Pakistan

Are drones effective? Obama is certainly the drone-meister, deploying and utilising drones more than any other president. Of course technology has advanced at a greater pace too. But are they effective?

There’s no doubt that drone strikes can have horrific consequences. Beyond the disputed numbers of noncombatants killed, there are psychological consequences to consider as well. In the Senate hearing, Farea al-Muslimi, an American-educated Yemeni writer and activist, spoke eloquently of the heartbreak and fear that drones cause in Yemen. News reports from Pakistan suggest something similar: People are deeply afraid of drones. These perspectives matter greatly. But they only scratch at the surface of a much bigger problem with how the U.S. government uses drones. At a basic level, are they effective?

Gauging the effectiveness of drones is not simply a question of body counts. It is a larger evaluation of whether the terrorist threat is affected, whether the countries where drones are used are becoming more stable or less, and whether America’s ability to partner with other governments for future counterterrorism missions is improving or getting worse. The human factor, which Congress has focused on recently, is an important part of that evaluation, but it is only one part. In other words: Can we tally up all the costs and benefits of the drone war?  Read more »

Following Israel’s successful force feeding of a Hellfire to the militant leader of the terrorist organisation Hamas, a top Al Qaeda commander gets his arse handed to him on a plate delivered courtesy of a US drone strike in Pakistan last week. BBC reported yesterday:

“A Kuwaiti militant who was one of al-Qaeda’s top commanders was killed in a drone strike in Pakistan last week, sources have confirmed to the BBC.

Sheikh Khaled bin Abdul Rahman, known as Abu Zaid al-Kuwaiti, died along with 10 others near Mir Ali in North Waziristan, local Taliban sources said.

He was the most prominent al-Qaeda field commander after Abu Yahya al-Libi, killed in a drone strike in June.

Pakistan and the US have not yet officially confirmed the death.

The local Taliban sources told the BBC that Khaled bin Abdul Rahman, 46, had been killed in a drone attack on the village of Mubarak Shahi near Mir Ali last Thursday.

Khalid bin Abdur Rahman had been the head of al-Qaeda’s religious affairs wing, and was believed by some to have replaced Abu Yahya al-Libi as number two to Ayman al-Zawahiri.”

Photo: presstv

 Ravi River in Lahore, Pakistan — via Wikipedia

Muslim tolerance and the religion of peace are showing their true colours today with a Pakistani minister calling for the death of the maker of the crappy Youtube video about Muhammad:

A Pakistani minister offered US$100,000 (NZ$120,641) on Saturday to anyone who kills the maker of an online video which insults Islam, as sporadic protests rumbled on across parts of the Muslim world.

“I announce today that this blasphemer, this sinner who has spoken nonsense about the holy Prophet, anyone who murders him, I will reward him with $100,000,” Railways Minister Ghulam Ahmad Bilour told a news conference, to applause.

“I invite the Taliban brothers and the al Qaeda brothers to join me in this blessed mission.”

A spokesman for Pakistan’s prime minister said the government disassociated itself from the minister’s statement.

Something different for Father’s Day.

Mohammad Boota walks the streets of NYC walking Muslims up with a dhol drum during Ramadan – a rich tradition he inherited from his family in Pakistan. He came to America in 1992 and spent 9 years saving enough money to bring the rest of his family over. Now, fully reunited with his family, he rekindles the bond he has with his son over their love for drumming.

ᔥ Washington Wire

Rand Paul is making a stand for a loyal ally:

Sen. Rand Paul (R., Ky.) said he has secured the right for an up-or-down vote on his proposal to strip all U.S. aid to Pakistan in protest of the harsh prison sentence leveled against the doctor who helped the CIA track Osama bin Laden.

Shakil Afridi, a Pakistani doctor who aided the CIA’s efforts by using the cover of his vaccination program to knock on the door of bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan, was sentenced to 33 years in jail in May. Dr. Afridi was formally accused of aiding militant groups, but his arrest and prosecution was widely seen as a result of the assistance he provided to the U.S.

Congress is already considering legislation to strip $33 million in aid to Pakistan, in protest of the sentence. But Sen. Paul said those efforts are not dramatic enough to pressure Islamabad. Sen. Paul’s bill would cut off aid to Pakistan for the remainder of the year as well as next year. Congress appropriated $2 billion for the current fiscal year, but much of it remains unspent. For next year Congress is considering proposals of around $1 billion in aid.

Sen. Paul, a tea party favorite, libertarian and son of Texas Rep. Ron Paul, said such up or down votes are rare, and predicted it will cause some discomfort in the Senate.

