Exclusive: Afghan peace team seeks Dubai meeting with Taliban figures

Mon, Feb 17 16:43 PM EST By Hamid Shalizi and Missy Ryan KABUL (Reuters) - A delegation from Afghanistan's High Peace Council has travelled to Dubai to meet former and current Taliban figures, in the hope of laying the groundwork for peace talks to end Afghanistan's long conflict, sources familiar with the move told Reuters. Officials led by Mohammad Masoom Stanekzai, a senior aide to President Hamid Karzai, travelled on Sunday to the United Arab Emirates, officials from the High Peace Council and the Afghan government confirmed. The delegation planned to meet a group of Taliban figures led by Agha Jan Mutassim, who was a finance minister during the Taliban's 1996-2001 government, the officials said on condition of anonymity. The trip comes on the heels of a gathering Mutassim recently convened in Dubai, which Afghan officials said included 16 high-ranking former and current Taliban figures, the officials said, including six former Taliban ministers and half a dozen men said to be current commanders in the militant group. After that meeting, Mutassim, who was once a powerful figure in the Taliban's political committee but whose links to the group are now unclear, said in a statement that the participants had "insisted in one voice on a discussion among all Afghans, and the need to find a peaceful solution." While the Peace Council delegation travelled to Dubai because the Taliban figures indicated they would be willing to meet with Afghan government representatives - an unusual move for any member of the Taliban - it was not clear whether all of the participants would follow through, the officials said. If the Peace Council delegates do hold talks with the Taliban figures it could mark a step forward in the Karzai government's efforts to kindle dialogue with important members of an insurgency that has lasted for more than 12 years. It would also be a personal vindication for Karzai, long displeased by the Taliban leadership's willingness to hold talks only with Western or Arab officials, as he prepares to step down after April elections. For years, the Taliban's reclusive leadership, believed to be located in Pakistan under the leadership of Mullah Mohammed Omar, has refused to negotiate directly with the government of Karzai, whom the Taliban says is an illegitimate leader. The Karzai government has held informal talks with Taliban figures since 2001, but appears to have renewed its effort to establish a substantial dialogue with key militant representatives in recent months. Afghan officials said they met representatives of Mullah Omar's faction of the Taliban, who are based in Qatar, earlier this year. But those talks do not have appear to have established a negotiating track and a Taliban spokesman denied the talks took place. A STEP FORWARD? Karzai's government welcomed the Dubai meeting led by Mutassim. "The National Security Council meeting chaired by President Hamid Karzai welcomed the (Mutassim) statement, and said it supports efforts to find a peaceful solution to the current crisis," the government said in a statement issued on Sunday. It remains to be seen whether the apparent willingness of Mutassim or other Taliban figures in Dubai to meet members of High Peace Council, which was formed to support a hoped-for political end to the war, reflects a new openness on the part of the movement's leadership in Pakistan. Mutassim has been based in Turkey since being shot under unclear circumstances in Karachi, Pakistan, several years ago, and it is in dispute whether he remains a member of the group. The Afghan government official said it was significant that the Taliban had not yet rejected the Dubai meeting led by Mutassim. "This means something," the official said. The Afghan government said Abdul Raqib, a former Taliban refugees minister who attended Mutassim's recent meeting, was killed on Monday in the Pakistani city of Peshawar, near the Afghan border. Police in Pakistan confirmed that the former Taliban minister had been shot in Peshawar for unknown reasons. "We strongly condemn the killing of the Taliban minister in Peshawar. He supported the success of the peace process with the High Peace Council," said Karzai spokesman Aimal Faizi. "Whenever Taliban leaders show willingness to talk to the Afghan side, they are targeted and killed," the government official said. But the Taliban also condemned the former minister's death. "We have learned with great sadness that the former refugee minister ... Abdul Raqib was martyred by the cunning enemy," spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement. "The Islamic Emirate strongly condemns this cowardly act," he said, using the name the Taliban government used when in power. It was unclear who exactly the Taliban believed was behind the attack. The administration of U.S. President Barack Obama, for its part, has sought for years to establish a peace process between the Afghan parties. U.S. officials held initial talks with a representative of Mullah Omar to discuss a potential exchange of prisoners that could lead to eventual political talks, but those discussions have been on hold since last summer. The U.S.-backed process has not yet led to substantive talks about the future of Afghanistan, where more than 12 years after the Taliban government was toppled, Taliban-linked militants continue to clash with Afghan and foreign forces. Foreign troops are steadily departing Afghanistan ahead of a year-end deadline to wind down the international mission here. As Karzai refuses to sign a bilateral security deal that would permit U.S. forces to stay beyond 2014, it remains unclear whether any foreign troops will stay after this year. (Additional reporting by Mirwais Harooni in Kabul and Hameedullah Khan in Peshawar; Writing by Missy Ryan; Editing by Jon Boyle and Catherine Evans) ============================== Obama's TPP negotiators received huge bonuses from big banks Published time: February 18, 2014 17:12 Get short URL Stefan Selig.( Reuters / Mike Segar ) Share on tumblrTags Asia, Banking, Big deal, Trade, USA A controversial trade deal being touted by the White House is expected to give American corporations broad new authority if approved. Now according to newly released documents, big banks gave millions to the execs that are now orchestrating the agreement. Investigative journalist Lee Fang wrote for Republic Report on Tuesday this week that two former well-placed individuals within the ranks of Bank of America and CitiGroup were awarded millions of dollars in bonuses before jumping ship to work on the Trans-Pacific Partnership on behalf of the White House. The Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP, is a widely-contested trade deal between the US and 11 other nations adjacent to the Pacific Rim, and has been negotiated by representatives for those countries in utmost secrecy. According to leaked excerpts of the TPP and remarks from experts following the news closely, though, it’s believed that the arrangement would allow corporations to oppose foreign laws while at the same time limiting the abilities for governments to regulate those entities. On Tuesday, Fang wrote that two major United States-based financial firms have significantly awarded former executives who have since attracted the attention of President Barack Obama and subsequently been offered positions that put them directly involved in TPP talks. Former Bank of America investment banker Stefan Selig, Fang acknowledged, received more than $9 million in bonus pay after he was nominated to join the Obama administration in November. And Michael Froman, the current US trade representative, was awarded over $4 million from Citigroup when he left them in 2009 in order to go work for the White House. Republic Report were provided those statistics through financial disclosures included in Fang’s article. When Selig was asked to head the International Trade Administration by the White House last November — a Commerce Department job — the New York Times considered it “a rare appointment of a Wall Street banker by the Obama administration.” If he is confirmed by the Senate as expected, he will work directly with US trade officials on hammering out final arrangements for the TPP. Froman has been the US trade representative since last June, and according to his biography on that department’s official website, is directly overseeing TPP discussions. In Fang’s report, he noted that such hefty bonuses aren’t unusual on Wall Street. “Many large corporations with a strong incentive to influence public policy award bonuses and other incentive pay to executives if they take jobs within the government,” he wrote. But with the TPP expected to have serious implications on the corporate and financial realms, the appointments of Selig and Froman raise new questions about the potential influence of Wall Street on an already widely-disputed trade deal.

