Factbox: Key facts in U.S.-Pakistan relations

July 19, 2010 By Leave a Comment

(Reuters) – Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Islamabad on Sunday, hoping to bolster shaky U.S. relations with a close ally in the struggle against militant insurgents in both Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan.

Here are some facts about the importance and problem areas of the relationship, what aid has been given, what Pakistan wants and what is to come:

STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE

Pakistan is of huge strategic importance and a main ally for the United States as it seeks to defeat al Qaeda and cripple the Taliban in neighboring Afghanistan. Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the September 2001 attacks on the United States, is believed to be hiding somewhere along the lawless border with Afghanistan. The leaders of the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan are also believed to be hiding in Pakistan.

Washington is also pressing for Pakistan to step up the fight against its own homegrown Taliban militants, which U.S. officials believe were behind the attempted bombing in New York’s Times Square on May 1.

Washington needs Pakistan as it seeks to stabilize Afghanistan as U.S. President Barack Obama sends in an extra 30,000 troops in the coming months.

SECURITY COOPERATION

Much of Clinton’s meetings will focus on how to improve security cooperation, from intelligence-sharing to more equipment from the United States for its ally.

The two sides held an earlier round of talks in March and agreed to fast-track pending Pakistani requests for military equipment including helicopters, fighter jets and pilotless drones.

Washington has also pledged to deliver 1,000 laser-guided bomb kits to Pakistan and is considering more weapons sales to help Pakistan with insurgents in the Afghanistan border region.

KEY IRRITANTS

There is mistrust on a range of issues, from security cooperation to how aid is delivered. Most opinion polls show a majority of Pakistanis hold an unfavorable view of the U.S. government and are suspicious of its intentions. Pakistan’s government bristles when Washington complains it has not done enough to tackle militants in a war that has killed more than 2,000 soldiers and weighed on the economy.

Civilian deaths from drone strikes are also unpopular in Pakistan, although the civilian government is believed to privately support them.

A recent source of U.S. irritation has been delays in granting visas for U.S. officials wanting to audit how aid is spent while Pakistan complains about increased security checks for its citizens visiting the United States.

Clinton, in a visit to Pakistan in October, publicly expressed puzzlement that its government had been unable to find scores of al Qaeda leaders including Osama bin Laden who are believed to be hiding in rugged border territory that divides Pakistan and Afghanistan.

AID PROGRAMME

The United States is Pakistan’s biggest aid donor and has given about $15 billion in direct aid and military reimbursements since 2002, about two-thirds of it security related.

While Pakistan is being propped up by an $11.3 billion International Monetary Fund loan, a new U.S. aid package triples non-military assistance to Pakistan to $1.5 billion a year over the next five years.

The flow of money is being held up, however, as the Obama administration changes how it distributes that aid. Instead of largely using U.S. contractors and non-governmental organizations, it wants to funnel much of the aid via the Pakistani government and domestic NGOs in the hope this will bolster local capacity.

NUCLEAR COOPERATION

Pakistan would like a civilian nuclear cooperation deal with the United States, similar to the one Washington has with India, but there were scant signs of progress on this front during the March meetings.

The United States is leery of such a deal out of concern for how it might affect ties with New Delhi.

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari recently visited China amid signs that Chinese companies were ready to move ahead with plans to build two nuclear reactors for Pakistan, which could raise concerns in both Washington and New Delhi about nuclear proliferation.

(Editing by John O’Callaghan and Chris Allbritton)

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Russia to build world’s first fifth-generation combat, invisible helicopter

May 19, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Moscow, May 19 (ANI): Russia is planning to build the world’s first fifth-generation combat helicopter which would be able to attack fighter jets and be invisible to radars, analysts have said

“We are working on the concept of the fifth-generation combat helicopter,” Russian daily Gazeta quoted Russian Helicopters CEO, Andrei Shibitov, as saying.

Shibitov did not specify the characteristics of the helicopter, but said the company was going to spend some one billion dollars on the project, with more investment expected to be allocated from the state budget.

First deputy head of the Russian Academy of Geopolitical Problems, Konstantin Sivkov, told the paper that fifth-generation combat helicopters have never been created before, although the US recently began working on a similar project.

He said criteria for a fifth-generation combat helicopter are that it must be radar invisible, have an extended flying range, be equipped with an intellectual arms control system, be able to combat fighter jets (existing helicopters are generally only intended to hit ground-based targets) and reach a speed of up to 500-600 km/h (310-370 mph).

The project cannot proceed, however, unless the government backs it.

“If the government does not sign a contract, the idea will die on the vine,” head of the Russian Academy of Geopolitical Problems Leonid Ivashov told Gazeta.

