America's ridiculous stance on Kashmir

[Awesome]

Its pathetic how hyped up the US media got on a little known lobbyist in his last few years Dr. Fai who was busy doing a great service to humanity on personal risk. Something that America should have been on board with by default, considering it still upholds tenets of freedom and democracy.

America has never been able to justify its position on Kashmir and tries to bury the argument that there is a Kashmiri POV to this debate and always tries to portray it as some silly feud between India and Pakistan as if the people in question, the Kashmiris are non-entities.

It knows this that since when the Kashmir issue is brought up, the obvious thing a person can do is go like "Hey lets ask the Kashmiris what they want?" and America in its effed up stance doesn't want to do that, since its dependent upon keeping its lucrative Indian market.

Isn't it odd that a

Libyan freedom is good, Syrian is good, but Kashmiri is not?

Anyway rightfully the PEOPLE of Kashmir are also now directly booing American for viciously going after this old man who was doing the people of Kashmir a huge favor at personal risk.

Wide protests in IHK, AJK& Pak against Dr Fai arrest observed | Top Stories | South Asian News Agency

Acting leader of Dukhtran Millat Ms Rifaat Fatima said that the arrest of Dr Fai by US has no reason, adding that the arrest of Dr Fai revealed the anti Muslim face of US

She said that the reason of arresting Dr Fai was to weaken Kashmir freedom movement at diplomatic level, adding that Dr Fai is working from last 32 years to raise the Kashmir issue on international level and was working to show the realities of Kashmiri nation facing in IHK. She requested the world community to play their due role for the immediate release of Dr Fai.

Senior leader of Hurriyet Conference and leader of Islamic Political Party Mohammad Yousaf Naqqash showed serous concerns over the arrest of Dr Fai and condemn it.

He said that as a Kashmiri citizen Dr Fai representing peacefully for the Kashmir cause on diplomatic fronts and contacted with international leaders and institutions to stop the Indian atrocities in IHK. He said that it was the conspiracy of India to arrest Dr Fai.

Forceful demos in IHK against arrest of Dr Fai

In occupied Kashmir, forceful anti-India and pro-liberation demonstrations rocked several places including Srinagar, Kulgam, Sopore, Islamabad and Shopian on Friday, reports KMS.

Fai’s arrest angers IHK

Feedback from across the Line of Control (LoC) speaks of widespread anger in Occupied Kashmir over American move, which has been described by Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Gilani as ‘unjustified’, deploring that the arrest has been made at the behest of the government of India. He has reasons to believe that this is the result of a deep rooted conspiracy to weaken the ongoing movement in Kashmir at the diplomatic level as Dr. Fai has been instrumental in projecting and highlighting the Kashmir issue in a very articulate and scientific manner.

 

[Awesome]

gulftoday.ae | Pak accuses US of 'slander campaign'

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan accused United States on Friday of a “slander campaign” against Islamabad over the arrest of a man accused of acting as a Pakistani government agent in the United States.

Ghulam Nabi Fai, 62, a US citizen detained on Tuesday, is suspected of links to a decades-long effort that allegedly funnelled millions of dollars to Washington to lobby US politicians on behalf of Kashmiri causes.

The US Justice Department said Fai and Zaheer Ahmad, 63, a US citizen and resident of Pakistan, faced five years in prison if found guilty.

The Pakistan government has issued a demarche to the US embassy to register its concerns on the arrest of Fai and asked its mission in Washington to get details.

Pakistan has also appreciated the contributions made by Fai and the Kashmiri-American Council (KAC) for the cause of Jammu and Kashmir.

In a statement issued by the foreign office, the government said campaigns to defame the “just cause” of the Kashmiri people would not affect its legitimacy, Geo News reported.

“Dr Fai is a US citizen. A demarche was made to the US embassy in Islamabad today to register our concerns, in particular the slander campaign against Pakistan. Our embassy in Washington has been asked to ascertain details,” said the statement.

Fai was arrested on Tuesday morning and was due to appear before a court in Alexandria, near the US capital. Ahmad is believed to be in Pakistan.

“Foreign governments who try to influence the United States by using unregistered agents threaten our national security,” FBI Assistant Director in Charge James McJunkin said.

The influence peddling allegations provoked an angry response from Islamabad.

“Upholding fundamental rights of Kashmiris is the fundamental responsibility of the international community and all conscientious people who value human rights and values,” the statement from Pakistan’s foreign ministry added.

