Gordon Duff, the senior editor of Veterans Today, discussed the 9/11 issue during an interview with Press TV’s US Desk on Tuesday. It is very distressing for US veterans to know that their own government was responsible for the disaster, and on September 11, 2011 “they are going to come out, parade around, and lie to us again,” Duff said. More than a third of the American public suspects that

government than they used to be. Widespread resentment and alienation toward the national government appear to be fueling a growing acceptance of conspiracy theories about the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Suspicions that the 9/11 attacks were “an inside job” -- the common phrase used by conspiracy theorists on the Internet -- quickly have become

planned the whole thing,” he said. “Of course, we don’t think the evidence leads that way at all.” The poll also found that 16 percent of Americans speculate that secretly planted explosives, not burning passenger jets, were the real reason the massive twin towers of the World Trade Center collapsed. Conspiracy groups for at least two years have also questioned why the World Trade Center

tracked the level of resentment people feel toward the federal government since 1995, starting shortly after Timothy McVeigh bombed the federal building in Oklahoma City. Fortyseven percent then said they, personally, feel “more angry at the federal government” than they used to. That percentage dropped to 42 percent in 1997, 34 percent in 1998 and only 12 percent shortly after 9/11 during the groundswell of

government. Do you, yourself, believe that there was a wider conspiracy, or not?” The Daily Mail reported on Friday that 14 percent of British citizens and 15 percent of US citizens believe the George W. Bush administration actually staged the attacks, with the view most common among young people aged between 16 and 24, 24 percent of whom said they believed 9/11 was an inside job.

federal officials assisted in the 9/11 terrorist attacks or took no action to stop them so the United States could go to war in the Middle East, according to a new Scripps Howard/Ohio University poll. The national survey of 1,010 adults also found that anger against the federal government is at record levels, with 54 percent saying they “personally are more angry” at the

nearly as popular as decadesold conspiracy theories that the federal government was responsible for President John F. Kennedy’s assassination and that it has covered up proof of space aliens. Seventy percent of people who give credence to these theories also say they’ve become angrier with the federal government than they used to be. Thirty-six percent of respondents overall said it is “very likely” or “somewhat likely” that federal officials either participated in the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon or took no action to stop them “because they wanted the United States to go to war in the Middle East.” “One out of three sounds high, but that may very well be right,” said Lee Hamilton, former vice chairman of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (also called the 9/11 Commission). His congressionally appointed investigation concluded that federal officials bungled their attempts to prevent, but did not participate in, the attacks by alQaida five years ago. “A lot of people I’ve encountered believe the U.S. government was involved,” Hamilton said. “Many say the government

collapsed when fires that heavily damaged similar skyscrapers around the world did not cause such destruction. Sixteen percent said it’s “very likely” or “somewhat likely” that “the collapse of the twin towers in New York was aided by explosives secretly planted in the two buildings.” Twelve percent suspect the Pentagon was struck by a military cruise missile in 2001 rather than by an airliner captured by terrorists. University of Florida law professor Mark Fenster, author of the book “Conspiracy Theories: Secrecy and Power in American Culture,” said the poll’s findings reflect public anger at the unpopular Iraq war, realization that Saddam Hussein did not have weapons of mass destruction and growing doubts of the veracity of the Bush administration. “What has amazed me is not that there are conspiracy theories, but that they didn’t seem to be getting any purchase among the American public until the last year or so,” Fenster said. “Although the Iraq war was not directly related to the 9/11 attacks, people are now looking back at 9/11 with much more skepticism than they used to.” The Scripps Survey Research Center at Ohio University has

patriotism and support for the government after the attacks. But the new survey found that 77 percent say their friends and acquaintances have become angrier with the government recently and 54 percent say they, themselves, have become angrier -- both record levels. The survey also found that people who regularly use the Internet but who do not regularly use so-called “mainstream” media are significantly more likely to believe in 9/11 conspiracies. People who regularly read daily newspapers or listen to radio newscasts were especially unlikely to believe in the conspiracies. “We know that there are a lot of people now asking questions,” said Janice Matthews, executive director of 911Truth.org, one of the most sophisticated Internet sites raising doubts about official explanations of the attacks. “We didn’t have the Internet after Pearl Harbor, the Gulf of Tonkin or the Kennedy assassination. But we live in different times now.” The survey was conducted by telephone from July 6-24 at the Scripps Survey Research Center at the University of Ohio under a grant from the Scripps Howard Foundation. The poll has a margin of error of 4 percentage points.

September 11, 2001

August 04, 2011

Saarc international I Thursday 08 September 2011

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Saarc international I Thursday 08 September 2011

SPECIAL FEATURE

Perspective On 9/11 And The Invasions Of Iraq & Afghanistan Pakistan has played a central role in what George Bush called the “War on Terror”. Since the 9/11 attacks, some 35,000 civilians and more than 3,000 security personnel have been killed in Pakistan as a result of fighting in the country.The cost of the ongoing offensive against the Taliban and Al Qaeda is now approaching $68bn. Iraq experiences 27.79 Fort Hood shootings a day and averages the equivalent casualties of September 11th every 8.23 days. Afghanistan experiences 1 Fort Hood shooting a day and averages the equivalent casualties of September 11th every 231.24 days. Iraq and Afghanistan combined experience 28.78 Fort Hood shootings a day and average the equivalent casualties of September 11th every 7.95 days. In total, Iraq and Afghanistan have experienced the equivalent of 348 September 11ths or 79960 Fort Hood shootings. Methodology Iraq Civilian Casualties: There is high variance between various sources on the number of civilian casualties since the US-led invasion in March 2003. The only source to calculate Iraqi civilian casualties since the invasion is Iraq Body Count, which only counts bodies confirmed by the Western media, leading it to severely under-report the total number of civilians killed since March 2003. Correspondingly, other studies only cover specific time periods. For instance, the most recognized study conducted by Lancet and John Hopkins University in October 2006 listed over 650,000 killed. Data is then extrapolated to represent the March 2003 to September 2010 timeframe. Afghanistan Civilian Casualties: Currently, no study exists that comprehensively covers the total civilian casualties since the October 2001 aerial campaign and subsequent invasion. Most studies focus on yearly statistics or casualties deriving from a specific method (aerial bombing, improvised explosive devices, etc.). When possible, yearly computations were combined or extrapolated to find a total, as was done in the excellent table provided in Wikipedia’s page on civilian casualties since the US Invasion. Base Statistics: September 11 Victims:

2,974; American Casualties in Afghanistan & Iraq: 5697; Afghan Civilian Casualties: 45,799; Iraqi Civilian Casualties: 989788′ Total Iraqi & Afghan Civilian Casualties: 1035587; Average Daily Civilian Casualties, Iraq & Afghanistan: 374.18 The U.S. has steadily increased its support of counter-insurgency campaigns

civilians throughout Pakistan. By conservative estimate, more than 35,000 Pakistanis have been killed from 2004 to 2010 and more than 40,000 have been injured during that period by the various parties to the conflict. This does not include the likely deaths of tens of thousands more combatants — both

by the Pakistani government and its compensation of Pakistan for assistance to the U.S. war in Afghanistan. The U.S. has used Pakistan as a major supply route for weapons, fuel, and material into Afghanistan. U.S. cross border attacks into Pakistan from Afghanistan have also increased. This increased U.S. support has coincided with a dramatic escalation of the conflict between local Pakistani insurgents and their government. It is difficult to know how many have died in Pakistan since 2004 due to the violence and how many of those are civilians. Most of the fighting is concentrated in the Northwest, near the border with Afghanistan, but the bloodshed not infrequently affects

insurgents and Pakistani government forces. Given the pace of the fighting in 2011, several thousand more have likely already been killed and wounded this year. The U.S. began its semi-covert campaign of drone strikes in 2004 to kill Al Qaeda and Taliban forces based in Northern Pakistan. These strikes have killed about 2,000 people, including civilians. The arguments about how many of the dead are civilians are nearly as intense as the disputes about the legality of the strikes, although most international legal scholars believe at least some aspects of the strikes are illegal. U.S. Special Forces and the CIA have also engaged in operations in Pakistan for several years.

The Taliban, Al Qaeda, and members of other militant organizations have killed thousands of civilians in Pakistan using suicide attacks, assassination, and ambushes. The Pakistani Security Forces have also killed civilians with mortars, direct fire, and with bombs as they target militants in several major offensives in the Swat Valley and neighboring districts. In some years, it appears that Pakistani security forces were responsible for the majority of civilian killings. The U.S. has provided direct and overt security aid and reimbursement to Pakistan since the September 11 attacks to a total of more than $14 billion. The U.S. has also trained Pakistani military

forces and provided military equipment to Pakistan including tanks, missiles and helicopters which have been used in these offensives. The burden of war is also evident in the number of Pakistanis who are both internally displaced and who have sought refuge in other countries. Although the exact numbers are difficult to determine, millions of Pakistanis have been pushed from their homes in the last several years. Specifically, in 2009, more than 3 million Pakistanis were internally displaced in the northwest region of Pakistan, because of fighting, many staying in the approximately 30 camps for internally displaced people.

