(China Daily)Updated: 2009-10-08 08:56
DUBAI: A prominent Al-Qaida militant on Wednesday threatened to attack Chinese targets in "reprisal" for the July 5 riots in Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.
He urged Uygurs in Xinjiang to "make serious preparations" for a "holy war" against the Chinese government and called on fellow Muslims for support.
Abu Yahya al-Libi, in a video posted on an Islamist website yesterday, called for "a true return to their (Uygurs) religion and ... serious preparation for jihad in the path of God the Almighty and to carry weapons ..."
Those responsible for the uprising in Uygars state they are losing their culture. I doubt that is the case, although any terrorist entity that would be seeking the use of nukes might try that as a propaganda tool. There is a provision in the UN Charter that defines genocide and that includes the loss of culture as well. There has been no history of China leadership seeking to destroy the culture of its people.
Impoverishment and oppression is an enemy to any government. People living with impoverishment are easily swayed to believe anyone that they are better off in uprising than in living their lives painfully filled with daily struggle. It is why the USA's social fabric seeks to advocate for freedom peacefully obtained through elections and why corruption is an enemy.
There were 200 people killed during the rioting and the Chinese military has control. I strongly suggest the Chinese rehabilitate the region before al Qaeda creates a Talibanesque influence within the Chinese borders. China must maintain a benevolent presence in the region and seek to educate and build an economy for the people there. I do not hold the Chinese government for this problem, but, do hold them responsible for the empathy toward this region of China that must follow this traumatic event.
China gives death sentence over Uighur brawl case (click here)
Sat Oct 10, 2009 6:12pm IST
BEIJING (Reuters) - A court in southern China has handed out a death sentence to a man involved in a brawl in July blamed for being the trigger to deadly riots in the restive far western region of Xinjiang.
State media said the fight erupted between a group of Han Chinese and ethnic Uighur workers from Xinjiang at a factory in Shaoguan, Guangdong province, after a rumour spread that some Uighurs had raped two women.
The courts in Shaoguan also gave another man life imprisonment, and nine others got sentences ranging from five to eight years in jail, the official Xinhua news agency said.
Two Uighur workers were beaten to death in the fight, and three others were severely injured, the report said.....
Pakistani soldiers in Qila Abdullah near the Afghan border. Photograph: Matiullah Achakzai/EPA
Basically, Musharraf was a terrorist. The Taliban and al Qaeda were his buddies and he made more of the 'tribal area' as an uncontrollabe problem because it was convenient to allow the growth of Taliban extremism. Reconstituting the Taliban, if McCann had been elected, would have put a 'handy dissendent military' within the Pakistan rhelm of influence to attack India.
Bush had no desire to stop the escalation of the Taliban, his 'political clout' revolved around the Iraq War. Bush and Cheney figured 'that region of the world' was hopelessly lost to extremism. The fact of the matter is they never bothered to place importance on 'settling' the region into civilization as we know it. It was also costly. Imagine what $700 billion would do to stop al Qaeda? Hm? Bush and Cheney were incompetent and the figure heads to their cronies.
5.30pm GMT
Up to 70% of US aid to Pakistan 'misspent' (click here)
Declan Walsh in Islamabad
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 27 February 2008 17.49 GMT
America's massive military aid package to Pakistan has come under scrutiny after allegations that as much as 70% of $5.4bn in assistance has been misspent.
Since 2002, the US has paid the operating costs of Pakistan's military operations in the tribal belt along the Afghan border, where Taliban and al-Qaida fighters are sheltering.
Pakistan provides over 100,000 troops and directs the fight; the US foots the bill for food, fuel, ammunition and maintenance. The cash payments — averaging $80m a month — have been a cornerstone of US support for President Pervez Musharraf.
But over the past 18 months, as militants seized vast swaths of the tribal belt and repelled a string of Pakistani offensives, the funding has come under the microscope....
There are problems in Pakistan.
The Old Musharraf regime isn't allowing the reverse of the 'social trend' of the Taliban. They demand for the Pakistani government refuse USA aid linked to anti -terror measures.
With a redirected effort under the new leadership in Pakistan the military is attempting another coup. The Pakistani military has a horrible reputation of 'going it alone' outside the influence of its leaders. I strongly suggest the new government replace its military leadership and bring less decent regarding the new Pakistani government and its ally, the USA.
US Congress votes to triple aid to Pakistan (click here)
Legislation aimed at quelling anti-Americanism heads to President Barack Obama for his signature
Associated Press
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 30 September 2009 20.54 BST
Legislation to triple US aid to Pakistan and stem the tide of radicalism and anti-Americanism within the Asian country cleared Congress today and moved to President Barack Obama for his signature.
The bill, approved by a voice vote in the House of Representatives, would provide Pakistan with $1.5bn (£938m) in aid a year over the next five years focused on democratic, economic and social development programmes.
"The United States has an enormous stake in the security and stability of Pakistan," said House foreign affairs committee chairman Howard Berman, a Democrat. "We need to forge a true strategic partnership with Pakistan and its people, strengthen Pakistan's democratic government and work to make Pakistan a source of stability in a volatile region."...
Bad habits die hard ! This level of anarchy within the Pakistan military that see The Taliban as a legitimate authority among the people has to stop. Controlling the rebuilding of Pakistan to stop the Taliban influence is wrong and the people will side with those that improve their quality of life. It is time get started. The people of this region live in large refugee camps that have existed for over three decades. They are tribal because they don't have cities, education and an economy. It is time to break the back of the Taliban camel.
Pakistan's military rejects US aid bill (click here)
(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-10-09 08:10
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's powerful military rejected US attempts to link billions of dollars in foreign aid to increased monitoring of its anti-terror efforts, complicating American attempts to strike Al-Qaida and Taliban fighters on the Afghan border.
Although the US-backed government of President Asif Ali Zardari has the final say on whether to accept the money, the unusual public criticism threatens to force its hand and undermine military cooperation with the Americans just as the Pakistani army prepares for what could be its most important offensive against extremists since the US-led anti-terror campaign began exactly eight years ago.
Any breakdown in intelligence sharing and other types of cooperation would hurt the American fight against a resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan. US and NATO commanders say the war there cannot be won unless Islamabad does more to tackle extremists on its side of the border.
In Washington, President Barack Obama met with his national security team for a strategy session on Afghanistan after signaling that he was not considering a troop withdrawal. The session came amid new polls showing waning support for the war in the United States.
The military's criticism of the bill came in a brief written statement that said senior commanders, including the army chief, "expressed serious concern regarding clauses impacting on national security."
Among other strings, the bill conditions US aid on whether Pakistan government maintains effective control over the military, including its budgets, the chain of command and top promotions.
Some analysts said the military's statement had little to do with genuine dislike of a bill that stands to help crumbling schools, roads and hospitals. They said the army was sending a message to the Pakistani and US governments about the limits of civilian control in a country that's been subject to military rule for about half of its 62-year history....