“Campaigns to defame the just cause of the Kashmiri people will not affect its legitimacy,” it added.

The allegations against Fai, which come amid increasingly strained ties between the United States and Pakistan, centre on the Kashmiri American Council, a Washington-based group founded in 1990.

The KAC is suspected of being run by Pakistan’s powerful military intelligence service, the Inter-Services Intelligence Agency (ISI).

Kashmiri leaders on Thursday condemned Fai’s arrest, blaming a conspiracy to silence activists.

“It is unfortunate that a leader like Fai is being dubbed an agent. He has been representing Kashmiris at various forums to make the world hear our views,” said Shabir Shah, a senior separatist in Kashmir.

“We strongly condemn his arrest. It is aimed at suppressing the voices who call for Kashmir’s freedom from India,” Shah said.

Kashmiri separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani said: “It has been done at the behest of India and under a conspiracy to weaken the movement of Kashmiris at the diplomatic level.”

But Kashmir police chief Kuldeep Khoda said Fai had long been a suspect. “He has been figuring in lots of things in the past, like what the US has already conveyed, the diversion of Pakistani funds for anti-national activities in India and particularly in Jammu and Kashmir,” Khoda alleged.

Earlier this month, the United States decided to withhold a third of its annual $2.7 billion security assistance to Islamabad amid strained diplomatic relations following the May 2 raid that killed Al-Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden.

The powerful Pakistani military was humiliated by the Bin Laden raid, which attracted allegations of incompetence or complicity with Al-Qaeda.

Pakistan has been adamant that there should be no more unilateral American raids, like that which killed Bin Laden in the garrison town of Abbottabad, although the White House has said it will act again if necessary.

 

[EjazR]

Asim,

you make the same mistake what some US congressmen made when they listened to Fai. A bunch of separatists DO NOT represent the opinion of the entire J&K population.

What do you expect Pakistani papers to do? Report the same pov that the establishment wants.

What is really happening in Kashmir is that a few 100 people jumping up and down protesting Fai's arrest. Infact there were more people protesting pay packages for govt. employees than Fai.

The fact that Fai is tainted with ISI is enough for any Kashmiri to be disgusted by anyone showing support for him. In-fact, separatists are digging their own graves by protesting for a person linked to the ISI as this will have a negative impact on the locals on their perception on who the separatists represent. And the proof isin the damp response for Friday protests in Kashmir for Fai's arrest.

Separatists flay Fai arrest, locals don't care

 

[ramu]

It is a dispute between Pakistan and India and how does it matter what America thinks or does ?

America has never been able to justify its position on Kashmir and tries to bury the argument that there is a Kashmiri POV to this debate and always tries to portray it as some silly feud between India and Pakistan as if the people in question, the Kashmiris are non-entities.

Kashmiri PoV is subject to irrelevant noises that are sponsored by India and Pakistan. True Kashmir voice got lost in the noise long ago.

It knows this that since when the Kashmir issue is brought up, the obvious thing a person can do is go like "Hey lets ask the Kashmiris what they want?" and America in its effed up stance doesn't want to do that, since its dependent upon keeping its lucrative Indian market.

Acting leader of Dukhtran Millat Ms Rifaat Fatima said that the arrest of Dr Fai by US has no reason, adding that the arrest of Dr Fai revealed the anti Muslim face of US

How is arresting Dr. Fai's arrest anti Muslim This kind of attitude gives terrorists a right to morph anything and everything as anti Muslim and cause havoc.

 

[Patriot]

Look Freedom is conditional from US Point of View.There are different freedom packages with certain conditions
First
1) Oil
2) Resources
3) Strategic Significance
etc
Jon Stewart Explains it well
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-march-21-2011/america-s-freedom-packages

 

[DkBose]

good job,i salute usa for this

 

[ramu]

A Washington Tale: The Pakistani Agent Who Tried to Befriend Congress
by By MASSIMO CALABRESI Friday, July 22, 2011

The case of Syed Fai has turned over the rock under which foreign influence peddlers and members of Congress usually shelter together, protected by the darkness of our loophole-riddled lobbying rules. Fai was arrested on Tuesday and charged with acting as a foreign agent for the Inter-Services Intelligence Agency, Pakistan’s spy service, without registering under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, and for concealing that fact.

