text:
Pakistani internal security (catch all)
Today a parallel thread 'Operations in Pakistan's Frontier / Tribal Areas' was merged into this thread, it has become increasingly difficult to separate posts and the title has been amended (ends).
ICG, 29 Mar 07: Pakistan: Karachi's Madrasas and Violent Extremism
...Karachi's madrasas, which have trained and dispatched jihadi fighters to Afghanistan and Indian-administered Kashmir, offer a valuable case study of government failures and consequences for internal stability and regional and international security. In 2006, the city was rocked by high-profile acts of political violence. In three separate attacks, suicide bombers killed a U.S. diplomat, assassinated the head of the most prominent Shia political group and wiped out the entire leadership of a Sunni militant group locked in a struggle for control over mosques with its Sunni rivals.
Not all madrasas in the city are active centres of jihadi militancy but even those without direct links to violence promote an ideology that provides religious justification for such attacks. Exploiting Karachi's rapid, unplanned and unregulated urbanisation and its masses of young, disaffected and impoverished citizens, the madrasa sector has grown at an explosive rate over the past two decades. Given the government's half-hearted reform efforts, these unregulated madrasas contribute to Karachi's climate of lawlessness in numerous ways – from illegal land encroachment and criminality to violent clashes between rival militant groups and use of the pulpit to spread calls for sectarian and jihadi violence.
The Pakistan government has yet to take any of the overdue and necessary steps to control religious extremism in Karachi and the rest of the country....
NPS thesis "Pakistan's madrassas - weapons of mass instruction?"
http://bosun.nps.edu/uhtbin/cgisirsi...ay_db=HYPERION
SWCAdmin
Direct access at http://bosun.nps.edu/Archimages/14278.PDF
goesh
Pakistan Launches Operation Against Radicals in Mosque
"Shooting erupts at radical mosque in Pakistan
At least nine killed, including 2 police officers, soldier, officials say
The students later pelted two government buildings, including the Ministry of Environment, with rocks and set them ablaze, and torched a dozen cars in the ministry's lot.
The battle marked a major escalation in a six-month standoff at the Lal Masjid, or Red Mosque, whose clerics have challenged the military-led government by mounting a vigilante anti-vice campaign in Islamabad.
Hundreds of police and paramilitary Rangers have taken up position near the mosque in recent days in what officials have said is an effort to contain their activities.
President Gen. Pervez Musharraf said last week that he was ready to raid the mosque, but warned that suicide bombers from a militant group linked to al-Qaida had slipped into the mosque and that the media would blame any bloodbath on the government. "
SWJED
6 July Washington Post - Pakistan Launches Operation Against Radicals in Mosque by Griff Witte.
Pakistani security forces launched a major operation Thursday against radical students holed up in an Islamabad mosque, seeking to end a months-long standoff that has turned bloody in recent days.
Fighting raged in the darkness and continued early Friday, with the pops and cracks of small-arms fire echoing through the silence of a residential neighborhood. Just after 3 a.m., there was a major explosion, followed by an intense round of shooting that lasted nearly half an hour.
The government had earlier been hoping to pressure the students to leave the mosque peacefully, but those negotiations appeared to have broken down.
It was not immediately clear how many people had been killed in the clash, but leaders of the pro-Taliban Red Mosque have said they are prepared to fight to the death. The government, meanwhile, vowed Thursday to settle for nothing less than surrender...
"Pakistan official: Musharraf's plane fired on
Intelligence officer contradicts government denials of attack"
Another piece reports explosions at the Red Mosque
Musharraf's Plane Fired Upon as Mosque Standoff Continues
7 July NY Times - Musharraf's Plane Fired Upon as Mosque Standoff Continues by Salmond Masood and Carlotta Gall.
A burst of gunfire went off as President Pervez Musharraf's plane took off Friday morning from an airfield in the garrison town of Rawalpindi, near the capital, as the government's siege of a militant mosque entered its fourth day.
Security officials said they recovered two antiaircraft guns and one submachine gun with a telescopic sight from the rooftop of a house barely a mile from the airport where the shooting had apparently taken place.
It was not immediately clear if there was a link between the shooting and the siege at the Lal Masjid, or Red Mosque, complex in the heart of the capital, where the leader of the rebellion vowed to fight to the death...
7 July Washington Post - Fear Grows Of Hostage Situation at Red Mosque by Griff Witte.
Security forces ringing a besieged mosque pummeled Islamic radicals with gunfire on Friday, as concern grew that many of those still inside -- including children -- were being held against their will.
Although more than 1,200 people have fled the mosque since the siege began Tuesday, authorities estimated that several hundred remain within. Only a few dozen are suspected to be hard-core radicals; others appear to want to leave but have been prevented from doing so...
Received via e-mail this morning:
Pakistani Special Forces launched a major operation against those holed up in Lal Mosque this morning at 0400 local using their most advanced military systems, including US Predator Drones and helicopters. Fierce fighting is reported inside the buildings within the compound. Military reports state that at least 40 security forces personnel and over 70 Lal Mosque students have been killed in the operation which is still ongoing. It was also reported that the operation is expected to be complete within a matter of hours.
Monday night the government revoked the relaxation of the curfew re-enforcing the curfew for an indefinite period in Sector G-6. G-6 has been completely sealed off by the security forces and all hospitals are reportedly under their control. The media have also been strictly forbidden to enter into the area.
The security situation in Islamabad remains extremely tense and a minimum presence observed in most all business centers. Roads leading to the city have been blocked by the military but routes leaving the city, including the main route to the airport remain open with stringent checking of vehicles at military checkpoints.
Sarajevo071
Operations in Pakistan's Frontier / Tribal Areas
I didn't see any mention of this here. Thought it will be interesting for some.
Sorry if is re-post.
Taliban Ambushes Pakistani Convoy, Seizes 100 Troops
In an audacious display of force, Taliban fighters on Thursday ambushed a convoy of military vehicles in a remote tribal area and took more than 100 Pakistani troops hostage, local officials said.
The convoy of more than a dozen vehicles was traveling between two towns in the South Waziristan area, near the Afghan border, when it was overtaken by fighters, officials said.
"Our group has surrounded and disarmed the convoy of Pakistani soldiers and they have been made hostages," said Zulfiqar Mehsud, a purported Taliban spokesman.
Mehsud, who said the troops had been taken to "our prisons," accused the government of violating a pledge not to send soldiers into the area. He said the Taliban had meticulously planned the ambush.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...083001395.html
Confusion over missing Pakistanis
The fate of scores of Pakistani troops missing near the Afghan border is in doubt amid conflicting claims from militants and the army.
Pro-Taleban rebels say they are holding 300 men in South Waziristan after surrounding and disarming them.
The army said no troops were seized, but about 100 men could not move as they were caught up in fighting between militants and pro-government tribesmen.
Reports say frantic talks are going on to secure the men a passage to safety.
Over 200 soldiers in captivity of militants
Colonel, nine other officers among hostages
Some 208 soldiers of the Pakistan Army and the Frontier Corps are in the custody of tribal militants led by their commander Baitullah Mahsud in South Waziristan Agency, credible sources told The News on Friday.
Despite repeated denials by the government till Friday that the soldiers had been taken hostage, people close to the militants confirmed to The News that the militants had seized 208 security personnel.
The government on Friday sent a 50-member Jirga comprising prominent tribal elders and Ulema from all the three subsections of the Mahsud tribe and people from the 21-member peace committee to the militants to persuade them to release the kidnapped security personnel without any condition.
The militants claimed they had been promised complete withdrawal of security forces from Ladha and other areas inhabited by the Mahsud tribesmen after recent talks between them and the 21-member peace committee and Mahsud tribal grand Jirga under which they had released the 19 kidnapped FC personnel.
