DTN News: Pakistan ~ Most Cities And Towns Close In Mourning For Dr Sarfaraz Naeemi

DTN News: Pakistan ~ Most Cities And Towns Close In Mourning For Dr Sarfaraz Naeemi

*Source: Int'l Media

(NSI News Source Info) LAHORE, Pakistan - June 14, 2009: Thousands of people attended the Namaz-i-Janaza of Allama Dr Sarfaraz Naeemi at Nasir Bagh here on Saturday. He was later laid to rest in the compound of Jamia Naeemia, beside the grave of his father Maulana Muhammad Hussain Naeemi. Dr Naeemi was killed in a suicide attack at Jamia Naeemia on Friday. A policeman stands atop Punjab University while keeping guard over a crowd of thousands attending the funeral prayers for Muslim cleric Sarfraz Naeemi in Lahore June 13, 2009. Naeemi was attacked by a suicide bomber in his mosque complex after leading Friday prayers a day earlier. Pakistani warplanes struck a stronghold of Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud on Saturday in retaliation for the killing of the anti-Taliban cleric, the military said. Major markets in Lahore and some other cities and towns of Punjab and other provinces remained closed in mourning for Dr Naeemi. Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan chief Baitullah Mehsud was nominated in the First Information Report (FIR) lodged by Raghib Hussian Naeemi, son of late Dr Sarfaraz Naeemi, with Qilla Gujjar Singh police in Lahore. A ‘day of mourning’ observed in Karachi virtually brought the city to a standstill, with most markets remained closed and transport off the road in many areas. Armed supporters of a religious group 'Sunni Tehreek' provide security to their leaders who attend the funeral prayer of a prominent religious leader Sarfraz Naeemi, who was died in a suicide bombing, Saturday, June 13, 2009 in Lahore, Pakistan. The Taliban claimed responsibility Saturday for recent suicide attacks in Pakistan, including the assassination of a leading moderate cleric and the bombing of a Peshawar hotel frequented by foreign aid workers. Four vehicles were reportedly torched and a few incidents of firing were reported in which about half a dozen people were injured. Other cities and towns of Sindh observed a complete strike. There was a curfew-like situation in Hyderabad, Larkana, Nawabshah, Sukkur, Shikarpur, Mirpurkhas, Khairpur, Umerkot, Dadu, Sanghar and Thatta. In Balochistan, Sunni Tahreek and Jamaat-i-Ahl-i-Sunnat held protest rallies in Quetta, Nasirabad, Sibi and some other towns.

US Warns Pakistan On Taliban Link

US Warns Pakistan On Taliban Link

(NSI News Source Info) March 28, 2009: The US military says it has evidence elements within Pakistan's military intelligence, the ISI, continue to provide support for the Taleban. Officials said that this support for militants had to end. The chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff said the ISI had links with militants on both Pakistan's borders with Afghanistan and India. Pakistani army troops stand guard as supporters of pro-Taliban cleric Sufi Muhammad, remove a blocks to reopen a road, which was closed by militants, Sunday, March 8, 2009 in outskirt of Mingora, capital of the troubled Swat Valley, in Pakistan. Taliban militants in Pakistan's Swat Valley have extended a cease-fire, strengthening a peace process that Western governments say risks granting a safe haven to extremists close to the Afghan border. US President Barack Obama has announced a new strategy for the "increasingly perilous" situation in Afghanistan. He said an extra 4,000 US personnel would train and bolster the Afghan army and police, and he would also provide support for civilian development. Afghan President Hamid Karzai said he was "in full agreement" with the US review. 'Very damaging' Two senior figures in the US military have spoken about the links they believe exist between elements in Pakistan's Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Taleban and al-Qaeda militants. People in Islamabad give their views about Mr Obama's speech "There are certainly indications that's the case," said Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in a CNN interview. "Fundamentally that's one of the things that has to change." In another interview, the head of the US Central Command, General David Petraeus, said some of the militant groups had been established by the ISI and that their links continued. He said there was evidence that "in the fairly recent past" the ISI had tipped off militants when their positions were in danger. "It's a topic that is of enormous importance, because if there are links and if those continue and if it undermines the operations [against militants], obviously that would be very damaging to the kind of trust that we need to build," said Gen Petraeus in a PBS interview. Wearing thin American officials, speaking anonymously to the New York Times, have given more detail. So I want the American people to understand that we have a clear and focused goal: to disrupt, dismantle and defeat al-Qaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan Barack Obama They said the strengthening Taleban campaign in southern Afghanistan was being made possible by military supplies from Pakistan. The newspaper said electronic surveillance and informants had shown that the level of co-operation was deeper and more extensive than earlier thought. Pakistani leaders have publically denied any links with the militants. The BBC's Charles Scanlon says patience in Washington appears to be wearing thin. 'New strategy' On Friday US President Barack Obama said growing radical forces in Afghanistan and the border area in Pakistan posed the greatest threat to the American people and the world. Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari said it would strengthen democracy in his country, while the Afghan government said Mr Obama had recognised that the al-Qaeda threat came mainly from Pakistan, and that it was a regional problem. President Obama said his "comprehensive new strategy" was an outcome of a "careful policy review" in which military commanders and diplomats, regional governments, partners, Nato allies, NGOs and aid organisations were consulted. US troops carry out joint operations with the new Afghan security forces He painted a bleak picture of the situation, with insurgents increasing their control of territory in the region around the Afghan-Pakistan border - which he termed "the most dangerous place in the world" for the American people - and attacks rising. He said American strategy must relate directly to the threat posed to the Americans by al-Qaeda and its allies - who, he reminded his listeners, were behind the 9/11 attacks on American soil eight years ago. But he said targeting al-Qaeda was not only in the interests of American people, but populations around the world and Afghans themselves. "This is not simply an American problem. Far from it," Mr Obama said. "It is instead an international security challenge of the highest order." In Pakistan, Mr Obama said American help would be needed to go after al-Qaeda, which Mr Obama admitted was "no simple task".

