Governed by dead people?

Mahboob A Khwaja

In wars, when an aggressor sees the defeat coming, it resorts to mass killings of the civilian population to avenge the fear of the unknown. To pursue its policy of global domination, now American strategists run death squads in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The aim is to terrorize the masses by drone attacks and death squads and destroy their habitats thus creating more reactionary terrorism through its paid political agents – the ruling elite. The cruelty of the American led bogus war on terrorism has transformed Pakistan into a non-productive beggar nation, solely looking to military and economic aid for all of its operations.

The army Generals and their by-products — the ruling Bhutto family-PPP Zardari, and in-waiting Nawaz Sharif (Muslim League-N), have infected the body politics of Pakistan with corruption and political tyranny, draining out all of the positive thinking and creative energies of the nation for change, development and a promising future. Bhuttos and the Zardari gang must be tried for crimes against the people of Pakistan. If the law and justice system is in tact, these political thugs and indicted criminals should not be allowed to hold offices of public responsibility but be held accountable in a court of law. The besieged nation MUST see itself in the mirror and learn from the dead past, to change the future course of history and to articulate a new beginning – a new political system under the new educated generation of honest, intelligent and visionary leadership to strive for a promising future. When pretension and stingy greed give life to politically manipulated leadership, treachery and oppression become the rule of political governance in which people are seen as the eggs and chickens, conveniently broken and slaughtered and politicians are akin to assume the above normal role play lacking legitimacy and accountability. Pakistani politics regrettably as is, a venture of intrigues, self-engineered conspiracies and dead roll calls to explain the history of this beleaguered nation.

Feudal lords are the political masters, and Bhutto family with complacent army Generals, has been one of them to unfold a naïve and destructive chapter of the Pakistan’s political misfortunes. Mr. ZA Bhutto, the leader of the PPP, his daughter Benazir Bhutto, two of her brothers, all are dead but they still ruling the country by Zardari as the latest example. Alive or dead, Bhutto family has been the centre of political intrigues and destructive problems in Pakistan. How irrational and untrue it seems that dead people are leading the living masses of Pakistan? The business of the dead as usual. A situation comparable to the present day Iraq under the American-British occupation.

Pakistan, a Muslim nation of living people is governed by physically, morally and politically dead people who cannot change the course of history nor make any difference to the present volatile politics carving a hopeless future. Islamically, dead are those who are forgetful of the memory of Allah, ignorant and arrogant people devoid of public accountability. The PPP regime under Zardari meets the set criterion requirements. The political elite sees its best interests in engaging with dead ideas and foreign strategies and buying time for good times at the expense of the nation toll of miseries and havoc social and political conditions. The overwhelming occupation of the dead minds and souls is to see how best they could exploit the common citizens or to get foreign monetary assistance to finance the self and bogus projects for change and economic development.

A century earlier, Robert Briffault (The Making of Humanity), made a candid observation which amicably represents the contemporary Pakistani politics: “The men who have most injured and oppressed humanity, who have most deeply sinned against it, were according to their standards and their conscience, good men; what was bad in them, what wrought moral evil and cruelty.”

Leaders do lead or they are imposters and stage puppets. The criterion requirements determine the role of leaders as standing for righteousness, not for falsehood. They cherish the collective interests and good of the masses and defy the obsession of egoistic self-interests and they are always open to listening, learning and capable of making navigational change, if the facts of life warrant such a change. Western democratic nations eagerly search and patronize new and creative talents and people with visionary leadership outlook and merits. This appears to be a rare commodity in Pakistani politics. To change the adverse historical trend, Pakistan is desperate for new, educated and intelligent proactive leadership to facilitate a sustainable future for the nation.

