From Stratrisks
''The Pentagon quietly notified Congress this month that it would
reimburse Pakistan nearly $700 million for the cost of stationing
140,000 troops on the border with Afghanistan, an effort to normalise
support for the Pakistani military after nearly two years of crises and
mutual retaliation, The New York Times reported.''
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Showing posts with label pakistan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pakistan. Show all posts
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Friday, November 9, 2012
''Obama-II And Afghanistan-Pakistan: Worst Is Yet To Come?''
From Eurasia Review
By D Suba Chandran
''Now that he has been re-elected for another four years, will Obama relook his exit strategy and ensure a stable government in Afghanistan and thereby, stability in the Af-Pak region?
Unlikely. Obama’s personal mission and rhetoric in the Af-Pak region will be hugely shaped by what the entire American security establishment would want, and not his personal road map. Exiting Afghanistan seems to be the End Game for the American security establishment, irrespective of what happens. Neither does Obama have a vision for a stable Afghanistan leading to a secure Af-Pak region, unless he has kept it as a secret to be pursued in his second term.''
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By D Suba Chandran
''Now that he has been re-elected for another four years, will Obama relook his exit strategy and ensure a stable government in Afghanistan and thereby, stability in the Af-Pak region?
Unlikely. Obama’s personal mission and rhetoric in the Af-Pak region will be hugely shaped by what the entire American security establishment would want, and not his personal road map. Exiting Afghanistan seems to be the End Game for the American security establishment, irrespective of what happens. Neither does Obama have a vision for a stable Afghanistan leading to a secure Af-Pak region, unless he has kept it as a secret to be pursued in his second term.''
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Thursday, October 18, 2012
''Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project to be completed by Dec 2014''
From Business Recorder
''Despite enormous US pressure, the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project will be completed by December 2014, a senior Iranian official said on Tuesday.
In an informal talk with a group of journalists at the Embassy of Iran, the official said that work on the project was under way on both sides of the border and leaderships of both the countries were committed to complete the project within the stipulated timeframe.''
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''Despite enormous US pressure, the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project will be completed by December 2014, a senior Iranian official said on Tuesday.
In an informal talk with a group of journalists at the Embassy of Iran, the official said that work on the project was under way on both sides of the border and leaderships of both the countries were committed to complete the project within the stipulated timeframe.''
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Tuesday, October 2, 2012
''1971 War: How Russia sank Nixon’s gunboat diplomacy''
From Russia & India Report
Washington, December 10, 1971, 10:51am.
''A week later the war is not going very well for Pakistan, as Indian armour scythes through East Pakistan and the Pakistan Air Force is blown out of the subcontinent’s sky. Meanwhile, the Pakistani military in the west is demoralised and on the verge of collapse as the Indian Army and Air Force attack round the clock.''
Nixon: Our desire is to save West Pakistan. That's all.
Kissinger: That's right. That is exactly right.
Nixon: All right. Keep those carriers moving now.
Kissinger: The carriers—everything is moving. Four Jordanian planes have already moved to Pakistan, 22 more are coming. We're talking to the Saudis, the Turks we've now found are willing to give five. So we're going to keep that moving until there's a settlement.
Nixon: Could you tell the Chinese it would be very helpful if they could move some forces or threaten to move some forces?
Kissinger: Absolutely.
Nixon: They've got to threaten or they've got to move, one of the two. You know what I mean?
continue reading
Washington, December 10, 1971, 10:51am.
''A week later the war is not going very well for Pakistan, as Indian armour scythes through East Pakistan and the Pakistan Air Force is blown out of the subcontinent’s sky. Meanwhile, the Pakistani military in the west is demoralised and on the verge of collapse as the Indian Army and Air Force attack round the clock.''
Nixon: Our desire is to save West Pakistan. That's all.
Kissinger: That's right. That is exactly right.
Nixon: All right. Keep those carriers moving now.
Kissinger: The carriers—everything is moving. Four Jordanian planes have already moved to Pakistan, 22 more are coming. We're talking to the Saudis, the Turks we've now found are willing to give five. So we're going to keep that moving until there's a settlement.
Nixon: Could you tell the Chinese it would be very helpful if they could move some forces or threaten to move some forces?
Kissinger: Absolutely.