Saarc international I Thursday 08 September 2011

WEEKLY REVIEW OF PAKISTAN NEWS

22 killed in twin blasts in Pakistan

A twin bomb attack has killed at least 22 people and wounded dozens of others in Pakistan’s southwestern city of Quetta, Press TV reports, quoting police sources. The attacks reportedly targeted a senior Pakistani official, Farrukh Shehzad, near government buildings on Wednesday. One of the blasts occurred when a vehicle packed with explosives went off near Shehzad’s car. Shehzad, who is the deputy head of the paramilitary Frontier Corps in Balochistan, was wounded and his wife was killed in the incident, police said. In the second attack, a bomber blew himself up inside Shehzad’s house, killing seven of his guards. The explosions brought down the

walls of the official’s house and nearby offices. It is not yet clear how the bomber gained access to Shehzad’s residence. The sound of gunfire could be heard following the two incidents. The site of the blasts is among the more sensitive areas of the city as several other senior officials live close by. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attacks.

PPP-MQM negotiations: No talks yet, but plenty of conversation While the much awaited talks between the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement failed to materialise on Sunday. PPP leaders continued their longdrawn out wooing of their estranged allies with both Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and Interior Minister Rehman Malik making it a point to call MQM chief Altaf Hussain on his return from a hospital in London. Contrary to reports that circulated in virtually the entire media on Saturday, there were no talks held between the PPP and the MQM on Sunday, and none appear to have been scheduled at all. There was no mention of even a future date for a meeting until the filing of this story, according to sources familiar with the situation. According to statements released by the MQM, the party chief has returned to his London home after having recovered from his as yet undisclosed illness. Hussain had earlier been admitted to a hospital because of his condition, though the party has not yet said what he suffered from nor said how serious it was. The statement said that the MQM chief had been advised ‘complete rest’ by his doctors. In what appears to be a bid to reassure his supporters, the MQM leader gave a speech on Sunday to the party’s central coordination committee, which had gathered to hear Hussain via telephone at Nine Zero, the MQM’s party headquarters in Karachi.

Once he had returned home, he was telephoned by the prime minister and the interior minister. Statements released by the party about those conversations suggest that little more than Hussain’s health was discussed as the leaders from both parties exchanged pleasantries. Hussain, did, however, state that the MQM was a ‘democracy-loving’ party and would ‘foil all designs’ against democracy in Pakistan, leading some observers to believe that this was a veiled reference by the MQM chief towards talk of a military operation that has been circulating in the media. (Read: Karachi violence – 15 killed, Army offers assistance) Prime Minister Gilani, however, seemed more explicit in his desire for the MQM to rejoin the ruling coalition, saying that the popularity of the MQM was ‘a political reality’. ‘Pressure tactics’ Meanwhile, sources close to the MQM claimed that the

reports of a scheduled meeting between the MQM and the PPP had been deliberately circulated by the PPP leadership in order to pressure the MQM through the media. “It was a political manoeuvre to attract public attention and to create a new agenda for the media to discuss,” said one source, adding that the MQM had not been formally informed of the date for the talks.Both the spokesperson of the Sindh government and the MQM denied on Sunday that any talks had been scheduled.The MQM sources, did, however, give broad hints about what it would take for the party to begin talks on rejoining the ruling coalition for the third time since the February 2008 elections.“If they (PPP) want the MQM return to the coalition government, they should come to the MQM with a clear mind and assurances that they (PPP) would show respect to the public mandate of the MQM,” said the sources.

Pakistan justice system

he US state department’s assessment about pakistan’s justice system has not revealed anything unusual when it says that it is almost incapable of bringing to justice those accused of involvement in terrorism-related cases. The judiciary in pakistan has always had an image of being pliable towards those in power. The us should, therefore, not feel disgusted when the state department’s annual report points out that the anti-terrorism courts in pakistan have an acquittal rate as high as 75 per cent. And this means that the culprits behind the 26/11 mumbai terrorist attack in which nearly 200 people, including six americans, were killed can never be punished. Anyone who thought otherwise showed little understanding of the way the legal system functioned in that country. Hafiz mohammed sayeed, the founder-chief of the lashkar-e-toiba (let), the terrorist outfit believed to have masterminded the 26/11 killings, walks free like anyone else as if his

organisation has done nothing wrong. He appears the least bothered about how the world looks at his activities. India provided sufficient dossiers to nail the 26/11 culprits, but in vain. Pakistan’s response has, however, never given the impression that it is doing all it can to ensure the punishment of the let terrorists. But this is what should be

expected of the courts in pakistan. They have the dubious distinction of setting free almost everybody arrested in terror-related cases in pakistan, where hundreds of people have died in such incidents during the past few years. Pakistan’s interior minister rehman malik recently admitted that 606

persons had been arrested for their alleged involvement in terrorist violence after the 26/11 mumbai attack, but over 50 per cent of them had been set free and the rest might also be out of jail anytime now. Even a known terrorist belonging to the lashkar-e-jhangvi, malik ishaque, was recently acquitted by a court in 34

of the 44 cases filed against him. He was no different from his mentor riaz basra, a dreaded lashkar-e-jhangvi terrorist, but was happily granted bail in 10 cases. This is how the judiciary functions in pakistan despite the presence of chief justice iftikhar chaudhry, who fought valiantly against the gen pervez musharraf regime.

Saarc international I Thursday 08 September 2011

WEEKLY REVIEW OF MALDIVE NEWS

MPs say declined committee allowance ‘in national interest’

Several MPs today claimed that their decision to decline the Rf20,000 committee allowance was in national interest while others claimed to have been subjected to humiliation following their decision.Deputy President of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Mohamed Aslam, who represents Hithadhoo-North constituency, said Rf82,500 for an MP is a huge amount in the current economic situation. “I also want money but we should prioritise national interest over personal interests,” he said.

Galolhu-North MP Eava Abdulla said MPD members were aware of the current economic situation.“That’s the reason I chose not to receive the allowance. I don’t believe in increasing my salary for myself,” she said.According to Parliament Secretariat, the 19 members who chose not to receive the allowance include opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) Leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali and his wife Visam Ali, Kulhudhuffushi-South MP Mohamed Nasheed and 16 members of the ruling MDP.

Madhana will provide healthcare to everyone in 2012: Nasheed

President Mohamed Nasheed has said that all of the people of Maldives will be provided with healthcare under Madhana (the state health insurance system) in the year 2012.Speaking at the public rally of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) held last evening at the Aritificial Beach area, President Nasheed said that the government understands that more efforts are needed to be made to promote and improve the health sector of Maldives. President Nasheed said that the

government aims to establish systems for health, well-being and social protection of the people; provide affordable, accessible and quality healthcare services and sustain the quality of healthcare services and social protection services. The President said the positive impact of the government’s social protection programme was now visible, and the government was encouraged and reassured by the success of the programme. President Nasheed said that the government’s aim is to raise the number of Madhana clients to nearly 100,000 by the end of this year. The President also said that the efforts exerted by the government to prevent the illegal trafficking of narcotic drugs into the country and drug abuse have been rewarding. He said that this is evidenced by the reduction in the number of people reported for drug offences now, compared with that of two years back.

Gayoom announces to form a new party

The Honorary Leader of the main opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has

announced yesterday evening to form a new political party. In a meeting of the breakaway Z-faction of DRP held at the Office of the Honorary Leader, Gayoom official announced the decision to register a new political party after concluding the discussions on it between the members of DRP who align themselves to the Z-faction. A top official of the faction informed Miadhu Daily that although there were some difference of opinion among the members in forming a new political party, after last evening’s announcement all are now in agreement with it.

Elections Commission to consider Gayyoom party on Thursday Elections Commission is to decide on registering former Gayyoom announced People’s Progress Party on Monday, the commission has said. The commission said the new party registration was submitted by Gayyoom’s eldest son Farish Maumoon Tuesday.700 names were submitted as members to the new party and the commission is reviewing the signatories for any error. The commissioner said that during the checking of forms any name submitted for registrations will be rechecked for membership for other parties.

During the inaugural of naming the party Gayyoom said the

administration is considering the color for the party.

SAARC Summit will develop Addu, Fuvahmulah: President President Mohamed Nasheed has said that this year’s South Asian Association for Regional Corporation (SAARC) Summit will facilitate major development in Addu City and Fuvahmulah. Regarding the pre-SAARC Summit work currently being carried out in Addu City and Fuvahmulah, the President said Addu would be transformed in to a full-fledged city through the preparations for the SAARC Summit. The President noted that in Fuvahmulah, a new airport and more roads are being constructed, erosion sites are being conserved, and a cricket stadium is being built for the summit. In his weekly radio address, President Nasheed also revealed that he would ratify the “Goods and Services Tax” bill, as part of the government’s economic and fiscal policy, at a ceremony held this afternoon in Fuvahmulah.

The President also noted that a number of cabinet ministers were in Kulhudhuffushi during the last week, to inaugurate various projects in the North Province. He said that the need to provide developmental means for Kulhudhuffushi, Hithadhoo of Addoo Atoll and other larger populations in the Maldives, was

to provide an easier means for smaller populations to benefit from the businesses and developmental establishments of the highly populated islands. Speaking in this regard, President Nasheed added that “we will be unable to reach the speed of development we desire, if all the islands depended on Male alone”.

Saarc international I Thursday 08 September 2011

WEEKLY REVIEW OF NEPAL NEWS

PM, Dahal, Koirala talk peace process

Budget to be revised with political consensus

Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai met Nepali Congress President Sushil Koirala at the latter´s residence at Maharajgunj on Monday and held talks on peace process and constitution drafting. According to sources, Dahal and Bhattarai told Koirala that they have maintained maximum flexibility on the peace process and requested Koirala to reciprocate the Maoist move. In response, Koirala told the Maoist chairman and the prime minister that his party is holding the Central Committee meeting from Tuesday and would discuss the issues of peace process and the constitutiondrafting in detail.

