Story with a moral: Don't draw conclusions until you know all the facts

Story with a moral: Don't draw conclusions until you know all the facts

 

One old man was sitting with his 25 years old son in the train.

Train is about to leave the station.

All passengers are settling down their seat.

As train started young man was filled with lot of joy and
Curiosity.

He was sitting on the window side.

He went out one hand and feeling the passing air. He
shouted, "Papa see all trees are going behind".

Old man smile and admired son feelings.

Beside the young man one couple was sitting and listing all
the conversion between father and son.

They were little awkward with the attitude of 25
years old man behaving like a small child.

Suddenly young man again shouted, "Papa see the pond
and animals. Clouds are moving with train".

Couple was watching the young man in embarrassingly.

Now its start raining and some of water drops touches the
young man's hand.

He filled with joy and he closed the eyes.

He shouted again," Papa it's raining, water is
touching me, see papa".

Couple couldn't help themselves and ask the old man.

"Why don't you visit the Doctor and get treatment for your son."

Old man said,

"Yes, we are coming from the hospital as Today
only my son got his eye sight for first time in his life".

Moral: "Don't draw conclusions until you know all the facts".

 

 

Nepali Congress: The grand old party's newfound height

Nepali Congress is more concerned about what will happen to the Nepali society in the face of a collapse of traditional institutions and values. It is against “ultra-progressive ideas” of the Maoists.

 

KAMAL RAJ SIGDEL

The Kathmandu Post, May 12, 2011

 

To many observers, the month-long campaign for peace and statute organised by the grand old party, Nepali Congress was a roaring success and also a rare but an important event in the party’s history since the armed insurgency began in 1996. Despite doubts, the party’s rallies across the country had decent participation from not only its own cadres but also the general public perhaps curious what the old guard had to say. Insurgency now buried, the new political openness also propelled the mass.

What does it mean for the party and the larger national politics? For some NC stalwarts, it’s the NC rising out of its latency, a rebound after the loss in the 2008 Constituent Assembly polls. “NC represents hope at this point of time,” says Ram Chandra Poudel. “The event reflected that the party is regaining strength.”

Former Prime Minister and NC leader Krishna Prasad Bhattarai once used a metaphor for the party, calling Congress a weed (dubo), which at times looks as if it’s nearly dead but revives to to a higher level of strength  every time, overcoming obstacles. NC youth leader Ram Hari Khatiwada draws upon the metaphor as he observes “the party has woken up again with new vigour and energy.”

For many others, however, this is not the whole story. The public participation in the campaign, to them, reflects the larger phenomenon that is typical to a society which is in a flux. There are people on each side of the political spectrum-right, left and centre. 

In general perception and in view of some NC leaders, the party represents the force that does not want to experiment with “ultra-progressive ideas.” According to this school of thought, NC is more concerned about what will happen to the Nepali society in the face of a collapse of traditional institutions and values. This notion puts the party against forces that, the NC leaders believe, want to build or experiment with an entirely new structure, “either for good or bad.”

“There is a large section of Nepalis that is against both the wanton changes aspired to by the extreme left and

the status quo sought by the conservatives,” says S. Aniruddh Gautam, an analyst. “They are in search of moderates and they find that in NC.”     

NC leaders acknowledge that one reason the party appeals to the larger public is its “stand” on how the state should be restructured.

NC has opposed ethnicity-based federalism, rejected granting preferential rights to a dominant ethnic group in a region, stuck to the Westminster model of democracy and pitched for a largely direct electoral

system. For new forces such as the Maoists and the regional and ethnic parties, NC’s stand is not very “progressive” and represents “status quo,” as it does not address the people’s “aspirations for change”.

“The public support is for the values and principles that NC advocates,” says NC leader Bal Bahadur KC. “Congress is not against change but of course it is against untoward changes. We are carrying this sentiment in the society which is witnessing radical ideas of the extreme right and the extreme left. Our moderate stand is what the people like.” Poudel found the people, particularly in the Far West, actually abhorred the concept of ethnic-federalism. “They feel the concept would only divide the country. They rallied behind us in support of our stand on federalism because we represented them.”

A section in the party, however, takes the event normally. They say NC managed to steer the mass because of the newfound political openness. “Earlier, people used to fear taking part in certain political gatherings. Now, they can participate fearlessly in any political event,” says NC leader KB Gurung. “But I don’t believe this is a rebound for NC. People have always wanted to listen to what Congress has to say. Only time will show whether Congress can cash in on their sentiments.”

[The scribe can be reached at kamal.sigdel [at] gmail.com]

(See original: http://www.ekantipur.com/2011/05/12/top-story/the-grand-old-partys-newfound-height/333876.html)

 

LOOK UP YOUR BIRTHDAY AND SEE WHAT YOU ARE

LOOK UP YOUR BIRTHDAY AND SEE WHAT YOU ARE.. 


January 01 - 09 ~ Dog 
January 10 - 24 ~ Mouse 
January 25 - 31 ~ Lion 

February 01 - 05 ~ Cat 
February 06 - 14 ~ Dove 
February 15 - 21 ~ Turtle 
February 22 - 28 ~ Panther 

March 01 - 12 ~ Monkey 
March 13 - 15 ~ Lion 
March 16 - 23 ~ Mouse 
March 24 - 31 ~ Cat 

April 01 - 03 ~ Dog 
April 04 - 14 ~ Panther 
April 15 - 26 ~ Mouse 
April 27 - 30 ~ Turtle 

May 01 - 13 ~ Monkey 
May 14 - 21 ~ Dove 
May 22 - 31 ~ Lion 

June 01 - 03 ~ Mouse 
June 04 - 14 ~ Turtle 
June 15 - 20 ~ Dog 
June 21 - 24 ~ Monkey 
June 25 - 30 ~ Cat 

