Pakistan's Bhutto Assassinated

[suchandra]

Pakistan's Bhutto assassinated

 

 

ITN – December 27, 2007

 

Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto has been killed in a gun and bomb attack after a political rally in the city of Rawalpindi.

 

'She has been martyred,' said party official Rehman Malik.

 

 

Ms Bhutto, 54, died in hospital after reportedly being shot in the head.

 

Police said a suicide bomber fired shots at Ms Bhutto as she was leaving the rally in a park before blowing himself up.

 

'The man first fired at Bhutto's vehicle. She ducked and then he blew himself up,' said police officer Mohammad Shahid.

 

Police said 16 people had been killed in the blast.

 

A witness said he saw about eight bodies on a road as well as a mutilated human head.

 

On October 18, a suicide bomber killed nearly 150 people in an attack on Ms Bhutto as she paraded through the southern city of Karachi after returning home from eight years in self-imposed exile.

 

Earlier, gunmen opened fire on supporters of another former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, from an office of the party that supports President Pervez Musharraf, killing four Sharif supporters, police said.

 

Mr Sharif was several miles away from the shooting and was on his way to Rawalpindi after attending a rally.

 

Mr Sharif, who was overthrown by Mr Musharraf in a 1999 coup and allowed back into the country just last month after seven years in exile, blamed supporters of the pro-Musharraf party for the violence.

 

But a spokesman for the party denied that its workers were involved.

 

Also see:

Preaching in Pakistan

[tackleberry]

Funny how the law of karma works. These 'leaders' arm terrorists while in power, and when they're out of power, they're killed by the same terrorists. Some gratitude!

[suchandra]

 

Funny how the law of karma works. These 'leaders' arm terrorists while in power, and when they're out of power, they're killed by the same terrorists. Some gratitude!

 

 

Bush:"The United States strongly condemns this cowardly act!"

 

 

Allegra Stratton and agencies – Guardian Unlimited Dec 27, 2007

 

 

Pakistan was plunged into deeper political turmoil today after the assassination of the former prime minister and main opposition leader, Benazir Bhutto, in a suicide attack.

 

 

 

Blasts rocks Bhutto's motorcade

 

 

 

As he confronted a situation that threatened to spiral out of control, President Pervez Musharraf condemned the attack and appealed for calm while convening an emergency meeting to discuss the government's reaction.

 

Unnamed sources told the Associated Press news agency that the discussions included whether or not to proceed as planned with January's parliamentary elections.

 

The US president, George Bush. broke off his end-of-year holiday at Camp David to condemn the killing of Bhutto, who was the first woman to lead a Muslim nation and who Bush regarded as a vital ally.

 

"The United States strongly condemns this cowardly act by murderous extremists who are trying to undermine Pakistan's democracy," Bush said, adding that those responsible for Bhutto's death "must be brought to justice".

 

Bhutto was killed as her jeep pulled away from an election rally in Rawalpindi. Standing up in an open-top jeep, she presented a clear target.

 

Eyewitnesses spoke of hearing gunshots followed by a bomb blast. Bhutto's security adviser, Rehman Malik, said the former PM was shot in the chest and neck. Conflicting reports from Pakistan's interior ministry said Bhutto was killed by the suicide bomber's collision with her jeep.

 

Bhutto was rushed to hospital for emergency surgery but is reported to have died on the journey at 6.16pm local time (1.16pm GMT). At least 20 others were killed in the attack.

 

Announcing the death of the Pakistan People's party (PPP) leader outside the hospital, Bhutto's lawyer said: "The surgeons confirmed that she has been martyred."

 

Bhutto's supporters at the hospital wept, smashed the glass doors and started fires around the hospital periphery. Some were heard to shout "dog, Musharraf, dog" and "killer Musharraf".

 

Her long-time political rival and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif went straight to Bhutto's bedside. Bhutto and Sharif had been attempting to form a united front.

 

In a statement, Sharif referred to her as a "sister" and said he "shared the grief of the entire nation". He also called on Musharraf to resign. Sharif may now step into the political void Bhutto's death will leave.

 

Members of other opposition parties said her death could trigger civil war in nuclear-armed Pakistan.

 

The violence comes 12 days ahead of scheduled parliamentary elections and at the height of campaigning by opposition leaders. Hours before the assassination, clashes between Sharif supporters and pro-government supporters at a separate rally saw four people killed and three wounded.

 

As soon as the government learned of Bhutto's assassination it convened an informal discussion on whether or not to go ahead with January's elections as planned. Holding the elections as planned was something for which Bhutto had campaigned hard.

 

The United Nations announced it was convening an emergency meeting concerning the assassination.

 

The British foreign secretary, David Miliband, called for "restraint but also unity" as he expressed his shock at Bhutto's death.

 

"All those committed to a stable future for Pakistan will condemn without qualification all violence perpetrated against innocent people," he said. "In targeting Benazir Bhutto extremist groups have in their sights all those committed to democratic processes in Pakistan. They cannot and must not succeed."

