Pakistan now has Nuclear capable Cruise Missiles as it turns to the Axis for support

[vector7]

Pakistan tests nuclear capable cruise missile

English.news.cn 2011-04-29 13:28:19


The missile can deliver all types of warheads

ISLAMABAD, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan on Friday successfully conducted flight test of indigenously developed air launched cruise missile, which "can deliver nuclear and conventional warheads with great pin point accuracy," the army said.

The "Hatf-VIII Ra'ad Cruise Missile" has the range of 350 kilometers, an army statement said.

The missile has been developed exclusively for launch from aerial platforms, the statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations said.

"The missile test was conducted as part of the continuous process of improving the technical parameters of the weapon system," it said.
The statement said the missile system has enabled Pakistan to achieve a greater strategic stand off capability on land and at sea.

"Cruise technology is extremely complex and has been developed by only a few countries in the world. The state of the art Ra'ad Cruise Missile with Stealth Capabilities is a Low Altitude, Terrain Hugging Missile with high maneuverability, and can deliver nuclear and conventional warheads with great pin point accuracy," it said.

The successful launch has been appreciated by the president, the prime minister of Pakistan, and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee who congratulated the scientists and engineers on their outstanding achievement.

Defense analysts said that Ra'ad is an air launched cruise missile which can be fired from all the aircraft in the Pakistan Air Force. The cruise missile can be used in an anti-shipping role via aircraft against the ground/static targets.

Ra'ad in Arabic means "Thunder" which will provide Pakistan a great strategic stand off capability of land and sea. The missile has low detection probability due to stealth design and materials used in creating the missile.

Analysts said the biggest benefit of having this air launched cruise missile is stand off capability it has given to Pakistan.

Pakistan Air Force can target ground radars, and other specific military targets well beyond the visual range of the enemy. Pakistan has H-2 (60KM), H-3 (120KM) stand off weapons in its inventory and Ra'ad cruise missile will only add more range to its inventory giving it a three tier stand off capability at all times, day and night, analysts said.

[Toad]

I can barely imagine what top brass in India must be thinking right now.

[American Patriot]

I can....

"...Oh..... shit..... Get Gaurishankar on the phone and tell him to get cracking on those missiles we ordered last week!"

[vector7]

As Ties With US Sour, Islamabad Turns to Beijing

Submitted by Aurangzeb on April 29, 2011 – 4:45 am2 Comments




ISLAMABAD: As ties between Washington and Islamabad reach one of their lowest points in over a decade, Pakistan’s top diplomat is on a trip to Beijing from Thursday (today) to shore up cooperation and support from one of the country’s oldest allies.

Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir is visiting China for discussions with the Chinese leadership on bilateral, regional and international issues on April 28 and 29, said a Foreign Ministry spokesperson.

“The foreign secretary will hold consultations with Chinese Executive Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun,” said Tehmina Janjua in a statement issued in Islamabad on Wednesday. The visit is in the context of the established Pakistan-China strategic dialogue mechanism between the two foreign ministries.

But official sources confirmed that the foreign secretary’s visit to China was prompted by the recent rise in tensions between Pakistan and the United States due to a series of events, including the Raymond Davis affair and US a drone strike that killed dozens of civilians in Pakistan’s tribal districts.

“Under these circumstances, the foreign secretary’s visit to China has assumed greater significance,” said one foreign office official who wished to remain anonymous. “We have excellent relations with China but the time has come to take the ties to the next level where we should have less reliance on the Americans.”

Bashir’s visit to Beijing comes days after he dashed to Washington in an effort to overcome differences that have the potential to unravel ties between Pakistan and the United States and consequently impeding progress in Afghanistan.

Sources say Salman Bashir is strong advocate of seeking realignments, and has presented a detailed analysis to the government regarding a reduction in dependence on the US by reaching out to the Chinese.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 28^th, 2011.

[BRVoice]

http://m.timesofindia.com/PDATOI/art...ow/8191538.cms


Pakistan troops along LoC put on high alert
May 8, 2011, 01.13am IST TNN
[ Josy Joseph ]

NEW DELHI: An embattled Pakistan Army has put its troops along the Line of Control (LoC) on a high state of alert as it scrambles to emerge from the embarrassment of having been caught unawares by the US troops, who raided the cantonment town of Abbottabad to take out Osama bin Laden.

According to authoritative sources, all units of Pakistani Army along the entire 740-kilometer LoC and the 110-km Actual Ground Position Line in Siachen were on Friday put on a "higher state of alert". Accordingly, "active deployment" has been beefed up along forward posts, said a senior official of Indian Army.

The officer said Indian Army has been careful not to respond to the high state of alert by Pakistan and "would not respond to it." Traditionally, the two sides are used to tit-for-tat responses to military actions.

Pakistan Army's move came a day after its corps commanders met with Army chief General Pervez Kayani to warn India against any misadventure. The statement was meant to be retaliation for remarks of Indian Army and Air Force chiefs that India has the capability to carry out an operation like the one executed by the US Seals in Pakistan.

The Pakistan Army top brass said in a statement on Thursday, "The forum, taking serious note of the assertions made by Indian military leadership about conducting similar operations, made it very clear that any misadventure of this kind will be responded to very strongly. There should be no doubt about it."

According to Indian military sources, ever since the last Monday raid by US troops to kill Bin Laden, there has been panic, embarrassment and disbelief in the Pakistan military over the way US helicopters travelled through their airspace, carried out the Special Forces Operation in Abbottabad, and went away with bin Laden's body All the way through, the Pakistani air defence did not pick up any signals of the ‘intrusion'. Worse, the first Pakistani fighters were scrambled almost a full hour after the American helicopters entered the Pakistan aerospace, shows Indian assessment.

