Monday, May 2, 2011

Mid Day International News

Mid Day International News

Did Pakistan know of US raid to kill Osama?

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There was intense speculation Monday on whether the US had kept Islamabad in the know when it decided to stage a daring assault on Pakistan's Abbotabad city to kill Osama bin Laden.

CNN cited an official as saying that for security reasons, the US did not share intelligence with any other country, including Pakistan.

The official stressed that only a small group of people in the US knew about the operation when it was launched.

The killing and subsequent reactions indicate Pakistan may not have been aware about the US raid to take out the elusive Al Qaeda leader.

Former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf said he was surprised Osama was in Abbottabad, just a short distance from capital Islamabad.

"It does surprise me. I don't know the details," Musharraf told CNN-IBN.

Musharraf, who was the Pakistan president during the 9/11 strike, said the operation by US forces was a "violation of our sovereignty" -- an implicit admission that Islamabad did not know about the American raid.

Even Obama hinted in his televised speech announcing the death of Osama that Pakistan, otherwise the US ally in the war on terror, may have been in the dark.

Obama in his speech made it clear they "would take action within Pakistan if we knew where bin Laden was. That is what we've done.

While he said that "it's important to note that our counterterrorism cooperation with Pakistan helped lead us to bin Laden and the compound where he was hiding", he underlined that this was an American assault.

Significantly, Obama underlined that he called Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari after Osama was killed.

Similarly, the president said, "my team has also spoken with their Pakistani counterparts" -- another indication that the Pakistani intelligence was told about the killing only after the deed was done.

Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has had deep ties with both the Taliban, which sheltered Osama until 2001, and the Al Qaeda.

As years of hunt for Osama yielded nothing, many in the US began to suspect and even accuse the ISI of sheltering the man they were desperately looking for.

Ties between the US and Pakistan turned sour after American operative Raymond Davis shot dead two Pakistani men in Lahore in January this year.

In a bid to improve the strained ties, Pakistani spy master Lt. Gen. Ahmad Shuja Pasha flew to Washington in April to meet CIA director Leon Panetta.

But Pakistani officials kept insisting that Osama was not in Pakistan. That was until Monday.

Pakistanis shocked over Osama death, angry at US

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"I don't think it's genuine" said one on Facebook. "Why do I get the sinking feeling that all hell is about to break loose in Pakistan," tweeted another. Many in Pakistan reacted with disbelief Monday to news of Osama bin Laden's death, while some were angry with the US for killing him on Pakistani soil.

Many Pakistanis questioned the timing of the operation, citing that the US presidential elections were due. Others said the death of bin Laden need not necessarily mean the end of terrorism in their own country.

The Al Qaeda leader was killed in Abbottabad, Pakistan, ending a 10-year manhunt that intensified with the traumatic Sep 11, 2001 terror attack. US President Barack Obama announced the news of his death.

Commenting on TV presenter Nadeem Malik's post on Facebook, Faysal Raza, an alumni of Bahria University in Islamabad, wrote: "I think sooo this News is not genuine. US election will be held next year. This News will help Obama to win election. Nothing else."

Nabiha Chauhdry from Karachi: (Breaking News) Tehreek e Taliban says the reports of Osama bin Laden's death are false. So Osama Bin Laden killed? By US forces operation inside Pakistan, Abbotabad (near 'Eezlamabad'). Would the War on Terror be over now? The news should read: 'US elections near, Pakistan elections near, ruling parties' popularities on ever low; NOW-Osama bin Laden dead!"

Rehan Awan from Peshawar wrote: "Thank you Mr. President but we need to see the evidence, dead body and where this operation took place and who participated in this operation."

Nadeem Khan: "It happened in Pakistan and announced by American President? Waah!"

Some are fearing the situation will worsen after the Killing of Osama.

"Hahaha... Ab halaat kharab honge... Aur OSAMA BIN LADEN (SHAHEED) ki qurbania rang laayain gi... Insha Allah," Haider Khan from Karachi expressed his fears.