“The controversial TPP trade deal has rankled activists for containing provisions that would newly empower corporations to sue governments in ad hoc arbitration tribunals to demand compensation from governments for laws and regulations they claim undermine their business interests,” Fang acknowledged. “A fact-sheet provided by Public Citizen explains how multi-national corporations may use the TPP deal to skirt domestic courts and local laws. The arrangement would [allow] corporations to go after governments before foreign tribunals to demand compensations for tobacco, prescription drug and environment protections that they claim would undermine their expected future profits.” “Not only do US treaties mandate that all forms of finance move across borders freely and without delay, but deals such as the TPP would allow private investors to directly file claims against governments that regulate them, as opposed to a WTO-like system where nation states (ie the regulators) decide whether claims are brought,” Boston University associate professor Kevin Gallagher told Fang. When WikiLeaks released a draft version of a section of the TPP last year, the anti-secrecy group warned that “Particular measures proposed include supranational litigation tribunals to which sovereign national courts are expected to defer, but which have no human rights safeguards” “No wonder they kept it secret,” internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom told RT at the time. “What a malicious piece of US corporate lobbying. TPP is about world domination for US corporations. Nothing else.” Last month, leaked memos obtained by the Huffington Post suggested that the US has lost almost all international support from the 11 other Pacific Rim nations engaged in TPP discussions

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Forensic examination reveals that Sipah Sahaba behind murder of both Sunni and Shia in Karachi

A facebook page of Pakistani Deobandis incites violence against Shias. http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=583288468354829&set=a.144973082186372.28395.144428562240824&type=1 Source: The following news report is adapted, with minor editing, from daily Dawn, to illustrate Sipah Sahaba’s role in murder of Shia Muslims and moderate Sunni clerics. Karachi: As the city descends into fear amid a renewed wave of killings, the police authorities see one or more organised groups behind what was earlier being called ‘tit-for-tat Deobandi vs Shia sectarian attacks’ as forensic investigations into nearly 90 cases found that same weapons had been used in targeting people from different sects and political parties, it emerged on Thursday. A top police official confirmed to Dawn that under forensic findings it seemed ‘crystal clear’ that the recent wave of killings had nothing to do with Sunni-Shia (or more precisely Deobandi-Shia) sectarian rivalry rather it was an attempt to ‘destabilise the city peace’ to achieve ‘certain targets’. More than 300 Shia Muslims and up to twenty Deobandi affiliates of the Sipah Sahaba have been killed in Karachi alone in 2012. However, the forensic examination of weapons used in the murder of Shia Muslims and some Deobandi clerics suggests that same weapons were using in attacks on Shias and moderate Deobandi clerics. This confirms the lang asserted belief that Takfiri Deobandi militants of Sipah Sahaba (operating as Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat ASWJ or Lashkar-e-Jhangvi LeJ) are not only killing Shias, Sunni Barelvis and Ahamdis, they are also killing moderate Deobandi clerics opposed to their violent agenda. Some of the attacks on Deobandi leaders of Sipah Sahaba are also attributed to the intra-Sipah Sahaba rivalry between Malik Ishaq Deobandi group and Ahmed Ludhianvi Deobandi group. The recent revelation confirms that Takfiri Deobandi militants of Sipah Sahaba Taliban (SST) are target killing both Shia and Sunni Muslims in order to manufacture and incite Sunni-Shia sectarian violence in Pakistan. Only a few weeks ago, a Deobandi militant of Sipah Sahaba was caught red handed in New Karachi after he killed a prayer leader in an Ahle Hadith (Salafist) mosque. A few months ago, Police in Peshawar revealed a printing press in which Sipah Sahaba Deobandis were publishing blasphemous books against the Sahaba (Companions of the Prophet) attributed to Shia clerics. In the past, Sipah Sahaba Deobandi militants have killed Sunni Deobandi and Sunni Barelvi clerics such as Maulana Hasan Jan Deobandi, Maulana Nizamuddin Shamzai Deobandi, Maulana Sarfraz Naeemi, Maulana Saleem Qadri, Maulana Abbas Qadri, Maulana Akram Razvi etc. According to informed sources, Pakistan army, ISI in particular, is perturbed by this revelation by the Karachi Police and is currently pressurizing them to deflect the attention from Sipah Sahaba (ASWJ) to foreign conspiracies (USA, Israel, India etc). According to Sindh IG Fayyaz Ahmed Leghari told Dawn. “Killers are neither Sunni or Shia. It’s a third force (Takfiri Deobandis). The current targeting of Shias and also some attacks on Deobandis have nothing to do with Sunni-Shia sectarian differences. If they were the cause, you would have been witnessing violence in every street of the country.” Asked about reasons for his confidence about the ‘third force’ (i.e., Takfiri Deobandi enemies of both Sunni and Shia) involved in the killings, he based his conclusion on findings of forensic investigations into a number of recent incidents that had earlier been described as sectarian killings. “For instance, we have found that the weapon used in one targeted attack was also used in another,” said IG Leghari. He explained that on Nov 29, a young couple, Dr. Iqbal Hussain and Dr. Dilshad Kaneez Fatima who were employees of the Karachi Institute of Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine (KIRAN), was gunned down near Safoora Goth and the following day another man, Nazar Abbas, was killed on Shaheed-i-Millat Road whose 12-year-old daughter, Mehzar Zehra, was wounded in the attack. The police investigators and the media then suspected sectarian motives for both attacks as all the victims belonged to the Shia sect, he said. However, he added, the Dec 3 killing of a seminary teacher off Abul Hasan Ispahani Road and forensic analysis of spent bullet casings one after another incident told a different story. “On Dec 3, Maulana Mufti Mohammad Ismail Deobandi of Madressah Ahsan-ul-Uloom was shot dead, off Abul Hasan Ispahani Road. Interestingly, the forensic examination in all these cases suggested that the same weapon was used in all three shootings,” said IG Leghari, reiterating that it was for this reason that the police believed “it’s not the sectarian violence or shooting on an ideological basis”. Karachi has experienced a high number of anti-Shia target killing in 2012. Many people belonging to the Shia sect — with a significant number of them from same families — lost their lives to the menace. Similarly, a relatively lesser number of men belonging to the Sunni Deobandi sect, including seminary students and teachers, were killed in incidents of firing in different parts of the city. While no serious effort from government quarters was witnessed to track the attackers and expose their motive, the Sindh police forensic division has made some progress on these lines. “We have digital images of over 7,000 empties [spent bullet casings],” said Additional IG forensic division Muneer Sheikh. He said: “After a forensic analysis so far in some 90 cases this year we have found weapons of different calibers used in the multiple killings. Modern technology is being used for the analysis of every spent bullet casing according to global standards of forensic investigations,” he added. There is a great possibility that many of the weapons used by Deobandi militants of Sipah Sahaba were given to them as a part of Pakistan army’s Jihadist training for cross-border Jihadist operations in Kashmir and Afghanistan. In that case, relevant quarters in the ISI may be rightly worried by the current revelation and may try to suppress it.

