Here’s an interesting post from The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com

An invasion of Iraq without the green light from the UN Security Council would be a crime of aggression. That was the verdict of Sir Michael Wood , senior legal adviser at the Foreign Office in 2003.

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Azeem Ibrahim: US Power Seduced Blair and Goldsmith Into Iraq War

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Azeem Ibrahim: US Power Seduced Blair and Goldsmith Into Iraq War

Here’s an interesting post from The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com

This pat week, Foreign Policy listed Pakistan as # 10 on its list of failed states .

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Howard Schweber: Pakistan in Ten Years: the Optimistic View

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Howard Schweber: Pakistan in Ten Years: the Optimistic View

AP – Turkey’s Foreign Ministry says at least 2 people have been killed and more than 30 wounded in an Israeli raid on an aid ship in the Mediterranean.

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Turkey: 2 killed, 30 wounded in Israeli raid (AP)

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi has underlined the need for Pakistan and Kuwait to further strengthen bilateral relations in all fields including Kuwaiti investment in Pakistan, as the country offers attractive investment opportunities. The foreign minister was talking to the new Ambassador of Kuwait to Pakistan, Nawab Abdul Aziz Alenzi, who paid a courtesy call on him here at the Foreign Office on Friday.

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Qureshi for strengthening Pak-Kuwait ties

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Qureshi for strengthening Pak-Kuwait ties

Politico – Obama’s domestic policy battles offer clues to how he may win big on the foreign policy front.

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Obama: ‘A guy who doubles down’ (Politico)

SAN’A, Yemen — The British ambassador narrowly escaped what appeared to be a suicide attack on his armored car while traveling to work Monday morning, Yemeni officials said.

British Embassy spokeswoman Chantel Mortimer said the ambassador, Timothy Torlot, was unhurt, but the attack underlined the precarious security in Yemen. An impoverished Arab nation in the southern corner of the Arabian Peninsula, Yemen has in recent years become a haven for al-Qaida militants taking advantage of the government’s limited authority outside major cities and the control of rural areas by heavily armed tribes.

The Yemeni officials said the vehicle was passing through a poor neighborhood in the eastern part of San’a when an explosion went off nearby. They said they believed the attacker was wearing an explosives belt and that he was killed in the explosion.

There was no claim of responsibility for the attack, but it bore the hallmarks of al-Qaida.

Witnesses said the attacker was a young man who wore a school uniform, apparently as a disguise. The officials said the Noqm neighborhood where the attack took place was popular with militants.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

The Foreign Office in London said the embassy has been closed to the public and warned all British nationals in Yemen to “keep a low profile and remain vigilant.”

“We can confirm that there was an incident in San’a this morning. There was a small explosion beside the British Ambassador’s car. He was unhurt. No other embassy staff or British nationals were injured,” the Foreign Office said in a statement.

“We are working urgently with the Yemen authorities to investigate what happened,” it added.

Security was visibly tightened around the U.S. and British embassies following the attack. The area of the explosion was sealed off as Yemeni and British officials inspected the scene of the attack.

Yemen has been embroiled in a war against the al-Qaida militants, who have threatened to target foreign interests and diplomatic missions. Earlier this year, a number of Western embassies, including the U.S. and British embassies, shut down for days in response to threats of attack by an al-Qaida offshoot in Yemen.

Meanwhile, the government has received increased foreign counter-terror aid, aiming to fight the group.

Yemeni troops have been deployed in remote areas where al-Qaida is known to have set up strongholds, and they carried out a series of U.S.-backed raids against militant hideouts at the beginning of the year.

Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, an offshoot of Osama bin Laden’s terror network, was formed more than a year ago when Yemen and Saudi militant groups merged.

But the fight against al-Qaida in Yemen has gained urgency since the failed Christmas Day attempt to bomb an American plane bound for Detroit. The suspect in that plot has said he received training in Yemen.

