tagged w/ US Foreign Policy
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The spotlight's on Afghanistan but are we asking the right questions? Even though the declining popularity of the war has been widely cited, very few are talking about withdrawal or seriously rethinking the US role in the region. That is unless you turn to the independent press. Robert Greenwald of Brave New Films has released several installments of his series, Rethink Afghanistan, over the last several months calling for a different kind of dialogue. The film opens as a full-length feature in NY and Washington, D.C. this week.The spotlight's on Afghanistan but are we asking the right questions? Even though the... more
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GRITtv
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1 month ago
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t is time to clarify the debate over Iran and its nuclear program. It's easy to criticize the current course adopted by the United States and its allies, to huff and puff about Iranian mendacity, to point out that Russia and China won't agree to tougher measures against Tehran, and to detail the leaks in the sanctions already in place. But what, then, should the United States do? The critics are eager to denounce the administration from the sidelines for being weak but rarely detail what they would do to be "tough." Would they attack Iran today? If not, then what should we do? It is time to put up or shut up on Iran.
There are three basic options that the United States and its allies have regarding Iran's nuclear program. We can bomb Iran, engage it diplomatically, or contain and deter the threat it poses. Let me outline what each would entail and then explain why I favor containment and deterrenct is time to clarify the debate over Iran and its nuclear program. It's easy to... more
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The head of NATO has announced that the United States, Russia and NATO should link their missile defense systems together to defend themselves from potential threats. Many officials are saying this is a new era for U.S. and Russian relations, but how much will really change?The head of NATO has announced that the United States, Russia and NATO should link... more
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Its not just about Politics, though Politics is also important here.
Its not just about numbers, though Numbers are important too..
It’s about Faces, So many of them…..
Faces who have seen too much in too little a time. …
Here you see many slums , but no millionaires.
You will find travellers but no destination….
These are internally displaced People of SWAT.
Many of them settled in IDP camps established..
at Mardan, Nowshehra and other areas,
while the majority chose to stay independent.
A large portion of these displaced people arrived at Karachi
where they are living with their relatives, or rented houses
with high rents. This is there story.
Bonier is situated around 60 miles from Islamabad.
An idyllic place with a history full of traditions, simplicity and peace.
All this changed one fine morning….
The terror had finally arrived Taliban’s.
They came with colourful Promises.
The promise of quick justice,
Divine Law, Sharia.
Soon the terror removed its masks and unveiled its true face.
The recent Operation by Pakistan against Taliban forces
For them this was a ray of light, a glimmer of hope.
But everything comes with a price.
The army needed space,
the collateral damage too much a political baggage;
they had to be removed from the war zone.
With in few days more than 1.5 million people left their houses…
and settled for different parts of Pakistan.
Even here, their miseries are far from over.
The new place offers them nothing but a reminiscence
of what they have left behind.
What could have been theirs?
These children are a product of fear;
these faces the faces under terror.
These faces need to be seen,
these voices be heard,
for they tell a story not covered in any of the debate rooms.
They tell why a combination of poverty, ignorance, deception and ultimate terror alters the course of human lives in such a short span of time.
These faces need to be helped.
Because in the end, they are all human faces.
Kazim Raza, Karachi. PakistanIts not just about Politics, though Politics is also important here.
Its not just... more
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Kazim
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5 months ago
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Every morning while on the way to office or coming back in evening it’s not possible for the karachiets to ignore baggers, children with car screen wipers and drug addicts. But unfortunately hardly seen some one talking to them to share there grievan...ces, to know what turns them into a LIFE without SOUL.....