 

Malik, Bhutto's security adviser, questioned the adequacy of protection for Bhutto.

 

"We repeatedly informed the government to provide her proper security and appropriate equipment including jammers, but they paid no heed to our requests," he said.

 

It appears the Musharraf government had been considering ways to strengthen her security, and it forced Bhutto's PPP to cancel a rally in Rawalpindi in November due to security fears.

 

Today's Rawalpindi rally only went ahead after hundreds of riot police had set up security checkpoints. Rawalpindi is a so-called garrison city and popularly regarded as one of the most secure cities in Pakistan.

 

On Bhutto's return to the country in October after eight years in exile, a local Taliban leader threatened to unleash a series of suicide attacks.

 

Although today's attacks bore the hallmarks of Islamist opponents to the moderate Bhutto, critics attacked Musharraf.

 

In Rawalpindi, grieving supporters tore down the posters of Musharraf's ruling party and attacked police, who fled from the scene. Angry supporters also took to the streets in Peshawar, while in Karachi shop owners quickly closed for business as activists from Bhutto's party burned tyres on the roads.

 

The assassination came two months after suicide bombers struck a parade celebrating Bhutto's return from exile in the southern city of Karachi, killing more than 140 people.

www.guardian.co.uk/pakistan/Story/0,,2232459,00.html

[suchandra]

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[Prabhu]

It is amazing to see what a convoluted and coercion based philosophy can do to a country. Pakistan exists in the region where once existed one of the most advanced civilzations in the world ' Indus Valley Civilization' which probably gave the world much of its mathematics, astrology, and other sciences. Today one country after another in the ME region is falling prey to a culture of hatred, mindless violence and extremism, as a result, many of the countries like Afghanistan, Iraq have gone back to dark ages. So much so that one of the architectural wonders of the world the stone statues of Buddha in Bamian has been destroyed by lunatics from dark ages. That also of some one who has enlightened the whole world with his non-violence based philosophy.

 

When these lunatics from dark ages will learn that nothing will be gained by mindless violence and destruction? They are all moving towards self annihilation.

[suchandra]

U.S. Troops to Head to Pakistan

 

William M. Arkin – Washington Post.com December 26, 2007

 

Beginning early next year, U.S. Special Forces are expected to vastly expand their presence in Pakistan, as part of an effort to train and support indigenous counter-insurgency forces and clandestine counterterrorism units, according to defense officials involved with the planning.

 

These Pakistan-centric operations will mark a shift for the U.S. military and for U.S. Pakistan relations. In the aftermath of Sept. 11, the U.S. used Pakistani bases to stage movements into Afghanistan. Yet once the U.S. deposed the Taliban government and established its main operating base at Bagram, north of Kabul, U.S. forces left Pakistan almost entirely. Since then, Pakistan has restricted U.S. involvement in cross-border military operations as well as paramilitary operations on its soil.

 

But the Pentagon has been frustrated by the inability of Pakistani national forces to control the borders or the frontier area. And Pakistan's political instability has heightened U.S. concern about Islamic extremists there.

 

According to Pentagon sources, reaching a different agreement with Pakistan became a priority for the new head of the U.S. Special Operations Command, Adm. Eric T. Olson. Olson visited Pakistan in August, November and again this month, meeting with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, Pakistani Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Chairman Gen. Tariq Majid and Lt. Gen. Muhammad Masood Aslam, commander of the military and paramilitary troops in northwest Pakistan. Olson also visited the headquarters of the Frontier Corps, a separate paramilitary force recruited from Pakistan's border tribes.

 

Now, a new agreement, reported when it was still being negotiated last month, has been finalized. And the first U.S. personnel could be on the ground in Pakistan by early in the new year, according to Pentagon sources.

 

U.S. Central Command Commander Adm. William Fallon alluded to the agreement and spoke approvingly of Pakistan's recent counterterrorism efforts in an interview with Voice of America last week.

 

"What we've seen in the last several months is more of a willingness to use their regular army units," along the Afghan border, Fallon said. "And this is where, I think, we can help a lot from the U.S. in providing the kind of training and assistance and mentoring based on our experience with insurgencies recently and with the terrorist problem in Iraq and Afghanistan, I think we share a lot with them, and we'll look forward to doing that."

 

If Pakistan actually follows through, perhaps 2008 will be a better year

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/earlywarning/2007/12/musharrafs_woes_have_opened_a.html?

[RadheRade1657]

Hopefully her soul is liberated by her devotion to Allah.

[indulekhadasi]

 

Hopefully her soul is liberated by her devotion to Allah.

 

I wonder if she was thinking of Allah at the time of her death. Hopefully, she did.

[RadheRade1657]

I hope she was too, Induleka Devi Dasi.

[theist]

 

I wonder if she was thinking of Allah at the time of her death. Hopefully, she did.

I heard on a BBC broadcast right after the assasination that her last spoken word was Allah.