"Instead of withdrawal, the government wanted to deploy more troops in the area for likely action against them (militants)," said the sources while quoting tribal militants as saying. They said the militants admitted to have kidnapped all the 208 security personnel and shifted them to their hideouts.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=9870
Govt pushes for talks to get troops freed: 'Soldiers surrendered without firing a shot'
With the government appearing in disarray over the seizure of more than 150 soldiers in the restive South Waziristan tribal agency, militants on Friday seized in the Frontier Region's Jandola area four vehicles along with five drivers. The vehicles were carrying rations for security forces.
Though the exact number of missing soldiers was yet to be confirmed, security officials put the number at 156.
However, tribal sources claimed that the number of security personnel held hostage was about 205, including 105 regular troops and 100 personnel of the Frontier Corps. A colonel, three majors and some captains were among the personnel seized by militants.
http://www.dawn.com/2007/09/01/top1.htm
marct
Thanks Sarajevo! Given how important the area is, getting good information on what's happening there is really important. What is your take on this?
You are welcome. I thought maybe it could be important piece of news.
To be honest with you, I have no idea what to think... Or mujahideen there are that strong or Pakistani army is that weak. Or is some kind game/deal. It would be the first time. Seams it was not attack with casualties but rather surrender and grab. Prelude for something else? Musharaf is slowly going down. Maybe he have something in mind?
Talks on release of kidnapped troops begin
As a tribal jirga went into talks with hostage-takers, the government - changing its earlier position - has held Mehsud tribesmen responsible for the kidnapping of army and paramilitary personnel in the volatile South Waziristan region.
As the number of soldiers in captivity increased to more than 200, government officials alleged local Taliban - led by commander Baitullah Mehsud - were behind the hostage drama. On Friday, the miscreants seized four vehicles carrying rations for security forces along with five drivers in the Jandola area.
About army 205 army and Frontier Corps personnel were being held hostage by the militants, residents claimed, saying a colonel, three majors and four captains were among the captives. The kidnappers accused the authorities of failing to keep its promise of withdrawing troops from the Mehsud-inhabited areas in return for the 19 security men freed earlier in the week.
http://www.pajhwak.com/viewstory.asp?lng=eng&id=42063
Slippy slope
I read earlier this week that a party of Frontier Corps (para-military and locally raised troops) had been seized and one has been shown being beheaded by teenagers on video. Then there was a story they had been released.
Nothing like intimidation to stop local troops doing nothing.
Seizing a larger group, almost sounds like a convoy / company sized, with more officers than normal is very different. History shows many Imperial era convoys got seriously damaged when in transit, although I cannot recall a surrender.
Loss of will to resist sounds like the best explanation. Where was the support for them? Was the route picqueted?
Not a good sign for the national Pakistan government and should lead to the Army thinking hard - what happened?
TROUFION
more like UN style
The surrender without firing a shot is more on line with the reaction of UN Peacekeepers (note Senegal in 1999-2000), perhaps the Pakistanis have learned the wrong leasons. Or perhaps the border guards, not the best troops and lacking in the will to resist just got sold out. Not a good sign no matter how you cut it.
Originally Posted by davidbfpo
You are talking about these soldiers, right?
Militants Free 19 Pakistani Hostages
By SADAQAT JAN
Militants on Tuesday released 18 soldiers and a Pakistani government official kidnapped near the Afghan border earlier this month, the army and the militants said.
Army spokesman Maj. Gen. Waheed Arshad said the hostages were released in South Waziristan, a stronghold of pro-Taliban militants in Pakistan's lawless frontier region.
A militant leader, Rehmanullah Mehsud, said the captives were handed over to tribal elders in Kaniguram, a village north of Wana, South Waziristan's main town.
"Now they are heading to Wana to be handed over to government officials," Mehsud told The Associated Press by telephone.
The kidnappers had reportedly demanded the release of jailed comrades and a pullback of army troops in negotiations carried out through lawmakers for an Islamist political party.
However, Arshad said on Geo television news that the hostages were released unconditionally.
Militants seized 16 paramilitary soldiers after they left their base in a van on Aug. 9. One was later decapitated and his body dumped in a soccer field in the town of Jandola.
The other freed men were an army colonel, two soldiers and a security official seized last week near Laddha, another village in South Waziristan.
In mean time (update):
Militants link soldiers' release to pullout
By Mushtaq Yusufzai & Sailab Mahsud
Tribal militants holding around 300 security personnel hostage in South Waziristan on Sunday made their release conditional to withdrawal of troops from the tribal areas besides release of their 15 comrades. They also claimed responsibility for the kidnapping of 10 FC soldiers from Mohmand Agency on Saturday evening.
Also, a bomb blast in Wana claimed the lives of four persons and injured 13 others Sunday. As the row between the Army and the tribal militants deepens, the authorities have put the Army on alert for launching a major operation against the tribal militants if they fail to release the abducted soldiers without any condition.
Tribal sources told The News from Wana, the headquarters of South Waziristan Agency, that a 100-member Jirga comprising prominent tribal elders from all the three subsections of Mahsud tribe and 21-member peace committee headed by JUI-F MNA Maulana Merajuddin returned to the town after holding unsuccessful talks with tribal militants in Ladha over the release of held soldiers.
The Jirga met with militant commanders including Baitullah Mahsud, Qari Hussain and Asmatullah Shaheen Bhittani at an undisclosed location in Ladha subdivision on Saturday evening and exchanged views with them on contentious issues, including the release of the held soldiers. On their arrival in Wana on Sunday, the Jirga members were received by senior officials of the political administration, Army and FC at the Civil Colony.
Briefing government officials about the outcome of their negotiations, Maulana Merajuddin said militants who earlier demanded the release of their 10 colleagues had now increased their number to 15. He said the militants claimed that these men were in the custody of the government on various charges. The government would have to release all of them if it wanted the safe return of the held soldiers and restoration of peace in the region.
The militants also demanded implementation of the Sara Rogha peace agreement signed between the government and Mahsud tribal militants on February 9, 2005, under which militants claimed they were promised that security forces would not be deployed in the Mahsud inhabited areas besides removal of the forces checkpoints. The agreement, they stressed, also called for the withdrawal of Army from the agency. By stressing the need for implementation of the Sara Rogha peace accord, the militants in fact wanted complete command and control over the area.
Similarly, they demanded that military officials would inform militants through the political administration about the troops movement in their areas so that they could take possible arrangements for their safe passage.
The militants further told the Jirga that the government would have to release all the Mahsud tribesmen taken into custody during the past few days in the wake of soldiers' abduction under territorial responsibility clause of the Frontier Crimes Regulations.
Jirga fails to secure release of soldiers
September 03, 2007 Monday
By Alamgir Bhittani and Shams Momand
Local Taliban commander Baitullah Mehsud has linked the release of over 150 soldiers taken hostage on Aug 30 to the implementation of the Sararogha agreement signed in Feb 2005, Zulfiqar Mehsud, a spokesman for the commander, said on Sunday.
The agreement requires the government to grant amnesty to the militant commander and restrains Baitullah Mehsud from protecting and assisting foreign militants, attacking government officials and installations or blocking development projects in the area.
But militants claim that a clause, which is not included in the written agreement, requires security forces to stop their movements in the Mehsud-dominated area of South Waziristan.
Militants dispute the figure of 150 hostages given by the government and claim to have seized 300 soldiers.
The spokesman also claimed responsibility for the kidnapping of 10 personnel of the Frontier Corps in the Mohmand Agency, and warned of suicide attacks if the government started military operations in tribal areas.
