| God's Pharmacy!
Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.
help clear waste materials from all of the body cells. They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes. A working companion, Garlic, also helps eliminate waste materials and dangerous free radicals from the body. |
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Saturday, February 28, 2009
God's Pharmacy
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Invaders from the North and Fear of Taliban Taking Control of Pakistan
| This is the weekly pager from the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), Islamabad, Pakistan. CRSS firmly believes in academic neutrality and takes up regional and domestic issues that affect the State and Society of Pakistan. We are a non-profit organization committed to promoting rational and critical thinking in a democratic Pakistan. |
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| Invaders from the North and Fear of Taliban Taking Control of Pakistan |
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| Invaders from the North never really stopped: Ever since the middle ages, the plains of the Indian Sub-continent have been the happy hunting grounds of successive waves of organized bands of marauders from Central Asia. They came basically with a view to loot and plunder, and then go back laden with booty to their impoverished hills, and rag-a-tag settlements, and a few years later, some local chief would organize them again, and travel through the Khyber Pass for yet another fray. Some stayed back, and founded empires in India, which were vibrant for a generation or more, but then the agricultural fecundity of the area, and the hot climate got to them, making them rich, and consequently indolent. They in a generation or three ended up as sitting ducks to be cleaned out by bands of desperate men, who had little to lose except their lives. And so the cycle kept repeating itself for a thousand years. To avert this oft-repeated mayhem, some rulers of India attempted to check it by building defensive systems in the northwest. But these were half hearted at best and generally ineffective. So the raids from Central Asia continue, and continue to date.
Among these conquerors of India, the exceptions were the British, who came and went back by sea routes. The British never intended to settle in the subcontinent from day one, and their sole aim was the enrichment of Mother England. So what they did was to find political accommodation with the powers in the north-west. Compromise is cheaper than conflict.
This is the gist of Indian history in 250 words.
Post-partition scenario: This well known pattern went out of sync with the self-rule granted to the people of India by the British in 1947. The elected representatives of the NWFP voted against joining the State of Pakistan, whereas in a referendum which was ordered, the people of the NWFP including those residing in the present day FATA voted to be part of this country. At that time the Governor General of the young country agreed that the laws and customary systems of governance shall not be amended in any manner. The FATA tribesmen took part in the Kashmir operations of 1948, and generally continued to be a favorite of the establishment, because they asked for nothing in return for being left alone to get on with their rather primitive way of life. In addition, they guarded the western border which, called the Durand Line, provided the establishment in Pakistan with much flawed policy of "strategic depth."
(and) the Soviet invasion: Therefore, a tacit accommodation continued till the then USSR invaded Afghanistan in the 1970s, and the Pakistan Government felt extremely uneasy fearing that this country would be next in line as it was in the way of the Russian advance to the warm waters. (Recently released government papers in Moscow debunk this fear, as at that point in time there was no plan to invade Pakistan). Pakistan liaised with comrade-in-arm USA, and mounted a huge effort since titled the Afghan Jihad. The Russians were driven out from Afghanistan, but the war tore asunder the FATA area which just happened to be in the forefront because of its geographical location. To motivate the youngster to become warriors, the GOP-USG decided to play the Islamic Card. They quietly confiscated political power from the tribal elders who had kept things from falling apart for decades, and created a class of even more powerful Mullahs. Most of the old-time Maliks have since been killed and political power in the FATA today is in the blood-stained talons of the worst kind of fascist oligarchs. The State of Pakistan and her Western allies share the responsibility of creating the Frankenstein called militant and violent Jihadist.
Quick rundown on Taliban: The Taliban initially was a set of impoverished Afghan youth who were taken in as internally displaced persons along with the other three million who took refuge in Pakistan after the invasion of Afghanistan by the Russians. These young men, and women, were trained in the religious laws, and indoctrinated to return to Afghanistan and fight and drive out the "pagans." So, a quasi-political party was born which took over the southern part of Afghanistan after the retreat of the USSR consequent to the Geneva Accords of 1979. The Taliban government in Afghanistan is distinguished for the brutality with which it established their writ. Such was the cruel dispensation that even Nadir Shah, famed in the annals of history as a tyrant, would have been aghast. The Taliban regime was recognized only by three countries viz. Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The Taliban rule in Afghanistan was harsher than any other that the hapless country had seen before, and she had seen many tyrants, despots, and similarly unstable rulers. The Taliban went into a frenzy of public executions, stoning to death, arbitrary imprisonment, and public lashings. They created kangaroo courts, gave out special laws edicts. The rights of women and children were trampled underfoot, and a feared regime established in a few months. The country became a safe haven for Al-Qaeda, and thousands of young males who came in to strengthen the hands of the Taliban, who had purportedly liberated a citadel of Islam from the "godless Russians" and "evil empire." These young males were from all over the Islamic world, and Central Asia. They were valued guests of the regime, lived in style, married into local families, and over the years, became "local."
