Top Aide To Hamid Karzai Gunned-Down In Kabul

Afghanistan: Senior aide to President Karzai killed

Mr Karzai attended his brother’s funeral in Kandahar on Friday

A senior aide to Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Jan Mohammad Khan, has been killed in an attack on his home in Kabul, say officials.

Lawmaker Hasham Atanwal also died in the attack, said police, as gunmen stormed the house in the capital.

The incident comes less than a week after Mr Karzai’s brother, Ahmed Wali Karzai, was assassinated.

Earlier Nato forces began handing the province of Bamiyan to Afghan security forces, the first move of its kind.

Some time after the attack on Mr Khan, the chief of police said security forces and the attackers were still exchanging fire around his house in the western Karti Char district of the city.

Interior ministry spokesman Siddiq Siddiqi said at least two gunmen had been involved in the attack, which began at about 8pm local time (1530 GMT).

Mr Khan was a former governor of Uruzgan province.

The BBC’s Bilal Sarwary in Kabul says Mr Khan was a close ally of the president, but he was also a controversial figure, often accused of supporting local militias and abusing human rights.

Mr Khan had attended Ahmed Wali Karzai’s funeral on Friday.

Security concerns

Earlier on Sunday, Nato began handing over control of Bamiyan province, west of Kabul, to the Afghan National Army (AMA).

It is the first of seven areas to be passed to local forces under a plan announced by President Karzai in March.

The handover is seen as a critical step in a transition of power before foreign troops end combat operations in 2014.

Correspondents say that despite rising casualty numbers, security has improved in a number of areas of the country following a surge of extra American troops and tens of thousands of new Afghan police and soldiers.

However the quality of Afghan police and soldiers is patchy and correspondents warn of fears that they will be unable to withstand a renewed summer offensive from the Taliban.

Mussolini wins in Istanbul conference; Right to colonize Libya reasserted

nCa Commentary

Ashgabat, 16 July 2011 (nCa) — When the façade crumbled Friday, the face of Benito Mussolini was visible to the world.

It eerily resembled Hillary Clinton.

In the Fourth Contact Group Meeting in Istanbul on 15 Jul, the USA and 29 of its toadies recognized the Transition National Council (TNC) – an impressive name for the armed thugs and rapist – as the legitimate government of Libya.

Actually, there is hardly any surprise in this most fascist of all assaults on the hapless people of Libya.

Hillary Clinton — Face of fascism in the 21st century

First, it was believed that Qaddafi could be brought down merely by arming and financing the rebels. When that failed, no fly zone was imposed, blocking all humanitarian cargo to the Libyan people and allowing unlimited quantities of arms and ammunitions to the rebels.

When that too failed, NATO started indiscriminate bombing of Libya. In doing so it greatly overestimated itself and underestimated Qaddafi.

Now that the war on Libya, building on the accumulated baggage of misadventure in Afghanistan, has brought NATO to the brink, there is suddenly the rush to recognize TNC as the legitimate government of Libya, the group whose crimes against humanity are already well documented.

The sad fact is that the crumpling of NATO, the disintegration of Euro Zone and the economic collapse of several NATO members is inevitable. Recognizing the TNC or liquidating Qaddafi would merely be the footnotes in the history that is in the making.

Under the similar circumstances, Mussolini would have done exactly the same thing.

Fascists, as we know, believe that armed conflict brings positive transformation to the society and creates national comradeship. Fascists also promote paramilitary organizations (such as TNC in Libya) to violently attack their opponents and bring down the sitting government.

Benito Mussolini — Face of fascism in the 20th century

Fascism, founded by the Italian National Syndcalists during the WWI, is alive and well in Washington and Brussels (and by extension, Rome, Paris and London). The outcome of the Istanbul conference this Friday further confirms what was known already.

Even though everyone knows it, let’s just recall for the sake of sanity that the fascist concept of ‘New Man’ and ‘New State’ was born during the Italian conquest of Libya in 1912 to justify expansionism.

By 1920, this ideology had matured to assert that Italians were a superior race to the Africans and had the right to colonize the ‘inferior’ African races. This ideology was used to rationalize the aggressive military campaign against Libya, mass killings of civilians, and forced starvation of thousands, exactly what is being done today.

Mussolini finally rests in peace; soothed by the fact that his legacy lives on.