"Our foremost demand is the implementation of the Sararogha agreement, which binds the government to contain the movement of troops in South Waziristan," he said.
Sources said that talks between members of a tribal jirga and militants for the release of over 150 security personnel had failed. The 50-member jirga headed by Senator Salih Shah went to Wana from Laddah and briefed Political Agent Hussainzada Khan on Sunday on talks held with militants.
The sources said that militants had told the elders of the Mehsud tribe that further talks were meaningless till the previous agreement was honoured.
Militants withdraw threat to behead abducted soldiers
A pro-Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal tribal senator said on Monday the militant commander holding 300 soldiers hostage in South Waziristan had withdrawn his threat to behead five soldiers a day due to the efforts of a Jirga.
Senator Maulana Saleh Shah, who belongs to South Waziristan and is affiliated to the JUI-F and MMA, is heading a 100-member Jirga to secure release of the abducted soldiers. He said commander of the militants had earlier conveyed to the Jirga that he would start killing five soldiers every day and send their bodies to the Pakistan Army base at the Frontier Corps (FC) Fort in Jandola.
Shah was part of the Jirga that held extensive talks with the militants to secure the release of around 300 security personnel, who were taken hostage by the militants last Thursday along with 16 vehicles and ammunitions in South Waziristan.
He said Commander Baitullah Mahsud was angry over the detention of his tribesmen by the government and threatened to behead five hostages daily if the government did not release all of them and stopped their arrest.
The Maulana said the militants at the request of the Jirga withdrew their threat and asked them to convoy their message to the government officials to immediately release all the innocent detained tribal people.
As a sign of goodwill gesture the government on Monday released all the 80 Mahsud tribesmen, arrested under territorial responsibility clause of the Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR). They had been arrested soon after the security personnel were made hostages by the tribal militants in their area.
Govt yielding to pressure; 100 tribesmen freed: Troops held hostage number about 300
by Ismail Khan
Militants holding hundreds of soldiers hostage have demanded withdrawal of forces from the restive South Waziristan tribal region and release of 15 alleged would-be suicide bombers in government custody, an official told Dawn.
"The militants have made certain demands but it does not mean that we will accept them. It will be managed," the official said.
He acknowledged that the Taliban were holding close to 300 army and paramilitary personnel, including some senior officers.
Maulana Esamuddin, a member of the Mehsud tribal jirga, endorsed the official's statement and said the authorities had asked them to help secure the release of 270 troops.
Here is a report from NPR
Click on this link to listen to their report.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...oryId=14191419
From the people they interivew, the mood in Pakistan is "anger and embarassment."
If that many soldiers can be taken without even firing a shot, it makes you wonder. Either about the fighting capability of the army, or their loyalty (or lack of?) to the government, maybe some of both. Considering the report of political unrest there lately, if I was thinking about plotting a coup d'etat, the time would seem right.
I wonder what India to the south thinks about the fighting capacity of the Pakistani army.
Thank you for the link.
BTW, don't you think that Paki Army would behave differently if they fight Indian Army and not they own people? I think many in Paki Army and police have struggle with what's going on and where they stand. It's not easy to shoot your own people.
What next Pakistani Army?
Thanks to Sarajevo for the source material.
I fear the worst with these incidents, either the Pakistani Army will go neutral - which means doing even less than before. Or it will be assertive, even launching operations. Even the most Islamic soldier, or officer should not accept the beheading of a FC para-military. Yes, I say this from the comfort of my "armchair" and rely on my reading of Imperial history.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main...akistan106.xml
Pakistan army helicopter kills militants
A Pakistan army helicopter has attacked a vehicle carrying suspected pro-Taliban tribesmen as uncertainty grew over the fate of over 100 Pakistani soldiers captured by militants in the tribal areas. Officials said four militants and two passers-by were killed in the strike near the town of Mir Ali in North Waziristan, notorious as a safe haven for militants, including Arabs and Central Asians.(more on the link about background).
You are welcome. I thought it is important development.
I agree with you on above observations on beheadings. I honestly never understand people like that... Seams to me that things will boil over soon and some kind of conflict will start. I am looking at this through they political crisis and imminent end of Musharraf's dictatorship.
JJackson
I have been following this one too but scanning for updates I am drawing a blank. The story has gone cold nothing on The Dawn, BBC, Reuters etc. - at least that I found - anyone got an update?
P.S. For those interested in the flux in Pakistani politics and its ramifications for Afghanistan see
Generals Waiting in the wings: http://www.dawn.com/2007/09/07/top4.htm and
Humour - Pakistan-style: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6984262.stm
Taliban Release Captured Pakistani Soldiers (probably)
Ok I seem to have now found something.
Pro-Taliban fighters have freed more than 260 Pakistani troops who were kidnapped nearly two weeks ago in the tribal region on the border with Afghanistan.
A local intelligence official said the soldiers were handed over to members of a jirga, or tribal council on Monday.
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exer...91E72CD7B4.htm
Release deal fails?
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default...1-9-2007_pg7_1
Army hostage release deal fails - from Pakistani paper.
(added more general items on Pakistan elsewhere)
Asia Policy, Jul 07: Militant Recruitment in Pakistan: A New Look at the Militancy-Madrasah Connection
• With respect to intelligence collection and analysis, asking whether or not madaris produce militants is the wrong question. Querying the educational and other characteristics of key tanzeem (militant group) operatives, while keeping in mind the impacts of group efforts to select for desired skills and capabilities, will inform counterterrorism efforts more effectively.
• A number of implications are pertinent to U.S. policy toward Pakistan and the threat posed by Pakistan-based terrorism to U.S. interests:
- The U.S. can act unilaterally against known militant madaris only at great cost to other objectives (e.g., Musharraf 's safety); Pakistan will cooperate in this regard only with varying degrees of commitment, limited capability, and diminished respect for rule of law and human rights.
- Pakistan's entire education system requires comprehensive reform; such reform may be beyond Pakistan's capability and there may be only limited scope for the United States to help. Increased participation by multinational organizations and demand for accountability by all partners are required to complete this daunting task. The costs of failure are too high to countenance.
- Because efforts to restrict the supply of terrorism have rapidly diminishing margins of return, interventions to reduce demand for terrorism are needed.
- Madaris merit continual observation as they may contribute both to the demand for terrorism and to the limited supply of militants. For the same reasons, Pakistan's public school sector deserves much more attention than it currently enjoys.
More bloodshed
On the BBC News website Pakistani troops clash with militants and the militants execute sixteen captured soldiers, for full story:
This happened last Thursday.
Release of 100 soldiers likely today
Troops vacate two South Waziristan posts, to withdraw from third today
The Pakistan Army pulled out from two of the three posts in the restive South Waziristan Agency after days of negotiations with the tribal militants, thus, paving the way for the release of around 300 security personnel held captive by the militants, a tribal Jirga disclosed on Tuesday.
All the three posts are located in the Mahsud-inhabited tribal territory. According to the Jirga sources, after vacating the two strategic posts, the tribal militants led by Commander Baitullah Mahsud would fulfill their commitment on phased release of the held soldiers. In the first phase, the militants were to release around 100 soldiers either on Tuesday night or today (Wednesday).
When contacted on phone, Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Maj Gen Waheed Arshad told The News that troops were not deployed at the two posts mentioned by the Jirga members. He, however, said that from one of those posts, the forces were relocated which often takes place in the region according to requirements.
http://www.leemedia.net/links.php?ur...l.asp?Id=10191
Seven more FC men kidnapped in Tall
Seven more Frontier Constabulary (FC) personnel were kidnapped by the militants after an attack on their check post in Tall near Mir Ali late on Tuesday night, while a held FC soldier was killed and three others fled to Bannu on Wednesday.
