zaid interview

[salman nedian]

I saw yesterday’s program he was speaking the voice of 160 million Pakistanis.

 

[solid snake]

What does Israel or Zionism have anything to do with our problems? It seems that guy can't help blame the jooos for his problems.

And the Taliban have exported drugs and AK-47s to Pakistan, they are not our friends. The US is trying to replace Afghanistan's opium based economy to something else, more legitimate. A democratic, enlightened Afghanistan is in our interests, we should not stop supporting the Americans. By the way, the Americans are preparing to give us hundreds of millions of dollars to improve living standrds in FATA by building schools, hospitals etc. Just like they are doing in Afghanistan.

Why go back to supporting a bunch of fanatics who want the world to live in the 15th century? This guy is only arguing for supporting them because he thinks the Taliban are fighting against the 'infidels'.

I supporeted the Chechyan resistance during the wars in 90s and everyday I would get a rush of joy from reading how many Russian soldiers had been killed by the Chechyans. Same thing with the Kashmiri freedom fighters. But the Taliban are nothing more than religious fanatics who are opposed to little girls going to school.

There is a difference between killing Russian soldiers who are occupying your land and taking a school full of children hostage and threatening to blow them up.

We cannot give up the fight now or else we'll be just like the Americans, who get up and leave whenever the going gets tough for them. But the difference is that Americans start wars and leave their enemies victorious in foreign countries, while we have started a war in our own country and if we just give up now the religious fanatics who are blowing themselves up all over the country will take it as some sort of divine victory and nothing will change in Pakistan's tribal areas.

If we don't support America, they will just leave Afghanistan and the Taliban will come back to power, Afghanistan will remain poor and uneducated and start exporting opium to Peshawar, Lahore and Karachi again as well as millions of frustrated young men who will find a way to blame Pakistan for all their problems (just like Pakistanis somehow blame Jews for everything )

Screw the Taliban, they can bite the bullets being sent their way. I have no sympathy for them and never will. Bomb them all to hell.

 

[salman nedian]

The reason for supporting Taliban is not b/c of what they are. The reason is that in their time our western border was not violent and the smuggling of drugs was not there.

 

[asaad-ul-islam]

And the Taliban have exported drugs and AK-47s to Pakistan, they are not our friends. The US is trying to replace Afghanistan's opium based economy to something else, more legitimate. A democratic, enlightened Afghanistan is in our interests, we should not stop supporting the Americans. By the way, the Americans are preparing to give us hundreds of millions of dollars to improve living standrds in FATA by building schools, hospitals etc. Just like they are doing in Afghanistan.

... That was dumb, you're only joking yourself. Americans have barely given pakistan any economic aid, let alone reform the tribal areas. The truth is they want people to blow themselves up so that they have an excuse to enter territory. tell me, why are we starting to suicide bombing as the norm in pakistan ever since the so-called WOT? China's given more aid for development for the economy. Opium production has only increased in afghan ever since this war, the soldiers are having a great time getting high.

Screw the Taliban, they can bite the bullets being sent their way. I have no sympathy for them and never will. Bomb them all to hell.

I've seen plenty people like this. usually they have been molested by some mullah and take their anger out on bearded people. I have a family member who was beaten in a madrassa when he was young, now he doesn't even pray. Sadly, these people don't heal.

 

[solid snake]

Taliban in Pakistan: bin Laden 'not an enemy'

KHAR (March 10 2008): A pro-Taliban leader in Pakistan's tribal area on Sunday said that al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden and fugitive Taliban militant leader Mullah Omar were "not enemies of Pakistan."

Addressing a rally near Khar, the main town of Bajaur tribal district bordering Afghanistan, Maulana Faqir Mohammad said that US President George W. Bush was the "biggest enemy" of Pakistan. "America is the biggest terrorist in the world and the current war in Pakistan had been imposed as a consequence of American policy," Mohammad, who is also a Muslim cleric, said.

"As compared to Pakistani rulers, Osama bin Laden and Mullah Omar are the biggest well-wishers of Pakistan. They are not enemies of Pakistan," the cleric said.

"US president Bush is the biggest enemy of Pakistan as Pakistani rulers' backing of Bush had caused grave harm to the country," Mohammad said, referring to the close alliance between Washington and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf in the US-led "war on terror." Mohammad said that the "Mujahedeen (holy warriors) had the right to wage jihad (holy war) against the rulers in the nook and corners of the country as a result of continued operations against them.

"We do not want to capture the government, but we want imposition of Islamic system in the country." Addressing a press conference in December Mohammad had said that bin Laden could be in "some safe area inside Afghanistan," adding: "If he comes to Bajaur, we will give him a warm welcome."

Mohammad's relatively new umbrella group, United Taliban Movement of Pakistan, is said to have been established to unite Taliban activities in the semi-autonomous tribal belt and other parts of north-western Pakistan. Pakistani forces have fought increasingly fierce battles against al Qaeda and Taliban militants in the tribal belt since 2003.

The Taliban were ousted from power in Afghanistan by a US-led invasion in November 2001, shortly after the September 11, 2001 attacks blamed on bin Laden. Musharraf has been seen in Washington as a bulwark against al Qaeda and the Taliban, but north-western Pakistan has seen the worst of a wave of violence blamed on al Qaeda and Taliban rebels that has swept the country in recent months.

