Deepening military rift between the US and Pakistan

The deep public rift between the intelligence agencies of the US and Pakistan has now extended to the military.

The US officer who has done the most to build up ties with the Pakistan military has criticised it openly.

Adm Mike Mullen, the top US military official, has visited Pakistan more than 20 times, and invested an unusually large amount of time to build a relationship with Pakistan's army chief Gen Ashfaq Kayani.

Gen Kayani has invested an equal amount of time and energy in maintaining a close relationship with the US military, despite differences ever since the Afghan Taliban were defeated in 2001.

From the start, the Pakistan army objected to the occupation of Kabul by the Afghan Northern Alliance, the initial domination of the government by non-Pashtuns, and the refusal of the Americans to involve Pakistan in helping rebuild the Afghan army.

More differences arose after Pakistan gave sanctuary and support to the leadership of the Afghan Taliban who relaunched their insurgency in Afghanistan in 2003.

Since then the Taliban insurgency has grown to cover all of Afghanistan.

The US-Nato alliance has had to deploy 150,000 troops and the war has spawned the Pakistani Taliban, which the Pakistani army did not initially see as a danger but now sees as a major threat.

Yet throughout this time, as the relationship has changed, shaped by events on the ground and in Washington, the two men have remained close friends and have tried to understand the reasons for the strategy adopted by the other.

Each one has had to defend their relationship among their colleagues. Adm Mullen has been criticised by Congressmen, the CIA and even his military colleagues for being too soft on the Pakistan army.

Deepening military rift between the US and Pakistan

The deep public rift between the intelligence agencies of the US and Pakistan has now extended to the military.

The US officer who has done the most to build up ties with the Pakistan military has criticised it openly.

Adm Mike Mullen, the top US military official, has visited Pakistan more than 20 times, and invested an unusually large amount of time to build a relationship with Pakistan's army chief Gen Ashfaq Kayani.

Gen Kayani has invested an equal amount of time and energy in maintaining a close relationship with the US military, despite differences ever since the Afghan Taliban were defeated in 2001.

From the start, the Pakistan army objected to the occupation of Kabul by the Afghan Northern Alliance, the initial domination of the government by non-Pashtuns, and the refusal of the Americans to involve Pakistan in helping rebuild the Afghan army.

More differences arose after Pakistan gave sanctuary and support to the leadership of the Afghan Taliban who relaunched their insurgency in Afghanistan in 2003.

Since then the Taliban insurgency has grown to cover all of Afghanistan.

The US-Nato alliance has had to deploy 150,000 troops and the war has spawned the Pakistani Taliban, which the Pakistani army did not initially see as a danger but now sees as a major threat.

Yet throughout this time, as the relationship has changed, shaped by events on the ground and in Washington, the two men have remained close friends and have tried to understand the reasons for the strategy adopted by the other.

Each one has had to defend their relationship among their colleagues. Adm Mullen has been criticised by Congressmen, the CIA and even his military colleagues for being too soft on the Pakistan army.

US president Barrack Obama authorises the use of Predator drones - To carry out air strikes against Dictator Gaddafi's brutal ground forces !

US president Barack Obama has approved the use of armed drones in Libya, authorising US airstrikes against ground forces for the first time since America turned control of the military operation over to NATO.


The first armed drone mission since Obama's go-ahead was flown on Thursday, but the aircraft, armed with Hellfire missiles, turned back due to poor weather conditions without firing any of its munitions.


Pradator drones have routinely been flying surveillance missions in Libya, Robert Gates, the US defence secretary, told reporters at a Pentagon briefing on Thursday.


He said the US will provide up to two 24-hour combat air patrols each day by the unmanned Predators.


Marine General James Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the drones can help counteract the Dictator Muammar Gaddafi forces' tactic of traveling in civilian vehicles that make it difficult to distinguish them from pro democractic forces.


"What they will bring that is unique to the conflict is their ability to get down lower, therefore to be able to get better visibility on targets that have started to dig themselves into defensive positions," Cartwright said.


"They are uniquely suited for urban areas."


He added, "It's very difficult to pick friend from foe. So a vehicle like the Predator that can get down lower and can get IDs better, helps us." He further Said.


What are USA Predator drones (RQ-1 / MQ-1 Predator) ?

Role/type	Remote controlled, UAV
Manufacturer	General Atomics Aeronautical Systems
First flight	January 1994
Introduction	1995
Status	Active
Primary user	United States Air Force
Produced	1995–Present
Number built	360 (285 RQ-1, 75 MQ-1)[1]
Unit cost	~ $4.5 million[2]
Developed from	General Atomics GNAT
Variants	MQ-1C Grey Eagle
Developed into	MQ-9 Reaper

US president Barrack Obama authorises the use of Predator drones - To carry out air strikes against Dictator Gaddafi's brutal ground forces !

US president Barack Obama has approved the use of armed drones in Libya, authorising US airstrikes against ground forces for the first time since America turned control of the military operation over to NATO.


The first armed drone mission since Obama's go-ahead was flown on Thursday, but the aircraft, armed with Hellfire missiles, turned back due to poor weather conditions without firing any of its munitions.


Pradator drones have routinely been flying surveillance missions in Libya, Robert Gates, the US defence secretary, told reporters at a Pentagon briefing on Thursday.


