WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton telephones Indian Foreign Minister S.M Krishna and discussed recent Indo-Pak dialogue with him. Clinton also called several regional top officials to discuss Egypt’’s transition away from authoritarian rule. Clinton “is making calls to regional and global leaders to gain a shared perspective on Egypt, recent developments and the way forward,” her spokesman Philip Crowley said in a message on his Twitter account. The top US diplomat made calls to Greek Prime Minister Georges Papandreou as well as Indian Foreign Minister S.M Krishna, with whom she discussed developments in Egypt as well as his “recent dialogue with Pakistan,” Crowley said. And in a call with United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the two discussed “Egypt, its impact on the Middle East and other regional issues,” Crowley said.
Written on February 14, 2011 | Posted in
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WASHINGTON: The United States aims to prevent Egypt’’s transition from longtime strongman Hosni Mubarak’’s rule from being “hijacked by extremists,” a top US diplomat told a key congressional committee Thursday. “We want to make sure that the process is not hijacked by extremists or those who do not deeply believe in the open and tolerant and democratic process that we want,” said Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg. Steinberg repeatedly sidestepped or deflected lawmakers” questions about whether Washington currently opposed a role for the Muslim Brotherhood opposition in a future government in Egypt, but said US policy would be to oppose any entities that reject what he described as core democratic values. “We are actively working to make sure that the government that emerges is an inclusive, tolerant, democratic one that respects the rights of women, minorities, religious minorities and the like,” he said. “And anybody, any group that isn”t consistent with that, we would not support their being a part of the government,” said Steinberg, who stressed: “I don”t think we single out any individual group.” The diplomat also praised Egypt’’s military for playing “a constructive role” in the country’’s turmoil thus far but urged them to resist any temptation to dictate the outcome of the political process. “It is not for the military to make the government. It is for the people to make the government, and that’’s what we would expect. And we would expect as we move forward with a democratic, inclusive government that the military would be in service (of) that,” said Steinberg. And the diplomat assured nervous lawmakers that a democratic Egyptian government would be an asset to Washington’’s goals in the region. “We believe very strongly that in terms of these interests, whether it’’s sustaining peace in the Middle East, dealing with terrorism, dealing with Iran’’s nuclear program that an open, vibrant Egyptian government would be very much in sync with those views and those perspectives,” he said. (AFP)
Written on February 11, 2011 | Posted in
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The biggest leak of confidential documents in the history of the Middle East conflict has revealed that Palestinian negotiators secretly agreed to accept Israel’s annexation of all but one of the settlements built illegally in occupied East Jerusalem
Written on February 8, 2011 | Posted in
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CAIRO: Egyptians gathered in central Cairo on Friday hoping to mass another million-strong rally to speed the end of President Hosni Mubarak’’s 30-year rule. The United States, long the ally and sponsor of the 82-year-old former general and his politically influential army, were also working behind the scenes to have him hand over power. Mubarak has insisted his departure would bring chaos. That has not discouraged protesters, ranging from Internet-aware young secularists to the powerful mass movement the Muslim Brotherhood, from declaring the “Friday of Departure.” In Tahrir, or Liberation, Square, the focus of protests and of violence with Mubarak loyalists in the previous two days, there was a festive atmosphere, with soldiers keeping order and the veteran defense minister, Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, paying a visit and talking to his soldiers. “Today is the last day, today is the last day!” protesters shouted as Arabic pop songs blared from a bank of speakers: “For Egypt, today is a day a celebration!” Crowds were expected to build after midday prayers, the focal point of the Muslim weekend in Egypt. The protesters, from a diverse range of Egypt’’s 80 million population, hope to encourage the unprecedented million-plus numbers on the streets of the nation’’s cities that they saw on Tuesday. On that evening, Mubarak announced he would step down, but only in September, when a presidential election due. Though many Egyptians felt that was good enough, and hoped for a return to normality after the disruptions which began on January 25, many want Mubarak to leave immediately. The United States and its Western allies, while refraining from saying he must quit now, have urged an immediate start to transition. The armed forces, who have a crucial role to play, appear to be weighing their options, content to let demonstrators have their say in a way never before seen in Egypt. But also not moving directly against Mubarak, and allowing plain clothes loyalists to range the streets and attack protesters this week. Those camping out in Tahrir Square were welcoming reinforcements through the morning, searching bags and checking for security agents. Tents were scattered around and some had slept on the grass, ready for the planned day of protest. With the unprecedented challenge to Mubarak’’s autocratic rule descending into violence, Washington has been urging Egypt to begin the transition of power and move toward elections. A senior official in the