Airlines boss wins case

The Supreme Court issues an interim order against a government decision to relieve Nepal Airlines Corporation Managing Director KB Limbu from his post.The full bench of Justices Prem Sharma, Baidhyanath Upadhyay and Gyanendra Bahadur Karki asked the defendants to not enforce the decision taken by the government until the case is finally decided. According to the bench, an explanation sought from Limbu and the decision to remove

him does not even mention the required Act. Limbu had filed a writ in the apex court on July 3, challenging the decision of the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoTCA) to remove him before the expiry of his tenure. The Cabinet, on January 6, 2008, had appointed Limbu as the NAC MD for four years.The decision means Limbu will once again hold the executive powers as the MD by reviving the dual executive power system to run the national flag carrier. On June 29, the government had appointed Manarup Shahi as the new executive chairman by removing Sugat Ratna Kansakar as the executive chairman and Limbu as the MD. The government move then had followed a tussle between the NAC management and the government over their respective roles in running the national flag carrier in June.

With Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai stating that the budget for the current fiscal year would be revised, newly appointed Finance Minister Barsha Man Pun has said that the revision would be done on the basis of political consensus. He added that the government would amend the budget by taking the opposition parties into

confidence. The government has planned to revise the budget as per the four-point agreement reached between the UCPN (Maoist) and Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha (SLMM) to form a coalition. Pun said that the new government would own the budget presented by the previous government and

make the necessary adjustments as per the change in the political equation. “I will make efforts for political consensus to revise the budget,” said Pun while speaking to Finance Ministry officials at the ministry. “You start your preparations as per the responsibilities of the bureaucracy.”

Maoists clash over keys

Party cadres close to Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Vice Chairman Mohan Baidya clash in Panchkhal of Kavre district. At least dozen cadres, one seriously, have been injured in the incident. It is understood that the cadres clashed over the issue of handing over the keys to the arms containers to the Special Committee. The hardliner faction led by Baidya has been protesting against the party’s latest move dubbing it as “suicidal.”

Governing coalition’s nod for enlarging cabinet Problem lies in party

Maoists and Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha leaders agree to expand the Cabinet at the earliest and entrust Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai with the task of taking a final call on the number of deputy premiers to be held in the Cabinet.A meeting of the Maoist and Morcha leaders also considered the idea of breaking up two ministries to accommodate the Morcha. Sources told the Post that the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works and the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives could be split into four ministries to accommodate the Morcha. Emerging from the talks, leader of the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Ganatantrik (MJF-G) Jaya Prakash Gupta said confusion still reigned supreme over who would head the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works. However, he added that they were clear on who should be appointed the Deputy

line: Bhattarai

Prime Minister (DPM). Gupta did not divulge the name of the leader to be appointed the DPM.“The PM was all set to expand the Cabinet today after an agreement with the Morcha. However, efforts to strike a deal failed due to sudden changes that took place in his party and the Morcha,” a leader privy to the developments said.

A meeting of the Morcha was underway on Friday evening at the residence of the Chairman of the Tarai Madesh Loktantrik Party, Mahanta Thakur. Efforts were on to settle the portfolio row. The meeting was mulling sending 11 more members to the Cabinet-Bijaya Gachchadar already is the DPM and the home minister.

The ongoing struggle within the Unified CPN-Maoist over handing of PLA weapon container keys has its roots in line struggle between two factions of the party — one led by Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai and other led by senior Vice-chairman Mohan Baidhya.Addressing the party’s standing committee meeting held at party headquarters in Paris Danda this afternoon, Bhattarai said the issue of keys handover had surfaced solely on account of differences arising from the line

adopted by the Baidhya faction. The party officially adopted the political line of peace and constitution after Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal embraced Bhattarai’s line .During today’s meeting, Chairman Dahal defended his move claiming that he was never confused regarding handover of weapon containers’ keys. However, the Baidhya faction claimed that the standing committee, on August 25, had unanimously rejected Dahal’s proposal to hand over the keys of the containers.

Saarc international I Thursday 08 September 2011

WEEKLY REVIEW OF SRILANKA NEWS UPFA mayoral candidate launches policy platform Sri Lanka’s ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) mayoral candidate for the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) Milinda Moragoda handed over his policy statement for the forthcoming local government elections to the President Mahinda Rajapaksa today. Deputy Minister of

Economic Development, Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena and Deputy Minister of Technology and Research, Faizer Mustapha also participated in the event. Moragoda, a former Justice Minister of the UPFA government, also released his 12-point policy statement during a press briefing held in Colombo this morning.

LTTE looks for Commonwealth sanction on Sri Lanka

The LTTE has launched a fresh initiative to embarrass the government of Sri Lanka at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Perth, Australia in late October 2011. The LTTE, which is still a proscribed organization in over 30 countries, including India, UK, USA, Malaysia and Canada, wants CHOGM to support an independent international investigation on the

basis of UN Panel of Experts (POE) report on accountability issues released in last April. External Affairs Ministry sources told The Sunday Island that the LTTE was pushing for a resolution suspending Sri Lanka from the Councils of the Commonwealth until an independent and credible investigation was held into the serious allegations of war crimes and human rights abuses committed during the final months of the war in Sri Lanka in 2009.

JVP, TNA say Govt. illegally

Civilians will be dealt under PTA: Army Those who attack military and police installations are “terrorists” and will be charged with the country’s anti-terror regulations, says Sri Lanka military. Military spokesman Brig. Nihal Hapuarachchi told BBC Sandeshaya that over 120 people were recently arrested in Jaffna as they came to attack a military camp. “They attacked a joint army-police camp. It is a terrorist act,” he said. “It is wrong for civilians to attack an army camp or police station. Those who do that are terrorists. We will take action against them under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA),” added Brig. Hapuarachchi. At a recent meeting with Muslim imams, Sri

Lanka’s defence secretary said that, just as the army defeated “terrorists”, it would act against anyone making trouble.

No more minorities, says President

Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), the main constituent of Sri Lanka’s ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) this evening

celebrated its Diamond Jubilee anniversary at the Temple Trees under the patronage of party leader President Mahinda.

The prime objective at the moment of the SLFP lead UPFA government is to convince the Tamil, Muslim and other communities that they are not minorities and that Sri Lanka is one unified nation President Mahinda Rajapaksa said today. Addressing the 60th anniversary of the SLFP, at Temple Trees President Rajapaksa further said that the government was never obliged to give ransoms or a part of the country to anyone to achieve the concept of one nation. He added that the SLFP is strong enough to not fall prey to separatist elements that try to raise their ugly heads once again.

Bundhu Khan Restaurant 43 Commercial Street, London E1 6BD Telephone: 020 7375 2595 Fax: 020 7375 2494 Email Us: info@bundukhan.com

legal lacuna exists with the lapsing of the state of emergency on Tuesday, as the government had failed to print the gazette notification giving the new regulations imposed under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) charged yesterday. This had led to a question of legality over the detention of some 5,000 LTTE suspects and the existence of the High Security Zones. The JVP and the TNA, which agitated for the lifting of the state

of emergency, charged that the government had failed to issue the gazette notification on these regulations even by yesterday, and as such the detention of the LTTE suspects and the continuation of the HSZs were illegal. After the emergency regulations lapsed on August 30, the government announced that it would introduce new regulations under the PTA to continue with the ban on the LTTE and the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO), and to take action against LTTE suspects who surrender or are in custody.

Saarc international I Thursday 08 September 2011

Proof against MQM given to ISI chief, claims Mirza Zulfileaks

ormer Sindh home minister Dr Zulfikar Mirza claimed on Saturday he had a meeting, spanning over two hours, with ISI chief Gen Shuja Pasha. Few days ago and handed over, as he put it, evidence against the Muttahida Qaumi Movement based on documents which he had carried with him in a briefcase.“I have left some of the copies of documents with the ISI chief,” he said in an interview to a private channel.

“This was my second meeting with Gen Pasha and President Zardari knew about it,” he added. Dr Mirza said that he did nothing without permission from President Asif Ali Zardari. About the operation in Karachi, he said: “Orders for the arrest of killers came from above, but Rehman Malik (the interior minister) was taking credit. Rehman Malik has no courage to arrest the killers.”He disputed an impression that the army was

against the PPP government. “Postal ballots show the majority in the armed forces has always supported PPP. Only generals like Ayub Khan, Ziaul Haq and Pervez Musharraf disliked the party,” Dr Mirza claimed. “The army always wants to assist the civilian government.”The former provincial minister said although he was ready to appear before the Supreme Court to testify against the MQM, he would appear only if he was assured that he would be free to recall the “past and the

present in its entirety”. In reply to another question, he said if he was forced to record his statement, he would not utter a single word until his terms and conditions were accepted. In reply to a question about his slogan Pakistan Khappe (we don’t want Pakistan) after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, he said his words were misunderstood. “I had merely said the assassination had disillusioned the masses about Pakistan, but Zardari has saved

Pakistan by raising the slogan “Pakistan Khappe”.“Pakistan will live for ever,” Dr Mirza said. In reply to another question, he said if at any stage President Asif Zardari realised that his aides were keeping him in the dark about “ground realities”, he would not hesitate to assist Mr Zardari. He did not agree with a perception that his inflammatory rhetoric was harming the PPP, arguing that lust for wealth was the party’s worst enemy.

