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Pak Army chief pledges to maintain peace in South Asia

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 23:30:00 +0530

Pakistan''s Chief of Army Staff, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has vowed to maintain peace and security in the South Asian region.

The ''Pakistan Army stands for peace and security,'' General Kayani said in a statement that released after the 113th Corps Commanders'' conference held at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi on Thursday.

The Commanders'' conference was the first since last week''s terror attack in Mumbai, the Dawn reports.

Earlier, General Kayani met US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to discuss ways to defuse tensions with India in the wake of last week''s terror attack''s in Mumbai.

Rice has reportedly got an assurance from Pakistan President Asi Ali Zardari that he and his government are committed to cooperate with India in the ongoing investigation into last week''s terror attacks in Mumbai.

Before leaving Pakistan, Rice told reporters that she had good discussions with leaders in both Pakistan and India.

A war of words erupted when India pointed the finger at Pakistan, and demanded the extradition of 20 suspects it says are linked to the attacks. (ANI)

Pak-based terror group opens its gates to protest innocence on Mumbai attacks

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 23:30:00 +0530

A Pakistani terrorist group blamed for last week’s attack on Mumbai that killed nearly 200 people and injured nearly 300, opened its gates to outsiders and reporters on Thursday in order to protest its innocence.

The Telegraph quoted Abdullah Muntazir, a spokesman of the Jamaat-ud-Dawa, the political wing of the Lashkar-e-Toiba, as saying that he wanted to ''clear up some misconceptions'' about the group’s headquarters and activities, including the Indian Government’s charge that it had masterminded the terrorist attack in Mumbai.

"You can go anywhere you like and see we have nothing to hide," Muntazir said, adding that the organisation was mulling what to do if the government closes down his group under American pressure.

The 200-acre barbed-wired compound is located off the main road 30 miles north of Lahore, near brick kilns, fields and a shabby village market.

It was the headquarters of Jamaat-ud-Dawa, the political wing of the banned terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba.

On Wednesday, guards at the gate had brandished Kalashnikovs, but yesterday no weapons were on view.

Indian officials have claimed that the sole surviving terrorist involved in the Mumbai attacks has confessed he was trained by Lashkar-e-Taiba and spent time at the Muridke camp.

Jamaat and military officials have voiced concern that if the sabre-rattling between India and Pakistan gets out of hand the Indian air force may target Muridke.

He said the head of Jamaat, Hafiz Saeed, one of 20 suspects wanted by India, was in Lahore yesterday.

Saeed, the founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba, left the group shortly before it was banned in 2002 under American pressure and set up Jamaat as an Islamic charity, which is regarded as its political wing, and converted Muridke to an educational institution.

The Muridke compound was where one of the London bombers spent time and the compound is believed to have been used as a hideout by al-Qaeda operatives, including Ramzi Yousef, one of the planners of the 1993 World Trade Centre bombing.

Lashkar was formed in 1990 with help of Pakistani military intelligence, and remains one of best-funded militant groups fighting in Indian Kashmir.

Reporters, who visited the site, were fed on a lavish meal of biryani rice and chicken masala, were shown pupils identifying onion cells in a laboratory and a model of the human anatomy.

Headmaster Rashid Minhas was at pains to point out that his students were not drawn from among Pakistan''s vulnerable underclass but were from "rich, aristocratic families".

Former students claimed that pupils are given basic physical training at Muridke and then funnelled to training camps in Pakistani-controlled Kashmir.

"You will not find even a single pistol range here," said Mohamed Saleem, a part time agricultural manager at Muridke.

The compound''s inhabitants varied from jovial but pious, agricultural experts to a small group of young men sporting the intense expressions who withdrew to skulk furtively in the shade of a row of trees when approached. (ANI)

Rice seeks concrete action from Zardari on Mumbai probe

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 23:30:00 +0530

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has reportedly got an assurance from Pakistan President Asi Ali Zardari that he and his government are committed to cooperate with India in the ongoing investigation into last week’s terror attacks in Mumbai.

Zardari, according ton CBS, has vowed to take "strong action" against any militants in his country if they are found to be involved.

Zardari stopped short, however, of meeting India''''s demand that any suspects be turned over to New Delhi. He said earlier this week that any suspects - with proven evidence against them - would be tried in Pakistan.

CBS News, quoting sources in the Pakistan capital, said Rice has made it clear that the U.S. wants to see a series of "concrete steps" from Islamabad, going beyond just another ban on Islamic groups.

Rice said measures such as arresting people and putting them on trial on the basis of solid evidence should be, "part of a new and more acceptable effort," a senior Pakistani security official told CBS News.