Ivashov said that with sufficient investment and good organization the new helicopter could be built within five years. Otherwise, the project may drag on for 20-30 years. (ANI)

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Canadian fighter jets escort Vancouver-bound Cathay flight after ‘dud’ bomb-scare

May 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Vancouver, May 16 (ANI): Two Canadian fighter jets were pressed into action after a bomb scare on a Vancouver-bound Cathay Pacific flight leaving from Hong Kong.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) received the threat prompting them to deploy two CF18 Hornet fighters.

“The threat is being taken very seriously and I”d like to assure the travelling public that there is no threat to them at this time,” the Canadian Press quoted RCMP Corporal Sherrdean Turley as saying, Globe and Mail reports.

The jets were acting under the North American Aerospace Defense Command, and they escorted the flight until it landed safely. All passengers on board were safely evacuated after necessary screening.

“All necessary screening procedures were carried out and it was deemed that there was no threat aboard the aircraft,” said Turley.

Due to lengthy security procedures, the plane was on the tarmac for over three hours, while friends and family members of the passengers waited patiently for them to alight.

The jets returned to their base in Comox and did not land with the flight.

Vancouver airport spokeswoman Alisa Gloag said the aircraft”s 283 passengers and 14 crew left the plane soon after it landed. She could not, however, say what happened to them once they were on the ground, the paper reports

“They safely disembarked the aircraft,” she said.

The incident did not upset other flight schedules, and the Vancouver airport is functioning normally.

“We are business as usual, the airport is fully operational,” she said. “Everything is running smoothly.”

The RCMP is still investigating the origin of the scare. (ANI)

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Antony to visit Oman to boost defence cooperation

May 14, 2010 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, May 14 (ANI): To promote military cooperation and further strengthen ties, Defence Minister AK Antony will undertake a two day official visit to Oman from May 17.

During his stay in Muscat, Antony will hold wide-ranging talks with his Oman counterpart Sayyid Badr bin Saud bin Harib Al Busaidi on the issue of piracy in the Gulf of Eden and efforts to secure trade between two countries via the sea route.

Defence exports from India will also feature on Antony’s agenda, as Oman is the first Gulf country to procure the assault rifle INSAS, which is manufactured by the Ordnance Factory Board.

The indigenously built rifle, used by the Indian Army, was sent to Muscat in March and is currently undergoing trials for the Oman army.

A high-level delegation, including Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar, will accompany Antony during his visit.

The Defence Minister will also hold talks with the top leadership of the Sultanate of Oman and meet the Indian community.

“India and Oman have a vibrant military cooperation. In October last year Jaguar fighter jets of the Indian Air Force flew to Oman to participate in the first joint air exercise with the Royal Air Force of Oman,” said a Ministry of Defence statement.

Following the signing of a protocol agreement on military relations between India and Oman in 1972, the last decade has seen an increase of military relations between India and Oman.

Several high level visits are expected to take place between India and Oman. Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma will visit that country in June to attract investments. (ANI)

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Hiking the Israel National Trail

May 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Maktesh Ramon writes:

I was enjoying a serene moment of yoga in the desert, my dusty hiking boots resting nearby, when a squadron of fighter jets roared overhead and reminded me – eight days after I last saw civilization – that I was still in Israel.

Many countries have hiking trails. But few are so small that you can walk clear across them in two months or less, and even fewer have landscapes so varied that they allow a hiker to pass from desert hills of red stone to flat wastelands to green forests and lakes and rugged mountain tops in such a short period of time. For those willing to invest time, sweat and blisters, the Israel Trail, a 620-mile route running the length of the country from the waters of the Red Sea to the Israel-Lebanon frontier, offers an incomparable way to see one of the world’s most interesting places.

There are no buses, no guided tours, no crowds, and often no cell phone reception or running water. Instead, there is a chance to discover Israel’s people, history and culture on the country’s less-traveled paths.

The trail is beginning to catch on with Israeli hikers, but few foreign travelers have discovered it yet.

On a rare cold day last winter, I followed the footsteps of caravan traders along the ancient Perfume Road in southern Israel’s Arava wilderness as the movement of clouds dotted the mountains with light. I took a break where those forgotten merchants would have – at the stone ruins of the Moa station, an inn built here by Nabateans two millenia ago for weary wayfarers bringing their wares from the interior to the bustling cities and ports of the Mediterranean coast.