[suchandra]

 

I heard on a BBC broadcast right after the assasination that her last spoken word was Allah.

Prabhupada: In Delhi when there was declaration of war between Pakistan and India, press representative came: “Swamiji, what is your opinion about this fight?” I said, “You must fight.” And it was published in the paper. It gave some agitation. They were glad. I said, “You must fight.” And that was published in big letters in… So we are not that kind of sādhu and Vaiṣṇava, that we don’t take care of practical things. When there is need of fight, we shall fight.

 

Room Conversation

with His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

June 29, 1972, San Diego

 

"There was war between Pakistan and India. So all the rich men had to contribute fifty lakhs, fifty hundred thousand, according to everyone’s capacity. Many millions of rupees were collected, and it was put into the gun powder, “Svāhā!” (laughter) So if you don’t execute this svāhā, then you will have to execute that svāhā. (laughter) (sings out the word “svāhā!”) That’s all. The Vietnam is going on—svāhā! So many young men—svāhā! So much money—svāhā! You have to do that. Therefore better learn how to make svāhā for Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise you will have to make svāhā for māyā. That’s all. The sooner you give up… Yajña-dāna. This is called yajña and dāna, and tapas, tapasya. Tapasya means this following, voluntarily accepting all restrictive principles."

 

Initiations

by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

San Diego, June 30, 1972

 

 

 

<dl><dt><center>Bhutto's Assassination -

Who Gains?

By F. William Engdahl

10 Jan 2008</center> </dt><dt><center></center> </dt><dt><center><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="555"> <tbody><tr> <td valign="top" width="100%"> <dl><dt>Assassination of prominent political leaders, presumably protected by the best security, is no easy thing. It requires agencies of professional intelligence training to insure that the job is done and that no person is caught alive who can lead to those behind. Typically, from the assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand in Sarajevo in July 1914 to JFK, the person pulling the trigger is just an instrument of a far deeper conspiracy. So too in the assassination on December 27th, of Pakistani former Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto. Cui bono?. </dt><dt></dt><dt>What was behind the murder of Bhutto at the moment her PPP party appeared about to win a resounding election victory in the planned January 8 elections, thereby posing a mass-based challenge to the dictatorial rule of President Musharraf? </dt><dt></dt><dt>Musharraf's government was indecently quick to blame "Al-Qaeda," the dubious entity allegedly the organization of Osama bin Laden, whom Washington accused for masterminding the September 11 2001 attacks. Musharraf just days after, declared he was "sure" Al Qaeda was the author, even though, on US pressure, he has asked Scotland Yard to come and investigate. "I want to say it with certainty, that these people (Al Qaeda) martyred ... Benazir Bhutto," Musharraf said in a Jan. 3 televised address. He named Baitullah Mehsud, a militant tribal chief fighting the Pakistani Army, who has alleged ties to al-Qaeda and the Afghan Taleban. Mehsud denied the charge. Had he been behind such a dramatic event, the desired propaganda impact among militant islamists would require taking open responsibility instead. </dt><dt></dt><dt>By linking the Bhutto killing to Al Qaeda, Musharraf conveniently gains several goals. First he reinforces the myth of Al Qaeda, something very useful to Washington at this time of growing global skepticism over the real intent of its War on Terrorism, making Musharraf more valuable to Washington. Second it gives Musharraf a plausible scapegoat to blame for the convenient elimination of a serious political rival to his consolidation of one-man rule. </dt><dt></dt><dt>Notable also is the fact that the Musharraf regime has rejected making a routine autoposy on Bhutto's body. Bhutto publicly charged that the Government had refused to make followup inquiry after the October bombing which nearly killed her and did 134 followers near her auto. Bhutto accused Pakistani authorities of not providing her with sufficient security, and hinted that they may have been complicit in the Karachi attack. She also made clear in a UK television interview shortly before her death that she would clean out the Pakistan military and security services of corrupt and islamist elements. </dt><dt></dt><dt>In the same David Frost interview, Bhutto also dropped the explosive news that Osama bin Laden had been murdered by Omar Sheikh Mohammad, a British citizen of Pakistani origin, an ISI Pakistani intelligence operative, who 'confessed' to the killing of Daniel Pearl. He was arrested in February 2002. If Benazir's claim is correct, Omar Sheikh must have killed Osama before he was arrested in February 2002, which makes at least all the Osama messages after that date periodically delivered to western media clear forgeries. </dt><dt></dt><dt>Days after the Bhutto killing, Pakistani authorities published a photo alleged to be of the severed head of the suicide bomber who killed Bhutto. Severed heads, like a dead Lee Harvey Oswald don't talk or say embarrassing things. Also curious is the fact that Bhutto was killed in Rawalpindi, a garrison town, where every millimeter is controlled by the Army security complex. The murder weapon was a Steyr 9mm, issued only to Pakistani Army Special </dt><dt>Forces. Hmmmm. </dt><dt></dt><dt>It has been known for months that the Bush-Cheney administration has been maneuvering to strengthen their political control of Pakistan, paving the way for the expansion and deepening of the "war on terrorism" across the region.</dt><dd>

