The latest orchestrated threat and the end of history

Have you ever before heard of the Haqqanis?  I didn’t think so.  Like Al Qaeda, about which no one had ever heard prior to 9/11, the “Haqqani Network” has popped up in time of need to justify America’s next war — Pakistan. President Obama’s claim that he had Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden exterminated deflated the threat from that long-serving bogyman. A terror organization that left its leader, unarmed and undefended, a sitting duck for assassination no longer seemed formidable. Time for a new, more threatening, bogyman, the pursuit of which will keep the “war on terror” going. Now America’s “worst enemy” is the Haqqanis. 

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WAS THIS THE OUTCOME RONALD REAGAN HOPED WHILE ENDING THE COLD WAR?

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by Paul Craig Roberts

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Have you ever before heard of the Haqqanis?  I didn’t think so.  Like Al Qaeda, about which no one had ever heard prior to 9/11, the “Haqqani Network” has popped up in time of need to justify America’s next war — Pakistan.

 President Obama’s claim that he had Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden exterminated deflated the threat from that long-serving bogyman. A terror organization that left its leader, unarmed and undefended, a sitting duck for assassination no longer seemed formidable. Time for a new, more threatening, bogyman, the pursuit of which will keep the “war on terror” going.

Between Hope and Fear [2 of 2]

Somehow, somewhere along the line, we have gone astray. We were such good people when we set out on the road to Pakistan. What happened then? An evil spirit now hangs over Pakistan. The people are too tired, too disappointed, too disillusioned, too often betrayed and too ill-informed to comprehend the issues churning beneath the placid surface of life. Depression, fear, frustration and anger no longer have an outlet in politics. The people have, therefore, turned inward, to religious orthodoxy, to intolerance, the small things in life, to local politics and impotent rage. 

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BETWEEN HOPE AND FEAR

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by Roedad Khan

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Between Hope and Fear [1 of 2]..

What went wrong with us? The answer: We lost our identity as a people and as a nation. Yes, ours were a great people, but thanks to our politicians and our military who surrendered to the U.S. dictates for the sake of their own personal greed and gains. They towed along the line given to them by Uncle Sam and took upon an identity that was imposed upon. Our armed forces were led to believe in the fear of Communism, not once but many times. Why did we believe that Communism—an ideology—was a threat to Islam? Communism is now dead but our homeland, our Pakistan is in dire straits, mainly because of a false fear that the ideology we were led to believe was detrimental to our interests.  The situation we face today is much worse now, as we see traitors and foreign agents roaming the streets of Pakistan. It is therefore, a political and moral imperative for all patriots of Pakistan to expose these traitors, and fight once again for our core values, the values for which this great nation was born to uphold. 

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BETWEEN HOPE AND FEAR

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by Nayyar Hashmey

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Roedad Khan’s op-eds often appear on this site. Recently too he put up one such article in the News International and Gulam Mitha, my friend from Calgary, Canada added a note of his own what he thought about R.K.’s article. Here is what he says:-

QUOTE:

The writer Roedad Khan offers historical lessons in this article. I was inspired to read what he has written and sent him a comment to his post as mentioned below.

I request you to read this article.

My own note on Mr. Redad Khan’s write up precedes the actual post.

As the Drone flies

Military ethicists and legal experts inside and outside the government are debating how far UAVs can go and still stay within what one imaginative booster, Ronald C. Arkin, called international humanitarian law and the rules of engagement. Concerns over restraint can already be considered academic. Drones are going anywhere their governors want them to go already–Iraq, Yemen, Somalia, Libya, and countries in North Africa to name a few known jurisdictions. Last year a worried group of robotic specialists, philosophers and human rights activists formed the International Committee for Robot Arms Control (ICRAC). They fear that such instruments may make wars more likely by the strong against the weak because there will be fewer human casualties by those waging robotic war. But proliferation of these assassins in the sky is now a fact. 

