Pakistan Journalists Workshop stresses gender equality in Islam
Pakistanis wonder what more they can do in war on terrorism
Obama Says Facts Support Accusation of Iranian Plot
Saudi women, Yemenis Beheaded for Murders
Amnesty Urges Libya to tackle 'stain' of detainee abuse
Gaddafi's son captured, Tripoli celebrates
Kazakhstan curbs religious freedom to halt militancy
Pakistan: Groups clash over mosque ownership, 13 arrested
Maldives: Two expats arrested for showing pornography to nine year olds
Valley’s ‘longest surviving’ Hizbul militant killed
10 militants killed in drone attacks
Gas explosion kills five coal-mine-workers in Mastung
Six NATO tankers destroyed
Explosives seized at Ambala, India
Jury convicts three men in U.S. terror trial
Suspected US drone 'kills three militants' in Pakistan
US missile kills Haqqani commander in Pakistan
Two drone attacks kill six in Waziristan
Terrorism defendant Abu Tholut gets 8 years in prison
Pakistan committed to bring peace and stability in region: Minister for Information and Broadcasting
NATO wins in Afghanistan may be exaggerated: Report
Govt. to pursue Kashmir issue at int’l fora till resolution: PM
NA committee to meet Baloch leaders
US urged to avoid verbal assaults, finger-pointing
Pakistan has a big stake in Afghan outcome: US
Zardari stresses for mutual respect in Pak-US ties
Haqqanis reject US offer for talks
Afghan students rally against Pakistan
Preparing for a Way Out of Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia announces $7m aid for flood-affected areas
Saudi Arabia vows to hold Iran accountable
Police foils terrorism bid in Islamabad
Pakistan, US pledge to strengthen alliance
ANP receives terror threats, shuts down offices in Sindh
US frustrated with Pak's dubious role in Afghanistan: Clinton
US not sincere about Afghan peace: Haqqani
Laden ‘ clone’ to sue the FBI
Jordan Islamists hail Hamas-Israel deal 'victory
Yemen urges UN to avoid resolution against president
Egypt military denies shooting protesters
Egyptian Generals Plead for Understanding After Death of Coptic Protesters
Syrians Rally in Support of Assad
A Closer Look at the Haqqani Anniversary Attack on American-Afghan Outposts
Egypt generals on defensive over fallout from deadly clashes
Compiled By New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/only-religious-parties-stop-america,/d/5681
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Only Religious Parties can Stop America, says Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-F Chief
DawnNews
QUETTA: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-F (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Thursday said the coalition of religious parties was the need of the hour and its only them that can stop US from its ‘nefarious designs,’ DawnNews reported.
Speaking at the Mufti Mehmood Conference, Maulana said conspirers were at work to create a Fata and Waziristan like situation in Balochistan.
The party chief further said the US was trying to blame Pakistan for its defeat in Afghanistan.
Opening up a US consulate in Balochistan would increase bloodshed in the region, he said.
Maulana informed that his party was trying to revive the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA).
Commenting on Balochistan situation, Maulana said faithful of the ‘establishment’ were trying to become ‘Nawab’ and ‘Sardar’ by accepting benefits, whereas his party was struggling against landlords and feudals.
http://www.dawn.com/2011/10/14/only-religious-parties-can-stop-america-says-fazl.html
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Pakistan Journalists Workshop stresses gender equality in Islam
Friday, October 14, 2011
Staff Report
KARACHI: There is no gender inequality in Islam as the religion provided all kinds of rights to women and a respectable social status and those who discriminate against women are far from the teachings of Islam, some of the leading journalists of the city in a workshop observed, on Thursday.
The journalists were part of the group belonging to print, TV and radio journalism who gathered at a local hotel to debate the issue of gender equality on the first day of a three-day workshop organised by Individualland, a non-partisan, non-profit consultancy. The workshop is eighth of the series of workshops supported by USAID and Aurat Foundation. The exercise aims at sensitisation of the electronic and print media on gender equity issues in nine districts of Pakistan.
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Pakistanis wonder what more they can do in war on terrorism
Friday, October 14, 2011
Pakistan denies links with militant groups and says it has sacrificed more than any other country that joined US war on terror after Sept 11, 2011 attacks
RAWALPINDI: When Pakistan Army Sergeant Abdur Rehman hears America’s oft-repeated demand that Pakistan do more to fight militants, he glances down at the stumps of his legs and wonders what more it wants from him.
A mortar bomb shredded him from the waist down as he led an advance against Taliban fighters in 2007 in Pakistan’s northwestern tribal areas on the Afghan border.
Instead of enjoying full retirement benefits, he underwent rehabilitation, was given artificial limbs and returned as a commander to a desk job in the militant-infested region where he was wounded.
“What more can Pakistanis do?” asked Rehman, 35.
That question has often strained ties between Washington and Islamabad, but it has been posed far more frequently since US Special Forces killed Osama bin Laden in May in a Pakistani town, where he had apparently been living for years.
Admiral Mike Mullen said before retiring as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff last month that a militant group that had attacked US targets in Afghanistan was a “veritable arm” of Pakistani intelligence.
Then President Barack Obama put Pakistan on notice that it must go after militants or risk severing ties to the United States, the source of billions of dollars in aid.
Pakistan denies links with militant groups and says it has sacrificed more than any other country that joined the US “war on terror” after the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Officials say more than 3,000 Pakistani soldiers have been killed, greater than the combined death toll among NATO forces in Afghanistan. Nearly 10,000 have been wounded.
“Imagine how the US would react if such a number had lost their lives and then comments would come from other countries, which said that, “You are the problem, you are part of the problem’,” Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said in an interview with an American radio programme.
For the relatives of soldiers killed in battles against the militants, the charges are especially outrageous.