</dd><dt></dt><dt>Who Was Bhutto?</dt><dd>

</dd><dt></dt><dt>The Bhutto family was itself hardly democratic, drawing its core from feudal landowning families, but opposed to the commanding role of the army and ISI intelligence. Succeeding her father as head of the PPP, Benazir declared herself "chairperson for life" - a position she held until her death. Bhutto's husband, Ali Zardari, "Mr. 10%," is known in Pakistan for his demanding a 10% cut from letting major government contracts when Benazir was PM. In 2003, Benazir and her husband were convicted in Switzerland of money laundering and taking bribes from Swiss companies as PM. The family is allegedly worth several billions as a result. As prime minister from 1993 to 1996, she advocated a conciliatory policy toward Islamists, especially the Taliban in Afghanistan. </dt><dt></dt><dt>The Harvard educated Benazir had close ties to US and UK intelligence as well. She used the offices of neo-conservative US Congressman Tom Lantos when she was in Washington according to our informed reports, one reason Vice President Cheney backed her as a "safe" way to save his Pakistan strategic alliance in face of growing popular protest against Musharraf's declaring martial law last year. The ploy was to have Bhutto make a face-saving deal with Musharraf to put a democratic face on the dictatorship, while Washington maintained its strategic control. According to the Washington Post of 28 Dec., "For Benazir Bhutto, the decision to return to Pakistan was sealed during a telephone call from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice just a week before Bhutto flew home in October. The call culminated more than a year of secret diplomacy -- and came only when it became clear that the heir to Pakistan's most powerful political dynasty was the only one who could bail out Washington's key ally in the battle against terrorism. . . .As President Pervez Musharraf's political future began to unravel this year, Bhutto became the only politician who might help keep him in power." </dt><dt></dt><dt>In November, John Negroponte, former Bush Administration Intelligence Czar and now Deputy Secretary of State was deployed to Islamabad to pressure Musharraf to ease the situation by holding elections and forming a power-sharing with Bhutto. But once in Pakistan, where her supporters were mobilized, Bhutto made clear she would seek an election coalition to openly oppose Musharraf and military rule in the planned elections.</dt><dd>

</dd><dt></dt><dt>A Cynical US-Musharraf deal?</dt><dd>

</dd><dt></dt><dt>Informed intelligence sources say there was a cynical deal cut behind the scenes between Washington and Musharraf. Musharraf is known to be Cheney's preferred partner and Cheney we are told is the sole person running US-Pakistan policy today. </dt><dt></dt><dt> Were Musharraf to agree to stationing of US Special Forces inside Pakistan, "Plan B", the democratic farce with Bhutto could be put aside, in favor of the continued Musharraf sole rule. Washington would "turn a blind eye." </dt><dt></dt><dt>On Dec. 28, one day after the Bhutto assassination, the Washington Post reported that in early 2008, "US Special Forces are expected to vastly expand their presence in Pakistan as part of an effort to train and support indigenous counter-insurgency forces and clandestine counterterrorism units," under the US Central Command and US Special Operations Command, a major shift in US Pakistani ties. Until now Musharraf and his military have refused such direct US control, aside from the agreement after September 11, extracted from Musharraf under extreme pressure of possible US bombing, to give the US military direct control of the Pakistan nuclear weapons. </dt><dt></dt><dt>The elimination of Bhutto leaves an opposition vacuum. The country lacks a credible political leader who can command national support, which leaves the military enhanced as an institution, with its willingness to defend Musharraf on the streets. This gives the Pentagon and Washington a chance to consolidate a military opposition to future Chinese economic hegemony-the real geopolitical goal of Washington.</dt></dl></td></tr></tbody></table></center></dt></dl>

[indulekhadasi]

 

I heard on a BBC broadcast right after the assasination that her last spoken word was Allah.

 

Jai! Wonderful, she has a bright future.

[theist]

Yes I was very happy to hear she received that grace from the Lord. To utter the Lord's name at the moment of death is no ordinary thing and what to speak of such an utterance coming amidst such confusion. Very uncommon and points to the mercy of the Lord.

[indulekhadasi]

 

Yes I was very happy to hear she received that grace from the Lord. To utter the Lord's name at the moment of death is no ordinary thing and what to speak of such an utterance coming amidst such confusion. Very uncommon and points to the mercy of the Lord.

 

Yes-this has to be the mercy of the Lord.

 

As Lord Varadaraja told Ramanujacharya "If my devotee can't remember me at the time of death then I will remember my devotee."

 

I don't know in what extent this was true for the Bhutto (only Paramatma knows) but this thought just came to my mind.

[suchandra]

 

Yes-this has to be the mercy of the Lord.

 

As Lord Varadaraja told Ramanujacharya "If my devotee can't remember me at the time of death then I will remember my devotee."