Nixon: They've got to threaten or they've got to move, one of the two. You know what I mean?
continue reading
Friday, September 28, 2012
''Why Putin called off Pak visit''
From Indian Punchline
By ML Bhadrakumar
By ML Bhadrakumar
''The Kremlin’s decision can be seen in many lights. The
quadrilateral forum has lost its fizz. Russian-Tajik ties are
meandering; Afghan-Pakistani ties are tense; Tajik-Pakistani ties are
indifferent. So, where is the scope for Moscow to galvanize regional
cooperation? And Putin is a purposive statesman who won’t like to
measure life in coffee spoons.
Then, there is continuing strategic ambiguity about the US’
regional strategy in Afghanistan and Central Asia. Things may become
clearer only after the election in November in the US. Alongside, US-Pak
relations, Afghan peace talks, etc. are also in a state of animated
suspense. Most important, the jury is still out whether Pakistan is
willing to turn conclusively away from its past policy of power
projection into Afghanistan. ''
Saturday, September 22, 2012
''Bloody clashes as Pakistan protests anti-Islam film''
From ABC News Australia
Clashes broke out in the country's five largest cities, killing at least 15 people and wounding nearly 200 others, defying government calls for peaceful protests on what was declared a national holiday in honour of the Prophet Mohammed.''
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Video From RT.com
''Deadly clashes have flared in Pakistan as tens of
thousands took to the streets to demonstrate against a film produced in
the US that ridicules the Prophet Mohammed.
Clashes broke out in the country's five largest cities, killing at least 15 people and wounding nearly 200 others, defying government calls for peaceful protests on what was declared a national holiday in honour of the Prophet Mohammed.''
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Thursday, September 20, 2012
''Pakistan's black marketers cheer reopening of NATO supply lines''
From MinnPost
''Pakistan’s active black markets, which stretch from the southern port city of Karachi to northwestern Peshawar, and from the southwestern city of Quetta to the northern tribal belt, used to be flooded with US-made goods, from flak jackets to M-4 rifles, soda, and cigarettes. Then, a few months ago, the underground economy, which largely depends on the NATO supply trucks for supplies, dried up. The thousands of Pakistanis who depended on it for income and cheap supplies were hit hard.''
continue reading
''Pakistan’s active black markets, which stretch from the southern port city of Karachi to northwestern Peshawar, and from the southwestern city of Quetta to the northern tribal belt, used to be flooded with US-made goods, from flak jackets to M-4 rifles, soda, and cigarettes. Then, a few months ago, the underground economy, which largely depends on the NATO supply trucks for supplies, dried up. The thousands of Pakistanis who depended on it for income and cheap supplies were hit hard.''
continue reading
Sunday, September 16, 2012
''Sectarian Violence Slipping Out of Control In Balochistan Is Essential To the Imperial Plan''
From 'There are no Sunglasses'
''Ethnic and religious minorities in Pakistan’s southwestern province of Balochistan have faced increasing intimidation and violence since 2009, according to a recent fact-finding mission by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP).
“Settlers” i.e. people who have settled in the province and are not of Baloch ethnicity (a term used by Balochi nationalists even for people whose ancestors came to the region before the Pakistani state was created in 1947) are being targeted.''
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''Ethnic and religious minorities in Pakistan’s southwestern province of Balochistan have faced increasing intimidation and violence since 2009, according to a recent fact-finding mission by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP).
“Settlers” i.e. people who have settled in the province and are not of Baloch ethnicity (a term used by Balochi nationalists even for people whose ancestors came to the region before the Pakistani state was created in 1947) are being targeted.''
read more
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
''TAPI pipeline project "not doable" for security reasons - expert''
From Voice of Russia
''Mikhail Krutihin, partner at the RusEnergy Consulting Agency, talks about a breakthrough event in the realization of the ambitious $7.6-billion TAPI (Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, India and Pakistan) project, which envisages construction of a trans-Afghanistan gas pipeline, and speculates on the chances of it ever being implemented.''
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Friday, September 7, 2012
''Musharraf for use of force in Balochistan''
From Pakistan Today
''Attributing lingering violence in the province to foreign hands, the former military chief claimed that the Baloch Liberation Army was playing in the hands of anti-Pakistan elements who wanted to destabilize the country.
He suggested that if the government resorted to use of force for six months only, Balochistan would become a better place.
The former president said that in his tenure, huge sums of money had been invested on the long-neglected province as compared to Punjab, and yet no development was carried out there.