Al-Qaida militants are not the only security threat that President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s government must deal with.

Yemenis in the south of the fragmented nation complain of neglect and discrimination by the north. The two halves of the country were separate nations until they united in 1990.

There also is a conflict in the country’s north between government troops and Shiite rebels that the San’a government says are backed by Iran.

>___

Associated Press writers Jennifer Quinn in London and Sarah El Deeb in Cairo contributed to this report.

More on Yemen

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UK Yemen Ambassador, Timothy Torlot, Escapes Suicide Attack

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UK Yemen Ambassador, Timothy Torlot, Escapes Suicide Attack

NEW DELHI: One-on-one meeting between foreign secretaries of Pakistan and India has been ended.

Pakistani Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir and his Indian counterpart Nirupama Rao met at the historic Hyderabad House. The Foreign Secretary-level talks lasted for over 1-1/2 hours. Now the delegations of both the countries are holding talks.

Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir heads Pakistani delegation, comprising of eight members.

Earlier, talking to media before the commencement of talks, Salman Bashir said all longstanding issues including Kashmir, terrorism, water distribution; insurgency in Balochistan and others will come under discussion.

He said terrorism is an international menace, which needs to be encountered at all levels.

The spokesman to Foreign Office Abdul Basit, on the occasion, said no agenda has been set for the talks therefore every issues will be discussed.

He said we are going to hold talks with a positive approach, adding that Pakistan has shown seriousness in taking concrete actions against accused of Mumbai attacks.
One-on-one talks between Pak-India foreign secretaries ended

NEW DELHI: Pakistani delegation has arrived in India to take part in negotiations over a range of issues with the neighbouring country, Geo News reported Wednesday.

Talking to media at airport before leaving for India, Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir said all issues including water problem will be brought under discussion in the bilateral talks.

He said no change has been made in the delegation.

Pakistan wants the negotiation process to move forward to reach some final conclusion, Bashir said, ‘There is no set agenda for the talks; instead, the dialogues would be held on open agenda.’

On query about Indian interference in Balochistan, the Foreign Secretary said the issue was mulled over in Sharm el-Sheikh and the terrorism was declared as the common problem; accordingly, Balochistan issue would also be on the table.

Salman Bashir said such issues also would be incorporated in the negotiations that would benefit both the sides. (Last updated at 1550)
Pak delegation arrives in India for talks

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office on Thursday reiterated that Pakistan was ready for talks with India but not on pre-conditions.

Pakistan would like the process of engagement leading to the resumption of the composite dialogue, Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit said.

However, he confirmed that the Foreign Office had not yet responded to the Indian proposal of secretary-level talks and the leadership would take a final decision on the matter.

Abdul Basit said that dialogue was necessary to establish viable peace in the region.

He said Pakistan wanted a result-oriented dialogue with India and hoped that India would not thwart the talks this time.

Referring to the Indian Indus Water Commissioner’s statement, Basit maintained that India was willing to resolve the water conflict with Pakistan.

On another question regarding the involvement of Indian intelligence agencies in unrest in Fata and Balochistan, Basit said Pakistan will take up this matter during the talks.

He said Pakistan will support the Afghan government and the international community’s efforts to re-integrate the Taliban.

“Pakistan is ready to carry forward any Afghan-driven strategy which is aimed at establishing peace in the region,” Abdul Basit said.

On Dawn’s query that whether the government will initiate dialogue with the Taliban inside Pakistani territory, Basit said that Pakistan was in an entirely different situation which no resemblance with the issue in Afghanistan.

Pakistan Talk To India On 25 February On Kashmir:ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has indicated its readiness for the Foreign Secretary-level talks on February 25, saying the two sides need to “move forward”
but insisted on resumption of composite dialogue covering Kashmir and other outstanding issues that is “meaningful and result-oriented”.
Responding to the [...]
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Pakistan Talk To India On 25 February On Kashmir

Latest updates about news According to sources the former Indiana Sen. Dan Coats will announce on Wednesday that he will challenge Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh in November. On the other hand Former Rep. John Hostettler and state Sen. Marlin Stutzman are already in the race on the Republican side. On Tuesday a reliable source first reported the news of Coats’s decision.The GOP official told that.

