Kayani’s warning brought Nato strikes to halt

A direct intervention by Chief of the Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and warning of an enhanced response had finally brought to a halt Nato’s air strikes on Volcano and Boudak posts in Mohmand agency on Nov 26 last year.

Obama: “We Are a Nation of Google and Facebook”

In addressing American innovation in the State of the Union Address, President Obama called America a nation of Google and Facebook.

Pakistan prime minister makes case to high court

A bitter legal clash between Pakistan's top court and civilian government inched toward resolution Thursday as the prime minister made a..

Tweetdeck releases heavily revamped iPhone app

Tweetdeck has distribute a new variety 2.0 of its app for the iPhone. They are calling it a ‘Hollywood-esque “re-imagining” where the essence of the primary stays but it’s fetched up to date. It’s taken “several months of feverish work”.

Dreams of a Digital Rockstar

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and co-founder of Cygnis Media, Ahmed Hashim is not your regular techie. His team doesn’t make banners but creates, instead, interactive applications and experiences. The small, fairly young digital marketing company has found its niche in the digital universe by taking on marketing projects for international giants like one of Canada’s biggest communication companies, Rogers and Butlers Chocolate CafĂ© in Karachi.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Kayani’s warning brought Nato strikes to halt: military




ISLAMABAD: A direct intervention by Chief of the Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and warning of an enhanced response had finally brought to a halt Nato’s air strikes on Volcano and Boudak posts in Mohmand agency on Nov 26 last year.

This was revealed in a 24-page document released by ISPR, the military’s public affairs wing, on Monday. It gives Pakistan’s perspective on a US investigation report on the incident which brought the already-strained relations between Pakistan and the United States to a new low.

Gen Kayani talked to ODRP (Office of the Defence Representative Pakistan) chief L.G. Keen at the US Embassy and warned that if the fire did not stop immediately he would order an enhanced level of response, beyond the one which was already being given by the Pakistani military until that time in the shape of small arms and mortar fire. The intervention finally brought the fire to a halt.

The document, which outlined the first formal reaction to the attack by the General Headquarters (GHQ), rejected the US investigation report on the Salala incident which claimed the lives of 24 Pakistani soldiers. “Pakistan does not agree with several portions and findings of the investigation report as these are factually not correct,” it said.

The reaction came after an analysis of the report received by the GHQ about a month ago. The document said the fundamental cause of the incident was a failure of the US and International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) to share its near-border
operation with Pakistan at any level. This obviously was a major omission, as were several others, like the complicated chain of command, complex command and control structure and intricate rules of engagement as well as lack of unified military command in Afghanistan.

The US and Isaf violated all mutually agreed procedures with Pakistan for near-border operations put in place to avert such uncalled for actions. It also carried out unprovoked engagement of posts located inside Pakistan, violating the Isaf mandate which is limited to Afghanistan alone.

The document said the US investigation report was structured around the argument of “self-defence” and “proportional use of
force”, an argument contrary to facts.

Continued engagement by US/Isaf despite being informed about the incident at multiple levels by the Pakistani military within minutes of initiation of fire, belied the “self-defence” and “proportional use of force” contention.

It said affixing partial responsibility of the incident on Pakistan was unjustified and unacceptable.

The ISPR said in the document that it was unfortunate to note that the mandate given to the US Investigating Officer (BG Stephen Clark) did not include affixing specific responsibility for the grave incident, without which the report could not have been complete.

It also mentioned the mandate given to Nato’s Allied Joint Force Command (JFC) Brunssum team (headed by Brigadier General Michael Jorgensen) concurrently investigating the incident. Citing words from the US report that “the JFC Brunssum goal was to conduct an operationally-focused fact-finding investigation into the circumstances surrounding the engagement between friendly forces and Pakistan military”, the ISPR pointed out that implicit in the mandate was the fact that Pakistan
was considered in an adversarial role and not part of friendly forces.

The ISPR said that although the incident of Nov 26 was the gravest, it unfortunately was not the first of its kind. The current incident was preceded by four others which took place between June 2008 and July 2011 and resulted in the loss of 18 precious lives of soldiers and injuries to 10 others, including an incident at Ziarat post (Mohmand Agency) on June 17, 2011.

The US and Isaf are well aware of these incidents and each time resolved to prevent recurrence. It was pointed out that the resultant US/Isaf inquiry into this and other similar incidents remained shy of accepting responsibility and hence failed to hold anyone accountable.

