Terrorism Times

Bhubaneswar (PTI): Seeking doubling of Central force deployment in extremist-infested areas of the state, Orissa government has described the naxalite problem to be "much bigger" than cross border terrorism.

This view was expressed at a two-day consultation meeting of the Commission on Centre State Relationship (CCSR) that ended here on Wednesday.

As the problem was serious, it was unjustified to leave the responsibility of tackling the menace on the state government alone, Orissa's Panchayati Raj minister Raghuath Mohanty said while presenting the state's case favouring a two-fold increase in deployment of Central forces in Maoist-hit areas.

"In many ways, naxal problem is much bigger than cross border terrorism...Therefore, the nation should tackle it with the same degree of seriousness as in case of terrorism," he said

"It was shocking to find that the Centre reduced the funds meant for modernisation of police in Orissa," the minister said, claiming that the amount had come down to Rs 35 crore from previous year's allocation of Rs 60 crore.

This apart, the state government said it has become difficult to arrange executing agencies and contractors to implement road connectivity works in naxalite-prone districts.

The naxalites try to ensure that no connectivity programme was implemented in tribal areas which have turned into havens for the out-lawed outfits.

"Executing agencies and contractors are unwilling to work in naxal-infested districts", he said adding efforts to provide road connectivity to all such areas had failed.

Islamabad (IANS): Jihadi organisations in Pakistan, including the Muttahida Jihad Council (MJC) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), are reassessing their Kashmir policy in the wake of Mumbai terror attacks, a media report said Thursday.

"As a result of mounting global pressure on Pakistan following the Mumbai assaults and the subsequent action against various Jihadi groups in the country, senior leaders of the outfits are now pondering a new, friendly policy on Kashmir," The News quoted a knowledgeable source as saying.

India has blamed the LeT for the Nov 26-29 Mumbai mayhem that claimed the lives of over 170 people, including 26 foreigners, and injured over 300. The LeT had created a stir last week when it offered to end its armed struggle in Indian administered Kashmir if Islamabad and New Delhi resolved their dispute over the state.

When The News tried to approach MJC chief Syed Salahuddin, his spokesman Ehsan Elahi said that in the emerging situation they wanted the Kashmir dispute to be settled amicably.

"It is our desire that this problem is resolved through dialogue," Elahi said, adding: "Neither is militancy an easy affair nor are we happy with it. We want peace but it does not mean that we are renouncing our stance or showing a weakness. If there is such an impression in any quarter, it is completely wrong."

Elahi also complained that the current Pakistani government, unlike past administrations, was not supporting the LeT.

"We adjust our policies in line with changes in the situation," he explained.

Islamabad (IANS): Seven suspected Al Qaeda militants, including one who was reportedly involved in the 2005 bombings of the London transport system, were arrested in Bara Qadeem area of the Khyber tribal region, a media report said on Thursday.

The Dawn newspaper reported that some foreigners were among the seven arrested by Mehsud Scouts during a raid on the house of a local militant.

The arrested men, identified only as Bakhshi, Rustam, Khalid, Ayaz, Riaz, Nisar and Zahir, were taken to Peshawar for interrogation.

Citing agencies, the report said: "The arrested men were Al Qaeda militants believed to have planned attacks on trucks taking supplies to US-led forces in Afghanistan."

A senior official said the arrested militants included a senior Al Qaeda operative wanted in connection with the July 7, 2005, suicide bombings in London. He identified the man as Zabi ul Taifi, an Arab.

"Unless we change our own habits, we will never see peace in the world," Arun Gandhi charged an audience seeking wisdom and inspiration in commemoration of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Arun Gandhi, the keynote speaker for the 2009 Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration, presented his speech, "Lessons from Grandfather," to about 500 people in Eisenhower Auditorium Wednesday night.

For Arun Gandhi, "Grandfather" just happens to be the pacifist leader Mahatma Gandhi. Though never meeting in person, King was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi's practices of nonviolence, Arun Gandhi said.