Business Recorder [Pakistan's First Financial Daily]

So you guys want to be friends with people who are praising Osama Bin Laden, murderer of 3000 Americans and countless Pakistanis. You want to be friends with people who want to "impose Islamic system" in the country (ie no education for girls, execution if a woman does not wear a burqa or the beard is not long enough, raping little children etc). You want to be friends with people who have killed hundres of Pakistani soldiers, you want to be friends with people who have killed thousands of innocent Pakistani civilians in suicide bombings, you want to be friends with people who have tried to assassinate Pervez Musharraf many times, you want to be friends with people who killed Benazir Bhutto, you want to be friends with people who beheaded anyone they think works for America.

Yeah, great plan! It will definetly work wonders for Pakistan to count the Taliban as allies and ditch the most powerful country in the world that wants to help us build schools and hospitals as well as boost our military capabilities.

Thank God you guys aren't ruling Pakistan.

Do you guys vote for the MMA too?

 

[solid snake]

... That was dumb, you're only joking yourself. Americans have barely given pakistan any economic aid, let alone reform the tribal areas. The truth is they want people to blow themselves up so that they have an excuse to enter territory. tell me, why are we starting to suicide bombing as the norm in pakistan ever since the so-called WOT? China's given more aid for development for the economy. Opium production has only increased in afghan ever since this war, the soldiers are having a great time getting high.

BARELY ANY ECONOMIC AID? are you deliberately trying to be funny?

U.S. Aid to Pakistan: Countering Extremism Through Education Reform

by Lisa Curtis
Heritage Lecture #1029
Delivered May 9, 2007

A strong and effective education system in Pakistan will help to ensure that the country steers toward a path of stability, moderation, and prosperity in the years to come, and should therefore be a top priority for Washington in its relations with Islamabad. Lack of adequate education opportunities in Pakistan has contributed to the development of extremist ideologies that have fueled terrorism and sectarian tensions as well as stifled economic growth. Fostering development and reform of the public education system will not only contribute to Pakistani economic prosperity and social tolerance, it will help improve the image of the United States by demonstrating American interest in the human development of average Pakistani citizens.

Today I will focus my remarks on the strengths and weaknesses of current U.S. assistance programs to Pakistan's education sector, as well as the role of the madrassa (Islamic religious school) in contributing to militancy in Pakistan over the last decade.

U.S. Education Assistance to Pakistan: Targeting Critical Areas

U.S. assistance to primary education and literacy in Pakistan has more than doubled--from $28 million in fiscal year 2004 to $66 million in fiscal year 2005. The impact of the findings of the 9/11 Commission report issued in July 2004 on the importance of educational opportunity in the Middle East and South Asia to uprooting terrorist ideology, and increased congressional oversight of U.S. aid programs to Pakistan contributed to the increase in education spending. The Fiscal Year 2008 State Department Congressional Budget Request includes $52 million for general education programs and an additional $50 million for earthquake reconstruction of schools and health facilities. The 2007 Emergency Supplemental Budget Request calls for another $110 million to develop Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), including the education sector. Through a program started in 2003, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) already is constructing and furnishing 65 primary, middle, and high schools in five agencies of the FATA. The Japanese government is partnering with the U.S. government on this project and constructing an additional 65 schools in the Tribal Areas.

USAID's education program in Pakistan provides training, technical assistance, and infrastructure for government officials, citizens, and the private sector to deliver high-quality education throughout the country. The program is currently focusing on selected impoverished districts in the Sindh and Baluchistan provinces in addition to the FATA. The Basic Education Program benefits over 367,000 Pakistani children and USAID has so far trained over 16,000 Pakistani teachers and administrators. USAID also provides funding for needs-based scholarships for higher education and grants for Fulbright scholarships for post-graduate degrees in the U.S.

USAID education programs also focus on empowering the local community by fostering partnerships between parents and teachers that improve accountability for the children's education. I had the opportunity to visit a USAID-funded girls' school on the outskirts of Islamabad in late 2005. Through a grant of only $1,500, USAID inspired the people of this community to establish a Parent-Teacher Association and to build a library for the school that serves over 500 students.

While this kind of outreach at the grassroots level is necessary, Washington also needs to encourage the Pakistani government to follow through on its own reforms. The government of President Pervez Musharraf launched its Education Sector Reforms (ESR) in January 2002, but has been unwilling to commit substantial resources to reforming the education sector. For example, the government has yet to follow through on its commitment to raise the education budget to 4 percent of GDP in line with United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization recommendations.

One of the major problems with Pakistan's public education sector has been the endemic corruption within the system, which has led to the phenomenon of "ghost schools," i.e. teachers not showing up to teach classes but only to collect their paychecks. The U.S. can help by supporting teacher training programs and encouraging greater accountability through community involvement, but the Pakistani government will have to do its part to limit corruption and inefficiency within the system.

U.S. Aid to Pakistan: Countering Extremism Through Education Reform

Now tell me, can your dear Taliban brothers give you hundres of millions of dollars to improve the education and health system in Pakistan. No, they can only give suicide bombers and brainwashed fanatics bent on chopping off the head of anyone who disagrees with them.

