Benghazi: State Dept security boss quits
New Age Islam News Bureau
20 Dec 2012
Arab World
• Benghazi: State Dept security boss quits
• Top Syrian Islamic official urges talks: SANA
• Sudais: Mataf expansion will help accommodate 150,000 faithful per hour
• Pro-govt Egypt protest on Friday to increase tension
• UAE a nation of peace-lovers: survey
• Lebanon’s Shiites and Sunnis Battle in Syria, but Not at Home
• Ailing Talabani to be treated in Germany
• Foreign ministers to shortlist GCC summit agenda
• Public, private sectors to partner in armament parts manufacturing
• Egypt's foreign ministry condemns latest Israeli settlement plans
• Police arrests of Salafist 'Hazemoun' condemned
• Arab Spring Energizes Gulf's Stateless
• Lebanon struggles with rising refugee influx
• Egypt: Mubarak back to prison
• Assad open to early polls if violence ends
• Syrian man shoots dead Russian pro-Assad wife
Africa
• Truck crash in Nigeria kills 27
• Top Qaeda operative held southeast of Algiers: Security
Southeast Asia
• 10 Indonesians drown in Malaysia boat sink
• Treatment, not jail, for drug users
Pakistan
• Pakistan rejects Amnesty International’s report
• FIRs lodged into attacks on polio teams
• Pakistan reports 9th death in polio team attacks
• Lal Masjid commission invites evidence from public
• 26/11 case: Indian delegation due today
• Families of polio LHW to be compensated
• QUETTA: Hindu trader kidnapped
• Four more killed in Karachi
• Two ‘terrorists’ killed in Sohrab Goth
• Terrorism threat to regional peace, economic stability: Khar
• Terrorists want to damage country’s image, says Kaira
• Protests across Sindh over attacks on anti-polio teams
• Shun politics of allegations: PM
• US drones traumatising tribal children
• Operation Koh-i-Sufaid: ‘Security forces clear 95% of Central Kurram Agency’
South Asia
• Talks with Taliban begin, West hopes for peace deal
• Four police poisoned, shot dead in southern Afghanistan
• Ghulam Azam seeks retrial of the crimes against humanity
• 3 Jamaat-Shibir men detained in capital, 6 held in Ctg on suspicion
North America
• United States bats for ISI in another Faustian bargain with Pak
• US: Court martial for Afghan shooter
• Lawmakers press for answers on 9/11 Libya assault
• Obama beats Malala to Time magazine’s person of the year 2012
• US to seek death penalty for Bales
• US senators slam Sony for film suggesting torture helped find bin Laden
• 4 US men plead not guilty in terror plot case
Europe
• Polio workers killings 'inexcusable': UN
• UN criticises Israel over settlement plans
• U.N. Seeks New Aid for Syria Crisis and Predicts 1 Million Refugees by Mid-2013
• UN confirms Hezbollah fighting for Assad in Syria
• Israeli settlements leave US odd man out at UNSC
• UN warns about sectarian fighting in Syria
• UK to press Maldives govt over human rights abuses
• French president wants new era with Algeria
Mideast Asia
• Israel Defies Allies in Move to Bolster Settlements
• IAF chief: Israel is preparing for day Assad falls
• Iran ready to construct ‘world’s tallest dam’
• Turkey is 'world's biggest prison' for journalists: Watchdog
• Abbas to UN: Let Palestinians in Syria enter W. Bank, Gaza
• Iraq-bound arms ship seized in southern Yemen
• Yemeni Leader Tries to Centralize a Divided Military
• Israeli Oppression, Palestinian Unity: the Rise of the Third Intifada
India
• India speaks to Pakistan about Hindu persecution
• India gets ‘disappointed’ at US immunity for ISI
• Blasts at UP courts joint work of Huji, IM: ATS
• Mumbai attack case : Indian team to finalise terms for Pak body’s visit
• BSF to use chilli bombs at border
• Afghan continues to face existential threat from terror: India
• Keep all options open on Kashmir, says Hurriyat
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
Photo: Lal Masjid commission invites evidence from public
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Arab World
Benghazi: State Dept security boss quits
December 20, 2012
WASHINGTON: Three senior U.S. State Department officials were asked to resign after an official inquiry harshly criticized their offices for failing to provide adequate security at the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya, before it came under attack in September, a U.S. official said on Wednesday.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Eric Boswell, the assistant secretary for diplomatic security; one of his deputies, Charlene Lamb; and an unnamed official in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs were asked to step down because of the inquiry panel's report, which did not fault Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in connection with the attack.
State Department officials declined to comment on the matter, saying it was a personnel issue. The Associated Press first reported that the three officials had resigned.
An unclassified version of the report released Tuesday by the State Department concluded that the mission was completely unprepared to deal with a September 11 attack that killed U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans.
"We did conclude that certain State Department bureau-level senior officials in critical positions of authority and responsibility in Washington demonstrated a lack of leadership and management ability appropriate for senior ranks," retired Admiral Michael Mullen, one of the leaders of the inquiry, told reporters on Wednesday.
The inquiry's chair, retired Ambassador Thomas Pickering, said the panel had determined that responsibility for security shortcomings in Benghazi belonged at levels lower than Clinton's office.
"We fixed (responsibility) at the assistant secretary level, which is, in our view, the appropriate place to look for where the decision-making in fact takes place, where - if you like - the rubber hits the road," Pickering said after closed-door meetings with congressional committees.
The report by the Accountability Review Board probing the attack and comments by its two lead authors suggested that Clinton, who accepted responsibility for the incident, would not be held personally culpable.
"The secretary of state has been very clear about taking responsibility here, (yet) it was from my perspective not reasonable in terms of her having a specific level of knowledge," said Mullen, the former chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Pickering and Mullen spoke to the media after briefing members of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee and Senate Foreign Relations Committee behind closed doors on classified elements of their report.