An orange line of fear in South Asia seen from space The line occupies a centre space in an image of the Indo-Gangetic plain the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) released this week.The distrust and fear that divide India and Pakistan can also be seen from the space — a bright orange line snaking through hundreds of miles across the earth’s surface. The line occupies a centre space in an image of the Indo-Gangetic plain the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) released this week. The crew of Nasa’s International Space Station Expedition 28 took the picture on Aug 21. Expedition 28 is the current, long-duration expedition to the International Space Station, launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on

May 23 and is expected to return to the earth later this month. One of the images the crew sent to the earth station shows a line

of lights, with a distinctly orange hue, snaking across the centre of the picture. It appears to be more continuous

and brighter than most highways in the view. This is the fenced and floodlit border zone between India and Pakistan.

The ISS crew took the image with a Nikon D3S digital camera, using a 16 mm lens, which provides the wide field of view, as the International Space Station was tracking towards the southeast across India. This space picture of northern India and Pakistan also shows numerous cities, large and small. Of the hundreds of clusters, the largest are those of Islamabad and New Delhi, separated by 700 kilometres, and Lahore. The lines of major highways connecting the cities also stand out. In 2003, the Indian government sanctioned a proposal to fence and illuminate the border to prevent smuggling and arms trafficking. In total, the Indians plan to cover Continued on page 31 >>

Saarc international I Thursday 08 September 2011

SHOWBIZ

Pakistani film ‘Bol’ gets Indians talking Bol is a ubiquitous film- whether a Muslim family in Lahore or a Hindu family in Bihar, everyone can relate to it” DEHLI: Facing stiff competition from Salman Khan’s Bodyguard on Eid, Pakistani film Bol is managing to hold its own thanks to the word of mouth publicity. Dealing with multiple issues ranging from misogyny to prostitution to fanaticism, Bol is director Shoaib Mansoor’s second offering after Khuda Ke Liye. Bol was released alongside mega blockbuster Bodyguard, ‘That girl in yellow boots’ and ‘Mummy Punjabi’. Unlike Khan’s masala movie, Bol offers a riveting storyline and great acting, with people publicising the film more than the PR agencies. For starters, there is actress Vidya Balan who says, “Loved Bol! Love the performance of the father. The boy who played Saifuddin was cute. My heart went out to him.”As one of the audience members, Tushar Pahwa, walking out after a show puts it, “Bol is a ubiquitous film- whether a Muslim family in Lahore or a Hindu family in Bihar, everyone can relate to it. Women and transgenders are disrespected in India and Pakistan both. I just hope people start to speak up after watching the movie. It was a good gift for Eid.”Many have given the tickets to family and friends in beautiful gift envelopes as eidi. “This was my eidi to my sister The film’s message has been well received and I felt my sister must see this movie as an example,” says Shahnawaz Siddique, a shop keeper.Film critic Taran Adarsh says, “I have a problem with the distributors of Bol, who have come up with a wrong strategy to release the film at the same time as Bodyguard. I think this was a blunder. If it were released at any other time the collections would have been much higher. The word of mouth publicity of the film is good and I would like to say that it is definitely doing better than the other two movies released the same week.”Even the distributors are happy with the increasing popularity of Bol. Amita

from the corporate communications of Eros International, the distributing company, explains, “Media across the board has liked the film and has been extremely supportive of the film. The response has been positive overall. It was the company’s strategy for a worldwide release on Eid. As for India, the numbers are still pouring in but in the middle east the film is doing very well.” Even Salman Khan fans have expressed their liking for Bol. Pankaj Mishra, a movie buff who watched both Bodyguard and Bol on the

same day explains, “There is no comparison between the two. While one is a masala movie for the masses, the other is a serious issue based film. It is sad but true that masala movies always do well in India as they are over hyped and well marketed. The real good cinema gets left behind. Bol is a brilliant film and off late Pakistani movie makers are doing a good job.”Adarsh also emphasises the brilliance of the film, “I think it is one of the most amazing films to have come out of Pakistan. Shoaib Mansoor excelled in Khuda Ke

Liye but this film has gone beyond that.”People are already watching it twice. Sunita Sinha, another movie buff has a reason to do so, “For me the film has a strong message and inspires me to be brave. I can actually watch it again.”The tag of a film from Pakistan is one of the main attractions. Anshu Sondhi, a film student, had to see this film as she missed out on Mansoor’s Khuda Ke Liye. She supports the film, “Bol’s concept is different and the actors are good. It gives us an insight into the Pakistani society and we Indians always want to know more about Pakistan. We want to understand the country and the people beyond what our governments want us to believe and see. Movies like Bol bring us closer to our neighbours.”Kritika Rai, a businesswoman came to know about the film from a friend. She says, “We Indians don’t have that sense to appreciate good movies like Bol and we waste our time on watching stupid movies like Ready and Bodyguard. I think we should support good cinema whether it is from India or Pakistan.”There is a buzz about Bol in Bollywood also. Many screenings of the film were done before its commercial release. Naseeruddin Shah, icon of Indian cinema, who was to play the role of the father in Bol, praised the film. In an interview to glamsham.com, an entertainment magazine website, he admires the film, “Bol is absolutely the kind of film that Khuda Ke Liye should be followed up by. It deals with an even more important statement like faith and empowerment of women. I have seldom seen a statement made with as much power and feeling as this film. This is yet another film to be proud of. I can only find myself wishing I was a part of this film.”Bollywood has welcomed the movie from across the border and have supported the idea of art beyond boundaries. Samir Soni, who acted in films like Kabhie Khushi Kabhi Gham, Fashion and others explains, “To coexist and prosper we

need to have a better understanding of each other and issues that affect us. It is only then we realise how similar we truly are and this ends fear and resentment. Cinema is perhaps the most important medium that takes you up close and personal and should not be bound by political boundaries.”The social theme of the movie has attracted the intelligentsia. Rukmini Sen, a senior entertainment journalist, describes the film as “rebellious, brave and original”. She adds, “Bol talks about the state of third gender in Pakistan. Condition of women and third gender is pathetic in most parts of Asia so the film represents the silence of many of us. Bol deconstructs issues of sexuality and sexual identity very sensitively. It sees the issue in its larger context of patriarchy, feudalism, religion and nation state.”The treatment of the story is much talked about. Satish Sharma, a painter by profession after watching the film appreciated the director’s strokes. “It was a joy to see how the director puts some of the old world wisdom in the right perspective. Whenever the father of the actress tried to escape a situation by quoting old quotes, she would correct him by putting his lines in the correct perspective. I thought it was intelligently handled.”While the praises are outdoing the critics, but not all have liked the film. Babita Verma, a social worker by profession objects to the melodrama in the movie especially while dealing with real issues. “It began at some point and ended at another. The director moved away from the plot. It was not comprehensive and dragged at the end,’ disapproves Verma.” Some have even believed the word of mouth publicity to be the truth. Karishma Kapoor, a teacher, has not seen the film based on her friend’s feedback. “I have heard it is long, technically poor and acting is bad. After this feedback I don’t think I want to go and watch the film. I will catch it on television, as it is a film from Pakistan.”

Bollywood welcomes funds from gangsters, politicians: WikiLeaks A leaked US diplomatic cable has said that Bollywood welcomed funding from gangsters and politicians, known in India as “black money”. While there is no direct reference of Dawood Ibrahim who allegedly financed a number of movies, the cable said that in recent decades, the Bollywood film industry has been associated with the notorious Mumbai underworld, at the nexus of gangsters, money, and politics. According to Jehil Thakkar, Head of Media and Entertainment for (KPMG), this association stemmed from the financing needs of the industry; until 2000, by government

fiat, the film industry was ineligible for bank credit, private equity, and other means of legitimate commercial financing. “As a consequence, films were financed by ad hoc collections of investors, many of whom were from

the construction and trade industries, who charged interest rates as high as 60-100 percent.” The industry also welcomed funds from gangsters and politicians, looking for ways to launder their ill-gotten gains, known

in India as “black money”, said the cable issued by the US Consulate in Mumbai, released by WikiLeaks. “After the government added the film industry to the list of legitimate industries, the corporatisation of Bollywood - and the wider entertainment industry - began,” the cable said. The WikiLeaks said the US officials also concluded that a standard movie from the Bollywood is unlikely to appeal to the Western audience. “Although visibility for the Indian film industry has increased vis-a-vis movies like ‘Slumdog Millionaire’, the reality is the industry is just beginning to corporatise and

understand the Western market,” says the cable issued by the US Consulate in Mumbai. “Though many players are attracted to the glamour of the industry, the standard Indian movie rarely makes a profit and is unlikely ever to appeal to Western audiences,” said the cable dated February 1, 2010 and released by WikiLeaks on August 30. “The film industry is well-aware of this trend, and seeks to find other avenues for entering the Western market and improve their own profitability within the South Asian diaspora,” it said. The US Government has neither confirmed nor denied the authenticity of these cables.