The check post is six kilometres from the FC fort on the Hangu-Waziristan road near the Tall town. The abducted personnel include Havaldar Piao Khan, Sepoy Safeerullah, Aqeel, Raza Khan, Noor Jehan and Noor Khan. The identity of the 7th soldier could not be ascertained.
In South Waziristan, a Jirga negotiating the release of around 300 security personnel refused to accept 10 detainees against the 100 agreed upon earlier and returned to Wana empty-handed.
The militants had agreed to release one-third of the captive security personnel in talks with the Jirga earlier after the Army pulled out of two security posts in the Mahsud areas. The Jirga, headed by a pro-MMA MNA, Maulana Merajuddin Qureshi, went to Mulla Khan Serai near Barwand in Tiarza subdivision on Wednesday morning for decisive talks with the militants but was disappointed when they found the militants led by Baitullah Mahsud missing from the meeting.
http://thenews.jang.com.pk/top_story...l.asp?Id=10216
Battle, airstrikes kill 250 in Pakistan
Battle, airstrikes kill 250 in Pakistan - Washington Post, 9 Oct.
Fierce fighting between Islamic militants and security forces near the Afghan border has killed as many as 250 people over four days. The battles marked some of the deadliest clashes on Pakistani soil since it threw its support behind the U.S.-led war on terrorism in 2001, the army said Tuesday.
Airstrikes hit a village bazaar in North Waziristan tribal region on Tuesday afternoon, killing more than 50 militants and civilians and wounding scores more, said resident Noor Hassan. "The bombing destroyed many shops and homes," Hassan said by telephone from the village of Epi. "We are leaving."
The fighting began Saturday after a roadside bomb hit a truckload of paramilitary troops, sparking bitter clashes. The bodies of dozens of soldiers, many with their throats slit, have been recovered from deserted areas of the region, fleeing residents said.
The violence comes as Gen. Pervez Musharraf tries to secure another term as president, vowing to shore up Pakistan's troubled effort against Islamic extremism.
The army appeared to be resorting to heavy firepower. Pakistani troops have suffered mounting losses as they try to reassert state authority in a swath of mountainous territory where warlords supportive of the Taliban and al-Qaida have seized control.
Before Tuesday's airstrikes, the army had reported that battles have killed 150 fighters and 45 soldiers since Saturday. About 12-15 troops are missing. Another 50 militants and 20 soldiers had been wounded.
Security forces have rejected a cease-fire proposed by the militants and will "continue punitive action till complete peace is restored" in the area, an army statement said ...
Stop & Go resumes
The Pakistani "stop & go" policy at work and timed to coincide with the re-election of President Musharraf I'd say. Will the action continue? Watch and wait.
Pakistan overview
An interesting review article on Pakistan, with references to aspects I've missed:
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/art...nightmare.html
Not read of the journalist before.
Pakistan rebels display hostages
The Long War Journal, 7 Nov 07: Taliban Continue March Under Musharraf's State of Emergency
President Pervez Musharraf's state of emergency five days ago has done little to curb the Taliban's march in the Northwest Frontier Province. As the security forces continue to arrest opposition leader and work to curb protests in the major cities, The Taliban have taken control of two more major towns in the settled district of Swat, while attacks continue elsewhere in the Northwest Frontier Province.
On November 6, the Taliban overran police stations in and around the town of Matta in Swat.....
Watch & Wait - updated
This link to Bill Roggio's article should be delivered to all decision-makers on policy towards Pakistan.
The prisoner exchange is amazing, especially the timing with a state of emergency, although not a suprise.
The Red Button and Mullah Omar's Finger
With Bhutto under house arrest and refugees fleeing the Swat valley, some of whom are demanding action from the Boss, it looks like a green light to finally settle some old scores - we sure don't want the taliban near the nukes. I do note there is no call for Bhutto to solve the Taliban/fundamentalist problem which leaves some observors believing she would be willing to share lots of power with them, assuming she was ever allowed to be in such a position.
Brian Hanley
... Musharraf is the inheritor of the power base built by Zia, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_Zia-ul-Haq) who used the Islamists and catered to them to gain and keep power and developed the Taliban with money from the CIA (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taliban#Origin) (Also: Charlie Wilson's War). They were high up in Musharraf's administration, he had to can some right after 9-11. Bhutto is the inheritor of the electoral base that her late father had which is centrists and secularist middle class. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benazir_Bhutto
The Islamists can be relied on to do everything possible to kill Bhutto because Pakistan is the last real chance the Taliban/Al Qaeda ("Shade of the Koran" is the inspiration for bin Laden and other radicals http://www.youngmuslims.ca/online_li...sir/syed_qutb/) have to get power. If she shares power with Musharraf (which her dedicated supporters are enraged by) that gives Musharraf a way to survive and make use of a political base that can go after the Islamists. (Or at least keep them in check.) They don't like this idea at all.
This link discusses that power sharing deal from an Islamist point of view. It makes clear that Musharraf is losing his grip on power because he is going after the Islamists. (http://quranbible.wordpress.com/2007...-sharing-deal/)
( My general observation, militants make better allies than pacifist middle class who just want a nice life.)
200 security personnel surrender to militants in Pakistan
Two hundred paramilitary personnel have surrendered to pro-Taliban militants in the troubled Swat valley, in a major embarrassment to Pakistan government which has been pushed on the backfoot in its operation to root out extremists from the northwestern tribal areas.
The 200 men of the Frontier Corps surrendered to militants led by radical cleric Maulana Fazlullah on Thursday night after their camp in the Matta area was surrounded by the extremists who are demanding imposition of strict islamic law or Shariat and have strengthened their hold on the region by driving out most security forces.
The rebels control six tehsils or sub-districts or almost 80 per cent of the scenic Swat valley, till recently a popular tourist destination.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/W...ow/2530410.cms
The Jamestown Foundation's Terrorism Focus, 13 Nov 07:
Pakistan Loses Swat to Local Taliban
In recent weeks large swathes of Pakistan's idyllic mountainous region of Swat—a mere 90 miles from Islamabad—have fallen to militants purportedly led by Maulana Fazlullah, whose Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shari'at-e-Mohammad (Movement for the Enforcement of Islamic Laws, or TNSM) shaheen (fighters) may number as many as 4,500. Swat's residents are fleeing to safer ground as the security forces, largely comprised of the poorly trained and under-equipped Frontier Corps, are no match for Fazlullah and his following of belligerents. With Swat and other areas increasingly in the hands of militants, Pakistanis must rise to the challenge of combating an ideology that is fast encroaching into more settled areas.....
.... On November 3, President Pervez Musharraf declared martial law, ostensibly to help fight terrorism. While lawyers, opposition party members, and human rights activists were arrested, Musharraf's government released more than two dozen Islamists from jail. Reportedly, among those released was Mullah Obaidullah Akhund—the highest ranking Taliban official captured by Pakistani forces. Obaidullah was arrested in February 2007, coincident with U.S. Vice President Cheney's visit to Pakistan to protest Pakistani insouciance towards the Taliban. In exchange for releasing these important Taliban operatives, Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud agreed to release the last of the 211 surviving troops taken hostage in Waziristan in late August. With the under-equipped and ill-prepared security forces already demoralized by a war that pits them against their fellow countrymen and in many cases against co-ethnics and fellow tribesmen, Musharraf's actions are not likely to foster confidence and morale amongst his military. Yet this is exactly what is needed if Pakistani forces are to rally to the cause of tackling the Taliban.