China is a great friend of Pakistan, but so is the US. When the 2005 earthquake struck, the Americans were the first to answer our call for assistance. They were there in Azad Kashmir within hours with helicopters and relief supplies. The US army sent it's doctors and they are now funding the construction of schools, hospitals and housing.

The Taliban are not friends of Pakistan. They are just savages who should be crushed like the vermin they are.

And the reason you are seeing suicide bombings is because of Zia-ul-Haq's Islamization era. Thanks to him madrassas were encouraged and thus began the brainwashing of innocent you men who the ISI thought it could use against India. Turns out it came back to bite us in the ***. Hard.

The reason for the suicide bombings in Pakistan is simple. The madrassas. Every single madrassa should be registered and forced to hire competent teachers and teach real subjects like Urdu, English, Math, Science and PE. Any mullah who tries to teach "jihad" should be hanged by his balls.

Role of the Madrassa in Islamic Militancy in Pakistan

The role of the madrassa in Pakistan and its contribution to Islamic militancy has been the subject of intense debate in U.S. academic and policy circles. Observers have been unable to agree on the actual numbers of madrassas and madrassa students in Pakistan, and some studies reveal that the international media has exaggerated these figures during the last few years. A World Bank study from 2005, for example, says Pakistani madrassas account for less than 1 percent of total academic enrollment in the country. In April 2002, Dr. Mahmood Ahmed Ghazi, the former Pakistani Minister of Religious Affairs, put the number of madrassas at about 10,000, with 1.7 million students.

While most madrassas in Pakistan are not churning out terrorist foot soldiers, there are a handful of religious seminaries that promote anti-West, pan-Islamic, and violent ideologies. Many of the older madrassas have well-established reputations for producing serious Islamic thinkers, while others provide welfare services to the poor through free religious education, lodging, and food. A madrassa student learns how to read, memorize, and recite the Quran, and those with advanced theological training become Ulema (religious scholars). Each of the different schools of Islamic thought in Pakistan, including the Sunni Deobandis, Barelvis, Ahle-Hadith (Salafi), and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) as well as the Shiia, runs its own seminaries.

From a counterterrorism perspective, U.S. policymakers should focus their attention on the handful of madrassas in Pakistan that have well-established links to terrorism. These madrassas are likely well known to the Pakistani authorities and increasingly to U.S. intelligence and policy officials, and deserve special focus in our counterterrorism policies. The Darul Uloom Haqqania located near Peshawar in the Northwest Frontier Province, for example, served as training ground for Taliban leaders and a recruiting center for Pakistani militants fighting in Kashmir.

Other madrassas connected to violent militancy are located in the southern port city of Karachi as well as in the province of Punjab and have also contributed to sectarian tensions in the country. The banned Kashmiri militant organization Jaish-e-Muhammad (JEM, or "Army of the Prophet") and Sunni sectarian organization Sepah-e-Sahaba (SSP, or "Army of Companions of the Prophet") are headquartered in southern Punjab.

These organizations have close institutional links with the Taliban and have been involved in terrorism against Indian and Western targets, including the murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in 2002; the hijacking of an Indian Airlines flight that landed in Kandahar, Afghanistan, in December 1999; and the kidnapping and murder of five Western hostages, including American citizen Donald Hutchings, in 1995.

These madrassas and associated militant groups have an interdependent relationship in which the militant groups provide armed backing for the madrassas, and the madrassas in turn provide motivated recruits for the militant organizations. The recently jailed leader of a fertilizer bomb plot in England--British citizen of Pakistani-origin Omar Khyam--was reportedly inspired and trained by Pakistanis involved in militancy in Kashmir. In addition, one of the suicide bombers who carried out the July 7, 2005, bombings of the London transport system reportedly spent time at a Pakistani madrassa. Convincing the Pakistan government to completely close down these dangerous militant groups and to sever their links with the madrassas should be the centerpiece of our counterterrorism policies in Pakistan.

Madrassas in Pakistan are financed either by voluntary charity, foreign entities, or governments. The Saudi Arabian organization, Harmain Islamic Foundation, reportedly has provided substantial financial assistance to the Ahle-Hadith madrassas, which have provided fighters to the banned Kashmiri militant group Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (LET). The Ahle-Hadith madrassas emphasize the Quran and Hadith (sayings of the Prophet Muhammed) and oppose folk Islam and practices such as celebrating the anniversaries of saints or the distribution of food on religious occasions. The large madrassa complex supporting LET is located in the town of Muridke outside of Lahore and is well known for preaching hard-line views on Islam. Since the Pakistan government officially banned LET in 2002, the group has changed its name to Jamaat-ul-Dawa and played a significant role in assisting victims following the October 8, 2005, South Asia earthquake, demonstrating its ability to operate freely within Pakistani society.

President Musharraf's government has had little success with its attempts to assert greater government authority over the madrassas. In August of 2001, the Musharraf government promulgated the "Pakistan Madrassa Education Board Ordinance 2001" to establish three model madrassa institutions in Karachi, Sukkur, and Islamabad that would include English, math, computer science, economics, political science, law, and Pakistan studies in their curricula. Through the "Voluntary Registration and Regulation Ordinance 2002," the government promised funding to madrassas that formally registered with the government. In a more controversial step, the Pakistani government demanded that madrassas expel all foreign students by December 31, 2005. Islamist groups vehemently resisted the government's efforts, however, and authorities backed down and made public statements indicating that they would not use force or shut down noncompliant madrassas to enforce the directives.