BUSINESS

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 08 September 2011

China-ASEAN FTA to harm Sino-Pak trade

The Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between China and the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) is going to negatively impact SinoPak trade, as most Asean countries, which are competitors of Pakistan. presently enjoy more tariff concessions under the FTA regime. To avoid this negative implication of the trade with China, the FTA arrangement between the two neighboring countries is in need of serious and urgent reconsideration as Beijing is seemingly tilting towards ASEAN countries for certain goods and products traditionally imported from Pakistan. According to sources, though, the benefits to ASEAN countries due to this FTA are already visible as the bloc’s trade surplus with China has skyrocketed to $2.7 billion from $300 million

last year. The result has been tough competition for Pakistani products in the Chinese market. “If the PakChina FTA, which strongly favours the latter, is not revised after China’s FTA agreement with ASEAN, in addition to demanding more tariff concessions and increase in the list of trade items for Pakistani products,

Pakistan stands to lose market share in the neighbourhood,” according to experts. Experts also noted that in addition to enjoying more favourable tariff concessions than Pakistan, ASEAN countries also benefit from geographical proximity to China, an added advantage. Despite the

FTA signed by the two countries in January 2006, Pak-China trade has still not developed to its potential. “Though China’s global imports now total over one trillion dollars, Pakistan’s export to China is still short of the billion dollar mark. Moreover, only 3.6 per cent of Pak exports are directed to China, despite the proximity of the two countries”. It is worth mentioning here that ASEAN-China ETA came into effect on January 1, 2010. The initial framework agreement was signed in 2002 with the intent of establishing free trade area between China and 10 member states of ASEAN. This FTA is the largest in terms of population (covering 1.9 billion people) arid third-largest in terms of nominal GDP and volume after the European Economic Area

and NAFTA. This FTA has reduced tariff on 8, 771 product categories to zero per cent which cover 90 per cent of imported goods. Average tariff rate for Chinese goods exported to ASEAN countries has decreased from 12.8 per cent to 0.6 per cent, whereas average tariff rate for ASEAN goods exported to China has decreased from 9.8 per cent to 0.1 per cent as of January 1, 2010. This reduction in tariff rates under FTA has taken effect between China and six original member countries of ASEAN such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Philippines and Brunei. The remaining four countries, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar will follow the suit in 2015.

BB to increase Export Bangladesh aims at big growth in solar energy by 2015 Dev Fund by $100m Bangladesh Bank has decided to increase the ceiling of loan offered to individual owners of export-oriented industries from $2 million to $2.2 million as well as the size of its Export Development Fund by $100 million to $500 million.The central bank is likely to issue a circular on the inflated size of EDF and the ceiling of loan available to individual owners of export-oriented business. The central bank has taken the move considering the expansion of the export-oriented garment sector and the increasing volume of export, said a BB official concerned. The BB provides loans to owners of export-oriented industries in foreign currency from the EDF. The apparel exporters, however, allege they face bureaucratic problems and foot-dragging in getting the loan and have urged the BB to simplify the loan disbursement procedure from the fund. The loans from the fund are

mainly disbursed for importing raw materials and other capital goods for production of export items. Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers’ and Exporters’ Association president Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin said availing of the loan facility offered under the EDF required too long a process while the amount was too small to be of any real benefit to the exporters. ‘The fund has not increased in the last three years, over which the country’s total export has risen by more than $6 billion, mostly contributed by the garment sector,’ he said. Mohiuddin also said that the country’s export market was expanding to new destinations and the total export volume could rise further, if the government provided the exporters with adequate supports.The EDF was established in 1989, when its size was $3.9 million, and gradually it had increased to $400 million in 2009.

Rural areas of Bangladesh are to see an increase in solar electricity generation as part of an ambitious plan to boost the provision of power from renewable sources. The government has set a target of generating 500 megawatts (MW) of green energy – almost ten times the current amount – by 2015, in an

attempt to narrow the gap between current supplies of grid electricity and the needs of the country’s 160 million people. Only 49 percent of Bangladesh’s population has access to electricity from the national grid. Fossil fuels account for almost all the current capacity of 5,500 MW, with renewable sources – mostly

solar power – contributing just 55 MW. The government says there are environmental and developmental imperatives behind its search for alternative energy sources. Roy said the government has identified about 30 remote sub-districts where grid expansion is not possible in the next 10 to 15 years.

India, Pak central banks to explore banking ties A decision to open dialogue on this, with the State Bank of Pakistan taking the lead, was taken at the meeting of the Indo-Pak joint working group on economic and commercial cooperation in New Delhi recently.The central banks of India and Pakistan are likely to meet in Karachi later this month to explore banking ties as part of measures to step up bilateral trade between the two nuclear rivals.The south Asian neighbours, who have been to war three times since independence from British rule, do not allow their banks to

open branches in each other’s territory. A decision to open dialogue on this, with the State Bank of Pakistan taking the lead, was taken at the meeting of the Indo-Pak joint working group on economic and commercial cooperation in New Delhi recently.”The central bank of Pakistan will send an invite to the RBI ( Reserve Bank of India) for holding the meeting by mid-September,” a government official told ET. The two sides had agreed at the commerce secretaries’ meeting in April this year that

closer cooperation between their banks was important to give a push to bilateral trade and the process of opening branches in each other’s country needed to be fasttracked. India and Pakistan have signed what is widely considered a path-breaking trade pact that includes grant of most favoured nation, or MFN, status to India, removal of non-tariff barriers, such as strict quality standards by India, cooperation in the power sector and removal of investment barriers.

SPECIAL NEWS

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 08 September 2011

What are the real reasons behind

ZULFILEAKS

Why Zulfikar Mirza had not spoken up when he had known everything all along - Justice Jamli “You keep your friends close and your enemies closer.” -Hussain Haqqani

Shaeen Sehbai and Nusrat Javed are the only journalist who raised real questions regarding Zulfiqar mirza and revealed that a lot more has been going on before Mirza lost his cool, blew up his dam flooding many sacred compounds and pulling down the pants of many otherwise respectable players on the political stage. Mirza’s sudden outburst During the session earlier on Monday, Justice Jamali had asked why former minister Zulfikar Mirza had not spoken up when he had known everything all along. The outburst of Zulfiqar Mirza raises a number of points, a primary one being that if the home minister feels so strongly about the MQM`s alleged responsibility for targeted killings, why does the PPP not ask the Muttahida to leave the coalition? Also, the minister`s divisive, irresponsible comments, promoting an `us against them` mindset and stirring ethnic passions, were in very poor taste. Why was Mr Mirza crying publicly repeatedly whenever he was asked about the political future of his eminent wife, the Speaker of the National Assembly? As Nusrat Javed in his recent article mentioned that he saw the fax while he was with Zulfi , details regarding someone threatened Zulfi as they were going to make public Pictures of SENSITIVE NATURE and the reasons why Zardari cannot get rid of Zulfi…. According to sources, President Zardari said he had asked Mirza that this was not the way of doing politics, adding that Mirza was following someone else. The sources added that the President scolded two ministers who tried to speak in favour of Dr. Mirza. One has to remember few years back when Zulfi as home minister spoke so openly in Sindh Assembly regarding Geo owner Mir Shakil Ur Rehman (when he was studying in St Patric College 1972 -73 ) and threatened to make public his sensitive pictures with a person known as Aman Dalmia who allegedly kidnapped Mir Shakil. Siraj Durrani gave his witness to the speaker of Sindh Assembly regarding these pictures. Could this be a tit for tat from that media group against Zulfi ?? What had gone wrong with the gang of four Petaro boys and why they had split? This socalled gang would include our President, Mr Zulfikar Mirza, his physician and dealmaker Dr Asim Hussain of Karachi and one Mr U Jatoi. They have remained close knit for years during all adversity and what could have caused the break now? - Why has Dr Mirza gone ballistic against another Dr, PPP’s own Rehman Malik, who was being tolerated or ignored for the last over 3.5 years, despite all the ills that have now become public property, thanks to Dr Mirza? - Is there any connection between the Mirza ballasts against Rehman Malik and the serious grapevine stories of some highly personalised

audio/video tapes, the contents of which could make or break many top careers and expose top personalities in hated positions. If true, no respectable person, wife or husband, would ever be able to face these secret tapes without either killing the others or committing suicide. So is Dr Mirza out to kill others or commit hara-kiri? What is the key to the now unbreakable bond between President Zardari and Rehman Malik, although even until the last day of her life, Benazir Bhutto had kept Mr Zardari away from Mr Malik and both did not see eye to eye for a moment? Rehman Malik knows too much but is also backed by powerful foreign agencies. So Rehman Malik’s business dealings with BB were no fairy tale. There were five other companies he owned. He was a partner in a company with Benazir and her nephew. They were involved in Iraq’s oil-for-food programme scam. In one case which was investigated by

the UN in 2005, the

Independent Inquiry Commission led by former US Federal Reserve head Paul Volcker found that of more than 2,000 companies which breached UN sanctions by making illegal payments to Saddam Hussein’s government in Iraq before 2003, was a company called Petroline FZC, based in the United Arab Emirates. Mr. Volcker’s inquiry found it traded $144m of Iraqi oil, and made $2m of illegal payments to Saddam Hussein’s regime. It is alleged by some close relatives of BB that it was Rehman Malik who got BB involved in setting up companies (e,g. Petroline) in Sharjah (in 2000-2001) that were later named in the oil-for-food program scandal in a United Nations report and in the money laundering cases in Valencia, Spain. Rehman Malik’s fellow director of this company, Ali Hasan Jafri, was married to Benazir’s second cousin Laley, daughter of Begum Fakhri Gulzar.