“You will see some folks squirming in their seats on this one,” he said.

ᔥ The Telegraph

I’m not sure that you’d want to piss off Obama:

The US has confirmed that al-Qaeda’s second-in-command was killed in a drone strike in Pakistan.

US officials described the death of Abu Yahya al-Libi as a “major blow” to the terrorist organisation.

The official told AFP that Washington had a “very high degree of confidence” that Libi was dead, and argued that his demise would severely hamper the capacity of core al-Qaeda leaders to liaise with affiliated groups.

Libi was killed when missiles destroyed his vehicle and a militant compound in North Waziristan, leaving 15 dead.

The death of Libi, a close aid to Osama bin Laden’s successor Ayman al-Zawahiri, is a major blow to what is left of al-Qaeda’s core leadership in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

He is among more than 12 senior al-Qaeda leaders assassinated since bin Laden was tracked down and killed by US Navy Seals in May last year.

Three separate drone strikes were launched from Saturday to Monday, killing at least 30 people, according to local sources.

The third barrage comprised two missiles, which slammed into a compound and a vehicle in the village of Hesokhel, near Miranshah, the capital of North Waziristan, before dawn. Pakistani intelligence officials said they had evidence that Libi was at the scene at the time of the strike.

ᔥ Stuff.co.nz

Gay people can’t get married, but in New Zealand first cousins can…but now a researcher says we should get over our squeamishness:

A Perth-based researcher has called for an end to the stigma surrounding marriage between cousins, after uncovering evidence that the health risks have been greatly exaggerated.

Murdoch University adjunct professor Alan Bittles has shed new light on the consequences of intra-familial marriages, which he says are on the rise in Australia due to increased migration.

Bittles has sought to address common misconceptions of same-blood marriage, from a social, medical and religious perspective, in a new book based on 35 years of research.

Bittles claims more than 1.1 billion people are either married to a close relative or are the offspring of such a marriage, which are common in many Muslim, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu and Jewish communities.

In his book, Consanguinity in Context, Bittles called for greater understanding and acceptance of the practice, which is largely taboo in Western countries.

Of course he probably didn’t check out this case in  Pakistan where married cousins had a six legged baby recently:

Pakistani doctors are battling the odds to save a newborn baby born with a rare genetic condition that has left him with six legs.

The one-week-old boy is believed to be one of parasitic twins.

His conjoined twin was born prematurely and incompletely developed, which resulted in the second child having the extra legs, said Jamal Raza, director of the National Institute of Child Health in Karachi, to News.com.

Shaikh and his wife of four years live in Sukkur, around 280 miles north of where his son is being cared for. His wife is reported to be recovering well from the birth and in a good state of health.

His wife – who is also his cousin – has been unable to travel because she had a caesarean section delivery.

Pakistan has passed a law preventing domestic violence:

Pakistan’s Senate on Monday passed a bill that makes violence against women and children an offence carrying jail terms and fines, state media said.

The Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Bill was introduced by Senator Nilofar Bakhtiar and passed unanimously by the upper house of the federal parliament, Pakistan Television reported.

The law was already passed unanimously in the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament, in August 2009.

It will come into effect after President Asif Ali Zardari signs it into legislation.

Those found guilty of beating women or children will face a minimum six months behind bars and a fine of at least 100,000 rupees ($1,100).

It is a bit like gun laws. Making more laws won’t make a difference until you enforce the old ones. Too often wife beaters get away with it, whether they are poverty stricken unfortunates or those from the highest echelons of society.

We all have a duty to speak out about domestic violence and make those who commit emotional or physical violence against spouses or partners social outcasts.

A Muslim Pakistani celebrity gets her kit off for an Indian magazine – this could get very messy. This will be perceived as a massive affront to Pakistan. I hope she has some good body guards because muslim intolerants aren’t known for their kindness and understanding.

A Pakistani actress who posed in the nude for an Indian magazine with the initials of Pakistan’s feared and powerful intelligence agency on her arm has triggered fury across this conservative nation.

Veena Malik’s photo on the website of FHM India, in advance of its publication in the magazine’s December issue, has been lighting up social network websites since earlier this week.

Many here anticipate a backlash, as nationalists and Islamists regularly stage rallies against anything they deem an insult to Islam or to the national honour.

India and Pakistan have fought three wars, and the Inter-Services Intelligence agency or ISI has been accused of sponsoring terrorist attacks inside India.

Malik has broken Pakistani religious and national taboos in the past. She is a target for conservative ire and a heroine to some Pakistani liberals.