"What happened in D.C. -- the inauguration of President Obama -- is an indication of the power of nonviolence," Gandhi said.

He said that 60 years after King's nonviolent approach to the Civil Rights Movement, "hearts have changed," whereas after 60 years of bombing in Israel and Palestine, "they are no better off than the day they started." Continuing to discuss his grandfather's wisdom, Arun Gandhi described that the necessity to harness anger was the first lesson he learned from his grandfather.

"Anger is like electricity. It is as powerful and useful if channeled positively. But it is as deadly and destructive if it is abused," Arun Gandhi said, remembering his grandfather's words.

Arun Gandhi learned his second lesson when he discarded a 3-inch-long pencil alongside the road, sure his grandfather would give him a new one. However, the pacifist simply gave the 12-year-old Arun Gandhi a flashlight and told him to go find the writing utensil.

"Even in the making of a pencil, we waste natural resources. Doing so is an act of violence against nature. In an affluent economy, we over consume while others live in poverty, and this is violence against humanity," Arun Gandhi said, recollecting his grandfather's explanations.

Arun Gandhi said this caused him to realize the "depth and breadth" of his grandfather's knowledge of nonviolence. The last lesson Arun Gandhi detailed was the importance of relationships.

"Relationships need to be built on the principles of respect, understanding, acceptance, and appreciation," Gandhi said.

Students had mixed feelings about the address.

"I don't really agree with the methods, but I can see the message. I got punished a lot as a child and I'm going to stick with that," said Adaia White (sophomore-crime, law, and justice).

Others took the lessons to heart. "I like that he took something so practical and made it into a life lesson," said Liz Demeusy (freshman-psychology).

Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th president of the United States of America, becoming the nation's first black chief executive.

In his speech, the 47-year-old highlighted America's "patchwork heritage" as a strength and this day a reminder of "who we are and how far we have traveled."

"This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed," he said to a crowd thousands strong. "Why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath."

Obama, taking the oath of office on the slim Lincoln bible, centered his speech around the "gathering clouds" of economic insecurity and terrorism. He urged the nation to remember the spirit of which America was founded.

"At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office," he said, "but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents."

Vice President Joe Biden was sworn in 10 minutes before Obama, taking U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Steven's cues with practiced ease. Obama stumbled over the words of the Presidential oath, misread by U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, but recovered with a quick smile.

WASHINGTON: As many as 300 young Muslim leaders from over 70 countries, including nine from India, in an open letter asked the US President Barack Obama and the world to adopt measures that can ease tensions and foster peace with the Muslims.

While the open letter was published in The Washington Post yesterday before Obama was sworn in, a statement issued on behalf of these Muslim leaders later in the afternoon said this letter is relevant given Obama's determination to find a "new way forward" with the Muslim world based on "mutual interest and mutual respect" — a goal that he mentioned in his inaugural address this afternoon.

"To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West — know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy," Obama said.

"To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist," Obama said.

The open letter is based on the last week's Muslim Leaders of Tomorrow (MLT) conference in Doha. It outlines four key policy recommendations, which the statement said, Obama can implement to ease tensions and foster peace with the Muslim world. The letter urges Obama and other leaders to prioritise development of the youth and minorities and respect mutually held values; and pursue honest dialogue and diplomacy to resolve conflicts.

"We urge you, the world leaders of today, to take these steps, so that we, the Muslim Leaders of Tomorrow, can help steer our world towards a better future for all. We are dedicated to working with you to realise this vision. The time for change is now," said the open letter.

Jammu (PTI): Security forces have busted a LeT hideout in Doda district and recovered rations from it, police sources said here on Wednesday.

Based on information provided by an arrested LeT militant Imtiyaz Ahmed alias Saidullah, security forces conducted a search in forest area of Puneja in Bhaderwah tehsil of Doda district on Tuesday and busted a concrete hideout, they said.

Two aircel sim cards, 40 kgs of ration, four blankets, a kerosene stove and a communication set were recovered from the hideout.