Indian security establishment has been getting a stream of inputs showing the state of confusion and disbelief in the military. One senior officer pointed out that Pakistan Army's decision to put its units on high alert is reflective of the frustration of the strategic vulnerability exposed by the US operation. Khan Research Laboratories at Kahuta, the nerve centre of Pakistan's nuclear programme, isn't very far from Abbottabad, meaning even strategic assets of Pakistan suffer from similar vulnerability, sources point out.

As more clarity emerge about the US operations, Indian military sources are now beginning to suspect that Americans may have deployed electronic counter-measures to jam Pakistan's radars from picking up the movement of the helicopters to Abbottabad and back, thus mocking normalcy. There are contradictory reports emerging from within Pakistan about what really happened to the radar network. While its foreign secretary hinted at the possibility of radars being jammed, the air force maintains that its radars were inactive on the particular day.

[BRVoice]

http://www.pakistantimes.net/pt/detail.php?newsId=21342


President Zardari to pay official visit to Russia from May 11
'Pakistan Times' Diplomatic Desk

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari will pay an official visit to the Russian Federation on 11-14 May 2011 at the invitation of President Medvedev.

During the visit, President Zardari will have indepth discussions with the Russian leadership on a range of bilateral issues and review important global issues of mutual interest.

The two sides will also emphasize the importance they attach to cooperating closely on issues of stability, peace and security in the common region and to continue to enhance bilateral contacts, consultations, cooperation and coordination between the two countries in this regard.

President Zardari will address the Russian business community at the Skolkovo Moscow School of Management and also visit St. Petersburg, which is not only the second largest city but also the financial and industrial hub of Russia.

Pakistan enjoys cordial, cooperative relations with Russia. Both countries value their relationship which has witnessed a notable intensification of high level contacts in recent years.

The visit of President Zardari will be a leap forward in Pakistan-Russia relations. It will promote greater understanding between the two countries and help broaden and strengthen bilateral political, economic, security and cultural ties.


Discusses visit to Russia

Meanwhile, another report says that President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday chaired a meeting in connection with his forthcoming visit to Russia.

Those, who attended the meeting, included among others Advisor to Prime Minister on Petroleum Dr. Asim Hussain, Secretary General Salman Farooqui, Secretary to President Malik Asif Hayat and secretaries of Foreign Affairs, Commerce, Food and Agriculture, Industries and Production, Science and Technology, Chairman Wapda and other senior officials. Spokesperson Farhatullah Babar was also present.

Wide ranging matters were discussed including bilateral relations with Russia and cooperation in areas like agriculture, energy, trade, science and technology and industry.

[Phil Fiord]

I have a feeling that if any manipulation is done, it will be by FSB.

[BRVoice]

http://www.dailypioneer.com/337415/A...le-in-POK.html


Army chief briefs PM on China’s role in POK
May 09, 2011 6:31:41 PM
Rahul Datta/Mohit Kandhari | New Delhi/Jammu

Alarmed at the increasing Pakistan-China nexus, which has seen growing presence of Chinese security forces in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, Army Chief General VK

Singh has taken up the matter with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

In a detailed presentation, the Army chief has apprised the Prime Minister of the ground situation and its implications for Indian security. Gen Singh visited Leh a few days ago to take stock of the situation.

Disclosing this here, sources said the 750-km-long LoC is a disputed boundary between India and Pakistan. China, over the past few years, has increased its presence in POK, thereby effectively forming a military nexus with Pakistan and coming close to the LoC and posing a possible threat to Indian security interests.

Given this background, the Army chief visited Leh early last week to take first hand account of the ground situation and review operational preparedness before meeting the Prime Minister.

Sources said Gen Singh urged the political leadership to speed up the process of modernisation of the armed forces, besides improving infrastructure — including roads and airstrips — in the strategically important region of Jammu & Kashmir.

In fact, the first caution was sounded over the increasing Chinese footprint close to the LoC by Northern Command chief Lt General KT Parnaik in a seminar in Jammu last month. Expressing concern over the emerging scenario, he had said, “China is actually present and stationed on the LoC and it facilitates Pakistan armed forces to complement China’s military operations. Its footprints are too close to India and this presence of China in PoK has to be taken seriously.”

The senior Army officer had also made mention of the fact that China had gained a substantial foothold in Gilgit and Baltistan by infrastructure development and its considerably increasing presence, lends strength to China-Pak nexus which is of great security concern to India.

‘China has also strengthened its presence by building sea links and the increased Chinese presence around India is jeopardising the strategic interests of the country,’ Parnaik said while speaking in a seminar on ‘Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir Internal Dynamics and Externalities’ at University of Jammu.

The Army Commander said China had made inroads around India thus posing substantial challenges not only along the China-Indian border but also along the Line of Control (LoC).

He said ‘a great game is being played by Chinese expansionism and by mushrooming terror networks,’ adding that it was imperative to take control of the situation in Jammu and Kashmir and find a viable solution to internal problems of the State without interference from Pakistan.

The Northern Command chief said ‘unless overt and covert interference of Pakistan is neutralised, no political or economic solution will be implemented.’ He also said Pakistan having ceded trans-Karakoram part of Gilgit and Baltistan to China in 1963, Karakoram highway was built to link Pakistan with China.

[BRVoice]

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/st.../1/137527.html


India angry over US not sharing intelligence on ISI-run terror camps in Pakistan
Dipanjan Roy Chaudhury | New Delhi, May 9, 2011 | Updated 07:52 IST

For India, it is the second humiliating snub after the David Headley episode.

India's intelligence establishment is upset that despite growing counterterror and intelligence cooperation with the US in the post 9/11 years, its 'partner' in the war against terror continues to keep it in the dark on crucial details relating Washington's strategic ally in the region - Pakistan.

