I have such fond childhood memories of summer holidays in the Swat Valley in Pakistan’s North-West Frontier Province, a place well known among Pakistanis for its breathtaking views, cool summer climate and lush fruit orchards. But today the Swat Valley is experiencing heartbreaking pressures, as the Taliban strike with disconcerting regularity and, among other atrocities, impose a ban on the education of girls.

Even before this ban was put in place on Jan. 15, more than 100 schools for girls in Swat, as well as more than 150 such schools in the greater Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), had been shut down, many after being bombed or torched, leaving approximately 100,000 girls out of school. Radio announcements warned girls that they could be attacked with acid if they dared to attend school, and teachers have been threatened and killed.

A week ago Monday, five more Swat Valley schools were bombed.The attacks and threats have not been confined to schoolgirls. Women and girls have been ordered to wear full veils. Directives have been issued requiring that women be accompanied by male family members in public places and forbidding women from carrying compulsory government identification cards displaying their photographs.

About a dozen women have been shot for “immoral activities,” including Bakht Zeba, a 45-year-old social worker committed to advancing girls’ education. The area seems to be in competition with Afghanistan over which will establish the worst record on women’s rights.The Pakistani and Afghan governments have responded similarly to the Taliban’s penchant for terrorizing the population. A few months ago, Afghanistan sought to enter into negotiations with the Taliban, a precondition of which would be the imposition of sharia (Islamic law). While those talks have not yet gone forward, Pakistan seems to be on the brink of accepting enforcement of sharia in the FATA territories. Reports indicate that more than 70 Taliban courts already operate in the Swat Valley, a first step toward implementation of the Taliban’s interpretation of sharia. That the government is open to negotiating on this issue shows that it has no regard for what such a move would mean for Pakistani women.

The unfolding disaster in Pakistan demands an immediate response both from the Pakistani government and the international community. Pakistan must accept its responsibility to take urgent action to protect the rights of women and to curb the Talibanization of the country. Any intervention must be based on upholding Pakistan’s commitments under its own constitution and under international human rights instruments that it has ratified.

Opinion:

Polling Pakistan

Is the fact that over 90 percent of FATA residents think that the Taliban should not have the right to use weapons an indication that there may be some action taken against them by the tribes themselves?

There was a most interesting poll taken in Pakistan in October last year by an organisation called the International Republican Institute (IRI), which has nothing to do with the Republican Party in the United States. Its researchers asked all sorts of questions and some of the answers were intriguing, to put it mildly.The Institute didn’t go into the Federally Administered Tribal Areas but there was a separate poll there in 2008, conducted by the Centre for Research and Security Studies in Islamabad, and it has some remarkable data too.59 percent of those polled by IRI considered that the economic situation in Pakistan would become worse this year. And it was the economy and associated matters rather than terrorism that seemed to be the main concern of almost everyone — which is understandable as prices have gone up and 77 percent of people thought there was “a serious problem” in supplies of wheat, petrol, gas and electricity.The atmosphere and prospects are grim, and one worrying sentiment about the future was expressed by 67 percent of people who considered that things would not be better “now that we have a democratically-elected parliament and president,” which was in line with the fact that only 31 percent approved of the government.

This is a sad indication of how people regard politicians — although in another surprise, Mr Nawaz Sharif was the most popular of them, with 60 percent liking him, as against 20 percent preferring Mr Zardari, which might indicate that people’s memories are very short indeed.Are we to believe that almost two-thirds of the voting population has forgotten the terrible years of Nawaz Sharif? It can’t be claimed that President Zardari is a role model, but Mr Sharif has a shocking record of arrogant intolerance, economic incompetence and vicious malevolence.It seems that many people have forgotten the behaviour of Mr Sharif, as described in a Human Rights Watch report in 1999, which noted “increasing discontent with the Sharif administration, stemming from its crackdown on opposition political activity and increasing encroachments on civil liberties...

The government responded [to formation of the Grand Democratic Alliance political grouping] with overt attempts to suppress opposition political activity. A GDA call for a protest rally in Karachi led to the arrest from September 24-26 of more than 1,000 opposition activists throughout the city, including much of the leadership of the Pakistan People’s Party...”Then the UN recorded that “Corruption charges were selectively brought and pursued against members of the opposition. For example, in April [1999; at the height of Sharif’s power], former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and her husband Asif Zardari were sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment... Benazir Bhutto remained outside the country; Asif Zardari continued to be detained on other charges.”

In October 1999, the Economist was forthright in commenting that “Almost anywhere but Pakistan the plug would surely be yanked out. With days to go before an IMF mission was due to put the finishing touches to a rescue package, the prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, announced a 30% increase in electricity charges. This is lunacy of a high order... Every newspaper carries a litany of murder prompted by greed or group hatred. An economic implosion would make things worse... the Sharif brothers seem to think that Pakistan can have sharia and constitutional democracy, holy wars and a peaceful society, economic populism and an IMF bail-out. The bet on the bail-out is a long shot.