Petraeus’ ‘Battle of Khorasan’

[The reference to “Khorasan” (Greater Khorasan or Ancient Khorasan [Persian: خراسان کهن یا خراسان بزرگ] is a historical region spanning what are now most of Afghanistan, northeastern Iran, and the southern parts of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikstan) is taken from an article at the CIA-linked website Long War Journal, claiming that an “Al-Qaeda” leader made the linkage between Afghanistan and ancient Khorasan (SEE:  Al Qaeda’s Shadow Army commander outlines Afghan strategy – Khorasan).]

Osama bin Laden’s strategy for bringing the US to the battle zone in Pakistan is bearing fruit. The ‘battle of Khorasan’ is on.

General David H. Petraeus, former commander, U. S. Central Command. Image via Wikipedia. Now the head of the CIA

The relations between Pakistan and America hit new nadirs every week. The stoppage of $500 million of funds to the Pakistani military was inevitable, especially since General Kayani had already asked the military aid to be diverted to civilian usage. The expulsion of 100 US “trainers” was demanded by the Corp Commanders and General Kayani and General Pasha had to acquiesce to the demands of rank and file of thePakistani Army. The US has also halted the $300 million in coalition support funds which are being withheld as retribution for lack of progress in attacking North Waziristan. The bottom line is that the US has reached its limits in persuading the Pakistanis to do what they want. Holding back funds is the only leverage the US has. It has now played that card. When General Kayani announced that the Pakistani military will not use US funding, they had already calculated the consequences of denying food and water to the Shamsi Air Base, ostensibly leased out by the UAE to the USA.

The ISI now is hunting down and breaking up the CIAnetwork. The lowest the CIA could ever go was to use Polio eradication for its nefarious purposes. This is a crime against humanity. The tribals have already been suspicions of the Polio drives. The disease has almost been eradicated from the planet. It survives in the remote parts of Pakistan. The CIA has used doctors and the Polio drive for its own profit. This is a huge setback to the Polio drive.

Using doctors to try to get the DNA samples of the OBL compound failed, but it now has grave consequences for world health and US Pakistan relations.

The security outlook for Afghanistan faces unsurmountable issues. In retaliation for the blocked U.S. aid, Pakistan will be obliged to follow through with its threat to withdraw some of his soldiers from the border areas and dismantle more than one thousand border sentry posts. With Leon Panetta taking over as defence secretary the Pakistani military is wary of his new team. The Pakistan military following an independent and more nationalistic strategy against the militants will begin to drawdown its forces in Fata and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

This de facto ceding of territory to the Afghan Taliban has consequences for American war planners. The US is the occupying power in Afghanistan. It has inadvertently or by design left a vacuum in the border area. The Pakistani government suspects US complicity with the TTP and most analysts think that the US forces have given space to the TTP so that it can launch attacks on Pakistan from Afghan soil. Over the past six weeks, the Pakistan army has fired over 760 rockets and artillery shells into three Afghan provinces, killing at least 60 people. This is retaliation for the cross-border terrorism from Afghanistan. As the US attacks areas in FATA, the Pakistani Army will continue to retaliate against the foreign sponsored TTP.

The decision to sanction the Pakistani Army has long term consequences for America. Policymakers in Washington have to live with the risks invloved in alienating a new generation of Pakistan Army officers.

So the game on the chess board continues. As General Petraeus begins his counter-insurgency campaign inside Pakistan, the ISI has been gearing up to thwart that war. Hundreds of US spies have been rounded up.

The covert war in in full gear. President Barack Obama is turning to the CIA director Gen. David Petraeus to implement more quasi-military JSOC type of operations. The CIA’s decade old presence in Pakisan is now being overtly challenged by the ISI. THe CIA director will feel the pressure. Intensifying the covert war and increased drone attacks will have serious consequences of US-Pakistani relations.

General Petraeus is now leading an illegal war. He will be a battlefield commander of a robotic air force and a small army of U.S. and Afghan paramilitaries, many of whom are former special operations soldiers. General Petraeus’s campaign in Pakistan will be a civilian-led covert action, authorized under Title 50 of the United State Code. To Pakistan, it will look a lot like war.

There are international consequences of this illegal war. Beijing overtly and covertly will be the biggest impediment to US machinations. The ocnsistent
Chinese message to its neighbors has been that the US cannot be trusted. They will continue to say “I told you so”.