Afghan policewoman kills coalition contractor in Kabul: NATO

Afghan policewoman kills coalition contractor in Kabul: NATO Mon, Dec 24 05:44 AM EST 1 of 4 By Mirwais Harooni and Hamid Shalizi KABUL (Reuters) - An Afghan woman wearing a police uniform shot dead on Monday a civilian contractor working for Western forces in the police chief's compound in Kabul, NATO said. The incident is likely to raise troubling questions about the direction of an unpopular war. It appeared to be the first time that a woman member of Afghanistan's security forces carried out such an attack. There were conflicting reports about the victim. A spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said a U.S. police adviser was killed by an Afghan policewoman. Then ISAF said in a statement only that it was a "contracted civilian employee" who was killed. Mohammad Zahir, head of the police criminal investigation department, described the incident as an "insider attack" in which Afghan forces turn their weapons on Western troops they are supposed to be working with. He initially said the victim was a U.S. soldier. After more than 10 years of war, militants are capable of striking Western targets in the heart of the capital, and foreign forces worry that Afghan police and military forces they are supposed to work with can suddenly turn on them. The policewoman approached her victim as he was walking in the heavily guarded police chief's compound in a bustling area of Kabul. She then drew a pistol and shot him once, a senior police official told Reuters. The police complex is close to the Interior Ministry where in February, two American officers were shot dead at close range at a time anger gripped the country over the burning of copies of the Muslim holy book at a NATO base. "She is now under interrogation. She is crying and saying 'what have I done'," said the official, of the police officer who worked in a section of the Interior Ministry responsible for gender awareness issues. TIPS FOR TROOPS The insider incidents, also known as green-on-blue attacks, have undermined trust between coalition and Afghan forces who are under mounting pressure to contain the Taliban insurgency before most NATO combat troops withdraw by the end of 2014. Security responsibilities in a country plagued by conflict for decades will be handed to Afghan security forces. Many Afghans fear a civil war like one dominated by warlords after the withdrawal of Soviet occupying forces in 1989 could erupt again, or the Taliban will make another push to seize power if they reject a nascent peace process. At least 52 members of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force have been killed this year by Afghans wearing police or army uniforms. Insider attacks now account for one in every five combat deaths suffered by NATO-led forces in Afghanistan, and 16 percent of all U.S. combat casualties, according to 2012 data. Hoping to stop the increase in the attacks, Afghan Defense Ministry officials have given their troops tips in foreign culture. They are told not to be offended by a hearty pat on the back or an American soldier asking after your wife's health. NATO attributes only about a quarter of the attacks to the Taliban, saying the rest are caused by personal grievances and misunderstandings. Last year, there were 35 deaths in such attacks. (Writing by Michael Georgy; Editing by Robert Birsel

Bashir Bilour killed in Peshawar suicide blast

Abida Hussain: 2:19 AM (9 hours ago) I first met Bashir Bilour (May his soul rest in Peace) for the first time in 1978 when Khan Abdul Wali Khan was released from Hyderabad jail. He was young and obliging and Nasim Bibi and Khan Abdul Wali Khan relied heavily on him,as did his elder brother Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour. Bashir was the quintessential political worker,accessible and helpful and he earned his spurs as a representative and as Senior Minister in the current KPK Govt he worked with energy and dedication and did not flinch in the face of danger. His has been the most high profiled political asassination since that of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and does not bode well for peaceful conduct of elections, which are around the corner. Perhaps the ANP has not been given enough credit by the Pakistani public for their courage and resolve in combatting the forces of darknes that threaten to engulf us. Abida Hussain *** This Message Has Been Sent Using BlackBerry Internet Service from Mobilink ***