July 01 - 09 ~ Mouse 
July 10 - 15 ~ Dog 
July 16 - 26 ~ Dove 
July 27 - 31 ~ Cat 

August 01 - 15 ~ Monkey 
August 16 - 25 ~ Mouse 
August 26 - 31 ~ Turtle 

September 01 - 14 ~ Dove 
September 15 - 27 ~ Cat 
September 28 - 30 ~ Dog 

October 01 - 15 ~ Monkey 
October 16 - 27 ~ Turtle 
October 28 - 31 ~ Panther 

November 01 - 16 ~ Lion 
November 17 - 30 ~ Cat 

December 01 - 16 ~ Dog 
December 17 - 25 ~ Monkey 
December 26 - 31 ~ Dove 

If you are a Dog : A very loyal and sweet person. Your loyalty can 
never be doubted. You are quite honest and sincere when it comes to 
your attitude towards working. You are a very simple person, indeed. 
Absolutely hassle free, humble and down-to-earth!! That explains the 
reason why your friends cling on to you! You have a good taste for 
clothes. If your wardrobe is not updated with what is trendy, you sure 
are depressed. Popular and easy-going. You have a little group of 
dignified friends, all of them being quality-personified. 

If you are a Mouse : Always up to some sort of a mischief! The 
mischievous gleam in your eyes is what makes you so cute and 
attractive to everyone. You are an extremely fun-to-be-with kind of 
person. No wonder people seek for your company and look forward to 
include you for all get-together's. However, you are sensitive which 
is a drawback. People need to select their words while talking to you. 
If someone tries to fiddle around and play with words while dealing 
with you, it is enough to invite your wrath. God bless the person 
then! 

If you are a Lion: Quite contradictory to your name, you are a peace 
loving person. You best try to avoid a situation wherein you are 
required to fight. An outdoor person, you dislike sitting at one place 
for a long duration. You are a born leader, and have it in you how to 
tactfully derive work from people. You love being loved, and when you 
receive your share of limelight from someone, you are all theirs!!!! 
Well, well... hence some people could even take an advantage, flatter 
you to the maximum and get their work done. So be careful..... 

If you are a Cat : An extremely lovable, adorable person, sometimes 
shy, with a passion for quick wit. At times, you prefer quietness. You 
love exploring various things and going into depth of each thing. 
Under normal circumstances you're cool but when given a reason to, you 
are like a volcano waiting to erupt. You're a fashion bird. People 
look forward to you as an icon associated with fashion. Basically, you 
mingle along freely but don't like talking much to strangers. People 
feel very easy in your company. You observe care in choosing your 
friends. 

If you are a Turtle : You are near to perfect and nice at heart. The 
examples of your kindness are always circulated in groups of people. 
You, too, love peace. You wouldn't like to retaliate even to a person 
who is in the wrong. You are loved due to this. You do not wish to 
talk behind one's back. People love the way you always treat them. You 
can give, give and give love, and the best part is that you do not 
expect it back in return. You are generous enough. Seeing things in a 
practical light is what remains the best trait of you guys

If you are a Dove : You symbolize a very happy-go-lucky approach in 
life. Whatever the surroundings may be, grim or cheerful, you remain 
unaffected. In fact, you spread cheer wherever you go. You are the 
leader of your group of friends and good at consoling people in their 
times of need. You dislike hypocrisy and tend to shirk away from 
hypocrites. They can never be in your good books, no matter what. You 
are very methodical and organized in your work. No amount of mess, 
hence, can ever encompass you. Beware, it is easy for you to fall in 
love.... 

If you are a Panther : You are mysterious. You are someone who can 
handle pressure with ease, and can handle any atmosphere without going 
berserk. You can be mean at times, and love to gossip with your 
selected group. Very prim and proper. You like all situations and 
things to be in the way you desire, which, sometimes is not possible. 
As a result, you may lose out in some relationships. But otherwise, 
you love to help people out from difficult and tight spots when they 
really need you. 

If you are a Monkey : Very impatient and hyper!!! You want things to 
be done as quick as possible. At heart, you are quite simple and love 
if you are the center of attraction. That way, you people are unique. 
You would like to keep yourself safe from all the angles. Shall your 
name be dragged or featured in any sort of a controversy, you then go 
all panicky. Therefore, you take your precautions from the very 
beginning. When you foresee anything wrong, your sixth sense is what 
saves you from falling in traps. Quite a money minded bunch you people 
are!!

Al Qaeda threats, terror plans surface

By the CNN Wire Staff

May 6, 2011 11:08 a.m. EDT

 

Saber-rattling al Qaeda warnings against the United States emerged on Friday as the killing of Osama bin Laden continued to yield a trove of ominous intelligence, including details about a possible attack on the 10th anniversary of 9/11.

Al Qaeda, the bin Laden terror network that masterminded the deadly attack 10 years ago, confirmed its leader's death on Friday in a Web statement and used that opportunity to taunt and threaten the United States.

Al Qaeda statement on bin Laden's death

"Sheikh Osama didn't build an organization that will vanish with his death or fades away with his departure," according to the statement, which CNN could not independently authenticate.

The statement, which congratulates the "Islamic Nation on the martyrdom of their devoted son Osama," repeated themes and threats made over the years in al Qaeda statements, before and after the September 11, 2001 attack on the United States.

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"The blood of the mujahid sheikh, Osama bin Laden, may God have mercy on him, is very dear to us and more precious to us and to every Muslim from being shed in vain," the statement said. A mujahid is defined as a Muslim engaged in what he considers to be jihad.

"This blood will be a curse that will chase the Americans and their agents, a curse that will pursue them inside and outside their country, and soon - with God's help -- we pray that their happiness turns into sorrow and may their blood mix with their tears and let Sheikh Osama's resonate again."