Admiral Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, while on a tour to China was given unprecedented access to some of China’s most important military capabilities. –including a visit to the HQ of China’s Second Artillery Corps, the unit responsible for China’s nuclear deterrent and many of its rapidly-growing missile forces.Admiral Mullen allowed him to sit in the cockpit of a J-11, one of China’s most advanced operational jets, and to inspect a late-model diesel-electric submarine. As America’s banker the Chinese General Chen Bingde, chief of the General Staff of the People’s Liberation Army, offered some stinging unsolicited advice for policymakers in Washington. This is just the beginning. As a representative of the country that holds one Trillion Dollars of US debt, the caustic remarks must have pouring sulphuric acid on US sensitivities.

“I know the U.S. is still recovering from the financial crisis,” Chen said. “Under such circumstances, it is still spending a lot of money on its military and isn’t that placing too much pressure on the taxpayers? If the U.S. could reduce its military spending a bit and spend more on improving the livelihood of the American people … wouldn’t that be a better scenario?” General Chen’s carefully crafted message was undoubtedly designed to reinforce doubts about the Pentagon’s ability in the long run to fulfill its security commitments to the region. In other words, Beijing has told Washington, your war efforts in Afghanistan are unsustainable. China already has great friends in the neighborhood. That message resonates in the region.

US officials may choose to ignore Chen’s remarks and carry on with business as usual. However this will have long-term consequences for the region–already a playground for various powers. While China will reassert its right to own the South China Sea, it will continue to thwart US effort to encircle it from the Pamirs.

The Recent visit of President Zardari to Tehran cannot be billed as a routine trip. In the aftermath of US sanctions on the Pakistani military, Tehran has offered to stop in and provide Pakistan with financial and energy help. Tehran has built the IP pipeline right up to its border, and this pipeline needs to be hooked up the Pakistani gas grid at Sibbi. Tehran has also offered 1000 MW of electricity at subsidized rates. There is talk of cooperation on Afghanistan and resistance to the CIA. THe two countries will probably form joint networks to weed out CIA spies from both countries.

The Pakistan military is in the process of initiating peace deals with the militants. With a chagrined China, an angry Iran, an upset Pakistani military “and a despondent President Karzai, the shattered US exit strategy in Afghanistan is in pieces. If the US cannot count on Pakistani help in disengaging from Afghanistan, it will be stuck in the quagmire-— and this may as well cost Mr. Obama his elections.

As Confucius said–”we live in interesting times”

Pakistan, theatre of U.S energy war

–by Shiraz Paracha

As the theatre of the U.S initiated war moves to Pakistan the Pakistani military feels cornered and its commanders are looking for internal unity and reaching out to new and old foreign friends.

Interestingly, perhaps for the first time, Pakistani commanders are more worried about the U.S plans rather than the Indian threat. Also breaking from the past traditions, Pakistani generals are seeking the support of the Pakistan’s civilian government.

Pakistan’s political and military leadership has sensed that the hidden agendas of the United States and NATO in Afghanistan could be harmful for Pakistan. Suspicions are growing about the U.S aims in the region and critics say that stability in Afghanistan and Pakistan may not be a goal of the United States.

Washington would like to have significant control over energy flows from Central Asia to Arabian Sea ports unless that happens peace in Afghanistan and Pakistan would remain a dream.

Continuing economic growth of India and China require steady, reliable and cheap energy supplies. Pakistan is also an energy hungry state. Peace and stability in Afghanistan and Pakistan would mean that South Asian countries could have faster and easier access to Eurasian energy resources.

It would be more profitable for Russia, Central Asian States and Iran to export energy to China and South Asia. Mutual trade could also lead to peace and prosperity in the entire region. Such an eventuality, however, would be West’s nightmare as stable energy supply will further fuel Asian economic growth at the cost of Western economies. Therefore it is in the interest of the United States and its allies to impede any eastward flow of Eurasian energy that does not involve Western governments or companies. NATO countries would like to use Afghanistan to export Central Asian energy to the West via Arabian Sea ports.

The hidden energy war could be a reason of the growing violence and instability in Afghanistan and Pakistan. One of the aims of the ‘war on terror’ could be to obstruct energy supplies to Asian economic giants and discourage any efforts of Asian cooperation and integration.

