There is too much talk about leaving and not enough talk about getting the job done right.

BRUSSELS — NATO allies agreed Friday new rules under which they can withdraw their troops from Afghanistan as US Defence Secretary Robert Gates slammed "too much talk about leaving."

Alliance Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen announced the deal looking ahead to a 2014 deadline to pass control to Afghan security forces after Gates warned that early withdrawal would jeopardise the war effort just as the Taliban has lost the upper hand.

"Frankly, there is too much talk about leaving and not enough talk about getting the job done right. Too much discussion of exit and not enough discussion about the fight," Gates said according to a text of his speech.

"Too much concern about when and how many troops might redeploy, and not enough about what needs to be done before they leave," he said.

"Ministers discussed and agreed principles by which we will (manage) transition," Rasmussen said after talks among the 28 NATO countries and International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) partners, not all of whom contribute soldiers.

He said that while the gradual "thinning out" of ISAF forces in particular provinces would accelerate, "redeployment and reinvestment ... remains a NATO responsibility."

Rasmussen said there had to be "coherence" so that "national decisions take into account overall force requirements."

That would mean "relocation" for some troops on active duty, although forces would remain in the line of fire "not a day longer" than needed, and "reconfiguration" for others, whereby "combat forces could be moved into training."

Afghan President Hamid Karzai said earlier this week that "five to six places" would be handed over initially.

"The final decision will be made by President Karzai," Rasmussen said of the formal announcement due on March 21, the first day of the Afgahn New Year.

"I have seen a lot of speculation in the media but we fully respect the procedure laid out," Rasmussen added of areas that could include three cities -- Lashkar Gah, Herat and Mazar-i-Sharif -- and two provinces, Bamiyan and Panshir, plus the capital region of Kabul minus Surobi.

According to a NATO European military official, early withdrawal plans by Canada and the Netherlands gave "a very poor signal" and Germany has already made known it is likely to follow next year.

There are currently around 140,000 international troops in Afghanistan, around two-thirds of them from the United States.

Washington plans to start withdrawing some of its troops in July at the same time as Afghan forces begin to take over security.

Out of the roughly 140,000 troops in the NATO-led force in Afghanistan, 97,000 are American, with the war costing the United States $10 billion a month.

"America is willing to shoulder the lion's share of the burden but we cannot do it alone," Gates said in his speech.

He acknowledged that the more than 40 countries in the coalition fighting the Taliban had suffered higher casualties in 2010 than in any other year since the war began in 2001.

"These are the tragic costs of success but we bear them because it is in our shared security interests to do so.

"Let me be clear -- uncoordinated national drawdowns would risk the gains made to date," Gates insisted, saying forces had "dealt a heavy blow to the Taliban insurgency" in the past year and pushed the insurgents "out of vital areas in the south and east."

Afghan national security force numbers have built up to current levels of 140,000 soldiers and 100,000 police, trained and armed by the NATO allies.

We will not give up Afghanistan until we eliminate terrorism________NATO Chief

Those who target the innocents they are for nothing but death and destruction

Iran has helped terrorists in Afghanistan

"Understandably, Israel is very concerned when the president of a country, a large country near them, states that they should be wiped off the face of the earth," Obama said, referring to comments by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Obama said Iran could play a constructive role in stabilizing neighboring Afghanistan and that the United States was willing to work with Tehran toward that goal. But also said, "Behind the scenes, we see evidence that occasionally, they have, actually, helped insurgents in ways that end up harming our troops (in Afghanistan)."

U.S. President Barack Obama on Friday called Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's comments about the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks "offensive" and "hateful."


Mr. Obama also commented on Iran's nuclear program in the interview.  He told the BBC  there are a "host of options" available if Iran does not cooperate with nuclear regulators.

He also commented on Iran's apparent repression of opposition activists following last year's disputed presidential election.  Mr. Obama said the U.S. has no interest in "meddling in the rights of people to choose their own government."  But he said the U.S will speak out "forcefully" when it sees a government abusing and oppressing its own people.

We will defeat terrorism on the strength of our values

Last night, President Obama continued the White House tradition of hosting an Iftar - the meal that breaks the day of fasting - celebrating Ramadan in the State Dining Room.  During his remarks at the Iftar dinner, President Obama reflected on the importance of religious freedom as one of the founding principles of our Nation: 

Our Founders understood that the best way to honor the place of faith in the lives of our people was to protect their freedom to practice religion.  In the Virginia Act of Establishing Religion Freedom, Thomas Jefferson wrote that “all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion.”  The First Amendment of our Constitution established the freedom of religion as the law of the land.  And that right has been upheld ever since.