Statement in Arabic (PDF)

Al Qaeda frequently cites the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians in its pronouncements, and it did so again, saying America "will neither enjoy nor live in security until our people in Palestine live it and enjoy it."

"The soldiers of Islam in groups and as individuals will continue to plan and plot without any fatigue, boredom, despair, surrender or indifference until you receive from them a cunning misfortune that will gray the hair of the child even before he gets old," the statement said.

Pakistanis were urged to revolt and "rise up," cleansing the "disgrace that was brought upon them by a handful of traitors and thieves" and "their country from the filth of the Americans who have wreaked havoc in the land."

The statement happened to surface as protesters packed the streets of Abbottabad -- where bin Laden was shot and killed -- in a rally by organized by Jamrat-E-Islami, Pakistan's largest Islamist party. The demonstrators denounced the U.S. and Pakistani governments.

Also, the statement disdained the United States, both its efforts and its motives, saying that the Americans managed to kill bin Laden "by disgrace and betrayal." Bin Laden was slain in a U.S. Navy SEAL raid on a compound early Monday in Abbottabad, a military garrison town north of the capital of Islamabad.

"Men and heroes only should be confronted in the battlefields but at the end, that's God's fate. Still we ask, will the Americans be able through their media outlets, their agents, their instruments, soldiers, intelligence services and their might be able to kill what Sheikh Osama lived for and was killed for? How far! How impossible!"

After bin Laden was shot and killed, he was buried at sea in what U.S. officials described as a proper Islamic burial.

But the statement said if Americans treat the bodies of bin Laden or his family members improperly, either dead or alive, or do not hand over the bodies to families, there will be retribution.

"Any offense will open unto your doors of multitudes of evil for which you will only have yourselves to blame."

According to the statement, bin Laden recorded an audio message one week prior to his death, regarding the revolutions sweeping the Muslim world and offering advice and guidance. Al Qaeda indicated that the release of this message is forthcoming.

Trove of data at bin Laden hideout provides first specific alert

lnvestigators poring over material seized in the Monday raid found details about a possible attack on the 10th anniversary of 9/11, and the intelligence led to a nationwide alert regarding rail security.

As early as February 2010, al Qaeda members discussed a plan to derail trains in the United States by placing obstructions on tracks over bridges and valleys, the alert said, according to one law enforcement official.

The plan was to be executed later this year, coinciding with the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, though no specific rail system was identified, the official said.

The Department of Homeland Security confirmed a notice went out to federal, state, local and tribal authorities.

"We have no information of any imminent terrorist threat to the U.S. rail sector, but wanted to make sure our partners are aware of the alleged plotting; it is unclear if any further planning has been conducted since February of last year," spokesman Matt Chandler said.

Rail agencies across the country were taking no chances.

The Chicago Transit Authority re-issued security bulletins, "reminding employees of what activities to look for and what steps to take should they encounter any suspicious or criminal activity during the course of their duties," said Wanda Taylor, a CTA spokeswoman.

Amtrak employees also were on a heightened "state of vigilance," said spokesman Marc Magliari.

A U.S. official said that "valuable information has been gleaned already" from the cache gathered at bin Laden's compound, though no specific plots or terrorist suspects were identified.

U.S. races to dissect possible terror plots

But the material suggests that al Qaeda was particularly interested in striking Washington, New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, according to the law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

U.S. authorities have found that al Qaeda appears especially interested in striking on significant dates like July 4, Christmas and the opening day of the United Nations.

The cache from the compound included audio and video equipment, suggesting bin Laden may have taped makeshift messages there, a U.S. official said.

Ten hard drives, five computers and more than 100 storage devices, such as disks and thumb drives, were also found, a senior U.S. official told CNN.

The Washington Post reported on Thursday that the CIA had a safehouse in Abbottabad "for a small team of spies" who performed surveillance on the compound.

Citing U.S. officials, the effort "relied on Pakistani informants and other sources to help assemble a 'pattern of life' portrait of the occupants and daily activities at the fortified compound where bin Laden was found."

It was "mobilized after the discovery of the suspicious complex last August that involved virtually every category of collection in the U.S. arsenal, ranging from satellite imagery to eavesdropping efforts aimed at recording voices inside the compound," the Post reported.

The United States and Pakistan have been allies in the war on terror for years, but there have been strains lately over suspected U.S. drone attacks killing innocent civilians and American concerns that Pakistanis haven't been robust enough in the fight against Islamic militants. Another suspected drone strike killed 12 suspected militants on Friday in the Pakistani tribal region.

There are questions in Washington over why and how Pakistani intelligence officials could not have known bin Laden was hiding out in a compound in the city, which has a military academy and a strong military presence.

Pakistani armed forces chiefs issued a statement Thursday admitting that there had been "shortcomings in developing intelligence" on the terror leader's presence in the country.

The army chief of staff, Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, also "made it very clear that any similar action, violating the sovereignty of Pakistan, will warrant a review on the level of military/intelligence cooperation with the United States," the statement said.

Pakistan has ordered U.S. military personnel on its territory drawn down to the "minimum essential" level in the wake of the raid, the statement said.

(Source: http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/05/06/pakistan.bin.laden/)

Jhakku starts riding car after the slaps

He was pointing at the tea shop form inside the car as he passed by

 

Jhakku Prasad Subdei, the Maoist lawmaker who received two tight slaps on his checks recently, has left commuting the way home, which passes through the same tea shop where the awkward incident occurred.

 

On Friday afternoon, he was spotted passing through the same tea shop where he received slaps on a white-number-plated car. The day when he received slaps, Jhakku had said that he often

 

What was interesting for the bystanders to watch was -- the way Jhakku was pointing fingers to the tea shop to show “this is the tea shop where I received slaps the other day.” The clients who were sipping their tea at the shop (prepared by the slapper Devkota’s wife) said, “Jhakku will never dare walking on foot this way.”