In a knowledge-driven global age of rising expectations and public accountability, most developed societal politics would set criterion requirements and define standards of quality and specifications for performance in jobs/role-plays and in positions of greater public responsibility. Why are not there any written standards and defined criterion requirements for the positions of the President, Prime Ministers and Ministers and MP’s in Pakistan? Should the Constitution not define such salient features and characteristics of the vital office bearers? Is there any law and justice system in the country to protect the interests of the beleaguered masses? Are the leaders not supposed to provide intellectual security and sense of direction in crises, and a visionary picture of the future to the nation they claim to represent? Under what operational system, do thugs and indicted criminals get legitimacy and approval to hold public offices for which they do not even qualify?

Osama, US humanitarian aid and a helpless world

“The people of Afghanistan, with their blood, courage and faith, are an inspiration to the cause of freedom everywhere” This was President Reagan in February 1985 to King Fahd of Saudi Arabia after he had been briefed about the humanitarian work undertaken by the Saudis on the Pakistani frontier where refugees were poring from Afghanistan. The quote has been pulled out from Steve Colls wonderfully written book: The bin Ladens. Behind the humanitarian work that President Regan was referring to was Osama bin Laden and the evidence on the basis of which this statement was made was filmed in Pakistan by Osama’s half brother Salem bin Laden. Osama was then working for the Saudi Secret Service that had assigned him the task of recruiting mujahideens for taking on the Soviets. Saudi and American money was available in plenty.

The Soviets left Afghanistan in 1989 but Osama stayed back crisscrossing the Afghan-Pakistan border only to show the successors of President Regan on September 11, 2000, how best he had utilised their resources. The entire world saw America getting the taste of the “humanitarian work” as the twin towers crashed, leaving over 3000 dead.

Monday, May 2 brought the news of Osama’s end, New York streets chanted “USA” Abbottabad, a little known city about 100 km north of Pakistani capital Islamabad emerged on the world scene. The specially designed mansion in which Osama was staying was perhaps built from the humanitarian aid that Pakistan has been getting from America all these years. After all the mansion was just 800 meters away from the Pakistani Military Academy

Vehement denials of Osama’s presence on Pakistani soil had come from all its rulers since 2000. The Pakistani Intelligence agency ISI that works closely with the CIA perhaps needs to be commended for the extremely wonderful job that it did all these years while America was out on the hunt for its most hated man.

In between the year 2000 and 2011 thousands were killed and maimed by the US forces in Afghanistan and Iraq. Osama tried to position himself as someone fighting for Islam,

The massacres in Iraq and Afghanistan provided Osama some legitimacy and with his end that appears tragic for Pakistan has come the question: Will it bring an end to terrorism or will there at least be some respite?

Nothing will change till American “humanitarian aid” stops to all the Osamas across the globe. I hope America has learnt its lessons. And if not, only god save the USA and the lesser mortals in India and elsewhere.

Terrorist Leader’s Body Dumped From Aircraft Carrier Carl Vinson

THE GHOULS WITNESSING THE GREAT DECEIT It is already known that the funeral of Osama bin Laden were recorded on video and now the White House argue about the publication of these frames in the discussions personally involved, U.S. President  Global Look Press It is the “eyes” of the commando, Obama and others have seen the moment of death “terrorist number one”, which was shot in the left eye Bin Laden’s funeral at sea shot on photo and video. Muslims offended by “humiliation”