On the subject of US drone attacks in Pakistan’s tribal areas, he said that the government should try and negotiate, to stop the assault if it was not able to stop the same through use of force.''
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''Attributing lingering violence in the province to foreign hands, the former military chief claimed that the Baloch Liberation Army was playing in the hands of anti-Pakistan elements who wanted to destabilize the country.
He suggested that if the government resorted to use of force for six months only, Balochistan would become a better place.
The former president said that in his tenure, huge sums of money had been invested on the long-neglected province as compared to Punjab, and yet no development was carried out there.
On the subject of US drone attacks in Pakistan’s tribal areas, he said that the government should try and negotiate, to stop the assault if it was not able to stop the same through use of force.''
read more
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
''Eye of the Storm for US-Pakistan Relations''
From ISN Blog
''Following one of the worst periods in the history of the relationship between the United States and Pakistan, several encouraging developments have taken place in recent months. Unfortunately, we are passing through the eye of a Pakistani storm that is almost sure to whip up again in 2013, if not sooner.''
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''Following one of the worst periods in the history of the relationship between the United States and Pakistan, several encouraging developments have taken place in recent months. Unfortunately, we are passing through the eye of a Pakistani storm that is almost sure to whip up again in 2013, if not sooner.''
read more
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Sunday, August 12, 2012
''The Guardian of Pakistan’s Shia''
From ISN Blog
''The town of Parachinar, located in a far-flung corner of western Pakistan, is fondly called by some Iranian Shiites “Little Iran.” The majority of the town’s residents are ethnic Pashtuns who belong to the Shia faith. It is also the capital of Kurram Agency, one of the seven tribal districts that make up the politically volatile Federally Administrated Tribal Areas. In recent years, Parachinar has effectively been under siege by Sunni militants. Since 2007, waves of sectarian violence have killed hundreds of Shia from Parachinar. In reaction to this, Parachinar has become a potent symbol of Shia suffering, and the plight of its Shia residents has become a rallying cry for elements of the Iranian regime.''
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''The town of Parachinar, located in a far-flung corner of western Pakistan, is fondly called by some Iranian Shiites “Little Iran.” The majority of the town’s residents are ethnic Pashtuns who belong to the Shia faith. It is also the capital of Kurram Agency, one of the seven tribal districts that make up the politically volatile Federally Administrated Tribal Areas. In recent years, Parachinar has effectively been under siege by Sunni militants. Since 2007, waves of sectarian violence have killed hundreds of Shia from Parachinar. In reaction to this, Parachinar has become a potent symbol of Shia suffering, and the plight of its Shia residents has become a rallying cry for elements of the Iranian regime.''
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Friday, August 10, 2012
''Pakistan swelling nuclear arsenal to counter India''
From Pakistan Today
''Primarily aimed at India, Pakistan is making qualitative and quantitative improvements to its nuclear arsenal and “could increase the number of circumstances under which it would be willing to use nuclear weapons”, a Congressional report has said. “Pakistan appears to be increasing its fissile production capability and improving its delivery vehicles in order to hedge against possible increases in India’s nuclear arsenal.''
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''Primarily aimed at India, Pakistan is making qualitative and quantitative improvements to its nuclear arsenal and “could increase the number of circumstances under which it would be willing to use nuclear weapons”, a Congressional report has said. “Pakistan appears to be increasing its fissile production capability and improving its delivery vehicles in order to hedge against possible increases in India’s nuclear arsenal.''
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Thursday, August 9, 2012
''CIA, RAW complicit in Balochistan unrest, says Noorani''
From The News Pakistan
.........''the US CIA, India’s Raw, and Israel’s Mossad were jointly conducting subversive operations in Balochistan, including sectarian killings, to create dissension in the province and soften the ground for their subversive activities, but, he said, the cruel irony was that the Government of Pakistan, despite being fully aware of the heinous activities of these foreign intelligence agencies was totally silent on the issue.''
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.........''the US CIA, India’s Raw, and Israel’s Mossad were jointly conducting subversive operations in Balochistan, including sectarian killings, to create dissension in the province and soften the ground for their subversive activities, but, he said, the cruel irony was that the Government of Pakistan, despite being fully aware of the heinous activities of these foreign intelligence agencies was totally silent on the issue.''