The Minister for Religious Affairs, Ejaz ul-Haq, son of the late former President Zia ul-Haq, is responsible for implementing madrassa reform. It was Zia ul-Haq's Islamization policies in the 1980s that resulted in an expansion of the madrassa network to support the Afghanistan jihad against the Soviets and that incorporated militant interpretations of Islam into the public school curriculum. Minister Ejaz ul-Haq has so far been reluctant to confront the prominent religious parties that have ties to foreign-funded madrassas and are resisting government reform.

The first sentence of the last paragraph is pretty ironic, considering It was Ejaz-ul-Haq's father who ****** up our country and we're paying the price for it now.

I've seen plenty people like this. usually they have been molested by some mullah and take their anger out on bearded people. I have a family member who was beaten in a madrassa when he was young, now he doesn't even pray. Sadly, these people don't heal.

I would tell you what I really think about mullahs, but I don't want to make their sympathizers cry. Any civilized person wants the Taliban movement to die once and for all.

 

[asaad-ul-islam]

Now tell me, can your dear Taliban brothers give you hundres of millions of dollars to improve the education and health system in Pakistan. No, they can only give suicide bombers and brainwashed fanatics bent on chopping off the head of anyone who disagrees with them.

And I suppose that by disagreeing with the policies of superpower, I am being classified as a taliban supporter or perhaps a terrorist? Everyone here can clearly see why you would voice your hate against anyone who even musters the courage to defend islam, mr. "I just do not like that culture at all. I love white culture"
Seriously, give up your pathetic attempts to modernize or "enlighten" muslims about the "greatness" of the west. and dude, you've been watching way too much FOX news.

China is a great friend of Pakistan, but so is the US. When the 2005 earthquake struck, the Americans were the first to answer our call for assistance. They were there in Azad Kashmir within hours with helicopters and relief supplies. The US army sent it's doctors and they are now funding the construction of schools, hospitals and housing.

Wrong, it is expected from US who threatened to "bomb" pakistan "back to the stone age." Pakistan looses $10 billion a year for fighting a war that it had originally nothing to do with. The US was forced into helping pakistan in it's hour of need. Besides that, almost all of the aid was sadly given in the forms of loans, not money to heal wounds. Even India offered to send aid to pakistan.

And the reason you are seeing suicide bombings is because of Zia-ul-Haq's Islamization era. Thanks to him madrassas were encouraged and thus began the brainwashing of innocent you men who the ISI thought it could use against India. Turns out it came back to bite us in the ***. Hard.

Wrong, again. It is ultimately Soviet and US war against each other that lead to the "klashnikov" culture we have in pakistan today. It's ironic, when pakistan is accused of not doing enough on the WOT, Charlie Wilson's War hits theatres. Perhaps the director is trying to get a message out to the public.
However, there's no need to be gloomy about it. After Soviet Union stepped into our backyard, there were uprisings involving BLA, pashtunistan, and sindhudesh. It was absolutely necessary for Zia to make this move at that time. You may criticize his policies, but I think at that time, it was Pakistan that became a powerful force to be reckoned with which brought down a superpower to its knees. Besides, your whole army and intelligence agency, the people who really control pakistan(hint: state within a state) that you have a fan club on, supports islamization and jihad. I'm only stating the facts, as an observer.

The reason for the suicide bombings in Pakistan is simple. The madrassas. Every single madrassa should be registered and forced to hire competent teachers and teach real subjects like Urdu, English, Math, Science and PE. Any mullah who tries to teach "jihad" should be hanged by his balls.

jihad is mentioned in the Qur'an, there's simply nothing you can do about it. Madrassas have already been registered and are in govt. records. You'd be surprised with how much control the govt. wields over madaris.

 

[solid snake]

And I suppose that by disagreeing with the policies of superpower, I am being classified as a taliban supporter or perhaps a terrorist? Everyone here can clearly see why you would voice your hate against anyone who even musters the courage to defend islam, mr. "I just do not like that culture at all. I love white culture"
Seriously, give up your pathetic attempts to modernize or "enlighten" muslims about the "greatness" of the west. and dude, you've been watching way too much FOX news.

Did you answer my question? Can the Taliban build schools and hospitals for you in FATA and the earthquake areas?

You want Pakistan to be friendly to the Taliban. That only means one thing. You sympathize with them and want Pakistan to be a Taliban state.

Extremists like Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan can bark all they want about Pakistan's alliance with the US. Fact of the matter is since 2001 Pakistan's phenomenal growth comes down to one fundamental reason: USA's help and support. Througout our history whenever we've been allied with the US, our growth has been high.

During the 90s when the US was displeased at us, our country was on the verge of bankruptcy. At that time we were compelled by India's move to test our nukes and we had no choice, but this time around we have a clear choice. Choose to defeat the forces of evil and extremism, or choose to let the lives of over a thousand Pakistani army jawans go to waste and abandon this virtuous fight against militancy and terrorism.

I'm not saying our policies should be dictated by what the US says, but what is in Pakistans interests. Fighting this war is clearly in Pakistans interest. Anyone should be able to see that, unless they are brainwashed supporters of the Taliban or simply illiterate or simply too nationalistic to accept US help and support.