Detail Report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\10\14\story_14-10-2011_pg7_7
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Obama Says Facts Support Accusation of Iranian Plot
By HELENE COOPER
October 13, 2011
WASHINGTON — President Obama vowed on Thursday to push for what he called the “toughest sanctions” against Iran, saying that the United States had strong evidence that Iranian officials were complicit in an alleged plot to kill the Saudi ambassador to the United States.
In his first public remarks on the assassination scheme, Mr. Obama sought to counter skepticism about whether Iran’s Islamic government directed an Iranian-American car salesman to engage with a Mexican drug cartel to kill Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States and carry out other attacks. Mr. Obama insisted that American officials “know that he had direct links, was paid by, and directed by individuals in the Iranian government.”
“Now those facts are there for all to see,” Mr. Obama said. “We would not be bringing forward a case unless we knew exactly how to support all the allegations that are contained in the indictment.”
Detail Report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/14/us/obama-calls-for-iran-sanctions-following-alleged-plot.html?_r=1&hp
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Saudi women, Yemenis beheaded for murders
13 OCT, 2011
Saudi Arabia is among the few countries in the world still practicing beheading
Two Saudi women and two Yemeni men were executed by the sword on Wednesday for separate murders, the interior ministry said, bringing the number of executions there to at least 62 this year.
Suad bint Hosni al-Enzi and her sister Muna were convicted of murdering Namsha bint Khozaim al-Enzi after breaking into her house, the ministry said in a statement carried by the official SPA news agency.
The first woman stabbed the victim to death while the second held her daughter to prevent her from rescuing her mother, the statement said.
Both women were executed in Riyadh.
In the second case, Yemenis Ali bin Hasan bin Naji al-Hamdi and Molatef bin Mohammed bin Naji al-Hamdi were condemned after storming a house near the Red Sea city of Jeddah and killing an Ethiopian guard, the ministry said.
The pair were executed in Jeddah.
On Tuesday, the UN human rights office expressed distress at Saudi Arabia's execution of 10 men, including eight Bangladeshis, and urged the ultra-conservative kingdom to place a moratorium on the death penalty.
The eight Bangladeshis were beheaded on Saturday for stealing goods from a warehouse and leaving its Egyptian guard to die.
On the same day, two Saudis were also beheaded.
Rape, murder, apostasy, armed robbery and drug trafficking are all punishable by death under the oil-rich Gulf state's strict interpretation of Islamic sharia law.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/23995/World/Region/Saudi-women,-Yemenis-beheaded-for-murders.aspx
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Amnesty urges Libya to tackle 'stain' of detainee abuse
13 OCT, 2011
Libya's interim authorities must end arbitrary detention and abuse of inmates, Amnesty International says.
In a report, the London-based rights group said it had uncovered evidence of torture and ill-treatment of thousands of people detained in recent months.
Sub-Saharan Africans suspected of being Col Muammar Gaddafi's mercenaries were particularly targeted, it said. The NTC pledged to look into the claims.
There are unconfirmed reports Col Gaddafi's son Mutassim has been seized.
Some figures in the National Transitional Council said he had been captured in the family's embattled home town of Sirte.
However, a military commander in the city denied the claims, which have sparked celebratory gunfire in several cities.
Detail Report at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15284264?print=true
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Gaddafi's son captured, Tripoli celebrates
13 OCT, 2011
TRIPOLI: Celebratory bursts of gunfire and fireworks lit up the skies over Tripoli early on Thursday as word spread that Libyan government fighters had captured Muammar Gaddafi's son Mo'tassim in Sirte.
The capture of the deposed leader's national security adviser, and the first member of the Gaddafi family, is a big boost to Libya's new rulers whose forces are still battling pro-Gaddafi fighters in his home town of Sirte.
National Transitional Council (NTC) officials told Reuters Mo'tassim was captured on Wednesday after he tried to escape the battle-torn city in a car with a family.
"He was arrested today in Sirte," Colonel Abdullah Naker, head of the Tripoli Revolutionary Council, told Reuters. Other NTC sources said Mo'tassim was taken to Benghazi where he was held and questioned at the Boatneh military camp. He was uninjured but exhausted.
As news of the capture spread, hundreds of people gathered in the capital's old city, singing, waving Libya's new flag and shouting "God is greatest".
Ships sounded their whistles in the harbour and car drivers honked horns, many with passengers hanging from the windows.
"Now we have one Gaddafi," shouted Mohammed, a 23-year-old engineer, who, despite it being banned in Libya, swigged from a bottle of alcohol with three friends. "Soon we will have the old man Gaddafi and all the Gaddafis."
"But fair trial, fair trial," said his friends. One man hoisted a small girl on his shoulders, as men nearby unleashed volleys of gunfire into the air, sending some fleeing into doorways. Local reports said several people injured by celebratory gunfire were taken to hospital.
"Look at this child," the man told Reuters in English. "For her, there will be no memory of Gaddafi. He will be an old dream, just a bad dream. That is all."
Detail Report at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Gaddafis-son-captured-Tripoli-celebrates/articleshow/10338175.cms?prtpage=1
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Kazakhstan curbs religious freedom to halt militancy
13 OCT, 2011
Almaty : Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev signed a tough religion law on Thursday banning prayer rooms in state buildings, a measure aimed at stamping out Islamist militancy but criticised by Kazakhstan's top Muslim cleric and the West.
Nazarbayev, 71, has ruled Kazakhstan for more than 20 years as a secularist autocrat. Until this year, the 70 percent Muslim country largely avoided the Islamist violence seen in other central Asian ex-Soviet states like Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.
But a suicide bombing in May and the arrest in August of a group accused of a terrorist plot raised fears of a surge in militancy, prompting Nazarbayev to call for the new law to help curb extremism.