Directed and Produced by Kazim RazaEvery morning while on the way to office or coming back in evening it’s not possible... more
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Kazim
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3 months ago
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Sans Papiers
The youth of our age, surrounded by a swarm of difficulties and problems is in search of a solution, but what he eventually finds is more and more of difficulties and disappointments. When unemployed and poverty numbs all his senses, paralyzes all his muscles, he feels life is nothing but a futile effort, a bottomless pit of poverty and indigence. According to one estimate, in past 10 years, around 10 thousand Pakistanis have been killed by security forces, crossing Greece-Turkey border illegally. In pursuit of an ever evading happiness, who are these ill-informed people and who are the traffickers involved in this heinous trade of human trafficking. The real issue is how come the educated ones of our country fall prey to these human traffickers. Poverty and related problems are the main reasons behind human trafficking and illegal immigration. Your pursuit of happiness can bring this much misery and suffering, one can only know by meeting the people under Custody of FIA, who have recently been deported from the Turkey Border. It seems an obvious enough advice to have a safe albeit simple life at home, than to a have risky prosperous life abroad. But mired deeply in the troubled waters, it’s only dreams of a happy living that make these people go through all sorts of troubles.
I just pray that my country Pakistan finds a leader, a person who can improve the situation in our country, so that no one thinks about leaving this country and going through this humiliation This heinous crime of Illegal immigration, despite efforts by the State, is flourishing. One obvious contributors of this crime are the people who become a victim of agents’ treacherous promises, lost their lives’ savings and became a victim of dark alleys.
The question that haunts us all is till what time these traffickers would dupe the gullible of their livelihoods and till what time the carcasses of the youth of our country would be feasted by the beasts in unknown wildernesses.
Directed and Produced By
Kazim Raza
Masmedia Productions
Pakistan
923333705114Sans Papiers
The youth of our age, surrounded by a swarm of difficulties and... more
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Kazim
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2 months ago
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Amongst the most beautiful regions of the world, the picturesque valleys of Swat and Buneir used to be huge tourist attraction. The people of this land were remembered for their ethereal beauty and generous hospitality.
But all this changed in a short span of time. These valleys soon became a symbol of terror and insecurity for the tourists. Even the locals started feeling insecure in their homeland.
With a population of around 5 millions, these valleys became a burning inferno right in front of the eyes of the world, fuelled by religious bigotry and fanaticism.
To eliminate the menace of terrorism, Pakistan Army started its operation in the troubled region, the subsequent resistance by Taliban forces turned this halcyon patches into a war zone.
Lush green fields turned into deadly bunkers, happy faces suddenly plagued by death stricken silence. The ensuing uncertainty culminated into the biggest exodus of human history. Around 3 million people left their homes to taste the bitter tastes of homelessness, settling in the Tent Villages at Mardan, Naushehra and Swabi.
Leaving the war zone was an unavoidable decision, the migration inescapable, but in these testing times, the true essence of people came out. Armed with the sense of compassion, sacrifice and devotion came out the helping hands. And pretty soon many a new shelters started appearing. The sense of homelessness started giving way to a glimmer of hope, peace and security.
A huge contingent of IDPs in Swabi was welcomed b y Mr Liaquat Taraki, the chairman of Tarakai group and Head of Liaquat Khan welfare trust. The aim and mission of Trakai trust is to make Swabi a prosperous district, and to help elevate the living standard of Swabi people by eradicating poverty and backwardness.
Directed and Produced By " Kazim Raza"Amongst the most beautiful regions of the world, the picturesque valleys of Swat and... more
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Kazim
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added this
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3 months ago
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The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is one of the world’s major sources of instability. Americans are directly connected to this conflict, and increasingly imperiled by its devastation.
It is the goal of If Americans Knew to provide full and accurate information on this critical issue, and on our power – and duty – to bring a resolution.The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is one of the world’s major sources of instability.... more
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Former Arkansas governor and presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee says the US has taken too harsh a stance against Israel on the issue of settlements.
Huckabee: US policy on Israeli settlements like racial segregation
Huckabee said the US should not "be telling Jewish people in Israel where they should and should not live."Former Arkansas governor and presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee says the US has taken... more
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Pepe Escobar revisits the New Great Game, Part 1
The Bush administration has tried everything to drive a wedge between Iran and Russia - to no avail. The Obama administration now has to deal with some pretty established facts on the ground. In the first part of this report, Pepe Escobar analyzes the implications of the complex relationship between close allies Iran and Russia, articulated on three fronts: nuclear, energy security and weapons.
