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There could be more political churning in the offing in Pakistan with President Asif Ali Zardari likely to replace Yousuf Raza Gilani as prime minister and transferring all presidential powers to the prime minister by annulling the constitutional amendments former military dictator Pervez Musharraf had effected, a senior member of the ruling coalition says. The politician said that Zardari has taken this decision after a sustained campaign by some members of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) that he has failed to implement what is being described as assassinated party chief Benazir Bhutto's political will. The PPP leader, requesting anonymity, said that Zardari is likely to install his father Hakim Ali Zardari or some low profile PPP sympathiser as president to avoid any controversy. 'Within the PPP, there are people who convinced Zardari to become prime minister and install his father as president,' said the leading politician, adding that if a mother- daughter duo c...

Pakistan has suspended supplies to US and Nato forces in neighbouring Afghanistan as security forces launch a major offensive against suspected pro-Taliban fighters. The Khyber Pass supply route in the troubled northwest tribal belt was closed on Tuesday, as Pakistan sent tanks, helicopter gunships and artillery units into the region . Tariq Hayat, the Khyber region's top administrator, said a curfew had been imposed in the region and the main road leading to the Afghan border had been sealed. "Supplies to Nato forces will remain suspended until we clear the area of militants and outlaws who have gone out of control," he said. Hayat confirmed Pakistani security forces had launched "an operation against militants and armed groups in Jamrud" - the gateway to the Khyber Pass. 'Giant operation' Pro-Taliban fighters have carried out a string of attacks in recent months aimed at choking off supplies transported to foreign forces in landlocked Afghani...

It was not possible to sleep here for two nights now. The events and the images of death and carnage of children, of policemen, of people that look like my mother and my son and my sister and my friends were simply too much. Gaza has run out of stretchers and many are now carried to hospitals (which are running out of supplies) and morgues on commercial street signs, in blankets or simply by their limp limbs. Three mosques were destroyed. I recalled the Israeli attacks on the Church of Nativity which was minor compared to this. I was watching Israel shell the University in Gaza city including its faculty of science and a residence dorm for female students and was thinking of my university and my lab and office at Bethlehem University. I was then shocked into more horrific scenes and news. In one house five young sisters killed. In another six family members including four children killed while eating breakfast. In a scene that haunted me where four children were killed with their mothe...

Disregard for Civilians Underlies Current Escalation December 30, 2008 Firing rockets into civilian areas with the intent to harm and terrorize Israelis has no justification whatsoever, regardless of Israel's actions in Gaza…At the same time, Israel should not target individuals and institutions in Gaza solely because they are part of the Hamas-run political authority, including ordinary police. Only attacks on military targets are permissible, and only in a manner that minimizes civilian casualties. Joe Stork, deputy director of Human Rights Watch's Middle East and North Africa division Israel and Hamas both must respect the prohibition under the laws of war against deliberate and indiscriminate attacks on civilians, Human Rights Watch said today. Human Rights Watch expressed grave concern about Israeli bombings in Gaza that caused civilian deaths and Palestinian rocket attacks on Israeli civilian areas in violation of international law. Rocket attacks on Israeli towns by Hama...

Bush administration says: Hamas Must End Attacks on Israel Obama is totally silent in the face of the third straight days of Israeli butchery. We know Obama well so far. He is world-renowned for his eloquence. So, are those who talk ignorant or insane because we know that it was Israel which broke ceasefire agreement on Nov 5? See: NOVEMBER 5TH, 2008 - Six Hamas activists killed during Israeli raids in Gaza Strip. So what is going on: Is it only the US administration that knows the best, whereas Turkey says Gaza attacks a crime against humanity , there are Anti-Israeli protests across Europe , Sarkozy calls for immediate halt to Gaza violence , Britain slams 'unacceptable' loss of life in Gaza and Asian governments roundly condemn Israel's 'genocide' in Gaza Strip . US Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) is calling for a United Nations investigation into Israel's attacks on Gaza, criticizing Israel for a disproportionate response to Hamas rocket attacks. ...

The Bombing of Gaza by Dr. Eyad Al Serraj The bombing went on for about 10 minutes. It was like an earthquake on top of your head. The windows were shaking and squeaking. My 10-year-old was terrified, he was jumping from one place to another trying to hide. I held him tight to my chest and tried to give him some security and reassure him. My 12-year-old was panicking and began laughing hysterically, it’s not normal. I held her hand and calmed her and told her she would be safe. My wife was panicking. She was running around the apartment looking for somewhere to hide. We live on the ground floor so we headed to the basement. Not very far from our home is the headquarters of the police and there was a massive bomb. The chief of police was killed. Two streets away there was another bomb and more people were killed. The office of the president is about one kilometre from our house and it was also bombed. We went downstairs to the basement and tried to hide ourselves from the shelling. T...

BEFORE THE ATTACKS: The drama started weeks before the terrorist attacks - at a Jewish residential complex In Mumbai run by the Chabad-Lubavitch ultra-orthodox movement. From CBC News (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/11/28/mumbai-attacks.html In a telephone interview with CBC News from outside the centre, freelance journalist Arun Asthhana said there are reports that some of the militants had stayed at a guest house there for up to 15 days before the attacks. "They had a huge mass of ammunition, arms and food there," Asthhana said. That some stayed there before the attacks seem no longer in question. Later news reports state that the terrorists came to Nariman House posing as Malaysian students and were given lodging. Why Ultra-orthodox Jews would give lodging to these unknown Malaysian Muslim students is baffling; they could have been 'terrorists' . After all they did not know them. However, it is well known that those housing q...

Adm. Mike Mullen asked Pakistan for a guarantee that Pakistan Air Force will not respond to Indian surgical strikes. General Kayani is said to have responded with showing Mullen a photograph of an IAF Mirage-2000 locked by Pakistan Air Forces' F-16 taken on December 13. 'Next time, we'll bring it down' , Mullen was told. To make sure the message was loud and clear, Pakistan Air Force jets started patrolling the skies in hot mode and a red-alert was issued throughout the country. The Indian war rhetoric has failed to impress Pakistan. Instead, the focus is now shifting to Indian intelligence agencies' failure to put together credible evidence implicating Pakistan in the Mumbai attacks. It is best to win without fighting- Sun Tzu With India and Pakistan standing eyeball to eyeball, it was India that blinked first, with its media and officials admitting defeat on the diplomatic front. Times of India writes: "While the de-escalation should soothe the tense ...