Islamabad (PTI): Days after banning girls' education in the troubled northwestern Swat valley, the Pakistani Taliban has directed men in the region to wear Muslim skull caps and stop shaving their beards.

In an edict issued on Tuesday, the militants set January 25 as the deadline for the residents to start wearing caps and growing beards.

They said that after the expiry of the January 25 deadline, no man would be allowed to trim his beard as the Taliban were trying to establish a "complete Islamic society".

"The move was in the best interest of the people," they said.

The step is being seen as part of the Taliban's efforts to implement their self-styled Islamic laws in Swat, located just 160 kms from Islamabad.

Taliban have already issued a diktat to the barbers in the valley to resist from shaving and trimming beards, following which all the barbers have displayed posters saying "Shaving is banned" at their salons.

Earlier, the militants have banned girls' education from January 15. Some 400 private schools in the Swat valley of the North West Frontier Province closed down last week.

In the wake of the ban, the Taliban have destroyed at least seven more schools in Swat, including two that were blown early this morning.

The total number of schools torched or blown up by the militants has risen to nearly 190. The education of about 100,000 students, including 45,000 girls, has been affected by the destruction of these schools.

Wat The Fuck.......Lashkar offers to end jihad... Impossible.. Which game they r now going to play.. Well,,Time will disclose everything.. But this recent news really shocked me.... No one knows whether this is true or just a rumour

NEW DELHI: In a statement released to Srinagar-based journalists on Saturday, a Lashkar-e-Taiba spokesperson said it was willing to terminate its terror campaign in return for international intervention on the Kashmir issue.

“If the world listens to our cries and plays its role in resolving the Kashmir issue, there is no point in continuing fighting,” said the spokesperson, who uses the code-name “Dr. Abdullah Ghaznavi.”

“Our struggle is only confined to Kashmir,” he claimed, “and we have no relations or association with armed groups operating at international level. We have no global agenda. We just want freedom of Kashmir and if it comes peacefully we will welcome it. We don’t see armed struggle as the only way to achieve our goal. If the world listens to our cries and plays its role in resolving the Kashmir issue there would be no reason for us to fight.”

“Dr. Ghaznavi” was responding to remarks of British Foreign Secretary David Miliband, who was reported to have called for India to work more closely with Pakistan in seeking a resolution to the conflict in Jammu and Kashmir.

“Great Britain did not implement the agreed upon agenda of Partition,” ‘Dr. Ghaznavi’ said, “[and] due to this mistake committed by the British government, our nation is suffering. The Lashkar-e-Taiba was compelled to take up arms due to suffering of our Kashmiri nation. Since the world did not respond to our peaceful calls for resolution of the Kashmir issue for almost 40 years, we had no choice to take arms for our freedom.”

Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish is a Gazan and a doctor who has devoted his life to medicine and reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians.

But on Saturday, the day after three of his daughters and a niece were killed by Israeli fire in Gaza, Abuelaish, 53, struggled to hold on to the humane philosophy that has guided his life and work. As he sat in a waiting room of the Israeli hospital where he works part time, he asked over and over, “Why did they do this?”

Elsewhere in the hospital another daughter and a niece were being treated for their wounds.

“I dedicated my life really for peace, for medicine,” said Abuelaish, who does joint research projects with Israeli physicians and for years has worked as something of a one-man force to bring injured and ailing Gazans for treatment in Israel.

“This is the path I believed in and what I raised and educated my children to believe,” he said.

Abuelaish said he wanted the Israeli army to tell him why his home, which he said harboured no militants, had been fired upon. He said if a mistake had been made and an errant tank shell had hit his home, he expected an apology, not excuses.

The doctor, a recent widower, had not left Gaza since the Israeli assault began last month and was at home in the Jabaliya refugee camp with his eight children and other family members during the attack. An army spokesman said that a preliminary investigation had shown that soldiers were returning fire toward the direction of areas from which they had been fired upon.