Nadia Mirza Indeed Basheer Bilour Shaheed was an iron man against the terrorism. Without dragging myself into political debate I must say he has sacrificed his life for peace and prosperity. He never been scared of threats he received. May Allah rest his soul in peace. Nadia Mirza. Tv Journalist. CNBC Pakistan . Sent from my BlackBerry® Smartphone provided by Ufone

Haroon Siddiqi Dunya TV: In my eyes, Bashir Balour was the only brother who had great respect amongst the political parties and the journalist community. It is a very sad demise, one thing was noted that in an official statement it said that "Bashir Bilour ke shahadut per afsos ka izhar" how can one be saddened over SHAHADAT? Shahadat is the best form of death. May ALLAH ALMIGHTY give the grieved family strength to over come a great loss and may his soul rest in peace. Regards,

APP: Foreign Desk The death of Bashir Bilour is no doubt a great loss not only to the Pukhtun community, ANP but to all those broadminded people who wanted to get the country out of the flames of militancy and extremism. Though Bashir Bilour (Shaheed) is no more with us in our march towards making Pakistan a modern social welfare state but as a resilient nation and sons of the soil we are determined to end this war to its logical conclusion and to get rid of these handful of militants and terrorists who has converted our peaceful land into a pile of explosives. The ANP chief Asfandyar Wali Khan has rightly said that " If extremists and terrorists can unit from Kabul to Karachi then why not the Pakistan nation stand united against these evil forces." The time has come for all Pakistanis to come forward and consider this war their own war and confront these elements of darkness from the front and eliminate them. May Allah Almighty rest the departed soul of Bashir Bilour in peace and grant courage to his family members to bear the loss with equanimity. Aameen. Mohammad Ilyas Kha...@gmail.com © Associated Press of Pakistan © NO UNAUTHORIZED USE, COPYING OR DISTRIBUTION Please cite APP as source - Plagiarism is a crime Foreign Desk Tel +92 51 2890662 Fax +92 51 2606091

Bashir Bilour killed in Peshawar suicide blast By Web Desk / Riaz Ahmad / AFP Published: December 22, 2012 Blast in Qissa Khawani Bazaar kills nine people and injures 17. Pakistani Taliban have claimed responsibility. PHOTO: FILE . PESHAWAR: A suicide blast in the Qissa Khawani Bazaar area of Peshawar killed KP Senior Minister Bashir Ahmed Bilour along with eight others and injured at least 17 people on Saturday, reported Express News. Taliban have claimed responsibility for the attack. The country will observe a day of mourning on Sunday, December 23. The national flag will fly at half mast. Bilour’s funeral will be held on Sunday afternoon at Sher Khan Stadium. Live updates have ended. 9:40pm PM Raja Pervez Ashraf has announced one-day mourning on Sunday across the country over the death Bilour, reported Radio Pakistan. KP government has announced three days of mourning with the flag standing on half mast in remembrance of Bashir Bilour. Funeral prayers for Bilour will be offered at 2:00 pm, December 23 at Sher Khan Stadium. 9:30pm Bomb squad experts said the suicide bomber detonated his explosives when the ANP meeting was at its peak. “The suicide bomber walked into the house where the meeting was taking place and detonated his vest,” Shafqat Malik, chief of the Bomb Disposal Squad, told AFP. Four policemen were among the wounded. 9:10pm The Pakistani Taliban have claimed responsibility for the suicide attack, according to a spokesperson. ANP Chief Asfandyar Wali Khan mourned Bilour’s death and said it was a great loss for the country. Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira spoke of Bilour’s bravery and commended his efforts in the war against terrorism, as reported by Radio Pakistan. PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif, MQM leader Altaf Hussain, and PTI leader Imran Khan offered their condolences and condemned the attack. 8:50pm Doctors said Bashir Bilour had severe injuries on his chest and stomach and was on the ventilator as doctors tried their best to save him. Bilour was brought in to Lady Reading Hospital in serious condition as he did not have a pulse and was not even breathing, a hospital official told Express News. The official added that when he was brought in he was in a state of shock and doctors and specialists tried for 1.5 hours to resuscitate him, but he succumbed to his injuries. Haji Noor, his personal secretary, also died in the blast. 8:30pm Federal Railways Minister Ghulam Ahmed Bilour, Bashir Bilour’s elder brother, spoke to Express News and said, “We live in a Pakistan where Maulana Maududi, Maulana Abdul Haq Haqqani had signed on the constitution. We don’t know who is a sinner and who is on the right. Were those who signed on the constitution were they Muslims or are these [terrorists] muslims? We just don’t know!” He added that Bashir never fussed much about security, but he was always accompanied by one or two guards. Ghulam commended Bashir for his bravery. Bashir Bilour’s funeral arrangements will be finalised after his sons return, according to Ghulam. 8:05pm KP Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain, while talking to Express News, said that he salutes Bashir Bilour. “He sacrificed himself for the country and he fought against militants,” Hussain added. Hussain reports that he and Bilour used to get 3-4 threats every day. The KP minister demands a tripartite commission between the US, Afghanistan and Pakistan to solve this crisis. 7:40pm Bashir Bilour died from his injuries while being treated at Lady Reading Hospital. Two motorcycles and a car were also destroyed in the attack. This was the third time Bilour had been targeted by terrorists and was on their hit list. 7:30pm Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain confirmed that Bashir Bilour’s condition is critical. President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Pervez Ashraf and Interior Minster Rehman Malik have condemned the attack while Malik also demanded a report from IG Police, KP, reported Radio Pakistan. 7:17pm Provinicial MPA Bashir Bilour is in critical condition after being injured. Doctors are currently operating on him at Lady Reading Hospital. Three of the injured are in critical condition and are in the ICU. Bomb Disposal Squad has determined that this was a suicide blast. 6:40pm Kabli police station SHO Sattar Khan was killed in the blast, along with four others. Police officials reported that the blast went off during an Awami National Party (ANP) rally. Bomb Disposal Squad and more police officials are en route to the scene of the blast. The injured have been moved to Lady Reading Hospital. =============== Enough is enough: ANP to push for political consensus on N Waziristan operation By Kamran Yousaf Published: December 24, 2012

“We have already wasted a lot of time and we strongly believe that terrorist sanctuaries, wherever they exist, must be eliminated,” says Gohar.

