Monday 5 March 2018
Thursday 16 March 2017
Marking Pakistan As A Sponsor Of Terror 'Deeply Unwise'
WASHINGTON: Marking Pakistan as a state sponsor of terrorism would be a deeply unreasonable step, says Michael Krepon, co-founder of the leading US think tank, Stimson Center.
Lisa Curtis of the Heritage Foundation, another think tank in Washington, also does not want "Pakistan to be declared a state sponsor of terrorism this year," but urges the Trump administration to "keep the opportunity open for the future." But in the interim period, she suggests "imposing conditions on military assistance and withdrawing Pakistan's Major Non-Nato Ally Status."
Former US special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Daniel Feldman, said that in the past, the cessation of aid to Pakistan was tested, and it did not bring the desired changes in the country's attitude.
"The leverage that this threat provides will be lost along with its execution, along with the likelihood of taking remedial measures," Mr. Crepon said while opposing the proposal that Pakistan be declared a state sponsor of terrorism.
The Trump administration called for "keep the choice open for the future"
"The problem of terrorism, as important as it is, is less consistent than the nuclear issue. Rawalpindi figured this out, which helps explain why he does not fulfill promises to take more than cosmetic actions against the leadership of Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad," he writes in a recent post on this issue.
Read More: In The US Congress, Anti-Pak Bill Presented
John Gill, an associate professor at the University of National Defense in Washington, warns against "starting all over again" and suggested changing the current US policy toward Pakistan in such a way that it encourages Islamabad to do more in the war on terrorism.
The opinions expressed in recent reports and in discussions in various American think tanks follow the media reports that the administration of President Donald Trump, who came to power on January 20, is preparing a new policy for the Pakistan and Afghanistan region.
While the administration was intentionally silent on this issue, but it began consultations with legislators, experts and scientists.
Earlier this month, former Ambassador Hussein Haqqani was also invited to the State Department for consultations.
Ms. Curtis, who co-authored a study paper on Pakistan with Mr. Haqqani last month, could also have a significant impact on the new policy. Some media reports that the Trump administration can hire her as the new assistant secretary of state for South Asia.
In a joint report, Ms. Curtis and Mr. Haqqani argue that "the aim of the Trump administration's policy towards Pakistan should be to make it more and more expensive for Pakistani leaders to use the strategy of supporting terrorist intermediaries to achieve regional strategic goals. There should be no ambiguity that the US considers Pakistan's strategy to support terrorist intermediaries as an achievement of regional strategic advantage as a threat to US interests. "
These two authors and other experts suggested putting pressure on Pakistan to force it to change its Afghan policy. They argue that Pakistan continues to support the Afghan military network of Haqqani, which does not allow the US to fully implement its own policy towards Afghanistan and restore peace in a war-ravaged country. Pakistani policy, they argue, also caused the death of hundreds of American soldiers in Afghanistan.
Mr. Crepon objected to this argument, stating that "the future of Pakistan for the United States is more important than the future of Afghanistan. Any US policy that seeks to sacrifice the former for the latter, as some Pakistani squeezers and plague-makers seem to require, insanity, "he writes.
"One of Washington's pipe dreams is the belief that Pakistan can be muscled into subordinating its own interests in Afghanistan to those of the United States," he says.
Monday 13 March 2017
Modern air defence system transferred to the army
The LY-80 system, capable of tracking, destroying targets at low and medium altitude; COAS claims that the system increases the army's response capabilities to current, emerging threats.
RAWALPINDI: The Pakistani army has introduced an air defense system with low and medium altitude (Lomads) LY 80 in its air defense system. According to information on inter-Services public relations (ISPR), the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces (COAS), General Kamar Javed Bajwa, was the Chief Guest at the induction ceremony held in the Army Auditorium.
LY 80 is a Chinese mobile air defense system capable of tracking and destroying a variety of air targets at longer ranges flying at small and medium altitudes. COAS stated that LY 80 Lomads increases the army's response capabilities to existing and emerging air defense threats.
Read More: Pakistan Introduces China's Advanced Air Defense System
Earlier, upon arrival of the army commander, the army chief was received by air defense commander of the army, Lieutenant-General Muhammad Zahid Latif Mirza. The SAM components HQ16A (LY-80) contain a search radar vehicle, command vehicle, radar tracking and control apparatus, launcher unit vehicle and missiles canister. Technical support equipment includes the transportation and loading of missiles, a power supply vehicle, a maintenance vehicle and equipment for testing missiles. One radar guidance device controls two or four launchers with six missiles ready to be launched. The command vehicle is responsible for sending the target information and combat orders.
The search-and-radar machine is equipped with a solid-state S-band 3-D passive phased-array antenna mounted on the mast. When the target is detected, the search radar vehicle performs an automatic IFF (identification Friend or Foe), threat assessment, flight path processing and provides information on the target engagement for the tracking and targeting radar. The S-band radar has a range of 140 km and can detect targets flying at an altitude of 20 km.