“The Israeli Defence Forces does not target innocents or civilians, and during the operation the army has been fighting an enemy that does not hesitate to fire from within civilian targets,” said the spokesman.

The Israeli public became witness to the Abuelaish family’s tragedy on Friday night when a conversation that a television journalist was having with Abuelaish was broadcast live.

In a video now available on YouTube, the doctor implored the journalist, whom he had called, to help send assistance, wailing, “My daughters have been killed.”

Journalists had come to know him because he has been providing eyewitness accounts of the Israeli incursion for TV stations. After the broadcast, an ambulance was sent to a border crossing to pick up the doctor and the two wounded girls. His four other children remain in Gaza, and are expected to join him in Israel soon.

At the Chaim Sheba Medical Centre at Tel Hashomer on Saturday, Abuelaish was surrounded by Israeli colleagues. Several were crying.

“I hope that my children will be the last price and that this will stop,” he said, adding firmly, “That this will stop.”
— New York Times News Service

This Article Is Not Mine But I Just Copy-Paste It Here In Order To Make The Readers Know The Actual Meaning Of JIHAD, Also Lemme Know Whether He Is Right Or Wrong, I Mean Don't Forget To Leave Your Comments

Jihad is an Arabic word that means "striving in the way of God" it does not say anywhere violence Jihad is resistance it could be against your ownself to keep yourself away from the bad things or the things prohibited in Islam. Striving can take a number of forms, including the daily inner struggle to be a better person. However, jihad is often used to refer to an armed struggle fought in defense of Islam. The point I wanna make here is struggle fought in "defense" of Islam, it could be an armed struggle but only when Islam is threatened, and appear to be threatened, which i think is fair enough everyone has a right to defend himself.

Some people misinterpret it for their own personal advantages, they think they are doing good to Islam but actually they are not, they have made groups supported by different foriegn countries, those countries use these Islamic Extremist groups for political pupose. Now a days Jihad is not what it is, its been misused and misinterpreted by a small group of people who is misusing the word of Islam and the passion muslims have for Islam, just to play a Nasty game of Politics.

(comments are more than welcome)

Adil Javed, London

Fucked Yaar Scored Only 78 Percentiles in CAT This Year But Whatever I Am Still Happy & Satisfied Afterall I Scored This Score Without Any Preparation....Hahaaha.. I Hope All Those Who Deserve The Selection I Mean Those Who Prepared Heartily Would Have Been Selected..

The results of the Common Admission Test (CAT) are out. Management seat aspirants across the country — 2,46,546 who sat for this important examination on November 16 — found that the results this year were easy to access. Previously, candidates could check their percentiles only online and had to wait for call letters from the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) to be delivered by post. This time around, the IIMs seem to have pulled up their socks, beefed up the bandwidth and provided an integrated web site, making the process simple, quick and easy, almost at the click of a mouse.

The web site worked with clockwork precision, and candidates were saved the otherwise tedious, anxiety-ridden process of browsing through different IIM web sites and going through multiple servers crashing through the day.

With nearly 4,500 getting call letters, one significant part of this two-stage battle is over. CAT 2008 is only the first stage of the admission process to the much-coveted Postgraduate Programme in Management on offer at the seven IIMs in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Kolkata, Indore, Kozhikode, Lucknow and Shillong.

The Next Step

For the few who made it, the path ahead is steep, long and arduous; with barely 2,000 seats on offer, the competition will be tough. Ajay Arora of the Triumphant Institute of Management Education (T.I.M.E.), Bangalore, said that the number of candidates called for group discussion (GD) and personal interviews (PI) has seen an increase. “This can be attributed to the fact that the next level of the quota for Other Backward Classes will kick in from this year. With this, the number of seats will naturally see an increase,” he said. For instance, the number of seats on offer at IIM, Bangalore, has gone up from 250 in 2007 to 275 in 2008. Furthermore, IIM, Bangalore, in November, announced that it had decided to increase its intake for its Postgraduate Programme in Management (PGP) by 75, increasing its total capacity to 345.

