NATO members are wavering in their political commitment to Afghanistan, one of the alliance's top commanders said on Monday, describing the nearly seven-year-old campaign against the Taliban as disjointed.
Pointing to more than 70 'caveats' that give individual countries a veto over certain operations, and the fact that troop commitments remain unfulfilled, General John Craddock said he was fearful the operation was being short-changed.
Pointing to more than 70 'caveats' that give individual countries a veto over certain operations, and the fact that troop commitments remain unfulfilled, General John Craddock said he was fearful the operation was being short-changed. "We are demonstrating a political will that is in my judgment sometimes wavering," Craddock, a United States general and NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, said in a speech to policymakers and defence analysts in London. "It's this wavering political will that impedes operational progress and brings into question the relevance of the alliance here in the 21st century," he said.
As insecurity has increased in Afghanistan, NATO troops have steadily been drawn into more deadly operations, a factor that has dissuaded some nations from deeper involvement.
Craddock defended the view expressed by Britain's outgoing commander in Afghanistan, Brigadier Mark Carleton-Smith, that the Taliban could not be defeated militarily and that at some level insurgents needed to be drawn into a dialogue. "His comments are generally in line with what our military and political leaders have been saying all along... The conflict in Afghanistan cannot be won by military means alone," Craddock, who serves as NATO's operational commander, said. "We in the international community must come together as part of a truly comprehensive approach (in Afghanistan). The current effort remains disjointed in time and space." The 26-member NATO alliance currently has about 50,000 troops in Afghanistan but commanders say they need at least 12,000 more. Most NATO countries are reluctant to commit.
As well as a lack of military muscle to take on the Taliban, US and NATO forces struggle to co-ordinate with aid and reconstruction teams, seen as vital if Afghans are to benefit and not be drawn back into the arms of the Taliban.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/21/2008 00:00 ||
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The vast majority of Danish citizens are against the blasphemous caricatures and have been campaigning for a proper legislation in this regard, according to a Danish literati delegation led by Copenhagen University Professor Dr Lissi Rasmussen.
Bet he writes a swell opera, too ...
Talking to Daily Times, Dr Safet Bektovic, Naveed Baig, Imam Fateh Alev, Tauqeer Hussain and Viels Tvilling, who were on a 10-day study tour and will leave on Tuesday (today), said they were associated with the Islamic-Christian Study Centre, Denmark. They said they had visited several Muslim-majority countries and their visit to Pakistan was aimed at understanding its culture and traditions. The delegation visited various cities and spoke to students and teachers at universities across the country.
Dr Lissi said that they had been travelling through Pakistan without any security and had met many people. She said, "Pakistanis are nice and we enjoyed our stay in Lahore the most. It is a good omen that the Pakistani youth are hopeful about their future in spite of a tough time the country is currently facing." She said that a student-exchange programme between the two countries was in the pipeline.
Tauqeer Hussain said, "Seeing women working in various fields of life is a pleasant surprise for me. Pollution is spoiling Lahore's beauty." Dr Safet Bektovic said that they had enjoyed Pakistani food. He said, "I liked biryani and naan the most." Imam Fateh said, "Pakistanis, as compared to the people of other Muslim countries, are more familiar with day-to-day happenings. Media here also enjoys freedom." Naveed Baig said, "I enjoyed visiting the Badshahi Masjid, the Lahore Fort and the Lahore Museum."
Posted by: Fred ||
10/21/2008 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
#1
Smart thing to say. When you're Danish and visiting Pakistan...
(AKI) - By Syed Saleem Shahzad - A prominent Pakistani Taliban leader claims the Taliban has developed a successful strategy to survive a US-sponsored military operation by Pakistani troops as well as NATO troops in Afghanistan.Qari Ziaur Rahman, commander-in-chief of all pro-Taliban groups in the tribal regions of Bajaur and Mohmand in Pakistan and Kunar and Nooristan in Afghanistan, spoke to Adnkronos International (AKI) in a telephone interview from the border region of Bajaur.
"We have made an arrangement with Baitullah Mehsud, leader of Pakistan's Tehrik-i-Taliban, to resist the US-backed operation against the Taliban and we have an arrangement with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan led by Mullah Omar to fight against NATO troops in Afghanistan," Qari Ziaur Rahman, said in an interview from Bajaur.
