Author: mara.ahmed

Pakistan’s military operations against the Taliban in Swat, begun in May under public pressure from the United States, has been hailed by Washington as a showcase effort of the army’s newfound resolve to defeat the militants. The American ambassador, Anne W. Patterson, visited Mingora, the biggest town in Swat, last week, becoming the first senior American official to go to Swat since the army took over.Now, concerns over the army’s methods in the area threaten to further taint Washington’s association with the military, cooperation that has been questioned in Congress and has been politically unpopular in Pakistan. Full article.

That is a growing sentiment in America. As Barack Obama appears likely to increase America’s already greatly enlarged troop commitment to the Afghan war, the war itself is becoming increasingly disliked.The conflict used to be called America’s “forgotten war”. No longer. As casualties have spiked, so has hatred for the war: a solid 57% of Americans now oppose it. That has seen the anti-war movement in America prepare to turn its attentions from Iraq to Afghanistan, gearing up for an autumn campaign of marches and civil disobedience. Full article.

in solidarity with all those who protested the greedy 20 in pittsburgh.

this is a horrible, senseless, doomed war – let’s get out of afghanistan NOW!

A powerful member of President Hamid Karzai’s Cabinet threatened to quit after a suicide car bomb attack targeted him Sunday, killing five people, in the latest Taliban attempt to destabilize Afghanistan’s struggling government. Two Americans were among six NATO troop deaths elsewhere.

Shortly after the bombing in the western city of Herat, Energy Minister Ismail Khan railed against the dramatic rise in violence in Afghanistan, saying that thousands of new refugees are seeking shelter in Herat because of militant attacks in outlying districts. Five civilians died in the failed assassination attempt, police said. Full article.

Tehreek-e-Taliban group had claimed responsibility for the bombing. The group has threatened to unleash bigger attacks on government targets to avenge the killing of Baitullah Mehsud, their leader, in a US drone attack. Full article.

WTF! what country is this?

J’ai dû amputer une partie de mon identité, j’ai dû effacer ce prénom arabe de mes conversations. Dire Mustapha, c’est prendre le risque de voir votre interlocuteur refuser de vous parler. Je me dis parfois que je suis parano, que je me trompe. Mais ça s’est si souvent produit. Full article.

Earlier this year Robert Greenwald and Brave New Films were featured in The Nation, as part of a grass roots movement to educate the public and develop resistance to the war in Afghanistan and Pakistan. They produced a documentary called “Rethink Afg…hanistan” and their goal was to do nationwide screenings, start a discussion and get Congress people involved.

The documentary is divided into several sections which focus on: the consequences of military escalation in Afghanistan, its destabilizing effects on Pakistan, the staggering cost of the war, the large number of civilian casualties in the fourth poorest country of the world, and the negative effects of the war on women’s rights and terrorism.

“Rethink Afghanistan” will be screened on Friday October 2, at 7:00 pm at RCTV, 21 Gorham Street, Rochester, NY. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion. There will be 5 panelists: Dr Aitezaz Ahmed and Mara Ahmed will talk about Pakistan, Mohammad Katawazi and Obaida Omar will discuss Afghanistan and Doug Noble will moderate the discussion. The event is being sponsored by Rochester Against War, Peace Action and Education, and Peace Advocates First Unitarian Church.

Dr. Dahlia Wasfi put her medical career on hold to visit with family members in Iraq, and returned from a three-month stay in Basrah and Baghdad. Dr. Wasfi described her experience in Iraq and discussed the life of Iraqis under occupation on April 27, 2006 in Washington, DC.

katha pollitt on nicholas kristof and sheryl wudunn’s book, half the sky: “If women’s equality is the great cause of our time – and I hope it is – we’ll get further by acknowledging it as a challenge no country has yet fully met rather than by framing it as a Western crusade.” Full article.

The cold fact is that there were no Iraqis or Afghans on the planes that were hijacked on Sept. 11, yet hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and Afghans are dead because of the U.S. invasion. Millions more live as refugees. Afghanistan, according to the Bush administration and the Pentagon, was to serve as the military pivot for policing U.S. interests. Huge forward bases for the Pentagon throughout the country would change the relationship of forces in Central Asia. Full article.

The raid comes after it was revealed that the Interior Ministry had issued licences of highly sophisticated assault rifles to Inter Risk. US Ambassador Anne Patterson had held meetings with the Prime Minister and the Interior Minister for approval of the licenses. Although the weapons are owned by the US embassy, they are to be carried by Inter Risk personnel. The security firm Inter Risk had signed a contract with the US embassy in April to provide security to American employees of the US embassy in Pakistan. Full article.