Lahore-based teacher-writer Nabiha Meher Shaikh too anticipates the worst. He wrote: "Why do I get the sinking feeling that all hell is about to break loose in Pakistan?"

Syed Ali Abbas Zaidi, an aeronautical engineer in Islamabad, tweeted: "The compound in which Osama Bin Laden was staying was built in 2005, how many times Kayani, Pasha Gillani came within 01 km visiting PMA."

Mahnoor Yawar from Lahore: "Saying Osama's death is the end of terrorism is like saying killing Seacrest will end reality television."

Chicago-based anonymous Pakistani blogger, Five rupees, wrote: Congrats Abbottabad, people now know about you.

US warns Americans against retaliatory violence

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The US State Department Monday warned Americans travelling and living abroad that there could be anti-American violence as retaliation for the killing of the world's most wanted terrorist Osama bin Laden in Pakistan's Abbottabad city.

"The US Department of State alerts US citizens travelling and residing abroad to the enhanced potential for anti-American violence given recent counter-terrorism activity in Pakistan," said a statement issued here.

American military and CIA operatives finally cornered the Al Qaeda leader in Abbottabad, just 50 km northeast of Pakistan's capital Islamabad, ending a 10-year manhunt that intensified with the traumatic Sep 11, 2001, terror attack on the World Trade Centre in New York and the Pentagon.

"Given the uncertainty and volatility of the current situation, US citizens in areas where recent events could cause anti-American violence are strongly urged to limit their travel outside of their homes and hotels and avoid mass gatherings and demonstrations," said the State Department travel alert.

It also asked US citizens to remain current with media coverage and to be aware of their surroundings.

It further added that US government facilities would remain at "heightened state of alert", but noted that some of them may temporarily close periodically suspend public services "to assess their security posture".

What Bin Laden's May 1 death has in common with Bush, Hitler

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May 1, 2011 will be noted in the history books as the date President Obama announced that Osama Bin Laden was killed.

It is eight years to the day from another significant date in the U.S.' so-called war on terror. It was on this date in 2003, that former President George W. Bush delivered a speech aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, with a large banner announcing "Mission Accomplished" hung over the aircraft carrier.

According to ABC News, Bush was announcing what he then called the end of combat operations in Iraq. But the speech was soon followed by an increase in violence from the Iraqi insurgency and many thousands more casualties followed the speech, which was quickly considered a major political misstep.

But the coincidences of timing do not end there. History notes that Adolf Hitler committed suicide on April 30, 1945, but the news was not announced until May 1 and newspaper headlines did not report his death until May 2nd. 66 years ago to this day.

And finally, today is Holocaust Remembrance Day, where in Israel it is also a federal holiday to commemorate the memories of the six million Jews and six million others killed by the Nazis in the Holocaust. That date was selected to honor the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, where Jews unsuccessfully fought against their Nazi oppressors in Poland.

As Israel follows the Hebrew, or lunar, calendar, the holiday falls on a different date every year. This year Holocaust Remembrance Day is today: May 2.

Laden's body to be buried at sea: US officials

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Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden's body will be buried at sea, as the United States does not want his burial place to become a terrorist shrine, officials have said.

The Saudi-born terrorist, who had evaded capture for a decade, was killed in a top secret operation involving a small team of US Special Forces in Abbottabad city, located 50 kilometres northeast of Islamabad and 150 kilometres east of Peshawar, Pakistan

"We are ensuring it is handled in accordance with Islamic practice and tradition. It's something we take seriously, and therefore, it's being handled in an appropriate manner," ABC News quoted a senior Obama administration official, as saying.

Under Islamic tradition, the body would be washed by Muslim men and buried as soon as possible.

The body is usually buried in a simple white sheet -whether buried in the ground, or at sea.