Indeed, over the course of our history, religion has flourished within our borders precisely because Americans have had the right to worship as they choose -– including the right to believe in no religion at all.  And it is a testament to the wisdom of our Founders that America remains deeply religious -– a nation where the ability of peoples of different faiths to coexist peacefully and with mutual respect for one another stands in stark contrast to the religious conflict that persists elsewhere around the globe.

Now, that's not to say that religion is without controversy. Recently, attention has been focused on the construction of mosques in certain communities -– particularly New York.  Now, we must all recognize and respect the sensitivities surrounding the development of Lower Manhattan.  The 9/11 attacks were a deeply traumatic event for our country.  And the pain and the experience of suffering by those who lost loved ones is just unimaginable.  So I understand the emotions that this issue engenders.  And Ground Zero is, indeed, hallowed ground.

But let me be clear.  As a citizen, and as President, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country.  (Applause.)  And that includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in Lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances.  This is America.  And our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakeable.  The principle that people of all faiths are welcome in this country and that they will not be treated differently by their government is essential to who we are.  The writ of the Founders must endure.

We must never forget those who we lost so tragically on 9/11, and we must always honor those who led the response to that attack -– from the firefighters who charged up smoke-filled staircases, to our troops who are serving in Afghanistan today. And let us also remember who we’re fighting against, and what we’re fighting for.  Our enemies respect no religious freedom.  Al Qaeda’s cause is not Islam -– it’s a gross distortion of Islam.  These are not religious leaders -– they’re terrorists who murder innocent men and women and children.  In fact, al Qaeda has killed more Muslims than people of any other religion -– and that list of victims includes innocent Muslims who were killed on 9/11.

So that's who we’re fighting against.  And the reason that we will win this fight is not simply the strength of our arms -– it is the strength of our values.  The democracy that we uphold. The freedoms that we cherish.  The laws that we apply without regard to race, or religion, or wealth, or status.  Our capacity to show not merely tolerance, but respect towards those who are different from us –- and that way of life, that quintessentially American creed, stands in stark contrast to the nihilism of those who attacked us on that September morning, and who continue to plot against us today.

 The President also reflected on the many contributions Muslim Americans have made to our country:

Like so many other immigrants, generations of Muslims came to forge their future here.  They became farmers and merchants, worked in mills and factories.  They helped lay the railroads.  They helped to build America.  They founded the first Islamic center in New York City in the 1890s.  They built America’s first mosque on the prairie of North Dakota.  And perhaps the oldest surviving mosque in America —- still in use today —- is in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Today, our nation is strengthened by millions of Muslim Americans.  They excel in every walk of life.  Muslim American communities —- including mosques in all 50 states —- also serve their neighbors.  Muslim Americans protect our communities as police officers and firefighters and first responders.  Muslim American clerics have spoken out against terror and extremism, reaffirming that Islam teaches that one must save human life, not take it.  And Muslim Americans serve with honor in our military. At next week’s iftar at the Pentagon, tribute will be paid to three soldiers who gave their lives in Iraq and now rest among the heroes of Arlington National Cemetery. 

These Muslim Americans died for the security that we depend on, and the freedoms that we cherish.  They are part of an unbroken line of Americans that stretches back to our founding; Americans of all faiths who have served and sacrificed to extend the promise of America to new generations, and to ensure that what is exceptional about America is protected -– our commitment to stay true to our core values, and our ability slowly but surely to perfect our union. 

Pakistan government has taken steps and it needs to take further steps to reduce terrorism in Afghanistan, India and the streets of London.

Addressing a joint press conference with Prime Ministr Manmohan Singh at the end of their discussions, visiting British PM David Cameron said, "We want to work with Pakistan to make it fight LeT and Afghan or Pakistan Taliban. Pakistan government has taken steps and it needs to take further steps to reduce terrorism in Afghanistan, India and the streets of London." 


"We believe that Pakistan should be as serious in tackling terrorism on its western border as on the eastern borders. I sincerely hope that the world community would use its good offices to promote this," Singh said.

We will not tolerate a safe haven for terrorists.

"Our nation is at war. We face a very tough fight in Afghanistan. But Americans don't flinch in the face of difficult truths or difficult tasks. We persist and we persevere.” 


"We will not tolerate a safe haven for terrorists who want to destroy Afghan society from within and launch attacks against innocent men, women and children in our country and around the world," Obama said. 


"Make no mistake, we have a clear goal. We are going to break the Taliban's momentum. We are going to build Afghan capacity. We are going to relentlessly apply pressure on al Qaeda and its leadership, strengthening the ability of both Afghanistan and Pakistan to do the same," he said.