After the destruction of ”number one terrorist Osama bin Laden, whom the U.S. diligently hunted the last 10 years, raising fears that a stir not only radical Islamists. Muslim clerics have expressed outrage that the Americans buried bin Laden - in the open searather than land, as required by the rites of religion. Confessors stated that such “Funeral” became the desecration of Islamic traditions and may provoke revenge. In any case, the militants will call for new strikes on U.S. targets, and taking into account the conviction “humiliating burial” of the mosques, the idea of ​​revenge will be to collect more and more adherents. Western news agencies and other sources quoted Mufti from different countries and other servants of Islam, which insists that the Muslim canons is no reason to release the body of Osama bin Laden in the sea, was not. - The White House is arguing about the publication of photos of a dead bin Laden and videos funeral - How to “seals” killed Osama. Video from the home-strength terrorist - Media are wondering who will succeed Osama bin Laden They say that this is permissible only in extraordinary circumstances – for example, if a Muslim has died on a ship far from shore. It is also not allowed to bury at sea if there was no body willing to take and hold a traditional funeral.However, the Mufti of Dubai, said that even if the law requires to be buried in the ground, even on a desert island. Agency Associated Press, whose material is published Detroit Free Press , quoting a professor of Islamic law at the University of Jordan: “U.S. claims that nobody in the Muslim world was not ready to take the body of Osama bin Laden, are untrue and incorrect.” U.S. officials, recall, voiced two main reasons for choosing the “sea burial.” The first – the inadmissibility of that grave leader of al-Qaeda has become a shrine and pilgrimage site of terrorists. Some felt that the Americans also feared attempts to steal the body. The second reason – lack of time to negotiate with the different states of bin Laden’s burial in the ground. In this case, the truth of the second reason is questionable. According to CBS News, Saudi Arabia refused to accept the body. If this is true, it means that the attempt to negotiate was still. However, even before it was announced that the burial at sea, a reporter for ABC, with reference to an informed source said that, on a plan, the “terrorist number one” should not be a grave in any particular place. In the U.S., trying to appease Muslims, arguing that traditional treatments were observed. First of all, did not delay the funeral – according to the canons of Islam to bury the same day before sunset. Secondly, the body is wrapped in white cloth. Third, the American officer read from a prepared a religious text that was translated into Arabic native speakers, reports BBC . Imam of one of Britain’s mosques explained that the presence of the cleric’s funeral is not necessary, but the rules require that the ceremony made the Muslims, of whom at least one must know the necessary basics. It is unknown whether such a person on board a U.S. aircraft carrier Carl Vinson, from which bin Laden’s body in a bag with cargo bound to the board, was launched in the Arabian Sea. The White House is arguing about the publication of photos of a dead bin Laden and videos funeral Burial took place, so 12 hours after the leader of al-Qaeda “shot in the head in a house in Abbottabad is about 100 kilometers from the Pakistani capital of Islamabad. As reported by ABC News The Blotter , after this was taken control shot to the head. According to others, for it was followed by another test shot – in the chest. Over the 12 o’clock terrorist body was transported to Afghanistan, where bin Laden’s identity confirmed by DNA analysis and face recognition technology.Already from Afghanistan’s body was taken by helicopter to the aircraft carrier Carl Vinson. It is already known that the funeral of Osama bin Laden were recorded on video and now the White House argue about the publication of these frames in the discussions personally involved U.S. president. Pentagon officials suggested that Washington eventually agreed to publish the video, and pictures of dead terrorists, taken before burial, reports “Interfax” , referring to the British media. At the same time, La Repubblica , which refers InoPressa , cites Obama’s adviser on counter-terrorism, John Brennan. He explained that the decision on whether to display photos and video, and when, is still pending, “so as not to jeopardize other important operations.” A certain official NBC reported that on this photograph of bin Laden’s bloody face as the bullet passed through the eye, and this picture has nothing to do with a shot that appeared earlier in the network. Meanwhile, two anonymous source at the Pentagon in an interview with AP did not rule out that the video and photographs will be unveiled in the coming days.This can be useful because many still doubt the death of one terrorist.

The great deceit

BY SHYEMA SAJJAD

It’s not like I choose to always write when the president goes missing but as luck would have it, those are the only times worth speaking out. Where I have often called for the president and prime minister – sometimes receiving a not-so-supportive response – this time I believe my call is completely legit. After all, Osama bin Laden was killed (at least that’s what the Americans said).But first, I’ll focus on our ‘allies’ a bit. As President Obama started talking about how that “bright September day was darkened”, American people began rejoicing and the scenes of celebration were similar to those I witnessed on St.Patrick’s Day while in university – except, instead of green accessories, there was a whole lot of stripes and stars involved here.