ISLAMABAD: In the wake of its leader Bashir Bilour’s assassination, the Awami National Party (ANP) will push for a full-scale military offensive against Taliban insurgents based in the North Waziristan tribal region – believed to be a stronghold of Haqqani Network and their tribal cohorts. According to sources in the ANP, the party plans to propose either an all-party conference or a special sitting of Parliament to evolve a consensus on a strong response to growing militancy in the country. A special meeting of the party’s central decision-making body will be convened tomorrow (Tuesday) in Peshawar to discuss both proposals. Most ANP leaders believe it is high time for a military operation in North Waziristan, sources said. ANP’s central information secretary confirmed that his party will seek a consensus among all political parties for a united front against terrorism. “This is not ANP’s war. This is a battle for survival for all of us … if militants are not willing to reconcile then we have no other option except the use of force,” Senator Zahid Khan told The Express Tribune. He insisted that certain political parties will have to review their “dual policy” and come up with a clear stance against militancy. ANP lawmaker Bushra Gohar, however, was more candid. “We have already wasted a lot of time and we strongly believe that terrorist sanctuaries, wherever they exist, must be eliminated,” she said. When asked, a senior military official said an operation in North Waziristan was not possible without political ownership. He added that the government would have to take the final decision on whether or not to go for an all-out offensive. Despite US pressure, Pakistan has been reluctant to launch a military operation in North Waziristan for a host of reasons. In the past, the military has indicated its willingness to take on the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan – which is based in neighbouring South Waziristan Agency – it has never shown any commitment for a possible action against the Haqqani Network. One reason security officials cite for this policy is that the Haqqani Network pose no immediate threat to Pakistan’s interests. However, some observers disagree with this approach. They insist that while all these groups may operate independently, they complement each other’s actions at the same time. Senior ANP leader and K-P Information Minister Mian Iftikhar also warned against differentiating between “good or bad Taliban”. “All of them (Taliban) are the same so they have to be dealt with accordingly,” he told a private news channel. Published in The Express Tribune, December 24th, 2012. ==================== 40 dead in a week: Violence across Pakistan raises fears for elections By AFP Published: December 24, 2012 "Taliban are on a major onslaught to destabilise the country and create chaos to shake people's faith in the state." PHOTO: REUTERS?FILE ISLAMABAD: A surge of violence in northwest Pakistan culminating in the assassination of a senior provincial minister has raised fears of a renewed Taliban campaign that could threaten national elections, analysts say. The province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the adjacent Federally-Administered Tribal Areas, which border Afghanistan, are on the frontline of the country’s battle against Islamist militancy and are no strangers to violence. But the past week has seen a noticeable rise in bloodshed, with more than 40 people killed in near-daily attacks. These culminated in Saturday’s suicide bombing at a meeting of the Awami National Party (ANP) in Peshawar, the province’s main city. The blast, which killed nine including provincial number two Bashir Bilour, was claimed by the Pakistani Taliban, who said the minister was targeted in revenge for the death of one of the movement’s “elders”. The surge of violence began on December 15 with a spectacular commando-style Taliban attack on Peshawar airport and also featured a car bomb near a local government office in Khyber tribal district that killed 21 people. “The spate of attacks in recent days indicates the Taliban are on a major onslaught to destabilise the country and create chaos to shake people’s faith in the state apparatus,” political analyst and author Hasan Askari told AFP. “It’s part of their broader agenda to undermine the credibility of government and prove that the state apparatus is crumbling.” For the Taliban, killing a high-profile and outspoken critic such as Bilour has a double effect, Askari said: silencing an experienced and fearless adversary and striking fear into those who might think of following in his footsteps. The coalition government led by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) — which also includes the ANP — will complete its five-year term in March and insists elections will be held on time. But no date has yet been announced for polls and there are rumours the ballot could be postponed if the security situation is deemed too precarious. Retired Lieutenant General Talat Masood, a security and political analyst, said the Taliban were stepping up their assaults on political and military targets precisely to create this kind of anarchy. “They will try to disrupt elections because they can flourish when the state is weak — there is a political vacuum and then people lose confidence in the government,” he told AFP. If elections go ahead successfully it will be the first time in Pakistan’s turbulent history that an elected civilian government has completed a five-year term. Both Askari and Masood said the government would find it difficult to delay the vote, paving the way for a bloody campaign period. Thursday is the fifth anniversary of the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, killed in a gun and suicide attack in the garrison city of Rawalpindi after addressing an election rally. Brigadier Saad Khan, a former officer with the powerful Inter-Services Intelligence agency, warned the Taliban may continue their campaign with an attack on events marking the anniversary. These include a major speech by her son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the PPP chairman. Khan described the security situation as grave, saying the militants were “waging a war for Peshawar”. He compared it to the state of affairs before a major military offensive against militant hideouts and training camps in South Waziristan in 2009. “The militants are moving with a plan (of) how and where to attack. They put pressure at one place and move to another,” he said. “It is a dynamic enemy and we are static. We are reactive they are proactive.” He criticised the