It has now come to light that the US did not share with New Delhi details and specifics of ISI-run anti-India terror camps on Pakistani soil.

This specific information had been disclosed to US intelligence agencies by Guantanamo Bay detainees.

Revelations made by Guantanamo Bay captives, disclosed by Wikileaks, have proved that US was conscious of the location and size of ISI and Pakistan Armyrun anti-India terror camps.

The documents show that US officials were aware that terrorists in India were guided by Pakistani officials and one Lashkar-e-Tayyeba (LeT) inmate at Guantanamo Bay may have been an ISI agent.

Nabbed Afghan fighter Chaman Gul, also known as Mast Gul, fought in Kashmir.

"A former Major in the Pakistani Army, Mast Gul is a notorious terrorist. He fought against the Indian government in Kashmir..," a leaked note says.

The Guantanamo Bay files have several other explicit references to ISI support for terror attacks on India. Abdul Azia, LeT operative of Algerian origin and an al-Qaeda courier nabbed by the US in 2002 stated that Pak intelligence personnel allowed terror operatives to travel to India. The targets were chosen by the Pakistan Army.

Badr Awad Bakri al-Sumayri, a LeT member of Saudi Arabian origin, the terrorist is recorded as being recruited in his home country to travel to Pakistan for training in an ISIrun camp in Muzaffarabad, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Mohammed Anwar, a Pakistani citizen, is believed to be LeT member who is also an ISI agent.

However, sources here said that such information was "never shared" with India despite concerns over the threat to India posed by such camps being repeatedly expressed by officials in various meetings with their American counterparts.

A former intelligence official, who has been part of many such discourses till last year, pointed out while relations between the intelligence agencies have improved in the recent years and a hotline has been established, Washington has never shared actionable and operational intelligence from the Guantanamo revelations.

"While discussions have been substantive in the post-Headley period and day to day sharing of information has been improving, the sharing of information has been more generic," the official said.

Said former deputy national security adviser Satish Chandra, "This is yet another classic case of US protecting its sources like in the David Headley case. It is further proof that US wants to save and preserve Pakistan. But they are failing to realise that they are creating a monster that will hurt them. It is time that US calls the bluff on Pakistan." According to official sources, while "generic" threat perception in the region was exchanged by the US officials, specific details, particularly those emerging from interrogations at the Guantanamo Bay prison, were never revealed.

It may be recalled that CIA chief Leon Panetta had an unscheduled stopover in India last October to share the US threat perception to the Commonwealth Games. "India is looking forward to actionable intelligence inputs," a senior source had said at that time.

The Indian establishment has been repeatedly flagging concerns over terror camps run by groups like LeT and Jaish-e-Mohammad during the course of meetings between the intelligence and security agencies of the two countries.

"Evidence of the role of ISI and the Pakistan Army in running these camps were also shared with the US interlocutors," a source pointed out. This was corroborated by a serving senior government official who is part of the counter-terror cooperation.

However, sources emphasised that while US shared certain generic information about terror camps, specific details that US agencies gathered in Pakistan and which could have helped India in combating terror groups, were missing from the bilateral deliberations.

"Inputs have only been shared over specific and current threats. But this does not include Guantanamo," a senior official said.

It is understood that the Guantanamo files have also disclosed al-Qaeda's interest in India, including a plot to target an Indian airline.

This obviously raises question marks over the sincerity of US co-operation, despite a slew of mechanisms in place for exchange of information.

The last Joint Working Group on counterterror was held here in March. The Homeland Security Dialogue is also scheduled to be held in Delhi later this month. Recently, the US also hosted several police officials both from the centre and the states at Chicago.

But there have been apprehensions in the Indian security establishment that even the Homeland Security Dialogue may not lead to entire sharing of information by the US on Pakbased anti-India terror.

Security experts even envisage a situation where India could end up sharing more inputs on security and terror-related matters under the Homeland Security Dialogue without reciprocity from the US agencies. This will limit India's ability to prevent any future terror attack.

Former foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal felt given the nature of current cooperation, the US should have been more forthcoming. "The role of ISI is well known to the US and given the nature of Indo-US ties, one would have reasonably expected US to be more forthcoming... hopefully after the Osama episode, US may begin to realise that it is in its core interests to deal with Pakistani content on terrorism," Sibal said.

While the US may claim that the two nations are working through "a huge range" of issues to implement enhanced counter terrorism cooperation in the wake of 26/11, the memories from Headley episode are far from fading.

It may be recalled that ten days before Obama landed in India, Home secretary G. K. Pillai had pointed out that India was "disappointed" that US never shared Headley's name with India, something which could have led to his arrest during any of his nine visits to India from 2006 to 2009.

"The issue here is that the name (of Headley) was not shared with us by the US, either before 26/11 or after 26/11 when Headley subsequently visited India in March 2009.

"We are disappointed that Headley's name was not provided to us. If that had been done, India could have nabbed Headley," Pillai had then said. Former Indian Envoy to Pakistan G. Parthasarathy, recalling his own meetings with his US counterpart in Islamabad, said Washington did not acknowledge symbiotic ties between al-Qaeda and other terror groups like LeT & JeM that have carried out most strikes against India.

[BRVoice]

http://www.hindu.com/2011/05/09/stor...0964031400.htm


ISI facilitated attacks on India: Guantanamo detentus
The Pakistan spy agency helped militants cross the border to attack targets chosen by the Army
Monday, May 09, 2011

WASHINGTON: The Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) facilitated militants to cross the border to carry out strikes on Indian targets chosen by the Pakistan Army, several detainees at the Guantanamo Bay facility told U.S. interrogators, according to a fresh set of American diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks.

