Pakistan

In Washington DC, unlike Islamabad, there is clarity. You cannot have your left hand tinker with the HQN, LeT, JuD, JeM, and have your right hand shake Ash Carter’s or Susan Rice’s or anyone else’s. 

Negotiating With Terrorists

English: World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 1996 - Peres, Arafat & Schwab (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter. Arafat said that. What is ISIS? Is it religious fervor? Is it a state? Is it mafia? Is it a terrorist organization? Is it organized crime? Is it Islamic revival? Different people can have different opinions.

ISIS took responsibility for Brussels, as for Paris before that. Both times it has claimed it was merely getting even for what is being done to it in its own territory. That back and forth only ends up in a much bigger war.

There is a saying in democracies. Never negotiate with terrorists. Those whose only ways are the ways of violence are not seeking political solutions. And so don't negotiate.

I think it is possible to negotiate, but only if ISIS were to agree to a wholesale ceasefire. If ISIS were to cease all plots of global violence, if ISIS were to cease all acts of violence in its own territory (some have reported small scale genocide), if ISIS were to cease all acts of sex crimes, if ISIS were to accept mediation over the same, if ISIS were to allow international observers who would oversee that the ceasefire indeed is being respected, then negotiations are possible. Remember, no political issues have been discussed yet. This would be a ceasefire whose only basic requirement is that all violence and all sex crimes to an end. If ISIS could do this much, it might even be possible to carve out a new country for the territory that ISIS holds.

That country's boundaries would be a political decision taken collectively by all parties. The current line of control could end up the final boundary. As to governance in that territory, there would be need for a constitution. Elections can be held to a constituent assembly. The only rule would be the constitution may not clash with the Human Rights Charter, and to that end there would be international judicial oversight. Other than that there would be no rules. Maybe ISIS will become a political party. Its armed members will get pulled into the country's police and army. Maybe ISIS will emerge the largest and the ruling party.

Pan Arabia is an option. If all Arab countries attempt a political and economic union, then why not? But that would be a non-violent, political act. If Europe is any example, the process is not easy, and it is supposed to take time.

Islam is a valid religion. It is as valid as Christianity. But any message against peace, justice and kindness are invalid in all religions.

ISIS in its current form comes across as a mindless, fascist, blasphemous, criminal organization. There are lawful uses of force. Currently ISIS can legitimately be at its receiving end. But a ceasefire could change that. Is there a mediator that ISIS would accept?

Paris And Brussels

At what point is it Pearl Harbor? There is a threshold.

One Final Battle
Mecca To Jerusalem
One World, One Government

Pour le moment, nous demandons à la population d'éviter tout déplacement. Call centre de centre de crise : 1771.

— Charles Michel (@CharlesMichel) March 22, 2016

Explosions at Airport and Subway Kill 34 in Brussels

Military Expertise

I have none. I am political. I think people should choose not to get violent, and there is much that can be done, like yoga and meditation (being angry is like having bad breath), and when they absolutely can't, lawful authority should step in and get in the way, by use of force if necessary. Inside democratic countries that would be the police. Between countries, it can be an army. In short, war should be absolutely avoided as much as possible. All other options have to be exhausted first. And I believe I am pretty good at thinking of all those other options. In fact, almost no war is necessary, especially today. Because all that is political. But then that threat of force expands those non military options. So you have to appreciate. And once in a while you just have to go in. And that is the domain of military experts. The best ones must be born that way. Training can take you only so far. And so people like me watch Zero Dark Thirty with rapt attention. You know it's not your domain, but you could at least appreciate the craft. It's a craft. People who are good at it are really good at it. You can admire them like you can admire good soccer players, or good pottery markers, or good anybody in anything.

Some day there will be rule of law between nations. But there will still be law enforcement.

Pathankot Attack: Response To Modi Visit?

The ISI and the Pakistan Army do not call Nawaz Sharif boss. I am not giving Nawaz a clean chit. But those are parallel centers. It is less about Kashmir or any other real or imagined issue. It is about the unchallenged power, money and prestige they enjoy now. So when Modi engages in diplomatic innovation and drops by to say Happy Birthday to Nawaz, he is threatening to those organizations. They don't like it. You are eating their cake. Peace does not work for them. They are not driven by what's best for the people of Pakistan. It is much narrower self-interest that drives them. So how do you deal with them?