current strategy for dealing with the militants as “half-hearted” and urged a more concerted effort to defeat them. =========== aw and order challenge: Agencies fear ‘violence’ in poll By Kamran Yousaf Published: December 25, 2012 Terrorist attacks have claimed more than 40 lives in the past week, raising fears of a possible delay in elections. PHOTO: FILE ISLAMABAD: While the government insists the next parliamentary election will be held on time, intelligence agencies have warned that it could be riddled by large-scale violence hitherto unseen in the country’s poll history, The Express Tribune has learnt. The ominous warning came in the backdrop of a recent upsurge in terrorist attacks, including the assassination of prominent Awami National Party (ANP) politician Bashir Ahmed Bilour and the abortive attack on Peshawar airbase. The parliamentary elections are scheduled for early next year after the Pakistan Peoples Party-led coalition government completes its five-year constitutional term. However, in their assessment shared with the concerned authorities, intelligence agencies said that maintaining law and order during the elections would be a huge challenge, sources told The Express Tribune. According to them, insurgents were plotting attacks against prominent politicians in an effort to disrupt the election process. However, it is not clear whether or not security agencies have advised the government to delay the polls. “The assassination of Bashir Bilour could be the beginning of a new wave of terrorist attacks in the country,” said one intelligence source. Bilour, a senior minister in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government, was assassinated by a Taliban suicide bomber in Peshawar on Saturday in an attack that also killed eight other people. The attack came days after 10 terrorists mounted an audacious attack on the Pakistan Air Force base, adjacent to Peshawar airport. Police and army commandos successfully fought off the attack and killed all the assailants. Terrorist attacks have claimed more than 40 lives in the past week, raising fears of a possible delay in elections. Though the government insists that the elections will be held on time, it has not announced the schedule as yet. The country’s main opposition party – the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz – says it would not accept any delay in the elections. “We don’t trust the government. They are just trying to find lame excuses. The best solution to the law and order problem is to have an early election,” said the PML-N spokesperson Senator Mushahidullah Khan. In a recent television interview, senior PML-N leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan also said that the government appeared to be seeking a delay in election on the pretext of the ongoing unrest in the country. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) also says it would not brook any delay in the elections. “If elections could take place in Iran even when its parliament was bombed, then there is no reason for delaying polls in Pakistan,” said PTI Dr Israr Shah. “We want elections to be held within 90 days no matter what,” he told The Express Tribune. President of the Punjab chapter of PPP Mian Manzoor Wattoo said on Sunday that an interim government would be installed on March 17 to conduct the elections. Political observers say a strong caretaker set-up could ensure a peaceful election. “There is still time left in the polls and one hopes the situation will improve,” said Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, who heads an Islamabad-based think tank working for the strengthening of democracy in Pakistan. However, he warned that if militants continued to target high-profile leaders, this would certainly discourage people to come out for voting. If this happens, Mehboob argues, the whole election process will be considered as flawed. Published in The Express Tribune, December 25th, 2012. =================== Chronicle of carnage: As elections beckon, political violence mounts By Peer Muhammad Published: December 26, 2012 Third week of December witnesses a slew of target killings, sectarian attacks. PHOTO: FILE ISLAMABAD: As the country heads towards the general elections, political violence is on the rise. This month, in the third week alone, 241 people were affected in 41 incidents across the country. Approximately 75 people died and 166 suffered injuries. Although a comparison of the second and third weeks of December reveal that the number of incidents went down from 52 to 41, more people were killed and wounded in the third week. This indicates a clear increase in the lethality of the occurrences. In the second week, 61 people were killed and 51 injured. According to a recent study conducted by the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN), 22 incidents were reported in Sindh, 10 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 6 in Balochistan, two in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), and one in Gilgit-Baltistan. No incident of political violence was reported in Punjab in this week, while the most casualties were reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. During the week, target killings and sectarian attacks riddled the country. Furthermore, bomb blasts remained a prominent militant tactic, injuring 79 people across the country. The Khyber agency was the most violent area during the third week (19 killed, 71 injured), followed by Peshawar (five killed, 46 injured). Two high-profile attacks took place in Peshawar, one in which Provincial Minister Bashir Ahmed Bilour lost his life. He was a key political figure, a voice against militancy in the region. Karachi claimed a spot as the third most violent city, witnessing 25 deaths, and a plethora of targeted attacks, sectarian conflict, and violence against health workers. ANP spokesperson Senator Zahid Khan commented on the rising political violence in the country and said his party has been the biggest victim. However, he added that the ANP still believes in democracy and will not allow the upcoming polls to be postponed. “We have been making sacrifices and will continue doing so for the sake of democracy,” he maintained. Khan also said that the writ of the government is crucial in managing the affairs of the state. According to him, some entities working for anti-state agendas want to postpone elections. He proposed that all political parties sit together and draw up an effective security policy, so that political violence can finally be curbed. Published in The Express Tribune, December 26th, 2012. ===================