The law, swiftly approved by the compliant legislature, has caused heated debate. Article 7 bans prayer rooms in all state institutions. Kazakhstan's Supreme Mufti, Absattar Derbisali, said this could anger pious Muslims and spur extremism.
The law also requires all missionaries in the country to register with the authorities every year.
Rights groups in the West, including the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, have raised concern that it may restrict religious freedom.
Among recent measures to fight Islamist militancy, Kazakhstan temporarily blocked access to a number of foreign Internet sites in August after a court ruled they were propagating terrorism and inciting religious hatred.
http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/859496/
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Pakistan: Groups clash over mosque ownership, 13 arrested
October 13, 2011
Both groups claimed ownership of mosque in Rawalpindi; police arrest 13 in ensuing protest.
RAWALPINDI: Police arrested 13 people on Thursday in connection with a dispute over a mosque in Rawalpindi.
Express 24/7 correspondent Syed Ali reported that the dispute arose when both groups claimed possession of a mosque located in the Gulzar-e-Quaid area of the city.
For Full Report:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/273198/groups-clash-over-mosque-ownership-13-arrested/
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Maldives: Two expats arrested for showing pornography to nine year olds
13 OCT, 2011
By Ahmed Nazeer
Two expatriates working on the island of Innamaadhoo in Raa Atoll have been arrested on charges of sexually abusing two young girls.
Deptuty Chair of the Island Council Abdulla Shafeeq told Minivan News today that both expatriates were Bangladeshi nationals and that they have been living on the island for almost a year.
“The two expats showed pornographic materials to the girls – the girls would be only nine years of age,” Shafeeq said. “One man is 24 and the other is 30 years-old.”
Shafeeq said the abuse had been going on for some time, and the first incident occurred about a month ago.
For Full Report:
http://minivannews.com/society/two-expats-arrested-in-innamaadhoo-26900
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Valley’s ‘longest surviving’ Hizbul militant killed
Fri Oct 14 2011,
Srinagar:
Janghi was the outfit’s hit-man responsible for more than 25 killings. (Express Photo)
In a major setback, J-K’s largest indigenous militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen on Wednesday lost its longest surviving commander in the Valley. Mushtaq Janghi, who was operating in the Valley for the past 21 years, was killed in a gunfight with police and Army.
“This is a major success for the police,” said Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police central Kashmir Abdul Gani Mir. “Mushtaq Janghi was the oldest surviving militant in the Valley.”
On Wednesday morning, J-K Police and Army’s 5 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) launched an operation in the forests of Gutlibagh at Kangan after a tip-off about the presence of militants. As the joint party of police and army were zeroing in on the target, the militants hiding in the forests opened fire. And as the police and army retaliated the fire, two militants were killed. Police have identified one of the killed militants as Janghi.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/valleys-longest-surviving-hizbul-militant-killed/859753/
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10 militants killed in drone attacks
Dawn Report
14th Oct. 2011
Members of Jalaluddin Haqqani’s family and close relatives have been living in Dandi Derpakhel area since the start of the Afghan war. - File Photo
MIRAMSHAH/LADDAH: Ten militants were killed in US drone attacks on targets in North and South Waziristan on Thursday.
The attacks took place as Special US Envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan, Marc Grossman, arrived in Islamabad and held talks with civilian and military leaders.
In the first attack, two missiles struck a compound in Dandi Derpakhel area near Miramshah in North Waziristan, early in the morning.
Official sources said a commander of the Haqqani network identified as Jamil and three other militants were killed. They said the drone fired missiles when Jamil came out of the compound.
For Detail Report:
http://www.dawn.com/2011/10/14/10-militants-killed-in-drone-attacks.html
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Gas explosion kills five coal-mine-workers in Mastung
Dawn News
Workers lower the body of a colleague onto a stretcher during a rescue operation at a coal mine on the outskirts of Quetta on Thursday. – Photo by AFP
QUETTA: Five mine workers were killed on Thursday when a gas explosion occurred in a coal mine in Mastung, Balochistan, Dawn News reported.
The coal mine was located 60 kilometer away from Quetta in Mastung’s Khoshab district.
According to sources, mine was filled with leaked gas which caused the explosion.
Eight workers were trapped inside the mine after the blast. Other workers outside the mine rescued three while five workers succumbed to their wounds.
Local administrative and rescue workers were not present on the spot immediately after the explosion and mine workers along with local residents had to recover the dead bodies.
http://www.dawn.com/2011/10/13/gas-explosion-kills-five-coal-mine-workers-in-mastung.html
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Six NATO tankers destroyed
Friday, October 14, 2011
LANDIKOTAL/shikarpur: Six NATO oil tankers were destroyed in various parts of the country on Thursday. Two NATO oil tankers were blown up in Landikotal. A Khasadar Force official said that only a big fire was visible so it could not be ascertained how many oil tankers were blown up in the incident. Another official claimed two oil tankers were blown up, adding that a driver was also arrested. Another trailer carrying NATO armoured vehicles was slightly damaged in a blast at Khyber Sadu Khel area. Separately, four NATO oil tankers were set on fire by unidentified men near Shikarpur. According to police, armed men fired on six oil tankers coming from Karachi. As a result of firing, four of the oil tankers caught fire while the police managed to save the other two tankers. staff report
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\10\14\story_14-10-2011_pg7_29
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Explosives seized at Ambala, India
Staff reporter
Explosives being smuggled into the capital were seized outside the Ambala Cantonment railway station in Haryana on Wednesday night. The consignment, comprising 5 kg of suspected RDX, five detonators and two timers, had allegedly been brought in a car to Ambala by a Lashkar-e-Taiba module for terrorists owing allegiance to the banned Babbar Khalsa International (BKI).