Qari Ziaur Rahman is the main commander who led fierce resistance against Pakistani troops in Bajaur. Pakistan claimed he had been injured and fled to Afghanistan but he denied the reports. He told AKI that he was healthy and remained active in Bajaur actively resisting action by Pakistani troops. "A little pause occurred in the beginning of our operations against NATO troops in the Kunar valley when Pakistan launched attacks against the Mujahadeen in Bajaur but now we are very much back in business and carry out daily attacks against NATO troops," he told AKI.
Asked whether groups operating in Bajaur were behind recent attacks such as the devastating Marriott Hotel bombing and the attack against the anti-terrorism cell in Islamabad, he said that various groups were operating in Bajaur and there could have been retaliation from any group against the brutal bombing by Pakistani air forces.
Qari Ziaur Rahman said that the government's strategy to use tribal militias against the Taliban were ineffective.
While they destroyed some Taliban properties in Bajaur he said the Taliban had succeeded in taking back control of all tribal towns on the ground, except for a few like Khar, and that the tribal militia men had fled. "The government forces do not dare to put their feet on the ground. They are just fighting us from the sky through bombardment and shelling," Qari Ziaur Rahman said.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/21/2008 00:00 ||
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The United States supports Pakistan in dealing with its security and economic crises, but the newly created Friends of Pakistan forum will not offer direct financial support, US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher said at a press conference on Monday. "We support Pakistan taking tough action to deal with the security and economic situation and we also appreciate Pakistani people's determination to deal with the problems," Boucher told reporters.
"There is no money on the table. The goal is to put the money where it belongs. It is not a cash advance," he said, adding the forum would help Pakistan in a systematic way to deal with economic issues.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/21/2008 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: Parliamentarians from different political blocs on Monday stipulated that the security agreement with the U.S. must respect Iraqs sovereignty and territorial integrity, ruling out signing it without the Parliaments approval.
Realizing the national agreement is necessary for the signing of the security agreement with Washington, MP from the United Iraq Alliance (UIA) Abdul Hadi al-Hasani told Aswat al-Iraq, ruling out that the government passes the agreement without realizing he national consensus on it. He ruled out the possibility of the government signing any agreement that touches Iraqs sovereignty, noting that authorizing the Parliament to accept or reject the pact asserts the governments intention to have a national consensus on the agreement.
The MP said that the government will not respond to any kind of pressures, highlighting that the main point which got the agreement by all Iraqis is lifting immunity on the U.S. soldier on Iraqs territory.
Taha al-Lahiebi, MP from the Iraqi Accordance Front (IAF) said that his bloc would study the last draft of the agreement and give its opinion on it, noting that Iraqs current status needs a country to protect it.
For his part, Lawmaker from the Kurdistan Alliance (KA) Mouhsen al-Saadon told Aswat al-Iraq that the government is the only body who has the decision to sign the agreement. The law and the constitution gives the government the right to sign international agreements, he explained, explaining that the parliaments role is to ratify them.
Any deal must be approved by the Iraqi cabinet, the three-man Presidential Board, and critically, by the Council of Representatives.
Posted by: Steve White ||
10/21/2008 00:00 ||
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WASSIT / Aswat al-Iraq: Georgian and Kazakh forces on Monday withdrew the remainder of their troops in Iraq stationed in Wassit, a security source said, noting that an official ceremony was held on this occasion in the Delta military base.
The withdrawing Georgian forces consist of 50 soldiers and first came to Iraq nine months ago for logistical support, while the 35 Kazakh soldiers came to Iraq five years ago to clear landmines, the source told Aswat al-Iraq. A big celebration was held in the Delta base in western Kut on this occasion, he noted.
On August 18 2008, Georgian forces withdrew 1,800 troops from Iraq by air. The Georgian forces have been in Iraq since 2003, and have lost five personnel during this period.
Posted by: Steve White ||
10/21/2008 00:00 ||
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BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: Manager of Al-Furat Center for Development and Strategic Studies on Monday said that a field survey conducted by the center showed that voters mistrust officials of Iraqs federal government and provincial cabinets, as they could not solve peoples daily life problems, and that voters currently prefer secular rather than religious parties.
People, with a high portion, agree with carrying out elections as the only way to bring a positive change, Ahmed Bahedh Taqee told Aswat al-Iraq. The survey embraced seven provinces at the mid and south of Iraq: Baghdad, Diwaniya, Wassit, Karbalaa, Najaf, Babel, and Thi-Qae, he said.