The Long War Journal, 17 Jan 08: Pakistani Troops Abandon Second Fort in South Waziristan
......The attack on the Sararogha fort, the capture of a company of Pakistani troops in South Waziristan in September 2007, and the Taliban opposition to a Pakistani military incursion in South Waziristan highlight the Taliban's ability to stand up to the Pakistani military in a conventional fight. The rise of the Taliban in the Northwest Frontier Province and the tribal areas during 2006 and 2007 and the subsequent peace deals in North and South Waziristan, Mohmand, and Swat have given the Taliban and al Qaeda the time and space to organize along military lines and stand toe-to-toe with the Pakistani military. Coupled with the intense suicide campaign that has been ongoing since late 2006 and the strikes focusing on secure military bases housing nuclear weapons, the Taliban and al Qaeda are vying for control of the Pakistani state.
Edit to add related article from the Jamestown Foundation's Terrorism Focus, 22 Jan 08:
Pakistan's Frontier Corps Struggles to Hold Forts against Taliban Attacks
On the night of January 15, the Sararogha Fort manned by Pakistan's paramilitary Frontier Corps fell to Islamic militants in a remote part of the South Waziristan tribal region bordering Afghanistan. It was the first time in the 60-year history of the country that a military fort was lost to a non-state group and had most of its defenders killed or captured.
This was the second embarrassing defeat in recent months for Pakistan's armed forces in South Waziristan, where military operations were launched in early 2004 to hunt down militants suspected of links with al-Qaeda and the Taliban. On August 30 last year, some 300 besieged Pakistan Army soldiers surrendered without firing a shot to the same group of tribal militants led by Pakistani Taliban military commander Baitullah Mehsud. They were held hostage for more than two months and were exchanged on November 4 for 25 of Mehsud's men as a result of mediation by the 21-member jirga (council) of tribal elders and clerics belonging to the Mehsud Pashtun tribe.....
Operations in Pakistan's Tribal Areas
Moderator's Note: An old thread 'Waziristan: campaigning in the past and soon?' has been merged into this thread.
Strategic Design Considerations for Operations in Pakistan's Tribal Areas: Dust-up along the North-West Frontier by William McCallister at SWJ Blog.
Ideas as to what constitutes good governance various among individuals, groups and cultures. The current definition of good governance as outlined in a recent report on threats from safe havens and ungoverned areas is a case in point. The report defines governance as the "delivery of security, judicial, legal, regulatory, intelligence, economic, administration, social and political goods and public services, and the institutions through which they are delivered". The definition implies a social service centric function for government emphasizing "delivery" and distribution of social services. It further implies that only democratic institutions are a safeguard against militancy, extremism and terrorism. Not all cultures view the role and function of government in quite the same way. Tribal society, particularly along the North-West frontier between Pakistan and Afghanistan judges the role and function of effective government quite differently...
An excellent read.
The SWJ "Strategic Design Considerations for Operations in Pakistan's Tribal Areas:Dust-up along the North-West Frontier" by William S. McCallister is one of the finest articles that has covered the psyche that governs the lawless badlands of western part of Pakistan.
Indeed, Pakistan is a curious mix of tribalism, feudalism, modernity, military supremacy and an attempt at democracy. It is an interesting pot pourri that does not mix and exude a pleasant aroma.
Pakistan is a country that has a serious identity crisis. It rejects its Indian past and is struggles to conjure an exclusiveness of being a historical separate indentity called the Indus Valley civilisation. This in fact encourages a further schism wherein the Mohajirs (immigrants from India due to the Partition) are forgotten and slighted! Interestingly, this search for a new identity ignores the fact that a large part of the Moslem population of pre Independent India were low caste convertees (to be free of the horrid caste system) or those who were converted to avoid the subjugation through the jezia (unbearable tax on non Moslem) or because of the Sword!
Thus, Pakistan is actually at war with itself and seized with a national schizophrenia, in a manner of speaking!
Jinnah, the Founder of Pakistan, was initially with the Congress Party and was not really concerned about the Moslem cause. But like all politicians when he realised that he could not wrest power from Gandhi and others, he took up the cause of Moslem's and for a separate homeland for the Moslems. It was merely a power quest that worked itself into a powerful political movement that brought about the birth of Pakistan. It was but a fait accompli without a solid foundation in reality of existence.
It is important to note what Jinnah had said in the inaugural address of the Pakistan Parliament. He had said:
We should begin to work in that spirit and in course of time all these angularities of the majority and minority communities, the Hindu community and the Muslim community, because even as regards Muslims you have Pathans, Punjabis, Shias, Sunnis and so on, and among the Hindus you have Brahmins, Vashnavas, Khatris, also Bengalis, Madrasis and so on, will vanish......
Now I think we should keep that in front of us as our ideal and you will find that in course of time Hindus would cease to be Hindus and Muslims would cease to be Muslims, not in the religious sense, because that is the personal faith of each individual, but in the political sense as citizens of the State.
This indicates that Jinnah's main aim was for power and not for Islam!
The birth of Pakistan though rejoiced by the Moslems of India, actually put into place a power struggle amongst the various segments. The Mohajirs being more educated than those who were from the parts that became Pakistan took all the plum posts in the bureaucracy, judiciary, education etc. The actually population of what became West Pakistan, steeped in feudalism and power as the land owning "aristocracy" and the backbone of the Indian Army felt threatened. This is the genesis of the struggle in Pakistan between the military and democracy.
The Mohajirs , who were rootless but intelligent, realised that there had to be a common cause wherein their legitimacy as inheritors of the promised land was not up for the grabs, used Islam as the catch all for all eventualities. Given that Pakistan was created for Moslems, the military and the landed satraps could not contest this excellent ploy.
Kashmir came handy for the military, who used the Mohajir inspired identity of Islam to the hilt. The military sprang into action as the true defender of Islam and went to war. This ensured that the exchequer became military oriented and beholden to it for defending Islam, as the sword arm, and extracted their pound of flesh.
Islam being partial to an aggressive mindset accepted the military's domination over democratic norms and thus this psyche gave legitimacy to successive military govt and its stranglehold over the economy wherein the army put its finger in every economic pie. It also turned the Nelson's eye to the military's infiltration and thus stranglehold over the bureaucracy by appointing serving and retired military officers in important bureaucratic and economic appointments.
This unholy churn and mismatch of governance is the cause of Pakistan's woe wherein the democratic institutions and norms have been sabotage and totally put out of shape.
While Islam ruled supreme in Pakistan, it had not yet been encased ''in the show window''.
It was Zia, who ensured Pakistan breathed and slept Islam! It was again a Machevillian ploy of an illegitimate dictator to legitimise his regime and the US strategic interest in Afghanistan was his Allah given gift.
Zia's "vision" of Islamic predominance of all matters temporal is what has added to the identity crisis. Fundamentalist Wahhabism and the ummah, an unrealistic dream of all Moslems, has seized the people.
Therefore, all one can say is, Quo Vadis, Pakistan?
The Long War Journal, 7 Feb 08: Pakistan's Interior Minister orders negotiations with Baitullah Mehsud
The Pakistani government and the Taliban appear close to signing the next round of "peace" accords to end the fighting in the tribal areas and the settled districts of the Northwest Frontier Province. Pakistan's Interior Minister stated a deal can be made with Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud, while Baitullah announces a cease-fire in northwestern Pakistan.
Interior Minister Hamid Nawaz has ordered the formation of a peace jirga, or committee, in order to conduct official talks with the Taliban and Baitullah. "The government, in collaboration with a jirga consisting of influential and local people from the Fata and the Frontier regions, would soon take measures for sustainable peace in the tribal areas," said Nawaz.