administration of President Barack Obama said various options were being discussed with Egyptian officials, including one in which Mubarak resigned immediately. “That’’s one scenario,” he said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “There are a number of scenarios, but (it is) wrong to suggest we have discussed only one with the Egyptians.” VICE PRESIDENT ANNOYED Suleiman also hinted at irritation with U.S. interference in a television interview on Thursday. “There are some abnormal ways by which foreign countries have intervened through press declarations and statements. This was very strange, given the friendly relations between us and them,” he said. Many of the protesters reject Suleiman as an alternative. Obama and his top aides have carefully avoided calling for Mubarak’’s resignation, instead insisting that an orderly transition “must begin now.” The U.N. estimates 300 people have died in the unrest which was inspired in part by protests in Tunisia which forced Tunisian strongman Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali to flee last month and which have since spread to other parts of the Middle East. In the most dramatic spike in violence, pro-Mubarak supporters attacked protesters in Tahrir Square on Wednesday and pitched battles broke out between the two sides. The government denied accusations by the protesters and international activists that they had instigated the attack. The government has offered talks on reforms, but that has failed to satisfy protesters who want Mubarak to leave now. The opposition — which includes the liberal figurehead Mohamed ElBaradei and the Muslim Brotherhood — has rejected talks until Mubarak resigns. They also say they want democracy rather than Mubarak’’s replacement by another leader drawn from the army, which has dominated Egypt since it toppled the monarchy in 1952. A leading member of the Brotherhood told on Friday the group — Egypt’’s most organized opposition group — had no ambitions to run for the presidency. Mohammed al-Beltagi also said government representatives who had invited it to talks on political reform had indicated that the group, which is formally banned, would receive official recognition as a party. Egypt, which signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1979, has been a key U.S. ally in the Middle East. Mubarak had also styled himself as a bulwark against militancy. The United States supplies the Egyptian army with about $1.3 billion in aid annually. Mubarak described Obama as a very good man, but when asked by ABC if he felt that the United States had betrayed him, he said he told the U.S. president: “You don”t understand the Egyptian culture and what would happen if I step down now.”
Written on February 4, 2011 | Posted in
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WASHINGTON: The White House on Monday urged the Egyptian government to take actions for change, but it refused to say whether the United States supports Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to continue to rule the Middle East country. “This is not about appointments, it’’s about actions,” said White House spokesman Robert Gibbs, referring to Mubarak’’s move to reshuffle his cabinet and appoint a vice president for the first time in 30 years. There is “more work to be done”, and the way Egypt “looks and operates must change,” he said. But he also said the United States is not “picking between those on the street and those in the government,” insisting it is not up to the United States, but “the Egyptian people”, to determine the outcome of the protests. Gibbs called for restraint in the general strike and the “one- million-man march” scheduled for Tuesday, which is aimed to mark one week of the protests that started on Jan. 25. The State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said Monday that former U.S. ambassador to Egypt Frank Wisner is now in Cairo and will meet Egyptian leaders to “reinforce” the call by the United states. Crowley also urged Egypt to revoke its emergency law. In the latest development, Egypt’’s newly-appointed Vice President Omar Suleiman announced on Monday that President Mubarak has asked him to start dialogue immediately with all political parties, including on constitutional and legislative reforms. Massive anti-government protests have been going on for almost a week across Egypt, with more than 100 people dead and thousands injured.
Written on February 1, 2011 | Posted in
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The pro-democracy revolutions in Northern Africa and the Middle East have been a big problem for the region’s assorted dictators, but may well be an even bigger problem for the US
Written on January 29, 2011 | Posted in
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New Zealand selectors will play batsman Kane Williamson in the middle-order during the third ODI against Pakistan to give him the best opportunity to revive his career ahead of the World Cup.
Written on January 27, 2011 | Posted in
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Pakistani writer H.M. Naqvi, who has lived in South Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the United States, exemplifies a 21st century, multicultural writer.
Written on January 21, 2011 | Posted in
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ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — A senior Pakistani official was assassinated Tuesday in the middle of Islamabad by one of his own guards, apparently to protest the official's call for reform in the count
Written on January 4, 2011 | Posted in
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ISLAMABAD: In the middle of loud protest and slogans in the National Assembly against the recent increase in petroleum prices, ANP’s chief Asfandyar Wali Khan rescued the government from further
Written on January 4, 2011 | Posted in
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