Dual Standadrds of TTP & Jammat-e-Islami exposed

jhangvimurshid KARACHI> Shia Target Killing K Naam Per Qoum Ko Baghawat Per Uksaya Ja Raha Hai.Ksi Ko Pak Ki Salamti Se Khelne Nhi Dengy. Alama Farooqi Sb Attacker’s demonic tattoo draws fresh TTP conclusions By Kamran Yousaf Published: December 17, 2012 The tattoo shows a demonic image inspired by a Peruvian painter. PHOTO: REUTERS ISLAMABAD: One of the 10 terrorists involved in Saturday night’s brazen attack on Peshawar airport had Western-style “tattoos” on his body, raising questions about the identities of those behind the assault. Security officials said at least five of the 10 attackers involved appeared to be Uzbek nationals. But counter-terrorism officials are perplexed by the discovery of a demonic “tattoo” on the back of one of the terrorists. “It’s the first time I have seen tattoos on the bodies of terrorists,” added the official, who has been part of several counter-terrorism operations in the tribal regions. What does the tattoo show? The image, though incomplete, appears to be a rendition of a Boris Vallejo sorcery-fantasy character. In the militant’s case, the tattoo on his back is unfinished. One entire limb, strands of flowing hair and a smaller-headed sorcery-monster appear to be missing. Vallejo, a Peruvian-born American painter, works almost exclusively in the fantasy and erotica genres. Swords and sorcery gods and monsters are some of his recurrent themes. Tattoo experts say the image on the militant’s body symbolises evil. “Skulls, in my opinion, are demonic representations, but only in visualisation. They represent strength, rebelliousness and serious drawbacks,” said a Lahore-based tattoo artist. “Mostly people who get such tattoos want to give out a message that they defy death, those who have seen death very closely, including criminals, gangsters and even rock stars,” he said on condition of anonymity. About the tattoo on the militant’s body, he said, “It looks 10 to 12 years old. The outlines, curves and shading clearly tell that it has not been made by an expert.” A Karachi-based tattoo artist concurred. “Mostly, criminals and gangsters get such tattoos made on their bodies,” said the artist who works at a tattoo parlour. He also spoke on condition of anonymity. He pointed out that he had not seen a single religious person in his 10-year career with tattoos on his body. “It’s unlikely for a religious person to get such tattoos made on his body,” he said. Religious scholars reaction The outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which claims that it is fighting for the enforcement of Islamic shariah, has already claimed responsibility for the attack. That is why this aspect has now added significance because according to religious scholars having tattoos on the human body is against the spirit and teachings of Islam. “You cannot perform religious duties if you have tattoos on your body,” said Prof Khursheed Ahmed, who has written several books on Islam. Associated with Jamaat-e-Islami, Khursheed maintained that the Peshawar airport attack confirmed “our fears that some foreign hands are carrying out these terrorist attacks in the name of Islam.” “A practicing Muslim cannot have such images on his body,” he argued. Mufti Naeem of Karachi’s Jamia Binoria seminary told The Express Tribune that there was no exception to drawing tattoos in Islam as shariah has clearly imposed restrictions on it. “Yes, you can offer prayers but Islam does not permit drawing tattoos on bodies and has banned it,” he said. The head of Pakistan Ulema Council Allama Tahir Ashrafi also endorsed the view. “It was astonishing to see the body with a horrible face tattooed on his body. Islam does not allow drawing tattoos,” he added. “This cannot be the body of a Muslim.” ‘True face of TTP’ But a security official pointed out that tattoos on the bodies of terrorists exposed the TTP claims that they were fighting for Islam. “We know their (TTP) true face. We have raided their dens and even found pornographic films and male potency drugs from there,” he said. When approached, the director general of the Inter-Services Public Relations, Maj-Gen Asim Saleem Bajwa, said the authorities investigating the airport attack would certainly look into all possibilities. “But it is premature to draw any conclusion at this point,” Maj- Gen Bajwa told The Express Tribune. (With additional reporting by Umer Farooq in Peshawar, Ayesha Hasan in Lahore and Farhan Sharif in Karachi) Published in The Express Tribune, December 17th, 2012. ======== Militants battle Pakistani police after attacking airport Sun, Dec 16 06:26 AM EST 1 of 3 By Jibran Ahmad PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - Militants holed up in a half-built house in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar battled security forces on Sunday after taking part in an attack on a nearby airport the previous night, officials said. All five of the militants who were holed up in two buildings under construction were killed by the afternoon, a provincial government and army official said. The shoot-out erupted hours after an attack on Peshawar airport. The military declared the airport secure after killing five attackers who rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the outer wall of the airfield and battled guards after dark on Saturday. The raid on the airport was the biggest assault on a high-profile military facility in Pakistan since gunmen stormed an air base in the province of Punjab in August, and underscored the resilience and reach of Pakistan's Taliban insurgents. The Pakistani Taliban, who have been fighting for more than five years to overthrow the state, said they had sent 10 men to attack the airport. "Five militants were hiding in an under-construction house near Peshawar airport," said Mian Iftikhar Hussain, a spokesman for the provincial government, on Sunday. "All of them were suicide bombers. They had weapons and hand grenades." One policeman was killed and two wounded in the clash on Sunday, he said. During the Saturday night attack on the airport, three rockets slammed into a nearby residential area. Health and police officials said at least four civilians had been killed and 45 wounded in the flurry of blasts and gunshots. Authorities sealed off the airport, which handles military and civilian traffic, during the attack and suspended flights. The gritty streets of Peshawar, the gateway to the Khyber Pass and Afghanistan beyond, have often been shaken by bomb attacks and shootings, but residents said this was the first significant raid on the heavily guarded airport. (Reporting By Jibran Ahmad; Editing by Robert Birsel)

GaliGali Azadari, Moharram, Duldul without Taliban Attacks

Top Pakistan Taliban commanders 'at each other's throats'