Be realistic, and keep expectations low. Unless the Pakistani Army and the ISI are brought 100% under the Pakistani parliament, no real progress is possible on any issue. Then basically it is a counter terrorism operation that the Israelis are really, really good at. They know to make deep intelligence penetrations. They know to make surgical strikes. They know to strike their operatives globally. This is not traditional war. You are not fighting the state of Pakistan. You are not fighting Nawaz Sharif.

Good photo shoots with Nawaz in the public venues of the world is as far as it might go in the short run.

Or maybe this is not the handiwork of the ISI, or any group it sponsors. There is no dearth of freelancers in Pakistan who will happily attack both Indian and Pakistani targets. They will as happily attack ordinary Pakistani citizens.

Pathankot terror attack: PM Narendra Modi chairs high-level meeting

Pathankot air base is under terror attack since Saturday. The security forces have already killed four terrorists and two more are believed to be still holed-up inside the base, and an operation is underway to flush them out.

Pathankot terror attack: India exercises restraint, avoids direct anti-Pakistan comments

Unidentified terrorists attacked the IAF base in Punjab's Pathankot town early on Saturday, leaving three IAF personnel and five terrorists dead. ..... Meanwhile, Pakistan has condemned the Pathankot attack.

Pakistan strongly condemns Pathankot terror attack

Building on the goodwill created during the recent high level contacts between the two countries, Pakistan remains committed to partner with India to completely eradicate the menace of terrorism afflicting South Asian region, the statement said. ...... Terrorists from Pakistan had launched a terror attack on Dinanagar town in Punjab's Gurdaspur district on July 27, 2015, leaving seven people dead, including a senior police official.

Battle for Pathankot Indian airbase enters second night

The attack is being seen as a blow to an apparent Indo-Pakistani peace initiative launched just days ago. ..... Pakistan's foreign ministry and the US State Department have condemned the attack. ..... The attack started before dawn on Saturday, when a group of gunmen - wearing Indian army uniforms - entered the residential quarters on the base. ..... The identity of the attackers is not clear. Some Indian security officials suggested the Islamist militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed was to blame. India says the group is backed by Pakistan, but Islamabad denies this.

Pathankot attack: Terrorist called mother, said ‘I am going to be a martyr’
In one of the phone calls, a Home Ministry official familiar with tape-recordings made by the Intelligence Bureau, said a man with a southern Punjab accent repeatedly tells his mother that he is heading towards martyrdom.

Intelligence officials attribute the Pathankot airbase attack to the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Muhammad on the basis of intercepted phone calls made late Friday by a member of the assault team. ..... a man with a southern Punjab accent repeatedly tells his mother that he is heading towards martyrdom. The mother can be heard crying in the background, at one point gathering herself to ask her son if he has eaten. ..... the men seemed to be hysterical, and not very well-trained”. ..... The conversations, he said, reminded him of Naved Yakub, a Lashkar-e-Taiba jihadist held in Udhampur last year, who dropped out of school to escape a life of poverty by joining the jihadist group. ...... Based on the phone calls, investigators believe the men crossed one of the streams running across the India-Pakistan border in Gurdaspur — the same route used by a group of Lashkar terrorists who attacked a police station in Gurdaspur last year, killing nine. ..... Punjab Police investigators believe the four terrorists first hijacked an Innova van, after crossing the border early Friday morning. The car stalled on the Pathankot-Jammu highway with a flat tyre, after which the terrorists are thought to have executed its driver, Ikagar Singh. ..... The terrorists then hijacked a vehicle used by Superintendent of Police Salwinder Singh, who was travelling home from a religious leader’s Dera, along with his friend Rajesh Verma, a jeweller, and Verma’s cook Madan Gopal. From testimony given by Verma to the Punjab Police, the men were carrying a large bag, possibly filled with food, assault rifles, a global positioning set and a cellphone. ..... there was no official account of how the terrorists succeeded in penetrating its 10-foot outer perimeter walls, topped with razor-sharp cobra wire, and this in spite of specialist warnings. Early investigations suggest that the men walked along the National Highway to the Air Force base undetected, from the location where they abandoned their car.

Pathankot operations a national embarrassment, who will take the responsibility?

All this happened near one of the most heavily guarded international borders in the world. Not in a far away place not used to terror attacks. .... The Pakistan backed Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists easily gained access into a vital Indian Air Force Station at Pathankot. They managed to cause the intended damage and instill fear across India..... The inefficient handling of the operation cost us the lives of seven soldiers and also damaged the reputation of our elite security forces....... After Saturday's operations, the Centre even declared that the entire operation was over and all the terrorists have been killed. On Sunday, the firing once again began causing fear and embarrassment at the same time.