Nawaz claimed the government was operating from a position of strength due to military operations. "The demand of initiating a peace process was made by the Mehsuds, who are on the run after being crushed by the security forces in Waziristan," Nawaz said. "[Baitullah] Mehsud has no choice but to agree on the peace deal. It's a matter of his survival.".....
The Jamestown Foundation's Terrorism Monitor, 3 Apr 08:
Tribes and Rebels: The Players in the Balochistan Insurgency
As the violence on Pakistan's northwest frontier dominates the headlines, a lesser-known insurgency has gripped Pakistan's southwestern province of Balochistan. Bomb blasts and rocket attacks have become almost daily events in this region: A ten-week period in 2008 saw 76 insurgent-linked incidents reported, claiming the lives of 14 people and wounding 123.
The troubled history of Balochistan dates back to the independence of Pakistan in 1947, beginning as a reaction to the annexation of the princely state of Qalat—later joined to three other states to form modern Balochistan—by Pakistani authorities in 1948. The annexation led to the first Baloch rebellion, which was swiftly put down. The security situation in the region remained fragile as rebellions erupted in 1958, 1973, and most recently in 2005.
Unlike previous anti-government insurrections, it is currently hard to pinpoint one person or group for orchestrating these incidents as there are today several groups in Balochistan potentially interested in challenging the government.....
This is merely a thought 'out of the box', albeit radical, yet may have merits to warrant a discussion.
While there is no doubt that Pakistan is a political entity, which is established and recognised by the comity of nations, yet internally it is, as it appears, battling to find an identity, resulting in the rise of subnationalism and political contradictions and strife.
India, out of which Pakistan was carved, was not single political entity till the British came on the scene. It was a myriad of subnational identities, cultures, traditions and faiths.
Pakistan was created solely on the basis of Faith, while India, espoused a secular constitution. Notwithstanding the secular constitution, India has its movement that are prompted by subnationalism. However, it survives as an entity because of it secular structure and laws.
On the other hand, Pakistan solely depends on its Faith, powerful that it maybe, but it is not powerful enough to extinguish the sub nationalism that festers beneath the superficial layer of Faith. Indeed, if Faith was the be all and end all of a Nation, then Bangladesh would not come into being!
While the Islamic Faith is very potent as a uniting force, it apparently is not that potent to wash off subnationalism or perceived dominance of one community over the other. Balochistan which is richest as a region is the poorest in Pakistan.
Maybe the grumbles of the stomach are more real than religion as such!
One also wonders if religion alone, as its sole raison d'être, can make a nation!
Religion can build nations
Originally Posted by Ray
How about Holland? A country that freed itself from Spanish Catholic rule and can be described as a successful country (leaving aside current criticisms of a growing Muslim population). I am no expert on Dutch history, just a quick thought.
Religion is one factor in nation building, potent too.
Pakistan was founded on the basis of Faith, in that the Muslim League believed that the subcontinent's Muslims needed their own state to avoid sublimation into a much larger population of Hindus. However it was not founded as an Islamic religious state.
The closest modern-day example would be Israel, which was founded as a Jewish state but not as an explicitly religious state.
Originally Posted by tequila
There indeed is the contention that is fielded that Pakistan was founded on 'ethnicity' ie Moslem and not religion i.e. Islam.
There is also the contention the Jew is both a religion as also an ethnic group. Therefore, Jew as a religion is separate as being Jew as an ethnic group!
Indeed, if Pakistan came into being so as to not be swamped by a majority, then what was the raison détre?
Not being swamped by the majority can mean nothing but religion!
India is a diverse country with diverse communities, languages, culture, tradition and yes, religion!
Therefore, what made Moslems of British India different, if it were not religion?
If Indian Moslem were worried about being swamped, what made them feel so? Culture, tradition, language or what? Everything in India was diverse, excepting RELIGION!!
Thus, one feels it is splitting hairs when debating Moslem ethnicity and Islam, the religion!! There is nothing actually which is Moslem ethnicity or so I feel, though I can be educated!
In so far as Pakistan and Islam is concerned, the role of the Jamaat-e-Islami and Majlis-i-Ahrar and their attempts to dissolve the fine difference of the claimed Moslem ethnicity with Islam, the religion, requires scrutiny.
Should one accept that Pakistan was founded not on Islam the religion but on the "Moslem ethnicity", then it raises the question as to what commonality had the pre Partition Indian Moslems amongst each other to be taken to be an ethnic group?
Pre Partition India was diverse in language, dialect, culture, and traditions. In fact, the diversity and the different mindset was one of the reasons why the British could rule the country with a mere handful and that is the reason why even the so called First War of Independence of 1857 (the Sepoy Mutiny as per British history) was an utter failure inspite of the overwhelming numbers of Indians. Hindus and Moslems! The Sikhs did not participate.
That the Moslem identity was a contrived ethnicity is proved beyond doubt by the Language Movement in East Pakistan that started practically immediately on the birth of Pakistan when it imposed Urdu on the Bengalis!
The aspect that the Moslem ethnicity is a contrived rationale has been proved when Bangladesh came into being. It should not have happened if blood (ethnicity) was thicker than water!
Likewise, Balochistan, FATA and the problems of the Northern Areas too should not have happened if there was anything called the Moslem ethnicity!
Events in Pakistan's history leads me to believe that Moslem 'ethnicity' is but a contrived respectability being assigned to a religion's motivated existence. More of a sop since it is important to the Islamic mind than being a reality!
That is my belief and I am sure there will be those who will not agree.
Reforming Pakistan's Police
ICG, 14 Jul 08: Reforming Pakistan's Police
After decades of misuse and neglect, Pakistan's police force is incapable of combating crime, upholding the law or protecting citizens and the state against militant violence. With an elected government taking over power after more than eight years of military rule, the importance of reforming this dysfunctional force has assumed new importance. Elected representatives will be held accountable if citizens continue to see the police, the public face of government, as brutal and corrupt. The democratic transition could also falter if deteriorating security gives the military a new opportunity to intervene, using, as it has in the past, the pretext of national security to justify derailing the democratic process on the grounds of good governance. Major reforms and reallocation of resources are required to create an effective and accountable police service.....
The 34-page report also provides a decent, if very brief, pre-Musharraf background on the Pakistani police, beginning with the Colonial era and running up from independence in '47.
The Jamestown Foundation's Terrorism Monitor, 22 Sep 08: A Who's Who of the Insurgency in Pakistan's North-West Frontier Province: Part One – North and South Waziristan
Militants operating in Pakistan's North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) include both Taliban and non-Taliban forces. However, the Taliban militants are much larger in number and have a lot more influence in the region. The Pakistani Taliban have close links with the Afghan Taliban and operate on both sides of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, also known as the Durand Line after the British diplomat who demarcated the boundary in 1893, Sir Mortimer Durand. The non-Taliban militants, on the other hand, are often pro-government and enjoy cordial ties with the Pakistan authorities and security forces......


text:
Don't expect much fantasy football impact from Carlos Hyde in Houston
Aug 29, 2019; Green Bay, WI, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Carlos Hyde (34) is tackled by Green Bay Packers cornerback Will Redmond (25) during the first quarter at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
• Houston Texans • Kansas City Chiefs
The Houston Texans acquiring a running back seemed inevitable after starter Lamar Miller went down to an ALC tear in their Week 3 preseason game, and lo, it came to fruition Saturday, with the Texans reportedly trading for Carlos Hyde, who had spent the preseason with Kansas City.
Hyde joined the Chiefs in free agency and at first looked like the team's No. 2 back behind starter Damien Williams with a chance to split reps with the inexperienced starter, but a poor offseason/preseason quickly soured the Chiefs on Hyde, and he was passed on the depth chart by rookie Darwin Thompson and looked like a prime candidate to be cut.