Equally interesting was the human landscape. I joined a group of Israelis who walk the trail together every year, including a girl who grew up in a heavily guarded enclave of Jewish settlers in the West Bank city of Hebron, a farmer who grows date palms near the Sea of Galilee, and a 76-year-old kibbutz member with a passion for erotic poetry. They had little in common except for the love of nature and hiking.

The group is organized by the parents of an Israeli soldier who died in a helicopter accident in 1997, and who believe the best way to commemorate their son is to bring people together and walk.

Although the distance between Israel’s northernmost and southernmost tips is 292 miles (470 kilometers), the footpath includes approximately 620 miles (1,000 kilometers) of marked trails, snaking between the desert in the south and the hills near Jerusalem, the Mediterranean coast, and the northern Galilee region.

The trail tells the story of the history of this land starting from long before Israel’s current conflicts: The Romans, the Ottoman Turks and the British are all in evidence. To avoid modern-day frictions, the trail’s planners made sure it would go through only land that is not in dispute, leaving out the West Bank and the Golan Heights, which Israel captured in 1967.

The route, especially in the largely arid south, was also influenced by the need to skirt army training grounds, which take up around 60 percent of the Negev desert.

Inspired by the Appalachian Trail in the U.S., the trail was officially marked in 1995. Largely patched together by linking existing trails throughout the country, it is marked by distinctive white, blue and orange-striped trail markers. Parts of the trail follow camel or goat paths, while others follow dirt roads and others follow no recognizable path at all.

Recognizing that few will be able to hike the trail in its entirety, the route’s planners divided it into smaller sections which can be hiked separately, depending on the season and time constraints. Some sections can be completed in day trips or brief weekend excursions.

Several weeks of walking brought me into Israel’s heavily populated center. There were blooming fields and sandy beaches, and also bustling cities, highways and high voltage electricity poles, which seemed strange after so long in the desert. This, I thought, reflects the country’s human landscapes, colorful, conflicted and condensed.

If You Go…

WHEN TO GO: The recommended time to start is either February or October, when the temperatures are mild. Hikers planning to embark on the entire journey should prepare for a two-month hike, depending on their fitness level. One can choose whether to carry several days of supplies or to stock up in villages along the trail every day or two.

Trail Angels, people who help hikers along the trail, offer services like rooms for the night, warm showers, a place to cook and Internet connection for free or a low fee.

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Militants kill nine Pak troops as intense clashes continue in FATA

May 11, 2010 By Leave a Comment

London, May 11 (ANI): At least nine Pakistan army soldiers were butchered by militants as severe clashes between the troops and militants continued in the country’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas’ (FATA) volatile Orakzai Agency.

The BBC quoted some Pakistani military officials as confirming the death of the security personnel.

Military officials described the battle between the insurgents and the army as “fierce” and said that two officers were among the dead.

The officials, however, added that 30 militants were also killed in intense clashes across the region.

The death toll was hard to be verified independently as the media is barred from visiting the war-zone.

Earlier, media reports said that over 43 extremists were killed in separate operations conducted by Pakistan security forces across the Federally Administered Tribal Areas over the last couple of days.

Ground troops assisted by fighter jets killed at least 33 militants in Orakzai Agency, officials said.

Pakistan Air Force jets pounded suspected Taliban hideouts in Kasha, Teerangra , Khawri and other regions killing over 10 militants.

Security forces also claimed to have killed two Taliban. (ANI)

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Pak security forces kill over 43 Taliban in separate clashes in FATA

May 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Islamabad, May 10 (ANI): Over 43 extremists have been killed in separate operations conducted by Pakistan security forces across the Federally Administered Tribal Areas over the last 24 hours.

Ground troops assisted by fighter jets killed at least 33 militants in Orakzai Agency, officials said.

Pakistan Air Force jets pounded suspected Taliban hideouts in Kasha, Teerangra , Khawri and other regions killing over 10 militants, The Daily Times reports.

Security forces also claimed to have killed two Taliban commanders in Swat.

On Sunday, at least 10 suspected extremists were killed and several others wounded in a US drone strike in North Waziristan

Security officials said unmanned aircrafts targeted a suspected militant hideout in Inzarkas village, situated some 50 kilometres west of Miranshah, the main town in the volatile North Waziristan region killing 10 extremists on the spot.

“The missiles struck a militant compound in the village, killing at least 10 rebels,” a local security official said.

“It was, however, not immediately known if any high-value target was present in the area at the time of attack,” the official added.

The missile hit came amidst reports that the United States is planning to greatly expand the use of drones against militants in Pakistan’s troubled tribal regions along the Afghanistan border following the failed Times Square bombing plot, which was masterminded by an American citizen of Pakistan origin, Faisal Shahzad. (ANI)

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Iran inaugurates anti-cruise missile system

May 5, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Nicosia, May 5 (ANI): The Iranian government announced on Tuesday the start of production of a missile defence system capable of destroying cruise missiles flying at low altitude.