The other gambles are doomed.”It would hardly be in Pakistan’s best interests for there to be a rerun of these awful years; yet Mr Sharif is three times as popular as Mr Zardari.But the poll does have some heartening news, because it found that Qazi Hussain Ahmad has a one percent approval rating, which seems to indicate disapproval of him and what he stands for. This could be linked with the poll question — “Religious extremism is a serious problem in Pakistan — agree or disagree?” — with which 60 percent agreed, although the “disagree” side was 34 percent, which is a bit disconcerting.But this brings us to the poll in FATA by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS).The CRSS in Islamabad hasn’t got the financial resources of the globally-reaching IRI, but its investigations in FATA were well-conducted and illuminating. When questioned as to whether “religio-political parties are true representatives of FATA people,” 84 percent said No, and the poll shows an amazing 95 percent agreeing that females should be educated. Further, 92 percent think that the Taliban and people like Fazlullah do not “represent true Islam”. Fazlullah’s personality cult has nothing to do with religion, and he has done his evil best to destroy Swat, so it is not surprising he is not top of the pops.What are we to make of the overall significance of the polls, however?

Is Nawaz Sharif’s popularity rating an indication that people will actually vote for him next time round? And is the fact that over 90 percent of FATA residents think that the Taliban should not have the right to use weapons an indication that there may be some action taken against them by the tribes themselves?There are mixed signals coming from the citizens of Pakistan, although the message seems to be that strong leadership would be welcomed and that Fazlullah-style criminals will not be tolerated. The connection is there; but the problem is that for the moment, Fazlullah and his ilk seem to be the only ones exercising pressure and strength. Unless the government deals energetically with the extremists in FATA and Swat, the situation can only get worse. But Nawaz Sharif isn’t the answer.

Acknowledgment/ Tribute

Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aayee (1993)

An emotional picture.., 4 April 2002
Author: mohsin ali khan from Pakistan

Although there is nothing in this movie for those who only need entertainment,but it automatically attracts when it is seen completely.

The story is about a lover(movie director) whose beloved has has a brain disease and she is in a mental hospital in Bangalore.He is very upset before her and she comes in his dreams every time.Then a sudden thing happens that someon
e breaks fire in the hospital.Some patients die and Pooja(beloved) may be one of them.It makes him more upset.Again another incident happens.Pooja calls him......... If you want to know about the rest, then watch the movie yourself. Phir Teri.... is a musical romantic film by Mahesh Bhatt again describing love forever. Yes, imagine a sensible movie director madly in love with a girl mentally ill. Although the fact was discovered after the love took its roots but mainly this is what is explained in the movie. The songs are to be given full credits. The most beautiful songs in any Hindi movie, Poetry written by Qateel Shifai from Pakistan and Anu Malik at his best.

Slum not the other India

Nobody complained when Vikas Swaroop wrote it, nobody batted an eyelid when the film was shot and released internationally. After all, so many films — both features and documentaries — have been made around the subject of poverty in India. The protests started only when Slumdog Millionaire started winning international awards.

The unkind way of looking at this is to argue that there is no value in complaining about the obscure — only protests about the famous can become famous. But then, it is equally true that only popular films actually do impact the way people see things and hence Slumdog Millionaire is worth complaining only now, that it is an Oscar nominated film. The celebration of the film is an implicit certification of its authenticity and this raises questions if indeed this is so.

Does the West have a vested interest in pinning India to its poverty by refusing to acknowledge the progress it has undoubtedly made in the last few years? Is India interesting only because it is poor? Is the gratuitous use of poverty nothing but an exploitative use of someone else's misery for one's diversion?

India's 'nuke' cruise missile test fails

This is one missile test failure that India could have done without, given the context of aggressive India-Pakistan posturing in the wake of November's terror attack on Mumbai. India's efforts this week to induct the radar-evading BrahMos supersonic cruise missile as a "precision strike weapon" failed, though initially declared as a success by the Defense Ministry.

Official sources have told Asia Times Online on the condition of anonymity that the latest test of the BrahMos was carried out under a new guidance system configured to carry a nuclear warhead instead of a conventional one, which is perhaps the likely cause for the test parameters not being met.

The BrahMos has been developed in collaboration with long-time defense partner Russia, a relationship that dates to the Cold War.

Some observers say that India could do better by dealing with countries such as the US, Israel and France as these countries possess state-of-the-art military technologies, rather than sticking with Russia, whose advanced military capabilities are now suspect.

Washington, as New Delhi's strategic ally in the region, has been looking to supply a quarter of India's military hardware over the next decade. Presently, the US lags behind Russia, Israel and France in supplying military hardware and software to India. While Russia clocks sales about US$1.5 billion to India every year, Israel notches annual sales of about $1 billion.

India's attempts to procure a nuclear submarine this year received a big setback this week when Russia "indefinitely" postponed delivery of the Akula-II class Nerpa nuclear submarine, saying that its sea trials were incomplete.