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THE LETHAL AUTONOMY

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by Ralph Nader

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Are We At War With Pakistan?

The Intimidating ‘Wise”.  American or the Pakistani? Could be either of the two, or both.

• Excellent ploy not to put war time images on the news. 
• During Vietnam, citizens viewed what was happening and protested in the streets.
• Then we might do something as a nation.
• But media is owned and they are not working for US.
• We Rarely See the coffins or the ugly side of these wars.
• Bush was careful what the public was able to see. Like Bush… Obama doesn’t want US to see what happens in wartime. Heavens we may think for ourselves!! 

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BEHIND THE HEADLINES

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by Justin Raimondo

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Abominable Saudis turning Holy Mecca into a city ‘for the rich only’

Behind closed doors – in places where the religious police cannot listen in – residents of Mecca are beginning to refer to their city as Las Vegas, and the moniker is not a compliment. Over the past 10 years the holiest site in Islam has undergone a huge transformation, one that has divided opinion among Muslims all over the world. Once a dusty desert town struggling to cope with the ever-increasing number of pilgrims arriving for the annual Hajj, the city now soars above its surroundings with a glittering array of skyscrapers, shopping malls and luxury hotels. To the al-Saud monarchy, Mecca is their vision of the future – a steel and concrete metropolis built on the proceeds of enormous oil wealth that showcases their national pride. Yet growing numbers of citizens, have looked on aghast as the nation’s archaeological heritage is trampled under a construction mania backed by hardline clerics who preach against the preservation of their own heritage. Mecca, say the critics, has become a playground for the rich, a city where naked capitalism has usurped spirituality as the city’s raison d’être.

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HISTORIC & CULTURAL LANDMARKS OF THE HOLY CITY BEING DESTROYED TO MAKE WAY FOR LUXURY HOTELS & MALLS

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by Jerome Taylor

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Behind closed doors – in places where the religious police cannot listen in – residents of Mecca are beginning to refer to their city as Las Vegas, and the moniker is not a compliment.

Over the past 10 years the holiest site in Islam has undergone a huge transformation, one that has divided opinion among Muslims all over the world.

U.S.-Pak relations: Divorce is not an option

Pakistan and the United States have many interests in common. The U.S. counterterrorism program in South Asia would be crippled without Pakistan’s help. And fostering a stable and prosperous Pakistan would reduce the risks of a nuclear confrontation between India and Pakistan. Even many who support the relationship, from Washington Post columnist David Ignatius to members of Congress, have suggested the need for a partial separation, a cooling-off period or a more distant stance. The general consensus in Washington, in fact, though not endorsing more extreme calls for an outright divorce, appears to hold that the only realistic strategy for rebuilding U.S.-Pakistan relations is gradual, long-term and qualified. Such an argument is hardly unreasonable, given the mutual antagonism and distrust that exists today.

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by Peter Bergen, CNN, and Michael Mazarr,

Special to CNN

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Editor’s note: Peter Bergen is CNN’s national security analyst and a director at the New America Foundation. Michael Mazarr is professor at the U.S. National War College; the views expressed here reflect his personal opinion. This is adapted from the new report ”Pakistan and the United States at a Strategic Crossroads.”

(CNN) – Pakistan, and Pakistani-American relations, confront their worst crises in recent memory.

U.S.-Pak relations: Changing our direction

As the United States begins to scale back its fighting role in Afghanistan, it needs to confront the more important question of Pakistan’s future. The United States has been a major player there for 60 years — more intensely so since the Sept. 11 attacks. If Pakistan is dangerously dysfunctional, Washington helped it get that way. Withdrawal from Afghanistan means that the United States will be less dependent on Pakistani supply lines into that country, giving Washington a rare opportunity to dramatically revise U.S. policies and practices in the strategically important nation. Achieving the United States’ interests in Pakistan ultimately depends on one thing: the security of Pakistanis. And the key to Pakistanis’ security is internal reform. If Pakistanis are more justly governed, more educated, more employed and therefore more able to define and pursue a constructive national identity and interest, they will expunge terrorists to secure themselves.