Over the course of 20 years, Fai led a registered charity called the Kashmiri American Council (KAC) which funneled political donations to members of Congress, ran conferences on Kashmir and funded educational trips to the disputed region between India and Pakistan, according to the criminal complaint filed in the Eastern District of Virginia. Among those Fai funneled money to were: GOP Congressmen Dan Burton (at least $10,000) and Joe Pitts ($2,000), Democrats Dennis Kucinich ($500) and Jim Moran ($2,000), the DNC ($250), NRSC ($9,500) and on Nov. 2, 2008, Barack Obama ($250).

The affidavit filed with the court says explicitly that the FBI special agent in charge of the case is “aware of no evidence that indicates that any elected official who received money from Fai or the KAC was aware that the money originated from any part of the Government of Pakistan.” The Justice department satisfied itself of this fact, I’m told; the White House would not say whether it was interviewed on the subject.

But the larger issue is how foreign interests use charities to try and influence members of Congress. Back in the late Tom DeLay and Jack Abramoff era in 2005-06, I reported on a few of these operations. In one, a consultancy paid by Malaysia footed the bill for a Heritage Foundation-led junket for DeLay, his wife and other Republican House members to a “mystical island of wild scenic beauty”, according to a former Senator employed by Heritage. (Heritage denied the charge.) In another, DeLay and lawmakers for both parties accepted lavish trips to South Korea paid for by a charity set up and funded by a Korean business magnate.

The interesting thing about both cases is that they only got DeLay in trouble because the foreign funding link came to light: in the Malaysia case thanks to the former Senator, and in the Korean case because one of the charity’s lobbyists made the mistake of registering as a Foreign Agent. Those cases eventually contributed to DeLay’s ouster as GOP Majority leader, even though he claimed no knowledge of the foreign funding.

Quickly enough, the Hill went back to business as usual, with foreign-funded charities organizing junkets around the world. Thanks to IRS disclosure rules, charities don’t need to publish their donors, allowing multiple cut-outs to filter foreign donations through, for example, a foreign-owned Indiana-based ball bearing manufacturer without scrutiny from outsiders.

In the case of KAC, the affidavit says it was funded by various straw men and a medical practice, among others, many of whom were reimbursed by the ISI. The affidavit says that this information was discovered in part through confidential witnesses, physical searches and “court-ordered electronic surveillance, as well as internet service provider and telephone company records.” Some of those measures have been ongoing for years, sources tell TIME. Which raises the question: Why did the U.S. move on Fai now?Justice declined to answer; on background, an administration official said Fai was arrested in part because it became clear that another indicted operative, Zaheer Ahmad, was not going to be coming to the U.S. anytime soon.

It’s worth noting that Fai was not particularly successful. Burton reportedly held one hearing on Kashmir; others attended Fai’s conferences. It’s not clear yet who went on the junket mentioned in the affidavit. But over the course of the last 20 years, the U.S. has moved steadily closer to India as relations with Pakistan have soured. Says one Justice department official: “The law doesn’t just apply to successful foreign agents, it also applies to unsuccessful foreign agents.”

But given that lobbying by opaquely-funded international charities is widespread in Washington, it’s not clear just how aggressively the law is applied at all.



Source : A Washington Tale: The Pakistani Agent Who Tried to Befriend Congress | Swampland

 

[Awesome]

Asim,

you make the same mistake what some US congressmen made when they listened to Fai. A bunch of separatists DO NOT represent the opinion of the entire J&K population.

What do you expect Pakistani papers to do? Report the same pov that the establishment wants.

What is really happening in Kashmir is that a few 100 people jumping up and down protesting Fai's arrest. Infact there were more people protesting pay packages for govt. employees than Fai.

The fact that Fai is tainted with ISI is enough for any Kashmiri to be disgusted by anyone showing support for him. In-fact, separatists are digging their own graves by protesting for a person linked to the ISI as this will have a negative impact on the locals on their perception on who the separatists represent. And the proof isin the damp response for Friday protests in Kashmir for Fai's arrest.

Separatists flay Fai arrest, locals don't care

As far as J&K's opinion goes, my one and only argument is, ask the Kashmiris. Nobody wants to do that, since we all know the reply would be overwhelmingly anti-Indian. This is the problem with America's stance its perpetuating this injustice upon the Kashmiris by silencing the voice of the Kashmri people.

 

[Valiant_Soul]

Its pathetic how hyped up the US media got on a little known lobbyist in his last few years Dr. Fai who was busy doing a great service to humanity on personal risk. Something that America should have been on board with by default, considering it still upholds tenets of freedom and democracy.

