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An Open Letter From Pakistan To President Obama By Imran Khan published in the Forbes Magazine on 29 Jan 09 Dear President Obama, Your extraordinary ascent to the U.S. Presidency is, to a large part, a reflection of your remarkable ability to mobilize society, particularly the youth, with the message of "change." Indeed, change is what the world is yearning for after eight long and almost endless years of carnage let loose by a group of neo-cons that occupied the White House. Understandably, your overarching policy focus would be the security and welfare of all U.S. citizens and so it should be. Similarly, our first and foremost concern is the protection of Pakistani lives and the prosperity of our society. We may have different social and cultural values, but we share the fundamental values of peace, harmony, justice and equality before law. No people desire change more than the people of Pakistan, as we have suffered the most since 9/11, despite the fact that none of the...

• US forces to step up operations in Afghanistan and Pakistan • Pakistani president tells US ambassador strikes 'do not help war on terror' The Obama administration warned the US public yesterday to brace itself for an increase in American casualties as it prepares to step up the fight against al-Qaida and the Taliban in Afghanistan and the border regions of Pakistan. Against a background of widespread protests in Pakistan and Afghanistan over US operations since Obama became president, the vice-president, Joe Biden, said yesterday that US forces would be engaged in many more operations as the US takes the fight to its enemies in the region. The Obama administration is to double the number of US troops in Afghanistan to 60,000 and when asked in a television interview if the US public should expect more American casualties, Biden said : "I hate to say it, but yes, I think there will be. There will be an uptick." Greater US involvement in Afghanistan is a political risk...