Iranian Defence Minister Ahmad Vahidi was quoted by the Fars News Agency as saying that the system called Mesbah 1 (Lantern) has high destruction power and can prevent the attacks of cruise missiles, airplanes, choppers and other air threats.

Vahidi added that the system offers rapid reaction against threats, firing up to 4,000 shots per minute, with high targeting precision. It can also intercept Unmanned Arial Vehicles (UAVs).

He said that the system will be deployed in the near future.

Furthermore, he revealed that his ministry is working on different short-range, mid-range and long-range air-defense systems.

Earlier in September 2009, a senior Iranian commander announced that the country”s experts managed to build hi-tech missile defense systems capable of tracing and intercepting cruise missiles.

Iran has developed its own defence industry since the Iran-Iraq war of 1980-88 after a United States imposed embargo on weapons sales to Tehran. Iran now produces its own tanks, armoured personnel carriers, missiles, fighter jets and other high-tech weapons.

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8 Pak pilots complete F-16 flying training in US

May 4, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Islamabad, May 4 (ANI): Eight fighter pilots of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) have completed their seven month training for the advance F-16 combat jets.

The flying training conducted in Tucson, Arizona included a fighter conversion course on the F-16 C/D aircraft, flight lead upgrade training and instructor pilot certification, The Daily Times reports.

The prime motive behind the training programme was to coach the Pakistani pilots so that they could impart similar training to other pilots back home over how to handle the advanced jets.

It may be noted that the US is likely to provide four of the first 18 F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan in June.

The fighter jets are part of the 2.9 billion dollars arms package, which includes electronics and weapons upgrades for 34 existing Pakistani F-16s.

Bruce Lemkin, Deputy Under Secretary in the Pentagon for the Air Force, had earlier said that the Air Force is also reviewing Pakistan’s request to loan or lease excess or decommissioned U.S. F-16s for ground operations before newer ones are delivered.

A US military officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said 17 of the 18 combat aircrafts would be delivered to Islamabad by December.

It may be noted that in 1990, the U.S. halted the production of a third and fourth batch of F-16s ordered by Pakistan, due to its nuclear weapons program. 40 F-16A/B aircraft had been delivered under the Peace Gate I and II programs, however none of the Peace Gate III and IV aircraft were delivered.

However, in 2005 Islamabad finally received the go-ahead to order 24 additional F-16s, which was believed to an explicit reward for General Pervez Musharraf’s support in the ‘war on terror.’ (ANI)

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Acquisition of 126 fighter jets on track, deadline can be extended: IAF Chief

May 4, 2010 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, May 4 (ANI): Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal P V Naik, has said the acquisition of the 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) is right on the track, and added that the deadline for the 10 billion dollar purchase can be extended by an year.

The acquisition of 126 air and ground attack fighters will elevate India’s Air Force to super-power status.

The Defence Ministry asked the short listed vendors to resubmit their bids after the original deadline expires shortly. The government accepted bids for 126 fighter jets two years ago.

“Actually it is three year deadline. It’s a routine thing, deadline would extend, but as far as process is concerned it is on track as it was visualised at that time and is continuing on that track,” Air Chief Marshal Naik told ANI when asked about delay in the acquisition of MMRCA and expiry of the deadline.

The Indian Air Force chief said there is no delay in the modernisation of the IAF.

The Defence Ministry was expected to complete the bid evaluation by April 28 after all the six vendors complete flight trials early last month. Now, the deadline has been missed contract rules call for rebidding.

“Everything takes time. There are six aircrafts to be evaluated and it is not an easy task. I am very happy and proud who have done this on time. Few things are left and they will end by mid May,” Air Chief Marshal Naik said.

“Because of ash cloud over Europe, flights got delayed, but only for 5-10 days, our testing is on schedule, deadline expiry is a routine thing, which happens everywhere,” he added.

The contenders for mother of all Indian defence deals are Lockheed Martin’s F-16, Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet, France’s Dassault Rafale, Russia’s MiG-35, Sweden’s Saab (SAABb.ST) JAS-39 Gripen and the Eurofighter Typhoon, made by a consortium of European companies. (ANI)

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UK Air Force limits flights after ash found on planes

April 23, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Britain has suspended non-essential flights of its Typhoon fighter jets to make safety checks after ash from an Icelandic volcano was found on some planes, the Ministry of Defence said on Thursday.