This in short establishes the profile and pedigree of the present day tormentors called Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Post September 11, 2001: By the time 9/11 happened, the regime in Afghanistan was in control and very rich from all kind of smuggling and trafficking, which they legitimized through fatwa as legitimate trade. Large amounts of money came from the Middle East, both state and private funds. At this time, the Americans attacked, and Pakistan withdrew its support. The regime crumpled like a house of cards without offering any resistance. The Taliban were regular visitors to the FATA area, and many had families and homes here. The Durand Line was the divide between safety or death, and therefore, the leadership of the Taliban, and many al-Qaeda elements sought refuge in our FATA. They brought with them large funds, international connections, and a lot of heavy armament.
This amalgam gave rise to two distinct movements:
The former are mainly attacking the institutions of the State of Pakistan, while the latter are training, regrouping, and making hit and run raids on US and Allied Forces inside Afghanistan.
Taliban's geographical control and governance methodology: The TTP has had resounding success as it indirectly controls or influences nearly 50% of the NWFP. The seven agencies of the FATA and the seven districts of Malakand Division are more or less run by the various chapters of the TTP. This ascendancy was facilitated by the MMA government which ruled the NWFP from 2003 to 2008. The TTP rules through fear and what they did was replicate the Taliban tactics of governance in Afghanistan and now hold sway over a cowering population abandoned by the State of Pakistan. Decapitations, headless bodies hanging from poles, whipping in public and similar acts of brutality are commonplace. Any departure from edicts issued by the high command is swiftly and surely punished.
All granted but Taliban still cannot take over Islamabad: The TTP cannot "occupy" Islamabad and Pakistan because:
Food for thought: Pakistan has become a highly militarized society since 1979. For 21 years until 2001, the State's security and intelligence apparatus systematically supported the Wahabi school of thought as this segment within Islam provided the Mujahideen against infidels. Wahabis and their closest ideological brothers, Deobandis, have the biggest network of mosques and Madrasas in all major towns of Pakistan. If the Lal Masjid in Islamabad is any example to go by, these places of worship are expected to be heavily armed. So the TTP which is somehow connected to these mosques can have a great deal of civic disturbance created. This could only be prevented with a unified security policy that goes beyond the "bullet in the barrel" and involves politics backed by strong economic mainstreaming. Another reason for Taliban's "success" is the hunger, poverty and deprivation of the areas where they operate. The Pakistani State and its Western allies must bear in mind that hungry, poor and deprived people cannot be happy people. |
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| Comments/remarks: pager@crss.pk |
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| ---DISCLAIMER--- CRSS is not part of any political grouping or party and firmly adheres to academic as well as intellectual neutrality. Our aim: To explore any issue by asking "Independent Questions" and endeavoring to provide "Independent Answers." |
Friday, February 20, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
Pakistan's Loosing Leverage over the U.S.
| This is the complete weekly pager of the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), Islamabad, Pakistan. CRSS firmly believes in academic neutrality and takes up issues that both the State and Society of Pakistan are faced with. We are a non-profit organization committed to promoting rational and critical thinking in a democratic Pakistan. |
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| Pakistan's Loosing Leverage Over the U.S. |
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Supplies through Pakistan: Lifeline of US Operations in Afghanistan: Bagram Air Base's lifeline enters Pakistan at the Port of Karachi and passes through the historical Khyber Pass into Afghanistan. Bagram, the huge military airport plus housing compound, is Operation Enduring Freedom-Afghanistan's (OEF-A) headquarter. Bagram is maintained by the 5th and the 6th Aviation Battalions of the United States Army and the United States Air Force's 455th Air Expeditionary Wing is also housed at Bagram.
The United States Army, the United States Air Force (USAF), the United States Navy (USN) and the United States Marine Corps (USMC) all have their lifelines passing through two Pakistani corridors—the Khyber Pass and the Quetta-Chaman-Spin Boldak/Kandahar corridor. The U.S. has 30,000 troops in Afghanistan and the lifeline for these troops passes through Pakistan. Some 84 percent of all containerized cargo destined for U.S. troops in Afghanistan passes through these two corridors. Fuel for U.S. Army's Humvees (the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle), its infantry fighting vehicles, cavalry fighting vehicles and its armored personnel carriers is refined at refineries in Pakistan. Aviation fuel that powers USAF's A-10 Thunderbolts, B-1 strategic bombers and military transport aircraft is also refined at refineries in Pakistan (U.S. forces in Afghanistan also get some oil supplies from the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan).
The lifeline to Bagram is Pakistan's leverage over the U.S. Obama is sending in an additional 30,000 troops and Pakistan is the shortest land route to Kabul as well as Kandahar. But, General David Petraeus, the 10th Commander of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), is now bent upon diluting Pakistan's leverage over the U.S.