Yeah, that is why his "great service" was clandestine. Please do not talk about freedom and democracy. Democracy they already have and the freedom to leave is also on table.

Anyway rightfully the PEOPLE of Kashmir are also now directly booing American for viciously going after this old man who was doing the people of Kashmir a huge favor at personal risk.

Says who? Sananews, Pakistantimes and Pakobserver?

 

[ares]

..................

 

[Awesome]

Michael Brenner: The Pakistanis Are Coming! The Pakistanis Are Coming!

Washington is abuzz with the headline news that the FBI is accosting two Pakistanis who allegedly have been trying to win influence and influence policy makers to their country's advantage. They supposed are in the employ of the ISI. Politicos and commentators are waxing indignant at this affront to American sovereignty and the effrontery in aiming to corrupt elected office holders through campaign contributions. A highlight of these revelations is that one of these agents, a Mr. Fai, contributed $250 to the Gore and Obama campaigns -- each. In total, they supposedly spent $4 million on lobbying as well as campaign contributions since the mid-1990s. That amounts to roughly $275,000 per year.

It is no coincidence that the announcement was made with great fanfare at a moment of extreme tensions between Washington and Islamabad. The Obama administration is pulling out all stops in an implacable campaign to break the resistance of Pakistani leaders to its call for an escalated campaign against the Taliban. Condemnation of political lobbying suggests a double standard. Many foreign governments lobby Washington at several levels. True, their paid lobbyists are legally required the declare themselves as working for another country. However, there are various ways to circumvent the law to establish a political and public relations presence in the capital and nationwide.

This aggrieved reaction is noteworthy for what it says about the presumed naivete of American officials are susceptible to being diverted from the path of righteousness by the diabolical scheming of foreigners. Equally worth noting is the failure to draw any comparison with American interference in the domestic political affairs of other countries. In Iraq, the United States has provided financial and technical assistance to their favorite Mr. Allawi in three successive presidential campaigns. American diplomats participated directly in the bargaining that eventually produced the current coalition government (albeit that in the end it was Tehran that shaped the outcome). In Afghanistan, they backed Dr. Abdullah Abdullah in his bid to unseat Hamid Karzai. In Pakistan, Washington insists on running its own large network of intelligence operatives without government sanction. In addition, it meddled in partisan politics by orchestrating the return of Benazir Bhutto while leaning on the government of General Musharraf to force back into exile her chief rival Mr. Sharif -- who happens to be less sympathetic toward the United States. Their objective of a shotgun wedding between Musharraf and Bhutto wasn't realized -- but not for lack of trying.

If Americans are oblivious to these contradictions, they are glaring in the eyes of Iraqis, Afghans and Pakistanis.

Isn't there something in Scripture about refraining from throwing stones unless you be free of having committed the same offense?

Couldn't have put it better myself... We have a saying "Ektoh chori, ooper se seena zori!"

 

[Mech]

That is but a weak excuse ..it is their job to protect every inch of your border not just some parts of it..somehow Bangladeshi security forces are never in picture when such incidents are reported..if however you feel undermanned then erect a fence like we are doing..

As long as there are porous borders people will keep on trying to cross border illegally and some of then will keep on getting shot on the way..while Bangladeshi media will keep on reporting that they were abducted from Bangladeshi territory(has anyone thought of a reason..why an innocent farmer might just get abducted by security forces from across for no apparent reason whatsoever..every crime has a motive..what was the motive here..clearly your newspapers are not telling you something.

Whenever such incidents happen Bangladeshi people crib a lot, how ever there is no initiative from them to secure their borders or prevent illegal activities on the border
We are erecting a fence because we do not want Bangladeshi people coming into our country uninvited nor do we want our forces going into Bangladesh.

What in the world are YOU talking about? This is not a thread about Bangladesh or bangladeshis......

 

[JonAsad]

^^

This is an innovative way of trolling-

 

[Kazhugu]

Isn't it odd that a

Libyan freedom is good, Syrian is good, but Kashmiri is not?

every freedom has its own cause..they cannot and will not be lumped together......

kashmiri valley muslims account for 0.3 or less % of the total indian population....was it the same % in libya and syria ?

i guess 0.3% of any nation in the world will want freedom from the parent country....so can all countries be divided ?

 

[Don Jaguar]

Braveheart Kashmiris hoisting Green flag in Srinagar's Lal Chowk