Two terrorists actually stayed inside the IAF Station undetected the entire Saturday night.

...... Local media reports suggest that the Punjab Police and other security agencies initially refused to take the words of the abducted SP seriously. They wasted a lot of precious time. ...... After watching the botched up Pathankot security operations, the masters of the terrorists in Pakistan must be smiling. ..... A good 24 hour lead was wasted and the terrorists had easy access to a top IAF base.

Two terror teams may have attacked Pathankot using different vehicles

all the phone calls made by the terrorists to Pakistan were on numbers identified as that of JeM by the security establishment for a long time now.

‘Militants were heavily armed, began spraying us with bullets’

“The militants were heavily armed. They began spraying bullets as soon as they spotted our men near the mess.”

2016: The Year For Barack Obama's Revolution From The Top

2016: The Year For Barack Obama's Revolution From The Top



Barack Obama’s autobiography Dreams From My Father is full of little references to what Nelson Mandela in his autobiography called “a thousand little indignities.” But one was talking mostly about America, the other about apartheid South Africa. Can one black man’s ascension to the top make up for racist snarls at the highest levels of government like in the US Senate?

It is time we faced the fact the United Nations is not a world government. It is time to call a spade a spade. It is time to see this institution designed by the World War II victors no longer works. This is not a world government by the far stretches of the imagination. Often when we talk of civil rights movements, we think in terms of ordinary people marching out in the streets. But now is the time for a civil rights movement in which the heads of state march.

What we have is essentially apartheid. The leading country remains fundamentally racist, nowhere more evident than in the country’s criminal justice system. There is no world government. There is a need for one. The thorniest global problems, the loftiest trade deals are worked on outside the UN framework.

America itself needs to be reimagined if it is to fulfill its original mission of a total spread of democracy. It needs to become a country where African immigrants are as at home as European immigrants. White is black is white.

In a democracy you get to vote because you are a human being, not because you are literate or rich. But in the community of nations, there are countries that are rich and have guns, and most have neither. The entire continent of Africa stands disenfranchised. This landmass that is the most central of all, from where we all originated, is still in the clutches of a contemporary incarnation of colonization, slavery and apartheid. We don’t have a name for it yet, but the affliction is very real. Its poverty and disease stem from that disempowerment, not the other way round. And so, any voice that seeks to address its poverty and disease without taking stock of its disenfranchisement is shedding crocodile tears.

What is Barack Obama going to do? Leave the White House and do paid speeches? Write books? Launch a foundation? Raise money for AIDS? Share a stage or two with Bono and George Clooney? The guy is still young. This guy who has cleared up half century old cobwebs every year he has been in office is best suited to lead this revolution from the top. And this is not a cry for Africa, although Africa could use some empowerment. This is a cry for the world. Right now we are a species looking down a sinkhole of uncontrolled weather patterns that just might wipe out life and civilization as we know it. We still have immense poverty and disease that Bill Gates says “only a world government can solve,” and Gates is a guy who has thrown the kitchen sink at the problem, one of the leading entrepreneurs of the era in whose wake many billionaires have given money to fight basic poverty. We face security threats that no one government can solve. Globalization continues to move at breakneck speeds speeding up as the Internet takes deeper roots everywhere, but we have not done the task of institution building that that globalization requires.

Let’s open our eyes and take a look at the elephant in the room. Yes, what we need is a world government, and there is no person better than Barack Obama to take the lead on it. We are lucky we have a George Washington precisely when we need one. And lucky us that the guy is almost done with his current job where he has been stellar every year. Heads of state across the world should join in this chorus and shape this revolution from the top. Lucky us that our thorniest global problems have solutions in political concepts we have already designed, like one person one vote taken to its logical, global conclusion.

There is always inertia. Every monumental political change that in hindsight looks so obviously positive has faced inertia. And this likely will be no different. But the blueprint has to be made, and it has to be presented to ordinary peoples on all continents, so a groundswell of support can build around it.

We want to live in a world where human beings can feel equal everywhere. We want to live in a world with abundant clean energy. We want to live in a world with abundant water, and food and green space. We want clean air. We want to create the industries of tomorrow. We seek unprecedented rises in productivity, as well equitable distribution. We want people to be happy.