“It’s a routine safety precaution. We have temporarily suspended non-essential flying,” a ministry spokeswoman said.

The planes had flown on a routine sortie on Wednesday.

The National Air Traffic Service, a British air traffic body, said the decision had not affected civilian flights which have only just resumed after a week of delays caused by the eruption of a volcano in Iceland.

“We’ve made no change to our operations,” NATS spokesman Patrick Horwood said.

“The Ministry of Defence flies in different air space,” he said, without giving further details.

The ministry spokeswoman said some of the Royal Air Force planes were being tested for damage to their engines.

“Initially it was was dust-like deposits, so they looked into it and confirmed it was ash, and now we’re waiting for the outcome of the investigation to see if there was any damage caused,” she said.

Test results are due later on Thursday.

European air traffic agency Eurocontrol said earlier air traffic was likely to be back to normal on Thursday, and that it expected 28,000 to 29,000 flights to operate in Europe.

(Reporting by Mohammed Abbas: Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)

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Pakistani forces kill 23 militants in Orakzai

April 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment

HANGU, Pakistan, April 11 (Reuters) – Pakistani soldiers backed by jets and helicopters clashed with Taliban in the northwestern Orakzai region on Sunday, killing more than 20 militants, government officials said.

The fighting came a day after fighter jets bombed a militant stronghold in the neighbouring Khyber region on the Afghan border, killing 45 people, according to militant sources.

“Three Taliban hideouts have been destroyed and 12 militants have been killed in Orakzai,” Khaista Gul, a regional government official, told Reuters.

Hours later, security forces clashed with militants near Kalaya, the main town of Orakzai, and killed 11 militants.

“The government forces have captured some important Taliban positions in the area,” government official Sajjad Khan said.

Orakzai and Khyber are two of Pakistan’s seven semi-autonomous ethnic Pashtun tribal regions, where militants and their al Qaeda allies fighting both the Afghan and Pakistani governments entrenched themselves after U.S.-led forces ousted the Taliban in Afghanistan in late 2001.

Security forces have stepped up assaults in the northwest over the past year, largely clearing militants from the Swat valley, northwest of Islamabad, and the South Waziristan and Bajaur regions on the Afghan border.

Security forces are now focusing on other areas, in particular Orakzai and Khyber, where militants who fled the earlier sweeps have taken refuge. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

For full coverage of Pakistan click on [ID:nAFPAK] ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

The security forces’ successes have eased fears that nuclear-armed Pakistan, a vital ally for the United States as it struggles to stabilise Afghanistan, was sliding into chaos. [ID:nSGE6380CQ]

OPTIMISM

Similarly, hopes for an easing of destabilising political wrangling were raised last week when the National Assembly unanimously passed a set of constitutional reforms curbing the powers of unpopular President Asif Ali Zardari. [ID:nSGE6370E9]

Optimism has been reflected in Pakistan’s stock market, where the main index is at levels not seen since 2008, supported by foreign buying.

Net foreign portfolio inflows were $113 million in March, the the second highest monthly inflow ever.

But the militants have shown they are still capable of striking at high profile targets in heavily guarded areas.

Militants attacked the U.S. consulate in the northwestern city of Peshawar on Monday last week, killing five people, hours after a suicide bomber killed 48 people at political rally in a nearby district.

A militant commander said on Saturday that civilians were also among 45 people killed in attacks in a border area between Orakzai and Khyber but military officials denied it.

A senior military official said the jets attacked militants as they were trying to sneak into Orakzai from Khyber to attack a security checkpost.

The main route for Western forces’ supplies trucked from Karachi port to landlocked Afghanistan winds through the Khyber Pass and militants have frequently attacked convoys there.

Orakzai is a stronghold of Hakimullah Mehsud, the Pakistani Taliban chief who is widely believed to have been killed in a missile strike by pilotless U.S. drone aircraft in South Waziristan in January. (Additional reporting and writing by Zeeshan Haider; Editing by Alex Richardson and Elizabeth Fullerton) (For full coverage of Pakistan and Afghanistan, click on [ID:nAFPAK] (For more Reuters coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan, see: here)

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Pakistani forces kill 23 militants in Orakzai

April 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment

HANGU, Pakistan, April 11 (Reuters) – Pakistani soldiers backed by jets and helicopters clashed with Taliban in the northwestern Orakzai region on Sunday, killing more than 20 militants, government officials said.

The fighting came a day after fighter jets bombed a militant stronghold in the neighbouring Khyber region on the Afghan border, killing 45 people, according to militant sources.

“Three Taliban hideouts have been destroyed and 12 militants have been killed in Orakzai,” Khaista Gul, a regional government official, told Reuters.

