Clinton Says U.S. Seeks Unity With Muslim World
February 18, 2009 by SAF Desk
Filed under News at a glance
TOKYO, — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Tuesday that the Obama administration will make “a concerted effort” to restore the image of the United States in the Islamic world and will seek to “enlist the help of Muslims around the world against the extremists.”
Clinton, who on Wednesday will travel to Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim country, told students at Tokyo University that “this is one of the central security challenges we face — as to how to better communicate in a way that gets through the rhetoric and through the demagogy and is heard by people who can make judgments about what we stand for and who we truly are.”
Clinton’s remarks came in response to a question about terrorism causing people in the United States to have anti-Muslim “prejudice,” a term she rejected forcefully. “I am a Christian,” she said. “Through the centuries we have had many people who have done terrible things in the name of Christianity. They have perverted the religion.”
Clinton’s visit to Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital, appears to be part of the administration’s effort to reach out to Muslims during this week-long trip to Asia. President Obama spent part of his childhood in Jakarta and expectations are high in Indonesia that he will visit later this year.
Obama’s high-risk engagement at ‘Durban II’
February 18, 2009 by SAF Desk
Filed under News at a glance
The Obama Administration’s decision to jump into the preparations for the UN’s Durban Review Conference, scheduled for Geneva in April 2009, is a bold but also a risky move. Beyond the specific results in this case, the results will set the tone for relations with Iran, the challenge of radical Islam, chances for progress in George Mitchell’s peace efforts, and the policy based on engagement and dialogue.
Iran, Cuba, Libya, the members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, and other paragons of human rights have used this framework for antisemitism and to demonize Israel, advance Holocaust denial and make a mockery of human rights. They have also attempted to legislate against free speech, using allegations of “Islamophobia” to block criticism of extremism and violence. Canada and Israel have lost hope and pulled out, and some European officials have spoken about not participating, but are now waiting for the results of the US policy.
If the Americans succeed in reversing this agenda in the brief time that remains, it would mark a major success and set the stage for restoring US influence and values. Proponents of engagement argue that the Obama Administration can help steer this UN conference so that it actually focuses on discrimination against minorities around the world, and is not another platform for anti-Israel obsession.
Alternatively, if this strategy fails, and the text remains poisonous, an American-led walkout with the 27 members of the European Union and some others would delegitimize the Durban process.
HOWEVER, IF Washington hesitates and compromises, allowing the OIC and like-minded NGOs to control the agenda, the participation of the world’s democracies will do immense damage. It will amplify the impact of the 2001 UN World Conference Against Racism, including the NGO Forum which used terms like “apartheid” and “racism” to isolate Israel.
Using the Durban strategy, Palestinians launched terror attacks with the knowledge that the Israeli responses would be condemned as “war crimes”, which, in turn, would justify boycotts on the South African model. Instead of negotiations based on acceptance of Israel, the goal of annihilation was reinforced. In parallel, Durban has advanced the radical Islamist agenda, justifying violent attacks against critics, and further narrowing free speech, including in Europe. The preparations for the April 2009 conference all point to the same agenda.
Losses may force Al Qaeda to vacate Fata: US report
February 16, 2009 by SAF Desk
Filed under News at a glance
WASHINGTON, Feb 15: Losses sustained since 2008 could force Al Qaeda to vacate Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas, says a US intelligence report prepared for Congress.
This year’s annual threat assessment by the US intelligence community shows how a concerted military effort to uproot Al Qaeda from Fata has weakened the group the US blames for the Sept 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
“In Pakistan’s tribal areas, Al Qaeda lost significant parts of its command structure since 2008 in a succession of blows as damaging to the group as any since the fall of the Taliban in late 2001,†says the report.
“Sustained pressure against Al Qaeda in Fata has the potential to further degrade its organisational cohesion and diminish the threat it poses.â€
Exploring the possibility that the losses sustained since 2008 could force Al Qaeda to vacate Fata, the report notes: “It is conceivable Al Qaeda could relocate elsewhere in South Asia, the Gulf, or parts of Africa.â€
The terrorist group would look for a place where it could “exploit a weak central government and close proximity to established recruitment, fundraising, and facilitation networks,†the report adds.
“But we judge none of these locations would be as conducive to their operational needs as their location in Fata.â€
The US intelligence community also points out that if forced to vacate Fata and locate elsewhere, Al Qaeda would be vulnerable to US or host-country security crackdowns as well as local resistance. It probably would be forced to adopt an even more dispersed, clandestine structure, making training and operational coordination more difficult.