The Texans jumped the line by sending G Martinas Rankin to the Chiefs. Hyde is the roster replacement for Miller, though he is extremely unlikely to fill the role Miller was set to have in that offense. Duke Johnson, acquired by the Texans in a trade with the Browns weeks ago, should enter the season as the starter, and while his career to date has been spent largely as a pass-catching back, his college history (he's the all time leading rusher for the Miami Hurricanes) indicates he can be more than that. In other words, the roles for these two backs from the start of 2018 — when Hyde was the Browns starter to open the season and Johnson was his backup — will be reversed in Houston.
That's good news for fantasy managers in the sense that Johnson is the clear-cut No. 1 in this offense and could flirt with RB2 status, while Hyde remains outside roster consideration outside of extremely deep leagues. If you're diving super deep for handcuffs, Hyde would be the beneficiary in the case of injury to Johnson, but between his poor performances of late (he was the second-lowest-graded qualifying running back last year split between Cleveland and Jacksonville after being the sixth-lowest-graded in 2017 with San Francisco) and the poor offensive line in Houston (the Texans' line entered 2019 as our second-worst), Johnson's ceiling has a cap and Hyde's is even lower.
In the end, this is a trade that has more name value — especially for fantasy — than real relevance for our game. Williams is entrenched as the starter in Kansas City, Thompson was already clearly his No. 2, and Hyde will only steal a small number of touches from Johnson in Houston. If there's a player who sees his value hurt here, it's Damarea Crockett, who was only on the furthest fringes of value anyway. Don't let this change your strategies much, if at all, for drafts this weekend.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: how to do netbeans'"make controller" in intellij idea I use netbeans to make javafx applications. After I change some in scenebuilder and save to fxml, I switch to netbeans, right click the fxml and select "make controller" to add or delete some code in controllerclass.
Now I switch to intellij and found no way to do this. Is there a way to do this instead of manually copying codes generated by scenebuilder to controllerclass?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
The Senate's New Top Banking Regulator Wants to Hear From Bank CEOs More Often
By Thomas Franck, CNBC	• Published January 12, 2021 • Updated on January 12, 2021 at 4:59 pm
Andrew Harrer | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Sen. Sherrod Brown — Wall Street's incoming regulator in a Democratic Senate — on Tuesday outlined his priorities for the U.S. economy and the financial industry.
"This committee in the past has been about Wall Street. As chair, I'm going to make it about workers and their families," Brown said.
Brown is also widely expected to try to ramp up oversight of the financial sector, a forecast the senator didn't shy away from on Tuesday.
Sen. Sherrod Brown — Wall Street's incoming regulator in a Democratic Senate — on Tuesday outlined his priorities for the U.S. economy and the financial industry in the coming months.
Brown was quick to say that the Senate Banking Committee's chief concern will continue to be addressing the economic fallout caused by the Covid-19 crisis by working with the Federal Reserve to provide liquidity to small businesses and protecting access to housing for everyday Americans.
A longtime advocate of affordable housing, Brown said his tenure as incoming committee chairman will be marked by a focus on workers and families instead of the corporate tilt seen under Republican leadership.
"This committee in the past has been about Wall Street. As chair, I'm going to make it about workers and their families and what matters to their lives," Brown said during a media briefing. "Under Senate Republicans, we've had government intervention to put its thumb on the scale for corporations at every turn."
"We're going to change that," he continued. "We're going to take on the corporate business model that treats workers as expendable. We're going to put the dignity of work at the center of everything we do in this committee."
Asked if he would seek to revive the Fed's emergency lending powers under Section 13(3) of the Federal Reserve Act, the senator said he would wait for guidance from President-elect Joe Biden and his nominee for Treasury secretary, Janet Yellen.
Debate over the fate of the Fed's lending powers threatened to derail stimulus talks in December after Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin decided to let the central bank's programs end on Dec. 31.
"This is up to President Biden, what he wants to do with 13(3)," Brown said. "I talk to [Fed Chair] Jay Powell regularly ... and I think he will be happy with this new Biden proposal, this economic proposal, because it will put more money into the economy."
The senior U.S. senator from Ohio said the committee will also differ in the new Congress in recognizing the impact of climate change and in tailoring transportation policy to reduce carbon emissions.
He added that the committee will place a greater emphasis on income inequality and work to mitigate race-based economic disparities by restoring the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau "to full strength."
Banks: 'The more we hear from them, the better'
Brown, a reliable and well-versed critic of banks' power, suggested he would like to hear from the CEOs of Wall Street's largest lenders on a more routine basis. He effectively promised greater oversight of the private equity industry and said that he is assuming there will be associated legislation.
"I'm not suggesting that CEOs of U.S. banks, of Wall Street banks, I'm not suggesting they're Deutsche Bank," the senator said, referring to the myriad probes the German bank has faced from U.S. and U.K. regulators.
"But I am suggesting that they have a lot of power and we need to know more about how they do their business," he added. "The more we hear from them, the better."
Though Brown promised a more rigorous regulatory body, industry analysts say a razor-thin Democratic majority in the chamber will likely prevent dramatic legislative moves championed by the party's progressive wing.
Two runoff elections in Georgia earlier in January led to Democratic wins, resulting in a 50-50 split of the Senate. The incoming vice president, Sen. Kamala Harris, holds the tiebreaking vote.
That, coupled with the fact that banks aren't to blame for the current economic downturn, has actually left some in the industry optimistic about working together with Brown and his Democratic colleagues on prudent but not overly aggressive tweaks to bank regulation.
Brown also discussed the Fed's latest stress tests, which concluded that the nation's big banks are in solid shape. In announcing the results of the tests, the Fed said in December that it will allow Wall Street banks to resume share buybacks in the first quarter of 2021 subject to certain rules.
Though Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Randal Quarles said at the time that he thought the results showed continued strength in the banking sector, Brown remains skeptical.
"I'm not convinced that these banks are in as good shape as these stress tests suggest. Not that the stress tests aren't accurate, not that the stress tests aren't tough ... but I also am not at all convinced," he said.
"I am not panicky, I'm not alarmed. [But] I am concerned that these stress tests may not take into account what could happen with the economy because of Covid," he added. "And because I think many of these banks, I think, don't hold enough capital."
Top military leaders condemn 'sedition and insurrection' at Capitol, acknowledge Biden win
Feds consider sedition and conspiracy charges in probe of pro-Trump Capitol riot
President-elect Joe Biden to name Gary Gensler as U.S. SEC chair, sources say


text:
sylvia allen
Home/Tag: sylvia allen
Remember Remember All the People Who Put Dictatorship and Election Theft over the Republic and Democracy
By David Gordon|2020-12-13T08:52:54-07:00December 13th, 2020|AZ Politics, National Politics|
Columnists like Ruth Marcus, EJ Montini, and the New York Times Editorial Board have rightly relayed that the American People should remember those that supported the indicted Texas Attorney General
New Ad from American Bridge condemning some Arizona Republican State Legislators for not taking COVID 19 Seriously
By David Gordon|2020-08-27T13:39:42-07:00July 4th, 2020|AZ Government, AZ Politics, COVID-19 & Healthcare, National Elections|
The Political Action Committee American Bridge has released a stinging digital ad blaming the surge in the Coronavirus in the Grand Canyon State on the science denial and inactions of
Martha McSally and Sylvia Allen to the Unemployed: You do not need anymore Help
By David Gordon|2020-08-27T13:41:52-07:00May 27th, 2020|AZ Congressional Delegation, AZ Government, AZ Politics, COVID-19 & Healthcare, National Politics|
The Arizona Unemployment System, as this writer wrote earlier on May 5, 2020, is "broken and needs to be fixed." Nothing has really changed in the last 22 days. As
Good and Ugly Government at the State Capitol
By David Gordon|2020-08-27T12:08:06-07:00March 4th, 2020|AZ Government, AZ Politics, Civil & Human Rights, COVID-19 & Healthcare|
The last two days at the Arizona Capitol have shown the great possibilities for the Grand Canyon State when both Republicans and Democrats work together for the betterment of the
Kathy Hoffman calls for a United Front to Solve the "State of Emergency in Arizona's Education System"
By David Gordon|2020-08-27T12:26:03-07:00February 4th, 2020|AZ Government, AZ Politics, Education, National Politics|
Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman came to the House Committee on Education to tell the story about the state of Arizona's schools in her State of Education Address. Superintendent


text:
Kametsu
Direct (requires IRC client!)