 

Meanwhile, the wife of the tea shop owner, who is handling the business now, is frustrated to see no one coming out to help release her husband who is under police custody.

 

She said though there has been much media hype, not a single person has come out to help her out. She has little hope that her husband would be released any time soon [unless someone in power or the public that are endorsing his action came out for help].

Al-Qaida confirms bin Laden's death, says America's "happiness will turn to sadness."

 

Al-Qaida on Friday confirmed the killing of Osama bin Laden and warned of retaliation, saying America's "happiness will turn to sadness."

 

The confirmation came in an Internet statement posted on militant websites, signed by "the general leadership" of al-Qaida.

The announcement opens the way for the group to name a successor to bin Laden. His deputy Ayman al-Zawahri is now the most prominent figure in the group and is a very likely contender to take his place. The U.S.-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, thought to be hiding in Yemen, has also been mentioned as a possible successor.

The statement, dated May 3, was the first by the terror network since bin Laden was killed Monday by U.S. commandos in a raid on his hideout in Abbottabad, Pakistan.

The statement's authenticity could not be independently confirmed, but it was posted on websites where the group traditionally puts out its messages.

The statement vowed that al-Qaida would not deviate from the path of armed struggle and said bin Laden's blood "is more precious to us and to every Muslim than to be wasted in vain."

'Curse that chases' Americans

"It (bin Laden's blood) will remain, with permission from Allah the Almighty, a curse that chases the Americans and their agents, and goes after them inside and outside their countries," the militant network said in a statement released on Islamist Internet forums and translated by the SITE monitoring service.

"Soon, God willing, their happiness will turn to sadness," it said, "their blood will be mingled with their tears."

In the statement, al-Qaida also called on the people of Pakistan — "on whose land Sheikh Osama was killed" — to rise up in revolt against its leaders "to cleanse this shame that has been attached to them by a clique of traitors and thieves ... and in general to cleanse their country from the filth of the Americans who spread corruption in it."

'Humble' bin Laden

It also said that an audio message bin Laden recorded a week before his death would be issued soon.

"Before the sheikh passed from this world and before he could share with the Islamic nation in its joys over its revolutions in the face of the oppressors, he recorded a voice recording of congratulations and advice which we will publish soon, God willing," the militant group said.

On the issue of al-Qaida's new leader, security analyst Peter Bergen, author of "The Longest War: Enduring Conflict Between America and Al Qaeda," told TODAY that if al-Zawahiri took over al-Qaida, he would "run it into the ground."

"He's not well liked or well regarded, even by people in his own Egyptian, sort of, Jihadist group," Bergen said. "He doesn’t have the stature that bin Laden has. He's regarded as a divisive figure."

The CNN terrorism analyst said he had interviewed many people who knew bin Laden and even those who didn't like him admitted he had some appealing qualities. People spoke of him as being "humble" and "modest," Bergen said, while some even spoke of having feelings of love for the terror mastermind.

"No one describes feelings of love for Ayman al-Zawahiri," Bergen told TODAY.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

(Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42928874/ns/world_news-death_of_bin_laden/?GT1=43001)

Compaq Laptop on Sale 650

Grab ASAP !!!
Slim Compaq Laptop
(3GB RAM, 2GHz Processor Dual Core) (Only two months old)

Price $ 600 (including laptop cover/bag, net cord, programs etc.)

Product Name: CQ50-115NR
Product Number: FE871UA#ABA
Processor: 2.00 GHz Dual-Core AMD Turion X2 RM-70 Mobile Processor
Memory: 3072 MB (+3GB) Expandable
Hard Drive: 200 GB (4200 rpm)
Display: 15.4" WXGA High-Definition BrightView Widescreen (1280 x 800)
Fax/Modem: High speed 56K modem
Network Card: Integrated 10/100 Ethernet LAN
Wireless Connectivity: 802.11b/g WLAN
Weight : 6.50 lbs

Operating System: Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1
Great offer: It includes important programs and software worth $400
Contact as soon as possible

kamal.sigdel [at] gmail.com

(808) 944 7841

NHRC fate hangs in balance, ICC likely to downgrade the watchdog from A to B status

NHRC fate hangs in balance
ICC likely to downgrade the watchdog from A to B status
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SIGDEL. K. R. 
THE KATHMANDU POST, MAY 4
The fate of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) hangs in balance with the government making no tangible progress in implementing its own commitment made at the UN forum in Geneva four months ago.

If the government does not amend the “toothless” draft NHRC bill in line with the recommendations of the international human rights community or “do something concrete” towards that direction within the next couple of weeks, chances are that the rights watchdog could be downgraded to B status, according to rights defenders.

The International Coordination Committee (ICC) of national human rights institutions is all set to decide whether or not to downgrade NHRC during its annual meeting in May 17-19, in Geneva. Any decision by the meeting will have a prestige issue for Nepal and if NHRC is downgraded, that will also reduce the commission to an “observer” status at UN forums.

ICC had warned the government of Nepal and NHRC in March 2010 that the commission could be downgraded from A to B status if certain corrections were not made within 12 months to make the watchdog meet the international standards spelled out in the Paris Principles. The UN General Assembly adopted the Paris Principles in 1993 as international standards for all national human rights institutions of UN Member States.

A sub-committee on accreditation of ICC had recommended amending the NHRC bill to ensure its financial and operational independence in line with Paris Principles, clearing the allegations of mismanagement, financial irregularities and divisions within NHRC and improving cooperation with other human rights stakeholders.

In response, the government expressed commitment during the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in Geneva in January that it would, among other things, amend the draft NHRC bill to make it compliant to with the Paris Principles.

The ICC now awaits government’s response before taking a final decision at its May 17 meeting.