Hours later, security forces clashed with militants near Kalaya, the main town of Orakzai, and killed 11 militants.

“The government forces have captured some important Taliban positions in the area,” government official Sajjad Khan said.

Orakzai and Khyber are two of Pakistan’s seven semi-autonomous ethnic Pashtun tribal regions, where militants and their al Qaeda allies fighting both the Afghan and Pakistani governments entrenched themselves after U.S.-led forces ousted the Taliban in Afghanistan in late 2001.

Security forces have stepped up assaults in the northwest over the past year, largely clearing militants from the Swat valley, northwest of Islamabad, and the South Waziristan and Bajaur regions on the Afghan border.

Security forces are now focusing on other areas, in particular Orakzai and Khyber, where militants who fled the earlier sweeps have taken refuge. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

For full coverage of Pakistan click on [ID:nAFPAK] ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

The security forces’ successes have eased fears that nuclear-armed Pakistan, a vital ally for the United States as it struggles to stabilise Afghanistan, was sliding into chaos. [ID:nSGE6380CQ]

OPTIMISM

Similarly, hopes for an easing of destabilising political wrangling were raised last week when the National Assembly unanimously passed a set of constitutional reforms curbing the powers of unpopular President Asif Ali Zardari. [ID:nSGE6370E9]

Optimism has been reflected in Pakistan’s stock market, where the main index is at levels not seen since 2008, supported by foreign buying.

Net foreign portfolio inflows were $113 million in March, the the second highest monthly inflow ever.

But the militants have shown they are still capable of striking at high profile targets in heavily guarded areas.

Militants attacked the U.S. consulate in the northwestern city of Peshawar on Monday last week, killing five people, hours after a suicide bomber killed 48 people at political rally in a nearby district.

A militant commander said on Saturday that civilians were also among 45 people killed in attacks in a border area between Orakzai and Khyber but military officials denied it.

A senior military official said the jets attacked militants as they were trying to sneak into Orakzai from Khyber to attack a security checkpost.

The main route for Western forces supplies trucked from Karachi port to landlocked Afghanistan winds through the Khyber Pass and militants have frequently attacked convoys there.

Orakzai is a stronghold of Hakimullah Mehsud, the Pakistani Taliban chief who is widely believed to have been killed in a missile strike by pilotless U.S. drone aircraft in South Waziristan in January. (Additional reporting and writing by Zeeshan Haider; Editing by Robert Birsel and Alex Richardson) (For full coverage of Pakistan and Afghanistan, click on [ID:nAFPAK] (For more Reuters coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan, see: here)

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Diplomat sparks bomb scare with cigarette

April 8, 2010 By Leave a Comment

US air marshals subdued a Qatari diplomat on a flight to Denver in a bomb scare triggered after he reportedly smoked a cigarette and then joked he was trying to ignite his shoes, officials say.

The plane landed safely at Denver International Airport following the disturbance, and US officials later said it appeared the passenger was not trying to blow up the plane, although the incident was under investigation.

The man was identified in US media reports as Qatari diplomat Mohammed al-Modadi, 27, who as the third secretary and vice consul of the Qatari embassy in Washington enjoys full diplomatic immunity.

NBC News reported the man had simply said he was putting out a cigarette he had smoked in the restroom on the sole of his shoe. Smoking is prohibited on all US passenger flights.

American ABC News said the diplomat told marshals “I’m lighting my shoes on fire”.

NBC News said a search of the man found no explosives and that bomb-sniffing dogs found no traces of explosives aboard the aircraft.

A US security official acknowledged “it may have been a massive misunderstanding,” telling American ABC that Mr al-Modadi may have been making a “sarcastic” comment when he was confronted by two air marshals.

The FBI was investigating the incident.

Qatar’s ambassador to Washington, Ali Bin Fajad al-Hajari, said in a statement that the diplomat was travelling to Denver on official embassy business.

“He was certainly not engaged in any threatening activity,” the ambassador said.

“The facts will reveal that this was a mistake, and we urge all concerned parties to avoid reckless judgments or speculation.”

The scare prompted fighter jets to scramble and intercept the flight amid fears of a possible repeat of a passenger’s foiled attempt to bring down a Northwest Airlines jet on Christmas Day as it approached to land at Detroit.

“The president was briefed by national security adviser General Jim Jones and national security chief of staff Denis McDonough at 8:50pm EDT and appropriate actions were taken to ensure the safety of the travelling public,” a White House official said.

“The incident is currently under investigation.”