Laden, accused of being behind a number of atrocities, including the attacks on New York and Washington on 11 September 2001, was at the top of the US "most wanted" list.

He had approved the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington in which nearly 3,000 people were killed, saying later that the results had exceeded his expectations.

His death will be seen as a major blow to Al-Qaeda, but will also raise fears of reprisal attacks.

Obama called Bush, Clinton before releasing statement on Osama's death

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US President Barack Obama called his predecessors George W. Bush and Bill Clinton on Sunday before announcing to the world that Al Qaeda Osama bin Laden had been killed.

A White House official told reporters in a conference call that Obama called Bush and Clinton to "preview" his statement.

The official also said that Obama chaired five national security meetings since March to discuss intelligence on Osama bin Laden.

Those meetings, the official said, were on March 14, March 19, April 12, April 19 and April 28. Obama authorized the attack on bin Laden on Friday, April 29, the official said.

In his statement announcing the killing of bin Laden, Obama mentioned Bush once.

"We must also reaffirm that the United States is not, and never will be, at war with Islam. I've made clear, just as President Bush did shortly after 9/11, that our war is not against Islam," Obama said.

He added: "Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader. He was a mass murderer of Muslims."

Obama also gave a message to the families of 9/11 victims: "We have never forgotten your loss, nor wavered in our commitment to see that we do whatever it takes to prevent another attack on our shores."

"And tonight, let us think back to the sense of unity that prevailed on 9/11," Obama said.

He said: "I know that it has, at times, frayed. Yet today's achievement is a testament to the greatness of our country and the determination of the American people."

Army, police on alert in Kashmir after Osama's death

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Police and the army have alerted their units across Jammu and Kashmir against any possible reaction to the killing of 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden in Pakistan.

There is a "need to keep an eye on the situation", an official source told IANS referring to the impact that news of bin Laden's killing by US led forces in Pakistan Sunday would have in Kashmir, which has been a hotbed of militancy since 1989.

"Much will depend on what happens in Pakistan," a senior police official told IANS.
"We will have to watch the situation and reaction in Pakistan."

There has been no immediate reaction from any major political leader so far.

Osama bin Laden killed after 10 year manhunt in Pakistan

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Nearly 10 years after the traumatic Sep 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York and the Pentagon, the world's most wanted terrorist leader Osama bin Laden has been killed in Pakistan.

US President Barack Obama himself announced the end of the massive manhunt for the Al Qaeda mastermind that began during his predecessor George Bush's watch, in Pakistan's North Western Province in a US drone strike Sunday night.

US forces have the body of bin Laden, leader of Al Qaeda, the terrorist network behind the 9/11 attacks, said CNN citing US officials.

The enormity of the destruction - the World Trade Centre's towers devastated by two hijacked airplanes, the Pentagon partially destroyed by a third hijacked jetliner, a fourth flight crashed in rural Pennsylvania, and more than 3,000 people killed - gave bin Laden a global presence.

Even before 9/11, the Saudi-born zealot bin Laden was already on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list.

He had been implicated in a series of deadly, high-profile attacks that had grown in their intensity and success during the 1990s.

Bin Laden eluded capture for years, once reportedly slipping out of a training camp in Afghanistan just hours before a barrage of US cruise missiles destroyed it, CNN said.

On Sep 11, sources cited by CNN said, the evidence immediately pointed to bin Laden. Within days, those close to the investigation said they had their proof.

Six days after the attack, President George W. Bush made it clear Osama bin Laden was the No. 1 suspect.

"I want justice," Bush said. "There's an old poster out West that said, 'Wanted, dead or alive'."

Osama bin Laden was born in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1957, the 17th of 52 children in a family that had struck it rich in the construction business.

His father, Mohamed bin Laden, was a native of Yemen, who immigrated to Saudi Arabia as a child. He became a billionaire by building his company into the largest construction firm in the Saudi kingdom.