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Site older than Moenjodaro found in Sukkur

An archaeological site, about 5,500 years old, has been found in Lakhian Jo Daro near Goth Nihal Khoso in the district of Sukkur.The find is said to be of the era of Kot Diji. The remains are said to be older than those of Moenjodaro.

Mr Shar told Dawn that remains of a ‘faience’ mirror factory had been found at the project’s second block. It was believed to be of the era of mirror factories of Italy which dates back to some 9,000 years.He said a painting had also been found and discovery of more such items could establish the site as 9,000 years old, like the remains found at Mehar Garh in Balochistan and Jericho in Palestine.

Pakistan: Girl blue

A beautiful girl from Northern Pakistan is pictured here sitting on a wooden fence. In the background is what appears to be an olive grove.

Northern Pakistan is home to wild olives called kahu. These olive forests are reknowned for their durable timber as well as scenic beauty. Found mostly in Hazara, wild olive forests can be a great place to go for an outing or picnic.

The girls of northern Pakistan are well known in for their great looks, this lady being no exception. The colour of her sandals matches with her turquoise shalwar kameez. With a smile as beautiful as her figure, this girl proves yet again that when it comes to beauty, Pakistani girls rule the subcontinent.

Over the past few weeks, it has become increasingly apparent from top officials in the know that the closed-door meetings of top military commanders and political leaders discussed the poor state of the armory (both ammunition and artillery), and that this tilted the balance in favor of not striking at Pakistan. According to senior officials, following the attack on Mumbai by 10 militants linked to Pakistan, India's top leadership looked at two options closely - war and hot pursuit. Largely for the reasons cited above, the notion of an all-out war was rejected. Hot pursuit, however, remains very much on the table.

The government sources say that a framework for covert operations is being put in place, although India will continue to deny such actions. Crack naval, air and army forces backed by federal intelligence agencies will be involved. The target areas will be Pakistan-administered Kashmir and areas along the Punjab, such as Multan, where some of the Mumbai attackers are believed to have been recruited. The coastal belt from the southern port city of Karachi to Gwadar in Balochistan province will also be under active Indian surveillance.

Thumbs down to war

Following the Mumbai attack, New Delhi's inclination was to launch a quick strike against Pakistan to impress domestic opinion, and then be prepared for a short war, given the pressures that would be exercised by international powers for a ceasefire to prevent nuclear war breaking out. The expectation of New Delhi was that the war would go beyond the traditional skirmishes involving artillery fire that take place at the Kashmir border, essentially to check infiltration by militants, or the brief but bloody exchanges at Kargil in 1999. It was in this context that the army made it apparent that it was not equipped to fight such a war, given the military's presence along the eastern Chinese borders, and that India was at risk of ceding territory should an instant ceasefire be brokered with Pakistan. This would have been highly embarrassing, not to mention political suicide for the Congress-led government in an election year.

So instead, New Delhi restricted itself to a strident diplomatic offensive that continues to date, and the option of hot pursuit. The air force, on the other hand, was confident that it was prepared to take on the first retaliatory action by Pakistan, expected at forward air force bases along India's borders in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Indian-administered Kashmir. The role of the navy in the operations was not clearly defined, but it was to cover from the Arabian Sea. Not ready to fightVarious experts, former generals and independent reports have voiced concern over the past few years about the state of preparedness of the Indian army.

For example, the Bofors gun scandal of the 1980s stymied the army's artillery modernization plan, with no induction of powerful guns since the 1986 purchase of 410 Bofors 155mm/39-caliber howitzers. The army has been trying to introduce 400 such guns from abroad and another 1,100 manufactured domestically, without success. The latest report by the independent Comptroller and Auditor General said the state's production of 23mm ammunition for Shilka anti-aircraft cannons and 30mm guns mounted on infantry combat vehicles lacked quality. Further, supply was nearly 35% short of requirements.

India's huge tank fleet is in bad shape due to a shortage of Russian spare parts, while indigenous efforts, such as the main battle tank Arjun, have failed. Signs of trouble emerged during the Kargil war when it was revealed that India's defense forces were dealing with acute shortages in every sphere.

In remarks that underscored the problems, the then-army chief, V P Malik, said his forces would make do with whatever was in hand, given the fears of a full-scale war that was eventually avoided due to pressure by America, then under president Bill Clinton. The Kargil review but affect its preparedness for its primary role, which is to defend the country against external aggression." Although there have been attempts to hasten India's overall defense modernization program, estimated at over US$50 billion over the next five years, gaping holes need to be plugged, including corruption and massive delays in the defense procurement processes. India's defense expenditure has dipped below 2% of gross domestic product for the first time in decades, despite experts pegging 3% as adequate.

committee report noted, "The heavy involvement of the army in counter-insurgency operations cannot .

Other defense arms are in dire need of enhancement. Fighter jet squadrons are much below required strength, while the bidding process for medium fighter planes has only just begun and may take a few years to complete. Meanwhile, the prospects of an India-Pakistan conflict are not over. India's army chief, General Deepak Kapoor, said last week that Pakistan had redeployed troops from its Afghan border to the western frontier with India. "The Indian army has factored this in its planning," Kapoor said.