"In that effort, we are honoured to be joined by allies and partners who have stood by us and paid the ultimate price through the loss of their young people at war. They are with us because the interests and values that we share, and because this mission is fundamental to the ability of free people to live in peace and security in the 21st century," Obama said. 

U.S. would never be soft on terrorism.

Mr. Blake further noted, “We take extremely seriously the threats against both of our countries because we believe increasingly that there is a syndicate that is operating in countries like Pakistan that threatens both of our countries.”

This syndicate of terror networks also threatens Pakistan itself, he added, noting that it was “in the interests of all three countries to address this very critical problem, to work together”.

Mr. Blake also emphasised that the U.S. had been at “the forefront of countries urging Pakistan to not only continue the progress it has been making in Swat and South Waziristan, but also to address the problem in the Punjab, namely the Punjab-based groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba, that are operating against India, that have also targeted the U.S., in the Mumbai bombings and elsewhere.”

He said this would remain a “very, very high priority for us, and you should not doubt the sincerity of that statement”.

On India’s work in Afghanistan he said, “We have welcomed the very important role India has played so far. It is really up to India to decide where it wants to take its cooperation but we commend the steps it has taken so far and we had a discussion on ways that we might be able to cooperate together.” He added that such joint projects may be a promising new area of cooperation between the two countries.

 


 

 

It's not always easy to get access to terror suspects

"President (Barack) Obama requested me that we show respect to the great people of India, to the 18 police officers who gave lives for their country," Roemer said, explaining the reason for his visit to the 26/11 martyrs' memorial, erected outside the Police Gymkhana. 

Roemer said two policemen had laid down their lives in the US while protecting those working at the Capitol Hill during an attack. India is one of the most indispensable allies to the United States, Roemer said. 


"When we sought access to 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, we could not get it," he said, apparently referring to how difficult at times it was to secure access to those accused of involvement in international terror plots.

Pakistani Taliban behind Times Square bomb attempt: US

"Pakistan is the "centre of terrorism" and all terrorist activities, whether in Afghanistan or US, could be traced to Pakistan"._____________Home minister of India P Chidambaram

 'It looks like he was working on behalf of the Pakistani Taliban,' Brennan said. The finding 'underscores the serious threat that we face from a very determined enemy', he said.

The finding could increase US pressure on Pakistan to clamp down on the terrorist network. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has already warned Pakistan that if a terror attack like the New York bombing were to be successful and found to be originated from that country, 'there would be very severe consequences'.
 

'Pakistan may let Taliban use its nuclear weapons against India'

Pakistan may let surrogate Taliban use its nuclear weapons to do its "dirty work" against India in the event of escalation of tension between the two South Asian neighbours over Kashmir, a top US non-proliferation expert has suggested.

"If something broke out in Kashmir that reignited the vitriol between India and Pakistan, that could be an incident that could cause someone to make the decision," he warned

"(The Pakistanis may say) We don't want to use these weapons, but we're going to let our surrogate Taliban have access to these weapons and they'll do our dirty work," he said.
"I think one of our recommendations was to work with India and Pakistan to develop some fail-safe procedures," Graham said responding to questions from lawmakers concerned about the safety and security of nuclear weapons in Pakistan.

Although during the Cold War, the US and the Soviet Union were strong adversaries and had the capability of destroying each other, "we understood that we didn't want to allow a mis-step or an accidental event to become the ignition for such a war", Graham said.
"So we set up the red phone in the Oval Office and a whole protocol," he said referring to the report of the commission released early this year.

Noting that "none of that exists between India and Pakistan", he said: "I have felt that this may be an area in which the US and Russia together, since we developed these protocols for our own benefit and the world's benefit, might work together with India and Pakistan to try to get them to develop."

Graham said he was encouraged that within the last month India and China have started to develop some of those fail-safe procedures.

"But there's almost nothing that has been done in a similar vein between the real adversaries, which are India and Pakistan," he noted.

Pakistan must act in an expeditious and transparent manner against all those responsible for the Mumbai terrorist attack

Taking note of the spike in the 'level of infiltration' in the last few months, Rao added that 'the infrastructure of terrorism and activities of terror groups operating from the territory of Pakistan is a cause of serious concern.' 

Krishna told parliament that India has made it clear to Pakistan to 'take effective action to ban the anti-India activities of organisations such as Jamaat-ud-Dawa and their leaders, including Hafiz Saeed.' They have openly and blatantly espoused an agenda of violence and terrorism against India, Krishna said. 

