As Pakistan turns into America's launch pad and frontline state in its fight against terrorism, there is much that General Pervez Musharaf's country stands to gain.
According to documents available with rediff.com, the US embassy in Pakistan has recommended a massive list of military wares, financial aid on several fronts and other assistance as it re-engages Islamabad.
Engagements after 9/11 "have convincingly shown that US global and regional interests require close engagement with Pakistan. The use of sanctions in a different era to alter Pakistani policy did not work. Engagement, particularly after September 11, has yielded better results and promises to lead to a stronger, healthier and more mutually beneficial relationship between the United States and Pakistan," say the papers.
The list submitted last year end has UH-II utility helicopters, AH-I attack helicopters, VHF/UHF aircraft radio sets, T-37 flight training aircraft, AN/FPS-117 surveillance radars, E-2C warning and control aircraft, Bell 407 reconnaissance helicopters and I-GNAT unmanned aerial vehicles among other things.
Pakistan is also asking for upgrade and pilot training for its P-3C patrol aircraft, seen as a potent weapons platform against Indian naval vessels.
Another request approved by the US defense attache is for the C-130 cargo aircraft, similar to the one used to transport critical nuclear systems to North Korea in exchange for missiles.
My question to RantBurg: How likely do you believe that the US would actually provide these weapons/equipment (especially E-2C) to Pakland especially considering they have blocked the sale of the Phalcon/AWACS from Israel to India. A lot of this equipment has very little to do with the WOT and would be used directly against India, obvioulsy Bush knows this.
Fourteen more mass graves have been discovered in post-Saddam Iraq since last week, the Pentagon-backed Iraqi National Congress (INC) said. "Only (Monday) another mass grave was found in Jurf al-Sakhr, in central Iraq, with more than 430 bodies discovered," said INC spokesman Entifadh Qanbar. "We think this is the tip of the iceberg with many more to come." He said 14 new mass graves were found in the southern cities of Najaf, Karbala, Basra and Samawa, in Khanaqin and Kirkuk in the north, and the latest one in Jurf al-Sakhr. "Response to the discovery of mass graves in Iraq has been insufficient," he said. "We again call for the international community, for human rights organisations to come and participate and help Iraqis identify relatives."
Good luck, unless you can show they were killed by Americans or Brits...
The group said last week that a grave in the town of Habbaniyah outside Baghdad was believed to have contained at least some of the roughly 600 Kuwaitis missing since the 1991 Gulf War. Kuwaiti forensic teams are investigating that claim. Mr Qanbar said the INC has set up a committee to list the Iraqis reported missing under Saddam Hussein's rule. Human rights groups have said as many as 300,000 people may have been executed by his regime.
But Not in Our Name...
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
05/20/2003 1:30:39 PM ||
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All 14 men who carried out last week's multiple suicide bombings in Casablanca have been identified, and their links with "international terrorism" have been confirmed, Interior Minister Mustapha Sahel said. Mr Sahel said on state television that 12 assailants, not 13 as initially reported, had died during their five-pronged assault on Friday, while "one terrorist was picked up the same evening, and security services carried out the arrest of the 14th last (Sunday) evening".
"We thought it was 13, but it turned out one guy had an extra elbow..."
He added: "The network that committed these terrorist acts in Casablanca has been fully identified." The Interior Minister said progress in the probe allowed investigators to "confirm our presumptions on the connection with international terrorism" in the nearly simultaneous attacks on Jewish and foreign targets — a profile associated with Osama bin Laden's Al Qaeda network. Authorities have stopped short of fingering Al Qaeda, with Communication Minister Nabil Benabdellah saying that "concrete proof" of a link remained elusive.
That's the difference between a Communication Minister and a Minister of Information. A Minister of Information would have assured us that all the bad guys had been caught, along with Osama bin Laden, and that all their stomaches were now roasting in hell, even though no explosions took place...
Twenty-eight civilians were killed including six foreigners — three French nationals, two Spaniards and an Italian — in the attacks, the first of their kind in the conservative north African country.
Last week it was a "moderate" north African country...
Hospital officials feared the death toll in the attacks could rise, with 14 of the scores of wounded still in serious condition. Investigators have established that many of the assailants had only recently returned to Morocco from abroad, and Justice Minister Mohamed Bouzoubaa said that they were all from Casablanca's impoverished Sidi Moumen district. The industrial area south-east of Casablanca is the fiefdom of the banned fundamentalist Moroccan group Assirat al Moustaqim (The Straight Path), to which investigators have linked Friday's assailants. Several Assirat al Moustaqim members were sentenced in January to up to 20 years in prison for stoning a man to death under a religious "fatwa", or decree. More than 30 suspects have been arrested in connection with the deadly attacks since Friday. "The arrest of the two terrorists who are still living enabled remarkable advances in terms of intelligence," Mr Sahel said.
"Fez."
"Fez!"
"Moustache wax."
"Moustache wax!"
"Truncheon."
"Truncheon! Oooh, Effendi! That is some fine Moroccan leather!"
"It'd better be. This is Morocco."