Acting on an intelligence tip-off on the movement of an LeT module in Jammu and Kashmir, a joint team comprising officers of the Delhi Police Crime Branch and the Special Cell zeroed in on the vehicle bearing a Haryana registration number. It was to change hands at Ambala. The local police launched an operation to trace the car and found it at the Ambala Cantonment railway station's parking lot.
“However, when no one turned up to claim the vehicle, we cordoned off the area in coordination with the local police and got the car examined by bomb detection experts,” said a police officer.
The police found three packets containing 5 kg of explosives, wrapped with brown adhesive tapes. Five detonators were also seized. “Two ABCD timers in another plastic box wrapped with brown adhesive tapes were found concealed in the front-left door cavity. Some newspapers published in Jammu and Kashmir were in the vehicle. We have also seized a vehicle registration certificate bearing the number: HR-03-0054. Investigations are under way to identify its owner,” said the officer.
The police suspect that after a long dormant phase, the BKI, headed by Pakistan-based Wadhawa Singh Babbar, is making attempts to revive terror activities.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2533859.ece?homepage=true
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Jury convicts three men in U.S. terror trial
AP
Supporters gather outside U.S. District Court in New Bern on Tuesday, in the terrorist trial of three North Carolina men charged with being part of a conspiracy to commit a terrorist attack at the U.S. Marine Corps base in Quantico.
A federal jury convicted three men in a trial that focused on alleged plots to carry out terrorist attacks on a U.S. Marine Corps base and foreign targets.
The jury in the month-long trial delivered its verdict on Thursday against Mohammad Omar Aly Hassan, Ziyad Yaghi and Hysen Sherifi after deliberating since Wednesday.
Yaghi and Sherifi were convicted on all counts. Hassan was found not guilty of conspiracy to carry out attacks overseas but convicted of providing material support to terrorists.
Hassan, Yaghi and Sherifi were part of a group of eight men who federal investigators say raised money, stockpiled weapons and trained in preparation for jihadist attacks against American military targets and others they deemed enemies of Islam.
Daniel Boyd, a convert to Islam whom prosecutors described as the ringleader, pleaded guilty to terrorism-related charges in February. Two of his sons pleaded guilty to similar charges.
Aly Hassan, the father of Omar Hassan, said the family would not rest until his son's name is cleared, indicating he planned to appeal or seek a new trial.
"We're going to stick behind him because we know he is not guilty," Aly Hassan said. "It's a long nightmare."
U.S. District Court Judge Louise Flanagan said the men will be sentenced in about 90 days. The felony counts the men were convicted of carry sentences ranging from 15 years to life.
Another defendant, Anes Subasic, is set to be tried separately, while an eighth indicted man is at large and believed to be in Pakistan.
All of the accused were either American-born naturalised U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/article2536832.ece
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Suspected US drone 'kills three militants' in Pakistan
13 OCT, 2011
A US drone attack has killed at least three suspected militants in north-west Pakistan, intelligence officials say.
They say the drone fired two missiles close to a compound in the town of Miranshah in the North Waziristan tribal region, near the Afghan border.
North and South Waziristan are regularly targeted by drone missiles.
The US says the region provides sanctuary to al-Qaeda and Taliban insurgents who are involved in attacks on Nato forces in Afghanistan.
For Full Report:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-15285117?print=true
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US missile kills Haqqani commander in Pakistan
13 OCT, 2011
RASOOL DAWAR,
PESHAWAR: An American missile strike killed a ranking member of the militant Haqqani network Thursday in northwestern Pakistan, increasing pressure on one of the deadliest factions fighting US troops in Afghanistan, Pakistani intelligence officials said.
Two other militants were killed in the attack close to the Haqqani stronghold of Dande Darpa Khel village in North Waziristan, the group's main sanctuary along the Afghan border, said the officials, who were not allowed to speak to the media on the record.
For Full Report:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/US-missile-kills-Haqqani-commander-in-Pakistan/articleshow/10336943.cms?prtpage=1
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Two drone attacks kill six in Waziristan
13 OCT, 2011
Washington has long urged Islamabad to attack the Haqqani network. — File photo
PESHAWAR: An American missile strike killed a ranking member of the militant Haqqani network on Thursday in northwestern Pakistan, striking a group that Washington claims is the No. 1 threat in Afghanistan, local intelligence officials said.
The strike came as US special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan Marc Grossman arrived in Pakistan to improve ties between Washington and Islamabad that have been severely strained by stepped-up American claims of Pakistan assistance to the Haqqanis.
For Full Report:
http://www.dawn.com/2011/10/13/us-drone-strike-kills-four-in-pakistan.html
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Terrorism defendant Abu Tholut gets 8 years in prison
13 OCT, 2011
Judges at West Jakarta District Court judges have sentenced terrorism defendant Abu Tholut to eight years in prison for his involvement in the organization of a military-style training camp in Aceh.
“He is found to have fulfilled elements of crime,” chief judge Musa Arif Aini said at the court on Thursday as quoted by tempointeraktif.com.
Musa added said that Tholut was found guilty of terrorism after being appointed by terrorism convict Abu Bakar Ba’asyir to set up the camp.
During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence indicating his involvement in the camp included a sermons he had given to training participants and also his ownership of weapons.
For Full Report:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/10/13/terrorism-defendant-abu-tholut-gets-8-years-prison.html-0
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Pakistan committed to bring peace and stability in region: Minister for Information and Broadcasting
13 OCT, 2011
ANKARA: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan currently visiting Turkey on Thursday said Pakistan is committed to bring peace and stability in the region.
He was talking to senior journalists at Ankara on Thursday and briefed them about latest situation in Pakistan and the region.
Firdous emphasized on the need of media exchange programme in both the public and private sectors.
