23 December 2009

Civilians Suffer From Violence and Neglect in Pakistan, Doctors without Borders, 23 December 2009

EXCERPT: "Pakistan was convulsed by intense violence throughout 2009. Conflict between the Pakistani army and armed opposition groups in the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) and in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) displaced more than two million people, while numerous bombings in major Pakistani cities killed hundreds...

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23 December 2009

Security Body Wants Tangible Action Against Drone Attacks, Daily Times, 23 December 2009

EXCERPT: "Parliament's Special Committee on National Security on Tuesday urged the government to go beyond verbal protests and play its role in stopping US drone attacks on Pakistani soil. The in-camera committee meeting, which was chaired by Senator Raza Rabbani, was briefed by Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on the new US policy on Afghanistan....

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23 December 2009

IMF Approves $1.2 Billion in Aid, Reuters, 23 December 2009

EXCERPT: "The International Monetary Fund has approved a $1.2 billion aid payment to Pakistan after concluding a review of the country's economic performance, the fund said in a statement on Wednesday. The IMF bailed out Pakistan in 2008 to avert a balance of payments crisis that, allied to budget and political concerns, had undermined investors' faith in a country...

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23 December 2009

Pakistan Taliban: Our Fighters Head to Afghan War, The Associated Press in Yahoo, 23 December 2009

EXCERPT: "A top Pakistani Taliban commander told The Associated Press he has sent thousands of fighters to neighboring Afghanistan to counter the influx of new American troops. The U.S. military on Wednesday dismissed the claim as mere rhetoric ? although there's no denying that militants from various jihadi groups are crossing the...

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23 December 2009

Al-Qaeda's Sights on Pakistan, and Beyond, Asia Times Online, 23 December 2009

EXCERPT: "While the surge of 30,000 United States troops in Afghanistan can only lead to an escalation of fighting, a major problem looms across the border, where al-Qaeda plans a new front against the Pakistan army - a move that will further dry up Islamabad's vital support for the war in Afghanistan. . . 'We don't have any intention for any...

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