The May 17 meeting of ICC provides the last opportunity for NHRC to address the international body’s concerns. NHRC spokesman Gauri Pradhan said, “We have clarified some of the issues form our side but what matters is the government response. If the government could send a grin signal on the NHRC bill, that may help avert the downgrading. However, what we believe is the ICC should not grade NHRC based on the law which is yet to be enacted. The current NHRC Act has established the commission as an autonomous and independent constitutional body.” Pradha said the NHRC has already submitted its explanations on the six major concerns expressed by ICC about NHRC.

OHCHR Nepal Chief Jyoti Sanghera, however, is hopeful that NHRC could retain its ‘A’ status. “I am hopeful and I certainly wish NHRC will not be downgraded for reasons which are not under its control,” said Jyoti. She said it would be “unfair” to punish NHRC in that account. If the House fails to pass the bill before the ICC meeting, an assurance from the government to pass it within a fixed time should also avert the downgrading, she said.

The NHRC draft bill tabled at the House in August 2009 is now under review at a three-member sub-committee headed by NC lawmaker Radhe Shyam Adhikari. The committee is not sure when the bill will move forward.

“We are aware that the NHRC fate depends on this draft bill. But what can we do? This has been delayed for the last two years,” said Adhikari. “Let’s see what we can do next week. We have not been able to meet this week as most of the lawmakers have gone to districts after the regular House session ended last week.”

The Prime Minister’s Office, that made the commitment in Geneva, is almost cut off from the whole issue. “Once the bill is tabled at the House, it becomes the property of the House and we can do nothing except wait and see,” said a senior official at the PMO overseeing human rights issues.

Besides the lack of progress in the bill, there has not been any progress in addressing other areas of ICC concern, such as the internal division among NHRC commissioners and the staffing problem, which has made the situation worrisome.
[Originally published at The Kathmandu Post, www.ekantipur.com/tkp] 

Was Osama bin Laden in Nepal once?

There are rumours and reports coming in from Far Western Nepal that Osama Bin Ladin had once taken shelter in Daduldhura district. He was in disguise as a Hindu sage with beards and cloak. Though it is not confirmed how long he stayed in Nepal, if he did, there are several reports and articles by alkaida experts (see below) claming Al Kaida link in Nepal.
The rumour has it that Osama had returned to Pakistan in 2009 via the western part of Nepal. The truth behind the rumour is yet to be confirmed but the news about the death of the Taliban Alkaida leader has spurred up debates and talks about him in Nepal. If there is anyone who knows more about the rumour, he or she will certainly come up and speak the truth. (Read the article below)

Leftist-Islamist notoriety
By Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury

Osama Bin Laden, visited Nepal a number of times
Al Qaeda was finding new base in Nepal

Islamists and leftists have alligned in South Asia for some years, and now they have started flexing muscle, which stands as a potential threat to region’s security issues. It was already reported in the media that, Al Qaeda was finding new base in Nepal under the hidden alliance with [some forces] there. Osama Bin Laden, visited Nepal a number of times, while, there was also report of a number of Al Qaeda kingpins secretly visiting Bangladesh and meeting local Islamists.

On October 18, 2009 a member of Democratic Party of Arakan, a militant group of Myanmar, was arrested in Ruma upazila in Bandarban district in Bangladesh.

Kew Ba Mong [35] was caught by local people at Banchar Dai indigenous village near Ruma sub-dustrict in Bangladesh, who was involved in kidnapping people for ransom. Recently Kew Ba Mong created a heavy pressure on the locals for huge amount of toll to buy firearms for his party.

Democratic Party of Arakan [DPA] was founded in 1997 by U Thein Phay and follower group who separated from Natioal United Party of Arakan [NUPA] with a coup in 1996. Most of them are former members of Arakan Communist Party [ACP]. DPA led by U Thein Phay has gained a great political success since 2004.

Movement of such Islamist terror group from Myanmar has greatly increased in recent months, which terrorizes a larger section of people in the eastern part of Bangladesh. It was already reported in media that, Islamists terror outfits inside Myanmar enjoy various types of support from Pakistani intelligence agency, ISI [Inter Service Intelligence] as well as some of the notorious international network of Islamist NGOs. A number of Bangladeshi Islamist groups and individuals are also maintaining links with such militant groups of Myanmar, and are using them for various types of notoriety. A large section of Rohingyas are involved in drug and arms trafficking and have joined regional and international racket. For years, Rohingyas, who are illegally migrating to Bangladesh in a large number, are becoming a great headache for the country.

Rohingyas are located in Arakan province in Myanmar. As history speaks, Arakan was once an independent sovereign state for many centuries. It was closely linked culturally as well as politically with Bengal [now Bangladesh] because of its geographical location from where both Hinduism and Buddhism spread in the region. But, the small Muslim group in Arakan gradually got strengthened with the support of Muslim invaders including the Arab merchants, who used these Arakanese Muslims as tools of persecuting Hindus and Buddhists since 7th centure, thus virtually eliminating Hinduism and Buddhism from the province. Due to tremendous growth of Muslim influence in Arakan, in 1406 King Narameikhla, a Buddhist ruler was forced to convert into Islam and take Muslim name Sulaiman Shah. When converted Muslim Sulaiman Shah was ousted from power and was accorded shelter in Bengal by the then Muslim invader Nasiruddin Shah, and subsequently was helped with military power thus placing him back to ‘power’ in 1430.

According to reports published in Bangladesh, only in past five years, more than three thousand Rohingyas were arrested by Bangladeshi law enforcing agencies either for illegally entering the country or for being involved in various forms of serious crimes.

International community certainly needs to extend cooperation to Bangladesh in overcoming this problem.
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury is the Editor and Publisher of the Weekly Blitz (www.weeklyblitz.net). (Taken from: http://www.globalpolitician.com)

Was Osama bin Laden in Nepal once?

There are rumours coming in from Far Western Nepal that Osama Bin Ladin had once taken shelter in Daduldhura district. He was in disguise as a Hindu sage with beards and cloak.