Rice and Zardari discussed the rising tension between India and Pakistan in the wake of the Mumbai attacks and the steps that are required to resolve the issue.

Rice said neither country was considering a military response to the increase tension.

In regards to her confidence in India''''s and Pakistan’s ability to deal directly with each other in this matter, Rice said she hoped both countries would "keep lines of communication open."

Before leaving Pakistan, Rice told reporters that she had good discussions with leaders in both Pakistan and India, where she visited on Wednesday.

She said the Mumbai attack showed a level of sophistication that warranted urgency by all the countries involved to bring the perpetrators to justice. (ANI)

White House agrees that WMD attack on the US will originate from Pakistan

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 23:29:00 +0530

The White House has reportedly agreed with a bipartisan congressional commission’s report that the next WMD attack on the United States will originate from Pakistan.

''I have no reason to disagree with it,'' the Dawn quoted White House Press Secretary Dana Perino as saying when asked if the White House agreed with the report.

The bipartisan Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism reported earlier on Wednesday said: “Were one to map terrorism and weapons of mass destruction today, all roads would intersect in Pakistan, and that ''the focus of US policy should be to help Pakistan achieve political and economic stability.”

The commission briefed President Bush, Vice President-elect Joe Biden, senior congressional leaders on Wednesday and warned them ''it is more likely than not that a weapon of mass destruction will be used in a terrorist attack somewhere in the world by the end of 2013.''

''We recognize that there is more to do, but what we have done is provided a really good foundation for the next team to be able to take that on and continue to try to keep us safe,'' Perino was quoted, as saying.

The commission has urged the next administration and Congress to pay particular attention to Pakistan, ''as it is the geographic crossroads for terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. (ANI)

Holbrooke may be Obama''s special envoy to S. Asia

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 23:29:00 +0530

US President-elect Barack Obama is considering naming veteran diplomat Richard Holbrooke his special envoy to South Asia, officials said.

While his chief spokeswoman for national security, Brooke Anderson, did not deny reports that Holbrooke is being considered, she said that Obama will not interfere in the Bush administration’s efforts to defuse tensions between India and Pakistan.

The Time magazine has described Holbrooke as ‘smart and effective but also hard to control and outspoken’ and said that as special envoy he will be expected to do ‘troubleshooting’ in a difficult and complex region.

In a recent article in Foreign Affairs magazine, Holbrooke called for a regional diplomatic strategy toward Afghanistan involving Iran, China, India, and Russia.

Obama has also stressed the need to resolve the Kashmir dispute and the appointment of a heavyweight US envoy for South Asia would indicate that the president-elect was serious about pursuing this goal.

According to the Dawn, Holbrooke hammered out the Dayton accords that ended the war in Bosnia in the 1990s and later served as United Nations ambassador under President Bill Clinton. (ANI)

Pakistan serves up biryani to Rice

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 23:28:00 +0530

As a grim-looking U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived here to give a talking to the Pakistani establishment on the recent terror attacks in Mumbai, which cost nearly 200 lives and injuries to nearly 300, the Government of Pakistan went into a hospitality overdrive to placate her and the other officials she had brought along.

Islamabad laid out a lavish lunch spread for the VIP guest, the highlight of which was a lamb biryani accompanied by condiments.

According to informed sources, the luncheon also included a diverse platter of kebabs, reflective of the culinary tastes of the western parts of Pakistan. The meal was rounded off by a variety of deserts that included kulfi and assorted ice creams.

Secretary of State Rice is not known to be a big eater and is a health freak who follows a daily exercise regimen, including the regular use of the treadmill and cross trainers.

Rice is meeting the Pakistani leadership,including President Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani here a day after she told reporters in New Delhi that Pakistan has to be seen to be taking unequivocal action to get to the bottom of the Mumbai massacre, even if non-state actors are found to be involved.

Rice has promised the Indian leadership that Washington will persuade Pakistan to take “very direct and tough action,” even as New Delhi has warned that it would react in “whatever way necessary” after receiving the response to its demarche to Pakistan served on Tuesday.

Asked whether the series of terror attacks in Indian cities warranted Indian military strikes, Rice had said yesterday that New Delhi’s response should avoid “unintended consequences.”

She has also assured India that the U.S. would work “very closely” to bring the perpetrators of the attack to justice and prevent further strikes of this kind. (ANI)

Pak threatens to shoot down US drones

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 23:28:00 +0530

Pakistani officials have warned the incoming Obama administration that they will consider shooting down all US drones entering pakistani airspace if the the air attacks on Pakistani territory launched from neighbouring Afghanistan are not stopped.