Clinton had been expected to appear at an open hearing on Benghazi on Thursday, but is recuperating after suffering a concussion, dehydration and a stomach bug last week and will instead be represented by her top two deputies.
"GROSSLY INADEQUATE"
The unclassified version of the report cited "leadership and management" deficiencies, poor coordination among officials and "real confusion" in Washington and in the field over who had the authority to make decisions on policy and security concerns.
The scathing report could tarnish Clinton's four-year tenure as secretary of state, which has seen her consistently rated as the most popular member of President Barack Obama's Cabinet.
Clinton, who intends to step down in January, said in a letter accompanying the review that she would adopt all of its recommendations, which include stepping up security staffing and requesting more money to fortify U.S. facilities.
The National Defense Authorization Act for 2013, which is expected to go to Congress for final approval this week, includes a measure directing the Pentagon to increase the Marine Corps presence at diplomatic facilities by up to 1,000 Marines.
Some Capitol Hill Republicans who had criticized the Obama administration's handling of the Benghazi attacks said they were impressed by the report.
"It was very thorough," said Senator Johnny Isakson. Senator John Barrasso said: "It was very, very critical of major failures at the State Department at very high levels." Both spoke after the closed-door briefing.
Others, however, kept up their criticism of the administration and called for Clinton to testify as soon as she is able.
"The report makes clear the massive failure of the State Department at all levels, including senior leadership, to take action to protect our government employees abroad," Representative Mike Rogers, the Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said in a statement.
Senator Bob Corker, who will be the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee when the new Congress is seated early next year, said Clinton should testify about Benghazi before her replacement is confirmed by the Senate.
"I do think it's imperative for all concerned that she testify in an open session prior to any changing of the regime," Corker said.
Republicans have focused much of their firepower on U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice, who appeared on television talk shows after the attack and suggested it was the result of a spontaneous protest rather than a premeditated attack.
The report concluded that there was no such protest.
Rice, widely seen as President Barack Obama's top pick to succeed Clinton, withdrew her name from consideration last week. (Reuters)
http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-80366-Benghazi:-State-Dept-security-boss-quits
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Top Syrian Islamic official urges talks: SANA
December 19, 2012
DAMASCUS: Syria's top Islamic authority appealed to the opposition to seek "regime change through dialogue, not by force," the SANA state news agency said on Wednesday.
"Members of the foreign-based opposition will ultimately be forced to sit at the negotiating table," Grand Mufti Sheikh Ahmed Hassun Badreddine was quoted as saying.
The Sunni Muslim cleric called on the opposition to "take the initiative," and urged armed insurgents "to throw down their weapons. Regime change does not come by force, but through dialogue," SANA quoted him as saying.
Hassun is close to the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, who belongs to the Alawite community, an offshoot of Shiite Islam.
His comments were published two days after a pro-Damascus Lebanese newspaper ran an interview with Vice President Faruq al-Sharaa saying that he favours a negotiated solution to Syria's 21-month conflict.
"No opposition can end the battle militarily, just as the security forces and army cannot achieve a decisive conclusion," said Sharaa, calling for a "historic settlement" between the warring parties and backed by key regional countries and UN Security Council member states.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2012/Dec-19/199135-top-syrian-islamic-official-urges-talks-sana.ashx#ixzz2Fa6htGJD
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Sudais: Mataf expansion will help accommodate 150,000 faithful per hour
ARAB NEWS
20 December 2012
MAKKAH: Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais, head of the Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques, said yesterday the expansion project for mataf (circumambulation area around the Holy Kaaba) would increase its capacity to hold 150,000 pilgrims per hour.
Speaking to reporters after inspecting the project, he said four weeks have been completed after starting work on the project. “Works have been intensified to complete the project on time as per schedule,” he said.
He thanked Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah for giving his directives to implement the project as part of the government’s efforts to improve facilities for Haj and Umrah pilgrims.
He said the eastern part of the first Saudi expansion near the masaa (running area between Safa and Marwa mountains) and northern part close to Fatah Gate would be removed for the expansion.
“We’ll also remove the concrete construction on the eastern side, part of the historic colonnades that were built about seven years ago as part of mataf expansion in the second floor and terrace,” said Al-Sudais, who is also imam and khateeb of the Grand Mosque.
He disclosed plans to keep the removed portions of the mosque in an exhibition of the two holy mosques, near the Kiswa Factory.
“The mataf expansion project will be completed in three phases in three years. The area for the handicapped will be separated from the pedestrians,” he said. The project includes light, sound and air conditioning systems.
“There will be a network of bridges and pedestrian pathways to reduce the crowding in the mosque,” he said. The work will also ensure maximum safety and cleanliness at the mataf and other parts of the mosque, he added.
The move, which has been welcomed by senior religious scholars, will considerably reduce the crowding, especially during Haj season.
A major feature of the expansion work includes linking the present mataf with the area outside the Grand Mosque. The area behind the Ottoman structure will be demolished and re-built with one basement, three floors and a roof, all without pillars and all for tawaf only.
King Abdullah last year launched the largest expansion of the Grand Mosque in history, which will increase the mosque’s capacity to more than 2.5 million worshippers and cost SR80 billion. The expansion’s main gate would be named after King Abdullah and will have two minarets, bringing the mosque’s total number of minarets to 11.
The new project, covering 400,000 sq. meters in the northwest and northeast of the mosque, is the project of the century, said Muhammad Al-Khozaim, vice president of the Presidency for the Two Holy Mosques Affairs.
http://www.arabnews.com/sudais-mataf-expansion-will-help-accommodate-150000-faithful-hour
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Pro-govt Egypt protest on Friday to increase tension
20 December 2012
CAIRO: Egyptian conservative groups are planning a mass protest in Alexandria on Friday — a move that will increase tensions a day before the final stage of a referendum on a new constitution.