The rumour has it that Osama had returned to Pakistan in 2009 via the western part of Nepal. The truth behind the rumour is yet to be confirmed but the news about the death of the Taliban Alkaida leader has spurred up debates and talks about him in Nepal. If there is anyone who knows more about the rumour, he or she will certainly come up and speak the truth.

 

Was Osama Bin Laden In India?

By ghalibsultan

By: ZoneAsia-Pk

Osama Bin Laden surprised everyone in late 1990s when he escaped from the Gulf to hide at an unexpected place: Sudan. Is it that the al-Qaeda chief is repeating history by choosing South Asia’s least likely place to hide?

Osama bin Laden’s disappearance since late 2001 despite a massive high-tech military and intelligence hunt involving assets and agents across several regions is strengthening a conclusion reached by many analysts that the al-Qaeda leader might have sought an unexpected hiding spot-India.

CIA has established an advanced information and intelligence gathering network in Afghanistan and Pakistan during the past nine years. The operation in Pakistan has reportedly recruited tribal men, garbage collectors and even doctors in hospitals in Pakistani towns and cities in the hope that an ailing bin Laden might be spotted somewhere. The failure to uncover any leads is forcing some analysts to dust off old pieces of information that were dismissed or not pursued for a variety of reasons.

India’s name came up frequently in intelligence briefs on the bin Laden hunt in the early months after the rout of the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan in November 2001. This information was dismissed by the US intelligence community on the suspicion that the Pakistanis might have planted it to defame archrival India. There was also concern the information might have been planted by Al-Qaeda members as a diversionary tactic, meant to create breathing space for their hunted leader.

But a small breakthrough last summer refocused attention on India.

Before the Indian connection is explained, a word on the authenticity question of recent bin Laden tapes is necessary.

At least four different audio tapes surfaced last year carrying messages from Osama bin Laden. The year 2010 was not good for these bin Laden podcasts. Compared to each year since 2001, this was the first time that bin Laden tapes were met with widespread public skepticism inside and outside the United States. Never before were al-Qaeda leader’s voice and video releases so scrutinized and questioned. One reason for this was Osama fatigue. The news media and public opinion had lost interest in bin Laden ‘new tape’ releases. It no longer generated the same excitement. But there was a bigger issue this time. Eight years into America’s Afghan war, more and more Americans and others had begun questioning the credibility of the tapes. At question was not just how these tapes were produced but also the full cycle of their release, methods of delivery, and final airing.

BIN LADEN TAPES IN 2010

Bin Laden released four tapes in 2010. On 29 January, he came out with an audio tape blasting President Obama’s hazy position on climate change. This was a major departure for bin Laden. Climate change debate is hot in the United States and parts of Europe but hardly attracts any popular interest in the Middle East and Asia. For bin Laden to make this statement would not have won him any new admirers in the Middle East. But what it did was to embarrass the antiwar liberal camps in the US and Europe who largely also oppose US government’s position on climate change. Another new aspect in this audio release was bin Laden offering praise to an antiwar American activist, Noam Chomsky, who is a renowned critic of US government, CIA and the US military. Never before had bin Laden praised US persons by name in his audio and video tapes. The move, he would have certainly known, could have hurt Mr. Chomsky in the eyes of ordinary Americans and provided easy fodder in the hands of US hawks to discredit Chomsky’s antiwar message. The tape was aired by Al Jazeera in Qatar and the channel refused to explain how it obtained the tape.

A week earlier, bin Laden released an audio tape praising an attempt by a Nigerian citizen to blow up an airliner bound for Detroit on 25 December 2009. The one-minute audio tape, aired by Al Jazeera, endorsed the act but stopped short of claiming responsibility for it. The said incident was an amateur act by all standards of terror acts, poorly organized and with little chance of succeeding. It was not clear why bin Laden would want to be associated with it. Mr. bin Laden also showed a sense of humor in the purported audio tape, saying his was a message ‘from Osama to Obama.” This play on the name was strange. It served no purpose except to embarrass President Obama in front of American extremists who have been accusing him of being a closet Muslim.

In March, Bin Laden released another tape warning the US government it would kill American hostages if the accused in the 9/11 attack jailed in Guantanamo were executed. The irony in this tape, which many US commentators did not miss, was that al-Qaeda had already killed Americans whenever a chance offered itself, so how was this threat really a new threat? The progress in the trial of Guantanamo detainees was slow when this tape came out. Reports suggested that President Obama was resisting pressure from US military to expedite the trials because of legal and constitutional reasons. Bin Laden’s tape served to renew pressure on Obama to resume the trials.

And finally, in October, bin Laden released an audio tape warning to kill five French citizens kidnapped in Niger if France does not withdraw troops from Afghanistan. This was a bizarre message from the Al-Qaeda leader. The reason is simple. The Frenchmen were kidnapped by a little known local group in Niger that calls itself Al-Qaeda in Islamic Maghrib. US intelligence officials refer to it by the acronym AQIM. The problem is that no one knows where this AQIM is really based. The best explanation coming from US sources is that this is a group of militants who, according to one American source, used to ‘roam the Sahara desert’ before coming together and ‘pledging allegiance’ to Osama bin Laden. How intelligence professionals can blindly accept the ‘Al-Qaeda credentials’ of any group coming forward and ‘pledging allegiance’ to bin Laden while sitting in another continent is a question that remains unanswered.