According

to Ali Jafri, getting involved with Rehman Malik was a mistake on BB’s and his part. Rehman Malik later made millions in other business ventures and established himself in London despite ongoing court cases in Europe against him that continued till 2006-2007 before they were suddenly dropped or not pursued further. In fact, the US used the threat of “constraining” her overseas bank accounts to accede to its terms when Americans were trying to broker a deal between BB and Musharraf in 20062007. According to Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and best selling author (The Way of the World) Ron Suskind, “A US official let her understand that the United States could, if need be, constrain her assets.” Rehman Malik was the only non-family person closely involved in some of the bank accounts’ cases she was implicated. Ron Suskind also confirmed that the US intelligence agencies did electronic eavesdropping to monitor BB’s movements and conversations. According to the documents I have seen Benazir was partner but not the partner in crime. Crime committed by Mr. Rehman Malik. Among them were Money laundering to Jordan, bogus chaques worth millions were signed as by Benazir. The issue was brought in front of Benazir through Amin Faheem as one of the partner from Iraq who was cheated of millions by Rehman Malik met me and showed the documents. later Wasim Afzal offered millions to this Arab partner to make the papers public. That was the only bogus case which could

have implicated Benazir Bhutto. Rehman Malik emerged as the deal broker in Benazir-Musharraf reconciliation talks in Abu Dhabi in July 2007, and replaced Makhdoom Amin Fahim as the most trusted political lieutenant of Benazir Bhutto. Fahim was Benazir’s aide since 2002, when he formed the Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians and acted as the leader of PPP in the absence of Benazir and her husband Asif Ali Zardari. It was also reported in The News that after Rehman Malik took over the role of top “adviser and broker” of Benazir on important matters ranging from politics to business, Fahim seemed to have become an “obsolete political commodity.” Rehman Malik was the person responsible for security of Benazir Bhutto. After the assassination of Benazir Bhutto there were much accusation against Rehman Malik for lax security and his absence from the scene. While some have also accused him of being a key player in “the” alleged assassination. Zulfiqar Mirza alleged that Rehman Malik flee from the site during the assassination of former premiere Benazir Bhutto instead of providing security to the slain PPP leader. I spoke to Rehman Malik few moments after the Assassination of Benazir Bhutto and he said he is safe and far away from the scene. Rehman Malik is also believed to be close to MI5 and MI6. When someone asked Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani (it was in April 2008) as to why did BB keep Rehman Malik so close during negotiations with Musharraf and thereafter, Husain Haqqani quoted a famous line from “Godfather” movie: “You keep your friends close and your enemies closer.” Was Rehman Malik the man through whom the British government dealt with BB? It should be noted that it was the UK that initiated the “reconciliation talks” that culminated in the infamous NRO deal. As rightly indicated by Shaeen Sehbai about the key to the unbreakable bond , this is one of the key. Or could it be that the wily and cunning Zardari also wants to get rid of this “international baggage” that came with an “international deal”? Who to trust better than your old school buddy Zulfi Mirza? But also as many indicated soon there will be a witness for the “will” as claimed signed by BB. The issue was that after her death her children could have claimed the assets through UK courts but that would have been politically damaging so Mr Zardari and Mr Malik made peace and accommodated each other to try and reach an amicable distribution of these assets. Whether that has been done or not is not yet known but their working relationship continues.

NEWS

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 08 September 2011

‘When Mayawati needs sandals, private jet flies to Mumbai’ Mayawati is obsessed with becoming Prime Minister

Leaked US cable describes Mayawati as ‘egomaniac’

It isn’t often that we get to see for ourselves the lavish lifestyles of our rich and famous politicians, given the high security walls that they build around themselves. But every once in a while, we’re offered a sneak peak into their charmed lives, and we learn a little bit more about the many ways in which they manage to squander public resources and our taxes to live their obscenely opulent lives.Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati has, of course, quite a distinguished record of wasting state resources on building numerous fanciful statues for herself. But she may be outdoing herself on this front, going by a recently released WikiLeaks cable that details some of her idiosyncratic ways ever since she returned to power with an absolute majority in 2007. A WikiLeaks cable details how Mayawati has “institutionalised corrupton” in Uttar Pradesh. The cable was filed by the Political

Consul in the US Embassy in New Delhi in October 2008 after a visit to three cities in Uttar Pradesh to get a sense of the Mayawati government’s records. The Consul met many business, political academic and media contacts to get a 360-degree assessment of the “political state of play.” The cable then pieces together the “portrait of a lady” in all her megalomaniacal excess, who has become a “paranoid

on the State governor. Mayawati, the cable notes, also forced a civil servant to resign when she learned that his daughter had joined the Congress party in Delhi.Pointing to Mayawati’s other “eccentricities, whims and insecurities”, the cable notes that “when she needed new sandals, her private jet flew empty to Mumbai to retrieve her preferred brand.”According to Lucknow journalists, Mayawati employs nine

multiple vehicle convoy reaches its destination.”The cable also records that journalists and civil servants in the State live in fear of Mayawati’s retribution. “Civil servants will not speak to the press for fear of losing their positions. Journalists admitted they feared retribution should they print anything negative about Mayawati. One journalist claimed that all civil servants’ and most journalists’ phones are

only two had the actual cooking responsibilities. The other were hired to watch over the cooks. In addition, Mayawati had two food tasters, since she is paranoid that she will be assassinated. dictator.”It records that these contacts “remarked on Mayawati’s vice-like grip on all levers of power”, which meant that all decisions had to run through Mayawati or her small coterie of advisors. It then cites a Lucknow journalist as narrating an incident in which a State Minister was “forced to do situps in front of her as penance for not first asking permission to call”

cooks: of them, only two had the actual cooking responsibilities. The other were hired to watch over the cooks. In addition, Mayawati had two food tasters, since she is paranoid that she will be assassinated.“In addition to an outsized security apparatus,” the cable says, “she constructed a private road from her residence to her office, which is cleaned immediately after her

tapped.”The cable acknowledges that most of the Consul’s contacts acknowledged that the law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh had (in 2008) improved somewhat from the previous Samajwadi Party government of Mulayam Singh Yadav. But it had a startling explanation to account for this.“This is not because Mayawati has put more police on the streets

or reduced corruption.” Instead, whereas Samajwadi Party rule was characterised by “rival mafia gangs shooting each other in the streets while vying for dominance,” Mayawati had “institutionalised corruption” – with competitive fealty payments to her replacing shootouts. “Just to run as a BSP parliamentary candidate costs roughly 250,000 dollars,” the cable noted. “This does not ensure victory of course, but with the BSP likely to field candidates in over 300 constituencies nationally (in the 2009 general elections), it does ensure Mayawati’s campaign coffers will be full, in addition to all her other revenue sources including payoffs and kickbacks from almost every interaction that large businesses have with the state government, standard practices in UP.” In comparison, the cable noted, “several commercial contacts in Lucknow and Kanpur spoke glowingly of the business climate in Gujarat and its Chief Minister, Narendra Modi.”

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 08 September 2011

ECONOMICS

‘India’s inflation pressures among most acute in Asia’

How the inflation problem is different from its Asian peers Structural food price issues and strong demand pressures have pushed inflation in India well above the norm for Asia, says Mr Richard Iley, Chief Economist, Asia, BNP Paribas. In a telephone interview with Business Line, Mr Iley explains how the inflation problem is different from its Asian peers and why a period of sustained sub-par GDP growth is inevitable.

Excerpts: How different is the problem of inflation in India when compared with its Asian peers? Is the Indian inflation more worrying? India’s inflation pressures have been among the most acute in Asia for several years now. Inflation performance, as measured by the WPI, has been well above the norm for the region. I think that’s essentially a function of two factors. The first is the clear evidence that has emerged over the last 2-3 years that there is an increasingly structural food price issue. More specifically, the price of proteins, led by rising incomes, which in turn has been further accelerated by government policies – particularly the NREGA – has led to stepped up level of demand for proteins. Given that food is about a quarter in the WPI index, this has been a very significant determinant. It has been very noticeable to me that the average food inflation rate in the last four years has been close to 9 per cent, whereas earlier in the last decade, that is the 5-10 years before the global financial crisis, food price inflation was running more along the lines of 4-5 per cent, largely in line with the RBI’s aspirations for overall inflation. Secondly, I think demand pressures in the Indian economy have been among the strongest in

the region. A telltale statistic is that nominal GDP growth exceeded 20 per cent in CY-10, the strongest nominal growth since the early 1970s. A combination of too loose fiscal policy and monetary policy and unsustainably fast rate of demand growth really pushed the

Richard Iley

Tribune Comment economy into overheating territory and this in turn has led to a more generalised demand pull inflation in the last 9 months. So, it is a conjunction of these two issues which have led to India having one of the worst inflation performances in Asia. Do you believe food inflation could remain stubborn for some more time in India, even as food prices are softening globally? Statistically, I thinkfood inflation in India is not very well correlated with global food price development. There is a big contrast there with China; where we find that Chinese CPI food inflation is closely correlated with global developments. Domestic factors are much more important drivers of Indian food price inflation. That leads us back to the structural issues that we discussed and, of course, the annual progress of the monsoon. The latest data show that the monsoon is a bit more favourable than it was several weeks ago but it doesn’t appear that we are heading for a bumper harvest. My

sense is that food price inflation will slowly, but only slowly, retreat. One helpful factor will be the base effects from last year’s spiking onion prices. Other things being equal, this should bring down food price inflation by around December or January assuming the monsoon remains about normal. But food price inflation will not fall back to levels we were used to seeing five years ago. So, from 9 per cent to 6-7 per cent in the first half of next year might be a sensible expectation. Would a slowdown in investments together with capacity constraints seen in some sectors further aggregate the demand-pull situation? There is a risk that tighter monetary policy and financial condition really choke off the investment that will be crucial in allowing the supply side of the economy to grow rapidly; which is the best medium solution for India’s inflation problem, be that in agriculture or in manufacturing. But having moved above full capacity, and given the evidence of demand-pull inflation, the RBI has rightly recognised the need to set monetary policy sufficiently restrictive to engineer a period of sustained sub-par growth in the economy to make sure that these demand-pull pressures do abate. I think that implies a period of 7 per cent GDP and maybe several quarters of growth in the high sixes (so below 7 per cent) and then perhaps later a return to sustainable growth of probably 8 per cent. Would more rate hikes become necessary? Whether or not we need a further rate hike to guarantee this outcome remains unclear. The strength in exports that the Indian economy has seen over the last year is most certainly going to moderate and that

