Muslim support for suicide attacks, Osama down
* Support for suicide bombings has fallen by 28 percent to five percent in last six years in Pakistan
WASHINGTON: The number of Muslims globally supporting suicide attacks and Al Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden has fallen sharply in the past six years, a survey by a US think-tank showed on Thursday.
The Pew Research Centre however warned in its Global Attitudes Project that significant Muslim minorities in eight countries continue to endorse suicide bombings and support the Al Qaeda chief.
In Lebanon, the number of Muslims who said suicide attacks can be justified often or sometimes in defence of Islam fell from 74 percent to 32 percent between 2002 and 2008, the study showed.
Suicide bombings: In Pakistan, support for suicide bombings has fallen by 28 percent to five percent in the past six years.
In Jordan, support has dropped 18 percent since 2002, but a quarter of Jordanian Muslims still support suicide attacks.
Even though numbers have fallen by 15 percent in six years in Indonesia, around 10 percent continue to support suicide attacks.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, where around half the population is Muslim, also saw a 15 percent decline in support, but that left nearly one-third still supporting suicide bombings.
Turkey and Tanzania saw declines in support for suicide bombings by 10 and six percent, respectively.
Support in Turkey was the lowest of any of the countries surveyed, with only three percent telling Pew pollsters in March and April that they back suicide bombings.
Large numbers of Muslims in the eight countries also said they had lost confidence in Bin Laden in terms of world affairs, although support for the Al Qaeda leader remained high in some countries.
In Nigeria, support for Bin Laden is at 60 percent, the same as it was five years ago.
Support for Bin Laden fell from nearly six in 10 Indonesian Muslims, and from nearly half in Pakistan in 2003 to one-third today.
The most dramatic drop in support for Bin Laden was seen in Jordan, where around 19 percent of Muslims expressed confidence in him this year, down from 60 percent just three years ago.
More than 24,000 people in 24 countries were surveyed this year for the project, including just under 8,000 in the eight countries asked for their views on suicide bombings and Bin Laden.
Bush says US government role needed to ease crisis
Updated at: 0153 PST, Saturday, September 20, 2008
Bush says US government role needed to ease crisis WASHINGTON: U.S. President George W. Bush said Friday that U.S. government intervention in financial markets is not only warranted but “it is essential'' to calm nervous consumers and to halt the worst financial crisis in decades.
“America's economy is facing unprecedented challenges. We're responding with unprecedented measures,'' Bush said in a Rose Garden statement. Standing alongside were Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and Christopher Cox, chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
"This is a pivotal moment for America's economy,'' Bush said. He said that a financial contagion that began with sub-prime home mortgages has “spread throughout our financial system'' and "led to an erosion of confidence that has frozen many financial transactions,'' including ones to ordinary consumers and small businesses.
"We must act now to protect our nation's health from serious risk,'' he said.
He said steps being envisioned by the administration, which Paulson said earlier Friday could entail "hundreds of billions'' of dollars were not without risk.
“Significant amounts of taxpayer dollars are on the line,'' Bush said. Even so, he added, “We expect this money will eventually be paid back.''
It was the third time this week that Bush has spoken on the financial crisis in an effort to calm jittery consumers and markets.
He pledged to work in a bipartisan way with the Democratic-controlled Congress on a system wide proposal to improve the health of U.S. financial institutions.
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No one allowed to violate territorial integrity of Pakistan: President Zardari
Updated at: 1553 PST, Saturday, September 20, 2008
No one allowed to violate territorial integrity of Pakistan: President Zardari ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has said that no country would be allowed to violate territorial integrity of Pakistan in the name of curbing terrorism.
Addressing his maiden Joint Parliamentary session here, the President said that he was grateful to Almighty Allah over his election as President of Pakistan. He said that Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto laid her life for the cause of democracy.
President Zardari urged the parliament to form an all parties committee to remove distortions in the constitution and ‘revisit’ the 17th Amendment and Article 58(2)B. “Never before in the history of this country has a President stood here and given away his powers”, Zardari said in his maiden address to the joint sitting of the parliament since taking oath as President on September 9.
He said it was the responsibility of the elected representatives to remove these distortions in the Constitution made by the successive dictators to prolong their rule.
The President in his address touched all issues of national importance as well as the challenges facing the country including the war against terrorism, regional situation, economic downturn, foreign policy and the relations with the neighboring countries.
“My dream is to free this great country from the shackles of poverty, hunger, terrorism and disunity.”
President Zardari said a heavy national agenda challenges the government, and “It is the agenda of moving quickly to heal the wounds of the past and restore the trust in the federation.”
He said successive blows have weakened the federation, which needs to be strengthened.
“For this, the bitterness of the past must give way to reconciliation and harmony. I believe that the 1973 constitution is the only consensus document that can fashion such a social contract”, he added.
The President asked the government to start consensus-building process on provincial autonomy and the allocation of resources through a new formula that meets the needs of a united federation.
Referring to the past excesses against Baloch people, the President said tendering an apology to the people of Balochistan was a long overdue step.
The release from captivity of former Chief Minister Balochistan is also a positive move, he said adding the resolution recently, of a longstanding dispute and payment of billions of rupees to Balochistan is a step in the right direction.
“But much more needs to be done”, he stressed.
Similarly, the President said the people of the Northern Areas must also get their basic rights, representative rule and an independent judiciary.