It is time the heads of state across the world came together and created the world’s first world government in the leadership of Barack Obama. In his birth as well as personality and outlook, he bridges the world. In his person the world has a chance to come together to reach new heights. This century can not only be the best ever, it can also be one where we have gone past our existential worries, where we have created a truly global civilization, one grand village where everyone can feel a sense of belonging everywhere, where people can take pride in their heritage and claim the common future at the same time, without hassle.

This is in essence a political struggle, where all you start with is a voice. Ordinary people have done it many times before. Heads of state can do it this one time.

It is still about Hope. It is still about Change.

We need a world government because it is time we established rule of law between nations. That is the civilized way.



राजेंद्र महतो लाई ICU पुर्याउने सरकार राजीनामा दे, काठमाण्डु छोड़, देश छोड़, ये धरती हमारी, ये मुल्क हमारा
E for Education, E for Entrepreneurship, E for Energy
Barack Obama: George Washington
आर्थिक क्रांतिका पाँच पाण्डव: सुशासन, शिक्षा, स्वास्थ्य, संरचना, (उद्योगव्यापार) सुलभता
Barack Obama Is Biologically Superior
An Open Letter To Barack Obama

पाकिस्तान को ४० बिलियन का ऐड

Flag of Pakistan Esperanto: Flago de Pakistano Español: Bandera de Pakistán Français : Drapeau du Pakistan हिन्दी: पाकिस्तान का ध्वज Italiano: Bandiera del Pakistan ଓଡ଼ିଆ: ପାକିସ୍ତାନୀ ଝଣ୍ଡା Русский: Флаг Пакистана தமிழ்: பாக்கித்தான் கொடி Türkçe: Pakistan bayrağı Slovenščina: Državna zastava Pakistana (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

लोगों ने इंटरनेट पर पढ़ा कि अमरिका ने पाकिस्तान को ४० बिलियन ऐड में दिया है। और जमीन पर कुछ दिख नहीं रहा है। एक मियाँ भाइ दुसरे को देख रहे हैं शक के दृष्टि से। ये उस को देखता है, वो उसको देखता है। कि मियाँ, वो जो अमरिका से पैसा आया, वो कहीं आपने तो हजम नहीं किया? कोइ ऑफिस में नया सुट पहन के आ जाता है तो शक शुरू। नया सुट पहना है बंदा, कहीं वो ४० बिलियन यही तो हजम नहीं कर बैठा!

तो होता क्या है कि वो पैसा कभी अमेरिका से पाकिस्तान तक पहुँचता ही नहीं। अमरिका सरकार के खाते में से कुछ डिफेंस कंपनिया बगैरह के खाते में पैसा जाता है। पाकिस्तान पहुँचता है महंगा महंगा हथियार। ये बिजनेस है। और वो हतियार इस्लामाबाद में चाँदनी चौक पर डिस्प्ले कर दिया जाता कमसेकम तो लोग देखते कि यही है, अमरिका ने जो ४० बिलियन दिया। आम आदमी तो दुर आम सिपाही को भी कभी दिखाया नहीं जाता। अधिकांश तो गोदाम से कभी निकलते नहीं। कभी प्रयोग ही नहीं हो पाता।

बिजनेस में एक कांसेप्ट है ROI, यानि कि Return On Investment. तो १० मिलियन कांग्रेसमैन सीनेटर लोगों को खिलाओ तो वो लोग बिल पास करेंगे, बिल का नाम रहेगा फॉरेन ऐड टु पाकिस्तान टू फाइट द वॉर ओन टेरर। बिल पास होगा। खर्चा हुवा १० मिलियन, प्रॉफिट हुवा १० बिलियन। उतना प्रॉफिट मार्जिन तो सॉफ्टवेयर में भी नहीं है। अच्छा बिजनेस है। और यहाँ एक मिया भाइ दुसरे मिया भाइ को देख रहा है, कि मिया वो जो मैंने इंटरनेट पर पढ़ा अमरीका ने जो दिया वो कहीं आप तो हजम नहीं कर गए?

Don't get me wrong. मैं ये नहीं कह रहा कि पाकिस्तान में करप्शन नहीं है। अगर करप्शन ना होता तो गरीबी ही ना होता। जहाँ जहाँ गरीबी है मान जाओ वहाँ करप्शन है। करप्शन खतम गरीबी खतम।

Trumping The Intelligent Conversation On Terrorism

Security is important. Safety is important. It is the number one thing we expect government to provide. We want to be safe from crime and terrorism.