should be an important factor in reducing capacity utilisation in manufacturing and reducing demand pull inflationary pressures. I think we are very close to the peak of the rate cycle: it is touch and go whether we have one more quarter point of interest rate hike by the RBI. But, the bigger point for me is that it is going to be difficult for the RBI to ease the monetary policy any time soon. While food inflation may gently recede and we also expect manufacturing inflation to slowly come off, there remain a number of upside inflation risks lurking in the next 3-6 months, which would be an impediment for easing the policy. Monetary policy is beginning to tighten India and there is little prospect of that changing over the next year. We find contradicting signals between IIP numbers and PMI with the latter showing more weakness. What should be relied upon for a trend? I think there is an industrial slowdown in train now which, from the RBI’s perspective, to some extent, will be welcomed as it ultimately reduces demandpull pressures. Between the IIP index and PMI survey, I think the signal from the PMI Manufacturing Survey would be a more reliable one. The official IIP with the capital goods output has been exceptionally volatile over the last couple of years with very significant month on month swings, reflecting the relatively poor quality of this segment of the index. While I attach importance to the IIP index, I strip out the volatile capital goods number and look at the index excluding that. When you do that, the message is that it is more or less in line with the PMI Manufacturing survey. Until a quarter or so ago, developments have been rather robust but, in the

last 2-3 months, there has been genuine weakness beginning to set in. That interpretation is also supported by other indicators of demand in the economy – vehicle sales is a key indicator. So, I think PMI gives the cleanest signal. While exports marginally lost its momentum, it continues to be strong. Would the slowdown in US or Europe begin to hurt Indian exports or would it derive strength from other markets? I think the developments in the US and Euro zone are inevitably going to dent India’s export performance over the next 6-12 months. India’s trade is relatively well diversified with exports to the G3 – the US, Euro zone and Japan – accounting for 30 per cent of goods exported. The West Asia is obviously an important market and China has been inevitably growing in importance as an export market as well. But developments in the biggest economies, the US and the Euro zone will affect India’s exports. A double-dip recession in the US now looks likely given the recent very disappointing data flow. It won’t be a deep recession as the economy is still recovering from the aftermath of what was the harshest recession since the 1930s but it looks like the US economy has stalled and this will inevitably slow India’s export growth. As I said earlier, the strength of exports has been a genuine bright spot for Indian economy thus far this year. While domestic demand, particularly investment, has been cooling off, export growth has stayed brisk and has been keeping up the rate of capacity utilisation in the industrial sector. The prospect of a sharp export slowdown should be a key factor in the demand pull inflationary pressures coming off the boil over the next 6-12 months.

Zoellick: World in ‘Dangerous’ Period With EU Turmoil The World Bank has warned that record-high food prices and the global economy have reached unsafe levels, pushing the world’s most vulnerable people at risk. World Bank President Robert Zoellick indicated that risks to the global economy are intensifying, with the euro region’s outlook dependent on European leaders making the right decisions. “We are moving into a dangerous period,” Zoellick said in an interview with Bloomberg Television in Singapore today. While the U.S. is likely to avoid a return to recession, escaping with slow growth, the euro zone is facing a “particularly sensitive time,” he said. Ireland, Latvia

also said. Zoellick’s comments add pressure to European officials who have yet to contain a sovereign debt crisis that threatens to engulf Italy, whose

far. Concern that the global economy will fall into another slump has risen in recent weeks. The chance of a recession in the euro zone has risen to 50

The chance of a recession in the euro zone has risen to 50 percent and there’s “definitely” a risk that Europe will drag the rest of the world economy into a contraction.

and the Baltic countries appear to be “on a better path,” he said. Spain has “taken a lot of important decisions” and Italy

should be in a “sound” situation, he added. The U.S. should address the rate of growth in its fiscal expenditure, Zoellick

government bonds in euros have tumbled for a record 11 straight days. Finland has sown division among policy makers by seeking collateral for loans to Greece, the first of the three euro-region nations to receive bailouts so

percent and there’s “definitely” a risk that Europe will drag the rest of the world economy into a contraction, Mohamed El-Erian, chief executive officer of Pacific Investment Management Co., said last week.

BUSINESS

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 08 September 2011

Fascination with gold hampering India’s growth story “Money spent on gold is mostly wasted because it’s only hoarded and simultaneously excluded from the financial inter-mediation system,” said Abheek Barua, chief economist, HDFC Bank.The glitter of gold is taking the shine off India’s growth story. According to World Gold Council, India’s gold imports rose 60% in April-June 2011 from a year ago, as people snapped up the timetested hedge against inflation. India has always been a huge gold consumer, but the yellow metal is now our second-biggest import, behind crude, up from fifth place in 2007-08.But, this fascination with gold could be a reason why growth seems to be flagging. Money locked up in the yellow metal effectively disappears from the economy to become jewellery or sits idle in

bank lockers. “Money spent on gold is mostly wasted because it’s only hoarded and simultaneously excluded from the financial intermediation system,” said Abheek Barua, chief economist, HDFC

Bank. As money has flowed into gold, India’s household savings have moved away from productive financial assets, falling to 9.7% of GDP during 2010-11 compared

with 12.1% in the previous year. This shift away from financial savings can dent growth, but it’s hard to say by exactly how much.”To the extent there is a shift from household savings in financial assets towards gold, which we know has been happening, it would lead to some loss in the GDP growth,” said Indranil Pan, chief economist, Kotak Bank, “although it’s hard to gauge the magnitude of the loss.” Gold imports are up nearly half a percentage point of the GDP in the last three years, implying that much more of savings is getting locked up in an unproductive asset. That much of the gold is imported also worsens the current account deficit. The hunger for gold seems to have been triggered by increased

risk aversion after the global financial crisis. Surprisingly, the soaring prices of gold, now at three-decade highs haven’t driven buyers away.Of course, national accounts do not consider gold as physical saving - gold imports are considered as consumption - but, as far as buyers are concerned, gold buying has a high savings consideration. “Gold is the preferred form of savings for people and there’s nothing one can do about it.It is, therefore, important to make financial savings more attractive,” said C Rangarajan, chairman, Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council. The fact that India doesn’t produce much gold but imports most of the stuff increases leakages from the economy.

Pranab to hold meeting with Don’t allow big businesses to run banks: CPI (M) Chief Ministers, bank chiefs Prakash Karat said at a press

he meeting, being convened a day after the RBI’s quarterly monetary and credit policy review on September 16 is likely to discuss, among other issues, the progress of centrally-sponsored schemes. In continuation of an economic exercise started last year for direct interaction with States, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is slated to hold a meeting with western and central region State Chief Ministers and chief executives of public sector

banks in Mumbai on September 17 to review problems pertaining to credit offtake and flow of funds to the farm sector. The meeting, being convened a day after the RBI’s quarterly monetary and credit policy review on September 16 in the wake of an uncertain environment of high inflation and economic slowdown, is likely to discuss, among other issues, the progress of centrallysponsored schemes.

conference here: “In the light of the global financial crisis sparked by the profligacy of banks and financial speculation in 2008, this is an irrational decision.”The Manmohan Singh government’s move to allow corporate houses to open banks will “completely overturn” the bank nationalisation policy of the Indira Gandhi regime, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) said on Sunday. Referring to the draft guidelines unveiled on August 29 by the Reserve Bank of India for licensing of new banks in the private sector, party general secretary Prakash Karat said at a press conference here: “In the light of the global financial crisis sparked by the profligacy of banks and financial speculation in 2008, this is an irrational decision.” The draft proposals would allow initial foreign shareholding in new private banks of up to 49 per cent, and the limit could be increased to 74 per cent after five years. “This will open the way for the entry of more foreign banks into India. Many

of these foreign banks have been responsible for highly imprudent and speculative practices that led to the financial crisis in 2008,” the CPI(M) Polit Bureau said in a statement circulated at the press conference. In contrast, the Indian banking sector, dominated by public sector banks, had robustly withstood the crisis. Yet, the government was trying to open up the banking sector and seeking to amend the

provision of the Banking Regulation Act, which caps the voting rights on the bank boards at 10 per cent, the statement said. Pointing out that the Finance Minister had made an announcement on new banking licences for private players in his 2010 budget, the statement expressed apprehension that industrial houses, if allowed to own banks, would corner the bulk of credit for their own businesses through connected lending.

ADB extends $500 mn loan to Indian Railways A

DB is extending loans of up to USD 500 million to help India improve rail services... The ADB Board of Directors has approved a multitranche financing facility for the Railway Sector Investment Program (RSIP),” the Manilaheadquartered agency said. Multi-lateral lender Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved USD 500 million loan to help India improve rail services along some of the country’s busiest freight and passenger routes.

“ADB is extending loans of up to USD 500 million to help India improve rail services... The ADB

Board of Directors has approved a multi-tranche financing facility for the Railway Sector Investment Program (RSIP),” the Manilaheadquartered agency said in a statement. The loan is intended to finance additional lines and the electrification of hundreds of kilometers of existing track, along with installing new signalling. ADB will also support accounting reforms to improve operational efficiency of Indian Railways.