For Full Report:
http://www.dawn.com/2011/10/13/pakistan-committed-to-bring-peace-and-stability-in-region-firdous.html
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Nato wins in Afghanistan may be exaggerated: Report
13 OCT, 2011
KABUL: The US-led Nato mission in Afghanistan may be exaggerating successes of raids designed to kill or capture insurgent leaders, a flagship strategy in the 10-year war, a report warned Thursday.
The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) hails the raids as one of the most effective tactics against the insurgency, but the Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN) says data from December 2009 to September 2011 is inconsistent.
“The lack of transparency is particularly apparent in the case of the insurgent ‘leaders’ that were reportedly being killed and captured; there is no way to properly evaluate these claims,” said the AAN report on its website.
There was no immediate reaction from ISAF but just two days ago, the military said the number of Taliban attacks had declined for the first time.
For Full Report:
http://www.dawn.com/2011/10/13/nato-wins-in-afghanistan-may-be-exaggerated-report.html
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Govt. to pursue Kashmir issue at int’l fora till resolution: PM
Friday, October 14, 2011
DADYAL: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, on Thursday, said that Kashmir cause was close to his heart and vowed that the Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) government would continue to raise the issue at international fora till its resolution.
He was addressing a large gathering here after inaugurating the Dhan Gali bridge linking Punjab with Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and the completion of Mangla Dam Raising Project. Prime Minister Gilani lauded the people living along the Mangla Lake for sacrificing their ancestral lands for the project, which he said, would go a long way in national economic development.
Gilani said it was his eighth visit to the AJK and recalled that he had promised not to announce any development project during the election campaign to ensure free and fair electoral process.
He said the PPP was founded by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto on the basis of Kashmir issue after he raised his voice against a dictator in Tashkent, for Kashmiris’ right to self-determination. Prime Minister Gilani said he was pleased to inaugurate two very vital projects of Kashmir and said these would usher in an era of prosperity and economic development for the people of the area.
For Detail Report:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\10\14\story_14-10-2011_pg7_14
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NA committee to meet Baloch leaders
By Ahmad Hassan
Minister for Religious Affairs Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah.—APP photo
ISLAMABAD: The Special Committee of the National Assembly on Karachi and Balochistan decided on Thursday to meet the estranged Baloch leaders, some of whom are living abroad, to seek their support for restoring peace in the province.
Talking to reporters, the chairman of the committee, Religious Affairs Minister Syed Khursheed Shah, said the meeting had decided that members of the committee would visit Quetta next Thursday to meet members of parliament and the provincial assembly, ministers, tribal sardars and members of the civil society and the Baloch leaders who were not willing to talk to government’s representatives.
He said nationalist leaders Khair Bakhsh Marri and Ataullah Mengal and all others who had been refusing to meet anyone belonging to the government would be welcome to meet the committee in Quetta.
The committee was briefed by the Balochistan home secretary and Frontier Corps chief on the law and order situation in the province and steps taken by law-enforcement agencies.
Detail Report at:
http://www.dawn.com/2011/10/14/na-committee-to-meet-baloch-leaders.html
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US urged to avoid verbal assaults, finger-pointing
By Iftikhar A. Khan
ISLAMABAD: In what is seen here as a serious attempt to repair the dent in relations caused by serious allegations emanating from Washington, America’s special envoy Marc Grossman said here after wide-ranging talks with political and military leadership on Thursday that US-Pakistan relations were important for both the countries and served their best interests.
The United States wanted strong and cordial relations with Pakistan, he said at a joint press conference with Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar.
But during a meeting with Mr Grossman, President Asif Ali Zardari told him bluntly that restraint should be exercised in public pronouncements for the sake of developing a cooperative roadmap to overcome trust deficit. He stressed that relations between the two countries should not be transactional, but based on long-term partnership, mutual respect and shared interests.
Any public messaging tending to undermine this bedrock of relationship shrank political space for a democratic government, the president said.
Detail Report At:
http://www.dawn.com/2011/10/14/us-urged-to-avoid-verbal-assaults-finger-pointing.html
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Pakistan has a big stake in Afghan outcome: US
Friday, October 14, 2011
Clinton says Pakistan has to be part of the solution, or it will continue to be part of the problem
WASHINGTON: Pakistan has a huge stake in the outcome of the Afghan conflict, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Wednesday, underscoring that the US could not dispense with its relationship with Islamabad, which must be part of the Afghan solution.
“Everybody knows Pakistan has a big stake in the outcome of what goes on across their border, and they are going to be involved one way or the other,” America’s top diplomat said.
She was responding to a question at an American think tank as to how she viewed Pakistan’s role in the Afghan reconciliation process in the backdrop of a series of events this year that have undermined the US-Pakistan relationship.
“This is a very difficult relationship, but I believe strongly that it is not one we can walk away from and expect that anything will turn out better, because I don’t believe that will be the case.”
“Therefore, we are deeply engaged in finding ways to enhance cooperation with Pakistan and to further the Afghan desire for a legitimate peace and reconciliation process,” she added, after delivering a speech on ‘American Global Leadership’ at Center for American Progress.
Detail Report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\10\14\story_14-10-2011_pg7_2
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Zardari stresses for mutual respect in Pak-US ties
APP
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday said relations between Pakistan and United States must not be transactional, and stressed for a long-term partnership based on mutual respect and shared interests.
He was talking to Marc Grossman, US Special Representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan who called on him at the Presidency.
Briefing media about the meeting, Spokesperson to the President Farhatullah Babar said that matters relating to Pak-US bilateral relations, regional security situation, emerging situation in Afghanistan and the fight against militancy were discussed during the meeting.
The president said Pakistan supports all efforts for regional peace, prosperity and connectivity, based on existing realities of the region.
He stressed on following the clearly defined, well-documented and mutually agreed terms of engagement between the two countries, which he said was necessary to avoid operational irritants that hamper the relationship.