“Without access to its Fata safe-haven, Al Qaeda also undoubtedly would have greater difficulty supporting the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan.â€
According to the annual US intelligence report, key Al Qaeda leaders killed in Fata over the past year include Khalid Habib, the group’s military chief and the fourth man in its chain of command; Abu Layth Al Libi, who directed cross-border attacks against US forces in Afghanistan and was a rising star in the organisation; Abu Khabab Al Masri, the group’s leading expert on explosives and chemical attacks and a driving force behind its terrorist plotting against the US Homeland and Europe; and Usama Al Kini who was involved in the bombings of US embassies in East Africa in 1998 and later became the chief planner of Al Qaeda’s terrorist attacks in Pakistan.
The loss of these and many other leaders in quick succession has made it more difficult for Al Qaeda to identify replacements, and in some cases the group has had to promote junior figures considerably less skilled and respected than the individuals they are replacing.
The US intelligence community, however, warns that the primary threat to Western interests comes from Europe-based extremists affiliated with Al Qaeda who return from training in Pakistan to conduct attacks in Europe or the United States.
The report notes that Al Qaeda is not using Pakistan only to plan attacks against others but is also trying to destabilise Pakistan.
“Al Qaeda and its extremist sympathisers in Pakistan have waged a campaign of deadly and destabilising suicide attacks throughout Pakistan,†the report warns.
The US intelligence community places much importance on India-Pakistan relations for countering the threat of terrorism in South Asia.
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FBI may shift counterterror agents to anti-fraud
February 12, 2009 by SAF Desk
Filed under News at a glance
WASHINGTON – With thousands of fraud investigations under way, the FBI is considering shifting agents away from counterterrorism work to help sort through the wreckage of the financial meltdown.
FBI Deputy Director John Pistole told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday that the bureau may reassign some of the positions that were reallocated to anti-terrorism work after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
Such a move would be a further sign of the government breaking with the Bush administration’s priorities, which pledged to assign every available resource to averting another terrorist attack.
Pistole told Congress his investigators have 530 active corporate fraud investigations, and 38 of them involve some of the biggest names in corporate finance — cases directly related to the current crisis.
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Afghanistan could be Obama’s Vietnam
February 12, 2009 by SAF Desk
Filed under News at a glance
LONDON, Feb 11: Unless the insurgents’ advance is halted, Afghanistan will become President Barack Obama’s Vietnam, fears Col John Nagl, a consultant.
A Daily Telegraph report (War against Taliban ‘will be lost by autumn’ unless strategy changes) datelined Washington and published on Wednesday quoted Col Nagl, an Iraq veteran who helped devise the strategy, as saying that gains made by the Taliban needed to be reversed by the end of the fighting season, around late September or early October, or else the Taliban would establish a durable base that would make a sustained Western military presence futile.
“Counter-insurgency campaigns have momentum, like a football game when the crowd senses something before it happens. Right now the Taliban has that momentum,†said Col Nagl.
In his campaign Mr Obama committed to sending extra resources to Afghanistan and was bullish about the chances of success. But at a press conference this week, he played down expectations of ushering in a Western-style democracy and instead set a goal of preventing the country from becoming a haven for terrorists.
The president’s spokesman on Tuesday announced that he had asked Bruce Riedel, a former CIA agent and academic, to head an inter-agency review that would include civilian and military affairs in Afghanistan and the region, indicating that the so-called ‘surge’ might not be ordered by the president.
The leaking of Col Nagl’s assessment report to the media at this juncture is regarded by some diplomatic circles here as a desperate attempt by the supporters of the ‘surge’ idea in Pentagon to force President Obama’s hand.
The Telegraph report cleverly juxtaposed Col Nagl’s assessment with a statement by Adm Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in which he had said that he expected to announce the deployment of a further 30,000 US troops soon, even though President Obama’s administration was waiting to evaluate the reviews.
Iran’s Ahmadinejad ‘ready’ to talk with America
February 12, 2009 by SAF Desk
Filed under News at a glance
Tehran, Iran – Determined chants of “Death to America” rang out in city after city in Iran Tuesday, even as President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told a mass rally in Tehran that Iran was “ready” to talk to its arch-enemy if the US showed “real change.”
Speaking as Iranians marked the 30th anniversary of the Islamic revolution, Mr. Ahmadinejad declared Iran to be “officially … a real and genuine superpower,” and that the “shadow of threat has been removed forever” from the Islamic Republic.
“From now on, which power in the world can be found that has the courage to threaten the Iranian nation?” Ahmadinejad asked to cheers.
Facing tens of thousands of flag-waving Iranians at Tehran’s Azadi (Freedom) Square, Ahmadinejad offered his first response to President Barack Obama’s comments Monday that he was “looking for openings” with Iran.
“It is quite clear that real change [from the US] must be fundamental and not tactical. It is clear the Iranian nation welcomes real changes,” he said. “The Iranian nation is ready to hold talks but talks in a fair atmosphere with mutual respect.”