Mr. Arora had a piece of advice for candidates who received calls for the GD and PI stage, scheduled from the second week of February. “They should start preparing for the GD and PI in earnest. Though the CAT results are being announced around 10 days late this year, the IIMs are not going to change the GD and PI dates. GD and PI will be held during early February and this leaves students with only three weeks’ time to prepare.”

Differing Criteria

Experts point out that cut-offs are not common for all IIMs. Neither is the modus operandi used to short-list students for the second stage.
For instance, 100-percentiler Lakshmisha S.K. was surprised that he did not receive a call from IIM, Kozhikode.
Same is the case with Ameya Mhatre, who shares the perfect score, but did not get a call from IIM, Shillong. What more can an institute want from a candidate who has scored a perfect 100?
“Maybe, it has to do with the fact that my engineering marks aren’t top-notch. I do not know,” Mhatre says.

Enjoy Movie Review Of The Week: Chandni Chowk To China

Film: “Chandni Chowk To China”;
Music Director: Kailash Kher, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Naresh, Paresh, Bappi Lahiri, Bohemia;
Lyricist: Kailash Kher, Rajat Arora, Bohemia;
Singer: Shankar Mahadevan, Shreya Ghoshal, Bohemia, Kailash Kher, Akshay Kumar, Neeraj Sridhar, Anushka Manchanda and Ravi K. Tripathi;
Rating : ***1/2

It seems director Nikhil Advani doesn’t want to leave any stone unturned to make “Chandni Chowk To China” a blockbuster. So, he roped in a host of composers - Kailash Kher, Naresh, Paresh, Bohemia, Shanker-Ehsaan-Loy and Bappi Lahiri to churn out lilting music for his film. Most of the composers have produced unique compositions and given the album an edge.

The title track begins with a typical Chinese tune and maintains this at patches. Along with this is merged a very Indian touch as well as a slight hip-hop tinge. Though all this might sound like a disaster in the making, “Chandni Chowk To China” turns out to be quite an entertainer. The track is extremely enjoyable and is an appropriate title piece. The rendition by Neeraj Sridhar, Anushka Manchanda and Shankar is superb, not to forget Rajat Arora’s lyrics.

A very non-commercial track comes in the form of “Chak lein de”. Kailash Kher, who has composed this number along with Naresh and Paresh, has also rendered and written the piece. The track carries a lot of power, shown through the beats and Kher’s rendition. The singer deserves credit for inspiring lyrics.

“India se aaya tera dost” is based 1970s popular number “Bombay se aaya mera dost” from “Aap Ki Khatir”, which was composed by Bappi Lahiri. But this new version stands nowhere in comparison to the older piece, despite the fact that Bappi Lahiri has composed the tunes and sung it as well. Neither is his rendition interesting nor the musical arrangements appealing.

Kailash returns with “S.I.D.H.U.”, a narrative about the protagonist, Sidhu. Though the track may not appeal immediately to listeners because it doesn’t have a zany feel, yet the song grows on you soon with its very Indian wrapping. The tabla and Kher’s voice give the track a very nice effect. Once again the lyrics have been written by Kailash.

A pure melody comes in the form of “Tere naina” composed by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. The pairing of Shankar and Shreya Ghoshal is simply fabulous and one would love to hear it again and again. Rajat’s lyrics are another reason why one would love to hear this romantic track repeatedly. “Tere naina” is simple, melodic and extremely appealing to the ears.

All in all, the album of “Chandni Chowk To China” is a sure shot entertainer.