Wrong, it is expected from US who threatened to "bomb" pakistan "back to the stone age." Pakistan looses $10 billion a year for fighting a war that it had originally nothing to do with. The US was forced into helping pakistan in it's hour of need. Besides that, almost all of the aid was sadly given in the forms of loans, not money to heal wounds. Even India offered to send aid to pakistan.

Back up your claims with a source please, like I did with mine. Otherwise your words are empty rhetoric.

Wrong, again. It is ultimately Soviet and US war against each other that lead to the "klashnikov" culture we have in pakistan today. It's ironic, when pakistan is accused of not doing enough on the WOT, Charlie Wilson's War hits theatres. Perhaps the director is trying to get a message out to the public.
However, there's no need to be gloomy about it. After Soviet Union stepped into our backyard, there were uprisings involving BLA, pashtunistan, and sindhudesh. It was absolutely necessary for Zia to make this move at that time. You may criticize his policies, but I think at that time, it was Pakistan that became a powerful force to be reckoned with which brought down a superpower to its knees. Besides, your whole army and intelligence agency, the people who really control pakistan(hint: state within a state) that you have a fan club on, supports islamization and jihad. I'm only stating the facts, as an observer.

Zia had no need to introduce barbaric Hudood laws and other retarded legislation into Pakistani law. He wanted to create a theocratic state contrary to Jinnahs vision. Served him right that he blew up.

And it wasn't the Russians who sent the AKs across the border. It's the monster we created, the Taliban, which after having won a war soley due to American support decided to spread it's tentacles into Pakistan.

Americans were the ones who created the Taliban and the ones who were the sole reason for the defeat of the Soviets by giving stinger missiles to the Taliban. But of course, the fighters thought it was some sort of divine message by Allah to destroy the very superpower which had helped them defend Afghanistan. They thought it was a message to take on the greatest infidel of them all, the US. The US didn't know how these fanatics thought, so they conveniently forgot about it thinking it was over forever.

Zia could have helped the fighters in Afghanistan without planting the madrassa culture in Pakistan. There was no need for it. He was just a religious nutjob who thought he could brainwash these men about "shahadat" and all that and send them to Kashmir.

And no, the whole army does not support Islamization. The man in charge of the army for many years, Musharraf, fought against these enemies of Pakistan and all senior Pakistani officers are aware that the Taliban are a serious threat to Pakistan. The ISI might still have some remnants of the 80s who are in support of still sending madrassa graduates militants to India, but that can't be done anymore, it is just not feasible.

jihad is mentioned in the Qur'an, there's simply nothing you can do about it. Madrassas have already been registered and are in govt. records. You'd be surprised with how much control the govt. wields over madaris.

There are a lot of other things mentioned in the Quran that the vast majority of Muslims conveniently ignore.

Killing 'infidels' should be one of them.

 

[asaad-ul-islam]

Did you answer my question? Can the Taliban build schools and hospitals for you in FATA and the earthquake areas?
Doctors reach Afghan earthquake zone

Of course Taliban is not building hospitals, but they are building schools. Please explain why they are getting so much support from afghanistan, so much so that they have their eyes for Kabul now? These articles should make it a little clear, read closely.

"As strong aftershocks continue, the first international relief workers have reached the site of last Wednesday's earthquake in the remote mountains of northern Afghanistan.

Two officials from Medecins sans Frontieres -- who went briefly to the worst-hit district, Rostaq -- said more than 600 houses had been reduced to rubble, and nearby villages had been devastated.

The MSF team were told by local officials that more than 3,000 people had died, many of whom had already been buried.

But they said they found only about 400 injured people in Rostaq -- fewer than they would expected for such a high reported number of deaths.

Bigger teams from the Red Cross and United Nations are still trying to reach the area.

Iranian television has reported that a fresh earthquake which hit northern Afghanistan early on Sunday killed at least 250 people. It was quoting officials at the Afghan embassy in neighbouring Tajikistan.

Help pledged for Afghan quake victims

The European Union offered aid to the quake-hit Takhar province of Afghanistan after new tremors hit the area on Saturday.

The EU offered 2m ecus (£1.3m) of aid including bandages, medical equipment, water and tents.

India's Prime Minister, Inder Kumar Gujral, said his country would provide "all possible help" and neighboring Tajikstan is also reported to have offered aid.



UN's Kofi Annan: "Offer whatever assistance necessary"
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said he "learned with sorrow of the devastation and the large loss of life" and offered "heart-felt condolences" to the families of the victims.

The spiritual leader of the Taliban, Mohammad Omar, offered 100 tonnes each of wheat and rice and two billion afghanis (about £40,000), although the Taliban government is at war with the region.
Though he also announced a three day unilateral cease-fire starting Saturday, there are continuing reports of military action.

Taliban officials claimed that another member of the anti-Taliban alliance had attacked their bases in the province of Kunduz, just west of the quake zone, and Omar said on Taliban radio that opposition aircraft also bombed a nearby Taliban-held area.

The new tremors were not recorded by the US Geological Survey, indicating they were below 4.5 on the Richter scale ('light') but they could still have further damaged roads in the area.

"We may only be able to reach the survivors by helicopter", said Sayed Ali Javed who leads a team coordinating relief efforts.