Top Pakistan Taliban commanders 'at each other's throats' Reuters Published: January 3, 2012 Any division within the TTP could hinder the Afghan Taliban, al Qaeda's struggle in Afghanistan against the US. PHOTO: AFP/FILE ISLAMABAD: Al Qaeda, the Afghan Taliban and Pakistani militants have held a series of meetings aimed at containing what could soon be open warfare between the two most powerful Pakistani Taliban leaders, militant sources have said. Hakimullah Mehsud, the head of the Pakistani Taliban, also known as the Tehreek-i-Taliban (TTP), and his deputy, Waliur Rehman, were at each other’s throats, the sources said. “You will soon hear that one of them has eliminated the other, though hectic efforts are going on by other commanders and common friends to resolve differences between the two,” one TTP commander said. Any division within the TTP could hinder the Afghan Taliban and al Qaeda’s struggle in Afghanistan against the United States and its allies, making it more difficult to recruit young fighters and disrupting safe havens in Pakistan used by the Afghan militants. Despite multiple reports of the Rehman-Mehsud split, Rehman told Reuters on Tuesday there was no problem between the two. “There are no differences between us,” Rehman said. The TTP, formed in 2007, is an umbrella group of various Pakistani militant factions operating in Pakistan’s unruly northwestern tribal areas along the porous border with Afghanistan. It has long struggled with its choice of targets. Some factions are at war with the Pakistani state while others concentrate on the fight against the United States and its allies in Afghanistan. There has been a noticeable decrease in militant attacks in Pakistan, but there continue to be random acts of violence across the country. Al Qaeda and Afghan Taliban commanders are asking the TTP to provide more men for the fight in Afghanistan and are looking to smooth over the dispute between Mehsud and Rehman. Long-standing feuds Taliban sources said Rehman had ordered his fighters to kill Mehsud because of his increasing closeness with al Qaeda and its Arab contingent. Mehsud’s former deputy has also alleged the TTP chief received money from Pakistan’s arch-rival, India, to kill a former Pakistan spy agency official acting as a mediator between the Pakistani Taliban, Afghan insurgents and the Pakistani government. The reported enmity between Mehsud and Rehman is not the only conflict within the TTP ranks. Mehsud has a long-standing feud with militant commanders Maulvi Nazeer in South Waziristan and Hafiz Gul Bahadur in North Waziristan, both of whom have non-aggression agreements with the Pakistani military. Mehsud’s men have also fought with the militia under the control of Fazal Saeed Haqqani, the former TTP head in the Kurram tribal region. He has accused Mehsud of killing his commanders and innocent people and kidnapping for ransom. Haqqani, who is close to the militant Afghan Haqqani network, broke away from the TTP last year. A pamphlet distributed by militants in North Waziristan this week announced the formation of a council to try to resolve the conflicts. “All jihadi forces have jointly, on the recommendation of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, formed a five-member commission which will be known as the Shura Muraqba,” the pamphlet said, using the term by which the Afghan Taliban describe themselves. “The Shura Muraqba will be working to resolve differences and problems between mujahideen.” It said that any “mujahideen” found to have committed an “unlawful” killing or kidnapping would be punished under Islamic law. It is likely any attack on a fellow “mujahideen” commander would be considered “unlawful”. “All mujahideen should respect the decisions of the council that has been set up,” a senior commander of the Haqqani faction in Kurram said. “If people continue to do as they like, the situation will not improve. Things will instead get much worse.” =============== From the caves of Tora Bora to an office in Qatar: is the Taliban going mainstream? JEROME TAYLOR WEDNESDAY 04 JANUARY 2012 inShare PRINT A A A EMAIL Latest in Asia Indian tiger fights to regain its bite Chinese manufacturing delivers new year bounce From the caves of Tora Bora to an office in Qatar: is the Taliban going mainstream? Legionnaire's found at Hong Kong's government headquarters Peace broken in Kashmir as forces fire on protesters Chinese police destroy villagers' new mosque Two Koreas are at a turning point, says South's leader Fugitive surrenders 17 years after Tokyo gas attack Icons of Tinseltown and Tibet celebrate Buddhist festival Shot 'terrorists' may have been religious refugees Ads by Google Inflation Is Coming The World's Financial System Is Crumbling. Here's The Worst-Case. www.ifii.com/Hyperinflation14.5ct/min to Afghanistan 14.5ct/min to Afghanistan mobiles. Double credit with every top-up! VectoneMobile.nl/FreeSIMBritish Military Records Trace Military Ancestors online now 1686 to WW2 records. Free search forces-war-records.co.uk/recordsThe Collapse of The Euro The Euro is about to implode but that doesn't mean you can't profit. MoneyMorning.com/Euro_Defaults From the blogs New year, new home Our Online House Hunter, Alan Cleaver, begins at the beginning with a series of articles for those w... Scandal, surprise and soap opera – a year of the Bundesliga With 2011 now over, followers of the Bundesliga are looking back on what has been a year full of sca... The 2011 “Questions to Which the Answer is No” Awards Here are my favourites in the series of Questions to Which the Answer is No from the past 12 months. The potential British sports stars of 2012 2012 will see the Olympics come to London and the Euros take place in Poland and Ukraine in what pro... Suggested Topics Cults And Sects Taliban Afghanistan The Afghan Taliban announced yesterday that it had reached a landmark deal to open a political office in Qatar in what could be its first concrete step to sue for peace after a decade of insurgency warfare. A Taliban spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, released a statement stating that a “preliminary deal” had been reached for “negotiations with the international community”. The statement added that it would depend on key commanders being released from US military custody at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. The idea of opening up an office has long been sought by American officials who are desperate to find a political exit strategy for Afghanistan after 10 years of bitter warfare. Secret talks between the Americans, intermediaries and the Taliban have been held for months, but with limited success. Until now, Taliban commanders had been reluctant to ever admit publicly that they might be willing to sit down to peace talks. Opening up a legitimate political office would allow Taliban commanders to negotiate with America and international diplomats without fear of assassination or arrest. Western officials have also been keen to promote Qatar as a suitable venue because it would take the talks outside the influence of the ISI – Pakistan’s powerful spy agency which has long been suspected of harbouring and nurturing the Taliban’s insurgency. According to a report in The Hindu newspaper, the influential Qatar-based Egyptian cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi has played a key role in the talks aimed at setting up an office. Western officials believe prisoner exchanges and ceasefire zones will be an essential part of building up confidence between the two sides. However Washington is determined that the Taliban must abandon any ideological or practical allegiance to Al-Qa’ida. In return the Taliban will likely seek a significant political role within the southern Pashtun regions of Afghanistan where its insurgency blossomed, as well as the release of its leaders. Key Taliban officials currently held in Guantanamo include Muhammad Fazl, the Taliban’s former deputy defence minister, Muhammad Nabi, a key financier, and two former provincial governors Khairullah Khairkhwa of Herat and Noorullah Nori of Balkh. The Taliban, meanwhile, is still holding Bowe Bergdahl, a 25-year-old U.S. Army sergeant from Hailey, Idaho, who was taken prisoner in June 2009. Attempts to negotiate with the Taliban have repeatedly hit stumbling blocks. In 2010 British and American intelligence officials were duped by a market stall holder from Quetta who made them believe he was a senior Taliban commander. He then disappeared after pocketing large sums of cash. Former Afghan president Burhannuddin Rabani, who was tasked with negotiating with the Taliban, was killed by a suicide bomber last year whilst Afghan president Hamid Karzai ordered his ambassador to Qatar to be withdrawn late last year when it emerged attempted talks with the Taliban had been taking place. He has since relented under US pressure and signed up to the plan. It is not yet clear whether hardline Taliban commanders, including its spiritual chief Mullah Omar, would countenance any negotiations with Nato or the Afghan government in Kabul. ======================