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Obama Sworn In As 44th President Of United States

Under a clear and sunny sky, Barack Hussein Obama raised his right hand, put his hand on the Bible used in President Abraham Lincoln's first inauguration, and solemnly took the Oath of Office.

Obama declared that he is ready to meet the many challenges now facing the nation.
Even before his swearing in, Obama rewrote history again as he and First Lady Michelle Obama went to church, and later, as the Obama's went to the White House, a gigantic crowd was gathering and filling the National Mall.

People streamed in from across America, and police officials called it the largest crowd to ever gather in Washington. There are estimates that about two million people went to see America's 44th president take the Oath of Office.

In his inaugural address, President Obama cited two wars, the economy and global warming.

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Barack Obama has been sworn in as US president for the second time in two days, because one word was given out of order during Tuesday's ceremony.
The Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court, John Roberts, administered the oath again at the White House.
The decision to repeat the oath was taken out of an abundance of caution, an official said.
But Mr Obama joked: "We decided it was so much fun...." before adding: "We're going to do it very slowly."
In contrast to the first oath-taking, Mr Obama did not swear on a Bible and his wife Michelle was not at his side.
And instead of an audience of millions, only a few close aides saw the second attempt, with even journalists excluded from the Map Room of the White House.

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Confusion – thy name is Mukherjee

It doesn't happen often that one is forced to write and then re-write an editorial several times in the space of a few hours. But that is precisely what one is being forced to do courtesy Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee's penchant for saying one thing one day and then completely another the next, only to revert yet again to what he had said the first time around.

On Jan 17, a day after telling an Indian TV channel that the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks could be tried in Pakistan, the Indian foreign minister made a clarification to the media saying that there was 'no dilution' of India's stand that the culprits must be handed over by Pakistan to face 'Indian justice'. The clarification also contained within it yet another piece of advice to Islamabad – to undertake a 'full' and thorough investigation into the attacks. "We have never given up the demand that perpetrators of the terror acts should be handed over to India. There is no question of that we have given up that demand or we have climbed down," he said in the clarification.

The fact of the matter is that Jan 16's statement in the TV interview was indeed a rare moment of sanity as far as the ongoing crisis is concerned because it recognised the logic behind Islamabad's reasoning that any Pakistani involved in the attacks and found in Pakistan must be tried under Pakistani law and by a Pakistani court. The Jan 16 remark was indeed welcome, not least because it seemed to indicate hope that India's belligerent foreign minister had after all conceded on a most sensitive matter, which was proving to be a major cause of strain between already tense Pakistan-India relations. The international support Islamabad received, most notably from China and the UK, had obviously played a part in bringing about the change in the Indian tone – which regrettably lasted not even for 24 hours. It seems domestic pressures must have forced Shri Mukherjee to revert to his hawkish and war-mongering stance.

<strong>More Evidence Of Lashkar Role, More Evidence Of Our Bungling

' What makes terrorism particularly threatening at this moment is the impression of vulnerability combined with the display of greater sophistication in techniques and methodologies of terrorist outfits. The challenges before us are to demonstrate that we have both the capability as well as the sophisticated instrumentalities to anticipate and overcome the shifts and changes in terrorist methods. We cannot, therefore, afford to conceptualise narrowly. We must not react merely to immediate events.
http://www.tehelka.com/story_main41.asp?filename=Ne170109coverstory.asp

Kuwaiti MP Calls to Move Arab League to Venezuela

A Kuwaiti MP called on Wednesday for moving Arab League headquarters from Cairo to Caracas after expelled the Israel's ambassador because of its onslaught on the Gaza Strip.

"I call for moving the Arab League from Cairo to Caracas," MP Waleed al-Tabtabai said during a special debate in parliament over the Israeli offensive.Tabtabai said that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez "has proved that he was more Arab than some Arabs," after he expelled the Israeli ambassador in protest against the Israeli aggression on Gaza. Chavez expelled Israel's ambassador to Caracas on January 6.

Egypt, Jordan and Mauritania, the only Arab countries to have diplomatic ties with the Jewish state, have ignored public calls to expel Israeli diplomats. Tabtabai also criticized Egypt, which hosts the headquarters of the 22-member Arab League, for "refusing to open the Rafah" border to allow the passage of food and medical supplies to the battered Palestinian territory.He was echoed by other MPs who also called for sending more aid to the Palestinians in Gaza.

Pakistan May Not Be Ready for Its Beauty Queen

Natasha Paracha, United Nations worker, was crowned Miss Pakistan World this May in a pageant held in, well, Ontario.

Ms. Paracha, who works at the United Nations and has lived in the United States since age 2, allowed that there might be some backlash in Pakistan, a conservative Muslim state, if one of its representatives were to compete internationally in a bikini. Indeed, Amna Buttar, a founder of the Asian-American Network Against Abuse of Human Rights, who lives in Lahore, pointed out that there is currently a scandal brewing in Pakistan over a leak of photographs of the daughter of the governor of Punjab swimming in a bikini.