“We believe in the independence of the judiciary and all matters concerning the judiciary shall be resolved in accordance with the constitution and law”, he added.
President Zardari said his address to the joint session of the Parliament, in less than two weeks after his election as President shows that the coalition holds the parliament in the highest esteem.
It also shows that the government accords the highest priority to the fulfillment of its obligations under the Constitution and law, he added.
“Under dictatorship, the Parliament was stripped of its powers, and not given due respect.”
He regretted that despite the constitutional requirement the head of the state in the last eight years only once addressed the joint sitting of the parliament.
President Zardari assured the legislators that parliament would never be bypassed in matters of national importance.
“The days of constitutional deviation and bypassing the Parliament while taking decisions of national importance are over.”
He made it clear that the President and the government must always seek guidance from the Parliament in carrying out their duties.
“We are committed to upholding the sanctity of the Constitution, supremacy of the Parliament, and, rule of law.
“The cardinal principle of our governance is respect for the mandate of the people as manifested in the February 18 elections.”
About the menace of terrorism and extremism, the President said, “We must root out terrorism and extremism wherever and whenever they may rear their ugly heads.”
Reforming the tribal areas and bringing them into the mainstream of national life can no longer be delayed, he said and added they must be treated at par with the rest of their Pakistani brethren.
The President also spoke of the government’s three-pronged strategy to meet the challenge posed by the extremist and terrorist elements in the Tribal Areas and the adjoining regions.
He said the strategy comprises: firstly to make peace with those who are willing to keep the peace and renounce violence; secondly to invest in the development and social uplift of the local people.
The use force will only be a last resort against those who refuse to surrender their arms, take the law into their hands, challenge the writ of the Government and attack security forces, he added.
The President said he would request the government to hold a national security briefing for an in-camera joint session of Parliament, so that all stakeholders have ownership of this policy.
“Let everyone have an opportunity to make an informed judgment about the risks to our beloved country and about how we should move forward with responsibility and clarity of vision.”
He said the government should be firm in its resolve to not allow the use of its soil for carrying out terrorist activities against any foreign country.
The President however stated in categorical terms that Pakistan would not tolerate the violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity by any power in the name of combating terrorism.
Zardari said, as the world has become a dangerous place for nations with conflict on their borders, Pakistan needs peace not only within but also in its neighborhood.
“At all times, we must keep our national interest in mind”, he said and added “this means understanding the limits of confrontation.”
Under this strategy, Zardari said, President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai was especially invited to his oath taking ceremony.
It was as a mark of Pakistan’s sincere desire and consistent efforts to promote close relations and strengthen cooperation with the brotherly country of Afghanistan, he added.
On relations with India, he said, the government believes that relations between the two countries can and should be creatively reinvented.
He recalled that Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto had said, “It is time for new ideas. It is time for bold commitment. And it is time for honesty, both among people and between people. There has been enough pain. It is time for reconciliation.”
The President said for these ideas and for seeking peaceful relations in the region, “we were once called, a “security risk” by our critics. “But ideas cannot be killed by repression.”
He said the Charter of Democracy binds the government to a framework of peace and justice for the people of Pakistan and peace and friendship with India.
Pakistan has decided to resume the composite-dialogue process with India, driving its relations through enhanced trade, he added.
He expressed complete commitment to the Kashmiri people in their just struggle for their fundamental rights.
“We will continue to seek the settlement of all outstanding disputes, including the dispute over Jammu and Kashmir so that the main hurdle in the way towards peace and full normalization of relations between Pakistan and India is removed.”
President Zardari said as a new initiative a cross-LoC trade as a pioneering CBM in Kashmir will be started.
He also proposed a more liberal visa regime to further expand people-to-people contacts and friendly exchanges, and establish new facilities for the visiting Sikh and Hindu pilgrims.
He urged the Parliament to form a bipartisan caucus for the purpose of resolving outstanding disputes relating to Kashmir and the Indus Water head works.
“All parties must be represented on this caucus so that the nation is united on this key issue and draws strength by speaking in one voice.”
Foreigners among 40 killed in Islamabad suicide attack
Updated at: 2046 PST, Saturday, September 20, 2008
ISLAMABAD: Foreigners among 40 killed in Islamabad suicide attack ISLAMABAD.At least 40 people were killed, including foreigners and over 70 others injured when an explosives laden truck rammed into a five star hotel here on Saturday.
The wounded, many of them critically, have been brought the local hospitals.
The powerful explosion caused fire in many parts of the hotel besides shattering the windowpanes of the buildings around the hotel.
Rescue operation is underway to bring out the people trapped inside the hotel.
Emergency has been declared in the hospitals of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
About 50 to 60 kilograms of explosive material was used in the deadly explosion, sources said.
This hotel in Islamabad is a favorite place for foreigners to stay and gather, and it has previously been targeted by militants.
Ambulances rushed to the scene, where a fire also burned, smoke hovered and the carcasses of vehicles were scattered.
According to senior correspondent of Geo News, Hamid Mir, about 100 people are feared dead in the attack.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, and its exact cause was unclear. But Pakistan, a U.S. ally in the war on terror, has faced a wave of militant violence in recent weeks following army-led offensives against insurgents in its border
regions, though the capital has avoided most of the bloodshed.
Source:
Daily Times,
GEO