Giving the background, the document said that after an extensive nine-month operation in Mohmand Agency, Pakistan Army cleared the area up to the border with Afghanistan and established several border posts, including Volcano and Boulder, by the end of Sept 2011.

When Pakistani forces were carrying out operations in Mohmand Agency, US/Isaf forces were kept informed and they carried out some supportive operations on the Afghan side, along and close to River Kunar. With no presence of US/Isaf/Afghan forces close to the border on the Afghan side, these Pakistani posts were critical for prevention of terrorists’ infiltration from either side of the border.

The document said Pakistan had been experiencing infiltration of terrorists from the Afghan province of Kunar which had become a safe haven for terrorists of all hues, including those who had escaped the Pakistan Army’s operation in Mohmand.

Since September last year no crossing from Mohmand Agency into Afghanistan has taken place. Buy unfortunately several large and some small scale attacks on Pakistani border posts and civilians in Dir, Chitral, Bajaur and Mohmand areas continued from Kunar and Nuristan provinces of Afghanistan.

There were seven such major attacks by terrorists from the Afghan side, resulting in the loss of 102 soldiers and injuries to 25 others (security personnel and civilians). Pakistan has repeatedly provided specific information to US/Isaf about the presence of hard core terrorist elements, including some high-value targets located in Kunar and Nuristan.

“What we now know as Operation SAYAQA, was not shared at any level with the Pakistani military despite multiple existing arrangements between the two sides to do so. The incident is even more regrettable because a few hours prior to it ISAF Commander General Allen and at least two of his senior staff members were in the GHQ to coordinate and share details of exactly such operations which Isaf now claims to have been conducted on the night of 25/26 Nov 2011,” the document said.

Friday, January 20, 2012

Pakistan prime minister makes case to high court

Pakistan PM Court
A bitter legal clash between Pakistan's top court and civilian government inched toward resolution Thursday as the prime minister made a dramatic court appearance to ward off possible imprisonment while his legal team agreed to engage the court over the key issue of presidential immunity.

Amid tight security and a blaze of publicity, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani appeared before the Supreme Court to explain why he had failed to revive charges in Switzerland against his boss, President Asif Ali Zardari.

In a nearly 10-minute address before seven justices, Gilani said he never meant to "ridicule" the court but sincerely believed that Zardari enjoyed "complete immunity inside and outside the country."

On Monday, furious justices had threatened to charge the prime minister with contempt - a crime that carries a possible six-month jail sentence and probably would topple Pakistan's fragile 4-year-old civilian government.

But Thursday, after 90 minutes of often heated legal argument, the justices relented and agreed to adjourn the proceedings until Feb. 1 - buying valuable time for Zardari's team.

But their side also made one major concession. During the hearing, Gilani's lawyer, Aitzaz Ahsan, agreed to start debating the legality of Zardari's immunity - a contentious issue that could ultimately threaten the president's hold on power, analysts say.

The court insists that the president should face a corruption investigation in Switzerland over allegations that he pocketed millions of dollars in kickbacks in the 1990s.

Monday, October 31, 2011

Happy Halloween and here is Google Halloween Doodle 2011



Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays and that’s not because I get to see weird costumes. Living in East Village of New York City I get to see plenty of interesting people, costumes and acts around the year. I actually like going trick-or-treating with my kids in the neighborhood. I have done that for more than 16 years now and it doesn’t get boring. I pretty much see how retailers in my neighborhood interact with kids – their customers. If I find a rude establishment or a less than generous entrepreneur, I try not to take any business to them for rest of the year. It is just my way to getting the pulse of local businesses.

I also encourage friends and neighbors to trick-or-treat for UNICEF.

“Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF” has become a common sight during Halloween in North America. Started as a local event in a Northeast Philadelphia neighborhood in 1950 and expanded nationally in 1952, the program involves the distribution of small boxes by schools (or in modern times, corporate sponsors like Hallmark, at their licensed stores) to trick-or-treaters, in which they can solicit small-change donations from the houses they visit. It is estimated that children have collected more than $118 million for UNICEF since its inception. In Canada, in 2006, UNICEF decided to discontinue their Halloween collection boxes, citing safety and administrative concerns; after consultation with schools, they instead redesigned the program.”