Despite the nod toward dialogue, the message from state-run TV was unrelenting. The afternoon news broadcast on IRIB Channel 1 devoted 25 minutes to scenes of Tehran and huge rallies across the country, with primary emphasis in every city on the “Death to America” chant.
Afghans blame US more than Taliban for violence
February 11, 2009 by SAF Desk
Filed under News at a glance
WASHINGTON (AFP) — A nationwide survey of Afghans out Monday shows plummeting support for US and NATO/ISAF forces in Afghanistan, and a rise in the number who believe attacks on those troops are acceptable.
The poll of 1,500 people in Afghanistan’s 34 provinces, conducted by three Western broadcast networks — ABC News, the BBC and Germany’s ARD — also shows lower support for President Hamid Karzai and the Afghan central government.
Forty percent of Afghans surveyed say their country is heading in the right direction, down 77 percent from 2005, according to the poll.
Afghan opinion of the United States has nosedived: 47 percent had a favorable opinion, down from 83 percent in 2005. US favorability plunged 18 percent in 2008 alone, according to the survey.
“For the first time slightly more Afghans now see the United States unfavorably than favorably,” ABC News said.
The biggest complaint: civilian deaths resulting from US and NATO air strikes, which 77 percent say is unacceptable because the risk to civilians outweighs the strikes’ value in fighting insurgents.
Forty-one percent blame Western forces for poor targeting, while 28 percent blame the insurgents for hiding among civilians.
More worrisome, 25 percent say that attacks on US troops or soldiers with the ISAF — the NATO-led multinational force in Afghanistan — can be justified, up from 13 percent in 2006
Congress to consider tripling Pakistan aid soon: Kerry
February 7, 2009 by SAF Desk
Filed under News at a glance
WASHINGTON, Feb 6: Within weeks, a new bill will be introduced in the US Congress which will seek to more than triple US economic aid to Pakistan, says Senator John Kerry, chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.
In an interview to Dawn and another news outlet, Mr Kerry also assured Pakistan that no new restrictions would be imposed on US military assistance to that country. However, the existing restrictions will remain.
The committee Senator Kerry chairs will play a crucial role in passing the bill, which was introduced in the previous Congress but now has to be reintroduced. The measure already enjoys bipartisan support, the senator said.
“I hope within next weeks we will have bill in a sufficient place to be able to introduce it again,†said Mr Kerry.
“We are just trying to right now make sure that we touch base with the Defence Department, the State Department and various people so that we are all on the same page and there is a complete unanimous support.â€
The move negates efforts of the Indian lobbies on Capitol Hill who recently formed a task force to invoke economic sanctions on Pakistan. It also refutes media speculation that the bill moved in the previous Congress had died.
The new measure, Senator Kerry said, would “at least triple non-military aid to Pakistan on annual basis†and added: “We are looking at the question of whether we may put additional money.’’
The “Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act†would authorise $1.5 billion annually for 10 years. Mr Kerry said the proposed measure enjoyed bipartisan support on the Hill as the lawmakers believed “that it is important to have a relationship†with the people of Pakistan.
Obama: US choosing words carefully in terror war
February 5, 2009 by SAF Desk
Filed under News at a glance
WASHINGTON – When talking about terrorism — words matter, President Barack Obama said Tuesday.
Asked in a television interview why he hasn’t used the oft-repeated “war on terror” phrase coined by the Bush administration, Obama said he believes the U.S. can win over moderate Muslims if he chooses his words carefully.
“Words matter in this situation because one of the ways we’re going to win this struggle is through the battle of hearts and minds,” Obama said in an interview with CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360.”
The Associated Press reported Saturday that Obama has used the catch phrase just once, in contrast to its repeated use by the Bush administration in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Instead, Obama has spoken broadly of the “enduring struggle against terrorism and extremism” and pledged to “go after” extremists and “win this fight.”
“I think it is very important for us to recognize that we have a battle or a war against some terrorist organizations,” Obama said Tuesday. “But that those organizations aren’t representative of a broader Arab community, Muslim community.”
U.S. Concerned Over Iranian Satellite Launch
February 5, 2009 by SAF Desk
Filed under News at a glance
ongoing efforts to develop its missile delivery capabilities remain a matter of deep concern. Recently, Iran’s development of a space launch vehicle (SLV) capable of putting a satellite into orbit establishes the technical basis from which Iran could develop long-range ballistic missile systems. Many of the technological building blocks involved in SLVs are the same as those required to develop long-range ballistic missiles. Working with the United Nations, we have passed a number of UN Security Council Resolutions, including Resolution 1737, which require states to take the necessary measures to prevent the supply of, inter alia, specified equipment and technology that could contribute to Iran’s development of nuclear weapons delivery systems.”