Hello everyone, Now it has been a long time that the every newspaper found to be overflown by recession news. Hence, I decided to peep in deep in the matter just to find out some valuable information regarding Recession, like How to Defeat This Period? & Who Is Responsible? Blah blah blah.... Read it and let me know whether I am right or wrong

Defeating Recession

Recession is the fashion and talk of the town. In India we may be facing it for the first time directly, but in this Global Village, we can’t remain isolated. Sometimes I wonder how recession can come in one day. One fine morning you wake up and see a headline in bold black letters ‘World in Recession’. Then companies start their cost cutting operation. Job cutting is the first thing in their plan. A day back when the same employee was earning profits for company, how can he/she become unproductive in one day? Recession is the time when companies should come forward and assure their employees about their future and analyse the cause of slump.

Who Is Responsible

What was the cause of Lehman Brothers becoming bankrupt? Was it not because of the wrong decisions and the policies of the management rather than the mistake of the employees of the company? When Citibank’s shares are plunging downwards and their debts increasing has their top management been sleeping?

Why fill the bank accounts of celebrities and film stars for endorsements in this time of recession? It can save lot of money and at least can also save a few hundred families from starvation. Can’t we work without investing huge amounts in the interiors of the offices? Why not have meetings in the office premises? There is need to find new markets for our service and manufacturing industry. We can’t remain solely dependent on the American market. And last but not the least appeal to big business magnates, you earn billions of dollars of profit every year through your employees; can’t you share the company’s burden at this time? Don’t shy away from social responsibility especially in a country like India.

I may sound to be socialist in this capitalist world but these measures can certainly bring down expenditures and help in cost cutting. Job-cutting should be the last measure.

Yes, American government can bailout their companies and people with a seven hundred billion package but who will bailout the Indian middle class?

Effective Cost Cutting

Surely we can ourselves fight and defeat recession. Think about people in deserts who know the value of every drop of water. They conserve water during the monsoon for use in summer. We, middle class people, should follow the same policy. Value the power of money and save it for the future. It is true that due to economic boom, lots of money has come to middle class. But is it wise to waste it on lavish marriages and luxury items?

Cars have become the next fashion and passion for the middle class. But you can use public transport to save your money and some precious oil also. If you still want the comfort of car travel, start using a car pool.

Don’t try to invest in share markets, if you have proper knowledge and expertise. Be safe and happy. Try to invest in diverse sectors so that risk is less.Try to have back up career options, especially technology and financial professionals. Rise may be steep but fall is also very hard. There will certainly be a new sunrise but we must keep in mind that night can come again.

Well buddies, How was my first post? Did you like that? Then post comments yaar.. Oomph.... Through this post I'll update your knowledge because I am gonna tell you about the major hostage crises similar to Mumbai attacks in one or the other way...

Major Hostage Crises Worldwide

September 5, 1972: Members of the Palestinian group Black September killed two Israeli athletes and seized nine others at the Olympic Village in Munich, West Germany, during the olympics. Nine hostages, five militants and one German officer died in the botched rescue.

June 27, 1976: Palestinian and Baader-Meinhof militants forced an Air France jet to land at Entebbe, Uganda. The Israeli army rescued 103 hostages from the airport terminal in a battle with terrorists and Uganda troops; 32 killed in all.

November 4, 1979: Iranian radicals seized the US embassy in Tehran, taking 66 Americans hostage; 52 were held until January 20, 1981.

November 20, 1979: 200 Islamist terrorists seized the grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia and held hundreds of pilgrims hostage. Saudi forces retook the mosque on December 4; about 250 died.

October 23, 2002: Chechen gureillas seized a theatre in Moscow, held 700 people hostage; Russian authorities gassed the theatre; most guerillas and about 128 hostages were killed.

September 1, 2004: Militants seized a school in Beslan in North Ossetia, Russia; held 1000 plus people hostage for three days before Russian troops stormed the school. About 330 were killed including 27 militants. Blamed on Chechen militants.

July 2007: Seven Chinese nationals were taken hostage and hundreds of radical students were holed up at the Lal Masjid in the Aabpara area of Islamabad. The hostages were freed the same day and 1200 students later surrendered to the police. Commandos and soldiers stormed the Lal Masjid-Jamia Hafsa compound and seized control from militants after eight days.

Unite Against Terrorism