Pepe Escobar, born in Brazil, is the roving correspondent for Asia Times and an analyst for The Real News Network. He's been a foreign correspondent since 1985, based in London, Milan, Los Angeles, Paris, Singapore, and Bangkok. Since the late 1990s, he has specialized in covering the arc from the Middle East to Central Asia, including the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. He has made frequent visits to Iran and is the author of Globalistan and also Red Zone Blues: A Snapshot of Baghdad During the Surge both published by Nimble Books in 2007.Pepe Escobar revisits the New Great Game, Part 1
The Bush administration has tried... more
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BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan — A sweeping United States military review calls for overhauling the troubled American-run prison here as well as the entire Afghan jail and judicial systems, a reaction to worries that abuses and militant recruiting within the prisons are helping to strengthen the Taliban.
In a further sign of high-level concern over detention practices, Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, sent a confidential message last week to all of the military service chiefs and senior field commanders asking them to redouble their efforts to alert troops to the importance of treating detainees properly.
The prison at this air base north of Kabul has become an ominous symbol for Afghans — a place where harsh interrogation methods and sleep deprivation were used routinely in its early years, and where two Afghan detainees died in 2002 after being beaten by American soldiers and hung by their arms from the ceiling of isolation cells.
Bagram also became a holding site for terrorism suspects captured outside Afghanistan and Iraq.
[more at link]BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan — A sweeping United States military review calls for... more
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asherp
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4 months ago
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President Obama has ordered national security officials to look into allegations that the Bush administration resisted efforts to investigate a CIA-backed Afghan warlord over the killings of hundreds of Taliban prisoners in 2001.
"The indications that this had not been properly investigated just recently was brought to my attention," Obama told CNN's Anderson Cooper in an exclusive interview during the president's visit to Ghana. The full interview will air 10 p.m. Monday.
"So what I've asked my national security team to do is to collect the facts for me that are known, and we'll probably make a decision in terms of how to approach it once we have all of the facts gathered up," Obama said.
The inquiry stems from the deaths of at least 1,000 Taliban prisoners who had surrendered to the U.S.-backed Northern Alliance in late 2001.
The fighters were in the custody of troops led by Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum, a prominent Afghan warlord who has served as chief of staff of the country's post-Taliban army.
....
More at link.President Obama has ordered national security officials to look into allegations that... more
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On Sunday, July 12th, Prime Minister Netanyahu offered Palestinians an immediate return to peace talks. The offer was rejected by Mahmoud Abbas, who demanded that the Israeli State cease all settlement activity in the West Bank.
During his weekly cabinet meeting in Be'er Sheva, Netanyahu declared that 'there is no reason that President Abbas and myself shouldn't meet, anywhere in this country, to advance the peace process'.On Sunday, July 12th, Prime Minister Netanyahu offered Palestinians an immediate... more
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It's been six months since Hillary Clinton took over the role of U.S. Secretary of State. Unlike her predecessors, she has not accompanied President Barack Obama on his trips overseas, a point which has not been missed by many who are watching the dynamics of the power play in the administration. Her unfortunate June 18th elbow fracture did not help matters, and forced her to cancel her own overseas agenda which included trips to Italy and Greece. James Steinberg led the American delegation to Corfu where a meeting of foreign ministers together with NATO and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe took place. Insofar as the G-8 meeting in Trieste was concerned, Under-Secretary William Burns stood in for Mrs. Clinton.It's been six months since Hillary Clinton took over the role of U.S. Secretary of... more
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The US media have reported on the withdrawal of American troops from Iraqi cities. But 130,000 troops remain in Iraq and many argue that the occupation will continue only under a different guise. Have things really changed? Or has the occupation simply been rebranded?
