Ahmed Rashid THERE IS perhaps no other political-military elite in the world whose aspirations for great-power regional status, whose desire to overextend and outmatch itself with meager resources, so outstrips reality as that of Pakistan. If it did not have such dire consequences for 170 million Pakistanis and nearly 2 billion people living in South Asia, this magical thinking would be amusing. This is a country that sadly appears on every failing-state list and still wants to increase its arsenal from around 60 atomic weapons to well over 100 by buying two new nuclear reactors from China. This is a … Continue reading The Anarchic Republic of Pakistan

Bruce Riedel IN A secret special national intelligence estimate (SNIE) in 1960, the American intelligence community concluded that “possession of a nuclear weapon capability . . . would clearly give Israel a greater sense of security, self-confidence, and assertiveness.” For almost half a century since, Israel has possessed a nuclear-weapons monopoly in the Middle East, a monopoly it has fought hard to preserve. Israel has never acknowledged publicly that it is a nuclear-weapons state, but it has also never signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Now the Arabs, led by Egypt, are demanding that Israel do so or they will … Continue reading If Israel Attacks

Japanese PM Candidate Ozawa: “I don’t think Americans are very smart,” “I don’t like British people” Posted By Joshua Keating Ichiro Ozawa, the backroom dealer and longtime fixture of Japanese politics who announced today that he will challenge Prime Minister Naoto Kan as leader of the ruling Democratic Party, and therefore also as prime minister, will have some explaining to do to Japan’s allies if he reaches the top spot. Here’s what he had to say about Americans at a political seminar in Tokyo on Wednesday: “I like Americans, but they are somewhat monocellular,” the former Democratic Party leader said. … Continue reading Ozawa – Japans Sarah Palin?

USAID: Rajiv Shah did not visit a terrorist run camp in Pakistan Posted By Josh Rogin fp Alarm bells went off in Washington Thursday when the Pakistani media reported that USAID chief Rajiv Shah had visited a relief camp run by a group associated with terrorists. But according to the aid agency, that’s simply not the case. Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper was the first to allege that Shah, who has been touring the flood-ravaged region, had stopped in the town of Sukkur Wednesday to drop off two trucks of emergency supplies in a relief camp supposedly run by Falah-i-Insaniat (FI), which … Continue reading Rajiv Shah did not visit a terrorist run camp in Pakistan

Posted By Stephen M. Walt fp One of the themes I have harped about on this blog has been the issue of opportunity costs.   When a great power gets itself over-committed in a lot of costly and time-consuming commitments (and when it mismanages its economy in various ways), then it won’t have the surplus it needs when an unexpected challenge (or an unforeseen opportunity) arises. Case in point: the current floods that have ravaged Pakistan in recent weeks.  The situation is by all accounts horrific, and could have significant long-term consequences for millions of people.  It is precisely the sort … Continue reading The flood in Pakistan and U.S. strategy

Actors like Reema have urged people to curtail their expenditure and donate instead. PHOTO: EXPRESS A delegation of artists has left the country for a fundraising tour to be able to raise funds for those affected by the worst natural disaster in the history of Pakistan. Joining the team are prominent Pakistani stars Adnan Siddiqui, Zeba Bakhtiar and Jawad Ahmed, who cut short his previous foreign tour to return home because of the floods. “It is difficult to make any estimate of the destruction caused by these floods. But I know that the biggest problem right now is that of … Continue reading Celebrities continue to help out

‘Foreign relief workers presence unacceptable’ A file picture dated 04 October 2009 shows chief of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (Movement of Pakistani Talibans) Hakimullah Mehsud (C) sits with Taliban Spokesman Azam Tariq (R). PHOTO: EPA The Taliban have hinted they may launch attacks against foreign flood relief workers in Pakistan, saying their presence is ‘unacceptable.’ Tehreek-e-Taliban spokesman Azam Tariq claimed Thursday that the United States and other countries were not really focused on providing aid to flood victims but had other “intentions” which he did not specify. Earlier, the United States had warned that the Taliban are planning to target foreign aid … Continue reading Pigs – Loose Again?

The invisible soldiers of Islam The writer served as director-general of the ISI from 1990-92 asad.durrani@tribune.com.pk Lately, we have been too depressed to notice a piece of real good news. Our very own ISI has been ranked the world’s top intelligence agency. And just in case one had never heard of the “smashing lists website”, a look at it would be worth its while. The ratings are done professionally. That the ISI carries out its primary mission — forewarn external threats and counter covert operations  — reasonably well, must have counted, but “no double agents or defectors, no one ever … Continue reading Asad Durrani talks

Pakistan’s image problem affecting situation on-ground. PHOTO: REUTERS ISLAMABAD: As official relief agencies struggle to reach out to thousands of marooned river communities, international donors appear reluctant to wire their assistance through trust-deficient Pakistan government, officials told The Express Tribune here Thursday. Representatives of donor organisations and ambassadors of various countries cold-shouldered a request by President Asif Ali Zardari, seeking direct assistance. President Zardari on Thursday met envoys of the US, the UK, EU, Germany, Iran, Saudi Arabia and representatives of international donor agencies to review the ongoing flood situation and relief activities. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi also attended … Continue reading Donors reluctant to route aid via government