39 Taliban arrested among IDPs

ISLAMABAD: Police have arrested 39 suspected Taliban fighters hiding among Internally Displaced persons (IDPs) from a military offensive against militants from Pakistan’s Swat Valley region, a senior officer said yesterday.
The arrests, made in the past few days, were the first of alleged militants among more than 2 million people who have fled the fighting.
Syed Akhtar Ali Shah said the 39 suspects had shaved off the beards that many conservative Muslims consider a sign of piety.
Officials had previously warned that fleeing insurgents may try to take refuge among civilians.
One dozen of the suspected Taliban were arrested in IDPs camps south of the Swat region, while the others were picked up in houses where refugees were staying with relatives or were renting, said Syed Akhtar Ali Shah, the police chief in Mardan, a town that hosts some of the roughly one dozen camps.
“These Taliban have mixed up themselves among the refugees,” Shah told a reporter by telephone.
They had cut their hair short and shaved their beards in a bid to disguise themselves from authorities and blend in with civilians, he said. Many conservative Muslims believe men should grow their hair and beards long as a sign of piety.

Mullen says Iran closer on nuclear weapons

WASHINGTON: Iran is clearly moving closer to acquiring a nuclear weapons capability but military strikes to counter the program would have serious unintended consequences, the top US military officer said yesterday.
“I think the unintended consequence of a strike against Iran right now would be incredibly serious, as well as the unintended consequences of their achieving a weapon,” Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
“That’s why this engagement, dialogue is so important,” he said in an interview, referring to President Barack Obama’s aim to engage Iran diplomatically.
Mullen said the United States would approach Iran “with all options on the table.”
Mullen said he did not believe Iran’s claims that it is developing its nuclear capabilities for peaceful purposes, but he said the aim of diplomacy would be “to really bring out whether that is how the senior leaders feels.”
“Certainly from what I’ve seen in recent years, Iran is on a path to develop nuclear weapons,” he said.

Al Qaeda planning attack on US: Obama

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama has claimed that the al-Qaeda is planning to attack US again, maintain that the fight against the organization is a long war, reports media yesterday.
Speaking at the National Archives, which houses the US Constitution and other documents embodying America’s system of government and justice, the president promised to work with Congress to develop a safe and fair system for dealing with those Guantánamo detainees who cannot be prosecuted “yet who pose a clear danger to the American people.”
Confessing that the Guantanamo was a misguided experiment, Obama maintained that US would not release anyone from Guantanamo Bay detention center who according to him endangers US national security.
He said that harsh interrogative methods undermined US efforts to counter militancy. He said that the US must show that its values were more resilient to hate ideologies.

Obama confessed early immature decisions
WASHIGTON: U S President Barack Obama confessed that U S Government make decisions in hurry after carnage of Nine Eleven, he addressing to American Security Council.
US lost its strategy against terrorism, we are establishing new partnerships to defeat Al’Qaida, he added.

‘Pak Army is aware of internal threats’ We are capable of handling present crisis by ourselves: COAS

RAWALPINDI: Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani said that Pakistan is a sovereign state and the people of Pakistan under a democratic dispensation, supported by the Army, are capable of handling the present crisis in their own national interest
He expressed these views while chairing the 118th Corps Commanders’ Conference at General Headquarters on Thursday. The conference was a part of regular monthly meeting.
In his opening remarks, the Chief of Army Staff, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani said that present security situation requires that all elements of national power should work in close harmony to fight the menace of terrorism and extremism. COAS said that Pakistan is a sovereign state and the people of Pakistan under a democratic dispensation, supported by the Army, are capable of handling the present crisis in their own national interest.
The participants were given a comprehensive briefing on prevailing security situation in the region. The matters of operational preparedness and professional interest were discussed in the meeting. COAS expressed his satisfaction at the standard and conduct of on going training in the filed formations as part of ‘Year of Training’.

20 Uzbek terrorists reportedly enter Punjab

LAHORE: It has been reliably learnt that 20 Uzbek terrorists have entered Punjab, Geo news reported on Tuesday.

According to Regional Police Officer (RPO) Sargodha region, Mukhtar Gondal, nearly 20 suspected Uzbek terrorists have entered Punjab who could target Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Bhakkar and Sargodha.

Gondal said that security has been beefed up following the tip-off and search operation is underway. He said Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsood has dispatched the Uzbeks.

Guard killed in suicide attack at Police station

By Saad Saud

ISLAMABAD—At least two persons including a police constable and suicide bomber were killed and five others injured in a powerful blast at the gate of Special Branch of Police station in Sector G-7 near Sitara Market here on Monday, police and eye witnesses said.
A suspected bomber around 8:00 P.M tried to enter into the Special Branch of Police where he was barred by guards at a checkpoint at the gate as a result he blew himself up, killing one police constable on the spot, witnesses said. The police constable who was killed in the suicide bombing was identified as Faisal. The blast was so loud that it shattered the window panes of the surrounding buildings.
Ambulances and rescue teams reached the scene and initiated rescue operations soon after the attack and collected scattered limbs for forensics and other evidences from the scene. The injured were shifted to Government Services Hospital and Pakistan Institute of Medical sciences were emergency have been declared. “So far only one person had been brought to the Polyclinic hospital whose name is said to be Muhammad Karim”, said doctors engaged with his medical treatment. He, however, said that Karim is out of danger.”
Injured Muhammad Karim is stated to be a computer operator in the building where usually 100 to 150 officers work Advisor Interior Rehman Malik who reached at the scene confirmed that it was suicide attack. He said there were authentic reports of carrying out subversive activities to the intelligence agencies in Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
The police Cop Faisal, he said scarified his life but he averted a big loss had the suicide bomber entered into the building, Malik added. Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani condemned the suicide bomb attack on the offices of special branch police at Sitara Market in Islamabad.In their statements, the President and the Prime Minister said the perpetrators of the heinous terrorist attack will not go unpunished.They ordered the Interior Ministry to hold immediate inquiry into the incident.They directed the hospital authorities to provide best possible medical care to the injured.
Advisor to Prime Minister on Interior Rehman A Malik said the suicide blast at a police station near Sitara Market was carried out by one among the `series of bombers’ who sneaked into the Capital before Long March. “We had a very authentic information that some 15-20 Uzbek suicide bombers were sent by Baitullah Mehsud following a meeting of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP),” the Interior Advisor told media on Monday. Malik said a police constable named Faisal embraced martyrdom while trying to stop the suicide bomber who tried to force his way into the premises. “I salute this brave policeman for showing such an act of gallantry,” Malik said. Meanwhile, five other persons were reported wounded in the blast.
The Interior Advisor said security in Islamabad was put on high alert as they had information of today’s attack. Asked as to how could the suicide bomber could make it if elaborate security cover was in place, he said “no effective mechanism has so far been developed anywhere in the world to preempt suicide bombing” (Daily Mail)

Balcohistan PA passes motion against potential drone attacks

QUETTA: Balochistan Assembly on Saturday unanimously passed a motion against probable U.S. drone attacks.

According to sources, the resolution presented by Jamiat Ulema Islam (F) urged federal government and other institutions to play their due role against possible U.S. drone attacks in Balochistan.

Senior Minister of JUI (F) Maulana Abdul Wasaay said federal government and other bodies should brief United Stated and Nato forces about efforts made against terrorism and tell them that their reservations are baseless.