That is why Obama killed Bin Laden. The same government machinery, the same CIA, the same Navy Seal, the same Zero Dark Thirty movie crew, but W could not do it. It took a Barack Obama. I guess you have to be sharp.

I think Hillary is also sharp. She did give Obama a tough time in 2008, did she not? It was neck and neck for months until finally Obama squeaked in.

Indira Gandhi commanded the military like no Indian prime minister before or after. That thing is gender neutral. A strong leader is a strong leader. Gender is not a factor. Leadership is.

Terrorism is for real. 9/11 is still fresh in people's memories. Many major cities have been struck since. London, Mumbai, more recently Paris. It is a valid concern that they might be able to pull it off again in some place like L.A. or Chicago or Seattle. That can not be allowed to happen.

Ever since 9/11 I have maintained this War On Terror is the same magnitude as the Cold War. World War II was about taking democracy across from Britain over to Western Europe. The Cold War was about extending that to Eastern Europe. The only way this War On Terror ends is if every Arab country becomes a democracy. That is the big picture. How do you get there?

This is not about tracking down five, or 10, or 20 thousand bad people and physically eliminating them. That view is myopic. Although there is an obvious military element to the fight. But I am no military expert. I will leave that to the experts. The best in the game plot it out every waking hour. They are at it. They are doing everything humanly possible. Be it in terms of intelligence gathering, or surgical strikes, most of which we don't even hear about. They are doing it. And I am glad. And these are professionals. They don't really care if the person in the Oval Office is a Republican or a Democrat. They answer to the American people through their elected government. They are on the people's payroll, and they know it. More than salary, they are driver by a mission, and a sense of love for country and liberty. Country is territory but liberty is a universal value, and they know it. Where liberty does not exist, people aspire for it. That is true everywhere. I don't know if we are in good hands, but I do know we are in the best hands.

The law of political entropy says a country tends towards democracy granted there is a sufficient flow of information. So the thing to do, the top thing to do is to beam the internet from the sky and smuggle millions of cheap, solar powered Android phones into the target territories. You want to swamp ISIS with cat videos. It really is like that.

But if you are trying to spread democracy in Muslim countries, you have to show that democracy works for Muslims in countries that are already democracies, countries like America, and India, and Germany. Because if democracy does not work for Muslims, why will a Muslim country bother going democratic? Why not keep up whatever they have? Why bother? Because all strong, successful democracy movements are homegrown. There has to be a groundswell. Ordinary people have to actively want it.

Which means demonizing Muslims is the exact opposite of what needs to happen. Have you ever heard Barack Obama talk bad about Muslims? And it is nothing to do with the fact that some people think he himself is Muslim.

There is a sick person on the table. Donald Trump's prescription is let's inject poison. I am sure that will take care of the sick person. But I am not sure that is the kind of taking care we are looking for.

The Donald's prescription of demonizing Muslims is the exact opposite of what needs to happen. The Donald's way leads to situations where more Muslims inside democracies get radicalized, and there are more attacks like Paris, and if there are enough of those, next thing you know is we have another Vietnam on our hands.

Vietnam was an open-ended ground operation. Vietnam was a disaster. Vietnam is a blight on the history of this country. However that war started, it became inhuman very fast. America engaged in chemical warfare in Vietnam like Saddam could not imagine.

One of Barack Obama's legacies is going to be that he did everything in his power to prevent another Vietnam. I guess the guy is pretty powerful and pretty effective. We have not seen another Vietnam. It is said if JFK had not been assassinated, we would not have seen Vietnam. Stupid people entered the Oval Office and let it slide, people like Donald Trump.

Welcoming Syrian refugees into Germany is one of the smartest things Germany can do to fight the War On Terror. From the safety of Germany the Syrian diaspora can plot an eventual victory for democracy in Syria. And they can work their own jobs while they are at it. Germany gets to collect taxes in the process.

Every Muslim country that needs to end up a democracy has diaspora populations in America. These are assets. To Donald that is news. It is news he does not want to hear.

Democracy has to be seen working for Muslims. Capitalism has to be seen working for Muslims. And America is as good a country as any to make that happen.

Donald, you are a fool. You are a circus clown.

Donald Trump: Marxist? Hitlerian?

The San Diego Shooting: Defining Terrorism

What is Donald Trump? Marxist? Hitlerian? What? We know he is German. It has got to be one of the above. He does business with the Chinese. Does that make him Marxist? Yes? No?

I know a whole bunch of Marxists. Too many. In Nepal, everyone is a Marxist. The ruling party is Marxist. The opposition party is Marxist. So when they switch sides, it gets really confusing.