Pakistan-based groups posed as much threat to the West as they did to India______Chidambaram

“The camps must be closed. Training must come to an end.''

He said it would be “naïve” for Western countries to think that terrorists operating from Pakistan posed a threat to India alone.

“Once you allow these terror groups to train, recruit and build capacity to strike, they can strike in India, they can strike in the U.K., they can strike in Denmark as they were planning out of the Karachi project,” he said.

He added: “No country is truly safe...Don't think that India alone is under threat. Every country is under threat from these groups and the Lashkar-e-Taiba today is like the Al Qaeda, a multi-country group.”

India has been a consistent advocate of complete and universal global nuclear disarmament.

During the recently concluded nuclear security summit, which was attended by both Dr.Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani, Washington stressed on the need of reducing the nuclear stockpile across the globe.
It particularly expressed concerns over the extremist threat looming large over Pakistan's nuclear arsenals.

Dr. Singh, while leaving for Washington for the summit, had said that India has been a consistent advocate of complete and universal global nuclear disarmament.
"We were among the first countries in the world to call for a world free of nuclear weapons. I am encouraged by the fact that this approach is finding greater resonance today. We will continue to call for more meaningful progress in this direction," he had said.

President Obama at Opening Plenary of Nuclear Security Summit

We feel it is vital for the international community to stay the course in Afghanistan.

Despite the provocations we have faced constantly from terrorists whose linkages we have traced back to Pakistani soil, we have not abandoned the path of dialogue,' Rao said in an address Monday at the Woodrow Wilson Centre, a renowned Washington think tank. 

India will also not scale down operations in Afghanistan despite terror attacks on its intetests, she said. 'We feel it is vital for the international community to stay the course in Afghanistan.' 

India's approach has been to deal with terrorism with restraint, she said. 'However, our restraint should not be confused with weakness or unwillingness to act against those that seek to harm our people, create insecurity, and hamper our developmental goals. 

'We are a strong country and we possess the capacity to deal effectively with those that pursue destructive agendas against India and its people.

'We have, time and again, made genuine attempts to address outstanding issues, most importantly, the issue of terrorism through dialogue with Pakistan,' she said, referring to her meeting in New Delhi with Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir of Pakistan.

'But it continues to be our conviction that for this dialogue to really make progress, Pakistan should take meaningful steps to address our concerns on terrorism, and cease the encouragement of terrorism targeted against India.'

Rao said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would participate in the Nuclear Security Summit to be hosted by Obama next month. 'We believe the summit can be milestone in addressing the threat of nuclear terrorism.' 

Referring to the latest attacks on Indians in Kabul Feb 26, she said: 'The international community should understand that such attempts, if unchecked, will only embolden the forces that held sway in Afghanistan in the 1990s and caused the tragedy of 9/11.' 

There is no alternative to dialogue to resolve the issues that divide us: Manmohan

NEW DELHI, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Saturday that India is ready to talk all issues with Pakistan, including Kashmir, in an atmosphere free from terror, reported the Press Trust of India.
This is his first comment on the Indo-Pakistan foreign secretary-level talks held earlier this week in New Delhi.
Before his departure for Saudi Arabia, Singh told a group of Saudi journalists that there was "no alternative" to dialogue to resolve issues which "divide us," said the report.
Singh said India seeks "peaceful and normal relations" with Pakistan and "in that quest we have consistently sought to engage those in Pakistan who are ready to work with us," according to the report.
The prime minister said it was in the common interest of India and Pakistan to cooperate in fighting the menace of terrorism which is a threat for both countries.

"There is no change in our position. ... We should be good neighbors. There is no alternative to dialogue to resolve the issues that divide us," he was quoted as saying.

Hillary Clinton warned of an arms race if Iran acquires a nuclear bomb

If Iran acquires a nuclear device it could trigger a nuclear arms race in the Middle East, which would create "dangerous" problems in the region.

"Everyone who I speak with in the Gulf, including the leaders here and leaders elsewhere in the region, are expressing deep concern about Iran's intentions," she said, calling Iran "the largest supporter of terrorism in the world today."


If Iran gets a nuclear weapon, she said, the hope of a nuclear-free Middle East disappears "because then other countries which feel threatened by Iran will say to themselves, 'If Iran has a nuclear weapon, I better get one, too, in order to protect my people.'
"Then you have a nuclear arms race in the region," she said.

Netanyahu told Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou on Monday that if Iran managed to develop nuclear weapons, the rest of the Muslim world would follow suit, as Egypt, Turkey and Saudi Arabia would soon begin their own nuclear programs, an Israeli official told Reuters.

