Tag Archives: pakistan

International, U.S.

World War 3: Obama about to go all Nixon on Pakistan’s ass

“I think that the fact that there are links that exist between the Pakistani government and the Haqqani network, the nature of those can be assessed and is complicated. But there is no question that they have safe havens in Pakistan.”– Jay Carney, White House spokesman

September 28, U.S. President Barack Obama has endorsed the claims of Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, who accused Pakistan’s intelligence agency of “exporting” violence to Afghanistan.

In 1969 President Nixon (a Republican) secretly ordered the bombing of Cambodia and Laos (Operation Menu), believing they were helping the Viet Cong in South Vietnam.  The Operation Menu bombing lasted from March 1969 to May 1970, and failed to stop Viet Cong, or North Vietnam’s efforts to unite the country.  The failure led to Nixon making peace with the Viet Cong and North Vietnam.

Will Obama (a Democrat) follow in Nixon’s footsteps?

But wait, we’re already bombing Pakistan with our UAVs.  Oh, but the U.S. was already secretly bombing Cambodia under President Johnson (a Democrat), four years before President Nixon!  It turns out that Nixon’s bombing of Cambodia and Laos were simply an escalation of Johnson’s actions.

U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Obama had to consider military action against Pakistan.

International

Wild Polio is back, spreading fast

“The WHO rates as ‘high’ the risk of further international spread of wild polio virus from Pakistan, particularly given the expected large-scale population movements associated with Umra and the upcoming Haj…in the coming months.”-UNWHO statement

The United Nations World Health Organization says Polio type 1 is spreading through Pakistan and China.

Wild polio virus type 1 (WPV1) is more dangerous than type 3 because it is more likely to cause paralysis and spreads more easily.  The disease can affect nerves and lead to partial or full paralysis.

WHO officials are concerned that Muslims from Pakistan who’re going on Haj, to Mecca, will spread the disease to the Middle East.

Chinese health authorities have begun investigations for any further cases and launched a mass vaccination campaign in the region.

 

 

International

Dengue update, September 19, 2011: Tens of thousands infected, including hundreds of doctors, hundreds of deaths

The number of Dengue Fever cases continues to climb, around the world.

September 19, Sri Lanka reporting “…17,933 reported cases and 126 deaths…”.  Mosquito eradication efforts have been increased.

September 19, Pakistan not only has several thousands of Dengue cases, but now at least 100 doctors, working at hospitals in Lahore, are confirmed to have it as well.  So far 36 Pakistanis, including a hospital employee, have died from dengue.  The current flooding in Pakistan will only make things worse.

September 8, Limón, Costa Rica, declares state of emergency as 2,006 people test positive for Dengue.

August 29-September 13, two deaths in Mexico reported and the state of Jalisco is put on alert.  Jalisco has exceeded national numbers of Dengue cases. They are fighting the deadly hemorrhagic form of Dengue.

In August, Cuba is put on high alert after mosquito population jumps: “We are in a period of high alert in relation to the control of Aedes aegypti and, in general, epidemiological and environmental surveillance.”-John R. Vazquez, Cuba’s  Entomology and Vector Control, Ministry of Public Health

Bolivia reporting that at least 4,000 people are infected, and at least 23 have died.

See my earlier postings for other Dengue info.

International, U.S.

Pakistan orders 250 U.S. officials out of the country

Pakistan has given the U.S. embassy 40 days to remove 250 U.S. officials.

Pakistan says the U.S. officials are involved in high-level espionage and anti-state activities.

U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan, Cameron Munter, cut short his vacation to deal with the situation.  The situation has gotten worse in Pakistan, because the United States has greatly increased the number of drone attacks.  Pakistani officials, and independent observers, say the majority of people killed in the U.S. drone attacks are civilians.  In some cases the target of the attack is totally missed, and dozens of bystanders are killed.  U.S. officials have dismissed independent investigations that show that several hundreds of children have been killed.

 

International, U.S.

Pakistan orders U.S. out, tired of drone attacks and claims the U.S. is not helping to pay for War on Terror

“We have told them (US officials) to leave the air base.”-Chaudhary Ahmed Mukhtar, Pakistan Defense Minister

June 29, Mukhtar orders the CIA to vacate the once secret Shamsi air base.  That’s where the Central Intelligence Agency has been launching drone attacks against supposed terrorists in Pakistan.  The reality is that many hundreds of civilians have been killed instead.

Another reason the Pakistan government wants the U.S. to get out; they claim the United States has not been forthcoming with promised payments from a War on Terror coalition fund.  Pakistani officials are now re-thinking their relationship with the U.S., in regards to the War on Terror.

In 2009, The times of London revealed that the CIA was using Shamis air base to launch drone attacks.  The Times used Google Earth to spot drones parked on the runway.

 

International, U.S.

John Kerry says Pakistan will return stealth copter tail rotor

U.S. Senator John Kerry says that he’s worked out differences between Pakistan and the United States.  As a sign he says Pakistan will return the tail rotor of the downed stealth helicopter used in the Osama bin Laden raid.

Kerry also says Pakistan no longer wants an official apology from the U.S.  Kerry’s announcements might be too late for the U.S. government, as a Senate panel is deciding if Pakistan is still an ally of the U.S. or not.

 

International, U.S.

NATO helicopters attack Pakistan

Pakistan is reporting that two NATO helicopters attacked a Pakistani security checkpoint in North Waziristan.  Also, a U.S. drone attack killed 12 people in the same region.

No response so far from NATO forces on why they attacked a security checkpoint.  This is not the first time; last year U.S. helicopters did the same thing, killing two Pakistani soldiers.

These attacks come as U.S. Senator John Kerry is in Pakistan, to try an reconcile the May 1/2 Osama bin Laden operation with Pakistani officials.

International, Technology, U.S.

Pakistan to give China downed U.S. stealth Blackhawk, U.S. Congress threatens end to financial aid for Pakistan

One of the helicopters used in the May 2 assassination of Osama bin Laden could be a modified Blackhawk.

According to an Air Force Times article, the helicopters are modified MH-60 Blackhawks, similar to the Direct Action Penetrator.  However, analysts with Janes Defense point out that the tail section of the copter that crashed does not match that of the Blackhawk.  Officials will not tell what kind of helicopter it was.

Pentagon officials are demanding that Pakistan give the copter back, but Pakistan has another plan.  They may use the high tech helicopter in a deal with China.  Some reports say all that’s left of the helicopter is the tail section.

U.S. Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, from California, has introduced a bill that would end financial aid to Pakistan if they don’t return the damaged helicopter remains.  U.S. Senator John Kerry, from Massachusetts, is set to visit Pakistan to discuss issues surrounding the May 2 operation.