कौन है ये बन्दा? आखिर है कौन? पता लगाओ। For the sake of Aamir. पता करो। आधे इधर जाओ। आधे उधर जाओ। बाँकी बिखर जाओ।



The Donald is a Hitlerian. I have proof.



ये हिटलर का नाजायज औलाद। जब हिटलर बंकर में बंद था जहाँ उसने ख़ुदकुशी की वहाँ से एक बच्चा गायब हो गया था। एगो ननकिरबा गायब भ गइलबा।

The San Diego Shooting: Defining Terrorism

I have yet to read a full news item on this San Diego shooting, so forgive if I am missing out on details, but this incident has been hard to ignore in the headlines.

This Pakistani woman's neighbors back in Pakistan are in disbelief. It is unimaginable she did that, they say. So obviously her radicalization did not happen in Pakistan. Ordinary Pakistanis are overwhelmingly lower middle class, God fearing and peace loving. It is pretty humdrum. Pakistan is a larger population than Russia.

So if her radicalization did not happen in Pakistan, where did it happen? Obviously it happened in San Diego. Where in San Diego? It is possible she saw Donald Trump on TV.

And I grew up around Muslims. It was a total non-issue when Muslims dropped by my house. They were biologically identical in terms of skin color and looks, spoke the exact same language, shared the same culture. They were just a different religion. But then so are Buddhists.

And you have to understand, what Shahrukh Khan, Aamir Khan and Salman Khan mean to Indians across the world -- and Indians are across the world, Indians live in every town in America -- there is no parallel in Hollywood and America. So when you badmouth Muslims across the board, don't get surprised if Indians across the religious spectrum get offended. I will. I am offended that you might be talking about Aamir. I am deeply, personally offended.

Maybe this woman saw Donald Trump on TV. And I don't mean that in a Jimmy Fallon way, I mean that in a Charlie Rose way.

It has always struck me as to the clarity of thought in the Muslim worldview. When you wrong a Muslim there is no foggy thinking that maybe I belong to the wrong caste and that's why. They are more like, I am a child of God, how dare you! I am fond of that.

So if her radicalization happened in San Diego, or on TV, who supplied her with the gun? Not ISIS. ISIS is not that sophisticated.

I have news, people. America does not need ISIS. It has the NRA.

Terrorism has to be precisely defined. When you kill one person, that is murder. When your motivation is that you don't like their kind, that is a hate crime. And hate crime IS different from murder. If one Sikh person got killed and it was a hate crime, then all Sikhs in that community should take note. Because there is a killer at large who are after people like them.

But when you kill a bunch of people, and you are driven by some kind of ideology, then that is an act of terrorism. Terrorism simply is hate crime magnified. It is possible you have never been recruited by any person or organization. It is possible your indoctrination happened over the Internet. It is possible your gun was provided to you by the NRA. But the act is an act of terrorism.

White guys are primarily guilty in this country. There is no ISIS. Not yet. That white guy killing black church goers is a terrorist. He was not sick, he was driven by ideology.

A serial killer is a serial killer, as opposed to a murderer.

Then there are some people who are mentally sick. They are not terrorists in that they are not driven by ideology. They are just not okay upstairs, it is clinical, and they got hold of a gun, and they went some place and started shooting. For me the most important question there is, how did they get hold of that gun? That is the top question. There's also the issue of universal health insurance. Where could they have gone for help?

NRA.

This is a barbaric nation with a homegrown epidemic of acts of terrorism. It does not need the ISIS. It has the NRA.

This country needs a constitutional amendment. You got done killing Indians (Native Americans), now amend it. By the way, that was also terrorism. On a massive scale. Colonialism is the El Nino of terrorism.

Objectively speaking, head count by head count, the US is no less barbaric than the territory ISIS controls. Look at all those gun deaths. The numbers are of epidemic proportions.

The only plausible explanation.

Posted by Manjushree Thapa on Tuesday, December 8, 2015

The Ongoing Paris Attacks

This is like what happened in Mumbai years ago. Gunmen willing to die show up with automatic weapons, show up at crowded places in a major city, and open fire, wanting to kill anyone in sight, indiscriminately. This is not suicide bombing. The fatalities are much higher.

We are nowhere close to winning the War On Terror. It is an evolving situation. If the War On Terror is like the Cold War, like I have been maintaining since 2001 that it is, we are only in decade two of the War.