A UN team has flown from Pakistan to Badakshan province, which neighbours Takhar. It will attempt to drive the 80-kilometer (50-mile) journey west through sheer mountain passes, which they fear may be blocked by snow or landslides.

The Red Cross plans to fly supplies to Hajaghar, an air base west of Rustaq built by the former Soviet Union during its 11-year occupation of Afghanistan.

The Red Cross also dispatched a relief team from the anti-Taliban stronghold of Mazar-e-Sharif. But the 210-kilometer (130-mile) road trip west to Takhar will take the aid workers through territory plagued by banditry and fierce fighting between the Taliban and its enemies.

Other teams from the UN and the Red Cross headed for the area from neighboring Tajikistan, 180 kilometers (110 miles) to the north, but aid workers don't know whether Russian border guards will allow them to cross into Afghanistan. " BBC News | S/W Asia | Doctors reach Afghan earthquake zone

or

"Henry "Hank" Crumpton has spent most of his career as a spy or spymaster for the Central Intelligence Agency. An expert on running covert operations in difficult regions of the world, he began tracking and battling Al Qaeda in 1998 and oversaw the CIA's Afghan campaign to topple the Taliban after 9/11. Crumpton later served as the senior counterterrorism official in the U.S. State Department, a job he held until early 2007. He now runs the Crumpton Group, a private consulting firm in Washington and Warsaw that brokers information, access, and business deals in emerging markets. He spoke to NEWSWEEK's Jeffrey Bartholet about the current war against Al Qaeda and the successes and failures of American policy since 9/11.

NEWSWEEK: How plugged in are you now on Afghanistan and Pakistan?
Hank Crumpton: Very.

The last time we spoke, you were telling me about what you would do if you were going after Al Qaeda. You said the U.S. had to make deals with the tribes in Waziristan and the areas along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, and turn them against the Arab foreigners in their midst.
Exactly.

Do you see any of that happening? Did anyone listen to you?
No. [Laughs] But it takes time for ideas to percolate. Policymakers, not only in America but abroad, should reflect not only on what we did in Afghanistan but also on what [Gen.] David Petraeus has been able to do in Iraq. And Pakistan now is saying the right things. They're talking about a more enduring counterinsurgency effort that reaches into the tribal areas.

What do you hear about that?
I'm hopeful, just because we have so many common interests. There's going to be a period of coalition government in Pakistan, figuring out who's who and how to work together with the Pakistani military and security services. That's going to take a little while, which is unfortunate, because time is our enemy. But they may figure out an even better relationship with us.

Does Pakistan's new army chief, Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, have more leeway to cooperate with the Americans, and perhaps to give the Americans more leeway to operate in the tribal areas, than Musharraf did?
That's a good question, and though I don't know, I wouldn't rule it out. What's perhaps more important than the military [aspect] are some of the comments made about economic investment, working with locals, and negotiating with some of the militants. I've spent my adult life talking to people I don't agree with, and I encourage that because maybe half of them will come around.

In the past, that hasn't worked in the tribal areas. Musharraf and his people have made deals with the militants and the militants didn't follow through on their end of the bargain.
It was a disaster.

So why do you hope now that they may be more trustworthy or—
I think it's less a question of trust and more a question of benefits. Coercive force is a variable in their thinking, but more important is positive reinforcement or positive incentives. An example is energy. The [tribes along the border] are desperate for energy. And with energy you could improve the quarries there.

What kind of energy do they need, what kind of quarries can they exploit?
They've got some wonderful stone, marble and granite …


This is in Waziristan?
Yeah, and all the way down to Baluchistan, in all the tribal areas. The way they mine it is by using explosives to blow it up. By some estimates they lose as much as 80 or 90 percent. And they pick up what's usable and truck it out. You could go in there with some big wind turbines or solar panels, you name it, and generate some energy. Then we could bring in some first-class mining equipment. Their wages and productivity [would jump] overnight, creating more jobs, more wealth. That's the way you have to wage war. You go in there and clean the enemy out of that district, then come in the next day with wind turbines and say this is what we're going to do. They want it; they own it.
Are you involved in anything particular like this?
No. I've been talking about it for years, and people say, "That's a great idea." [But nothing happens.] The reason I focus on energy is because once you have that, people can set up their satphones and have good communications to the world. Then you're talking about education, microfinance, and a connection to the global community of nations, which is the last thing Osama bin Laden wants.

Unfortunately, I think the majority of the militants trying to blow us up are very educated people who have lots of access to education, the Internet and so on. They're not the poverty-stricken folks.
The educated ones are the leaders who are taking advantage of the poverty-stricken folks.

Did you see this report recently that the French had an informant who had been in Waziristan and who helped break up a Spanish terror plot?
Yeah, I read that in the press.

What do you make of that: having an informant among the jihadists in Waziristan?
That's always been happening, with varying degrees of access and reliability.

That's the first time I've heard of a tip from someone close to Al Qaeda central that led to [breaking up a plot in the West].
Yeah, well, I obviously can't go into any kind of detail. But it happens often. It's not a rare occurrence for global intelligence services working together to stop plots and save lives.

No, but having someone in Waziristan, presumably in close geographic proximity to bin Laden and Ayman Zawahiri …
It's not a rare event.