BAE Systems Joins Battle For US Army Order

BAE Systems Joins Battle For US Army Order

(NSI News Source Info) February 20, 2009: BAE Systems, Europe's largest defence contractor, is gearing up to supply the United States with new armoured vehicles for President Obama's troop surge in Afghanistan. The company is competing to supply 2,000 all-terrain vehicles for the US Army, which will be deployed in Afghanistan as part of expanded operations there. President Obama said this week that he would send an additional 17,000 troops to Afghanistan from the spring as part of efforts to combat the resurgent Taleban. The US Department of Defence is seeking a lighter version of the Mine Resistent Ambush Protected (MRAP) carriers it has ordered to protect troops in Iraq. The MRAP vehicles are designed to limit the damage to troops from roadside bombs and improvised explosive devices (IEDs). These bombs became the major cause of death of troops in Iraq after the 2003 invasion. The US has bought 12,000 MRAPs and BAE, the largest supplier of armoured vehicles in the world, won nearly 60 per cent of the orders. Last year it delivered 4,700 MRAPs, which was a significant contributor to a 31 per cent increase in BAE's profits. The company said yesterday that revenue in 2008 had increased by 18 per cent to £18.5 billion and underlying profits were nearly one third higher at £1.9 billion. BAE's Land Systems division, which builds armoured vehicles in the US, the UK, Sweden and South Africa, increased sales by 38 per cent to £6.4billion. Ian King, the chief executive of BAE, said: “Land Systems was driven by MRAP last year. We always knew that MRAP would be a one-off gain but there is also good organic growth in that division.” BAE will announce next week the vehicles that will compete for the next phase of MRAP purchasing. It is likely to offer lightweight variants of the RG-33 and Caiman vehicles. The Pentagon's latest MRAP order is for all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) that will be smaller and more manoeuvrable than the troop carriers built for Iraq. The M-ATV, as the new version is being called, will weigh up to 10tonnes compared with up to 24tonnes for existing MRAPs. President Obama's determination to combat the Taleban has alleviated fears in the defence sector that he would immediately cut the military's budget. BAE received nearly 60 per cent of its sales from the Pentagon last year and expects continued strong demand this year. Mr King said that BAE would not be immune to the impact of a global economic downturn but investors believe that the company is better placed than most to weather a difficult 2009. BAE's share price has gained more than 20 per cent in the past three months while the FTSE 100 has experienced a small decline. The share price was up 13p to 400p yesterday. Mr King said: “We don't think we're recession-proof. We do have some insulation because of the length of the order book and the visibility we have, but we are very vigilant on what's going to happen when we look forward and look at what governments have done to fund the financial bailouts.” BAE's order book grew by 20 per cent last year to £46.5 billion. The company's strong results enabled it to increase its dividend by 13 per cent to 14.5p a share. Howard Wheeldon, senior strategist at BGC Partners, the brokerage firm, said: “In difficult global economic times such as these it is heartening to see a UK-based company that is both diverse and international producing not only sustainable growth in shareholder value but also rewarding shareholders with a decent dividend increase. At least there are no balance sheet concerns here.” BAE had to write down the value of its assets by £177 million last year, primarily because of the falling value of its 35 per cent holding in Saab, the Swedish aerospace company that makes the Gripen fighter jet.