The so-called ‘war on terror’ in Afghanistan, Pakistan and elsewhere is a war by deception in which intelligence operatives of several countries are perusing their own agendas through violent means.

Ironically, terrorism has become a war tool in the shadowy ‘war on terror’ where all sides could be sponsoring terrorist groups to fight proxy wars on their behalf. Dozens of real and fake Taliban have already emerged, some are supported by the United States and NATO and others could have other sponsors. It is calculated mess with a deadly aim.

Strategic location of Pakistan has made this country a battlefield of the 21st century energy war. The Pakistani military command understands the stakes but cannot afford a direct conflict with the U.S and NATO.

However, a nuclear armed Pakistan is home to 180 million people. Pakistanis are among the most politically sensitive people in world. They are divided and they disagree on many issues but almost all of them are opposed to the imperialist U.S policies and designs.

Any U.S led direct military adventurism against Pakistan will unite Pakistanis and they will stand behind their half a million strong professional military, which can easily mobilize another half a million organized fighters. Moreover the 32-year-long conflict in Afghanistan that has also spelled over into Pakistan has increased resilience of the Pakistani and Afghan people.

Rather than entering into a direct conflict with Pakistan, it seems, the U.S is trying to engage Pakistan in small scale and low intensity conflicts. Terrorists groups who are targeting Pakistani people and forces could be linked to U.S intelligence networks with an aim to weaken moral among the Pakistani forces.

Terrorist acts and sabotage activities are part of psychological warfare strategies. The U.S military applies such techniques in wars. The Pentagon also uses black and grey propaganda techniques to demoralize target forces and populations that support their forces.

Since its creation Pakistan has been in the U.S camp and still it is dependent on Western economic support but the trust between Pakistan and the West has been broken and Pakistani leadership is trying to realign its foreign policy.

During the last three years, the Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has been proactive on the foreign policy front and has made a few breakthroughs. Opening of communication lines with Russia and Central Asian states and rejuvenating Pakistan’s relations with Iran and Afghanistan are important developments.

China is an economic super power and Pakistan’s traditional ally by Russia is a former superpower, which is re-emerging on the world stage. As opposed to China, Russian leadership has been more vocal and aggressive in challenging the Western hegemony. Russia is a strong critic of NATO’s eastward expansion and has deep suspicions about U.S intentions.

China, too, is opposed to the U.S presence in the region. China considers the Central Asian energy imperative for sustaining its economic growth and whoever would deprive China of Central Asian energy sources wouldn’t be a friend of China. Iran has been at odds with the United States and is interested to export oil and gas to India and Pakistan.

The geo-political situation has turned the Shanghai Corporation Organization (SCO) into a very vital forum for strategic cooperation among the South and Central Asian powers. The recent SCO summit in Astana has given further boost to regional cooperation and collective response to challenges.

The current geo-political and strategic situation offers a window of opportunity to Pakistan to build bridges with its neighbors and form new alliances with other regional powers, particularly the member and observer countries of the SCO.

The SCO member states can support Pakistan in many ways. Pakistan already has a special relationship with China. Pakistan-China multidimensional relationship is likely to grow and both countries are expected to remain partners. But Russia can also offer a lot to Pakistan—from military hardware to science and technology. Russian technology is cheaper and durable and Pakistan can benefit from Russian expertise.

Similarly, import of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and other petroleum products from Central Asia and Russia via Afghanistan will reduce energy crisis in Pakistan. Iran can supply Pakistan with oil and gas and Pakistan can assist in refining Iranian crude.

But most importantly, for the viability and even survival of Pakistan, the Pakistani military has to give up its India centric policies. A trade partnership between India and Pakistan would benefit millions of people in both countries. By offering India a corridor for energy transit and trade Pakistan can overcome many of its economic problems.

The big question is will Pakistan, which is almost totally dependent on Saudi and U.S aid, be able to shun its dependence on the U.S, British and Saudi troika? It would be a hard choice but it is time for Pakistan to make hard choices.

Shiraz Paracha is a journalist and analyst. He can be reached at: shiraz_paracha@hotmail.com

Turkmen Govt. Squirming Over Foreign Internet Reports

[According to the Turkmen Govt., the following story is a Russian fabrication.]

17/07/2011

Likes – dislikes?