But that’s okay. Why shouldn’t the Americans celebrate? After all, nearly 3,000 of them were killed because of this man and his network – it only made sense to run outside the White House with the US flag wrapped around their heads.

Did they for a second stop and ask for proof? No why would they, Obama saved the day (and his votes) – that’s all that mattered. I wish us Pakistanis had that kind of blind trust on our leaders’ statements. I mean think back to Hakimullah Mehsud – Interior Minister Rehman Malik killed him a couple of times and once even created his twin in Afghanistan… so I guess it’s only natural for us not to believe anything coming out of our leadership (the fact that they didn’t say anything at all yesterday, is a different story). But wait, why don’t think the Americans think Iraq for a second. WMD anyone? And even Afghanistan? A decade there and still the most wanted man was found in Pakistan’s backyard. Oops? Doesn’t the US public want to question anything? Or was “DNA confirms Osama dead” enough? He was the most wanted man in the world, responsible for the death of thousands! And what did the US forces do? Secretly kill him and dump him in the sea. Seriously? As Obama was promising brighter days ahead, no one seemed to be concerned with ‘what next’, because we all do know that this ‘war’ is far being over.

Osama has been killed several times over the years, however, this time was different because we actually had visual proof….. of the ‘mansion’….the helicopter….the blood-stained floors…. Yes, that should be enough now to know that this time he really was killed.

Assuming there are no loopholes in the US’ great hunt story and going by what supposedly happened yesterday, fact remains that Osama was killed in Pakistan. Not a cave in some tribal border area but right here in Abbottabad. Obama spoke at around 8:30 am local time. Shortly after, Afghan President Karzai came out and said something which pretty much sounded like ‘it wasn’t me … it wasn’t me’ and then the Indians seized the opportunity and spoke along the lines of ‘told you so… told you so’ – so basically everyone got their turn at riding the Bash Pakistan bandwagon. And for good reason of course, yes, yes, no denying we do support terrorists, quite right.

So here comes my favourite part, while Osama was dying and Obama was doing the happy dance, where were you Pakistani leaders? Haven’t you embarrassed us enough already? Until about 12:00pm yesterday, there was no word from Pakistan – shortly after noon, the Foreign Office woke up and had some nice bits and pieces of information to share. Still no Gilani. No Zardari. No Kayani. No Pasha.

Somewhere in the afternoon (after a nice sleep-in perhaps) Prime Minister Gilani came out only to say ‘errr, I don’t have any details yet…’. Okay then. Why didn’t we have any details when Obama specifically in his address mentioned that this couldn’t have been achieved without Pakistan’s ‘cooperation’? And what about Pakistan’s mainstream media? Normally we are quick to jump and question everything but this time, our televisions ran tickers of statements coming in from the US while the local headlines focused on PML-Q’s oath-taking at 7:00pm. And then of course there were clips of the ‘mansion’ and the blood-stained floors inside. Where were all your hard-hitting questions Pakistani media – or do you only reserve those when it comes to our own leadership?

The US has a lot to answer but so far they have been giving us a great story, but what about our own government and establishment? We have nothing to celebrate for. We cannot take out our flags and run across the country because chances are some suicide bomber somewhere will mar that celebration anyway. Instead, we have a lot to worry about now (once again assuming Osama was killed yesterday). The al Qaeda backlash, the ISI’s supposed intelligence failure, the Pakistani leadership’s silence and the media’s confusion. As for the world hating us a bit more, I don’t think that’ll be a real problem – those who need to get their tickets out of here, normally do manage to find a way to do so anyway. For those of us who are stuck here meanwhile, ask questions. Ask why Osama was there, why no one knew, how the US knew, why we stayed silent and most of all, why do never ever cease to disappoint ourselves.

As an after thought, also do ask why more than anyone else failing or insulting us, it is our own security establishment that takes the cake each time.