This is horrific. The asymmetry gives them the upper hand. It is not hard to smuggle in trained gunmen, or to obtain the weapons.

The scary part is, this could happen anywhere. This is the second time Paris has been attacked. Something similar happened in Australia. They blow up one cafe, and that act scares an entire nation.

There are two ends to the stick. One is, how do you make sure the wrong men don't end up in the wrong places? And that is tough. It is a big world. How do you make sure they don't show up with weapons? That is also tough. Another end of the stick is, once an incident gets reported, how swift is your counter reaction?

Intelligence work is crucial. How deeply have these groups been penetrated? That is also hard. Because they seek a constant feed of new recruits.

It is a tough, sad situation. The innocents getting slain -- your heart goes out to them.

I can imagine all big cities going on high alert after this. The thing is I feel love for big cities. I live in one.

This attack was designed with the intent to grab global media coverage. The impending climate talks in Paris will make sure that happens. The climate talks can not now be taken to a different city. And with 80 heads of state gathering, there will be major media coverage.

Paris attacks: eyewitness accounts
Paris attacks: Dozens dead and hostages held at Bataclan



French president declares state of emergency
Dozens of people dead in attacks across Paris
Several dozen killed in violence around Paris, hostage-taking in theatre

a series of unprecedented attacks around Paris ..... The series of attacks gripped the city in fear and recalled the horrors of the Charlie Hebdo carnage just 10 months ago. ...... One of at least two restaurants targeted Friday, Le Carillon, is in the same general neighbourhood as the Charlie Hebdo offices, as is the Bataclan, among the best-known venues in eastern Paris, near the trendy Oberkampf area known for a vibrant nightlife. The California-based band Eagles of Death Metal was scheduled to play there Friday night. ...... The Charlie Hebdo attackers claimed links to extremists in Yemen, while the kosher market attacker claimed ties to the Islamic State group. ..... France's military is bombing Islamic State targets in Syria and Iraq and fighting extremists in Africa, and extremist groups have frequently threatened France in the past...... French authorities are particularly concerned about the threat from hundreds of French Islamic radicals who have travelled to Syria and returned home with skills to stage violence.

What Is Happening in Paris?

President Francois Hollande has declared a state of emergency across France and closed the country’s borders after a series of attacks across seven sites in central Paris killed dozens of people Friday evening. ..... ABC News adds that 60 hostages are believed to be held in what is being described as “an ongoing situation.” The Guardian is reporting that a witness on live radio in France claims “he heard the assailants [at the Bataclan] were screaming ‘Allahu Akbar’ while shooting inside the crowd.” If true, this would be the first indication that the attacks were perpetrated by Muslim terrorists. .....

If it’s shown that the attacks are coordinated, it would be the worst violence in Paris since World War II.

So far, there have no reports that any attackers have been apprehended.

NYPD Steps Up Security Citywide After Shootings, Explosions In Paris Kill Dozens

diners fell to the floor when gunshots were directed at the restaurant’s window. She told France 24 that a woman lying next to her had a fatal injury. ..... One of the explosions was reported at a bar at the stadium where the match was going on...... CBS News reported French President François Hollande was in the stadium at the time. He was rushed away and taken to a secure area...... “These are obviously very highly planned attacks, acting in concert at the same time, and it appears to me that they were successful,” said terrorism expert Manny Gomez. ...... Hollande said in an address to the country that the military was being deployed around Paris after the unprecedented attacks. Hollande also announced that the French borders have been closed. ...... Delta airlines said it was monitoring the situation and calling it very fluid. ..... An NYPD official said the department stepped up security at all high-profile locations in New York City as a precaution. The official said there were no specific threats in New York, and the decision to beef up security was precautionary. ......

At the time of the attacks, Paris was already on high alert in preparation for a global climate meeting in a couple of weeks, which 80 world leaders — including President Obama — were planning to attend.

...... The attack comes as France has heightened security measures ahead of a major global climate conference that starts in two weeks, out of fear of violent protests and potential terrorist attacks. ..... Emilioi Macchio, from Ravenna, Italy, was at the Carillon bar near the restaurant that was targeted, having a beer on the sidewalk when the shooting started. He said he didn’t see any gunmen or victims, but hid behind a corner then ran away....... “It sounded like fireworks,” he said. ..... Retired Army Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer said the U.S. and the international community must be vigilant, since the Friday attacks happened so soon after the Paris attacks...... “We do know already that whoever’s behind this, the scope of it is a mess… the question then becomes,

what more is coming?”

he said. ..... The country has seen several smaller-scale attacks or attempts since the Charlie Hebdo massacre, including an incident on a high-speed train in August in which American travelers thwarted a heavily armed Islamic radical trying to attack passengers.