Sunday 12 March 2017
Pakistan Introduces China's Advanced Air Defense System
RAWAPLINDI: Pakistan have introduced an advanced Chinese anti-missile defense system LY-80 (LOMADS) to protect its airspace from any accidents, ISPR said in a statement.
Chief of Staff of the Army, General Kamar Bajwa, who was the main guest in this case, said that the defense system will enhance our capabilities to defend the Motherland.
LY-80 is a Chinese mobile air defense system capable of tracking and destroying various air targets at long ranges flying at small and medium altitudes.
Read More: Modern air defence system transferred to the army
COAS stated that LY-80 LOMADS increases our ability to respond to modern and emerging air defense threats.
Earlier, upon arrival, the army commander was received by the army commander, Lieutenant-General Muhammad Zahid Latif Mirza.
Saturday 11 March 2017
Victory In 4 Indian States Modi's Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claimed the electoral victory on Saturday in four states of India, calling it "historic mandate" that would take the country's politics in a new direction.
Amit Shah leader BJP said the party would form the government in Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state, where early counting showed it had won an overwhelming victory, as well as in Goa, Uttarakhand and Manipur.
"This is a historical mandate of the people of these states for the BJP," he said in a press conference at the party headquarters in New Delhi.
“These results will set Indian politics in a new direction.” It is expected that the Indian Electoral Commission will announce the final results later Saturday, but the initial count shows that the BJP is leading in four of the five states where elections in the past two months have been carried out.
The opposition party, Congress retained power in the state of Northern Punjab.
Shah said the results were a defeat for "dynastic politics" in an apparent jibe at Congress, led by Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul.
"People have accepted the politics of performance," he said, promising that the faith they had placed in the party and in Prime Minister Modi would be rewarded.
Scientists Grow Potatoes In Conditions Similar To Those Of The Mars in Peru
LIMA: Potatoes on Mars? Scientists report promising results by growing the tuber under conditions that mimic the Red Planet in an experiment in Peru linked to US space agency NASA.
"The preliminary results are positive," said the International Potato Center (CIP) this week after a potato grew under simulated conditions of Mars atmosphere in an experiment in Lima.
The CIP, in a report, said that the potato was planted in a specially constructed CubeSat content environment built by engineers from the University of Engineering and Technology in Lima.
The experiment was conducted from February 14th to March 5th.
"Growing plants under conditions similar to those of Mars is an important step in this experiment," said Julio Valdivia-Silva, Peru's astrobiologist in Lima UTEC, who previously worked at NASA.
"If crops can tolerate extreme conditions that we are exposing them to in our CubeSat, they have a good chance to grow on Mars," he said, adding that several sets of experiments will take place to find out which potato varieties do best .
Potatoes, one of the major food crops in the world, was first cultivated by the Incas Indians in Peru around 8000 to 5000 BC.
The potential ability of potatoes to grow under these conditions could signal promise for the food supplies in the context of climate change and extreme environments.
"The results indicate that our efforts to develop high-potential varieties to improve food security in areas that are affected or will be affected by climate change, are working," said CIP Walter Amoros potato breeder.
The customized environment for project potatoes on Mars is based on designs and advice provided by NASA.
Scientists "concluded that future missions to Mars hoping to grow the potatoes should prepare the ground with a loose structure and nutrients to allow the tubers to get enough air and water so that it can tuberize", Said CIP.
They used very dry soils found in the desert of southern Peru, nothing they are the most Mars-like soils found on Earth.
The CIP experiment is set to last five years.
In The US Congress, Anti-Pak Bill Presented
WASHINGTON: A US congressman known for his aversion to Pakistan on Thursday presented a strongly worded bill in Congress to declare Pakistan "unreliable ally" a "state sponsor of terrorism", media reports said.
"Not only is Pakistan an unreliable ally, Islamabad has also helped and abetted enemies of the US for years," said congressman Ted Poe, who is chair of the House Subcommittee on Terrorism.
"From harboring Osama bin Laden to his cozy relationship with the Haqqani network, there is more than enough to determine that whose side Pakistan is in the war on terrorism. And it's not America's. It is the time we stop paying Pakistan for its betrayal and designate it for what it is: a state Sponsor of terrorism," Poe said in the introduction of the bill, the Pakistan state Sponsor of Terrorism Act of 2015, in Congress on Thursday.
The bill requires the president of the United States to issue a report within 90 days to answer whether Pakistan has supported international terrorism. Thirty days after that Secretary of State must submit a follow-up report, which says that Pakistan is a state sponsor of terrorism or a detailed justification of why it does not meet the legal criteria for such designation.