He said no country had made greater contributions and sacrifices in fighting terrorism than Pakistan.
The President said Pakistan was committed to pursue fight against militants till its logical conclusion. He said the enemies of peace would continue to sabotage peace process but “we should not let the non-state actors hold hostage the governments in the region.”
The President also emphasized on socio-economic development and imparting education to the youth of the militancy-hit areas to permanently change the militant mindset and sought international community’s support and cooperation in this regard.
Pakistan supports Afghan-led and Afghan-owned reconciliation process, he said.
The President said Prof. Rabbani was a friend of Pakistan and an honest and serious interlocutor. He termed his assassination as an attempt to sabotage the peace and reconciliation process.
He however, expressed surprise over the reaction in the wake of Prof. Rabbani’s assassination.
Detail Report at:
http://www.dawn.com/2011/10/13/zardari-stresses-for-mutual-respect-in-pak-us-ties.html
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Haqqanis reject US offer for talks
Friday, October 14, 2011
Commander says offer is an attempt to divide Afghan insurgent groups
ISLAMABAD: A senior commander of the Haqqani network has rejected the US offer for talks, saying the United States is not sincere about peace in Afghanistan.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton suggested in comments this week that Washington would not shut the door to the Haqqanis in any peace arrangement.
The Haqqanis saw the remarks as an attempt to divide Afghan insurgent groups and believed only the top leaders of the Taliban should negotiate, said the commander.
“We had rejected many such offers from the United States in the past and reject this new offer as we are not authorised to decide the future of Afghanistan,” he said.
Detail Report at:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\10\14\story_14-10-2011_pg7_5
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Afghan students rally against Pakistan
Friday, October 14, 2011
KABUL: About 70 university students in the Afghan capital held a rally against Pakistan, on Thursday, insisting Islamabad help investigate the assassination of former Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani. Rabbani, who was trying to broker peace with the Taliban, was killed on September 20. Several Afghan officials have publicly accused Pakistan and its spy agency of supporting the militants who killed him. Pakistan’s government has said it is cooperating with the investigation into Rabbani’s death and denied involvement in the killing. The protester Mohammad Farad said the demonstrators want the Pakistan embassy in Kabul to be closed. They called on the United Nations to appoint a delegation to investigate Rabbani’s killing. ap
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\10\14\story_14-10-2011_pg7_9
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Preparing for a Way Out of Afghanistan
Tyler Hicks
The New York Times,October 14, 2011
The outpost was built about six months ago. Perched on a ridge near Pakistan and inhabited by side-by-side American and Afghan infantry platoons, it looks down on several villages under the control of the Taliban and the Haqqani insurgent network.
Steep mountains all but close off the basin below, known as the Naka bowl, helping to make it one of the fighters’ many havens. The ruins of a government center and police station, built by the United States and destroyed by those who hold the real sway in Naka, lie abandoned near the base of a facing slope.
After ousting the Taliban from power in 2001, the United States brought multiple ambitions to Afghanistan: establishing democracy, developing a strong central government and security forces to keep it alive, reducing the country’s role in the heroin trade, building infrastructure, and promoting education and women’s rights. All of these have been frustrated to varying degrees.
Where once there were lofty plans, more pragmatic voices reign. American military officers now brief from a shorter list. A top item reads “transition,” the label for an endgame: turning over Afghanistan to American-financed Afghan forces in ways that, in theory, should allow most of the Pentagon’s troops an exit and leave behind a partner for future counterterrorism efforts.
But transition, too, is freighted with questions and diminished expectations — as is evident in the now-hurried contest for the Naka bowl, which provides a microcosm of the larger plan.
Observation Post Twins, in northern Paktika Province, stands about 8,500 feet above sea level. It was built for a single purpose: to allow American troops to introduce an Afghan security presence in the valley. During the next few weeks, ahead of the winter freeze, the close-out will begin as American soldiers expect to increase the Afghan force level and decrease their own numbers.
First, said Capt. Craig A. Halstead, the commander of Company B, Second Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, his platoons will turn over several bunkers to Afghan National Army soldiers. Many American soldiers will return to the company’s larger outpost in nearby Zerok.
Sometime later, the Americans will build, once again, a police station and government center and help dozens of Afghan police officers and a subgovernor move in.
One recent day, while Captain Halstead discussed the transition with Lt. Bismillah, the executive officer of an Afghan infantry company, Shahidullah, the Afghan interpreter assisting the conversation, reprised local history. It was a chronicle of thwarted plans.
“This is the third plan that we are making,” he said. “Two times before when the police came to Naka, the Haqqani guys stopped them.”
The last time, he said, the station was destroyed before the police arrived. Guerrillas threatened to kill the villagers building the station. Then, after the workers fled, the guerrillas laced the structure with explosives and leveled it.
Full Report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/14/world/asia/us-prepares-handoff-to-afghans-in-border-region.html?hp
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Saudi Arabia announces $7m aid for flood-affected areas
Friday, October 14, 2011
ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia has announced financial aid worth $7 million for Pakistan to initiate projects for the flood-affected areas, said King Abdullah Relief Campaign for Pakistani People (KARCPP) Regional Director Dr Khalid M Al Othmani on Thursday.
He told media men that initiative had been taken on the directives of King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud and the deputy prime minister and interior minister of the Kingdom, Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud. Dr Khalid M Al Othmani said that relief work in flood-hit areas of Sindh and Balochistan had already started.
He said KARCPP would distribute 30,000 blankets, 5,000 tents and 50,000 food packs among the flood victims. Besides this, he said that KARCPP would also initiate projects approved by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, for providing relief to the brotherly people of Pakistan.
“Water supply schemes have been launched in various flood-affected areas of Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan in order to provide clean drinking water to people suffering from multiple problems developed after heavy rains and floods in these areas,” he informed. Germany has also announced financial assistance worth $7.6 million for flood relief activities in the areas devastated by recent floods in Pakistan.
