Screening of Pakistanis in US dismays Gilani

[SparklingCrescent]

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Friday expressed his serious reservations on the new security measures introduced by the US government for screening Pakistani nationals in the United States and termed them discriminatory.

He said such policies would cause consternation and anxiety among the people of Pakistan and their continuity could negatively impact the bilateral ties. In a meeting with the US Congressional delegation, led by Senator John McCain, which called on him at the Prime Minister House on Friday, he urged the Obama administration to revisit this policy while asking for immediate removal of Pakistan from the list of the countries affected by this policy.

At the behest of the US, airports across the world introduced enhanced security checks for citizens of 14 countries, including Pakistan. In response to the attempted Christmas Day bombing of a US airliner, the US State Department listed Cuba, Iran, Sudan and Syria as state ‘sponsors of terrorism’ while Pakistan comes under the ‘countries of interest’ in addition to Afghanistan, Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Yemen.

The prime minister reiterated his government’s disappointment over the continued drone attacks and persistent reluctance of the US to share drone technology with Pakistan to enable it to take on the terror centres within its border areas itself.

The prime minister also expressed concern over the delay in the reimbursement of the outstanding amount on account of the Coalition Support Fund (CSF) to Pakistan, which by December 2009 crossed the limit of $2 billion.

He said this inordinate delay in receipt of payments from the US was affecting its campaign against terrorism. He stressed that the disbursement issue of the CSF Fund must not be linked with any other issue and the overdue payments to Pakistan must be made on a fast-track basis.

Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani while highlighting the economic cost of around $35 billion borne by Pakistan in the war against terrorism in the past eight years, has called upon the US to help the government of Pakistan revive its economy, which currently is its top priority.

He underlined the need for provision of greater market access to Pakistan under the GSP Plus arrangements, through the use of Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) and other US mechanisms for encouraging its investors to invest in energy, infrastructure, agriculture and water sectors to assist the government of Pakistan’s endeavours to boost the economy.

Senator John McCain paid tributes to the prime minister and the government of Pakistan for their resolute and steadfast commitment against the evil forces of terrorism and lauded the Pakistan Armed Forces’ successes in Malakand and South Waziristan operations. He clarified that his statement in Kabul on Thursday about drone attacks had been misquoted by the press and he would like Pakistan and the US sides to discuss and resolve this irritant at the earliest so that the cordial and strategic relationship between the two countries might further be strengthened.

Senator Joseph Lieberman, who is Chairman of Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee of the US Senate, agreed with the prime minister on the fallout of the new security measures introduced by the US for screening the citizens of Pakistan besides other countries and stated that he himself was skeptical about the usefulness of these measures.

He assured the prime minister that he would take up this issue in the next meeting of his committee, soon after the US Congress would reconvene its session later this month. The US Senate delegation also promised their complete support to the resolution of the CSF reimbursement and economic assistance issues with Pakistan and assured the prime minister that the US would remain committed to its policy of maintaining long-term strategic partnership with Pakistan.

Other members of the delegation included Senator John Barrasso, Senator John Thune, Mr Christian Brose, Foreign Policy Adviser of Senate Armed Services Committee and US Ambassador in Pakistan Anne W Patterson.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Defence Minister Ch Ahmad Mukhtar, Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin and secretaries Defence, Foreign Affairs and Interior also attended the meeting.


Screening of Pakistanis in US dismays Gilani

 

[TruthSeeker]

In fact, Iran AirFlight was shot down by US Navy(in 1989) that killed 290 people. What did Iran do to US? What did Syria do?

The Iran Air flight was shot down in 1988, not 1989:

Iran Air Flight 655, also known as IR655, was a civilian airliner shot down by the United States Navy on Sunday 3 July 1988, over the Strait of Hormuz.

Pan Am Flight 103 was Pan American World Airways' third daily scheduled transatlantic flight from London's Heathrow Airport to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport. On Wednesday 21 December 1988, the aircraft flying this route—a Boeing 747-121 named Clipper Maid of the Seas—was destroyed by a bomb, killing all 243 passengers and 16 crew members. Eleven people in Lockerbie, southern Scotland, were killed as large sections of the plane fell in and around the town, bringing total fatalities to 270.

According to a CIA analysis dated 22 December 1988, several groups were quick to claim responsibility in telephone calls in the United States and Europe:

* A male caller claimed that a group called the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution had destroyed the plane in retaliation for the U.S. shootdown of Iran Air Flight 655 in the Persian Gulf the previous July.
* A caller claiming to represent the Islamic Jihad organization told ABC News in New York that the group had planted the bomb.
* The Ulster Defence League allegedly issued a telephone claim.

After finishing this list, the author stated, "We consider the claims from the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution as the most credible one received so far". The analysis concluded, "We cannot assign responsibility for this tragedy to any terrorist group at this time. We anticipate that, as often happens, many groups will seek to claim credit".

 

[Ali.009]

Pakistan should halt all the supplies to NATO troops till USA can get back into their freaking sense.