Nurgozel Bayramov

As the Turkmen Foreign Ministry guards to clean water deduced

Accustomed to unquestioning obedience reporters on his “neutral” field, the Turkmen authorities are trying to put a straightjacket of censorship and the Russian media.

July 15 pages of Russia’s “Independent Military Review” – an application to “Nezavisimaya Gazeta” published an interview with the Chairman of the Coordination Service of the Council of Border Troops Commanders (SWQS) Colonel-General Alexander Manilow. The interview preceded a message stating that “in Turkmenistan’s capital Ashgabat was the 65th meeting, which was attended by delegations from 11 countries border agencies – the CIS, as well as representatives of the Executive Committee of CIS Anti-Terrorist Center of the – the CIS, EurAsEC and the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure SCO and Central Asia Regional Information and Coordination Centre on fight against illicit traffic in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursors “.

Reviewer “Independent Military Review” Ruslan Pasynkov asked Colonel General a number of issues, in particular, about what the central feature of the 65th meeting.

– This meeting was attended by delegations from 11 countries border agencies – the CIS countries. It was conducted by the chairman SWQS, First Deputy Director – Head of the Border Guard Service of Russia, Army General Vladimir Pronichev – said Colonel-General. – The heads of delegation addressed the border 11 questions and signed by him more than 30 decisions.

According to Colonel-General, commanders have discussed a range of measures to be taken into account the possible occurrence of crisis situations at the external borders of the Commonwealth. The second problem has been called the fight against drug trafficking, the third problem, which heads pogranvedomstv identified as a priority, it is a guaranteed floor channels smelters across the borders of Central Asian region, arms and ammunition.

Next, Chairman SWQS detailed answers to questions concerning the deteriorating situation with drug trafficking and the measures taken by the CIS border guards to counter modern threats and challenges on the external borders of the Commonwealth, the conduct of special border operations and preventive operations. He also stressed that in order to counter infiltration across borders – the CIS countries from Afghanistan weapons, ammunition, narcotics, illegal migration in Central Asia is preparing a special operation code-named “Afghan Breakdown-2011”, which, in addition to the organizer – Border Guard Service Russia’s FSB border guards will be attended by the Republic of Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.

Also Colonel-General Manilow told meeting participants to visit is located on the Turkmen-Afghan border outposts “Watan” Ashgabat frontier detachment, where they were introduced to the features and terms of border security and living conditions of soldiers, officers and their families.

– The conditions, I confess, for those and others created ideal. For example, conscripts are spacious comfortable barracks. These services classroom, clinic, home, gun room, dining room, recreation. Office of the gates in size and facilities of the Office of the Director is more like a commercial firm. Officers’ families are provided the same apartment, equipped with furniture and household appliances. Near the house there is a children’s playground, – enthusiastically shared his impressions of the Russian general. – As for the service and combat activity, although our Turkmen colleagues and are interested in modern operating time, but in practice, still adhere to the Soviet system of border protection, which is considered albeit expensive, but one of the safest in the world … In general, if In short, the output from the members of the commanders formed fairly simple: today the State Border Service of Turkmenistan is located in the new stage of development, whose purpose – to create a reliable, modern and mobile offices.

Further A. Manilow told that the chairman SWQS, deputy director of the FSB – the head of the Border Guard Service, Army General Vladimir Pronichev handed Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov President of Turkmenistan two honorary decorations SWQS: “For strengthening the borders of the Commonwealth” and “For Distinction in Protection of the border states – participants of CIS “.

– These awards are given to the heads of sovereign states, because the guarantor of security and stability in each country it serves the head of state – the general said Manilow. – That’s it, as Commander in Chief, is responsible for maintaining security at the state border. Moreover, we reward those heads of state to pay the problems of border security the highest priority. It should be noted, and the fact that in recent years Turkmenistan’s border agency is an active participant in the Council of Commanders.

Needless to say, an interview with the Turkmen side for more than positive! Information about the last 65 meeting SWQS and preparation for the raid, “Afghan Breakdown-2011” was immediately published the news on a number of foreign agencies. Posted the news and the Internet newspaper “Turkmenistan.ru”, which is known to use information provided by the State Information Agency of Turkmenistan (TDH).

Especially unexpected was published a day later all the same “Turkmenistan.ru ‘rebuttal, delivered by Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan:

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied the information that border Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan are preparing a massive anti-drug special operation”Afghan Breakdown – 2011”.”