 

I don't know in what extent this was true for the Bhutto (only Paramatma knows) but this though just came to my mind.

It surely also depends upon the karmic situation of an individual - while performing material activities in this life the quality of our next birth is already created. "If my devotee can't remember me at the time of death then I will remember my devotee.My devotee", must be someone who actually worshipped the Lord more than anything else.

 

'Pakistanis Know I Can Be Tough’

 

Jan 12, 2008 | Updated: 12:28 p.m. ET Jan 12, 2008

Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf talks about fair elections, Benazir Bhutto's assassination and security in the region. Musharraf: "Yes, exhume it. A hundred percent. I would like it to be exhumed. Because I know for sure there is no bullet wound other than on the right side. Whether it was a bullet or a strike, I don't want to comment, I don't know."

 

 

Since Benazir Bhutto's assassination weeks ago, Pakistan has been plunged into one of the worst crises in its history. President Pervez Musharraf, having recently given up control of the nation's army, remains firmly in charge and as reluctant as ever to share power, despite a rising tide of criticism. He spoke to NEWSWEEK's Fareed Zakaria from his camp office in Rawalpindi. Excerpts:

 

NEWSWEEK: What do you make of reports that the United States is thinking about launching CIA operations in Pakistan with or without Pakistan's approval?

Pervez Musharraf: We are totally in cooperation on the intelligence side. But we are totally against [a military operation]. We are a sovereign country. We will ask for assistance from outsiders. They won't impose their will on us.

How do you take Hillary Clinton's suggestion that the United States and Britain help Pakistan secure its nuclear weapons?

Does she know how secure [the weapons] are and what we are doing to keep them so? They are very secure. We will ask if we need assistance. Nobody should tell us what to do. And I'd ask anyone who says such things, do you know how our strategic assets are handled, stored and developed--do you know it?

Have you told the American government that?

No, why should we? We have said we are totally under control.

 

Graham Allison of Harvard says that these weapons must be disbursed for them to have survivability, which means that they could also fall into the wrong hands, because there might be a local command structure that is weak.

He doesn't know anything--how disbursed they are, and he shouldn't think that we don't know these things. We are from the military, we understand how to handle things, whether they need to be disbursed or concentrated.

 

But you understand that due to past episodes there is concern.

Yes, the past has [caused] some concern, but we must understand the difference between past and now. Before we were a declared and overt nuclear state, we had to hide everything. Everything was covert. Only the scientists and the president of Pakistan knew what was going on. Now there is a national command authority. It is the top body, headed by the president and the prime minister, and there are members from the military and the civilian side. And there's a huge strategic planning division, a full secretariat headed by now-retired [Lt. General Khalid] Kidwai. He is in charge of this Strategic Planning Division that is the secretarial arm of the National Command, responsible for development and employment. Then we have army, navy, air force, the strategic force command. If anything happens, indeed it's a failure of everyone from myself to SPD to the Army Strategic Force Command.

 

full interview:http://www.newsweek.com/id/91693/page/2

[indulekhadasi]

Yes, suchandraji- this is why I said I do not know how much this applies to the Bhutto.

 

Karma also plays an important role but many of us tend to forget that we have karma from so many previous lives not just this life or the past life.

[suchandra]

 

Yes, suchandraji- this is why I said I do not know how much this applies to the Bhutto.

 

Karma also plays an important role but many of us tend to forget that we have karma from so many previous lives not just this life or the past life.

G.W.Bush hopefully does the right thing to balance out the situation and helping the Saudis to stabalize the Middle East with advanced weapons.

 

Bush offers Saudis advanced weapons

 

The Philadelphia Inquirer

He was welcomed by King Abdullah. Both sought to display their strong friendship.

 

By Terence Hunt

Associated Press

Posted on Tue, Jan. 15, 2008

 

 

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - President Bush offered a sophisticated weapons deal to Saudi Arabia yesterday, trying to bolster defenses against threats from U.S. adversary Iran and muster support in this oil-rich kingdom for a long-stalled Mideast peace agreement. On a cold day with blustery winds, Bush received a warm embrace from King Abdullah, whose family wields almost absolute rule. Among ordinary Saudis and across much of the Mideast, Bush is unpopular, particularly because of the Iraq war and unflinching U.S. support for Israel.

Bush and Abdullah were going to some lengths over two days to emphasize their strong personal ties.

 

 

Saudi Arabia holds the world's largest oil reserves, and surging fuel costs are putting a major strain on the U.S. economy. But White House officials said it was unclear whether Bush raised the subject with the king. The issue came up in earlier stops on Bush's eight-day trip, largely in the context of his quest for alternative fuels and sources of energy, the officials said.

White House counselor Ed Gillespie said Mideast leaders had "talked about the nature of the market and the vast demand that's on the world market today for oil." He said that was "a legitimate and accurate point."

Bush, who dislikes late nights, also stayed up well past his regular 9:30 p.m. bedtime for after-dinner talks with the king in the walled compound of his opulent palace. Its marble floors and walls contain sheets of gold, colored with precious stones and embedded jewels.