He said the US will provide up to two 24-hour combat air patrols each day by the unmanned Predators.


Marine General James Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the drones can help counteract the Dictator Muammar Gaddafi forces' tactic of traveling in civilian vehicles that make it difficult to distinguish them from pro democractic forces.


"What they will bring that is unique to the conflict is their ability to get down lower, therefore to be able to get better visibility on targets that have started to dig themselves into defensive positions," Cartwright said.


"They are uniquely suited for urban areas."


He added, "It's very difficult to pick friend from foe. So a vehicle like the Predator that can get down lower and can get IDs better, helps us." He further Said.


What are USA Predator drones (RQ-1 / MQ-1 Predator) ?

Role/type	Remote controlled, UAV
Manufacturer	General Atomics Aeronautical Systems
First flight	January 1994
Introduction	1995
Status	Active
Primary user	United States Air Force
Produced	1995–Present
Number built	360 (285 RQ-1, 75 MQ-1)[1]
Unit cost	~ $4.5 million[2]
Developed from	General Atomics GNAT
Variants	MQ-1C Grey Eagle
Developed into	MQ-9 Reaper

Alaska Fisherman's Life - Dangerous Fish and Crab Hunting Photos Collection

Alaska Fisherman's Life - Dangerous Fish and Crab Hunting Photos Collection

Newyork Pillow Fight Pictures | Festival In USA | USA Festival With Photos

Feeling a little angry about the economy? What better place to let it out than at a pillow fight in front of the New York Stock Exchange.
Participation was not limited to laid-off bankers and brokers gone-broke.



Anyone, from the jobless, to the newly-401K-challenged, to the economically unscathed was welcome.Hundreds of people converged on Wall Street to participate in the event, organized by a group called Newmindspace and timed to coincide with other pillow fights taking place the world over.



It was the fourth time the event had been held in New York, and the first one fashioned as an outlet for people's rage against the recession



But participants might find themselves needing to make a small expenditure - say, at a store that sells bedding - after the event. It was strictly bring-your-own-pillow



And despite appearances to the contrary, the pillows were required to be feather-free. Good for stress, and hypoallergenic, too

Newyork Pillow Fight Pictures | Festival In USA | USA Festival With Photos

Feeling a little angry about the economy? What better place to let it out than at a pillow fight in front of the New York Stock Exchange.
Participation was not limited to laid-off bankers and brokers gone-broke.



Anyone, from the jobless, to the newly-401K-challenged, to the economically unscathed was welcome.Hundreds of people converged on Wall Street to participate in the event, organized by a group called Newmindspace and timed to coincide with other pillow fights taking place the world over.



It was the fourth time the event had been held in New York, and the first one fashioned as an outlet for people's rage against the recession



But participants might find themselves needing to make a small expenditure - say, at a store that sells bedding - after the event. It was strictly bring-your-own-pillow



And despite appearances to the contrary, the pillows were required to be feather-free. Good for stress, and hypoallergenic, too

Yes We Can "Yes We Did!" - Barack Obama Fan Club & Will-I-Am

Palestinian bakers sell Obama bread following the US senator's victory in the US presidential election at a bakery in the West Bank city of Ramallah.



Students reach out to kiss a cutout of U.S. President-elect Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) at the American Centre in New Delhi November 5, 2008. India hailed the election of Obama as the next U.S. president on Wednesday, saying his "extraordinary journey" to the White House would inspire people not only in his country but around the world.



People take photographs of a sand sculpture of U.S. President-elect Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) at Prui beach in eastern Indian November 5, 2008.



An Indian artist makes a painting of American president elect Barack Obama and Mahatma Gandhi to mark the victory of Obama in Ahmadabad, India, Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2008.



Palestinian painter Waleed Ayyoub adds the last touches on a painting he drew of Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama, in the center of the West Bank city of Ramallah, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2008.



Local people stand near a painting featuring U.S. Presidential candidate Barack Obama, center, alongside, from left, former U.S. President Bill Clinton, current U.S. President George W. Bush and Britain's Queen Elizabeth II during a gathering of people in Kogelo village, Kenya, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2008.



Robert Kraybill of New York wears a T-shirt in support of U.S. presidential nominee Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) at the American Club in Singapore November 5, 2008. The Chinese characters on the T-shirt read "obama".



Indonesians passes a giant poster of U.S. Presidential candidate Barack Obama Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2008 at Obama's former school in Jakarta, Indonesia.



An Indonesian woman in a shopping mall looks over giant posters of U.S. Presidential candidate Barack Obama Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2008 at Obama's former school in Jakarta, Indonesia.



College students cheer while posing with a cutout of U.S. President-elect Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) at the American Centre in New Delhi November 5, 2008.



A man points to a cut-out of U.S. President-elect Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) during a news conference at Obama's ancestral home in Nyangoma Kogelo village, 430km (267 miles) west of Kenya's capital Nairobi, November 5, 2008.



Students hold placards to celebrate the victory of U.S. President-elect Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) in Multan November 5, 2008. Obama's victory fostered hopes in Pakistan that the United States would become less overbearing towards its ally in the war on terrorism, and nurture the country's recent return to civilian-led democracy.