US president Barack Obama was aboard Air Force One at the time, en route to Prague to sign a nuclear arms reduction treaty with Russia.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said the passenger was placed in custody, adding it was “monitoring” the incident.

The incident came a week after the United States unveiled new security measures subjecting all US-bound plane passengers to screening methods that use real-time intelligence to target potential threats, replacing the mandatory screening of passengers from a blacklist of 14 mainly Muslim countries.

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Man in custody after disturbance on U.S. flight

April 8, 2010 By Leave a Comment

A passenger on a United Airlines flight from Washington to Denver sparked a security alert on Wednesday after he was apparently caught smoking in the toilet and made a remark that was perceived as a threat.

Officials said a Qatari man was in custody but the incident did not appear to be serious.

United Airlines Flight 663, which originated from Washington’s Reagan National Airport, landed safely in Denver about 9 p.m. EDT (0100 GMT on Thursday) after two F-16 fighter jets intercepted the Boeing 757 aircraft, according to the North American Aerospace Defense Command responsible for safeguarding U.S. airspace.

“It looks like the individual in question was perhaps smoking in the lavatory and might have made an unfortunate remark” when confronted by airline personnel, a U.S. official said.

U.S. officials have been on heightened alert and have ramped up security substantially since Christmas Day last year after a Nigerian man tried but failed to blow up a flight from Amsterdam to Detroit with a bomb hidden in his underwear.

ABC News, citing federal law enforcement officials, had reported earlier that U.S. air marshals subdued a Qatari man who authorities say tried to “light his shoes on fire” on the flight, sparking fears of another attack.

CNN said no explosives were found on board and identified the man as a mid-level Qatari diplomat. When asked why he was in the toilet so long, he “said something about lighting his shoe on fire,” the network reported.

U.S. officials could not confirm that report. The plane was surrounded by security vehicles when it arrived at Denver International Airport.

“Law enforcement and TSA have responded to the scene and the passenger is currently in custody,” the Transportation Security Administration said in a statement. “All steps are being taken to ensure the safety of the traveling public.”

There were 157 passengers aboard the plane and six crew members, according to United Air.

Attempts to reach the Qatari Embassy in Washington were not immediately successful.

U.S. officials have tracked the December plane incident back to al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. This has led them to step up efforts to combat the militant group in Yemen where the Nigerian man told investigators he trained and obtained the bomb.

Additionally, TSA has beefed up security since that incident, requiring some passengers to undergo full-body scans at airports.

Just months after hijackers crashed planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001, Richard Reid, a Briton and self-admitted member of al Qaeda, was subdued on an trans-Atlantic flight diverted to Boston after attempting to detonate explosives hidden in his shoes.

Reid pleaded guilty to eight counts related to terrorism and was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole.

(Reporting by Jeremy Pelofsky, Tabassum Zakaria and John Crawley; Editing by Peter Cooney and Philip Barbara)

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Pak to get four F-16s by June end : Officials

March 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Washington, Mar.30 (ANI): The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) would receive four of the first 18 F-16 fighter jets from the US in June, senior Pakistani and American have officials said.

The fighter jets are part of the 2.9 billion dollars arms package, which includes electronics and weapons upgrades for 34 existing Pakistani F-16s.

Bruce Lemkin, Deputy Under Secretary in the Pentagon for the Air Force, said the Air Force is also reviewing Pakistan’s request to loan or lease excess or decommissioned U.S. F-16s for ground operations before newer ones are delivered.

A US military officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said 17 of the 18 combat aircrafts would be delivered to Islamabad by December.

Pakistani fighter pilots are already receiving training in the US on the new F-16s, so that they can put the aircraft to optimum use once they are delivered, The Business week reports.

US Air Force spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jeffry Glenn said 1,000 kits for converting unguided weapons into laser-guided bombs, the first ever sent to Pakistan, have been sent to Pakistan earlier this month, and it could take as many as 30 days to arrive.

The bombs can be dropped from Pakistan’s existing older F- 16s, Glenn said in an e-mail.

It may be noted that in 1990, the U.S. halted the production of a third and fourth batch of F-16s ordered by Pakistan, due to its nuclear weapons program. 40 F-16A/B aircraft had been delivered under the Peace Gate I and II programs, however none of the Peace Gate III and IV aircraft were delivered.

However, in 2005 Islamabad finally received the go-ahead to order 24 additional F-16s, which was believed to an explicit reward for General Pervez Musharraf”s support in the ‘war on terror.’ (ANI)

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Indian F-16s will be ‘superior’ to Pak’s: Lockheed

March 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Mon, Mar 29 05:17 PM

American aerospace giant Lockheed Martin on Monday assured India that the F-16s being offered to it would be “much more advanced” than the fighters provided to Pakistan.