On Terrorism And Riots And Maoists And India

English: A police officer in riot gear at the London student protests, 9 December 2010 License on Flickr (2011-02-03): CC-BY-2.0 Flickr tags: riot, police, london, oxford street, protests, topshop (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Neither terrorism nor riots are strictly law and order problems. There are deep political, social, economic, religious, ideological undercurrents. But let's for one moment think of them as pure law and order problems.

You can't send an army battalion to go counter terrorists. Terrorists fight an asymmetrical war. Intelligence is way more important than weapons. Nabbing a terrorist and collecting information is valuable. Information sharing across agencies and across countries is valuable. But once in a while, you do have to physically fight them. And there you need a few super well trained soldiers. It is a war of asymmetry. Many rules get broken.

Riots are at the other end. They happen out in the open. They are large scale. They are mob behavior. It is true nefarious characters can incite them and get mileage out of them. But it is possible to contain them. There ought be a national alert system. If certain preconditions are met, the alarm should go off, like a fire alarm. As in, we think this situation is fast developing and could become a riot. Sending in especially trained riot police on the ground as fast as possible might be a big help. Tear gas and curfews could be useful. A rapid, large scale mobilization of security personnel could douse the fire. And once the emotions are contained in a few hours or a day or two, then you have done your job. This national alert system would be key. It is possible for India to go riot-free.

The underlying political, social, economic, religious, ideological undercurrents need to be tackled during normal times on an ongoing basis. But when a riot is about to happen, it ought be tackled as strictly a law and order problem that can be resolved.

Israelis proved you can actually nab suicide bombers before they strike. You can infiltrate their organizations. Similarly, riots are like the flu hitting a population. It is said Google can predict flu outbreaks before anyone else. People start searching for flu symptoms.

Telltale signs of riots should be collected. There should be a mechanism to do that. And security personnel should move in in large numbers before the storm has had a chance to break into showers.

A third problem is Maoist violence. Measured in proportion, that problem was much, much bigger in Nepal. At their peak the Maoists of Nepal controlled 80% of Nepal's territory. But Nepal has proven the Maoist problem can be solved. The trick is to think of it as primarily a political problem.

The thing about riots is, do we think of pickpockets and burglars as people who will only respond to change of heart, or do we train the police to nab them? We train the police to nab them. Similarly, riots are escalated by some anti-social elements who have to be thought of as pickpockets and burglars. Rioters don't speak for this and that religion any more than terrorists do. They are simply negative forces that need to be countered. Localized and countered, apprehended and put away.

Rioting is a crime like burglary, and the security forces need to step in.

Making Peace With Pakistan

How To Make Peace With Pakistan

• Get engaged, stay engaged.
• Keep expectations low, especially short term expectations. 
• Expect setbacks. Use setbacks to better understand how the Pakistan Army, the ISI and non state actors try to undermine the Pakistani Prime Minister. 
• Engage at multiple levels, not just with the Prime Minister. 
• Appreciate their need to posture. They need that drama for their domestic audience. 
• Talk to the Prime Minister, but also talk to the Pakistan Army directly. They are not a subservient but a parallel power center. 
• Seek a trilateral intelligence sharing arrangement vis-a-vis the United States, especially on terrorism. Pakistan itself is a target. 
• Help strengthen democracy inside Pakistan. Ultimately only a fully democratic Pakistan is capable of true and permanent peace with India. Until that day arrives, keep expectations in check. Expect slow progress and setbacks. 
• Greater people to people contact would help. More trade will help. 
• And if that happens between China and Pakistan, so be it. Think of that as dress rehearsal. Pakistan opening up is good news. It is a closed society. Russia is also a good one.
• Muslim-Hindu per capita income parity is a domestic goal for India. Steps towards that goal would help. 
• Peace is possible. Ultimately perhaps even a free trade area. 
• Attempts of terrorist attacks will continue. There are plenty of non state actors inside Pakistan, but mostly globally, who would like to hurt India. It is a democracy thing. And there counter-terrorist acts is an area for the military experts. This is not traditional warfare. You have to speak the language they speak. You have to be able to counter their moves. Mostly you win if you are really good at intelligence. Intelligence sharing with governments goes a long way.