On the Abu Laith al-Libbi hit: [the senior Al Qaeda operative] apparently was killed by a predator missile … There was clearly good intelligence there. We're led to believe that a lot of that [valuable intelligence] is electronic.
I can't comment on recent history. What really works is all-source intelligence, the combination of human intelligence with technical intelligence. And grinding through that hour after hour, working that continuously. That's how you have tactical success.

Do you get the sense that the tide is turning either way in the war against Al Qaeda?
If you see how U.S. intelligence, Special Operations, and law enforcement are working together on the battlefield, it's breathtaking. It's better than you see in movies. That part of the story is the good news. Where it really falls short is the strategic policy piece. You have one tactical success after another, but at the same time strategic weakness or a sense of strategic failure. What's frustrating for a lot of the intelligence operators is that there's an expectation of perfection on their part. You have to stop every attack, every infiltrator from coming to the U.S. And when you don't have an effective overarching policy [including economic development and building civil society] to match …

In Afghanistan right now—where you mostly had success—has it become a strategic failure?
No, but it could become that. I don't think it will. I think we will learn and adjust, although it's certainly painful and taking a long time. But I hope some of the lessons of Iraq and Afghanistan in '02 will be applied. I'll give an example: the poppy crop. Why don't we subsidize wheat and barley at 10 times the price and wean them away from poppies?

I think the reason is that if you heavily subsidize wheat and barley, people start bringing in wheat and barley from elsewhere—Pakistan, Iran—and you really undermine the local farmers.
Well, it would need to be tied to local production somehow. My point is that we don't think of conflict in those terms. Whether it's subsidies or irrigation systems … The Taliban intentionally encourages poppy production, in part because it draws the farmer away from central authority. We need to do the opposite.

What we hear is that the system in Afghanistan is thoroughly corrupt, from ministers and warlords down to police chiefs and judges. The Taliban has been able to essentially buy their way out of prison. How do you change that?
Ashraf Ghani, the former finance minister and a smart guy, estimates that for every dollar in international aid spent, about 10 cents gets to the Afghans. It goes to overhead, salaries, and some gets siphoned off. It's a stunning figure. We talk about a narco-economy and criticize the Afghans, but we're not doing too good a job ourselves, or setting a good example. We're not approaching this with the endgame in mind.
Why is that?
We have an archaic way of thinking about war.
...(continued)
Do you have a sense that he's more prone to the kind of holistic approach to foreign policy that you're talking about?
I don't know for sure, but I'm hopeful. I've testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in public hearings, and I've been dinged a couple of times by Democrats. His questions were not only precise and deep, but the courtesy and respect he afforded me in that forum I was grateful for. He didn't have to do that. It wasn't necessary, but he listened; he asked good questions. I don't want to read too much into that encounter, but it made a positive impression on me. [Crumpton considers himself an independent.]"
Spymaster: The War on Al Qaeda | Newsweek News | Newsweek.com

You want Pakistan to be friendly to the Taliban. That only means one thing. You sympathize with them and want Pakistan to be a Taliban state.

Let me try to grasp your understanding of logic. Pakistan sympathizes with taliban, therefore pakistan is taliban? You have not paid attention to my posts in other threads at all, have you? I have frequently said that Mehsud should be taken out as soon as possible, no ceasefire. One major operation to end it, just like with Bughti.
See that's where you and I have a problem. You are denying the realities of pakistan and to free you from your "controlled" thoughts on how pakistanis are united against terrorism, I would have to use numerous sources you wouldn't even bother reading.
A 'worrisome' time in Pakistan - USATODAY.com
Pakistan’s New Generation of Terrorists - Council on Foreign Relations
Terrorism Timeline: Pakistan and the Global War on Terror
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htwin/articles/20080110.aspx

Extremists like Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan can bark all they want about Pakistan's alliance with the US. Fact of the matter is since 2001 Pakistan's phenomenal growth comes down to one fundamental reason: USA's help and support. Througout our history whenever we've been allied with the US, our growth has been high.

I don't get your point here. No one is denying that pakistan has received aid from the US. Not only did we receive aid, but we also had debt relief. However, the US is still not investing heavily into Pakistan's economy. The bulk of foreign investment is coming from the middle east and china. we have the economy section to address this issue.

During the 90s when the US was displeased at us, our country was on the verge of bankruptcy. At that time we were compelled by India's move to test our nukes and we had no choice, but this time around we have a clear choice. Choose to defeat the forces of evil and extremism, or choose to let the lives of over a thousand Pakistani army jawans go to waste and abandon this virtuous fight against militancy and terrorism.

you're only proving me right here. You are confirming "we had no choice". Now, tell me, what do you suppose we do about it? Shall we wipe out all madaris, destroy the taliban, kill scores of tribals? Shall we remove jihadi verses from the Qur'an? Do yourself a favor by avoiding totally irrational statements. I suppose you think you are being logical here, but you're not really. I believe there is still a way to bring these attacks on us to a halt, but i'm not going to get into that, right now.

I'm not saying our policies should be dictated by what the US says, but what is in Pakistans interests. Fighting this war is clearly in Pakistans interest. Anyone should be able to see that, unless they are brainwashed supporters of the Taliban or simply illiterate or simply too nationalistic to accept US help and support.