“In Pakistan, we are trying to get basic rights for women: right to marry, right to divorce, equal opportunity for job and education, and issues like Miss Pakistan create problems for this movement,” Ms. Buttar said in an e-mail message. “An average Pakistani young woman does not want to wear a bikini in public, and for her it is important to have equal opportunity and all focus should be on that, and not on a pageant where only the elite can participate.”
The founder of the pageant, a Toronto entrepreneur named Sonia Ahmed, said that she had been making plans to take the pageant to Pakistan as soon as next year until the fall of President Pervez Musharraf, whose government was considered relatively open to the advancement of women — which in Pakistan, at least, meant the conditions were relatively favorable for aspiring beauty queens. Now, she is keeping the pageant in Canada because she cannot guarantee the security of contestants.

“It may only be like 1 percent of the total population, but the fundamentalist problem is still present in Pakistan,” Ms. Ahmed said.

Since she was crowned in May, Ms. Paracha, a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, has limited her appearances to the United States, speaking at a gathering of nonresident Pakistanis in New York, showing up at a Pakistan Day celebration in Washington, raising money for Vision of Development, a nonprofit agency that she started in high school to support rural Pakistani women, and making the occasional media appearance.

This month, she went on CNN to urge her country to stand up and condemn the terrorist attacks on Mumbai, except that she accidentally used the word condone. Fortunately, it was clear from the context what she meant, and no international incidents ensued. (Slip of the tongue or not, her comments were an improvement on those of a previous Miss Pakistan: calling President Musharraf a “hunk” she’d like to date.)

So Ms. Paracha is a beauty queen, unlike most others in some important regards, and a lot like them in others: a comely ambassador for her country who’s eager to avoid controversy, promote her country and be a good role model for young women (she’s also an accomplished flamenco dancer). She told CNN she’d like “to show that Pakistani women are strong and we can definitely do a lot to represent the nation on a global sphere.”

Why Did Musharraf Cross The Road?



Why did Musharraf cross the road? To eliminate terrorism, as per his own words. Quite possibly, he is one of those few unfortunate heads of state who rule a country at a time of terrorism. Like George W. Bush, who after 9/11 took drastic decisions and accepted suicide terrorism as a type of ‘war’, General Pervez Musharraf, a decorated commando and chief of army, took a side...and a stand. In a country that becomes fiercely Islamic at the drop of a hat, and secular and capitalist when there is money to be made, finding the right balance is at the least a great luxury. According to Musharraf, Pakistan is in a state of war. With whom? With itself, actually.



If the state of affairs went as it was, more people would die every year in suicide attacks in Pakistan than in Iraq. And the situation would never have improved; only going round and round in a cycle of power hungry ‘democrats’ willing to accept the loss of innocent civilian life for the sake of political popularity through media glamor.
Perhaps it takes guts to stand against the chief justice who was reinstated not very long ago through strong-arm tactics of lawyers. How are these lawyers different from the army, if it’s only a sense of timing that puts one above the other? The region is already unstable; the path is long and thorny. Why did Musharraf cross the road? Perhaps because this is the only way to get to the other side.
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Pakistan’s tallest woman seeks asylum in Britain

One of the world’s tallest women, who hails from Pakistan, is seeking asylum in Britain on grounds that she is a target in her home country because of her height.

Zainab Bibi is 7 feet 2 inches (2 metres 18 cm) tall and hails from Mandi Rajana village of Punjab in Pakistan. She came to Britain in 2006 on a promotion trip.

She stayed on as she had a two year visa.

Zainab Bibi recently lodged a claim for asylum on the ground that she was afraid to return to Pakistan as youth had thrown stones at her and pulled at her clothing. She once broke her wrist when attacked.
She was given a council flat in Britain, together with 40 pounds a week in benefits. The decision on her claim is expected any time now.
The Daily Mail has reported that people in her native village were surprised that she had sought asylum in Britain “because in recent years she had used her height to earn money, making dozens of public appearances in her own country and abroad”.
The newspaper quoted her family friend, Ghulam Mustafa, as saying: “She was teased when she was younger but it has been no problem for at least eight years. She is safe if she returns but life is very hard here. It is nothing like England, which is more comfortable.”
Zainab’s mother, too, agreed that her daughter had always been safe in the village. The local police chief went on record saying: “She is a big shot now in Pakistan and I would offer her the protection her position merits.”

She now lives in Manchester and speaks little English, but managed to convey that she believed that her asylum application would be successful.
Zainab has repeatedly claimed that she is the world’s tallest woman in her age group. According to Dawn, the Pakistani newspaper, she lodged a protest against Guinness Book of World Records in 2003 for the publication of her photograph without identifying her.
According to Guinness, the tallest woman is American Sandra Allen at 7 ft 7 in. She died in 2008. The latest claimant to the title is Yao Defen, from China, who claims to be 7 ft 7 in. But Guinness in its latest edition says it is yet to determine the results of its investigations.