The same bill was introduced in Congress last year when the Obama administration was passing its last days and there was no time to discuss and formally convince Congress why the United States should continue to consider Pakistan as an ally in war Against terrorism.
Waseem Abbasi adds: Contrary to the perception created by some think tanks, the commander of the Central Command of the United States (CENTCOM) applauded the cooperation of the Pakistani military with the US military in recent anti-terrorist operations throughout The Afghan border.
Read More: Marking Pakistan As A Sponsor Of Terror 'Deeply Unwise'
In responding to the senators' questions here, Gen. Joseph Votel also admitted that the Afghan government is losing control over areas in the face of mounting the Taliban fight. He said Pakistan's army took action against major US adversaries recently. Some India supporting think tanks in Washington have recently increased their efforts to convince the White House to review their ties with Pakistan arguing that the South Asian country is not doing enough to help the US in Afghanistan."They (Pakistan Army) did things against our main concerns like Taliban and the Haqqani network. We have to be more consistent and focused in that area. We will continue to engage with Pakistan," he said in a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
He admitted that the Afghan government has lost control of almost half of the country after recent fighting. When asked why the Afghan government, which had control over 70 percent of the country just a year ago now control only 50 percent, Votel said it was the result "of the fighting taking place in the country and efforts of Taliban to become more resurgent".
The general also appreciated the leadership of the Pakistan Army, saying that recent meetings with Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa were encouraging. "The American commander in Afghanistan, General Nicholson, had recently been supported in some operations along the border," he said while referring to the Pakistani army. "It's a very positive sign," he said.
Centcom's commander expressed concern about the recent escalation of tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, and undermine the importance of the ties between the two countries for the success of the United States mission. He said the United States must play a key role in bringing Pakistan and Afghanistan together.
Senators also discussed Russia's efforts to destabilize and weaken Afghanistan. When asked about sanctuaries across the Afghanistan border for the Haqqani network and the Taliban, Votel said he has talked with Pakistani military leaders who showed an increasing interest in cooperating with the coalition and Kabul along the border.
He said that despite challenges regarding the relationship between the United States and Pakistan, US forces have struggled to maintain a considerable level of engagement to their Pakistani military counterparts. "We continue to run a solid program of joint exercises. Most recently, the Pakistani Air Force sent airmen and aircraft to participate in the red flag and green flag at the Nellis Air Force base in Nevada last summer," He said.
Votel said the Pakistani army continues to support US efforts in the rest of the region. "The most notable is that the Pakistani Navy is the most consistent and longstanding participant second only to the United States, in Combined Task Force (CTF)-150 (counter-terrorism operations) and CTF-151 (counter-piracy operations) led by US Naval Forces Central (USNAVCENT)."
Friday 10 March 2017
Use This Guide to See If The CIA Can Hack You
WikiLeaks, the organization that is famous for revealing confidential information and classified material from anonymous sources, recently announced that the CIA had a large number of spy tools that would be used to hack into computers and mobile devices and even some televisions.
These amounts of spying can literally make your electronic equipment become recorder of your everyday conversation and routine.
The CIA has gone as far trying to hack into small routers installed by PTCL. Do not believe us? See the picture below for yourself!
"Am I vulnerable?"
You can ask again and again this question after hearing the news. Clearly, CIA hacking knows no bounds. For those of you who are not yet sure whether or not you are vulnerable to getting hacked, read some of the indicators below to decide.
Read More: The CIA can read your WhatsApp messages and more: WikiLeaks
1. You are reading this article
The fact that you are reading this article means that you are connected to the Internet and actually using some sort of device, be it a mobile phone, tablet or PC.
2. You use a mobile device
Using a mobile device automatically and instantly make you vulnerable to hackers and online distribution of your private and confidential data.
3. Mobile phones manufactured after 2003
In the unfortunate case that you use a mobile phone that is manufactured after 2003, you are affected. To find out if a mobile phone made after 2003, just Google the sentence and click on one of the links. If your phone appears, then bad luck, you are vulnerable.
Read More: Apple, Samsung is determined to correct defects after CIA hacking report
4. Wi-Fi laptops
When buying a laptop or you already using one, be sure to check out the data sheet for a feature called "Wi-Fi". Wi-Fi is basically a wireless Internet connection for your laptop and mobile phones. If your laptop comes with this unique feature, that means you are vulnerable. To counter this problem, it is recommended that you use an Ethernet cable because of which you will not need to use Wi-Fi.
5. Affected Area
Of course, all areas are not affected by the CIA hacking. However, just to be sure, you can check the image of the Earth and see if you live in the affected area or not.
6. Not everyone is affected!
With the news about the CIA hacking going around the above indicators present, everyone thinks they are vulnerable to getting hacked. However, this is not the case. Not everyone is affected. If you were born at any time in 2018 or later, you are certainly not affected!