Pakistani Taliban Turn Honeymoon Spot Into Slaughterhouse

Pakistani Taliban Turn Honeymoon Spot Into Slaughterhouse

By Saeed Shah McClatchy Newspapers

(NSI News Source Info) ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - January 27, 2009: The Pakistani Taliban dumped the 27 bodies at a crossroads in the district capital of Swat, all of people whom the militant Islamists accused of having led "un-Islamic" lives. Around the body of a dancer, the killers threw banknotes and DVD recordings of her performances. Swat, a 3,500-square-mile valley, was Pakistan's favorite honeymoon spot, a mountainous area filled with fruit orchards and rushing streams. Now it's under a reign of terror that a yearlong army operation has proved unable to lift. Most of Swat is now under the extremists' control, locals say. The former tourist destination with a population of 1.7 million lies in the North West Frontier Province 100 miles from Islamabad. Swat is a "settled" area of Pakistan, not the lawless tribal area along the Afghan border, which has provided sanctuary for al Qaida. Its near-complete takeover by militants is another sign of the serious deterioration of civil authority in Pakistan, an enormous challenge for the elected government of this nuclear-armed country and for President Barack Obama's new administration. Earlier this month, the Islamic extremists banned schooling for girls and blew up eight more schools, six in Mingora, which had been thought to be the safest place in Swat. The insurgents have destroyed at least 186 government schools, mainly for girls but also a number for boys, according to Pakistani officials. That's deprived 80,000 children of education and raised questions as to whether any parents in Swat will send their children to class now. This week, the Swat Taliban issued a list of 47 people whom they ordered to appear before their "court" or face unstated consequences. In this picture released exclusively to Reuters on January 17, 2009, Taliban militants are seen with their weapons in an undisclosed location in Afghanistan January 16, 2009. Taliban militants, fighting to overthrow the Western-backed Afghan government and drive out foreign troops, have launched hundreds of suicide attacks in the last two years, but some 80 percent of the victims are Afghan civilians. While Taliban influence has spread from their traditional heartlands in the south and east to areas closer to the capital, there were fewer attacks inside Kabul last year than in 2007 with many more police checkpoints throughout the city. Picture taken January 16, 2009. "If Swat is surrendered, it will become a safe haven for militants, who will threaten the rest of Pakistan, Afghanistan and India," said Hasham Baber, a senior member of the Awami National Party, which runs the provincial government. "The army is terrorizing the people of Swat; the Taliban is terrorizing them." A charismatic preacher called Mullah Fazlullah leads the militants and broadcasts his strictures daily over his radio station. Women aren't allowed to go shopping. The Taliban run their own system of justice, with their own courts, and carry out public whippings and other punishments. They execute open critics, denying them even court hearings. The Pakistani army launched an operation against the Taliban in November 2007, but after initial gains the Taliban pushed the army back. Some 12,000 troops are deployed in Swat. Residents accuse the army of failing to attack the militants' headquarters, not holding ground, shelling civilian areas and not even closing the radio channel. Checkpoints, manned by masked extremists, crisscross the valley unchallenged. The government has said that school will start again March 1 after the winter vacation. Teachers fear for their lives, however, and those of their students. "We will not open the schools unless total peace is restored, in the whole of Swat," said Ziauddin Yousafzai, the former president of the Swat schools association. "The Taliban is closing schools at gunpoint, and the government is telling us to open them at gunpoint." Elected representatives have fled Swat, even town council members. Police officers, the target of many suicide attacks, have deserted, with the force down in strength to 295 from 1,725, said Shaukat Yousafzai, the top state official in Swat. "Things are really deteriorating," Yousafzai said. "The police just protect some of the main offices now. They are not fit for tackling an insurgency. This is not a law and order issue." The army has put the blame on civilians, and it complained that the provincial government stopped the military operation last April for two months while it tried to forge a doomed peace deal with the Taliban. That allowed Fazlullah's men to rearm and gain a stranglehold over the population, said Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas, the army's chief spokesman. "Half of the police has bolted from Swat, by name only the civil administration is there and what about the local leaders? There is a vacuum on the other (civilian) side," Abbas said.