The interrogation reports quoted a detainee as saying that the ISI “allowed” militants to travel to India where they conducted bombings, kidnappings and killing of Kashmiri people.

The revelations add to Pakistan's embarrassment after al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden was found living in a million-dollar mansion in the garrison city of Abbottabad.

The U.S. was long aware of the presence of anti-India terror training camps in Pakistan with several inmates telling investigators how the ISI allowed militants to carry out attacks in India.

The disclosures are part of 779 interrogation reports from the facility of detainees from all over the world and show how a number of them were linked to the anti-Indian Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and had received terror training in Pakistan.

The reports quote detainees from countries such as Saudi Arabia, Algeria and Pakistan as telling interrogators about their recruitment and subsequent travelling to Pakistan for terror training before their actual deployment for launching attacks against India and Afghanistan.

An Algerian detainee Abdul Azia admitted he was a member of the LeT for which he noted that “their mission [was] to kill Indians in India,” says a detailed report of his interrogation, released by the whistleblower website.

“Detainee is assessed to have been recruited in Saudi Arabia and received training from the LeT in Pakistan. The detainee is further assessed to have participated in a combat in Kashmir, and then travelled to Afghanistan where he was injured,” says a note about Azia.

Records of a Pakistani prisoner named Mohammad Anwer showed that he travelled to Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir where he attended a LeT training camp for 21 days in 1998 and later served in Afghanistan.

“Detainee has been identified through sensitive reporting as a Pakistani ISI Directorate agent,” the document says.

One of the reports quotes Chaman Gul, an Afghan militant, as telling investigators about Mast Gul, a former Major of the Pakistani Army, who was “a notorious terrorist who fought in Kashmir and planned terror attacks against a number of targets in Kabul.”

The detainee claimed that Mast Gul controlled all guerilla activities in Kashmir from his home base in Muzaffarabad. Chaman said militants were deployed for three to four months and then asked to return.

He said that as member of Hizb-e-Islami Gulbuddin, he was part of a plan to assassinate Afghan President Hamid Karzai and the U.S. Ambassador.

One detainee Yacoub claimed that he had got a security job in the Afghan government, and another said he was an informant for the British intelligence service.


India as platform

In another such assessment report, a senior al-Qaeda operative was said to be planning to use Indians for terror attacks because of the low-level of scrutiny Indians are subjected to in the western nations.

“Detainee admitted that he had considered using India as a platform to send operatives to the U.S. or the U.K. because of the large Muslim population there and the low level of scrutiny given to travellers of Indian nationality,” the document on Abu al-Libbi says. — PTI

[BRVoice]

http://nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-n...t-alert-at-LoC


‘Pak Army on highest alert at LoC’
Published: May 09, 2011

NEW DELHI (Agencies) – The Pakistan Army has put its troops along the Line of Control (LoC) on a high state of alert as it scrambles to emerge from the fallout of the unilateral American action in Abbottabad that killed al-Qaeda chief Obama bin Laden, claims an Indian newspaper.

Quoting its sources, it said all units of the Pakistan Army along the entire 740-kilometre stretch of the LoC and the 110-km Actual Ground Position Line in Siachen were Friday put on the “higher state of alert”.

“Active deployment” has been beefed up along forward posts, said a senior official of the Indian Army.

The officer said the Indian Army has been careful not to respond to the high state of alert by Pakistan and “would not respond to it.” Traditionally, the two sides are used to tit-for-tat responses to military actions.

The response by the Pakistan Army seem to be a retaliation for remarks made by Indian Army and Air Force chiefs that India has the capability to carry out an operation like the one executed by the US Seals in Pakistan. The Pakistan Army top brass said in a statement on Thursday, “The corps commanders, taking serious note of the assertions made by Indian military leadership about conducting similar operations, made it very clear that any misadventure of this kind will be responded to very strongly. Khan Research Laboratories at Kahuta, the nerve centre of Pakistan’s nuclear programme, isn’t very far from Abbottabad, meaning even strategic assets of Pakistan suffer from similar vulnerability, the Indian report said.

[BRVoice]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/al-qaeda/8501266/Pakistan-Prime-Minister-to-warn-US-over-Osama-bin-Laden-raid.html


Pakistan Prime Minister to warn US over Osama bin Laden raid
Pakistan's prime minister will on Monday warn the United States it will defend its air space if American forces mount another raid on terrorists suspected of hiding inside the country.
By Dean Nelson, Javed Siddiq and Rob Crilly in Islamabad 8:18PM BST 08 May 2011

Yusuf Raza Gilani will seek to restore some dignity in an address to the nation after the humiliation caused when American forces killed Osama bin Laden at a compound close to Pakistan's main military academy in Abbottabad last week without alerting Pakistan.

A senior government source close to the prime minister said while Mr Gilani will take an aggressive stand to shore up the government's position.

The source said: "The Prime Minister will say that the United States should not have bypassed Pakistan. We have made a huge contribution in fighting terrorism. We've arrested close to 100 al-Qaeda people, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.

"We'll take appropriate action if any further violation takes place. We will defend our air space by any means we have."

He will say that Washington's decision to launch the raid without consulting Islamabad had plunged military and political relations between the frosty allies to a new low.

Sources in Mr Gilani's office said the country's air defences on its Western border will now be upgraded to confront any future US raids from bases in Afghanistan.

The country's Air Chief will establish a committee of inquiry into the air warning failures which allowed American helicopters to fly undetected into the heart of the country's military establishment in Abbottabad.

Mr Gilani is also expected to announce his own inquiry and to consult opposition leaders about the future of Pakistan's relationship with the United States.

The prime minister is under intense pressure from opponents, including his own former foreign minister Shah Mahmoud Qureshi who has called on him and President Zardari to resign over the issue.