Shyema Sajjad is the Deputy Editor at Dawn.com

Strain On the Ukrainian Brains Over Negotiations With Russia

[If Ukraine goes too far in its demands, there is always the South Stream project, intended to allow Russian gas to bypass Ukraine on its way to Europe.  (SEE:  Ukraine views South Stream as a threat)

Expert skeptical about Ukraine’s chances to make Russia change its gas price

Expert on energy issues Oleksandr Narbut is skeptical that Ukraine will be able to convince Russia to change the 2009 formula for gas price calculation.

According to the expert, there are no what Premier Azarov described as “very weighty arguments” which can persuade the Russians to renegotiate the gas price.

Speaking on the TBi channel May 2, Narbut called Ukraine officials’ breast-beating statements [about the 2009 cabal gas contract and determination to renegotiate it – ZIK] mere window dressing which hides their own successful commercial activity.

Narbut did not rule out lower gas prices for Ukraine, saying Russia will agree only if Kyiv makes political concessions, Ukrayinska Pravda quotes the expert as saying.

“The price can be cut only through private agreements [something tycoon and former owner of corrupt RosUkrEnergo Firtash has already done – ZIK] or via political concessions – regardless of all the declarations. I do not believe the present Ukrainian regime has sufficient arguments and well-prepared scenarios to counter Kremlin’s likely moves,” Narbut said.

In his opinion, Ukrainian leaders are not fully aware of the possible fall-out from their tough declarations and are not ready to react to Russia’s corresponding response.

Although the gas talks get under way in summer and not in winter (when gas consumption is at the highest), Narbut said, Ukraine should do its homework well, preparing for tough reaction from Russia. If we threaten to take the case of gas pricing to the Arbitration Court in Stockholm, we must be fully aware of what might be Moscow’s answer,” Narbut warned.

The Idiot Left Supports Obama’s War of Aggression

[The fatal flaw of the American "Progressives" is their choice of environmentalism over pacifism.  The environment is not more important than the human beings who inhabit it.  Supporting Imperial wars of aggression is beyond idiocy.]

Libya: The left should not oppose call for military intervention

By Steven Katsineris

I firmly believe the left and progressive forces have made a serious error in viewing and equating Libya with the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan. Libya is not the same situation; there has been a popular peoples uprising.

That revolt risked being wiped out by Gaddafi’s better-armed and more merciless army. The rebel leadership appealed for limited outside help, but has been specific that they didn’t want extensive external intervention in their freedom struggle.

I think they are being very careful, temperate and sensible about the aid they receive and on what terms. The rebel alliance is obviously very mindful about the West’s past colonial role in the Middle East and particularly wary of too much involvement and interference in Libya.

They also know any revolution perceived by the Libyan people to be imposed by outside forces will not succeed.

Of course the policies of the USA, Britain and France are carried out on the basis of geopolitical and national interests. So of course the USA and other European powers didn’t entered the conflict in Libya motivated by humanitarian concerns for the lives of civilians.

But I do believe the UN action saved many thousands of lives in eastern Libya and was therefore justified. 

(there is more, but who cares?–ed.)

: Mass Arrests, Tear Gas, Sound Weapons used Against WIU Students

: Mass Arrests, Tear Gas, Sound Weapons used Ag…, posted with vodpod

Lying about bin Laden’s death, NO Shock there, its all lies

Anti-Neocons

We Went to War for Israel, posted with vodpod

Obama’s Great Reversal Is the Key To the Psywar

Peter Chamberlin

The United States, in 2011, is in a strange, sad state.  The people stand (or sit), sick and divided, despairing over the fact that we cannot force logic upon our friends and relatives, seeing them wallow in the nothingness of political delusion.  Half of the people believe in the official national narrative being spoon-fed to us daily by Washington.  The other half is certain that the “official version” of all recent key historical events is a lie, intended to mislead the misinformed American people into going along passively with the great national lie.