In a show of hospitality, the king invited Bush to come today to his lavish horse farm, where 150 Arabian stallions are stabled. The visit, including an overnight by Bush, is a payback for the president's hosting Abdullah at his Texas ranch.

Coinciding with Bush's arrival, the administration officially notified Congress that it would offer Saudi Arabia sophisticated Joint Direct Attack Munitions - or "smart bomb" - technology and related equipment.

The deal envisions the transfer of 900 of the precision-guided bomb kits, worth $123 million, that would give Saudi forces highly accurate targeting abilities.

The notification opens a 30-day window during which lawmakers can object to the sale. Some lawmakers fear that the systems could be used against Israel, but Congress appears unlikely to block the deal because of Saudi Arabia's cooperation in the antiterrorism effort and in deterring aggression from Iran.

The administration has notified Congress of five other packages to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, including Patriot missiles. Total eventual sales as part of the Gulf Security Dialogue are estimated at $20 billion, a figure subject to actual purchases.

The sales are a key element in Bush's strategy to shore up defenses against Iran, which he has called the world's top state sponsor of terrorism.

Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf states, with majority Sunni Muslim populations, harbor deep suspicions about Shiite Iran's rising power and want to make sure the United States remains committed to keeping Tehran's ambitions in check.

At the same time, Arab allies worry that the world economy would suffer heavily if the U.S. dispute with Iran turned into a military confrontation.

Saudi Arabia handed Bush a coup by taking part in the U.S.-sponsored Mideast peace conference in Annapolis, Md., in November. Bush was expected to encourage Saudi Arabia during his visit to use some of its vast wealth to help struggling Palestinians build the foundations of a future state.

Bush also sees support from Arab neighbors as crucial to the Palestinian leadership's being able to successfully negotiate with Israel over borders and other contentious issues.

Abdullah, for his part, was expected to urge Bush to keep up the pressure on Israel to halt settlements in Palestinian territories.

Bush's drive to spread democracy across the Mideast was another likely topic. The king has tried to push some reforms on education and women's rights, and limited municipal council elections have taken place. But he has been cautious and limited in his effort.

[theist]

I don't know much about her but clearly she was a very courageous woman. Ibelieve she was geninely motivated to work for the welfare of her people and surely knew she was putting her life at great risk to do so.

 

So unlike our politicians here in America.

[suchandra]

 

 

So unlike our politicians here in America.

They surely perform also real amazing tasks like to convince the majority of US citizens of anything at all, even of Gray Aliens. Americans were convinced that the Vietcong were soon to land in California, that Saddam Hussein has WMD and that Iraqis would embrace the US Marines as their liberators.

 

Fixing the Blame on Worthless Leaders

 

 

GLEN ALLPORT The Year Ahead

 

 

2008 will be a year to remember. Big events are coming, and the notion that crisis brings opportunity will be sorely tested.

 

Tipping points are approaching in several interrelated areas. The most important areas of concern include: 1. Financial/economic problems: Multiple financial system crashes are in progress or on the way. ... 2. Politics and government action: Will 2008 be the last gasp for liberty or the start of a Great Unraveling for tyranny? Or neither? 3. Oil, metals, and other natural resources: Peak Oil (which some believe is a scam or an error) is quite real and a genuine threat. ... A similar situation is playing out for metals (yes, Peak Metal) — as with oil, the easy-to-harvest resources have already been harvested. We may thus be entering a new, broader Age of Scarcity. If so, how can we best respond? 4. Food shortages: will dire predictions from the 1960s and 1970s (not to mention Malthus) of mass famine finally come true — as now appears possible? Or will technology and the markets (or perhaps something else) save the day yet again? 5. Environmental damage: the jury is still out on global warming so say hundreds of scientists, but the oceans are dying and the rest of the planet isn't doing so well either.... go to story

 

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

 

Presidents, governors, chief executive officers, take heed

 

 

excerpt from <cite>Srimad-Bhagavatam</cite> 4.22.45, text & purport

Since only a person who is completely educated according to the principles of Vedic knowledge deserves to be commander-in-chief, ruler of the state, the first to chastise and the proprietor of the whole planet, Prithu Maharaja offered everything to the Kumaras.

PURPORT

In this verse it is very clearly stated that a kingdom, state or empire must be governed under the instructions of saintly persons and brahmanas like the Kumaras. When monarchy ruled throughout the world, the monarch was actually directed by a board of brahmanas and saintly persons. The king, as the administrator of the state, executed his duties as a servant of the brahmanas. It was not that the kings or brahmanas were dictators, nor did they consider themselves proprietors of the state. The kings were also well versed in Vedic literatures and thus were familiar with the injunction of <cite>Shri Ishopanishad:</cite> <cite>ishavasyam idam sarvam</cite> [<cite>Isho</cite> mantra 1]: everything that exists belongs to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In <cite>Bhagavad-gita</cite> Lord Krishna also claims that He is the proprietor of all planetary systems (<cite>sarva-loka-maheshvaram</cite> [bg. 5.29]). Since this is the case, no one can claim to be proprietor of the state. The king, president or head of the state should always remember that he is not the proprietor but the servant.