Mr Gilani's warning will raise the threat of military confrontation between the two after new information discovered at bin Laden's compound was said to disclose the whereabouts of bin Laden's deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri inside Pakistan, potentially leading to another raid.

President Obama's spokesman last week said he continued to reserve America's right to strike at terrorist targets in Pakistan.

The by US Navy Seals had taken place just weeks after Pakistan Army chief General Kiyani had met his US counterpart and agreed to increase military and intelligence co-operation, according to Pakistani government sources. The relationship had already deteriorated after CIA operative Raymond Davis shot dead two motorcycle gunmen in Lahore in January.

"The Army is very much hurt. There was an understanding to continue our co-operation in the war on terrorism and then in the following weeks they did this. It shows how much they trust us. The Americans think they can do whatever they want, but the Pakistan people are full of hate for them," the government source said.

The CIA chief Leon Panetta last week said the US had decided not to inform Pakistan of the imminent raid because it feared its plans would be leaked and thwarted.

In a move that will heighten American anxiety over Pakistan's reaction, local media named the CIA's Islamabad station chief, raising suspicions that intelligence officers had leaked it in revenge for the bin Laden operation.

Sources in Pakistan said the name was incorrect, however.

[BRVoice]

http://www.onlinenews.com.pk/details.php?id=178413


Pakistan seeks Saudi support against drones

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has sought Saudi support to build diplomatic pressure on US to stop drone attacks inside Pakistani territories reiterating that these strikes were counter productive in international drive against terrorism.

“Yes, we are seeking support from not only Kingdom of Saudi Arabia but also the entire international community to convince US that drone attacks were impeding rather helping the war against terrorism,” said Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar answering a question after media briefing on her last visit to the Kingdom. She referred to Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani’s recent statement in this regard wherein Pakistan has sought diplomatic support from world capitals to convince US to stop predators’ hitting civilians while targeting militants.

She claimed that her visit had restored the mutual trust and Pakistan and Saudi Arabia were on the same page in dealing with the issue of Afghanistan and international counter terror drive.

Backing her claim of restoring traditionally cordial ties with the Saudis, the Minister of State said that KSA has understood Pakistan’s challenges with energy crisis on top of them and has offered to finance hydropower projects chiefly Diamer-Bhasha Dam. “No only the government of KSA would support Hydropower development in Pakistan but it would also encourage other development and private funds to join hands in consortia to finance cheapest power generation here,” she said in her off the cuff opening remarks.

The Minister described her visit to Saudi Arabia as a breakthrough for Pakistan’s external trade development. “We anticipate earliest possible conclusion of Pak-GCC Free Trade Agreement with the active support of Saudi Arabia. And this is the message we want to give out to the world that we need trade not aid,” she observed.

“We have paid the highest price in the war on terror in terms of lives, economic losses, and many other irreparable damages to the country as well as society. Deserving compensation from across the glob we seek assistance in terms of trade, investment, and access to markets and not aid,” she maintained.

Apart from trade Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have also agreed to cooperate in the field of Agriculture. Specific projects in sectors namely diary forming, corporate forming, mechanization, and food processing would be launched, the Minister said.

To a question about sale of lands to Saudis, she said, “we don’t have to go for sale purchase deals with any foreign party. There is a huge market of processed food in Saudi Arabia and we can go for joint ventures to install food processing plants in Pakistan,” the minister observed.

To a question on Indian missions in Afghanistan allegedly working against Pakistan, she said, “we don’t want Afghan lands used by any country for misadventures in Pakistan.”

Replying questions regarding Pakistani’s languishing in Saudi jails she said, Saudi Arabia has agreed to provide consular access to all those that require in any case. “We have agreed in principle to institutionalize consular access mechanism as millions of Pakistanis are living and working in Saudi Arabia. In terms of manpower Pakistan has contributed a lot to the development of Saudi Arabia,” she added.

[BRVoice]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011...error-targets/


Pakistan PM Warns of 'Full Force' Response to Future U.S. Raids
Published May 09, 2011
| FoxNews.com

Pakistan's prime minister warned the United States Monday that his country could respond to any future U.S. raids on its soil with "full force," in the latest escalation of rhetoric in the wake of Usama bin Laden's death.

Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, like other officials in Islamabad, said the killing of bin Laden in northern Pakistan was a positive step. But, reflecting concerns that the unilateral strike violated his country's sovereignty, Gilani sent a clear message to the United States. He warned any "overt or covert" attack would be met with a "matching response" in the future.

"Pakistan reserves the right to retaliate with full force. No one should underestimate the resolve and capability of our nation and armed forces to defend our sacred homeland," Gilani said.

Pakistani officials are taking a firm stance on the raid, as the United States analyzes the trove of evidence collected from the bin Laden compound. That evidence -- described as the largest intelligence find ever from a senior terror leader -- could lead the United States to other terrorists on Pakistani soil, once again forcing President Obama to decide whether to go around the Pakistanis to capture or kill a high-value terror target.

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney has said the president reserves the right to enter Pakistani territory to act against terror suspects if Pakistan will not, and reiterated that message when asked about Gilani's speech. He said Monday that while the U.S. takes Pakistanis' concerns seriously, the U.S. does "not apologize" for the raid.

"It's simply beyond doubt in his mind that he had the right and the imperative to do this," Carney said Monday.

With analysts combing through the bin Laden files for clues on the whereabouts of Al Qaeda's Ayman al-Zawahiri or Taliban chief Mullah Omar, some are calling on Obama to strike again while Al Qaeda and its allies are staggering.

"We have no right to keep our troops on the defense dying, when we know where some of the highest-ranking people in the Taliban are," Bing West, former assistant defense secretary, told Fox News on Monday.