A washington Times report quoted official sources as saying in Islamabad that this year there have been 25 U.S. drone attacks that have hit suspected al Qaeda militants and civilian bystanders.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammed Sadiq said the U.S. ambassador was told that the attacks violate Pakistan''s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Air force Air Chief Marshal Tanvir Mahmood Ahmed last week said that if the government decides to shoot down the pilotless
"The air force is ready for any type of air defense," Air Chief Marshal Ahmed said. (ANI)

Rice tells Pak to take a tough line on terrorism

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 23:27:00 +0530

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has told the Pakistan Government to take a "tough line" on terrorism after arriving in Islamabad for talks.

According to the BBC, Rice has also said that Pakistan has to mount a "robust" response to last week''s attacks in Mumbai, which left at least 188 people dead.

India has repeatedly insisted that the attackers had links to Pakistan, which Islamabad has denied.

Rice arrived in Islamabad from New Delhi where she called on both countries to show restraint in their respective responses to the Mumbai attacks.

Speaking to reporters flying from Delhi to Islamabad with her on Thursday morning, Rice said: "The global threat of extremism and terrorism has to be met by all states, taking a very tough and hard line, and so that is what I am going to discuss." This is the time for everybody to co-operate and do so transparently, and this is especially a time for Pakistan to do so”.

"Pakistan has to determine its own response here. It just needs to be a robust response and it needs to be effective," she added.

During her one-day visit, Rice is scheduled to discuss the Mumbai attacks with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gillani.

After holding talks with Indian government leaders on Wednesday, Rice said that Pakistan had to act "fully and transparently" in efforts to bring to justice those involved in the Mumbai attacks.

"Pakistan has a special responsibility to do so," she told a news conference after meeting Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

"This is the time for everybody to co-operate and do so transparently, and this is especially a time for Pakistan to do so," she added.

Rice also warned India not to take actions that would provoke "unintended consequences".

"Any response needs to be judged by its effectiveness in prevention," she said. (ANI)

Kung-fu bear ad voted ‘Funniest Advert of All-Time’

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 23:26:00 +0530

An advert showing a Kung Fu fight sequence between a hungry bear and an adamant fisherman has been voted as the ‘funniest television advert of all time’.

The commercial for John West tinned salmon, made in 2000, has scored over hilarious offerings from beer giants, mobile phone companies and a leading cigar brand.

Chosen by the advertising industry, the ad filmed on the River Dee, turned out be an instant hit with viewers and won awards at the British Television Advertising Awards and the Cannes International Advertising Festival in 2001.

In fact, the advert became so popular that the Aberdeen and Grampian Tourist Board received hundreds of inquiries from big-game hunters about visiting Deeside, which was chosen because it resembles Alaska.

"The John West bear is a truly great ad. It''s as fresh and funny now as when it first ran – humour that stands the test of time,” The Scotsman quoted Ed Brooke, from the advertising creatives the Leith Agency, as saying.

According to the advertising trade paper Campaign, the advert became such a phenomenon on the Internet that it has been viewed by almost 300 million people around the world.

At the second position in the poll was the 1996 “boxing challenge” ad for Blackcurrant Tango.

And the third place in the poll was claimed by the 1989 Hamlet ad with Gregor Fisher trying in vain to adjust his appalling combover in a photo booth, before giving up and lighting a cigar to the strains of Bach''s Air on a G-string.

In fourth place was a John Smith''s ad in which Peter Kay rings his young daughter from a curry house to tell her not to be frightened of monsters, but to watch out for burglars. (ANI)

Mumbai attacks: FBI, Scotland Yard clears Malaysia of involvement

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 23:26:00 +0530

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation and Britain''s Scotland Yard have cleared Malaysia of any involvement in the attacks in Mumbai.

The New Strait Times quoted Malaysian Foreign Minister Dr. Rais Yatim as saying on Thursday that the Malaysian connection has not been proven.

"The so-called evidence in the media linking the attacks with Islam and Malaysia cannot be proven. Therefore, allegations about Malaysia''s link to the attacks should not be brought up any more," he said when responding to a question in the Malaysian Parliament.

Rais also claimed that since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Islam''s image has been tainted.

“An anti-Islam perception or Islamophobia has spread throughout the world until (all) Muslims are seen as terrorists," he said, adding that dubbing Muslims as terrorists could not be accepted and was unfair to the religion and its adherents.

He said in Malaysia, strict enforcement of the law had to be continued to fight terrorism.

He added that the South-East Asia Research Centre for Counter Terrorism here was the only research centre in the region active in anti-terrorism programs. (ANI)