Jeremy Scahill, best selling author of Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army, Patrick Cockburn, journalist and author most recently of The Occupation: War and Resistance in Iraq, and Kristele Younes, an Advocate at Refugees International on what the US withdrawal means. You can find more information on Iraq’s refugees at Iraqirefugeestories.org.The US media have reported on the withdrawal of American troops from Iraqi cities. But... more
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GRITtv
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4 months ago
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His young face betrays an uncommon wisdom and his command of the facts.Though David Miliband has not been formally introduced to the American people, he did make a visit to see Secretary of State Clinton at the State Department in early February. The visit was hardly noticed by the MSM.
He has been in the headlines every since Iran, desperate for scapegoating, decided to imprison Iranian workers of the British Embassy in Tehran. Here are some of those headlines:
Miliband seeks talks with Iran over 'show trial'
Times Online - Jul 4, 2009
Lawyer for British Embassy worker jailed in Iran is optimistic Los Angeles Times
Iran to free eighth British embassy worker: Miliband AFP
Foreign secretary: Eighth detained British embassy staff in Iran ... XinhuaHis young face betrays an uncommon wisdom and his command of the facts.Though David... more
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Vice President Joe Biden doesn't mince his words, and oftentimes, he has been teased about not sticking to the script. Overall, however, Joe Biden understands foreign policy far better than most politicians as he was chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was ubiquitous on today's Sunday shows, as he talked to the press from Iraq, where he was sent on a 'new mission' by President Obama. As we watch the dynamics of the Obama administration's foreign policy unfold, it is becoming clear that Obama is the game changer, and envoys like Mitchell, Holbrooke, and even his vice president are the bearers of 'guess what the bad news is?".Vice President Joe Biden doesn't mince his words, and oftentimes, he has been teased... more
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Mike Tharp: Most Iraqis regard the U.S. troops as occupiers, some Americans talk about staying longer.
Paul Jay speaks to Mike Tharp, Executive Editor of the Merced Sun-Star who's currently based at the McClatchy Newspapers' Baghdad Bureau. Tharp says that most Iraqis "want the "U.S. out totally as soon as possible." They've seen the last six years as an occupation, not as bringing freedom and democracy to Iraq, but instead the loss of tens of thousands of Iraqi lives as well as over 4300 American troop losses, a Trillion dollars spent by the U.S. I don't know what estimates are being put on the damage done to the Iraqi society and economy, but it's incalculable."
Mike Tharp is the Executive Editor of the Merced Sun-Star. His column, "Copy!," appears each Saturday. Currently, Tharp is in Baghdad working with their local McClatchy Newspapers bureau.Mike Tharp: Most Iraqis regard the U.S. troops as occupiers, some Americans talk about... more
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On the eve of discussions between Dmitri Medvedev and Barack Obama, that will take place on July 6th in Moscow, Russia and the United States face an ambitious task. Both parties are planning to sign a document which is slated to replace the current nuclear non-proliferation treaty (START-1). Intense negotiations are expected between Moscow and Washington concerning the bilateral limitation of the number of nuclear warheads and rockets. During their first meeting in April, in London, on the sidelines of the G8, both presidents had announced their intentions to replace the START-1 treaty which expires on December 5th, 2009. But according to Russian daily Kommersant, ' Russians and Americans still cannot agree on the scale and reduction modalities of their nuclear arsenals '.On the eve of discussions between Dmitri Medvedev and Barack Obama, that will take... more
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It is evident that one of Barak Obama's major foreign policy ambitions is to change America's image in the Muslim world. Though there is some evidence that this image may slowly be turning around, the Muslim world is still in a 'show me' kind of mood.
Of course, speeches given in Ankara and Cairo earlier this year have stirred hope in the hearts and minds of many across the Muslim world. In Ankara, President Obama stressed that the United States was not at war with Islam. See the entire speech here accompanied by the text.It is evident that one of Barak Obama's major foreign policy ambitions is to change... more
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