The strangeness of the moment in time, which may finally entomb the entire race, is compounded by the great reversal in the narrative, which Barack Obama is forcing upon us.  He has moved in secret, so as to create the deceptive appearance of separation between his administration and the revolutionaries, insurgents and terrorists who are reversing the narrative in the oil regions. He is covertly deploying the assets prepared by the Bush Administration to carry-out the next phase of the American “war of aggression.”  (The war that was allegedly begun as a defensive war has long been exposed to be an unending resource war of aggression.)  It is becoming apparent that the “war” has a strong element of political warfare, fought by both violent and non-violent means.

North African and Middle Eastern, radical activists have been carefully selected by CIA behavioral technicians, who have brought selected radicals who demonstrated great leadership potential, to the United States for special training in political agitation by State Dept. NGOs (“non-governmental organizations”), before being returned to their homelands with essential electronic gear and funding, to carry-out the destabilizing skills that they have been taught.  The “Arab spring” movement, war on Libya, support of Bahraini repression, the coming Pakistani double-cross, as well as a possible double-cross of both sides of the Israel/Palestinian issue—all of these simultaneous events are key elements of Obama’s great reversal of the national narrative.  The alleged killing of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan at this precise time is intended to “flip” the opinions of the American majority, so that they will support a new war against Pakistan, our old ally.

The theme of the reversal is the “genius of Obama.”  This gambit is an attempt to repair Obama’s image, after he has exposed himself to be a slimier carbon copy of George Bush.  It is a carefully choreographed psychological warfare operation, intended to capture the minds of the unbelievers—to convince the misinformed American masses that our government is doing the right things in the world, instead of their exact opposites.  Our government is in the business of creating and multiplying evil, and all the people of the world, except for Americans, understand this fact.

The great national narrative that keeps so many of us deceived and delusional makes the unsubstantiated claim that we are at war with international terrorism, even though the opposite of this statement is closer to the truth—our government has created most of the militant groups that are called “terrorists” today, even the infamous “al-Qaeda.”  We armed and organized the “mujahedeen” who fought the Soviets in Afghanistan, then allegedly cutting-off their supplies and funding after the Russians pulled-out.  These fighters then merged with volunteers from local religious schools (madrassas), who called themselves “Taliban” (the translation for “students”).

Despite the government claim that the CIA abandoned the mujahedeen before they became the Taliban, thousands of recruits from this same group were drafted to fight a series of covert wars for the CIA, stretching from Bosnia, to Chechnya, to Egypt and Libya, and beyond.

The truth about the American terror war is that it is a clean-up operation, eliminating the leadership and foot-soldiers we have hired and trained to fight for us in these covert wars. It is only half-true, that we are cleaning-up the mess that we have created in using radical militants as elements of American foreign policy—we are still using many of those same militants to conduct America’s secret policies in Libya, Iraq and in Russia, among other targeted states.

In Obama’s great reversal, we sometimes claim to fight against our old “al-Qaeda” militants, other times, the connections between us are revealed.  This contradiction is the Achilles’ heel of the national program of psychological warfare aimed at the American people and the rest of humanity.  How we exploit this contradiction to the advantage of the beleaguered human race, is a question that remains unanswered.  Our great hope is that sanity will prevail when the great push is on to invade Pakistan, since they have been caught red-handed by the Abbotabad raid, as the protectors of bin Laden and his gang.

It is highly unlikely that anything we can do will penetrate the American blood-lust now being celebrated at the alleged killing of Osama bin Laden, but there is a chance that the “official story” about bin Laden’s killing and disposal at sea, that is being supplemented by the photoshop image of the allegedly freshly killed bin Laden will inspire more people to question the line of garbage being fed us.  After the dust settles from whatever is planned next, perhaps more people will recall these new lies in the chain of constant lies that have led us from one war to the next war.

Whatever happens next, perhaps it will be so morally outrageous that it will, at least, derail the lying Barack Obama, denying him a second term.

peterchamberlin@naharnet.com