[Dawn] Beyond the spectacle, what is the long-term significance of the Chinese president's much-hyped two-day visit to Islamabad? Grandstanding aside, what stood out most was the virtual unanimity of mainstream political parties that China and Pakistain are -- in Prime Minister Sharif's words -- "truly iron brothers".
There is a suggestion that China has been instrumental in forcing the military to abandon some of its harebrained ‘strategic’ objectives in Afghanistan.
Consensus across political divides is very rare in this country; even more so when the military establishment chimes in.
So should we all follow suit and bask in the glory of the Asian superpower's unmatched economic and political commitments to Pakistain's development? As with everything else that matters in this country, there has till now been little meaningful debate outside the highest echelons of power about China's ever-expanding role both in Pakistain and the wider region. I will note down here only some pointers that might stimulate such a debate.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: trailing wife ||
04/24/2015 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[8 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
#1
"truly iron brothers"
Not blood, steel, titanium,..., but iron.
One step of weapon evolution beyond bronze.
[Dawn] No doubt, many would be justified in describing the situation inside Pakistain as a security nightmare. However, man does not live by words alone, despite the fact that sometimes he has to eat them... such epithets appear inconsequential to officialdom as demonstrated by the serious security lapse witnessed on Wednesday at the Benazir Bhutto ... 11th Prime Minister of Pakistain in two non-consecutive terms from 1988 until 1990 and 1993 until 1996. She was the daughter of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, founder of the Pakistain People's Party, who was murdered at the instigation of General Ayub Khan. She was murdered in her turn by person or persons unknown while campaigning in late 2007. Suspects include, to note just a few, Baitullah Mehsud, General Pervez Musharraf, the ISI, al-Qaeda in Pakistain, and her husband, Asif Ali Zardari, who shows remarkably little curiosity about who done her in... International Airport in Rawalpindi.
As reported, the employee of a money-changing business arrived here from Bloody Karachi ...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous... , carrying with him an amount totalling some Rs70m.
As he exited the arrival lounge, he was set upon by several men, beaten and dragged off to a waiting vehicle, robbed and then abandoned a few kilometres away from the airport.
Colleagues who had been waiting to greet him were left watching helplessly as, in full view of the public and the security apparatus at the airport that also serves the capital city, the man was kidnapped.
Key installations in the country, including airports, must now constantly maintain readiness to defend against any sort of attack -- as the one on Karachi's Jinnah International Airport last year.
Indeed, such a state of preparedness is often proclaimed by those in positions of authority -- until they have reason to be embarrassed.
If this is the sort of response -- ie none -- that can be expected from those guarding the capital's airport, citizens can legitimately raise questions about the performance of all others.
The jeep that was used in the kidnapping had been parked in the drop-lane for over an hour; if it was accosted by security personnel, clearly, the robbers told a convincing tale.
A clue can be found in the fact that two of the kidnappers were dressed in police uniform, while a third posed as being from one of the intelligence agencies. With the airport guarded by personnel from many circles of law-enforcement bodies, from the police to the Airport Security Force to the army, it is almost incredible that a crime as audacious as this could be carried out.
But then, again and again, we are given reason to recognise the lesson: security arrangements are pointless unless they are well-coordinated, well-equipped and response-ready. Will this ever be internalised?
[Rudaw] United States maintains that Kurdistan's Peshmerga forces are "well supplied" and "there has been absolutely no delay" in weapons delivered through Baghdad. But Erbil retorts: "we are not getting the weapons and ammunitions we need" for the war with Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... (ISIS/ISIL).
Qubad Talabani, the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) deputy prime minister vented some of Erbil's frustration over weapons deliveries on CNN on Tuesday.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: trailing wife ||
04/24/2015 00:00 ||
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Link ||
[2 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Iraq
#1
Pretty Simple: Obama and Kerry are proven liars, and are committed to the bigoted Shia (pro Iranian) government in Baghdad, to whom they send aid.
#2
Forgive me, but I generally tend to believe those in the trenches, directly in the suck. Yes, the ones actually doing the actual fighting, bleeding, and dying.
#3
I'm basically not inclined to believe much of anything the administration says at this point. It's possible that they're correct about something, but it's not because they made any effort to be correct.
Posted by: ed in texas ||
04/24/2015 8:16 Comments ||
Top||
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
[Dawn] Beyond the spectacle, what is the long-term significance of the Chinese president's much-hyped two-day visit to Islamabad? Grandstanding aside, what stood out most was the virtual unanimity of mainstream political parties that China and Pakistain are -- in Prime Minister Sharif's words -- "truly iron brothers".