You are saying the our policies are dictated by the US, you're only denying the fact that you're saying it. I agree with you, we had no choice but to join this war. However, it was to save Pakistan at that time and probably even right now. Although I support Musharraf, I believe it was best for the media to project Musharraf as dictator that was supported by the US. now it has provided us with leverage in this war. If our politicians like Nawaz would stop worrying about musharraf in power and actually focus on pakistan like they said they would, we could declare neutrality in this war.

Back up your claims with a source please, like I did with mine. Otherwise your words are empty rhetoric.

This wasn't really meant to be a debate. Besides that, I expected you to have paid attention to the various posts regarding pakistani public opinion, economic aid as addressed in the economic section, or just articles on the peoples of pakistan provided by Jana. However, since you insist, I have accepted your requests.

Zia had no need to introduce barbaric Hudood laws and other retarded legislation into Pakistani law. He wanted to create a theocratic state contrary to Jinnahs vision. Served him right that he blew up.

this is not what I wanted to address. We are talking about the "klashnikov" culture of Pakistan. Hudood laws, whether they exist or not, as musharraf has removed them, do not affect the taliban. We BOTH know that, do not waste my time. here, you are also using rhetorical arguments.

And it wasn't the Russians who sent the AKs across the border. It's the monster we created, the Taliban, which after having won a war soley due to American support decided to spread it's tentacles into Pakistan.
Americans were the ones who created the Taliban and the ones who were the sole reason for the defeat of the Soviets by giving stinger missiles to the Taliban. But of course, the fighters thought it was some sort of divine message by Allah to destroy the very superpower which had helped them defend Afghanistan. They thought it was a message to take on the greatest infidel of them all, the US. The US didn't know how these fanatics thought, so they conveniently forgot about it thinking it was over forever.

Do you think you know better than Pakistani intelligence officers? Have you at least considered what was in Pakistan's best interest? It was a MUST for the taliban to have been created so that afghanistan wouldn't fall under northern alliance control. Had we not sent Hemaktyar, we would have had much more problems across the durrand line.

Zia could have helped the fighters in Afghanistan without planting the madrassa culture in Pakistan. There was no need for it. He was just a religious nutjob who thought he could brainwash these men about "shahadat" and all that and send them to Kashmir

But you see, Pakistani military under the guidance of Musharraf used the jihadi card to their advantage in the Kargil war. If we didn't have this culture, we wouldn't be able to start ever-lasting jihadi movements in kashmir, India, and Bangla-indo border.

And no, the whole army does not support Islamization. The man in charge of the army for many years, Musharraf, fought against these enemies of Pakistan and all senior Pakistani officers are aware that the Taliban are a serious threat to Pakistan. The ISI might still have some remnants of the 80s who are in support of still sending madrassa graduates militants to India, but that can't be done anymore, it is just not feasible.

I'm sorry, but most of the army does support islamization. you may have lived your life in air force bases, but I have been able to get into the high echleons of the army because of family, it's a generation thing. Musharraf, has no control over the ISI, they do not answer to anyone. Although, the ISI has supposedly been "purged" of its rogue elements, this does not stop those sympathetic members from helping these groups. Those members are risking their lives, without pay, to help pakistan in the long run. By getting America to focus its attention in afghanistan, they are trying to delay and prevent US from entering pakistan.

I'm going to end right here with this, next time do not insult the likes of great individuals like Zaid Hamid. He is only resorting to these adjectives such as zionists, facsist, etc. so that the general public may have a better understanding of what is going on and who is causing problems. Indian citizens know about the ISI because their media does not abuse i freedoms given by their govt. On the other hand, not a single broadcasting agency of ours has even covered any issue regarding intelligence agencies causing panic in pakistan. The best they can do is blame musharraf for suicide bombs. None of the public in pakistan know about R&AW, MI6, Mossad, or even the CIA.
I would rather listen to a defense analyst like Zaid Hamid who shows some concern for the survival of this country of ours, rather than watching GEO, CNN, BBC, or FOX.

 

[nickoakey]

Salaam,
I need all the videos of Zaid Hamid, specially the one on last night.... i.e 26/03/08.... can anybody provide the links for videos.....?

Wassalaam
Avais

 

[Spring Onion]

Salaam,
I need all the videos of Zaid Hamid, specially the one on last night.... i.e 26/03/08.... can anybody provide the links for videos.....?

Wassalaam
Avais

Check the link bellow. indepth analysis by Sir Zaid. indeed the concerned quarters should take note of the things mentioned and analyzed by Brasstacks.



vidpk - Brass Tacks on News One by Qudsia Kadri Guest : Zaid Hamid - Defence Analyst 27th April '08

 

[Spring Onion]

vidpk - Brass Tacks on News One by Qudsia Kadri Guest : Zaid Hamid - Defence Analyst 27th April '08

 

[liono]

hey guys can anyone give me Mr.Zaid Hamid's no. respect him for the only sane man on television...............

 

[Spring Onion]

hey guys can anyone give me Mr.Zaid Hamid's no. respect him for the only sane man on television...............

Yes i can give you but not without persmission of Sir Zaid. But you can PM me your number and i promise Sir Zaid Hamid will call you


Dua

Jana

 

[S.U.R.B.]

First may.


YouTube - Zaid Hamid- Truth Behind Mumbai Attacks- Reality of Ajmal Kassab