“I can assure you, the Super Viper is much more advanced in all aspects than the F-16s being given to Pakistan,” Lockheed Martin’s Vice President-Business Development (India) Orville Prins told a group of visiting Indian journalists here.

The assurance comes in the wake of reports that India was concerned over US supplying a new set of F-16s to Pakistan, a decision which could be a crucial geopolitical factor when the Indian Air Force (IAF) decides on the USD 10 billion Medium Multi-role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) tender, described as ‘mother of all deals’.

“The F-16IN Super Viper will be more advanced than the F-16 Block 60 that were delivered to the UAE recently. The fighter jets being given to Pakistan by the US government are F-16 Block 50/52 aircraft,” Prins said here.

However, the official said he would not discuss anything more about the company’s dealings with Pakistan, except the fact that it was not the firm that was selling anything to any country, but was just partnering with the US Air Force.

“We don’t sell, the US government does. We only support the US government’s decisions,” he said when queried about the US military support to Pakistan in the form of a set of 18 new F-16 fighters.

In fact, Prins tried to defend the military sale of his company’s fighter jets to Pakistan despite India’s protest, saying it was not just Lockheed Martin that was supplying to Islamabad, but all the six contenders in the MMRCA race were, either directly or indirectly.

Other bidders in the MMRCA deal were US’ Boeing, French D’Assault, Swedish Gripen, European consortium EADS, and Russian MiG.

The programme to deliver 18 F-16s to Pakistan, named as ‘Peace Drive I’, will raise the total number of F-16s ordered by Pakistan to 54.

The ‘Peace Drive I’ order is for 12 F-16Cs and six F-16Ds, all powered by the Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-229 engine and these would be delivered by end of 2010.
Agencies

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China adding missiles near Taiwan – U.S. navy official

March 27, 2010 By Leave a Comment

China has added long-range missiles near Taiwan and leads the self-ruled island in military defences, a U.S. navy official said, suggesting that Taiwan may need new F-16 jet fighters.

China has deployed “an increasing number” of Russian surface-to-air missiles across an ocean strait about 160 km (100 miles) from Taiwan, U.S. Navy Commander Robert Willard told a Senate committee in Washington but did not give a timeframe.

“Beijing remains committed to eventual unification with Taiwan and has not ruled out the use of force to achieve that goal,” Willard said, according to a statement made available on Saturday by the U.S. Pacific Command.

“The (People’s Liberation Army’s) continued military advancements sustain a trend of shifting the cross-Strait military balance in Beijing’s favour,” he said.

A $6.4-billion U.S. arms package for Taiwan announced in January would shore up the island’s self-defence, but has enraged China.

Although Willard did not say whether Washington should grant Taiwan’s long sought request to buy F-16 fighter jets, seen as a red line in already tense Sino-U.S. ties, he said existing aircraft would “have to be recapitalised”.

China has claimed sovereignty over Taiwan since 1949, when Mao Zedong’s forces won the Chinese civil war and Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalists fled to the island. But ties have warmed since 2008 as the two sides began to talk trade.

(Reporting by Ralph Jennings; Editing by Sugita Katyal)

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Super Hornets arrive in south-east Queensland

March 27, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The sound of Super Hornet fighter jets has been ringing across parts of south-east Queensland as they flew to their new home at the Amberley Air Force Base west of Brisbane.

The five Super Hornets left New Zealand Friday morning and criss-crossed the skies over Brisbane as well as the Gold Coast and Ipswich before landing at Amberley.

RAAF Group Captain Steve Roberton says they are the first of 24 to be based at Amberley, replacing the F-111s later this year.

“We’ve been flying them for over 12 months,” he said.

“We’ve only had [our aircraft] for the last three or four weeks so they’re shiny new.”

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US to share laser-guiding bomb kits with Pakistan

March 8, 2010 By Leave a Comment

WASHINGTON: The US will deliver this month to Pakistan 1,000 sophisticated laser-guided bomb kits that would enable the government there to strike insurgent targets with more precision.

The arms sale suggests that US officials are trying to deepen their relationship with Pakistan and increase military cooperation. The US has been trying to encourage Pakistan to take a tougher stand against Taliban forces operating within its borders.

Lt Col Jeffry Glenn, an Air Force spokesman, said on Tuesday that the US had delivered 1,000 MK-82 bombs to Pakistan last month. This month’s shipment of kits would enable Pakistan to use sophisticated laser technology to guide the bombs to specific targets.

Glenn said the US also plans to provide Pakistan 18 new F-16 fighter jets by June.

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