 

In the present age, the king or president forgets that he is the servant of God and thinks of himself as servant of the people. The present democratic government is proclaimed to be a people's government, a government by the people and for the people, but this type of government is not sanctioned by the <cite><cite>Vedas</cite></cite>. The <cite><cite>Vedas</cite></cite> maintain that a kingdom should be governed for the purpose of satisfying the Supreme Personality of Godhead and should therefore be ruled by a representative of the Lord. The head of a state should not be appointed if he is bereft of all Vedic knowledge. In this verse it is clearly stated (<cite>veda-shastra-vid arhati</cite>) that all high government posts are especially meant for persons who are well conversant with the teachings of the <cite>Vedas</cite>. In the <cite>Vedas</cite> there are definite instructions defining how a king, commander-in-chief, soldier and citizen should behave. Unfortunately there are many so-called philosophers in the present age who give instruction without citing authority, and many leaders follow their unauthorized instruction. Consequently people are not happy.

 

The modern theory of dialectical communism, set forth by Karl Marx and followed by communist governments, is not perfect. According to Vedic communism, no one in the state should ever starve. Presently there are many bogus institutions which are collecting funds from the public for the purpose of giving food to starving people, but these funds are invariably misused. According to the Vedic instructions, the government should arrange things in such a way that there will be no question of starvation. In the <cite>Srimad-Bhagavatam</cite> it is stated that a householder must see to it that even a lizard or a snake does not starve. They also must be given food. In actuality, however, there is no question of starvation because everything is the property of the Supreme Lord, and He sees to it that there is ample arrangement for feeding everyone. In the <cite>Vedas</cite> (<cite>Katha Upanishad</cite> 2.2.13) it is said: <cite>eko bahunam yo vidadhati kaman</cite>. The Supreme Lord supplies the necessities of life to everyone, and there is no question of starvation. If anyone starves, it is due to the mismanagement of the so-called ruler, governor or president.

 

It is clear therefore that a person who is not well versed in the Vedic injunctions (veda-shastra-vit) should not run for election as president, governor, etc. Formerly kings were rajarshis, which meant that although they were serving as kings, they were as good as saintly persons because they would not transgress any of the injunctions of the Vedic scriptures and would rule under the direction of great saintly persons and brahmanas. According to this arrangement, modern presidents, governors and chief executive officers are all unworthy of their posts because they are not conversant with Vedic administrative knowledge and they do not take direction from great saintly persons and brahmanas.

[theist]

 

They surely perform also real amazing tasks like to convince the majority of US citizens of anything at all, even of Gray Aliens. Americans were convinced that the Vietcong were soon to land in California, that Saddam Hussein has WMD and that Iraqis would embrace the US Marines as their liberators.

Haven't met the Grays yet huh? They are real and quite nice folk.

[suchandra]

Two more suspects held in Bhutto's murder

http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2008/200802/20080208/article_348205.htm

 

 

PAKISTANI police have arrested two people allegedly involved in the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, local TV channels reported yesterday.

 

Interior Ministry spokesman Brig (retd) Javed Iqbal Cheema confirmed the arrest of Husnain and Rafaqat, who were suspected to be responsible for Bhutto's murder.

 

It is not clear when they were arrested and what was their role in the killing of the opposition leader Bhutto.

 

The authorities have already arrested Aitzaz Shah, a 15-year-old suspect who was a member of the back-up suicide bombers.

 

TV reports said that Husnain and Rafaqat had joined other two suspects Ikram and Bilal to attack Bhutto after she addressed a big election rally in the eastern city of Rawalpindi on December 27.

 

Investigators are questioning the two suspects at an undisclosed location.

 

Officials said that the detectives of Britain's Scotland Yard would hand over their inquiry report to their Pakistani counterparts today.

Xinhua

[indulekhadasi]

Its the material world, what are you gonna do.

This is no longer an uncommon event.

We are all going deeper into Kali yuga.

Lets just chant and try to get out of here.

[suchandra]

 

Its the material world, what are you gonna do.

This is no longer an uncommon event.

We are all going deeper into Kali yuga.

Lets just chant and try to get out of here.

Thanks so much Indulekhadasi, yes this is what Prabhupada said, chant Hare Krishna.

 

Paramahaṁsa: Also, Prabhupāda, Atreya Ṛṣi said that the Arabs are preparing for the war. They’re buying billions and billions of dollars worth of missiles and jets and tanks from America.

Prabhupāda: Yes, so they are being prepared. War will soon start.

Viṣṇujana: The Arab men all go to America to be trained in the armed forces there.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Viṣṇujana: In all the armed forces centers in America, they train the Arab nations to fight.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Viṣṇujana: They let the young men come into the U.S.A. to learn how to use the missiles and everything.