According to Pakistan’s embassy in Berlin, the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development has allocated $6.25 million whereas $1.36 million will be provided by the German Foreign Office. Germany provided considerable support, both from the German government and through German private donations in response to last year’s unprecedented floods. app
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\10\14\story_14-10-2011_pg7_18
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Saudi Arabia vows to hold Iran accountable
13 OCT, 2011
Manssor Arbabsiar is shown in this courtroom sketch during an appearance in a Manhattan courtroom in New York, October 11, 2011. — Photo by Reuters
VIENNA: Saudi Arabia said on Thursday it would hold Iran accountable for any hostile actions and condemned what it called a “dastardly” plot to kill the Arab kingdom’s envoy to Washington.
Iran, rejecting US accusations made on Tuesday, denies seeking to assassinate Saudi Ambassador Adel al-Jubeir.
For Full Report:
http://www.dawn.com/2011/10/13/saudi-arabia-vows-to-hold-iran-accountable.html
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Police foils terrorism bid in Islamabad
13 OCT, 2011
Terrorists are trying to disrupt peace in Islamabad: Rehman Malik.—File photo
ISLAMABAD: The city police on Thursday foiled a terrorism bid when it arrested two suspects and seized heavy arms and ammunition from their vehicle, DawnNews reported.
According to police officials, Shah Zaman and Mohmammad Shafiq were trying to transfer heavy arms by hiding them in a vehicle.
Police recovered 12 Kalashnikovs, seven pistols, three rifles, five binoculars and 1000 rounds when it was searching the vehicle at a check post in the area of Golra.
The suspects were shifted to a police station and an investigation was under way, said the official.
For Full Report:
http://www.dawn.com/2011/10/13/police-foils-terrorism-bid-in-islamabad.html
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Pakistan, US pledge to strengthen alliance
13 OCT, 2011
US special regional envoy Marc Grossman (L) speaks as Pakistan's Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar (R) looks during a joint press conference in Islamabad on October 13, 2011. - AFP Photo
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani and US diplomats on Thursday vowed to strengthen their troubled alliance two days after Washington acknowledged for the first time that it is waging “war” against militants in Pakistan.
US special envoy, Marc Grossman, on Thursday met Pakistani leaders in Islamabad as US drone strikes killed 10 militants, including a commander in the Haqqani network that the US military has linked to Pakistani intelligence.
“We tried to think about the future and way to keep our strategic dialogue going,” Grossman told a joint press conference with Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar.
For Full Report:
http://www.dawn.com/2011/10/13/pakistan-us-agree-to-continue-strategical-dialogue-process.html
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ANP receives terror threats, shuts down offices in Sindh
By Ahmed Jung
13 OCT, 2011
ANP party elections in Sindh postponed following confirmed terror threats. PHOTO: EXPRESS/FILE
KARACHI: Awami National Party (ANP) spokesperson Qadir Khan said on Thursday that the party has received terror threats ahead of the party elections due to be held in Sindh.
Khan said that the party offices and some members could be possible targets due to which all wards and offices will be shut down all over Sindh for three days.
The party elections in 200 union councils have also been postponed indefinitely due to security reasons.
According to the Bacha Khan Markaz Karachi announcement, Interior Minister Rehman Malik contacted ANP’s Central Secretary Information Zahid Khan and informed him that the intelligence agencies have given information regarding attacks on ANP leadership and its offices.
For Full Report:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/273205/anp-receives-terror-threats-shuts-down-offices-in-sindh/
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US frustrated with Pak's dubious role in Afghanistan: Clinton
13 OCT, 2011
Washington : Expressing "frustration" over Pakistan's double-game in Afghanistan, the US has said that Islamabad "has to be part of the solution, or they will continue to be part of the problem" in the war-torn country.
Describing America's relations with Pakistan as "very difficult", Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the Obama administration was pushing the country on several issues on which it holds it accountable.
For Full Report:
http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/859466/
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US not sincere about Afghan peace: Haqqanis
October 13, 2011
'Haqqani network is not a separate movement. It’s part of the Taliban and it cannot hold any separate talks.' PHOTO: AFP/ FILE
ISLAMABAD: The United States was not sincere about peace in Afghanistan when it signalled it would remain open to exploring a settlement that includes the Haqqani network, one of the group’s senior commanders said on Thursday.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton suggested in comments this week that Washington would not shut the door to the Haqqanis – blamed for high-profile attacks in Afghanistan – in any peace arrangement.
The Haqqanis saw the remarks as an attempt to divide Afghan insurgent groups and believed only the top leaders of the Taliban should negotiate, said the commander.
For Full Report:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/273244/us-not-sincere-about-afghan-peace-haqqanis/
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Laden ‘ clone’ to sue the FBI
13 OCT, 2011
Spain MP says FBI sketched Osama using his photograph
ASPANISH MP has threatened the FBI with legal action after they used a picture of him to create a most wanted mock- up of slain al- Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden.
Gaspar Llamazares was left fuming when he spotted a photograph of himself that had been doctored to resemble an aged version of the al- Qaeda leader. It is understood that FBI chiefs handpicked the shot of the Spanish politician from Google images and altered a number of features.
The FBI — who have billions of dollars and the most high- tech computers at their disposal — used the same picture of Llamazares to create a second photofit of terror leader Atiyah Abd al- Rahman.
For Full Report:
http://epaper.mailtoday.in/epaperhome.aspx?issue=13102011
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Jordan Islamists hail Hamas-Israel deal 'victory'
13 OCT, 2011
Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood leader calls the prisoner-exchange deal between Hamas and Israel a great victory for Arabs and Muslims, plans celebratory demonstration
Jordan's opposition Islamists on Thursday hailed a prisoner swap deal between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas as a "great victory" for Arabs and Muslims.