Latest news about updates Dorothy Brown, Todd Stroger, Preckwinkle, Zeus Preckwinkle: We take what we can support from every angle,” says campaign manager for Preckwinkle Scott Cisek.

He described Tony Robo – hello, 19th Ward resident, as you know. . . Tony Preckwinkle is an intelligent and interesting indeed. And Politics at the University of Chicago, who likes a large banner abortion! . . .

Tony Robo is my name. I do not. I am male as you, sir. Perhaps more than that. I was Navy Reserve flag. I write children’s books. . . . Hearing. . . .

Yes, I call on the phonebooth in Hyde Park. . . We are allowed to do so. This is not is not an invitation Robo – Tony hates them! . . What next? . . .

DIR: The death toll in Koto Girls School blast has reached to 14, as 10 school girls and  t four foreign journalists were killed in the bombing in tehsil Balambutt in Lower Dir.

The relief operations were underway after the blast and emergency has been declared at Timergara hospital.

According to unconfirmed reports the bomb was planted in the school building.

The blast destroyed the school building while a forces convoy was also passing nearby. A vehicle carrying mediapersons also said to be trapped in the blast.

At least 40 persons were injured in the attack and 30 of them have been shifted to district hospital.

Earnings calls tend to be about as exciting as a stale piece of white bread, but every once in a while something juicy falls through — and morsels are filtering out of the earnings call that Motorola held this morning. Here are the biggies:

• We hope you like Blur, because it’s not going anywhere. CEO Sanjay Jha says that “the majority of our new smartphone [sic] this year will feature” the platform, and that it’ll “include enhancements to address the prosumer segment of the market.” They’re looking to rope in media (music, photos, and so on) the same way they did social networking, boost enterprise compatibility for white collar types that only have one phone, and improve network efficiency to ease up on battery drain. All good things, we reckon.
• Feature phones in Moto’s range will “meaningfully decline” as it heads toward planned profitability in the fourth quarter through higher-margin smartphones. Android isn’t the only game plan, though — it’ll continue to develop its ultra low-end handsets for emerging markets.
• Following the Nexus One’s lead, Jha said that it’ll launch “at least one direct-to-consumer device with Google.” That matches up nicely with a statement he made during our CES interview that “there will be multiple devices [launched through Google] and I think that we said ‘yes’ today that probably this next device is our device.”

All told, we have every reason to believe that this’ll be an exciting year for Moto fans — and that HTC needs to keep a close eye on these guys.

Motorola will ‘broaden the scope’ of Blur, sell a phone through Google this year originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Jan 2010 16:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola will ‘broaden the scope’ of Blur, sell a phone through Google this year

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has ruled out the likelihood of meeting with his Indian counterpart Krishna during the London Conference, as India is not displaying seriousness for the Composite Dialogue.

In an interview with an Indian television channel, Qureshi asserted “I am not sensing zeal and enthusiasm in the Indian leadership for resumption of the Indo-Pak dialogue, therefore, I do not expect meeting with SM Krishna”.

Responding to a question on the IPL rift, he said the IPL row had heightened tens-ion between the two countries. To another question, the foreign minister said evidence provided by India to Pakistan on Hafiz Saeed’s involvement in the Mumbai attacks was insufficient. Backing Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani’s statement, the foreign minister said Pakistan cannot guarantee prevention of any Mumbai-like attacks in the future.

There is no harm in resolving the Afghanistan issue through negotiations with Taliban and Pakistan is raring to play a role in this connection, adding Pakistan itself will take decision regarding expanding the military operation to North Waziristan Agency in accordance with its timeframe.