Former CIA Director Michael Hayden said that if the U.S. gets bin Laden's deputy -- presumed to be al-Zawahiri -- in its sights, "the same calculus" that was used on bin Laden should apply.

But the thought already has Pakistani leaders fuming.

Husain Haqqani, Pakistan's ambassador to the U.S., told ABC's "This Week" that the Pakistani government wants to continue "joint operations," but is concerned about the nature of the raid last weekend.

"Nobody said that we didn't want Usama bin Laden taken out. What we are offended by is the violation of our sovereignty," he said. "Now, we've heard the American explanation. But at the same time, try and put yourself in the position of a Pakistani leader who has to go to votes from the same people who will turn around and say, 'You know what? You can't protect this country from American helicopters coming in.'"

U.S. officials have made clear that they did not loop in the Pakistanis on the raid out of concern that somebody would tip off bin Laden.

Asked about the Pakistanis' concerns, Carney said repeatedly Monday that the U.S. continues to view its relationship with the country as "important."

Obama, in an interview with CBS' "60 Minutes," confirmed that he did not inform Pakistani officials of the raid in advance, though he praised Pakistan's cooperation considering "we've been able to kill more terrorists on Pakistani soil than just about any place else."

However, Obama also questioned whether anybody inside the Pakistani government might have known about bin Laden's location all along.

"We were surprised that he could maintain a compound like that for that long without there being a tip-off," Obama said. "We think that there had to be some sort of support network for bin Laden inside of Pakistan. But we don't know who or what that support network was. We don't know whether there might have been some people inside of government, people outside of government, and that's something that we have to investigate and, more importantly, the Pakistani government has to investigate."

[BRVoice]

http://ftpapp.app.com.pk/en_/index.p...38772&Itemid=1


Pakistan-China relations based on depth and vitality
Associated Press of Pakistan
May 9, 2011

ISLAMABAD, May 9 (APP): President Asif Ali Zardari Monday termed Pakistan’s relationship with China based on “depth and vitality” that increases with each passing day and said it was rooted in history and based on mutual trust and respect. The President who joined an event marking the celebration of 60 years of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries here at the Chinese embassy said Pakistan was proud to have China as a friend and vowed that it would always stand by China. “We will always stand by China as a true and trusted friend and partner,” he said and paid tributes to the wisdom of the architects of Pakistan-China friendship.

He said “the celebrations this evening demonstrate the sentiments of friendship in the hearts and minds of our people.”

The President said the people of the two countries were joined in bonds of friendship and trust.

“Ours is a relationship that is not matched by any other relationship between two sovereign countries,” he said.

“It is a relationship, the depth and vitality of which increases with each passing day,” the President added.

He said Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Chairman Mao Zedong and Premier Zhou Enlai were the true architects of this friendship and paid tributes to those who succeeded these great leaders and pursued their vision.

“I also salute all those men and women, both in Pakistan and in China, who over the last six decades, have worked with devotion and commitment to further deepen and broaden our friendship.”

He said strengthening Pakistan-China relations have been a central focus of the government of the Pakistan Peoples Party and noted that over the past three years, the architecture of Pakistan-China partnership has been built on a firm foundation.

“We take great pride in the achievements of China,” he said and added “these achievements attest to the genius, skills and talent of the Chinese people and of the wisdom of their leadership.”

He said the leadership and people of two countries were united in their determination to take our friendship and partnership to new heights.

He expressed his delight for participation in the celebrations marking the Pakistan-China Friendship Year and welcomed the Chinese cultural troupe that specially came from Xinjiang (ZHIN-JIANG) to participate in the celebrations today.

He in particular thanked Ambassador Liu Jian and the Chinese friends, for organizing a special cultural evening.

President Zardari ended his brief remarks with the slogan of “Long Live Pak-China Friendship”.

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Pakistan PM Warns of 'Full Force' Response to Future U.S. Raids

My .02 - I seem to remember, right after 9/11, a very high ranking member of Bush's cabinet (Rumsfeld maybe?) telling them they would cooperate, or would be living in the stone age for the next several hundred years.

Pakistan's prime minister warned the United States Monday that his country could respond to any future U.S. raids on its soil with "full force," in the latest escalation of rhetoric in the wake of Usama bin Laden's death.

Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, like other officials in Islamabad, said the killing of bin Laden in northern Pakistan was a positive step. But, reflecting concerns that the unilateral strike violated his country's sovereignty, Gilani sent a clear message to the United States. He warned any "overt or covert" attack would be met with a "matching response" in the future.

"Pakistan reserves the right to retaliate with full force. No one should underestimate the resolve and capability of our nation and armed forces to defend our sacred homeland," Gilani said.

Pakistani officials are taking a firm stance on the raid, as the United States analyzes the trove of evidence collected from the bin Laden compound. That evidence -- described as the largest intelligence find ever from a senior terror leader -- could lead the United States to other terrorists on Pakistani soil, once again forcing President Obama to decide whether to go around the Pakistanis to capture or kill a high-value terror target.

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney has said the president reserves the right to enter Pakistani territory to act against terror suspects if Pakistan will not, and reiterated that message when asked about Gilani's speech. He said Monday that while the U.S. takes Pakistanis' concerns seriously, the U.S. does "not apologize" for the raid.

"It's simply beyond doubt in his mind that he had the right and the imperative to do this," Carney said Monday.

With analysts combing through the bin Laden files for clues on the whereabouts of Al Qaeda's Ayman al-Zawahiri or Taliban chief Mullah Omar, some are calling on Obama to strike again while Al Qaeda and its allies are staggering.

"We have no right to keep our troops on the defense dying, when we know where some of the highest-ranking people in the Taliban are," Bing West, former assistant defense secretary, told Fox News on Monday.

