Pak nukes can fall into terrorists' hands: IAEA chief

[srijeesh]

Drone attacks have been ongoing. Nothing new. Anyone expecting them to stop upon him taking up office is not living in reality.

Special Envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan is actually a good thing for Pakistan. It means that we work with someone fairly closely and can clearly explain to the envoy what our security, geo-political considerations are. This means that Obama gets a more accurate analysis of what we are trying to do instead of someone sitting in DC, all aloof from Pakistan making the calls on Pakistan policy. Remember talking is always good. The more we talk, the more we tell them about the genesis of the militancy problem and its relation to the Kashmir issue, the more objective a US response we will see.

Performance based aid is just what is being talked about. There is a precedence in place that it does not work. However Americans are not the only ones with leverage on this issue. Pakistan can and will respond appropriately if conditionalities are placed. What all that is going on in Kyrgyzstan with the base closure, Pakistan's importance in the war in Afghanistan is bound to increase. So placing measures such as the old pressler amendment (at the behest of the Indian lobby) will be counter-productive for the US interests.

All in all, I say things are ok if one looks at them pragmatically.

I see a desperate attempt to see a silver lining where none exists.
pakistan had seriously hoped to stall drone attacks once regime changed in US, that was apparent with all the noise made by pak immediately after obama took over office. but it was clear that obama could see through your tactics.
then the special envoy, my dear, in not there to listen to you, he is there to dictate to you. and must say, he has quite a reputation of arm-twisting. so good luck with explaining to him your view. btw, k-word is out of his jurisdiction.

then as for pakistan's importance, you might be right. but there are active attempts to fing an alternative. iran is being courted and also russia. there might be some tantrums thrown like kyrgyzstan to gain some perks, but that doesnt seem like a big glitch. so, there are active attempts to decrease your 'importance'.
giving aid(military/non-military) without strings attached was more counter productive to US, as discovered by bush. so, obama's method is bound to be more successful.

 

[araz]

I see a desperate attempt to see a silver lining where none exists.
pakistan had seriously hoped to stall drone attacks once regime changed in US, that was apparent with all the noise made by pak immediately after obama took over office. but it was clear that obama could see through your tactics.
then the special envoy, my dear, in not there to listen to you, he is there to dictate to you. and must say, he has quite a reputation of arm-twisting. so good luck with explaining to him your view. btw, k-word is out of his jurisdiction.

then as for pakistan's importance, you might be right. but there are active attempts to fing an alternative. iran is being courted and also russia. there might be some tantrums thrown like kyrgyzstan to gain some perks, but that doesnt seem like a big glitch. so, there are active attempts to decrease your 'importance'.
giving aid(military/non-military) without strings attached was more counter productive to US, as discovered by bush. so, obama's method is bound to be more successful.

This is the problem with you guys. You have an opinion which you want to thrust on others without listening to what they are saying and who they are. Blain is a senior poster and we have all learnt a lot from him. You should look at the previous posts of this poster to see where he is coming form.
As to the silver lining, there are a couple of observations that i have. Firstly, I agree fully with Blain that a special envoy would be a good thing as it is a constant entity maintaining contact over long periods, who will understand the reality and form a bridge between East and West. There is a proviso, that he should have leeway to act rather than coming with a specific agenda, but it becomes irrelevant as in this case, USA needs us rather than the other way round. So it is in US interest to interact with us.
Secondly, there is a lot of debate on this forum about drone attacks and you need to see it to understand what is happenning. .
You are right about USattempts to find an alternative, but that is all they are at the moment and in the near future. You seriously dont think that Iran would change tack overnight and start its honey moon with US, after all the bad blood that exists between the two. American forays into central Asia has been blunted by the growling of the great white Bear. Even if you find an alternative , it would be naive to think that US would disengage from PAkistan overnight, or change tack totally and start attacking us. If you look at the history of US invasions, it has always been very calculated and against armies which are incapable of responding. Why do you think US is not attacking iran? I think they know well enough what will happen if they attack Pakistan.
Their tactics of sanctions and restrictions might be very effective for a year or two, but longterm will become a problem for themselves for various reasons.
So all in all it is reasonable to expect some progress from the new envoy. As long as we dont pin too much emphasis and hope on it, we should be all right.
regards
Araz

 

[fatman17]

US resolve on test in Pakistan, says Mullen

By Anwar Iqbal

WASHINGTON, Jan 28: “Some level of stability, no safe havens, reasonable development… nuclear weapons not a significant concern in Pakistan,” said America’s top military official when asked what would constitute success for him in the South Asian region.

Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman US Joint Chiefs of Staff, made the observation while defining America’s national security strategy at a briefing for Washington-based foreign journalists.

The admiral underlined the current situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan as the biggest threat confronting the United States and said that within those two countries, the presence of terrorist elements in Fata was the main cause of concern for Washington.

“And with respect to Al-Qaeda, the biggest concern we have with respect to them is the existence of them in the Fata and Pakistan,” he said.

The United States, he said, wanted to make sure that the safe havens were eliminated and were not recreated in Afghanistan or some other place like Somalia or Yemen.

Admiral Mullen appeared particularly concerned about Afghanistan where he said “the situation… grows increasingly perilous every day”.

The admiral also emphasised the need for developing a regional strategy for defeating terrorism in Afghanistan.

REGIONAL APPROACH: A regional approach, he said, was critical and it should include not just Afghanistan and Pakistan but also Iran and India.

“India plays an important role here. And certainly Iran, as a bordering state, plays a role as well,” he said. “It is important to engage Iran. Iran is unhelpful in many, many ways in many, many areas.”

