With so many more vulnerable western targets to choose from, why do terrorists choose international flights? Diego Gambetta guardian.co.uk, Amid all the discussion about terrorism, one obvious question is rarely asked: why does al-Qaida have a predilection for targeting aircraft when there is a wealth of vulnerable western targets from which to choose? We have no access to the reasoning of the perpetrators, but it seems safe to suppose that they want to cause as much havoc as possible to as many people and “infidel” countries as possible by the cheapest of means. Crashing a plane fits this double aim … Continue reading Why does al-Qaida target planes?

Paying militants to switch sides has had some success in Iraq. Now the US hopes the same tactic will succeed in Afghanistan James Denselow guardian.co.uk Can ‘surgenomics’ work in Afghanistan? US soldiers in Zabul province, southern Afghanistan. Photograph: Baz Ratner/Reuters One of the more immediate results of the London conference on Afghanistan was the idea of paying the Taliban to switch sides. This was described more diplomatically by David Miliband as a “reintegration programme” that leans heavily on learning from successes in Iraq. For an on-the-ground examination of the Iraqi “surge” successes, filmmaker Jon Steele spent 90 days with Baker … Continue reading Will the Taliban buy into surgenomics?

A few good men —by Afrah Jamal Quiet Diplomacy: Memoirs of an Ambassador of Pakistan By Jamsheed Marker Oxford University Press; Pp 448 Jamsheed Marker belongs to an exceptional cadre of Foreign Service officers entrusted to keep things on an even keel on the diplomatic stage. Providence chose him to fill the void brought on by a sudden influx of newly independent nations and the subsequent need to expand diplomatic service during the 1960s. A stellar career in fostering global diplomacy as the longest serving ambassador has earned him a special place in history. This veteran Pakistani diplomat has a … Continue reading Quiet Diplomacy: Memoirs of an Ambassador of Pakistan

Sting Music has always been my refuge from sadness. The guitar I inherited from my uncle John now has decent strings, and I am no longer making the ‘broken’ music that so upset my grandmother; in fact I am making a lot of progress, but the limitations of my first instrument are holding me back. There are things that I simply cannot do with this primitive heirloom. From the money I earned on the milk rounds I have saved up enough for a new acoustic guitar that I have had my eye on. It has been hanging from the wall … Continue reading Music of childhood

Farhat Taj In terms of the drone attacks, the US must not make any distinction between al Qaeda and the Taliban. They both have internalised a global ideology that is anti-civilisation and anti-human There is news coming up in the media that al Qaeda in Waziristan may run away to Yemen in the face of growing drone attacks. The people of Waziristan have expressed deep concern at this news. They do not want al Qaeda to run away from Waziristan. They want al Qaeda along with the Taliban burnt to ashes on the soil of Waziristan through relentless drone attacks. … Continue reading Drone attacks, Mullahism and US reputation

Ismail Khan Military regimes in Pakistan did not find space for academia in the social sciences or student unions in general. In Pakistan, during Musharraf’s time, much to the chagrin of top educationists, higher education was equated with science and technology only According to a news story published by the Washington Post, the US administration is considering providing the largest educational assistance ever given to Pakistan. Amounting to a total of $ 200 million, this assistance is supposed to reform the schooling system of Pakistan. The Washington Post story leaves little to the imagination that in the primary education of … Continue reading Mullahism and tertiary education

Salman Tarik Kureshi Incompetent or do-nothing or internally divided parliaments, however constitutionally or otherwise appointed, failed to satisfy the people’s demands. They therefore left a vacuum of effectiveness, into which stepped the more action-oriented, better organised institutions: the civil bureaucracy and the army Poor President Zardari! Here, on the one hand, he is the duly (and, moreover, constitutionally) elected president, the heir anointed of his martyred wife, deeply involved in the processes of rescuing the nation from the follies of his predecessor and the violence of the extremists. However, on the other hand, his name is rapidly becoming a term … Continue reading The land of the Higher Twits! An elite conflict in Pakistan

Posted by Amber Rahim Shamsi  Asim just wanted a nice romantic dinner with his wife. It was their ninth wedding anniversary and a new Japanese restaurant had opened in the Diplomatic Enclave. Run by a former Marriott chef Terry, whom Asim knew well, Kampai was where the couple wanted to wine and dine. Chef Terry insists on reservations for the weekends, so Asim made his. And to make sure the evening would not run afoul of security personnel, he asked the chef and owner what kind of numbers he had to provide to get in. Asim is no stranger to … Continue reading Separating the yolks from the whites

By Baqir Sajjad Syed Nirupama Rao expressed Indian government’s willingness to discuss issues besides terrorism which would remain the focus of the parleys.— Reuters photo World India changes tune; offers high-level talks ISLAMABAD: Renewed international pressure and growing realisation in New Delhi that the rapidly changing situation in Afghanistan could deprive it of its strategic leverage in the region has forced the sudden change of heart in India regarding ties with Pakistan, according to diplomats and analysts. “It was being increasingly felt by strategists in New Delhi that after recent conferences on Afghanistan that endorsed President Hamid Karzai’s plan for … Continue reading Why India came back to the negotiating table

The lessons of history By Irfan Husain Cumulative misinterpretations of past events have made the Americans hugely unpopular with Pakistanis. –File Photo Is there — can there ever be — such a thing as accurate, objective history? If history is a true record of the past, how do we know we can trust the record-keepers? And years later, as historians sift through the past, can they be depended on not to let their own biases creep in? As a student of history, I have long been fascinated with the problem of ascertaining which set of facts about the past to … Continue reading The Takfiri Mullahs are a direct threat to Muslims and Islam in Pakistan