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Until now, the United States has treated Pakistan as an instrument for fighting or spying on territory around Pakistan. THAT HAS TO CHANGE.

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by George Perkovich

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As the United States begins to scale back its fighting role in Afghanistan, it needs to confront the more important question of Pakistan’s future. The United States has been a major player there for 60 years — more intensely so since the Sept. 11 attacks. If Pakistan is dangerously dysfunctional, Washington helped it get that way. Withdrawal from Afghanistan means that the United States will be less dependent on Pakistani supply lines into that country, giving Washington a rare opportunity to dramatically revise U.S. policies and practices in the strategically important nation.

Sexy TV host’s popularity underscores Pakistan’s contradictions

TV host Mathira Mohammad has been called by many names, bad ones too  and much more. But love her or hate her, she’s making waves, as critics in Pakistan accuse her of immorality and supporters laud her willingness to tackle taboo subjects such as sexuality, love and HIV/AIDS. “A lot of people judge me by what I wear, say I’m not a good woman,” she said, loping through the lobby of a five-star hotel in Karachi wearing leopard-skin shoes and a sleeveless Ali Baba outfit, as jaws dropped and necks swiveled. “The clothes aren’t anything.” Other celebrities show more cleavage and wear shorter skirts, but don’t catch on, said Mathira, as she’s universally known. “Whenever I go, the show starts. When I leave, it ends.”

• Many consider Mathira immoral for her provocative attire and willingness to talk about taboo subjects such as sexuality, love and AIDS.

• Others admire her for pushing the limits.

Love Indicator” TV host Mathira Mohammed “knows what she’s doing, is a good businesswoman,” says Pakistani magazine editor Andleeb Rana. “Dumb? It’s part of the brand.” (Faisal Farooqui / September 25, 2011)

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RAUNCHY. INSPIRATION. SEX KITTEN. PAKISTAN’S PARIS HILTON

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by Mark Magnier

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TV host Mathira Mohammad has been called all that and more. Love her or hate her, she’s making waves, as critics in Pakistan accuse her of immorality and supporters laud her willingness to tackle taboo subjects such as sexuality, love and HIV/AIDS.

“A lot of people judge me by what I wear, say I’m not a good woman,” she said, loping through the lobby of a five-star hotel in Karachi wearing leopard-skin shoes and a sleeveless Ali Baba outfit, as jaws dropped and necks swiveled. “The clothes aren’t anything.”

Pakistan at a boiling point, Kayani calls emergency Corps Commanders meeting…

The meeting — chaired by the Army chief and attended by all Corps Commanders and Principal Staff officers — was called to discuss key issues of importance and urgency, including matters related to national security and the regional peace. — [In the continuing battle to bring American and Pakistani thinking on the terror war into alignment, we must bring to light the hidden things which are tearing us apart.  The ongoing arguments over differences between the CIA and Pakistan’s ISI, magnified by military differences, cannot be calmed by accusations and denials, but only through admissions.   Our two “Premier” spy agencies have worked together for many years, in many (criminal) activities.  Many of these activities have become common knowledge. Acknowledging the obvious is an important first step, which both sides must be willing to take.]  

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US-PAKISTAN ALLIANCE – A DETACHMENT COMING UP?

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First a note from Peter Chamberlin: 

[In the continuing battle to bring American and Pakistani thinking on the terror war into alignment, we must bring to light the hidden things which are tearing us apart.  The ongoing arguments over differences between our CIA and Pakistan's ISI, magnified by military differences, cannot be calmed by accusations and denials, but only through admissions.   Our two "Premier" spy agencies have worked together for many years, in many criminal activities.  Many of these activities have become common knowledge.  Acknowledging the obvious is an important first step, which both sides must be willing to take.  The disagreement now comes from Americans trying to blame Pakistan for all of it.