Qureshi said if Taliban are prepared to quit weapons to work under Afghan constitution, then there is no wrong in talking to them, adding Afghan President Hamid Karzai requested Pakistan for help in this connection, for which Pakistan is ready to play its role.

Responding a query on drone attacks, he said drone attacks helped expel the extremists from the area; however, these attacks are spawning several questions as to the sovereignty of Pakistan.
Taking war to NWA will be Pak decision: Qureshi

Johnny Depp Car Crash was found along side a road outside Bordeaux, France, with the guard rail embedded deep inside the car. A tourist was driving down the road when he saw a car wreck alongside the road. He stepped out and tried to see if anyone was in there while his wife dialed the police for help. To his dismay, he found the a body in the car among liquor bottles. The police arrived at the scene shortly after and pulled out the body of the former actor, Johnny Depp.

The police suspect that alcohal was the cause of the accident.

A source with the British embassy said the entire expedition group is to fly back to London on Friday.

Among the cavers were four members of the British navy.

British authorities said the men were developing teamwork skills by exploring the cave complex, which covers some 38 square miles (100 square km), near the town of Cuetzalan.

With the divers’ help, Chris Mitchell was the first to emerge from caves after traversing a tunnel 100 yards long and 6 feet high that was filled with water.

The navy divers arrived at the site Wednesday, accompanied by representatives of the British Embassy in Mexico City.
Diplomacy flap

The underground saga has had an impact in high places. On Wednesday, Mexican President Vicente Fox — traveling in Honduras — expressed irritation at the presence of the British military.

Fox said the team had entered Mexico on tourist visas and failed to notify the Mexican government that some were members of the British military and that they were going on an expedition.

“I have instructed the foreign relations minister to file a formal protest immediately and to request a clarification from the British government what were they doing here,” Fox said.In London, British Ministry of Defense spokesman Paul Sykes denied Thursday that the explorers lacked the necessary authority to enter Mexico or the caves.

“We don’t allow adventurous training like this … without completion of a clearance procedure,” he said in a phone interview. “And that’s done before they go.”

He added, “We are very clear, in our own minds, that the necessary liaison did take place and clearance procedures were completed.”

Sykes said officials at the Foreign Office in London discussed the situation Thursday with Juan Jose Bremer, Mexico’s ambassador to Britain.

The press attaché for Bremer said the ambassador had asked for information about what the men — all British nationals — were doing in Mexico.

Steve Whitlock, leader of the expedition, has said the cave structure may be among the world’s longest and that the group is trying to map it for the Royal Geographical Society of Great Britain.

The expedition set off March 16 on what was to have been a two-day trip. When flash floods cut off their exit the next day, they went to a prepared underground camp that was stocked with food, sleeping bags, a first-aid kit and a radio.

LAHORE: The intelligence agencies Thursday have issued directives to concerned law enforcement agencies for stepping up security measures all across Punjab province following surge in US drone strikes in Wazirsitan Agency, Geo news reported.

The decision was made in connection with fear of terrorist strikes in Punjab province as a result of surge in US drone attacks in parts of South and North Waziristan Agencies, source said.

Interior ministry Punjab directed the law enforcement agencies including police and rangers to make security arrangements foolproof in order to thwart any unanticipated incident.

Sources privy to interior information department claimed as many as 4 Arab and Uzbek trained terrorists have been sent into Punjab aiming at triggering riot, panic and terrorism in province.

Interior ministry also voiced fear the suspected aforementioned insurgents might target bridges therefore security around all the key bridges across Punjab have been equipped with intensified security cum deployment of additional police and rangers’ contingents.

It is also feared that terrorists might use oil depot, fertilizers, oil, ball bearings or explosives-laden cycles and cars to launch terrorist attack.
Punjab security alert after Waziristan drone attacks

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‘The Twilight Saga: New Moon’. Kenneth Turan reviews

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India is Supporting Terrorism in Pakistan: FM Qureshi