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan said that the Turkmen side did not receive proposals for participation in the above operations. In addition, the Turkmen side outraged that in an interview with A. Manilow “noted some alarming trends related to the alleged increase in the flow of drugs across the borders of Turkmenistan.” Turkmenistan regularly provides objective data on this question in the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), as compiled on the basis of these data, reports UNODC “totally refute given message,” – said in a press release from Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.

Found the same Turkmen officials a fly in the ointment, we thought after reading the above lines, and once again felt sorry for the Turkmen colleagues’ Turkmenistan.ru “who were forced to immediately remove the information about the” Afghan Breakdown “from their pages.

But the most interesting thing was to come, “expressed great concern and confusion, the Turkmen Foreign Ministry also noted that in the month of July in Turkmenistan has not been any meetings or meetings of the above Council, referred to in popular media messages” (!).

And what about visiting a new frontier “Vatan”, delighted about the living conditions of the Turkmen border guards? Finally, whether presented Berdymukhamedov plaques “for strengthening the borders of the Commonwealth” and “For Distinction in Protection of borders – the CIS?” Do not dream it is all the Russian generals? And do not get lost as the glorious defenders of the border in broad daylight?

The answer was found quickly. The website of the Council of CIS Border Troops Commanders really, it was reported the 65th meeting SWQS held in Ashgabat in April … this year. There are about everything and about the fact that the agenda of the meeting was included 11 questions, and by the end of his work signed by more than 30 decisions, and about the production of pre-emptive measures localization threats and challenges, destabilizing the Central Asian region, and about the frontier “Vatan “and about the awarding of President Berdimuhamedov … Information was accompanied by several photos the participants, the Turkmen border guards, as well as plaques, which were presented to President Berdimuhamedov. There was no mention of the raid only “break Afghan-2011.”

So was right Turkmen Ministry of Foreign Affairs, holds his surprise at the statements of President SWQS CIS? And what most upset the Turkmen foreign ministry: that the Chairman of the Coordination Service of the Council of Border Troops Commanders of CIS General Maniloff said the participation of Turkmenistan in the aforesaid special operation, which apparently contradicts the neutral status of Turkmenistan, or that said if border agency of Turkmenistan does not participate in the exchange of information on the situation at the border? Or maybe that the browser “Independent Military Review” Ruslan Pasynkov suddenly “remembered” the meeting SWQS that took place in April, but now in July?

Whatever it was, “extreme” was “Turkmenistan.ru” hastened to show the speed, which may now he boomeranging. After all, it is possible that an interview of Colonel General Manilow could not go unnoticed. (How many us who read the “Independent Military Review”?) Then would not have had the Turkmen Foreign Ministry once again come out with a rebuttal.Especially because these refute the Foreign Ministry of Turkmenistan in recent bakes like pancakes, and more – on the activity in the first place, Russian media. Turkmen authorities do not like that Russian newspapers, Internet publications and TV stations too openly speak out about certain events in Turkmenistan. Accustomed to unquestioning obedience of journalists at its ‘neutral’ field, they are trying to put a straightjacket of censorship and the Russian media.

According to a source at the Foreign Ministry of Russia for this purpose, and not to express condolences over the tragedy of the sunken vessel, “Bulgaria”, recently visited the “skyscraper” on Smolensk Square, Ambassador of Turkmenistan to Russia Halnazar Agakhanov. Russian colleagues listened and promised to help. And indeed, the information about the explosions in Abadan, at least, on Russian TV was no more.

A Turkmen Foreign Ministry to get enough. He again denied! Firstly, the publication of “Military Review”, and secondly – the emergence of “untrue reports about the alleged problems of Turkish companies in Turkmenistan” – again “in some Russian mass media.”

Turkish companies have no problem in Turkmenistan, said the Foreign Ministry and stressed that “considering the emerging issues of the Turkmen side has always held a constructive approach to deal with them and negotiated solution based on the principles of mutual respect and justice demands a full implementation of treaty obligations in compliance with existing national and international standards. ”

And, interestingly, in Turkish, or, say, to other European or American edition, also published by Turkish construction companies claim the loss of a billion dollar debt for the work performed, the Turkmen Foreign Ministry is not offended. Does this mean that, based on an ancient postulate of “hits – a loving,” we can assume that the Turkmen side in relation to Russia, they say, “uneven breathing”?