Modest Muslim

While some Muslim countries like Saudi Arabia have their Religious Police enforcing the wearing of the abaya, Indonesia hosted the First fashion show of Islamic clothing in Indonesia,
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People look at the premiere issue of Playboy magazine at a newsstand April 7, 2006 in Jakarta, Indonesia. Playboy went on sale in spite of protests from Islamic leaders in Indonesia. The magazine has been toned down for the predominantly Muslim country and will not feature nude woman.
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Lauren is the quite modest muslim city of Marrakech. I'm not completely confident as to what she was thinking... perhaps cultural expansion?

Indian Muslims see Pakistan army

role in attacks

Nearly 19 of 20 Indian Muslims believe what the Prime Minister said this week — that some official agencies in Pakistan were involved in the Mumbai attacks.

A survey has shown that 94 per cent Muslims believe that the Pakistan military and the ISI are hand in glove with the Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed who, they say, plotted the carnage.

The same percentage trashed suggestions that the November attacks were “revenge for the Gujarat carnage and the Babri Masjid demolition”. Some respondents asked who the terrorists were to take revenge on behalf of Indian Muslims, says the Mumbai-based Trend Research and Analysis Centre (Trac), which did the survey.

Trac questioned 127 Muslims aged 18 to 54 in several Indian cities, including Calcutta, Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Patna and Chennai.

Of them, 94 per cent said there was enough evidence to link the Lashkar and the Jaish to the attacks, and that all the 10 gunmen were Pakistanis. Islamabad has kept denying both points but made one concession yesterday, saying Ajmal Kasab, the sole surviving militant, was indeed a Pakistani.

Well over half of those questioned were concerned about youths being brainwashed for jihad through a distorted version of Islam. They said the community must not hesitate to discuss the issue openly, and should do everything possible to save these youths from the clutches of fanatics and extremists.

However, six out of 10 also said the propaganda about Muslims being persecuted worldwide was a key influence on these youths. Most respondents agreed that the global rise in terror strikes was a direct result of Muslim anger at America’s attacks on Afghanistan and Iraq, and US imprisonment of thousands of innocents without trial after 9/11.
Most respondents, however, professed strong faith in Indian secularism, with less than three in 10 saying the Mumbai attacks would affect Hindu-Muslim ties. Nearly nine out of 10 said the Indian legal system provided minorities with enough safeguards.
Some 91 per cent said Islam had nothing to do with terrorism, and that the militants had their own agenda for killing innocent people. Most said the Mumbai plotters did not want to see a stable and economically powerful India.
Nearly seven in 10 see the Mumbai carnage as a ploy by the Pakistan military to raise tensions with India and create an excuse to shift troops away from the Afghan frontier. They believe the battered Pakistani troops have lost the stomach to fight the Taliban and northwestern tribals.
Some others saw the hand of the arms and military software industry, arguing it wanted India and Pakistan to ratchet up the arms race.
Almost three out of four — 73 per cent — said terrorist attacks in India should not be seen only from an India-Pakistan perspective. Terrorism was a global problem.
Trac said the survey was important since India could not fight terror without a clear understanding of the ordinary Muslim’s mind.

As if Things Weren't Bad Enough,

America 'Disintegrates' in 2010

Russian Professor Predicts End of U.S. in 2010 - Wall St. Journal‏

For a decade, Russian academic Igor Panarin has been predicting the U.S. will fall apart in 2010.

For most of that time, he admits, few took his argument -- that an economic and moral collapse will trigger a civil war and the eventual breakup of the U.S. -- very seriously. Now he's found an eager audience: Russian state media.

In recent weeks, he's been interviewed as much as twice a day about his predictions. "It's a record," says Prof. Panarin. "But I think the attention is going to grow even stronger."
Prof. Panarin, 50 years old, is not a fringe figure. A former KGB analyst, he is dean of the Russian Foreign Ministry's academy for future diplomats. He is invited to Kremlin receptions, lectures students, publishes books, and appears in the media as an expert on U.S.-Russia relations.

But it's his bleak forecast for the U.S. that is music to the ears of the Kremlin, which in recent years has blamed Washington for everything from instability in the Middle East to the global financial crisis. Mr. Panarin's views also fit neatly with the Kremlin's narrative that Russia is returning to its rightful place on the world stage after the weakness of the 1990s, when many feared that the country would go economically and politically bankrupt and break into separate territories.

A polite and cheerful man with a buzz cut, Mr. Panarin insists he does not dislike Americans. But he warns that the outlook for them is dire.

"There's a 55-45% chance right now that disintegration will occur," he says. "One could rejoice in that process," he adds, poker-faced. "But if we're talking reasonably, it's not the best scenario -- for Russia." Though Russia would become more powerful on the global stage, he says, its economy would suffer because it currently depends heavily on the dollar and on trade with the U.S.

Americans hope President-elect Barack Obama "can work miracles," he wrote. "But when spring comes, it will be clear that there are no miracles."

