Monday, November 21, 2011
Haqqani on “slippery ground”
From The Hindu
Ambassador Husain Haqqani, has always been a man walking a tightrope and now he may be reaching the end of the line.
While he has still not packed his bags and returned to Islamabad, sources here indicated that he might well be on “slippery ground,” especially since he was “considered close to Washington but GHQ dislikes him”.
Dissatisfaction with his actions were said to echo past trends, where he was seen as not lobbying sufficiently for the interests of the military and intelligence apparatus on Capitol Hill, preferring to promote the civilian leadership. Indicating that l'affaire Haqqani may be high on the discussion agenda and the topmost levels of the Pakistani state it was noted that General Kayani called upon President Asif Ali Zardari on two consecutive days this week “and every time it was said security issues were discussed”.
Reportedly the word in the Pakistani embassy here is he “would like to do Washington's bidding more readily then Islamabad's.” In the past few days rumours added grist to this mill when some media alleged that Mr. Haqqani holds a U.S. passport and that he had sought asylum in the U.S. — both charges that he has denied.
Nevertheless long-time observers of the establishment added that the Mr. Haqqani “is said to be a master at manoeuvring minds in his favour... a feature that is said to help him secure high offices,” suggesting there may be a sliver of a chance that he could survive this episode.
Regardless of the outcome, Mr. Haqqani's past role as a journalist and his colourful presence on micro-blogging website Twitter may presage an opportunity for the eloquent diplomat. Even if he loses his job he may well be able to spin this into an opportunity by chronicling his adventures as the martyr for democracy who stood up against the mighty Pakistani military.
Labels: Husain Haqqani, Kayani, Mike Mullen, Pakistan Ambassador, Pasha, Washington DC, Zardari
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Anti-war protest in U.S.
From The Hindu
On the seventh anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, thousands of people from across the United States on Saturday converged on Lafayette Square, opposite the White House in Washington DC. The rally then marched through downtown DC, halting en route at the premises of military contractor Halliburton, the Mortgage Bankers Association and The Washington Post offices.
While the protest drew a smaller crowd than the tens of thousands who marched during the final years of the Bush administration, the ANSWER coalition, the main organiser, said momentum was building due to disenchantment with President Obama's troop surge decision for Afghanistan. Other participating groups included Veterans for Peace, Military Families Speak Out and the National Council of Arab Americans and activists such as Ralph Nader and Cindy Sheehan.
In a statement the ANSWER coalition said,
“People from all over the country are organising to converge on Washington, D.C., and on the West Coast to demand the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of all U.S. and NATO forces from Afghanistan and Iraq.”
Instead of war, we will demand funds so that every person can have a job, free and universal health care, decent schools, and affordable housing, said the coalition statement.
According to some reports the rally could prove to be significant as it was the “first massive, nationally coordinated effort to challenge U.S. foreign policy since President Obama took office.” Though the costs and scope of U.S. military engagements have expanded under Mr. Obama, the anti-war movement has thus far been largely silent since January 2008.
However with Saturday's protest march, the movement signalled that it had revived and was capable of challenging the Obama administration on its foreign policy strategies.
The ANSWER coalition said though “the enthusiasm and desire for change after eight years of the Bush regime was the dominant cause that led to election of a big Democratic Party majority in both Houses of Congress and the election of Barack Obama to the White House… [it was now] obvious to all that waiting for politicians to bring real change… is simply a prescription for passivity by progressives and an invitation to the array of corporate interests from military contractors to the banks, to big oil, to the health insurance giants that dominate the political life of the country.”
It is time to be back in the streets, the ANSWER 0statement added.
Labels: ANSWER, Barack Obama, Iraq war, Lafayette Square, U.S., US, Washington DC
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