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''Baloch insurgency faces uncertain future''
From Asia Times Online
''Militancy in Balochistan is no longer the "forgotten conflict" of Pakistan. Long before the US Congressional hearing on Balochistan early this year, the issue had already taken a central role on the national, regional and international political stage. An official apology extended to Baloch people by President Asif Ali Zardari, an ethnic Baloch himself, in February 2008 demonstrated the significance that present political elite attach to the issue.''
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''Militancy in Balochistan is no longer the "forgotten conflict" of Pakistan. Long before the US Congressional hearing on Balochistan early this year, the issue had already taken a central role on the national, regional and international political stage. An official apology extended to Baloch people by President Asif Ali Zardari, an ethnic Baloch himself, in February 2008 demonstrated the significance that present political elite attach to the issue.''
read more
Sunday, August 5, 2012
''Balochistan the Center of Anti-Pakistan Global Intrigues''
From 'There are no Sunglasses'
''We cannot separate the Balochistan problem from the world power game. The issue is grave. If we are negligent, history will not forgive us. We will have to find a solution collectively before it is too late,” the minister said, adding that the powers which wanted to see a destabilised Pakistan had prepared a roadmap.''
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''We cannot separate the Balochistan problem from the world power game. The issue is grave. If we are negligent, history will not forgive us. We will have to find a solution collectively before it is too late,” the minister said, adding that the powers which wanted to see a destabilised Pakistan had prepared a roadmap.''
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Wednesday, August 1, 2012
''Balochistan’s Deepening Crisis''
From Eurasia Review
''Abduction and extrajudicial killing has become order of the day in the Province. The disappearances and killings are widely believed to be orchestrated by Pakistan’s security and intelligence agencies, particularly including the FC and the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), or by their proxies, particularly including the Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Aman Balochistan (TNAB, Movement for the Restoration of Peace, Balochistan). Indeed, CJ Choudhary, on July 9, 2012, had noted that every third missing person in Balochistan had been picked up by the FC. The head of the rights group, Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VFBMP), Nasrullah Baloch, stated, on July 11, 2012, that “every day Frontier Corps and secret agencies kidnap political workers in broad daylight and keep them in their illegal torture cells, and then we receive their bullet-riddled, mutilated dead bodies.''
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''Abduction and extrajudicial killing has become order of the day in the Province. The disappearances and killings are widely believed to be orchestrated by Pakistan’s security and intelligence agencies, particularly including the FC and the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), or by their proxies, particularly including the Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Aman Balochistan (TNAB, Movement for the Restoration of Peace, Balochistan). Indeed, CJ Choudhary, on July 9, 2012, had noted that every third missing person in Balochistan had been picked up by the FC. The head of the rights group, Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VFBMP), Nasrullah Baloch, stated, on July 11, 2012, that “every day Frontier Corps and secret agencies kidnap political workers in broad daylight and keep them in their illegal torture cells, and then we receive their bullet-riddled, mutilated dead bodies.''
read more
''China Set To Play The Northern TAPI Card–The Card Unocal Discarded''
From 'There are no Sunglasses'
''The US- and ADB-sponsored Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project is as much about the political stability of Afghanistan as it is about energy security for the partner countries. Yet, it continues to evoke scepticism among analysts. Much of this scepticism hinged on finding financiers to underwrite a project which would transit the turbulent regions of Herat and Kandahar in Afghanistan as well as Balochistan (Quetta) and Multan in Pakistan. Now, another factor has emerged which has the potential to further jeopardise the beleaguered project. Recent reports of a rival pipeline project being negotiated between China, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan have emerged. This project proposes to carry Turkmen gas to China through northern Afghanistan and Tajikistan, raising concerns that it may render TAPI a non-starter, akin to the manner in which TAPI played spoiler to the Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) pipeline project.''
read more
''The US- and ADB-sponsored Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project is as much about the political stability of Afghanistan as it is about energy security for the partner countries. Yet, it continues to evoke scepticism among analysts. Much of this scepticism hinged on finding financiers to underwrite a project which would transit the turbulent regions of Herat and Kandahar in Afghanistan as well as Balochistan (Quetta) and Multan in Pakistan. Now, another factor has emerged which has the potential to further jeopardise the beleaguered project. Recent reports of a rival pipeline project being negotiated between China, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan have emerged. This project proposes to carry Turkmen gas to China through northern Afghanistan and Tajikistan, raising concerns that it may render TAPI a non-starter, akin to the manner in which TAPI played spoiler to the Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) pipeline project.''
read more
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