The strange part is that the kidnappings actually neatly fitted with the international competition over uranium mines in Niger where these kidnappings occurred. Imagine five Frenchmen kidnapped from a uranium mining town in Niger, where they were in fierce competition, and then the justification for the kidnapping comes from Al-Qaeda chief in an audio tape released some 2,000 miles away. This is eerily similar to Chinese engineers kidnapped or killed in and around the new strategic Pakistani port city of Gwadar in 2006 and 2007 where countries like India, Iran, UAE and the United States were and continue to be opposed to Chinese presence and involvement for strategic reasons. When the Chinese were targeted, the responsibility was conveniently shouldered by a new group called Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, also known as TTP or Pakistani Taliban. This new Pakistani Taliban, which borrowed its name from the original Afghan Taliban, gave a clumsy explanation for why it decided to attack Chinese interests in Pakistan while claiming to fight a jihad against United States. It said it did it in order to embarrass Pakistan’s pro-US government. The skeptics were not sure Pakistan’s pro-US government was embarrassed. What is for sure is that this was part of efforts to keep China out of a strategically important nation.

WHO RELEASES THESE TAPES?

There is a full delivery cycle to Osama bin Laden’s tapes. They are recorded, edited, copied and then transported to reach their final destination on the screen of a television news channel. Al Jazeera has received most of these video and audio tapes, with few going to other Arab and western networks.

For some reason, the government of the United States and its allies in the war on terror never pursued this trail as hard as they pursued terror financing, for example. Not that it would be easy. In most cases, unknown individuals dropped the tapes at the residence or at the local offices of Al-Jazeera correspondents in Islamabad or Peshawar.

But there has been another very prolific source of Al-Qaeda tapes other than al-Jazeera. This second source is SITE. It is short for Search for International Terrorist Entities Institute. It was founded in 2002 as a private intelligence group by Rita Katz, an Iraqi born Israeli and US citizen. She served in the Israeli military. In 2008 she closed the institute and established SITE Intel Group. Its website describes the company in the following words: ‘Rapid, Full Translations of Primary Source Jihadist Media and Access to Jihadist Videos.’ This is a marketing niche that no one has thought of before and perfectly suited to the post-9/11 US security and military doctrines. In short, she combs the Internet for sites and chat rooms where al-Qaeda and Islamic groups post messages, press releases and audiovisual material. She does not reveal the identity of her clients but the company has been engaged by the Clinton and the Bush administrations.

Many have accused SITE and Ms. Katz of turning terrorism into an industry. Her strong links to the Israeli military and intelligence community provide context to her work.

Israel’s threat perception is very simple: Muslims pose a threat. Period. There are many Israelis who wish their security and military establishments would change this threat perception because all Muslims cannot be a threat. Interestingly, Ms. Katz and SITE has carried this paranoia to Washington DC. In 1999, when FBI and CIA could not find enough evidence to say al-Qaeda posed a global threat, terror experts in the government hired SITE to build a case against al-Qaeda. This case helped in propelling Al-Qaeda, a little known group in the Middle East before 9/11, into the coveted position of America’s main adversary in the world, a spot previously occupied by the former USSR.

There is one more country besides Israel that shares a similar threat perception as Israel. This country is India.

THE INDIAN LINK

The Bush administration worked hard and quite successfully in convincing the Indians that China posed a threat to India and that countering China will propel India to a superpower status. But despite Indian military buildup to counter China, it is Pakistan and Islamophobia that drives Indian policymakers. Hindu religious fundamentalism and inaccurate notions about geography and history force the Indian ruling elite to consider Pakistan and Muslims as a major threat. Historically, of all the foreign invaders of India, Muslims are the only ones to rule India for more than ten centuries until it was ‘liberated’ by the British Empire. This history weighs heavily on the Indian psyche and drives Indian policy toward Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Kashmir.

During the 1990s, and thanks to this common threat perception, India and Israel started working closely to counter Islam. How paranoid these two countries are can be gauged from the fact that Islam is not a monolith political force. Muslim countries and nations are diverse and do not constitute a single force that would threaten either Israel or India. But despite this fact, ruling elites in Israel and India have used the ‘Islamic threat’ as a rallying cry for ideological and military buildup.

Israel had a long history and experience in dealing with Muslim religious groups. It learned how to infiltrate them, understand them, and negotiate with them. It also established schools to train agents in Quran and Islamic Sharia, and devoted resources to studying fault lines inside Islam that can be exploited to work Muslim groups against each other.

Israel passed this training and experience to India for use in occupied Kashmir to quell a pro-Pakistan popular movement there. So strong was the Israeli help that at one stage, in summer 1999, Indian military requested assistance from Israeli Special Forces to help stop the advance of Pakistanis. Even today, Israeli diplomats in New Delhi often remind their hosts about how Israel helped turn the situation on the ground in Kashmir.

India learned Israeli lessons in dealing with Muslim groups fairly quickly. Many freedom groups that operated in Indian-occupied Kashmir during the 1990s were fronts for Indian intelligence. India used these groups for various purposes. Some of these groups committed atrocities to discredit the genuine pro-freedom groups. Others acted as Trojan horses, spying from the inside on the pro-freedom Kashmiri movement.

After 2001, India established an elaborate intelligence setup in Afghanistan. But the purpose here was three-fold: Spy on Afghan Taliban, export terror into Pakistan’s western regions under the guise of Taliban, and exacerbate misunderstandings between Pakistani and US militaries. The last two were of special interest to the Indians. Disguised as Taliban, the Indians established contacts with militants and guns-for-hire inside Pakistan’s tribal region. Pakistani militants were recruited for training to commit terrorist acts inside Pakistan. The Indians were also keen to demonstrate that US soldiers are under threat from militants inside the Pakistani tribal belt. Establishing a direct link between attacks on US soldiers and Pakistan’s tribal belt was of paramount importance to the Indians. In some cases, this meant funneling weapons and funding to criminals and terrorists to mount attacks on US soldiers in Afghanistan and magnify links to Pakistani tribal belt.