He said although he was not “overly optimistic” about the success of this regional approach either, “there are mutual interests and I think that that might offer some possibilities.”

Responding to a question about why was Pakistan concerned about India’s expanding role in Afghanistan, Admiral Mullen noted that there’s “certainly a historic tension” between Pakistan and India.

This tension, he said, had “accentuated greatly” as the result of the Mumbai attacks. But “I am comforted that the strategic leadership in both Pakistan and India has been such that we have not had any kind of conflict break out as a result of Mumbai,” he added.

 

[Destructlord]

If it wasnt because of Iran, rebels would have raped multinational soldiers in Iraq by now! Such Bulls$$ts!

 

[macintosh]

Holbrooke's appointment a disaster: Report
Friday, February 06, 2009, (Washington)

As US Special Representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke heads to South Asia, a write up in the US is making the point that President Barack Obama's high profile appointment is nothing but a disaster if the past is anything to go by.

"President Obama's appointment of Richard Holbrooke is nothing less than a declaration of war on Afghanistan, Pakistan and the region," wrote Grant Marcus in Ventura Country Reporter, published out of California.

"Wherever Holbrooke has gone US aggressive policies of power and war have followed him," said the write up.

Marcus alleged that it was Holbrooke who helped "prop up Premier Diem in Vietnam, a ruthless dictator who lynched, tortured and beheaded thousands of South Vietnamese who wouldn't go along with Diem's junta".

Holbrooke, who was the youngest adviser appointed by President Kennedy, stayed on to have critical influence on Lyndon B Johnson presidency, and was a key determinant in his escalating the war, it said.

"Richard Holbrooke's dark history does not stop there. There were brutal policies in the Philippines when he was ambassador to Asia, and he was shoulder-to-shoulder with Suharto, the brutal dictator in East Timor," the write up alleged.

 

[Pashtun]

From every angle you look at it, it's just an another step forward to make a case against Pakistan. IAEA Chief is no more than a mouthpiece for the people working behind the agenda.

Else, it was US herself that apparently spent $100 million to protect Pakistani Nuke fascilities to somewhat their satisfaction if I correctly remember.

 

[ajpirzada]

we shouldnt really give a $hit about such statements. they ll keep on comin and will keep on pleasing a particular audience. just get used to it

 

[Destructlord]

Guys! Guys! a U.S official told VOA: If government of Pakistan fall into the terrorist hands, We'll destroy the Pakistan Nuclear facilities! (What the ....?!).

This is those $hit heads plans for us!

 

[ajpirzada]

Guys! Guys! a U.S official told VOA: If government of Pakistan fall into the terrorist hands, We'll destroy the Pakistan Nuclear facilities! (What the ....?!).

wont make any difference... we have got enough war heads and they are hidden. US destroyin our nuclear reactor will not make any difference to our nuclear arsenal although it will be a big blow.
but as Allah says in Quran, surah 2:
'they plan and Allah plans. But Allah is the best planner'

hopefuly by that time ull be having nuclear weapons. so if one islamic republic looses them and another gets them i still wont mind. i guess that is y we gave nuclear tech to muslim countries

 

[Destructlord]

Its true mate but have you seen the map its annoying!... really!

 

[ajpirzada]

Its true mate but have you seen the map its annoying!... really!

ya i saw that map and it is definately annoyin... its few months old...
this map is how they want to see the muslim world but the question is will they see it????? rit now american economy is in really bad state and they are not comin out of it before 2010. one russian professor says US will break up by 2012 coz of civil war which will errupt due to this ongoing economic crisis.
so who knows what will happen in next few yrs.
who expected tht russians will be defeated in afghanistan and who expected it will take america 8 yrs to get control of only kabul. total cost for war in both iraq and afghanistan has crossed $1 trillion.
im only hoping if ISI is helpin afghanis in their fight against americans and nato forces.

 

[Destructlord]

A proxy war in Afghanistan certainly will not be in U.S interest and will make its military and economy weaker in a period of time. But thats also following destabilization of Pakistan and the middle-east. Im afraid that makes U.S and Pakistan to go to war!

 

[ajpirzada]

A proxy war in Afghanistan certainly will not be in U.S interest and will make its military and economy weaker in a period of time. But thats also following destabilization of Pakistan and the middle-east. Im afraid that makes U.S and Pakistan to go to war!

US wont come to war with pakistan directly. they ll carry on with their covert activities in both NWFP and Balochistan.
how i see it is ISI vs CIA...... outcome of this will transform the regional politics

 

[waraich66]

I dont think even Al Queda or Taliban want to nuke Israel.
Israel is so small and Jerusalem is the 3rd most holiest city in Islam. No true Muslim would nuke anywhere around that region.

Those nukes were made for one country and only one country and that is India a.k.a hindustan, bharat, incredible india, whatever you wanna call it.

Indian are coward nation cant afford to attack but Israel having THAAD latest missile defence system shall try to destroy nukes of Pakistan.

Israel is enemy number 1 of muslim states and pakistan is on top of list ,Arabs states helped pakistan financially to get expensive magnetic rings from china main equipment used for process of U235.

India is providing facilities for Israeli operation to destroy our nukes.We should be ready for Israeli attacks ,Already Israeli F16 are in India for this task.

 

[s90]

He observed serious loopholes in the US command and control system.

“Aircrafts carrying nuclear warheads passed over the US several times but nobody could detect them,” he said

He should better educate USA how to make nuke weapons safe