And, of course the parade But this year I am heading out to Amsterdam so I will have to trick-a-treat early. I know- it’s drag

Here is the Google video of Halloween:


Tuesday, September 27, 2011

60 Minutes Andy Rooney retiring


CHICAGO, September 28, 2011—What will we perform now? The curmudgeonly, folksy, and notorious Andy Rooney is sort of retiring. According to the New York Times, Mr. Rooney has brought ahead 1096 commentaries since commencing with the present in 1978.



His last will be the 1097th, the statement of his retirement this Sunday. Morley Safer will perform the convey off before Mr. Rooney’s convey off segment.

Mr. Rooney is 92 years old. He has outlasted more of his associates in journalism, view drafting, and humor. He has been in the game for over seven decades. That only is an attainment unto itself.

Andy Rooney was way before his time. His commentaries on the foibles, tryouts, and tribulations of everyday life are the fodder for many comedian and circumstances comedy. He was the pearl in the oyster.

Mr. Rooney commenced his journalism line of work as an Army combat correspondent as long as World War II for Stars and Stripes. He was sanctioned to by aircraft on the first American bombing raid over Germany with the Eighth Air Force. Originally a pacifist and in resistance to the combat, after being one of the first reporters to scenery the attentiveness tents, he became humiliated and understood there are some “just wars”.

Mr. Rooney went to work for CBS after the war. In 1978 he commenced his “A Few Minutes with Andy Rooney” on 60 Minutes. His satirical term articles on the troubles of everyday life have been delineated as whimsical.

He assembled the walnut table he becomes noticeable at.

Mr. Rooney in addition produced debate, apparently affronting gays, Hispanics, and Native Americans. He graciously recognized clear fault each time. It was blatant he did not recognise about the NPCP- the National Politically Correct Police- or their SWAT teams.

Andy Rooney attempted to perform good with his site on 60 Minutes and his writing; he was a syndicated columnist too. Though he was an unabashed liberal, he attempted to present the world in a witty latest approach by employing everyday subjects that plague us all.

There was a thing comforting in his voice that the midpoint American, no subject their political stripes, could acknowledge with. No subject what he was bemoaning about, there was some snugness there.

Andy Rooney is an American icon and an American treasure. Since he is sort of withdrawing, he should be lauded as a countrywide treasure. There are small number like Mr. Rooney in the broadcasting today. He is one of a kind. He is not one of those population you love to loathe or loathe to love. You just can’t aid fondness him.

Andy Rooney is the aged irascible uncle we all love and cherish, even though we consider he is a little off. In the silent years of his long life we could expect that he reaps the rewards he deserves.

Thank you Andy Rooney for being Andy Rooney.

Peter Bella is a withdrew Chicago Police Officer, freelance journalist, freelance person taking images, and consultant. He is a ardent prepare food servings and eater. He likes to be the spiky fasten that pokes, bothers, and provokes. His views are his and his alone.

Monday, July 25, 2011

Kristin Cavallari and Jay Cutler: Engagement Called Off After SHE Got Dumped!


Jay Cutler truly can't draw close through in the clutch. What a quitter.

After just 10 months concurrently, the Chicago Bears quarterback and Kristin Cavallari have called off their undertaking, a source approves today.

As for who alleviated the split? "She got dumped," says another source. "Kristin is unquestioningly devastated. She can't trust this is happening."

The two population, who were arranging a leap wedding, became engaged in April, when Cutler popped the query while on get-away in Mexico.

They had been paying out much of their time freshly in Chicago, and Cavallari had arranged to progress there as long as the approaching NFL season.

"She was arranging her vision wedding ceremony, the day of the year, the placement – everything was set," the source says. "She's in frightening that it finished this way."

Last week, Cavallari Tweeted about her undertaking party: "Thx to all my astounding acquaintances for establishing my undertaking party a discharge last night!"

The two population had concluded their wedding ceremony registry, and the first superstar of The Hills was ascertained to be in many profile for the wedding.

Saturday after dark Cavallari bang The Beverly, an L.A. lounge, and was marked without her undertaking ring. Says a source close to Cavallari.

"She was securing out at a table with Nicky Hilton and Alessandra Ambrosio. She was telling acquaintances how they called off the engagement."

Personally, we can't trust the associate discharged a babe as gorgeous as Kristin. Here's promising Cutler gets discharged throughout 200 times this season.