The rally announced by the Muslim Brotherhood responds to a violent confrontation between conservatives and their liberal and secular opponents in Egypt’s second city last week.
The runup to the referendum on the Brotherhood-backed constitution, billed as a major impetus for Egypt’s democratic transition, has been marked by violent protests in which at least eight people have died.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/pro-govt-egypt-protest-friday-increase-tension
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UAE a nation of peace-lovers: survey
Mustafa Al Zarooni
20 December 2012
Nations which have a closeness between the ruler and the people have happier societies, according to an organisation which measures culture in different countries.
The UAE has emerged as one of the countries with the least perceived dysfunctionality and the country that values peace the most, out of 18 measured by Barrett Values Centre.
Centre founder and chairman Richard Barrett said even democratic countries engender unhappiness amongst society when the rulers are too distant.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-article-display-
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Lebanon’s Shiites and Sunnis Battle in Syria, but Not at Home
By NEIL MacFARQUHAR
December 19, 2012
ARSAL, Lebanon — The patchwork of Sunni Muslim and Shiite villages arrayed along the northern border with Syria are heavily embroiled in the protracted struggle there, but with a distinctive twist.
Fighters from Hezbollah, the militant Lebanese Shiite movement, cross the frontier to fight for Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad, who is Alawite and whose sect dominates the government. Sunni Muslims sneak over to join the opposition. Once back home in the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon, however, both sides observe an uneasy truce.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/20/world/middleeast/lebanons-shiites-and-sunnis-fight-
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Ailing Talabani to be treated in Germany
December 20, 2012
BAGHDAD - Iraq’s ailing President Jalal Talabani will be flown to Germany for specialist treatment after a reported stroke, his office said on Wednesday. Talabani was hospitalised late on Monday after what state television reported was a stroke, but doctors said on Wednesday that his condition was improving. Barzan Sheikh Othman, the top media official in Talabani’s office, said teams of doctors from Iraq, Germany and Britain decided that the president should be transferred to Germany for further treatment. “The president’s condition is improving, and he will be transferred to a hospital in Germany tomorrow,” said Najm al-Din Karim, one of Talabani’s doctors.
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/international/20-Dec-2012/ailing-talabani-to-be-treated-in-germany
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Foreign ministers to shortlist GCC summit agenda
GHAZANFAR ALI KHAN
20 December 2012
RIYADH: The foreign ministers of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) will hold a meeting on Saturday to review the arrangements made for the GCC summit and shortlist the topics that will be tabled for discussions before the heads of Gulf states on Dec. 24.
“The meeting of foreign ministers will be held in Bahrain a day before the GCC summit begins,” said GCC Secretary-General Abdullateef Al-Zayani Wednesday in Riyadh.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/foreign-ministers-shortlist-gcc-summit-agenda
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Public, private sectors to partner in armament parts manufacturing
MD RASOOLDEEN
20 December 2012
RIYADH: The recent Armed Forces Exhibition has led to stronger ties between private and public sector companies who manufacture equipment for the Kingdom’s military, Saad Al-Moajil, chairman of the National Industrial Committee at the Council of Saudi Chambers, said Tuesday.
Full report at:
http://www.arabnews.com/public-private-sectors-partner-armament-parts-manufacturing
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Egypt's foreign ministry condemns latest Israeli settlement plans
19 Dec 2012
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday expressed to Israel its objection over a recent plan to build 2,600 new settler units in east Jerusalem and the West Bank.
This message was relayed when Ambassador Alaa Eddin Youssef, the ministry's Israel department head, held a meeting with the Israeli Ambassador to Egypt, Yaakov Amitai on Wednesday.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/60906/Egypt/Politics-/Egypts-foreign-ministry-condemns-latest-Israeli-se.aspx
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Police arrests of Salafist 'Hazemoun' condemned
19 Dec 2012
Two members of the 'Hazemoun' movement – supporters of Salafist leader Hazem Abu-Ismail – were detained by police on Tuesday in the wake of Saturday's attack on the liberal Wafd Party headquarters, according Ahmed Samir, a leading member of the movement.
Samir told Al-Ahram's Arabic website that the arrest of Ahmed Arafa and Sherif El-Hosari had almost led to a rash reaction by the movement. However, Abu-Ismail, a disqualified presidential candidate, gave his followers orders not to respond to the arrests.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/60874/Egypt/Politics-/Police-arrests-of-Salafist-Hazemoun-condemned.aspx
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Arab Spring Energizes Gulf's Stateless
December 20, 2012
Dubai/Kuwait. When Ahmed Abdul Khaleq started campaigning for the rights of his fellow stateless people in the United Arab Emirates, he was well aware he was risking something most activists were not — his home.
He was right. After two months in jail for what he said was his human rights activism and campaigning for the stateless, he was given a choice: life in jail or deportation.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/international/arab-spring-energizes-gulfs-stateless/562783
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Lebanon struggles with rising refugee influx
December 20, 2012
By Hussein Dakroub
BEIRUT: The Cabinet will hold a special session next week to grapple with the increasing flow of refugees coming from strife-torn Syria into Lebanon, as the U.N. Security Council heard Wednesday that Lebanese fighting on both sides of the conflict violated Beirut’s policy of disassociation.
Full report at:
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Politics/2012/Dec-20/199210-lebanon-struggles-with-rising-refugee-influx.ashx#ixzz2Fa4u9Goz
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Egypt: Mubarak back to prison
December 20, 2012
CAIRO: Egypt's ousted president Hosni Mubarak was returned to his prison Wednesday after he was transferred to a Cairo military hospital briefly for an X-ray of his head, a security official said.
Full report at:
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2012/Dec-20/199227-egypt-mubarak-back-to-prison.ashx#ixzz2Fa52ryIi
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Assad open to early polls if violence ends
December 20, 2012
By Lauren Williams
BEIRUT: Syrian President Bashar Assad is willing to hold early elections and favors a political solution in his crisis ridden country, only if the violence stops, according to Iran’s former Syrian ambassador, Hossein Sheikholeslam.