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 08 September 2011

COMMENT

Corruption: Is their any remedy to it? Dr Tahir Saeed

Tribune Comment Corruption has increased over the last three years, say six out of 10 people around the world and one in four people report paying bribes in the last few years. These are the findings of the 2010 Global Corruption Barometer. According to the same survey, 73 percent of Western Europe and 67 percent of North Americans thought corruption had increased over the last three years. However, according to Transparency International, the consequences of corruption in developing countries are humongous since roughly US $ 20 to 40 billion, that amounts to about 20-40 percent of official development assistance go into paying bribes in these countries. Corruption is a world wide phenomenon as it exists in varying degrees and forms in almost every country. Glaring examples of corruption are very recently witnessed as committed by politicians throughout the world. However, corruption is not restricted to only a single group or profession rather it is happening across the board and situations. << Continued from page 24 2009 km of the 2900 km IndiaPakistan border with floodlights. Officials have so far erected floodlights along 460 km of border in Punjab. The extensive floodlighting continues for 1,022 km across Rajasthan, 176 km across Jammu, and 202 km through Gujarat. So far 1,861 km of the border have been floodlit. Plans are in place to erect a total 2,043 km of fencing along the border. The Indian government hopes to complete the floodlight operation by March 2012. A similar fenced border zone operates along India’s eastern border with Bangladesh. << Continued from page 32 performance of the national team.“I’m not the kind of person who loves to criticise the Pakistan Cricket Board or any other individual in the media,” Inzamam told The Express Tribune. “I’m retired now and busy managing my construction business so I don’t normally follow cricket anymore. My passion for the game has faded to some extent.”Inzamam also admitted that he does not enjoy following the national team’s progress.

People from different professions are involved in it, however, the nature and the modus operandi vary depending on their access to resources and the nature of the job itself. If we examine some of the recent high profile scandals, it would include all and varied types of trades such as actors, players, scientists, doctors, military officials, men from judiciary, bureaucrats, religious leaders, even student and teachers etc; some of them even put their outstanding or current careers at stake . However, politicians are always remain in the limelight

consequences as majority of us may have in our lives committed some form of (mal) practice. If this is the case, then how can we justify for blaming others for corruption and nepotism. Corruption, furthermore, is not a new phenomenon as its traces may go as far as Adam and Eve, who despite being blessed and chosen by God, defied His order and could not leash their desires of tasting the forbidden food. It was from here when the first emblem of defiance to authority was erected. However, defiance would be a very simplistic explanation, as underlying

Maslow defines Self Actualization “the desire for self fulfillment, namely the tendency for him (the individual) to become actualized in what he is potentially looking for. This tendency might be phrased as the desire to become more and more what one is, to become everything that one is capable of becoming”. This definition suggests full realization of ones potential once the individuals acquire all his basic needs. However, in the case of Adam and Eve, this theory seems to be sliding down the ladder as opposed to going up as they were

Power motivation is very high among political leaders, however, the new corruption charges have proved that power is not the be all and end all target of politician, rather power is a tool to achieve other motives, with wealth and luxury topping their list of priorities. as they are considered to be the custodians of people’s right and people hold them very high on the morality podium. This perception about politician as the most corrupt profession is also substantiated by Transparency International Survey in 2006. Notwithstanding, the involvement of high profile professionals, corruption is much more prevalent and widespread at a lower level and billions of exchequer money is squandered. In simple words corruption may be defined as the abuse of public power, office, or resources for his/ her personal gain. In other words, this definition will entail serious

this action, the first crack in the edifice of morality was evident. To me it seems that with this action the first seed of corruption was sowed. This may be viewed from another important and a very vital point i.e., a human’s lack of control over his/ her desires that ultimately leads to corruption in many ways. According to Maslow’s theory human beings follow a sequence in meeting his/her needs. According to this theory, a person starts from the basic need, such as food, shelter and when all his/her needs are met or satisfied, he goes to the top rung of the ladder that is referred by him as self actualization.

9/11 cover-up

In an attempt to censor a book about the war on terrorism, the government has handed terrorists a road map to information they should never see. The case also raises political questions regarding intelligence community efforts to keep critical information regarding the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks from the American people. “Operation Dark Heart” is a memoir by Army Reserve Lt. Col. Anthony Shaffer, who was posted to the Defense

Intelligence Agency (DIA). His memoir relates his experiences as an intelligence officer in the war on terrorism. Like any writers whose work deals with highly classified information to which they gained access using a security clearance, Mr. Shaffer submitted the draft of his book for a security review. It was approved by the Army in January with some modest changes. In July, however, the DIA and National Security Agency (NSA) intervened and demanded the deletion of 250 more passages. The government mounted its second intervention so late in the process that galley copies of the original work already had gone out to potential reviewers, and the New York Times obtained a copy and ran a side-by-side comparison of an original and redacted page. The redactions thus tell insurgents exactly what the DIA and NSA think should be kept out of their hands. Buying up and pulping all the existing unredacted copies of the book give an air of desperation; it also brought far more attention to the book than it would have gained otherwise.

pre-destined with self actualization, and were desiring for a very basic need. This one episode explains the complexity of desires and wishes of human beings that may not appear as straightforward as what is suggested by Maslow’s Hierarchical Theory. Otherwise, individuals who are facing and are blamed for the corruption charges may have never stooped so low, who despite of accumulating excessive wealth seem to have this insatiated need. This is called greed and gluttony, which somehow do not replenish, rather the craving increases with every dose of satisfaction and these people who are involved in corrupt

practices get over attached to their desires. Various researches suggest that Power motivation is very high among political leaders, however, the new corruption charges have proved that power is not the be all and end all target of politician, rather power is a tool to achieve other motives, with wealth and luxury topping their list of priorities. Having mentioned earlier about the universal nature of corruption, and since there are very recent instances of corruption committed by people living in highly developed countries such as UK, Ireland, and Italy. The ministers in these states had to resign due to charges of misappropriation of funds and authority for their personal benefits. At least this trend in the developed countries holds a preconceived idea of super moral nations exposing the weakness of a human being. However, the distinction between developed and underdeveloped countries is drawn on the basis that in developed countries once these squanderers are caught, there is a proper prosecution procedure and justice in majority of the cases is delivered. This means that corruption may be controlled and reduced by adopting various measures, but it can not be eliminated permanently. This is one of the hidden secrets that human race has as an inborn need, to acquire more and more despite the consequences. Further, we all need to discipline ourselves first which will guarantee a better future

9/11 Patriotic American Colouring Book Offends Muslims << Continued from page 01 truth”, according to its publisher, which says that it has sold out of its first print run of 10,000 copies. One page of the $6.99 book, which has been given a PG rating, shows Bin Laden hiding behind a hijab-wearing woman as he is shot by a Navy SEAL. “Being the elusive character that he was, and after hiding out with his

terrorist buddies in Pakistan and Afghanistan, American soldiers finally locate the terrorist leader Osama bin Laden,” runs the text accompanying the picture. “Children, the truth is, these terrorist acts were done by freedom-hating radical Islamic Muslim extremists. These crazy people hate the American way of life because we are FREE and our society is FREE.”

What’s incredible and shameful said Bell, “A spokesperson for the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) calls the 9/11 Kids Book of Freedom “disgusting” and refers to actions of Bin Laden and his 19 hijackers as a simple “tragedy”! “Katrina was a tragedy”, added Bell. “What Bin Laden did, is simply called terror and that is why Pres. Obama justified the elimination of terrorist Osama.”

Publisher appears on Dr. Drew’s CNN program and verifies the coloring novel does not promotes anti-Muslim stereotypes and does not mention the Muslim Faith, even one time. CAIR director takes offense to images of the Christian Cross on woman’s neck and compares the 9/11 book to cartoons of the 1940’s; in reference to the Japanese 1941 sneak attack on Pearl Harbor.

SAT

Sports

South Asia Tribune I Thursday 08 September 2011

My passion for cricket has faded: Inzamam Former Pakistan captain Inzamamul Haq has lost interest

for the game he once ruled in, admitting that he is not an ardent follower of the sport anymore. Inzamam, who retired in 2007, is an integral part of Pakistan’s cricket history, being the second-

highest run-scorer in Tests for the country. But now one rarely finds the former batsman giving his views on cricketing matters and the Continued on page 31 >>

England compound India’s misery by winning second ODI England captain Alastair Cook praised opening partner Craig Kieswetter after England beat India by seven wickets in a rain-reduced second one-day international. India made 187-8 in their 23 overs but Kieswetter (46) and Cook put on 67 in little more than six overs, the skipper going on to top-score with 80 not out as England won with almost an over to spare. Cook also picked out Ravi Bopara for praise after he deputised for the

injured Eoin Morgan and made a bright 24 from 20 balls. India skipper MS Dhoni admitted: “It was a tough day, we batted well to put 180-plus on the board but the first powerplay was crucial, they got 60-odd runs and 100 from 10 overs and then they didn’t need to take any risks. “We have been able to put runs on the board in the ODI series, which is a positive for us, but a bit of improvement is needed in the bowling department.

Tendulkar out of ODI series Batsman sidelined for a month after tests on toe injury

India have been further weakened by the news that Sachin Tendulkar will miss the remainder of the oneday series against England. Tendulkar missed the washed-out opening fixture after a toe injury flared up on the eve of the match, and subsequent tests mean he will not be fit for remaining four games.The batsman, who remains stranded on 99 international centuries following a disappointing

tour, reportedly requires four weeks on the sidelines to recover.The beleaguered Indians have now seen no fewer than eight players leave the tour through injury as the squad and management battles through one of the most forgetable periods in the team’s history. India have called up Subramaniam Badrinath to replace Sachin Tendulkar for the rest of the one-day series against England.

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