Around 100 persons, 18 50 years, from each of the seven provinces and of both genders were included in this survey, he added. Taqee refused to mention the exact results of the survey.
Al-Furat Center for Development and Strategic Studies was formed in 2004, is based in Karbalaa, and has branches in a number of Iraqs provinces.
Posted by: Steve White ||
10/21/2008 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under:
#1
WAFF Poster > quotes MUSLIM CLERIC as arguing ITS IMPOSSIBLE FOR A TRUE MUSLIM TO ALSO BE SECULARIST.
#2
Kinda the Catch-22 of Islam, isn't it? True Muslims do as they're told. If you don't, you're not a true Muslim. Therefore a true Muslim has to kill you.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/21/2008 9:33 Comments ||
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#3
Sacrilege! Heresy! Off with his fred...er, I mean head!
Key members of the Iraqi parliament's largest political bloc have called for all American troops to leave this country in 2011 as a condition for allowing the U.S. military to stay here beyond year's end, officials said Sunday.
The change sought by the influential United Iraqi Alliance would harden the withdrawal date for U.S. troops. A draft bilateral agreement completed this week would require American forces to leave by December 2011 but would allow for an extension by mutual agreement.
The Shiite bloc, which includes Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's Dawa party, also insists that Iraqi officials have a bigger role in determining whether U.S. soldiers accused of wrongdoing are subject to prosecution in Iraqi courts, said Sami al-Askeri, a political adviser to Maliki. That proposal has been resisted by the Pentagon.
If the Iraqi alliance's conditions are not met, "I cannot see that this agreement will see the light," said Askeri, who is also a lawmaker from Maliki's party.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/21/2008 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Mahdi Army
#2
They should videotape them en route to being shot, showing them screaming in terror, crying, pissing themselves, struggling against the guards, etc. It would make great prime-time TV.
#5
Apparently they are to the Indonesian Government. Maybe even heros and 'martyrs'.
After all this is the government which has already let the mastermind out and seriously considered executing christian parents for the high crime of inviting muslin children to a Easter party.
#6
Ten to one they are pardoned and in a few years tehy are released for "humanitarina reasons". I still haven't seen a single case of a Muslim governement not doing so when victims are mere untermenschen infidels.
Israel is considering negotiating a long-term non-belligerence treaty with neighbouring Lebanon, an Israeli official said on Monday.
"This option was presented and discussed two weeks ago," the official told AFP on condition of anonymity. He added that the issue was raised as part of foreign ministry discussions over the strategic challenges of the Middle East peace process. Eran Etzion, who heads the ministry's political department, stressed at the talks that a full peace agreement with Lebanon only could be signed after a peace deal is reached with Syria.
Israel and Syria launched indirect negotiations, brokered by Turkey, in May, eight years after they were broken off over the fate of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The talks with Syria have made it possible to work toward a separate non-belligerence pact with Lebanon, the Israeli official said, adding: "That is one option, there are others." A deal with Lebanon would settle disputes over the sitting of the common border and include a solution to the Shebaa Farms issue, he said.
Israel captured the Shebaa Farms from Syria in 1967, and Beirut now claims the small sliver of land at the junction of the three countries with the backing of Damascus. Israel insists the area is Syrian. The pact would also include agreement on coordination between the Israeli and Lebanese armed forces and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL.)
The Haaretz daily said Israel is expected to ask Lebanon to significantly curb the arsenal of the Hezbollah and extend the national army's authority over the whole country. In return, agreement would have to be reached to halt Israeli overflights in Lebanese airspace, the newspaper said.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/21/2008 00:00 ||
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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.
The vast majority of Danish citizens are against the blasphemous caricatures and have been campaigning for a proper legislation in this regard, according to a Danish literati delegation led by Copenhagen University Professor Dr Lissi Rasmussen.
The United States supports Pakistan in dealing with its security and economic crises, but the newly created Friends of Pakistan forum will not offer direct financial support, US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher said at a press conference on Monday. "We support Pakistan taking tough action to deal with the security and economic situation and we also appreciate Pakistani people's determination to deal with the problems," Boucher told reporters. 
Key members of the Iraqi parliament's largest political bloc have called for all American troops to leave this country in 2011 as a condition for allowing the U.S. military to stay here beyond year's end, officials said Sunday. 