Sheikholeslam, who also serves as foreign policy adviser to Iranian parliamentary Speaker Ali Larijani, added that the West was not interested in a political solution in Syria, but was intent on pursuing a military confrontation.
Full report at:
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2012/Dec-20/199199-assad-open-to-early-polls-if-violence-ends.ashx#ixzz2Fa5vJ9Q0
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Syrian man shoots dead Russian pro-Assad wife
December 19, 2012 11
ALEPPO, Syria: A Syrian merchant in his 40s shot dead his Russian wife in the embattled northern city of Aleppo because she supported President Bashar al-Assad's regime, the killer's cousin told AFP on Wednesday.
Clothes shop owner Mohammed on Tuesday evening used a pistol to shoot his wife dead after an argument in their home in the rebel-held district of Maysar in southwestern Aleppo, said Ahmed, a 30-year-old government employee.
Full report at:
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2012/Dec-19/199155-syrian-man-shoots-dead-russian-pro-assad-wife.ashx#ixzz2Fa6BRMyS
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Africa
Top Qaeda operative held southeast of Algiers: Security
19 Dec 2012
Algerian security forces have arrested a senior member of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) in the Bouira region southeast of Algiers, a security source said on Wednesday.
"Mohamed Abou Salah, whose real name is Salah Gasmi, AQIM's number three, was arrested in Chuerfa, 50 kilometres east of Bouira, as he was sitting in a restaurant," the source said.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/60883/World/Region/Top-Qaeda-operative-held-southeast-of-Algiers-Secu.aspx
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Truck crash in Nigeria kills 27
December 20, 2012
KADUNA - A cattle truck veered out of control in Nigeria’s Sokoto state and plunged into a river, killing 27 men who were also on board, authorities said. The accident occurred close to the border with neighbouring country Niger. “We were able to rescue 15 people alive,” Sokoto Road Safety Manager Alfred Adeboye told Reuters. Traffic accidents are commonplace in Africa’s most populous nation, where roads are often narrow and pot-holed due to under-investment and mismanagement.
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/international/20-Dec-2012/truck-crash-in-nigeria-kills-27
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Southeast Asia
10 Indonesians drown in Malaysia boat sink
December 20 2012
Malaysian authorities have recovered the bodies of 10 Indonesian migrants who drowned when their boat capsized off Malaysia's southern coast.
A marine police official says the boat was believed to be heading to Indonesia's Batam island when it sank in rough weather.
Full report at:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/12/20/10-indonesians-drown-malaysia-boat-sink.html
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Treatment, not jail, for drug users
December 20 2012
The government has decided to change strategy in its drug eradication campaign by no longer treating drug users as criminals and instead focusing on a stepped-up harm reduction program.
The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) said that it would be more consistent in applying Law No. 35/2009 on narcotics, which promotes and protects the basic rights of drug users, and would treat them as victims rather than criminals.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/12/20/treatment-not-jail-drug-users.html
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Pakistan
Pakistan rejects Amnesty International’s report
December 20, 2012
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday rejected report of Amnesty International (AI) regarding war on terror and the situation in FATA. To a question, Foreign Office Spokesman Moazzam Khan said that Pakistan rejects the recent report published by the Amnesty International and regards it baseless and biased. The report blamed that the Pakistan Army and the Taliban are guilty of rights’ abuses with a lack of justice fuelling a crisis in the tribal areas on the Afghan border.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\12\20\story_20-12-2012_pg7_17
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Pakistan reports 9th death in polio team attacks
Dec 20, 2012i
PESHAWAR, Pakistan: Pakistani officials say another victim from attacks on UN backed anti-polio teams has died, bringing the three-day toll to nine.
Health official Janbaz Afridi says 20-year-old Hilal Khan died on Thursday, a day after he was shot in the head in the northwestern city of Peshawar.
Since Monday, gunmen had launched attacks in across Pakistan on teams vaccinating children against polio. Six women are among the nine anti-polio workers killed in the vaccination campaign jointly conducted with the Pakistani government.
The UN has suspended the drive until a government investigation is completed.
Pakistan is one of only three countries where the crippling disease is endemic.
No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks but some Islamic militants accuse health workers of acting as spies for the US.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Pakistan-reports-9th-death-in-polio-team-attacks/articleshow/17690372.cms
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FIRs lodged into attacks on polio teams
December 20, 2012
PESHAWAR: Cases, under Sections 302/324 of Pakistan Penal Code, have been registered into the targeted attacks on polio vaccinators in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Geo News reported.
Earlier on Wednesday, polio workers came under attack in Charsadda, Nowshehra, and Peshawar.
At least three polio workers have been killed so far as UNICEF suspends polio activities in the country with immediate effect.
Full report at:
http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-80365-FIRs-lodged-into-attacks-on-polio-teams
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26/11 case: Indian delegation due today
December 20, 2012
ISLAMABAD: A three-member Indian delegation is arriving today (Thursday) to set terms of reference for the visit of a Pakistan Judicial Commission to India in connection with 26/11 Mumbai terror attack probe.
The team led by Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs Dharmendra Sharma will interact with Pakistani officials for four days and look into the purpose of the visit of the Commission, which wants to cross examine four Mumbai- based witnesses of 26/11 cases.