For Full Report:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContentPrint/2/0/24059/World/0/Jordan-Islamists-hail-HamasIsrael-deal-victory.aspx
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Yemen urges UN to avoid resolution against president
13 OCT, 2011
Yemen's government calls on the UN Security Council for peaceful conflict resolution, rather than issuing an anti-Saleh resolution to solve the country's political crisis
The Yemeni government has urged the UN Security Council to avoid a resolution targeting embattled President Ali Abdullah Saleh, calling on it instead to back a political solution for the country's crisis.
"The government of Yemen that follows closely the discussions over the situation in Yemen at the Security Council, stresses that the solution for the crisis does not come through issuing resolutions," said an unnamed government official quoted overnight Wednesday by Saba state news agency.
For Full Report:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContentPrint/2/0/24062/World/0/Yemen-urges-UN-to-avoid-resolution-against-preside.aspx
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Egypt military denies shooting protesters
13 OCT, 2011
Cairo: Egypt's military rulers blamed Christian protesters and "enemies of the revolution" on Wednesday for triggering the clashes that left 26 dead, almost all of them Christians. The accusation was sure to enflame the fury within and beyond the Christian community over the worst violence since Hosni Mubarak's ouster.
At a lengthy news conference to present their version of the events, generals from the Supreme Council of Armed Forces showed footage of priests and a Coptic Christian activist they accused of "instigating" the violence on Sunday night with calls for demonstrations and storming the state television building. He accused protesters of "savage" attacks on the military.
For Full Report:
http://ibnlive.in.com/printpage.php?id=192531§ion_id=2
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Egyptian Generals Plead for Understanding After Death of Coptic Protesters
13 OCT, 2011
By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK and HEBA AFIFY
CAIRO — Under mounting criticism at home and abroad over clashes with troops that killed two dozen Coptic Christians on Sunday, Egypt’s military rulers issued an extraordinary plea for sympathy on Wednesday, urging Egyptians to understand that soldiers in riot gear and armored trucks had been terrified of an angry crowd of demonstrators.
The military council, which has governed Egypt since the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak in February, broke its silence after senior diplomats from the United States and the European Union had expressed growing alarm at the military’s aloof response to the bloodshed its troops inflicted on unarmed civilians. Their appeals came a day after television coverage of the victims of the battles appeared to galvanize public outrage, most notably around a young woman whose fiancé had pushed her out of the way of a military truck just before it ran him down.
For Full Report:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/13/world/middleeast/egyptian-minister-reverses-resignation-decision.html?ref=world&pagewanted=print
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Syrians Rally in Support of Assad
13 OCT, 2011
By NADA BAKRI
BEIRUT, Lebanon — Tens of thousands of Syrians rallied in central Damascus on Wednesday to show support for President Bashar al-Assad, who faces an uprising against his government that has lost momentum but remains resilient.
The turnout in Sabaa Bahrat Square in Damascus, the capital, once again underlined the degree of backing that Mr. Assad and his leadership still enjoy among many Syrians, nearly seven months into the popular uprising. That support is especially pronounced in cities like Damascus and Aleppo, the country’s two largest, and among religious minorities who fear chaos and reprisals if he falls.
For Full Report:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/13/world/middleeast/syrians-rally-in-support-of-assad.html?ref=world&pagewanted=print
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A Closer Look at the Haqqani Anniversary Attack on American-Afghan Outposts
13 OCT, 2011
By C.J. CHIVERS
Tyler Hicks/The New York TimesAmerican forces fired 105-millimeter artillery toward an insurgent rocket position near the Pakistan border after being attacked on the 10th anniversary of the Afghan war.
FORWARD OPERATING BASE ORGUN-E, Afghanistan – Last Friday, on the 10th anniversary of the start of the Afghan war, at least several dozen fighters from the Haqqani insurgent network launched a complex attack against multiple American-Afghan outposts near the Pakistan border.
Firing scores of high-explosive rockets and mortar rounds, they struck nearly simultaneously at outposts occupied by the 2nd Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, and, using a tactic that has succeeded elsewhere, they tried to breach one of the positions with a suicide truck bomb and a contingent of gunmen on foot.
The significance of the attack was, as is often the case, a matter of uncertainty and dispute. The American-led NATO command frameds the Haqqani attack as a failure. In the tactical sense this might be so. For all of the effort, the attackers managed to wound only one American soldier, and his wounds were not serious. American machine guns, artillery, attack helicopters and aircraft, firing munitions throughout much of the day, stopped the advancing fighters short of an outpost they apparently had hoped to overrun.
For Full Report:
ttp://atwar.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/11/a-closer-look-at-the-haqqani-anniversary-attack-on-american-afghan-outposts/?pagemode=print
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Egypt generals on defensive over fallout from deadly clashes
13 OCT, 2011
CAIRO: Egypt’s finance minister said Wednesday his offer to resign succeeded in sending a message of protest over the military’s handling of deadly weekend clashes in Cairo even if the military rulers ultimately refused to allow him to stand down.
Hazem al-Beblawi, who also holds the deputy premiership, explained in a phone interview with the Associated Press that he also did not want what he described as a political statement on his part to negatively impact Egypt’s economy, which has failed to recover since the uprising that ousted Hosni Mubarak in February.
Beblawi was the first top official to offer to resign after the deaths of 26 people during a protest that turned violent overnight Sunday. The initially peaceful demonstration by minority Coptic Christians in downtown Cairo had been sparked by an attack on a church in southern Egypt.
For Full Report:
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2011/Oct-13/151174-egypt-generals-on-defensive-over-fallout-from-deadly-clashes.ashx#axzz1afRNSOxl
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/only-religious-parties-stop-america,/d/5681