Former CIA Director Michael Hayden said that if the U.S. gets bin Laden's deputy -- presumed to be al-Zawahiri -- in its sights, "the same calculus" that was used on bin Laden should apply.

But the thought already has Pakistani leaders fuming.

Husain Haqqani, Pakistan's ambassador to the U.S., told ABC's "This Week" that the Pakistani government wants to continue "joint operations," but is concerned about the nature of the raid last weekend.

"Nobody said that we didn't want Usama bin Laden taken out. What we are offended by is the violation of our sovereignty," he said. "Now, we've heard the American explanation. But at the same time, try and put yourself in the position of a Pakistani leader who has to go to votes from the same people who will turn around and say, 'You know what? You can't protect this country from American helicopters coming in.'"

U.S. officials have made clear that they did not loop in the Pakistanis on the raid out of concern that somebody would tip off bin Laden.

Asked about the Pakistanis' concerns, Carney said repeatedly Monday that the U.S. continues to view its relationship with the country as "important."

Obama, in an interview with CBS' "60 Minutes," confirmed that he did not inform Pakistani officials of the raid in advance, though he praised Pakistan's cooperation considering "we've been able to kill more terrorists on Pakistani soil than just about any place else."

However, Obama also questioned whether anybody inside the Pakistani government might have known about bin Laden's location all along.

"We were surprised that he could maintain a compound like that for that long without there being a tip-off," Obama said. "We think that there had to be some sort of support network for bin Laden inside of Pakistan. But we don't know who or what that support network was. We don't know whether there might have been some people inside of government, people outside of government, and that's something that we have to investigate and, more importantly, the Pakistani government has to investigate."

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Companion Post:

• Osama Bin Laden Raid: Pakistan Hints China Wants a Peek at Secret Helicopter

Pakistani PM Disses US And Says China Is Its New "All Weather Friend"

Robert W. Johnson | May 10, 2011, 11:54 AM | 716 | 11



In his 30-minute speech to parliament following the U.S. raid on Osama Bin Laden, Pakistan Prime Minister made one thing very clear: China is is Pakistan's new best friend.

According to the Globe and Mail, Gilani will remain receptive to U.S. relations and the $4 billion aid package his country receives every year, but he is looking to China as a long-term stabilizing presence.

China does not offer Pakistan much assistance, but it does provide nuclear cooperation, and what it demands in return, like access to mining and ports, has yet to cause the type of uproar following the May 2 raid.
During his speech, Gilani said:

We are delighted that our all-weather friend, the People’s Republic of China, has made tremendous strides in economic and technological development that are a source of inspiration and strength for the people of Pakistan.

The "all-weather" reference refers to the wavering attention the U.S. devotes to the region. Such as during the Soviet occupation in the 1980's and then not again until the War on Terror on the last decade. Some in Pakistan believe that with the death of Bin Laden, and the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Pakistan in 2014, U.S. attention will again drift elsewhere.

Whether such statements are any more than political posturing, meant to antagonize U.S. officials, remains to be seen.

[BRVoice]

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/osama-...ry?id=13570573


Osama Bin Laden Raid: Pakistan Hints China Wants a Peek at Secret Helicopter
By MATTHEW COLE, JIM SCIUTTO (@jimsciuttoABC), LEE FERRAN and BRIAN ROSS (@brianross)
May 10, 2011

Photographs taken after a Navy SEAL team raided Osama bin Laden?s compound in Pakistan show the wreckage of one helicopter that clipped a rotor on a compound wall, was abandoned and destroyed. (European PressPhoto Agency) Pakistani officials said today they're interested in studying the remains of the U.S.'s secret stealth-modified helicopter abandoned during the Navy SEAL raid of Osama bin Laden's compound, and suggest the Chinese are as well. The U.S. has already asked the Pakistanis for the helicopter wreckage back, but one Pakistani official told ABC News the Chinese were also "very interested" in seeing the remains. Another official said, "We might let them [the Chinese] take a look."

A U.S. official said he did not know if the Pakistanis had offered a peek to the Chinese, but said he would be "shocked" if the Chinese hadn't already been given access to the damaged aircraft. The chopper, which aviation experts believe to be a highly classified modified version of a Blackhawk helicopter, clipped a wall during the operation that took down the al Qaeda leader, the White House said. The U.S. Navy SEALs that rode in on the bird attempted to destroy it after abandoning it on the ground, but a significant portion of the tail section survived the explosion. In the days after the raid, the tail section and other pieces of debris -- including a mysterious cloth-like covering that the local children found entertaining to play with -- were photographed being hauled away from the crash site by tractor. Aviation experts said the unusual configuration of the rear rotor, the curious hub-cap like housing around it and the general shape of the bird are all clues the helicopter was highly modified to not only be quiet, but to have as small a radar signature as possible.

European PressPhoto Agency Photographs taken after a Navy SEAL team raided Osama bin Laden?s compound in Pakistan show the wreckage of one helicopter that clipped a rotor on a compound wall, was abandoned and destroyed. The helicopter's remains have apparently become another chip in a tense, high-stakes game of diplomacy between the U.S. and Pakistan following the U.S.'s unilateral military raid of bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, more than a week ago. The potential technological advancements gleaned from the bird could be a "much appreciated gift" to the Chinese, according to former White House counterterrorism advisor and ABC News consultant Richard Clarke. "Because Pakistan gets access to Chinese missile technology and other advanced systems, Islamabad is always looking for ways to give China something in return," Clarke said. The Chinese and Pakistani governments are known to have a close relationship.