Full report at:
http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-80359-2611-case:-Indian-delegation-due-today
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Lal Masjid commission invites evidence from public
December 20, 2012
ISLAMABAD: The commission constituted by the Supreme Court to probe into the Lal Masjid incident has asked all those interested to appear before it to provide any information or evidence about the incident to contact its secretariat. The secretariat of the commission is functioning at the premises of the Federal Shariat Court in Islamabad. Interested persons have been directed to get themselves registered at the desk established at the secretariat between December 19-26 during office hours i.e 8am to 3pm. They may provide all particulars, including full name(s), parentage(s), address (permanent, temporary/official), CNIC number(s), contact number(s) and the nature of information to be provided. staff report
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Families of polio LHW to be compensated
December 19, 2012
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has announced compensation of Rs500, 000 for the families of female health workers shot dead by terrorists during anti-polio campaign on Tuesday and Wednesday, Geo News reported.
The president issued the compensation over the recommendation of his daughter Aseefa Bhutto Zardari.
Unknown gun men shot dead at least nine polio vaccinators in Karachi and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa among them six workers during the last three days.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-80344-Families-of-polio-LHW-to-be-compensated
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QUETTA: Hindu trader kidnapped
December 20, 2012
QUETTA: Unidentified armed men abducted a Hindu trader on Wednesday from Arif Street near the Sariab area of the provincial capital. Police sources said that Hindu trader Roop Chand was on way home from his shop when four armed men took him away to unidentified destination on gunpoint. Police have registered a case and started efforts for his recovery. Separately, a man was injured in a firing incident in Turbat District. Police said that the victim identified as Akhtar Muhammad was standing near road when armed assailants riding a motorbike came and opened fire on him and fled. app
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\12\20\story_20-12-2012_pg7_7
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Four more killed in Karachi
December 20, 2012
KARACHI: Four people, including an activist of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), were shot dead in different areas of the city on Wednesday, police said.
A man affiliated with MQM was gunned down near Hyder Chowk, Orangi Town within the remits of Orangi Town police station.Police said that the victim identified as Alamgir, 30, alias Guddu, son of Ahmed Jan, was going back to home when unidentified assailants riding a motorbike waylaid him and opened fire. Resultantly, he sustained multiple bullet injuries and died on the spot.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\12\20\story_20-12-2012_pg7_11
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Two ‘terrorists’ killed in Sohrab Goth
December 20, 2012
KARACHI: Two alleged terrorists were killed and more than two dozen were taken into custody during a raid in Sohrab Goth and other surrounding areas against the militants involved in the attack on polio vaccination team. Police also recovered huge cache of weapons and stolen vehicles during operation.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\12\20\story_20-12-2012_pg7_20
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Terrorism threat to regional peace, economic stability: Khar
December 20, 2012
ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar on Wednesday said terrorism, militancy and incidents of violence in Pakistan and Afghanistan are a threat for regional peace and is badly affecting economic conditions in both the countries.
Talking to private television channel, she said Pakistan wanted the United States to have a responsible exit plan from Afghanistan in order to keep regional peace and stability.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/12/20/terrorism-threat-to-regional-peace-economic-stability-khar/
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Terrorists want to damage country’s image, says Kaira
December 20, 2012
ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira on Wednesday condemned the attacks on polio vaccination teams and said that terrorists wanted to damage the country’s image.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/12/19/terrorists-want-to-damage-countrys-image-says-kaira/
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Protests across Sindh over attacks on anti-polio teams
December 20, 2012
HYDERABAD, Dec 19: Several thousand government employees, volunteers and lady health workers on Wednesday took part in widespread rallies and demonstrations held in almost all cities and towns of Sindh in protest against armed attacks on members of anti-polio campaign teams in different parts of the country over the past two days.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/12/20/protests-across-sindh-over-attacks-on-anti-polio-teams/
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Shun politics of allegations: PM
December 20, 2012
KOT NAJIBULLAH (Haripur) – Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf on Wednesday urged all the political parties to strengthen democracy by tackling the real issues and shun the politics of allegations.He was addressing a huge public gathering, attended by the workers and supporters of the PPP from adjoining areas that was also attended by a number of Federal, provincial Ministers and Parliamentarians.
Full report at:
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/national/20-Dec-2012/shun-politics-of-allegations-pm
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US drones traumatising tribal children
By Tahir Khan
December 19, 2012
ISLAMABAD: The buzz of US drones is like the death knell for tribesmen.
The United States claims that its no-more-covert drone campaign is effective in fighting al Qaeda and their cohorts – but it has unleashed a reign of terror in the tribal region.
Nabeela and Naeema – both cousins and below 10 – survived a recent drone attack in the Tappi area, 15 kilometres from Miramshah, the main town in North Waziristan Agency.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/481473/us-drones-traumatising-tribal-children/
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Operation Koh-i-Sufaid: ‘Security forces clear 95% of Central Kurram Agency’
By Jehangir Shahzad
December 19, 2012
PESHAWAR: The military has cleared 95% of Central Kurram Agency, said a security official on Tuesday.
Talking to journalists at Sadda, the headquarters of Lower Kurram Agency, operation in-charge Colonel Waseem said the area was previously in control of foreign militants who were responsible for bombing education institutions and hospitals.
Full report at:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/481411/operation-koh-i-sufaid-security-forces-clear-95-of-central-kurram-agency/
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South Asia
Talks with Taliban begin, West hopes for peace deal
PRAVEEN SWAMI
December 19, 2012
Afghanistan’s former Islamist regime formally nominates envoys for international dialogue for first time since 9/11
Leaders representing Afghanistan’s government and opposition will meet with representatives of the Taliban at a French country home outside Paris on Friday — a first of its kind meeting that both the Kabul regime and western governments hope will pave the way for a historic peace deal ahead of elections scheduled for 2014.
Full report at:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/talks-with-taliban-begin-west-hopes-for-peace-deal/article4214520.ece
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Four police poisoned, shot dead in southern Afghanistan
December 19, 2012
KANDAHAR: Four Afghan policemen were shot dead and three wounded after being poisoned by a colleague in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday, officials said.
The attack happened in the Spin Boldak district of Kandahar province and is the latest in a series of insider attacks by Afghan security forces on their local and foreign colleagues.