Royal Wedding makes Middletons poorer by Rs 1.85 cr

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Family faces finacial setback after paying for huge bill for hotel, banquets, outfits and jewellery

After a long day and night of celebrating, the Middletons finally emerged from the five-star Goring Hotel yesterday... perhaps thinking: "And about time, too." As speculation intensifies over the family's wealth, inquiries have revealed that the wedding has cost them at least �250,000 (Rs 1.85 crore). The bill for the exclusive hire of the 71-room hotel near Buckingham Palace is estimated at �85,000 (Rs 62 lakh) alone. The Royal Suite, where Kate spent her last night as a single woman is so exclusive, it has not been officially priced.


All smiles: Pippa, in jeans showing off the figure that has won her fans
on Facebook, leads her mother Carole, brother James and father Michael
out of the Goring Hotel yesterday. Pics/Getty Images

Pippa carrying a bag and wearing skin-tight white jeans that accentuated the derriere that has inspired many Facebook tribute sites - led out her parents Carole and Michael and younger brother James. They emerged two hours after the last of their friends and relatives had left the hotel following a bash attended by Prince Harry and his on-off girlfriend Chelsy Davy. The pair arrived after William and Kate's party at Buckingham Palace ended early yesterday.

The Middletons' two-day block booking of The Goring, including palatial suites and a dining room designed by the Queen's nephew David Linley, would have required a credit facility of hundreds of thousands of pounds.
The family is also estimated to have paid �25,000 (Rs 18 lakh) for two parties at the hotel. On Thursday, Kate treated 120 friends and family to a buffet. And after Friday's ceremony, Carole and Michael hosted an extravagant wedding party for a wider circle.

Even if some Middleton guests paid for their rooms and the family secured a discount they will still be facing a bill approaching �100,000 (Rs 74 lakh). Kate's bridal gown, designed by Sarah Burton, is said to have cost up to �40,000 (Rs 29 lakh). Pippa's dress, also by Sarah Burton, about �20,000 (Rs 15 lakh) Kate's earrings are believed to have set her parents back �15,000 (Rs 11 lakh) The bridal shoes, designed at Alexander McQueen, and bridal flowers would have cost at least �3,000 (Rs 2 lakh).

The family, who have an online party-planning business, may also have made a �10,000 (Rs 7 lakh) contribution to celebrations at the Palace.Charles will pay for the bulk of the honeymoon but the Middletons are expected to make a contribution.

Rs 29 lakh Cost of Kate Middleton's Sarah Burton dress that she wore for the wedding

No pre-nup
Prince William refused to sign a prenuptial agreement with his fianc �e. "William was advised that some sort of legal agreement might be a good idea," said one of his friends. "But he loves Kate and trusts her implicitly, and was adamant that no agreement was necessary."

Honeymoon delay
Newlyweds William and Kate took the world by surprise yesterday when they announced a delay in their honeymoon. Clarence House said Wills would be back at work at his RAF Search and Rescue base in Anglesey on Tuesday. And rather than jetting overseas, the couple are spending the Bank Holiday weekend privately in the UK. The decision was revealed yesterday after the couple flew out by helicopter.

According to reports, Wills-Kate had their first dance to a cover of Elton John's 'Your Song'.


Malaysian PM's wife doesn't like his tweeting habits

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Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak says his wife Rosmah Mansor gets irritated with his late night tweeting. An avid blogger, Najib told his 'Facebook friends' with whom he interacts in different cities across the country that his wife does hot approve his late evening working on iPad.


Tweet happy: Malaysian PM Razak said his wife was unhappy with
him tweeting late night. Pic/Getty Images

Answering questions in a meeting with over 100 of his Facebook friends here, Najib said he often tweets at night because of his busy schedule. "My wife is angry with me as I look at my iPad to update my status rather than look at her," he quipped.

For his Facebook account, he said his personnel prepare the drafts and it is updated upon his approval.
Najib is considered among the more tech-savvy Asian leaders, who also runs through editorial comments in newspapers. He recently appealed to bloggers to use the space with 'restraint' and not communicate anything that would harm the country.


