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Will It End? At What Price?
I am right now monitoring a live report from Pakistan. There has been a major blast in the City of Peshawar, in the heart of the tribal areas of Waziristan. This is happening as Secretary Clinton has arrived for talks in Islamabad. Buildings have collapsed and are being reported to be on fire.
The Taliban are making their presence known. The scenes are horrific. I just saw a bloodied child being carried out. Just as what the Taliban pulled off in Kabul, what these guys have pulled off is spectacular in its impact. The Government can increase security and it can close schools and universities. These so-called measures are failing. What else can the Government do? When people feel that they are not safe anymore, then all bets are off.
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Why would anyone do this?
Why?
It was a sad day in Iran yesterday. There was an attack on a Mosque in the City of Zahedan in Southeastern Iran, near the border with Pakistan. 19 people died while attending Friday prayers to commemorate a major religious event . According to the dispatch I reviewed from the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), the wounded included a 4 year old child.
The Governor of the Province said that arrests have been made. What I found bothersome is how lawless that region of Iran has become. What the world needs to realize is that the attack is significant on several fronts. First of, this occured near the border with Pakistan. The troubles in Pakistan are on the front pages of world news everyday. Two days ago, Lahore was attacked. Yesterday, it was Peshawar's turn.
The Southeast border region of Iran and Pakistan has become the new "Golden Triangle" that is a major transit route to transport Afghan drugs. So, this notion of Karzai claiming that 25 provinces are "opium-free" is just baseless. Iranian security agents lose their lives everyday fighting the drug runners. This story is one of the most underreported stories in the so-called mainstream media around the world.
It is the paramount reason why the drug cancer and the insurgency it is feeding must be eradicated. Failure is truly not an option.
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Should we believe them?
Zardari and Karzai, the Laurel and Hardy of South Asia, have spoken on the predicament faced by their countries. Zardari was quite forceful and eloquent in laying out the stark choices. He is asking for more help:
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And the Truth???????????!!!!!!??????
I caught the program, Empire, that Al Jazeera's Marwan Bishara hosts talking about U.S. Foreign Policy and the future. The analysis done is chilling. The session he hosted had Seymour Hersch, Lakhmar Brahimi and Tariq Ali. Tariq Ali and Seymour Hersch are considered "lefties" by the Conservative Community. But, sometimes lefites have words of wisdom that should be listened to.
In Iraq, there is some consesus that there is reasonable security. Hannity, in his radio interview on Thursday with Governor Rendell of Pennsylvania, said that the United States won the Iraq war. My reaction was, really? How? The fact is that Suicide bombers are back in fashion as America begins to withdraw. If the United States did in fact win, then why do we still have 150,000 troops in that country? Why are people dying
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Washington Ought To Listen....
I have continued to express reservations about Afghanistan and have profoundly concerned about the way ahead. I think Pepe Escobar's Report is as insightful as it gets:
Khameini: The Decider
Iran's Supreme Leader responded to President Obama's overture. Iran's Supreme Leader is the ultimate decider of all state matters in Iran. The Supreme Leader went to Mashad in Eastern Iran on the first day of the Iranian New Year to talk about this and other matters
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Another Insightful analysis Worth Listening You...
I consider Ahmad Rashid, along with Tariq Ali, as one of the most perceptive South Asia Analysts today. US policymakers should take the time to listen such men. This is an interview Ahmad Rashid did about the historical stance between the Afghans and the Pakistanis. This underscores how we have paid a heavy price for ignorance:
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..and now the real work begins......
A New Dawn Has Arrived
Barack Hussein Obama is now the 44th President of the United States. Throughout my lifetime, I have had the privilege to read on the traditions and was finally able to be a true witness to this momentous transfer of power due to the power of technology. I have continued to marvel at how someone with so much power gives it up so willingly because the people are truly sovereign in America. This was quite moving when the President and the First Lady escorted Former Mr. and Mrs. Bush
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Mike Pouraryan
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