“There were eight border police in Shero area check post, one of them poisoned the others’ food and then shot them,” provincial spokesman Jawid Faysal told AFP.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/12/19/four-police-poisoned-shot-dead-in-southern-afghanistan/
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Ghulam Azam seeks retrial of the crimes against humanity
December 20, 2012
Defence counsels for former Jamaat chief Ghulam Azam yesterday filed a 600-page petition seeking retrial of the crimes against humanity case against their client.
Abdur Razzaq, chief defence counsel for war crimes accused Jamaat leaders, yesterday told International Crimes Tribunal-1 that trial of a case proceeding begins from charge framing. “Incident of forgery took place in Ghulam Azam's charge framing,” he claimed.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=261827
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3 Jamaat-Shibir men detained in capital, 6 held in Ctg on suspicion
December 20, 2012
Police picked up three activists of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Shibir from the capital's Banani yesterday.
Witnesses said some Jamaat-Shibir men staged demonstration in the area protesting recent arrests of their leaders, including Shafiqur Rahman and Tasneem Alam.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=261844
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North America
United States bats for ISI in another Faustian bargain with Pak
By Chidanand Rajghatta
Dec 19, 2012
WASHINGTON: "Faustian bargain" and "supping with the devil" are expressions that occur often in any tract dealing with United States' ties with Pakistan. In the interest of geo-political expediency, Uncle Sam is said to have frequently glossed over Pakistan's multiple transgressions in areas ranging from nuclear proliferation to terrorism.
On Monday, New Delhi virtually accused Washington of going down this familiar route, after the US filed "Statement of Interest" before a New York court in a civil case initiated by American family members of the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attack, in which it effectively sought immunity for the Pakistani intelligence agency ISI and two of its former Director Generals (Ahmed Shuja Pasha and Nadeem Pasha), who were named defendants in the case.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/United-States-bats-for-ISI-in-another-Faustian-bargain-with-Pak/articleshow/17682631.cms
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US: Court martial for Afghan shooter
December 20, 2012
SEATTLE: A decorated U.S. soldier accused of killing 16 Afghan villagers in two forays from his remote military camp has been referred to a court martial over the slayings as a capital case, the military said on Wednesday.
No date has been set for the trial of Army Staff Sergeant Robert Bales, which is scheduled to take place at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington State, military officials said in a statement. Bales could face the death penalty, if convicted.
Full report at:
http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-80361-US:-Court-martial-for-Afghan-shooter
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Lawmakers press for answers on 9/11 Libya assault
December 20 2012
Associated Press= WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers want to know why security was "grossly inadequate" at the U.S. diplomatic mission in Libya when militants stormed the facility on Sept. 11, killing the ambassador and three other Americans, and why the military failed to respond faster during the nine-hour assault.
Members of the Senate and House foreign affairs committees on Thursday were to question Deputy Secretary of State William Burns, who is in charge of policy, and Deputy Secretary of State Thomas Nides, who is in charge of management, at back-to-back congressional hearings.
Full report at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/feedarticle/10580217
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Obama beats Malala to Time magazine’s person of the year 2012
December 20, 2012
NEW YORK: Time magazine on Wednesday named the recently re-elected US President Barack Obama as its person of the year for 2012 – the second time it has accorded him this honour.
Obama now not only has a re-election as America’s first black president and a Nobel peace prize under his belt, but he beat fancied runners-up, including brave Pakistani girls’ rights activist Malala Yousafzai, to be enshrined again as Time’s dominant personality of the year.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/12/19/obama-beats-malala-to-time-magazines-person-of-the-year-2012/
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US to seek death penalty for Bales
December 20, 2012
LOS ANGELES: Prosecutors will seek the death penalty for an American soldier accused of killing 16 Afghan villagers in one of the most appalling atrocities of the war, the US military said Wednesday.
Staff Sergeant Robert Bales faces 16 murder charges, six of attempted murder, seven of assault and two of using drugs. Seventeen of the 22 people killed or wounded were women or children and almost all were shot in the head.
Full report at:
http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-80381-US-to-seek-death-penalty-in-Afghan-massacre-case
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US senators slam Sony for film suggesting torture helped find bin Laden
Dec 20, 2012
WASHINGTON: Several top US senators chided Sony Pictures on Wednesday, saying new film "Zero Dark Thirty" is "grossly inaccurate and misleading" for suggesting torture helped the United States capture Osama bin Laden.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/US-senators-slam-Sony-for-film-suggesting-torture-helped-find-bin-Laden/articleshow/17686755.cms
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4 US men plead not guilty in terror plot case
Dec 20, 2012
RIVERSIDE, California : Four men charged with plotting to kill Americans by aiding terrorists in Afghanistan have pleaded not guilty to a conspiracy count in a US court.
A federal judge in Riverside, California, set an Aug. 6 trial date for the men after they made their first joint appearance in court Wednesday.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/4-US-men-plead-not-guilty-in-terror-plot-case/articleshow/17687973.cms
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Europe
Polio workers killings 'inexcusable': UN
December 20, 2012
UNITED NATIONS: U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is calling the killing of health workers trying to vaccinate Pakistani children against polio in a U.N.-backed campaign "cruel, senseless and inexcusable."
Gunmen killed a woman working on vaccination efforts and her driver Wednesday, raising to eight the number of people killed in the last 48 hours who were part of the immunization drive. Suspicion has fallen on the Pakistani Taliban because of their opposition to the polio campaign.
Full report at:
http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-80367-Polio-workers-killings-inexcusable:-UN
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UN criticises Israel over settlement plans
20 Dec 2012
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and members of the Security Council, except the United States, have criticised Israel for its plan of the construct thousands of new settlement homes in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Representatives of the 14 council members called for an immediate halt to the settlement plans on Wednesday, which they warned are threatening the possibility of a two-state solution with Palestinians.