Or vice versa?

Specially for “Gundogar”

Obama’s Libya. Com–(Videos Too Graphic Even for Me)

Videos of Libyan “patriots” beheading their countrymen, running long steel rods through small boys, forcing captured soldiers to eat human flesh–these are the people our government has recognized as the “legitimate govt.” of the Libyan people.  (Thanks to Noor al Haqiqa  and aangirfan for bringing us this horror.)

SEE FOR YOURSELF HERE:  http://www.obamaslibya.com/

Council of the CIS Border Troops Commanders meet in preparation for chaos at Afghan borders

[Council of the CIS Border Troops Commanders meet in preparation for chaos at Afghan borders after US drawdown.]

Special operation Afghan breakdown-2011 to be prepared in Central Asia

Bishkek – 24.kg news agency

by Julia MAZYKINA

Special operation Afghan breakdown-2011 is being prepared in Central Asia, Independent Military overview reports.

The publication reports about it on the results of delegations meeting from 11 countries of the CIS border guards as well as representatives of the Executive Committee and the Anti-Terrorist Centre of the Commonwealth, EuroAsian Economic Community, Shanghai Cooperation Organization Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure and Central Asian Regional Information and Coordination Centre on fight against illicit traffic of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors held in the capital of Turkmenistan – Ashgabat.

According to the chairman of coordinating the service of the Council of the CIS Border Troops Commanders Alexander Manilow, behind closed doors the sides discussed a range of measures to be taken into account of the possible occurrence of crisis situations at the external borders of the Commonwealth. The border guards do not exclude activation of armed gangs and terrorist groups in Central Asia. “Destructive forces are nourished by huge financial flows from various special services and international organizations. Their goals are stirring up the political situation in any particular country, destabilized the entire region,” said the expert.

According to him, the second problem of the region is drug traffic, the third – dispatch of weapon and ammunition across the borders of Central Asian.

As noted, “the creation of a coordination and situational center of Council of Commanders of Border Troops let” cut off the channels. “We have determined with the place of dislocation; it is the territory of Kyrgyzstan. It depends on the capacities and of the host and development of the situation in the region in what city it will be. The main thing is that all concerned parties have a fundamental position to create it,” said Alexander Manilov.

He also noted that commanders spoke in the narrow circle about international humanitarian action in Osh region in Kyrgyzstan and the Mountain-Badakhshan autonomous province in Tajikistan. “The essence of the action is that the border agencies of the CIS in the territories of two countries will carry out a range of activities. First of all, it is material and technical aid to our colleagues in the Central Asian region. In addition, various creative groups’ shows are planned at border units. The objectives of the action are to raise the image of the borders, to establish close links with the population,” said the expert.

Campaigners seek arrest of former CIA legal chief over Pakistan drone attacks

UK human rights lawyer leads bid to have John Rizzo arrested over claims he approved attacks that killed hundreds of people

• Peter Beaumont
• guardian.co.uk

The CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia. Photograph: Danita Delimont/Getty Images/Gallo Images

Campaigners against US drone strikes in Pakistan are calling for theCIA‘s former legal chief to be arrested and charged with murder for approving attacks that killed hundreds of people.

Amid growing concern around the world over the use of drones, lawyers and relatives of some of those killed are seeking an international arrest warrant for John Rizzo, until recently acting general counsel for the American intelligence agency.

Opponents of drones say the unmanned aircraft are responsible for the deaths of up to 2,500 Pakistanis in 260 attacks since 2004. US officials say the vast majority of those killed are “militants”. Earlier this week 48 people were killed in two strikes on tribal regions of Pakistan. The American definition of “militant” has been disputed by relatives and campaigners.

The attempt to seek an international arrest warrant for Rizzo is being led by the British human rights lawyer Clive Stafford Smith of the campaign group Reprieve, and lawyers in Pakistan. The lawyers are also building cases against other individuals, including drone operators interviewed or photographed during organised press facilities.

A first information report, the first step in seeking a prosecution of Rizzo in Pakistan, will be formally lodged early next week at a police station in the capital, Islamabad, on behalf of relatives of two people killed in drone strikes in 2009. The report will also allege Rizzo should be charged with conspiracy to murder a large number of Pakistani citizens.