Australia to hold nude Olympics

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Over 500 competitors will take part in a nude Olympics to be held in Australia during the weekend. A range of physical competitions including tug of war, marathon and beach sprint will test participants' prowess and capabilities.

Less conventional events like the 'best bum' competition, conga lines and egg throwing will also take place.
The event will be held at the Noosa National Park in Queensland. It was earlier postponed from its original schedule in March after catastrophic floods hit northeastern Australia.

An organiser said having fun was the aim of the tournament. "There's a whole bucket-load of stuff we do, but like I say, the emphasis is more on fun and camaraderie than out-and-out blood and guts glory," he said.

"As in most events the umpire's decision is final, but when we get down to events like the men and women's 'best bum' or the 'magnificent mums' we usually have to fight the judges off with a stick because everybody wants to get involved with presenting those medals."

The nude Olympics began in the mid-1980s. When the Olympics were first held in Greece, participants competed in the buff

Former Pope is now bLessed

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Pope John Paul II is beatified in front of an audience of 1.5 million, the biggest event hosted by the Vatican since two million people attended his funeral

Lauding John Paul II as a giant of 20th century history as well as a hero of the church, Pope Benedict XVI moved his towering predecessor one step closer to sainthood yesterday in a celebratory mass that drew more than a million people to Rome. "He was witness to the tragic age of big ideologies, totalitarian regimes, and from their passing John Paul II embraced the harsh suffering, marked by tension and contradictions, of the transition of the modern age toward a new phase of history, showing constant concern that the human person be its protagonist," Benedict said, speaking before the largest crowds to swell Saint Peter's Square since John Paul's funeral in 2005.


Pope Benedict XVI arrives for the beatification ceremony of Pope
John Paul II in St. Peter's square in the Vatican. Around1.5 million
people came together to celebrate the moment

At the Mass, Benedict declared John Paul "blessed," meaning that he is able to be publicly venerated.
He also greeted Sister Marie Simone-Pierre, a French nun who said that she recovered from Parkinson's disease after praying to John Paul -- a cure that Benedict declared miraculous. An additional miracle is required for sainthood. An estimated 1.5 million people turned out for yesterday's celebration, many of them camping out overnight to be sure to participate.

During the mass, a tapestry of John Paul based on a 1989 photograph was unfurled from the balcony of Saint Peter's, showing the Polish pontiff with a twinkle in his eye and a slightly wry smile, the John Wayne of the modern papacy. Benedict waived the traditional five-year wait to begin the beatification trial, which began just weeks after John Paul's death.

'He will be missed'
But in spite of the scandal and what some see as questions in the historical record, for many, the late pope's memory remains very real. "I miss him, so very much," said Cristiana Arru, a lawyer from Rome who grew up near the Vatican and came often to see the pope celebrate mass. Her eyes welled up with tears. "I still feel as though I've been orphaned."


Pope Benedict XVI kisses the casket of Pope John Paul II. The
casket will be on view overnight for all

"Anyone who was in the piazza when he spoke felt as though he was speaking directly to them," she said. "He was a very empathetic person." In a 21st-century twist on an ancient tradition, Benedict kissed a reliquary in the form of an olive branch, holding a test tube filled with some of John Paul's blood, saved by a Rome hospital in case the former pontiff ever needed a blood transfusion. After the mass, thousands waited in line to enter the Basilica to kiss the closed casket holding John Paul, which will be on view overnight before being placed in a side chapel next to Michelangelo's "Piet ."

Guest list scandal
Royalty and presidents attended a Vatican ceremony for John Paul II yesterday, including Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe. Some quibbled over the front-row presence of Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, currently embroiled in a sex scandal which prompted the Church this year to call on Italy's leaders to renounce playboy lives and act responsibly.
Posted by Harshad at 7:52 AM

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