India has a "stake" in Afghanistan: NATO chief

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Rasmussen said that a key lesson of the alliance's troubled mission in Afghanistan is that NATO "needs an entirely new compact between all the actors on the security stage."


He noted that in an age of global insecurity, the threats to Europe and North America, including terrorism, cyber attacks, energy cut-offs, piracy and climate change, come from far beyond NATO borders.


Thus, Rasmussen said that NATO should become "the hub of a network of security partnerships and a center for consultation on international security issues" with countries such as India and China.


In order to tackle these threats effectively, NATO should create "a stronger, more inclusive security coalition, with NATO as the hub," he said.


"Against such threats, the approaches of a bygone era simply no longer work. Static, heavy metal armies are not going to impress terrorists, pirates or computer hackers," he said. 

Text of Obama's Nobel Peace Prize speech

I receive this honor with deep gratitude and great humility. It is an award that speaks to our highest aspirations — that for all the cruelty and hardship of our world, we are not mere prisoners of fate. Our actions matter, and can bend history in the direction of justice.


A decade into a new century, this old architecture is buckling under the weight of new threats. The world may no longer shudder at the prospect of war between two nuclear superpowers, but proliferation may increase the risk of catastrophe. Terrorism has long been a tactic, but modern technology allows a few small men with outsized rage to murder innocents on a horrific scale.


Yet the world must remember that it was not simply international institutions — not just treaties and declarations — that brought stability to a post-World War II world. Whatever mistakes we have made, the plain fact is this: The United States of America has helped underwrite global security for more than six decades with the blood of our citizens and the strength of our arms. The service and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform has promoted peace and prosperity from Germany to Korea, and enabled democracy to take hold in places like the Balkans. We have borne this burden not because we seek to impose our will. We have done so out of enlightened self-interest — because we seek a better future for our children and grandchildren, and we believe that their lives will be better if other people's children and grandchildren can live in freedom and prosperity.


One urgent example is the effort to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, and to seek a world without them. In the middle of the last century, nations agreed to be bound by a treaty whose bargain is clear: All will have access to peaceful nuclear power; those without nuclear weapons will forsake them; and those with nuclear weapons will work toward disarmament. I am committed to upholding this treaty. It is a centerpiece of my foreign policy. And I am working with President Medvedev to reduce America and Russia's nuclear stockpiles.


So even as we respect the unique culture and traditions of different countries, America will always be a voice for those aspirations that are universal. We will bear witness to the quiet dignity of reformers like Aung Sang Suu Kyi; to the bravery of Zimbabweans who cast their ballots in the face of beatings; to the hundreds of thousands who have marched silently through the streets of Iran. It is telling that the leaders of these governments fear the aspirations of their own people more than the power of any other nation. And it is the responsibility of all free people and free nations to make clear to these movements that hope and history are on their side.

And yet, given the dizzying pace of globalization, and the cultural leveling of modernity, it should come as no surprise that people fear the loss of what they cherish about their particular identities — their race, their tribe and, perhaps most powerfully, their religion. In some places, this fear has led to conflict. At times, it even feels like we are moving backwards. We see it in the Middle East, as the conflict between Arabs and Jews seems to harden. We see it in nations that are torn asunder by tribal lines.

Most dangerously, we see it in the way that religion is used to justify the murder of innocents by those who have distorted and defiled the great religion of Islam, and who attacked my country from Afghanistan. These extremists are not the first to kill in the name of God; the cruelties of the Crusades are amply recorded. But they remind us that no Holy War can ever be a just war. For if you truly believe that you are carrying out divine will, then there is no need for restraint — no need to spare the pregnant mother, or the medic, or even a person of one's own faith. Such a warped view of religion is not just incompatible with the concept of peace, but the purpose of faith — for the one rule that lies at the heart of every major religion is that we do unto others as we would have them do unto us.

So let us reach for the world that ought to be — that spark of the divine that still stirs within each of our souls. Somewhere today, in the here and now, a soldier sees he's outgunned but stands firm to keep the peace. Somewhere today, in this world, a young protestor awaits the brutality of her government, but has the courage to march on. Somewhere today, a mother facing punishing poverty still takes the time to teach her child, who believes that a cruel world still has a place for his dreams.

Let us live by their example. We can acknowledge that oppression will always be with us, and still strive for justice. We can admit the intractability of deprivation, and still strive for dignity. We can understand that there will be war, and still strive for peace. We can do that — for that is the story of human progress; that is the hope of all the world; and at this moment of challenge, that must be our work here on Earth.