Webchat (Xertion)
Webchat (KiwiIRC)
Shinra Headquarters
Boomerang USA Streaming Service To Launch On The VRV Streaming Platform On 13th November 2018
By DigiPokeMon, November 5, 2018 in TV & Film News
DigiPokeMon 1,975
Moppet
Crusaders +
Classic animation streaming service – Boomerang owned by Turner and Warner Bros. (within AT&T's WarnerMedia group) will be launching on the multi-service streaming platform – VRV on Tuesday 13th November. VRV is also owned by WarnerMedia, via Otter Media and via its subsidiary – Ellation, Otter Media became fully owned by WarnerMedia in August 2018.
VRV users will be able to subscribe to Boomerang for $4.99 per month or to VRV's complete collection of streaming services — including Boomerang, Ellation's Crunchyroll, Nickelodeon's NickSplat, Otter Media's Rooster Teeth and six other services for only $9.99 per month.
The Boomerang streaming service has a library of more than 3,000 cartoons featuring productions from Hanna-Barbera, Warner Bros. Animation, Cartoon Network Studios and MGM, including Courage the Cowardly Dog, Scooby-Doo, Tom & Jerry, Bugs Bunny, The Jetsons, and The Flintstones. Boomerang is also home to new animated shows such as Dorothy and The Wizard of Oz, Wacky Races, Bunnicula and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. Boomerang has also recently announced that the new Care Bears animated series – Care Bears: Unlock the Magic will be joining the service, and also a remastered version of the Garfield and Friends animated series.
Ever since the AT&T takeover of Time Warner (now WarnerMedia) in June, the company have been heavily restructuring their digital streaming businesses. As a result of the takeover, the Korean, Chinese and Japanese entertainment streaming service – DramaFever closed on 19th October, with Turner Classic Movies streaming service – FilmStruck also due to close on the 29th November. Despite these closures, WarnerMedia has promised that they will launch a streaming service in the fourth quarter of 2019 that will feature the company's films, television series, documentaries and animation all in one place.
I wonder if in time DC Universe will be added to VRV as well
I am also hoping VRV will be offically be available in Australia as well soon. At the moment I am using smartdnsproxy to access it unoffically
MGPD 39
Hedge Knight
On 11/5/2018 at 12:46 AM, DigiPokeMon said:
It'd be great if they do include DC Universe in it.
As for me, the inclusion of Boomerang is both GREAT and...a bummer, since I already have a membership for the two of them, but the good thing is that VRV is extremely easy to rip, (and I mean, REALLY easy), and also, VRV uses a greater Bitrate than the Boomerang site, meaning that shows will be easier to rip and in better quality than the original itself, (how ironic Lol).
Overall, it's a very good decision from Warner, and the price IMO is absolutely great!
Cancel your boomerang.com subscription then
On 11/13/2018 at 8:25 PM, DigiPokeMon said:
Yeah, I think I will, considering that's pretty much redundant to have them both
Edited November 16, 2018 by MGPD
Not everything is on boomerang at vrv yet. I just checked not all the movies are there yet for 1 thing
17 minutes ago, DigiPokeMon said:
Well, in that case, I think I'll wait to see if everything is included, and if it's not, I'll keep both
TheOneWhoSees 687
Knight of the Round
Looks like most things are on there.
https://vrv.co/boomerang/browse
Maybe even everything.
Edited November 16, 2018 by TheOneWhoSees
Go To Topic Listing TV & Film News
† Retired
Referrals: gamebillet, GamersGate, Humble, Play-Asia, Voidu
Carbon Blue 4.3.6
Carbon Pink 4.3.6
Carbon Red 4.3.6
Brave 4.3.6
Titan 4.3.6 (Default)
Uniform 4.3.6


text:
Home > Stocks
Asia: Shares camp near peaks, markets ponder Xi's speech
Wed, Oct 18, 2017 - 11:03 AM
[SYDNEY] Asian shares consolidated recent gains and currencies kept to tight ranges on Wednesday as investors waited to see what policies might emerge from China's Communist Party conference.
The twice-a-decade congress is expected to cement the power of President Xi Jinping, who kicked off the week-long event with a wide-ranging speech in which he said the market would be allowed to play a decisive role in allocating resources.
Investors are keen for any direction on economic and financial market reform over the next five years, though history suggests these events can be light on detail.
On Tuesday, the United States again declined to name China as a currency manipulator although it remained critical of the Chinese government's economic policies ahead of a planned visit to Beijing by President Donald Trump.
The blue-chip CSI300 index was up 0.3 per cent, while Shanghai stocks added 0.1 per cent.
Recent economic data from the Asian giant has been generally upbeat, fuelling a tide of optimism about global growth that has benefited shares across the region.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan edged up 0.1 per cent, near their highest since late 2007, while Australia rose 0.2 per cent.
Japan's Nikkei added 0.1 per cent and was trying to string together a 12th straight session of gains.
An opinion poll by Kyodo showed Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's coalition was on track for a roughly two-thirds majority in Sunday's general election there.
The bullish mood on equities was evident in the latest fund manager survey from BofA Merrill Lynch.
"For the first time in six years, Goldilocks trumps secular stagnation, with a record high 48 per cent of investors surveyed expecting above-trend economic growth and below-trend inflation," the survey found.
Investors were bearish on bonds with 82 per cent of those surveyed expecting yields to rise in the next 12 months and a record 85 per cent believing bonds were overvalued.
BEARISH ON BONDS
Yields on two-year US Treasury paper have hit their highest since November 2008 amid speculation President Trump could chose a more hawkish leader to replace Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen.
Interest rates futures imply around a 90 per cent probability of a Fed hike in December.
The shift upward in yields lifted the dollar to one-week top against a basket of currencies, and kept it steady on the yen at 112.17.
The euro was holding at US$1.1772, still some way above the recent low and major chart support at US$1.1667.
Dealers were wary ahead of speeches by several policymakers from the European Central Bank due later on Wednesday, which includes President Mario Draghi.
The biggest mover had been Mexico's peso which boasted its biggest rise in over four months after trade ministers from the United States, Canada and Mexico extended the deadline on a contentious round of talks.
On Wall Street, the Dow ended up a slim 0.18 per cent having briefly broken above the 23,000-point mark for the first time on Tuesday, while the S&P 500 gained 0.07 per cent and the Nasdaq dipped 0.01 per cent.
Shares in IBM jumped nearly 5 per cent after hours as a shift to newer businesses such as cloud and security services helped it beat Wall Street's quarterly revenue estimates.
In commodity markets, talk of higher US interest rates kept gold pinned at US$1,288.10 an ounce.
Oil prices got a boost from a drop in US crude inventories and concerns that tensions in the Middle East could disrupt supplies. Brent crude futures firmed 43 cents to US$58.30 per barrel, while US crude gained 26 cents to US$52.14.
China Communist Party congress