NATO Evaluating Options: On February 2, the Associated Press, quoting NATO Commander General John Craddock, reported that "individual NATO member nations can make deals with Iran to arrange for the transportation of supplies to their forces in Afghanistan as an alternative to using the increasingly dangerous supply routes in Pakistan." On February 3, Reuters reported that "traffic through Pakistan's Khyber Pass has been halted indefinitely after a 100-ft bridge was blown up in an apparent militant attack. The explosion disrupted the main supply route for supplies to NATO forces in Afghanistan. Thus far, there have been no estimates on how long repairs might take."
Safer Alternatives: General Petraeus has reportedly finalized agreements with the Shymkent Refinery, owned by PetroKazakhstan, and the Atyrau Refinery, owned by KazMumayGas, for the supply of up to 20,000 barrels-per-day of refined oil to Bagram as well as NATO's main military base in Kandahar (where massive construction is underway). The Republic of Kazakhstan, as a consequence, stands to reap a rich bonanza all at the cost of Pakistani refineries. According to the BBC, General Petraeus (along with the United States Transportation Command) is also working on an alternative route that would "see containers being shipped across the Black Sea, then going by rail through Georgia to Azerbaijan's Caspian sea ports and then by road through Turkmenistan."
US-Iran: Common Objectives: On January 9, General Petraeus, while addressing the U.S. Institute of Peace, said that the United States and Iran have "common objectives" in Afghanistan. Petraeus must also be looking at the Port of Chabhar, the Iranian seaport on the Oman Sea. From Chabhar to Zaranj, in south-western Afghanistan, on to Delaram and then onwards to both the Kandahar and the Bagram Air Base (the 215-km Zaranj-Delaram Highway has been built by the Corps of Engineers of the Indian Army).
America is thinning out Pakistan's leverage, diluting it to put America in a position to force Pakistan to "do more."
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| Comments/remarks: pager@crss.pk |
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| ---DISCLAIMER--- CRSS is not part of any political grouping or party and firmly adheres to academic as well as intellectual neutrality. Our aim: To explore any issue by asking "Independent Questions" and endeavoring to provide "Independent Answers." |
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
How To Be Politically Correct When Talking About Women
How To Be Politically Correct When Talking About Women
She is not a BABE or a CHICK - She is a BREASTED AMERICAN.
She is not a BLEACHED BLONDE - She is PEROXIDE DEPENDENT.
She is not a BAD COOK - She is MICROWAVE COMPATIBLE.
She is not HALF NAKED - She is WARDROBE IMPAIRED.
She does not wear TOO MUCH JEWELRY - She is METALLICALLY OVERBURDENED.
She is not CONCEITED - She is INTIMATELY AWARE OF HER BEST QUALITIES.
She does not want to be MARRIED - She wants to lock you in DOMESTIC INCARCERATION.
She does not GAIN WEIGHT - She is a METABOLIC UNDERACHIEVER.
She is not a SCREAMER or MOANER - She is VOCALLY APPRECIATIVE.
She is not EASY - She is HORIZONTALLY ACCESSIBLE.
She does not TEASE or FLIRT - She engages in ARTIFICIAL STIMULATION.
She is not DUMB - She is a DETOUR OFF THE INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY.
She is not TOO SKINNY - She is SKELETALLY PROMINENT.
She does not HAVE A MUSTACHE - She is IN TOUCH WITH HER MASCULINE SIDE.
She does not HATE TELEVISED SPORTS - She is ATHLETICALLY IGNORANT.
She has not BEEN AROUND - She is a PREVIOUSLY ENJOYED COMPANION.
She does not WEAR TOO MUCH PERFUME - She commits FRAGRANCE ABUSE.
She does not GET YOU EXCITED - She causes TEMPORARY BLOOD DISPLACEMENT.
She is not KINKY - She is a NON-INHIBITED SEXUAL COMPANION.
She does not have a KILLER BODY - She is TERMINALLY ATTRACTIVE.
She does not GO SHOPPING - She is MALL FLUENT.
She is not an AIRHEAD - She is REALITY IMPAIRED.
She does not get DRUNK or TIPSY - She gets CHEMICALLY INCONVENIENCED.
She does not get FAT or CHUBBY - She achieves MAXIMUM DENSITY.
She is not COLD or FRIGID - She is THERMALLY INACCESSIBLE.
She is not HORNY - She is SEXUALLY FOCUSED.
She does not WEAR TOO MUCH MAKEUP - She has reached COSMETIC SATURATION.
She does not have BREAST IMPLANTS - She is GRAVITY RESISTANT.
She does not NAG YOU - She becomes VERBALLY REPETITIVE.
She is not a SLUT - She is SEXUALLY EXTROVERTED.
She is not LOOSE - She is MORALLY IMPAIRED.
She does not have MAJOR LEAGUE HOOTERS - She is PECTORALLY SUPERIOR.
She does not have THIN LIPS - She is COLLAGEN DEPENDENT.
Monday, February 2, 2009
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