Last month Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif concluded a trip to Beijing, afterwards telling Pakistan's local press that China was Pakistan's "best friend." Dan Goure, a former Department of Defense official and vice president of the Lexington Institute, said last week the stealth chopper likely provided the SEALs an invaluable advantage in the moments before the shooting started. "This is a first," he said. "You wouldn't know that it was coming right at you. And that's what's important, because these are coming in fast and low, and if they aren't sounding like they're coming right at you, you might not even react until it's too late... That was clearly part of the success." Neighbors of bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan, told ABC News they didn't hear the helicopters the night of the raid until they were overhead. Officials at the U.S. Department of Defense declined to comment for this report, and a senior Pentagon official told ABC News last week the Department would "absolutely not" discuss anything relating to the downed chopper.

Several Chinese government officials in the U.S. and in China were not available for comment. U.S. officials have not officially disclosed any details on the helicopter, but President Obama said it was a "$60 million helicopter," according to a report by The Washington Post. While the price tag on normal Blackhawks varies depending the type, none cost more than $20 million according to the latest Department of Defense procurement report. China's Murky History With U.S. Stealth Technology If the Chinese are allowed to see the wreckage, it may not be the first time the Chinese military was given an opportunity to benefit technologically from America's misfortune.

In 1999 an American stealth F-117 Nighthawk bomber was shot down in Serbia, the wreckage of which was reportedly passed along to the Chinese. More than a decade later, in January of this year, China's first stealth fighter, the J-20, took a test flight that caught international attention and sparked a debate over whether China had developed the stealth-capabilities based on what they learned from the downed Nighthawk. Balkan military officials told The Associated Press the Chinese likely based their designs on the American plane, but Chinese officials denied the allegation in their state-run newspaper, The Global Times Regardless of its origins, the J-20 could serve as the first major challenge to American air superiority in decades. In an analysis published last week, the conservative think tank The Jamestown Foundation concluded the J-20 was capable of rivaling America's best air-to-air fighter, the F-22, in everything from speed to stealth and lethality.

[BRVoice]

http://www.business-standard.com/ind...isis/134672/on


US, Pakistan lock horns in deepening crisis
AFP/ PTI / Washington May 10, 2011, 17:30 IST

The US and Pakistan locked horns Monday over the US raid that killed Osama bin Laden in what looks increasingly like the two countries' worst crisis since they became war-on-terror allies.

One expert found it hard to see how the two would emerge from the crisis, another said the two at least recognised the danger to their relationship and a third urged a last-ditch bid to right what he saw as lopsided ties.

Analyst Lisa Curtis said Washington had first thought it would be able to press Islamabad to cooperate more in counter-terrorism after the May 2 raid that killed the world's most wanted terrorist on Pakistani territory.

"Instead, Pakistan is digging its heels in and trying to make themselves look like the aggrieved party," said Curtis, a former CIA analyst and State Department advisor on south Asia now with the Heritage Foundation think tank.

Islamabad yesterday warned it would retaliate against any future strikes on its territory, even as Washington refused to apologise for killing the al-Qaeda leader on Pakistani soil.

Rather than trying to "assuage" US officials over questions of complicity with bin Laden living in their midst, Curtis told AFP, Pakistani officials are "upping the ante" and resorting to "brinksmanship".

The approach, she said, will only cause US lawmakers who control the purse string to increase demands to withhold billions of dollars in annual economic and military aid to Pakistan until Islamabad provides more cooperation.

"I think US-Pakistan relations are at an all-time low, maybe at the lowest point they've ever been in history. And it's difficult to see a way forward at this point," Curtis said.

Both sides have much at stake in the relationship, which may or may not brake a worsening slide, according to analysts.

The Obama administration needs the Pakistani port of Karachi and its roads to supply US forces in landlocked Afghanistan. It also needs to keep US intelligence operatives on the ground in Pakistan.

Last but not least, it wants to remain engaged with Pakistan to make sure its nuclear weapons "stay out of the hands of terrorists", Curtis said.

Pakistan, meanwhile, needs US aid while it also relies on US influence with the International Monetary Fund to boost its flagging economy, Curtis said.

"I think they both need each other," Curtis said.

Analyst Michael O'Hanlon observed "some efforts to keep things cordial" on both sides as the two grapple with what he said is "probably" the worst crisis in ties since they became allies after the September 11, 2001 attacks.

The good news is "both sides are treating it as a serious issue and both sides recognise that there's some danger to where the relationship is," the Brookings Institution analyst told AFP.

[BRVoice]

http://nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-n...-into-Pakistan


Iran warns US against extending war into Pakistan
Submitted 24 mins ago

TEHRAN (Online) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has warned US President Barack Obama against extending the war in Afghanistan to neighbouring Pakistan.

‘I warn Obama to take a lesson from former President George W.Bush’s fate and to stop expanding the war’, he said. ‘The best option for him is to withdraw his forces from our region’, Ahmadinejad added. The Iranian President made the comments at a news conference in Istanbul on the sidelines of the Fourth UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries. ‘If he (Obama) makes a wrong decision, he will suffer an even worse fate than that of Bush’, Ahmadinejad said. He went on to say that the US invaded the region after the 9/11 attacks under the pretext of the campaign against terrorism, but there has never been an independent investigation into the events.

He also underlined the need to reform the UN structure, noting that the nations of the world have come to the conclusion that the UN must be reformed since the major powers currently control it.

The five-day UN summit with 48 leaders of the world’s Least Developed Countries (LDCs) began in Istanbul on Monday to discuss a new 10-year aid plan to help lift nations out of poverty.

At the UN conference, the Iranian President presented Iran’s six-point plan for reforming the ‘unjust’ world system.

The UN holds a Least Developed Countries conference every decade. France hosted the first two LDC conferences in 1981 and 1990. The third was held in Brussels in 2001.