Full report at:
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/12/2012122024428789787.html
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U.N. Seeks New Aid for Syria Crisis and Predicts 1 Million Refugees by Mid-2013
By NICK CUMMING-BRUCE
December 19, 2012
GENEVA — The United Nations appealed on Wednesday for $1.5 billion in new aid to handle the humanitarian crisis created by mounting violence in Syria, and it predicted that the number of refugees would double to more than one million in the next six months.
The new estimate was at least the fourth time the United Nations had increased its refugee projections in the nearly two-year-old uprising against the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, which has turned into a civil war that has left at least 40,000 people dead and has threatened to destabilize the Middle East.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/20/world/middleeast/un-predicts-1-million-syrian-
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UN confirms Hezbollah fighting for Assad in Syria
12/20/2012
BRUSSELS - The Lebanese Shia group Hezbollah has confirmed that its members are in Syria fighting on behalf of the government, United Nations human rights investigators said on Thursday.
There are also reports that Iraqi Shias are coming to fight in Syria, and Iran confirmed in September that its Revolutionary Guards are in Syria providing assistance, the independent investigators led by Brazilian expert Paulo Pinheiro said in their latest 10-page report.
Full report at:
http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=296690
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Israeli settlements leave US odd man out at UNSC
December 20, 2012
UNITED NATIONS: By In a rare move on Wednesday, all but one of the 15 members of the UN Security Council made statements at the United Nations opposing Israeli plans to expand Jewish settlements around Jerusalem after the United States repeatedly blocked attempts to take stronger action.
India’s UN ambassador, Hardeep Singh Puri, described the four separate statements, made by the eight council members from the Non-Aligned Movement, the four European members, Russia and China – as a “Plan B” after it was clear the United States, was likely to veto a legally binding resolution on the issue.
Full report at:
http://dawn.com/2012/12/20/israeli-settlements-leave-us-odd-man-out-at-un-security-council/
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UN warns about sectarian fighting in Syria
20 December 2012
The war in Syria has become divided across sectarian lines, increasingly pitting the ruling Alawite community against the majority Sunnis, with foreign fighters assisting both sides, United Nations human rights investigators said on Thursday.
Full report at:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-article-display-
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UK to press Maldives govt over human rights abuses
December 20, 2012
Foreign Office ministers are to raise serious concerns about human rights abuses in the Maldives after a Guardian investigation revealed close ties between the British and Maldives police.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=261833
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French president wants new era with Algeria
December 19, 2012
ALGIERS, Algeria: French President Francois Hollande announced a new era with Algeria on Wednesday - a strategic partnership among equals - during a state visit to this North African nation that was once a prized colony in the French empire.
The Socialist president's visit comes as Algeria celebrates 50 years of independence following a brutal seven-year war that ended 132 years of colonial rule.
Full report at:
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2012/Dec-19/199129-french-president-looks-to-future-in-algeria-visit.ashx#ixzz2Fa6KVlz3
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Mideast Asia
Israel Defies Allies in Move to Bolster Settlements
By JODI RUDOREN
December 19, 2012
JERUSALEM — Israel pushed ahead with aggressive new settlement building on Wednesday, brushing aside a growing chorus of international opposition, including criticism by its Western allies, that the move threatened to destroy the peace process with the Palestinians.
The Housing Ministry authorized construction on 1,000 housing units in the West Bank, while the city of Jerusalem approved 2,610 units in Givat Hamatos, a new neighborhood in an area annexed after the 1967 war.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/20/world/middleeast/rejecting-criticism-israel-forges-
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IAF chief: Israel is preparing for day Assad falls
By YAAKOV LAPPIN
12/19/2012
Those who “sleep with rockets and amass large stockpiles of weapons” in southern Lebanon are “in a very unsafe place,” OC Air Force Maj.-Gen. Amir Eshel said on Wednesday.
Two days earlier, an unexplained explosion tore through the southern Lebanese town of Tair Harfa, damaging a suspected Hezbollah arms depot.
“It is not a secret that Hezbollah is prepared in southern Lebanon, in violation of UN resolutions,” Eshel said, adding that Israel has been clear on the “need to dismantle Hezbollah. The international community is not enforcing the UN resolutions [calling for an arms-free zone in southern Lebanon.”
Full report at:
http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=296607
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Iran ready to construct ‘world’s tallest dam’
12/19/2012
A powerful engineering conglomerate controlled by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps has said it is ready to begin construction of the world’s tallest dam, according to reports in the Iranian media on Wednesday.
The commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya (KAA) construction base, Abolghasem Mozaffari, said the firm was ready to construct the concrete dam on the Bakhtiari River in the Zagros mountains in Iran’s southwestern Lorestan Province.
Full report at:
http://www.jpost.com/IranianThreat/News/Article.aspx?id=296641
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Turkey is 'world's biggest prison' for journalists: Watchdog
19 Dec 2012
Turkey has more jailed reporters than China, Eritrea, Iran or Syria, making it "the world's biggest prison for journalists," a leading media watchdog said on Wednesday.
The report by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) adds to a growing chorus of criticism from Western governments and rights groups of the EU candidate's jailing of journalists, most of whom are kept in pre-trial detention.
Full report at:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/60898/World/Region/Turkey-is-worlds-biggest-prison-for-journalists-Wa.aspx
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Abbas to UN: Let Palestinians in Syria enter W. Bank, Gaza
12/20/2012
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday called on the UN to intervene to allow thousands of Palestinians from Syria to enter the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
Abbas’s appeal came after thousands of Palestinians from the Yarmouk refugee camp near Damascus fled in recent days to Lebanon because of the fighting between the Syrian army and rebel forces.