Indian Hard-Line Despair and Pakistani Governmental Helplessness in the Face of Pakistani Terrorism


Pakistan has been claiming that India is not only moving troops to the border-- at least three corps, last I read, in an Indian newspaper website-- but has activated its "forward airbases", whatever that means.

What really makes all this futile, as far as diplomacy goes, and the American government at least is guilty of either not understanding or deliberately downplaying this, is that apparently a great proportion of the Pakistani public supports the Taliban, supports Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (variously transliterated), supports al Qaeda, supports Hamas, etc., etc., etc., including in Pakistan's military, and in particular its apparently completely uncontrollable Inter-Service Intelligence agency (ISI), rendering any Pakistani government completely unable to deal effectively with any of the foregoing, even though the vast majority of the victims of Islamic Theocratic terrorism in the world in general and Pakistan in particular are Moslems, co-religionists of such terrorists who either aren't "holy" enough in the eyes of those who consider themselves "holiest" of all, or are simply pawns to be killed as needed in terror-campaigns by the latter.

Indeed, a sizable proportion of the Pakistani public, if not an actual majority, apparently believe that the Mumbai assault was waged by non-Pakistanis (Mossad etc.) with the intention of scapegoating Pakistan (ditto 9/11, with the aim of scapegoating Moslems in general or the Taliban or Saudi Arabia) . . . .
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/dec/29/alice-in-nuclear-paki...

Hence, the original shock and sympathy and offers of cooperation with India by the new Pakistani government immediately after the Mumbai assault, followed very quickly by the retreat from all that, and ever since the dizzying Pakistani carousel of sometimes sympathy and offers of cooperation and sometimes denial and defiance.

And behind all this, Pakistan's nukes, that gift of China's proliferation strategy to the world, of which it can only be asked again and again, "In whose hands?" . . . .

Bhutto's daughter records tribute song

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's eldest daughter has recorded a tribute rap song dedicated to her late mother.
Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari, currently a student at Edinburgh University, posted the track 'I Would Take The Pain Away' on YouTube.
"Dear Mum, If you can hear me, I've got a few things I never got the chance to say," she raps.
"Shot in the back of your ear, so young in 54th year, murdered with three kids left behind, a hopeless nation without you, you are in all their hearts."
Bhutto was assassinated in Rawalpindi while campaigning for the Pakistani general election in December 2007.

Jihad obligatory if India attacks Pakistan: fatwa

Jihad will be mandatory for the Pakistani nation in case India attacks the country, a joint communiqué issued in an all parties’ conference said on Monday.

The conference, held at Jamia Naeemia, was attended by a number of noted religious scholars and heads of various religious and political parties, including the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, the Tehreek-e-Insaaf, the Sunni Tehrik, the Mustafai Tehrik, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan, the Minhajul Quran, the Nizam-e-Mustafa Party and the Jamaat Ahle Sunnat. The participants demanded the government immediately convene an emergency session of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC).

What will happen to the economy in 2009?

The problems of financial markets have started affecting the real economy worldwide. Consensus estimates suggest that 2009 will be worse than 2008.

The World Bank in its report titled Global Economic Prospects 2009 has painted a grim picture for the next year. It says: "Growth prospects for both high-income and developing countries have deteriorated substantially, and a movement of global growth from 2.5 per cent in 2008 to 0.9 per cent in 2009 appears to be on the cards."

Pakistan

As well as being involved in the ongoing re-kindling of its relationship with India, especially since the Mumbai attacks, Pakistan is facing a key problem with the incoming US administration; it announced in December that military action in Pakistani territory may be conducted without the permission of the Pakistani government. Considering the instability of Pakistani politics, managing the volatile relationship with the US over the coming months will be tricky to say the least.

The relationship between Afghanistan and Pakistan is still ‘under construction’. Kabul has criticised Islamabad for many years, saying that it was not doing enough to fight the Taleban. The re-arrest of a former Taleban spokesman may be a step in the right direction.

To solve its economic deficits, Pakistan will be very likely to look to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) again for help on some of its liabilities of 2008. Pakistan is doing the right thing, as such an injection will enable it to restore economic stability and counteract inflation (hopefully!).

India
India and Pakistan have vowed to ease tensions that have been on display since the Mumbai attacks in November. Post the fatal incident, India’s government has been struggling to maintain its credibility as it appeared to lack the security to protect its citizens. A situation the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was ever so quick to exploit by urging the people of Mumbai to vote for them. The tactic did not prove very fruitful to the Hindu nationalists as they lost to the reigning Congress Party, who secured three of the four Indian states that held elections after the Mumbai blasts.

The big challenge for 2009 however is not necessarily that of terrorism or politics. Despite being immune to the grey cloud of the startling global economy, India, or better yet Chindia (China and India), has been experiencing a huge unemployment problem. A counter-measure in the way of interest rate cuts were introduced at the beginning of the month. For one of the world’s fastest growing economies, this is its first real economic challenge.