Now retired, Rizzo, 63, is being pursued after admitting in an interview with the magazine Newsweek that since 2004 he had approved one drone attack order a month on targets in Pakistan, even though the US is not at war with the country.

Rizzo, who was by his own admission “up to my eyeballs” in approving CIA use of “enhanced interrogation techniques”, said in the interview that the CIA operated “a hit list”. He also asked: “How many law professors have signed off on a death warrant?”

Rizzo has also admitted being present while civilian operators conducted drone strikes from their terminals at the CIA headquarters in Virginia.

Although US government lawyers have tried to argue that drone strikes are conducted on a “solid legal basis”, some believe the civilians who operate the drones could be classified as “unlawful combatants”.

US drone strikes were first launched on Pakistan by George Bush and have been accelerated by Barack Obama.

Much of the intelligence for the attacks is supplied either by the Pakistani military or the ISI, the country’s controversial intelligence agency.

Both have blocked journalists and human rights investigators from visiting the tribal areas targeted, preventing independent verification of the numbers killed and their status.

While Stafford Smith of Reprieve estimates around 2,500 civilian deaths, others say the number is closer to 1,000. US sources deny large numbers of civilian deaths and say only a few dozen “non-combatants” have been killed.

While killing civilians in military operations is not illegal under international law unless it is proved to be deliberate, disproportionate or reckless, Stafford Smith believes the nature of the US drone campaign puts it on a different legal footing.

“The US has to follow the laws of war,” he said. “The issue here is that this is not a war. There is zero chance, given the current political situation in Pakistan, that we will not get a warrant for Rizzo. The question is what happens next. We can try for extradition and the US will refuse.

“Interpol, I believe, will have to issue a warrant because there is no question that it is a legitimate complaint.”

The warrant will be sought on the basis of two test cases. The first centres on an incident on 7 September 2009 when a drone strike hit a compound during Ramadan, brought by a man named Sadaullah who lost both his legs and three relatives in the attack.

The second complaint was brought by Kareem Khan over a strike on 31 December 2009 in the village of Machi Khel in North Waziristan which killed his son and brother.

Both men allege Rizzo was involved in authorising the attack. The CIA refused to comment on the allegations.

The pursuit of Rizzo will further damage US-Pakistani relations, which are already under severe strain following years of drone attacks and the killing of Osama bin Laden in May. Last week the US suspended $800m (£495m) in military aid to Pakistan.

The US launch its first drone strike against a target in Pakistan in 2004, the only one for that year. Last year there were 118 attacks after Obama expanded their use in 2009, while 2011 has so far seen 42.

The use of drones has been sharply criticised both by Pakistani officials as well as international investigators including the UN’s special rapporteur Philip Alston who demanded in late 2009 that the US demonstrate that it was not simply running a programme with no accountability that is killing innocent people.

‘Aim of Mumbai blasts was to derail Indo-Pak dialogue process’

PTI

The HinduDr Farooq Abdullah, Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy

Union Minister Farooq Abdullah on Sunday said there was no intelligence failure behind Wednesday’s serial blasts in Mumbai and the aim of the perpetrators was to derail the dialogue process between India and Pakistan.

“There are forces in Pakistan and in this country who do not want peace to come to the sub-continent. They always want to create a situation where(in) peace always goes farther and farther,” Mr. Abdullah told reporters in Srinagar.

Responding to a question, he said Home Minister P. Chidambaram has made it clear that there was no intelligence failure behind the Mumbai blasts that at least 19 people dead and around 140 others injured.

He said both the 26/11 Mumbai attacks in 2008 and the recent blast came ahead of scheduled talks between New Delhi and Islamabad.

“The blasts have been carried out as Pakistan Foreign Minister (Hina Rabbani Khar) is arriving for talks. I pray and hope that both sides move forward,” Mr. Abdullah, who is also president of ruling National Conference in Jammu and Kashmir, said.

The Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy said he was thankful to the almighty that better sense had prevailed on the leadership of both the countries as they have decided to continue the dialogue process.

“This is a test for the sincerity of both the countries to find a solution to their issue through talks and reach somewhere,” he said.

Asked about the implications of intelligence inputs about possible attacks in other parts of the country, Abdullah said it was the responsibility of “both India and Pakistan to check terror activities.”

“I would also want that our neighbouring country (Pakistan) should not allow its soil to be used to for terror activities,” he said.