Full report at:
http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=296671
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Iraq-bound arms ship seized in southern Yemen
Saeed Al Batati
December 19, 2012
Mukalla: Local authorities in Yemen port city of Mukalla have seized a massive arms shipment originated from Serbia. A local security source who inspected the ship said that the ship docked in Mukalla’s sea port on Tuesday morning to get fuel and food. The ship was flying the Bolivian flag and bound to the Iraqi sea port of Abu Qaser. After inspecting the ship, police found 180 tonnes of ammunition and mortar shells. Three Indians and two Albanians were the crew of the ship. Mukalla security police said it would keep the ship until the end of the investigation.
http://gulfnews.com/news/region/iraq/iraq-bound-arms-ship-seized-in-southern-yemen-1.1121317
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Yemeni Leader Tries to Centralize a Divided Military
By KAREEM FAHIM
BEIRUT, Lebanon — President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi of Yemen ordered a sweeping restructuring of the country’s divided and weak military on Wednesday, moving to replace or sideline commanders who were loyal to his predecessor and whose competing agendas had fed the country’s persistent insecurity.
Full report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/20/world/middleeast/yemeni-leader-shakes-up-a-
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Israeli Oppression, Palestinian Unity: the Rise of the Third Intifada
December 19, 2012
After a ceasefire was brokered to end Israel's eight day siege on Gaza earlier this month, Israel has continued to attack Palestinians in a number of ways: showing an unwillingness to give up its pursuit of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, withholding tax revenues indefinitely from the Palestinian Authority, and continuing to fire indiscriminately at Palestinians along the border. The latter resulted in the death of a 17-year-old boy last week—an event that sparked two days of tense protests in Hebron and what some are now saying will be the beginning of the third Intifada.
Full report at:
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/12/19-7
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India
India speaks to Pakistan about Hindu persecution
Dec 19, 2012
NEW DELHI: India has taken up Pakistan, the reported incidents of persecution, abduction and intimidation of Hindus and Sikhs in that country, parliament was told Wednesday.
"(The) government has seen reports of desecration and vandalization of Hindu temples and gurudwaras in Pakistan," minister of state for home M Ramachandran told the Rajya Sabha.
There have also been reports that members of minority communities in Pakistan have faced "persecution, abduction and intimidation" but there were no statistical data, he said.
The minister said that based on published reports, India had taken up the matter with Pakistan.
Full report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-speaks-to-Pakistan-about-Hindu-persecution/articleshow/17680440.cms
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India gets ‘disappointed’ at US immunity for ISI
December 20, 2012
NEW DELHI: India on Wednesday called a declaration that Pakistan’s intelligence service and former chiefs enjoy immunity in a case related to the 2008 Mumbai attacks a “serious disappointment”.
The Indian government has long asserted that Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence agency was behind the attacks which left 166 people dead – an accusation denied by Islamabad. The Indian statement was in response to an affidavit filed in a US court earlier in the week in which the US government said Pakistan’s ISI and its former chiefs, Ahmed Shuja Pasha and Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\12\20\story_20-12-2012_pg1_4
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Blasts at UP courts joint work of Huji, IM: ATS
Dec 20 2012
Lucknow : The cases of serial blasts in the courts of Lucknow, Faizabad and Varanasi — the withdrawal of which is being reportedly considered by the Akhilesh Yadav government — have acquired a new twist with the Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) saying the blasts were jointly carried out by Harkat-ul-Jehad-e-Islam and Indian Mujahideen.
So far, only HuJI men were said to be involved in the blasts which took place on November 23, 2007. But in its submission before the Allahabad High Court, which is hearing a petition seeking speedy investigation in the terror cases in Varanasi, the ATS has also named seven Azamgarh-based alleged operatives of Indian Mujahideen.
Full report at:
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/blasts-at-up-courts-joint-work-of-huji-im-ats/1047976/
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Mumbai attack case : Indian team to finalise terms for Pak body’s visit
December 20, 2012
ISLAMABAD: An advance Indian delegation reached Lahore on Wednesday to finalise the terms of reference for the second Pakistani judicial commission’s visit to India for cross-examining the witnesses of the Mumbai attacks.
Full report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\12\20\story_20-12-2012_pg7_3
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BSF to use chilli bombs at border
December 20, 2012
To tackle illegal activities along the border with Bangladesh, Indian Border Security Force (BSF) will now use a new type of bomb containing world's hottest chilli powder, instead of explosives, reported BBC yesterday.
The initiative has been taken to minimise the incident of border killing, and check illegal entry of smugglers and unauthorised persons, BSF officials claimed.
Full report at:
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=261830
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Afghan continues to face existential threat from terror: India
Dec 20 2012
United Nations : As US-led coalition forces prepare to withdraw from Afghanistan by 2014, India has said the war-torn country continues to face an "existential threat" as infrastructure of terror is intact in the region drawing ideological, financial and logistical support "from beyond its borders."
"The syndicate of terrorism which includes elements of the al-Qaeda, Taliban, Lashkar-e-Taiba and other terrorist and extremist groups, is active in the region and is far from being isolated," India's Permanent Representative to the UN Hardeep Singh Puri said at a UN Security Council debate on the 'Situation in Afghanistan' here yesterday.
Full report at:http://www.indianexpress.com/news/afghan-continues-to-face-existential-threat-from-terror-india/1048098/
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Keep all options open on Kashmir, says Hurriyat
ANITA JOSHUA
Dec 20 2012
Asks Pakistan to back Kashmiris’ right to decide future
Amid requests from Pakistani opinion-makers to continue exploring a solution to the Kashmir dispute as per United Nations resolutions, the visiting All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) on Wednesday stressed the need to keep all options open and urged Pakistan to give unconditional support to the Kashmiri people’s right to determine their future.
The public talk organised by the Foreign Office-backed Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad, saw the APHC delegation do some hard talking with chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq pointing out that over the past six decades independence has become the key demand of the Kashmiri people. The U.N. resolutions do not provide for the independence option.
Full report at:http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/keep-all-options-open-on-kashmir-says-hurriyat/article4218021.ece
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