India hands Pakistan 'proof' dossier on Mumbai attacks

India today ramped up its diplomatic offensive against Pakistan, releasing a dossier containing what it said was proof linking "elements" in the neighbouring state to the Mumbai terror attacks.
The file, which is being circulated by India's foreign ministry to countries including the UK and US, includes material from the interrogation of Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, the sole Mumbai gunman to be captured alive, who India says is a Pakistani national who was trained to be a killer by a well-known terrorist faction known to have links with Pakistan's spy agency.

Details of the terrorists' communications with their alleged handlers in Pakistan during the attacks, which began on November 26 and lasted for 60 hours, and weapons recovered from the militants are also included.

Musharraf for Saving Pakistan Once Again!

Why are the western Nations going head over heels, in prescribing "Democracy" and now using pressures available to them to insist that Pakistan revert to "Democracy". Are they friends of Pakistan and truly have Pakistan's welfare at heart. Wishful thinking.

They know full well that introducing "Democracy" in Pakistan, a country where the literacy level of the masses does not go beyond the first "Quaida", will destroy Pakistan automatically, and without the use of ICBMs, the Seventh Fleet and the American GIs. Intelligent people of Pakistan, specially those living abroad, and enjoying domacratic rule know full well Nawaz Shariff and Benazir, who are being recommended as so-called "democratic" leaders of future Pakistan, are both corrupt to the core and have looted the country dry, and had converted the country to a "failed state", carrying a begging bowl all over the world, begging for some money to pay for the interest on the huge foreign loans taken and then looted by them.

I for one would have requested our President, not to allow both these, corrupt to the core persons, to set foot on the Pak soil, disregarding the shouts and protests of a few thousand paid and pro "democracy" misguided people.Another thing I would liked to request is that the private media channels should not be given the free hand they were given earlier. It can be proved that these media people, in the name of "freedom of expression" are quite capable of selling their mothers and sisters even.

My greatest fear is that it is too late.Too late for civil society in Pakistan to withstand growing pressures from radical Islamists, and too late for the army to come up with a strategy that would lead to its successful withdrawal.

'China tested first N-bomb

for Pakistan in 1990'

China had tested for Pakistan its first nuclear bomb as early as in 1990, enabling Islamabad [Images] to respond within weeks to the Indian atomic tests eight years later, a top US nuclear expert has claimed.

"The Chinese did a massive training of Pakistani scientists, brought them to China for lectures, even gave them the design of the CHIC-4 device, which was a weapon that was easy to build a model for export," former US Air Force [Images] Secretary Thomas Reed told American news magazine 'US News and World Report'.

Reed, who had worked at Livermore National Laboratory as a weapons designer, had co-authored a new book -- The Nuclear Express: A Political History of the Bomb and Its Proliferation -- with Danny Stillman, the former director of the technical intelligence division at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

The book makes a scathing indictment of China, alleging that it intentionally proliferated nuclear technology to "risky regimes", particularly Pakistan, the magazine said.
The Chinese gave the nuclear technology to Pakistan as "India was China's enemy and Pakistan was India's enemy," Reed told the magazine.

"Under Pakistani President Benazir Bhutto [Images], the country built its first functioning nuclear weapon. We believe that during Bhutto's term in office, the People's Republic of China tested Pakistan's first bomb for her in 1990," he said.

He said there are numerous reasons to believe this, including the design of the weapon and information gathered from discussions with Chinese nuclear experts.
"That's why the Pakistanis were so quick to respond to the Indian nuclear tests in 1998. It only took them two weeks and three days," Reed said

Will it be curtains for Indian films in Pakistan?

Sixteen Hindi films were screened in Pakistan last year after a nearly four-decade ban on Indian movies was lifted. But strained ties between the neighbours following the Mumbai terror attack coupled with dipping fortunes of the Pakistani film industry may signal the end of this shortlived 'golden phase'.

Screening of Indian movies was banned in Pakistan after the 1965 war, but certain films were allowed by different governments like the classic "Mughal-E-Azam". Last year, Pervez Musharraf's government lifted the ban, but the exchange of cinema too seems to have fallen victim to the increasingly strained relations between the two countries in the wake of the 26/11 Mumbai terror strikes, which India blames on Pakistan. While some were advocating a renewed ban on Hindi films, which are hugely popular in the country and seen on pirated DVDs, trade experts said the move to release Indian films commercially had revived the cinema culture in the country with theatre owners in most major cities earning a huge profit.

Last year, financially stricken theatre owners had threatened strikes if the ban on Indian movies was not lifted because local productions only saw empty houses. Hindi movies did brisk business in Pakistan with cinema hall owners vying to get their screening rights. In 2008, a total of 54 films were released here. Of them 30 were local movies in various languages, 16 were Indian and eight were English movies.

Audiences were thrilled. Taare Zameen Par" was the first release after the ban was lifted. Following Aamir Khan's directorial debut were "Singh is Kinng", "Kismat Konnection", "Welcome", "The Killer", "Bhagam Bhag", "Race", "Golmaal Returns", "Jannat", "Bhootnath", "Karzzz", "Hello", "Love Story 2050", "Dostana", "Yuvvraaj" and "Kidnap".