INDIA AND BIN LADEN

All countries in the region have established contacts with Al-Qaeda at different times when it served their interests. Topping the list is the United States. Osama bin Laden started out as a CIA asset. Later, he established contacts with the Pakistanis and the Saudis. After 9/11 and the US war against Afghanistan, bin Laden established ties with Iran. This was a clear example that the impossible can happen. Who would have thought that two opposing religious schools, Iran’s Shias and al-Qaeda’s hard liners would become friends of convenience and circumstance? This relationship went as far as bin Laden trusting Iran with his sons and daughters and other senior lieutenants who were provided safe havens inside Iran.

The only country in the region whose name never appears in the list of countries that tried to contact al-Qaeda is India. But that is not because India did not try to establish such contact.

Indian intelligence agency, RAW, approached al-Qaeda immediately after the group’s defeat in Afghanistan. Such contacts date back to 2002 and 2003. The Indians are known to have kidnapped Pakistani and Afghan militants and transported them by air to India for training and indoctrination.

The first signs of Osama bin Laden’s contacts with the Indians emerged in early 2002, barely four months after the collapse of Taliban government in Kabul, and three months after the last sighting of bin Laden in the mountains of Tora Bora. At the time, India had amassed half of its military on Pakistan’s borders and there was a heightened possibility of war. Pakistanis knew Washington was using India to blackmail Islamabad in Afghanistan. The Indians tried to convince Washington that Osama bin Laden might be hiding with a pro-Kashmir group in the Pakistani part of Kashmir. New Delhi was hoping this would get Washington to go after pro-Kashmir freedom groups based in Pakistan.

What happened next is that the Americans and the British found leads indicating the possibility that bin Laden did indeed come to the region but only as a stopover to cross into India. Moreover, there were signs the Indians were in contact with the al Qaeda leader, or at least some of the Indians since not everyone in the Indian government knew about it. This divide between Indian intelligence and political establishment was proven eight years later when Indian intelligence officers admitted to running clandestine programs outside the purview of Indian politicians. One of these programs groomed Hindu terror groups to conduct a bombing campaign inside India that would be blamed on Pakistan, ISI and Kashmiris.

Washington and London quietly convinced New Delhi to allow foreign troops into the Indian occupied part of Kashmir to trace bin Laden’s trail. The Indians were extremely reluctant. They were concerned if they approved the measure and word got out, then India’s long held position of avoiding the ‘internationalization’ of Kashmir dispute would stand nowhere. In the end India allowed a 40-man team of US and British special forces – US Delta Force and Britain’s SAS – to enter Indian occupied Kashmir to hunt for bin Laden. When Britain’s daily Telegraph’s defense correspondent broke the news, Indian officials were in a fix. They denied the presence of Delta Force and SAS inside India or in Kashmir. “There is no question of allowing American or British or any foreign troops into J&K. The report is totally incorrect and baseless,” an Indian Defense Ministry spokesman was quoted as saying by the Indian media.

No trace of the terror leader was found. But it was a year later that information started trickling in about the possibility that bin Laden had availed Indian contacts and visited India. The information first reached the Pakistanis. Multiple contacts inside Afghanistan and among the Afghan Taliban talked about reports that bin Laden left the region for India. It seemed farfetched at the time. But four years later, new evidence showed that the Indians have actually moved terrorists involved in bombings inside Pakistan to India via Afghanistan. Among them was Brahamdagh Bugti, a Pakistani warlord from Balochistan, and terrorists who formed the so-called Swat Taliban that overran the scenic Swat region in 2009 before the Pakistani military defeated it.

There were three routes that bin Laden could have taken to India dodging the Pakistanis, knowing that Pervez Musharraf’s government would not hesitate in turning him over to the Americans having backstabbed pro-Pakistan Afghan Taliban officials, like the last Taliban ambassador to Islamabad Mullah Abdul Salam Zaeef. Bin Laden could have been flown from Afghanistan to India via Dubai. Or via Uzbekistan. A third possibility is that he slipped into Indian-occupied Kashmir from Pakistan.

The reports at the time said bin Laden visited two cities in southern India: Hyderabad and Bangalore. Pakistani intelligence officials tried to ascertain whether bin Laden slipped into India covertly or with help from elements in the Indian intelligence. A conclusive answer never materialized. But Pakistanis said this visit was not possible without the involvement of Indian intelligence. Yet there were no buyers in Washington and London for the Pakistani information. It is important to remember that this was 2003. Bin Laden’s family members were yet to be found hiding in Iran with Iranian intelligence help, and India was yet to be accused of supporting terrorism on the Pak-Afghan border and inside Pakistan using Afghan soil.

Pakistani officials shared this information with American and British journalists and were surprised to see them protecting India and giving it maximum benefit of the doubt. These journalists were ready to print unproven theories about Pakistan and its nuclear weapons but will not even hint at the possibility that bin Laden might have used the Himalayas to cross into India.

Myra McDonalds, a Reuters journalist, did muster the courage to mention bin Laden’s India link in a passing way in May last year. But the reason it came up was fresh developments in the India-bin Laden story.

Apparently, al Qaeda chief’s audio tape of March 2010 came from India. Security officials in the Gulf traced the tape to a courier service that booked the parcel in Bangalore. This is the same city identified by information floating in 2003 indicating bin Laden was there.

Al-Qaeda is almost decimated. There may not be more than fifty current and former al Qaeda associates in Afghanistan and Pakistan’s border region. But the Americans continue to use it as a scarecrow. Since it came into being, al Qaeda and its chief have been played by various countries according to their interests. Even now, bin Laden continues to be played to some extent by one or more strategic players. It is not possible for a wanted man in an unstable region to sustain himself for a long period of time without a hiding place protected by the sovereign powers of a spy service.

Back in late 1990s, when all doors were closed for bin Laden, he surprised everyone by taking refuge in an unexpected place: Sudan. A decade later the al Qaeda chief seems to have repeated history by going in hiding at an unexpected place.

https://ghalibsultan.wordpress.com/2011/01/24/is-osama-bin-laden-in-india/

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