Pañcadraviḍa: Recently, this Bhutto of Pakistan, he was very happy because they were talking about lifting a ten-year holding on arms from the United States, and now, they say, Pakistan will soon get arms from America.

Prabhupāda: Yes, they are getting. They are already getting. The Pakistan will start the war with India. And then everything will be…

Devotees: Oh! Whew!

Devotee: Pakistan will start a war… (devotees talking among themselves.)

Pañcadraviḍa: They have started the war maybe eight times.

Prabhupāda: (Aside:) Hmm? No, we can go.

Pañcadraviḍa: What will the devotees do while the war is going on?

Prabhupāda: Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Devotees: Jaya! (laughter)

Prabhupāda: You have got only business.

Pañcadraviḍa: Will we stay in the cities or will…?

Prabhupāda: We can stay anywhere. We have got our Māyāpur, Vṛndāvana. But the danger is the government will say that “All Americans go away.” That is the danger. I am thinking of that position. What shall I do at that time?

Puṣṭa Krishna: Take Indian citizenship?

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Puṣṭa Krishna: Indian citizenship?

Prabhupāda: If you take, it is very nice. Then they will ask you to go to war. (laughter)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Will this war spread to many different countries and continents?

Prabhupāda: The actual war will be between America and Russia.

Rūpānuga: What about British devotees, British citizens? Would the British be asked to leave, British citizens? Commonwealth citizens?

Prabhupāda: Britishers are now finished. They have no importance.

Pañcadraviḍa: He means if British devotees came to India, would they be asked to leave.

Prabhupāda: No, no, I mean to say… I am speaking of politics. Devotees are the same… Oh, British citizens…? They may…

Rūpānuga: You say the Americans might have to leave. What about the British?

Prabhupāda: But they, generally, during wartime…

Viṣṇujana: Everyone.

Prabhupāda: …they ask all foreigners.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, I see.

Jayapatāka: During the last war, the Christian Mission of Krishnanagar, they had many Italian priests also, but the government gave them permission to stay, although India was at war with Italians.

Prabhupāda: In the missionary consideration, they can do that.

Jayādvaita: What will be the position with the Chinese if the Russians and Americans fight?

Prabhupāda: Well I am not a politician. (laughter) China does not war, not want war. They want to…

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Develop.

Prabhupāda: Construct.

Rūpānuga: They’re not ready.

Prabhupāda: Yes. They are not very much interested in war.

Paramahaṁsa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, you said that this war will destroy the demonic civilization.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Paramahaṁsa: Does that mean that it’ll destroy all the cities and all the industries?

Prabhupāda: War means destruction of all cities. That is natural. You have got experience in Europe so many times.

Haṁsadūta: Cities and industries.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Haṁsadūta: Cities and industries.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is the main target.

Haṁsadūta: Nobody’s interested in a farm. [break]

Jayādvaita: …endeavor, pure devotees are automatically expert in politics, economics, everything.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Jayādvaita: Without separate endeavor, a pure devotee is automatically expert in everything.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Jayādvaita: Politics, economics.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Jayādvaita: Sociology.

Prabhupāda: Yasmin vijñāte sarvam evaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavanti. If you know Kṛṣṇa, then you understand everything. That is the Vedic injunction. Yasmin vijñāte. If you simply understand Kṛṣṇa… In Bhagavad-gītā, it is also said that “There will be no more anything to understand.” In the Ninth Chapter? What is that verse? Can anyone say?

Jayādvaita: The Fifteenth Chapter.

Prabhupāda: Avaśiṣyate. Jñātavyam avaśiṣyate. You cannot…?

Santoṣa: Yaj jñātvā…

Prabhupāda: …cannot recite, the whole verse?

Santoṣa: Yaj jñātvā neha bhūyo ’nyaj.

Prabhupāda: That is the second line. First line?

Santoṣa: Sa evaṁ guhyatamaṁ vakṣyāmy aśeṣataḥ.

Prabhupāda: Vakṣyāmy… Yes, that is the verse. Yaj jñātvā anyaj jñātavyam na avaśiṣyate. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is such a great science that if one becomes expert, then he knows everything.

Haṁsadūta: So Prabhupāda, is there something we should do to prepare ourselves for this disaster?

Prabhupāda: What?

Haṁsadūta: This coming war.

Prabhupāda: You should simply prepare for chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Haṁsadūta: That’s all?

Prabhupāda: That’s all.

 

 

Morning Walk

Conversation (World War III)

with His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

April 4, 1975, Māyāpur

http://causelessmercy.com/t/t/750404mw.may.htm

[indulekhadasi]

Wonderful quote, Suchandraji.

Our whole life is like fighting a war, and the only way we can prepare ourselves and get energy to fight is by chanting Hare Krishna.

[Shivaduta]

Those who live by the sword die by the sword....

Isnt it far better to live by chanting and to die chanting

Hari Om