Posted by: Fred Pruitt ||
05/20/2003 1:45:04 PM ||
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Hat tip to LGF
Iran and Saudi Arabia are said to have agreed to finance an ambitious program to modernize Syria's military. Gulf industry and Russian sources said Riyad and Teheran have pledged several hundreds of millions of dollars over the next five years for the upgrade of land-based systems in Syria's military. They said the money would also be used to help finance advanced Russian anti-aircraft systems. Since 1997, the regime of President Bashar Assad has pressed Saudi Arabia for financial aid to modernize Syria's military. But for most of that time Riyad, plagued by a severe budget shortfall, refused to commit itself. Russian sources said Saudi Arabia changed its tune earlier this year. They said Iran and Saudi Arabia discussed a joint investment to help Syria purchase Russian upgrades and new equipment. Well, seeing as how it's Russian-made equipment, it's only half-worrying, but I don't recall this being part of the discussion of "our friends, the Saudis", Sounds like we need to start pre-occupying these SA/Iranian bastards with a little insurgency on their own lands
Posted by: Frank G ||
05/20/2003 11:19:51 AM ||
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Jpost - reg req'd
In a move aimed at implementing wide scale reforms in the Palestinian Authority's police force, Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) on Tuesday announced a series of new appointments in the Ministry of Interior. Palestinian security officials told The Jerusalem Post that the appointments were coordinated with Mohammed Dahlan, Minister for Security Affairs who is also serving as the de facto Minister of Interior in charge of the security forces. Soon to receive a house warming gift from Arafat, right Al-Aska Paul?
The officials would not say if Abbas had consulted with PA Chairman Yasser Arafat before deciding on the appointments, mostly in the Gaza Strip. Until now Arafat, who also served as Minister of Interior, was the only one authorized to make such appointments in the police force. The new directive issued by Abbas affects 17 officers belonging to the blue uniformed police force. Sources close to the Palestinian prime minister said this was the first time that such a large number of senior police officers have been either promoted or removed from their jobs. The new appointments, however, are not linked to Abbas's decision to disarm Palestinian terrorist groups—a task that would only be carried out by the Preventive Security Force, General Intelligence, Force 17, and Military Intelligence—all which remain under the control of Arafat. Abbas is also expected to replace all the commanders of the police force in the West Bank, the sources added. Dahlan met last week with the 17 ranking officers in the Gaza Strip and briefed them on the changes in the Ministry of Interior. According to sources in Gaza City, Dahlan warned the officers that the new Palestinian cabinet would severely punish those who fail to carry out their duties faithfully. He also urged the officers to work toward enforcing law and order, saying no one was above the law and offenders would be punished. In addition to the 12,000-strong police force, the changes cover police academies, the prisons authority, and the civil defense. Abbas has yet to name a police commissioner general to replace Gen. Ghazi Jabali, who was dismissed from his job by Arafat following charges of corruption. He must have been withholding Arafat's cut, otherwise how would you differentiate this guy from the rest of the corrupt?
Hard to tell if any of this stuff is internal turf battles, real reform, or window dressing for the roadmap. Gotta give it a couple weeks - if the new guys start getting snuffed, then these were real reforms
Posted by: Frank G ||
05/20/2003 9:16:47 AM ||
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Roundup of Arab press comments wondering why the Israelis hesitate to allow themselves to be killed
Arab newspapers accuse Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of blocking the road to peace with the Palestinians. Some continue to express concern at the Riyadh and Casablanca bombings. Others link the two issues, charging Israel with committing comparable "terrorism" against the Palestinians. "Some", "Others" - nice mealy-mouthing from the Beeb
The main cause of the new wave of violence and the man in charge of the bloodletting is Ariel Sharon, with his government of the right and extreme right. It is they who have slammed the door in the face of the peace process and destroyed its maps.
Al-Dustur - Jordan
There must be a real international move to match words with deeds, since Israel is stubborn and rejects all initiatives, including the roadmap.
Al-Ba'th - Syria
Sharon accepts only those aspects of the roadmap that are convenient to him and rejects those that contradict his interests.
Al-Safir - Lebanon
It is thought that Sharon will soon blow up the roadmap despite the great concessions made by the Palestinians, because this contradicts his terrorist ideas and upbringing. He will seriously resist any chance for peace.
Al-Akhbar - Egypt
Yasser Arafat is besieged in one or two rooms in Ramallah, and yet what is demanded from him is that he ensure security for those criminals leading the Zionist war.
Al-Khalij - UAE
It is very regrettable that those who support the Hebrew state are the same people who encourage it to rebel against the will of the international community and its laws. By this we mean the Americans.
Al-Bayan - UAE
After the bombings targeting US nationals, and while terror, apprehension and caution grow among Americans and people in the region, does the US president still think he can achieve peace and stability for the American people through tyranny?
Al-Ra'y Al-Am - Kuwait
Al-Qaeda has begun to reactivate its dormant terrorist cells in a number of other Arab countries to disrupt Arab-international relations and the security equation in the region.
Al-Ahram - Egypt
Despite terrorism and all these events aimed at shaking our country's stability, we should not forget what is happening in Palestine. It is as if terrorism has made us impotent or even forgetful of the Israeli crimes and schemes against the Palestinians.
Al-Watan - Saudi Arabia
Israel is exploiting Arab and world worries about the plague of terrorism. It is exploiting fedayeen (suicide) operations to carry out this plan.
Al-Watan - Saudi Arabia
The Israeli authorities have intentionally and quickly connected the recent explosions with the terrorist bombings in Riyadh and Casablanca. They are trying to appear a victim of terrorism while practising the worst type of state terrorism by occupying Arab lands.
Oman - Oman
Sharon has used the incident in which a bus was blown up as a pretext to postpone his visit to Washington, claiming it is not he but 'terrorism' that is the obstacle to the roadmap.
Al-Jumhuriyah - Egypt
Expect to hear the wailing and gnashing of teeth from the same idiots when the IDF replies to the Paleo "peace bombs" outreach
Posted by: Frank G ||
05/20/2003 8:59:47 AM ||
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
