These news clips are sponsored by the Indian American Center for Political Awareness.

--- South Asian News, October 18, 2002 --- (International)

The State of Indian Kashmir comes under federal rule as political parties fail to form a coalition government within the deadline. Meanwhile, violence continues as seven separatist militants are killed by the Indian troops while trying to cross from Pakistan. In a minor setback to the easing tensions, the Indian authorities have expressed doubts about Prime Minister Vajpayee's visit to Pakistan. In other stories, the Sri Lankan government considers fresh elections as an option to reduce the powers of the President. The Editorials today discuss the post-poll scenario in Pakistan and what it means for Kashmir and the war on terror.

Africa

N/A

Americas

* Indian Kashmir placed under governor's rule (Globe and Mail)
* Pakistan to match Indian troop cuts (The News Mexico) (The Star) (Globe and Mail)

Asia-Pacific

* Kashmir under federal rule (Australian News) (Australian Broadcasting) (Daily Telegraph) (Channel News Asia)
* 19 killed in Jammu, Kashmir (Xinhuanet)
* Indian army: troops pull back will take upto 6 weeks (Xinhuanet)
* Pakistani troops fire heavy artillery across Line of Control (Xinhuanet)
* India noncommittal on PM's participation at SAARC meet (Xinhuanet)
* India urges SE Asia to broaden fight against terrorism (Australian Broadcasting)
* Unmanned U.S. aircraft crashes in Pakistan (Japan Today)
* Sri Lanka gov't hints at election (Japan Today)
* Pakistan gave nuke technology to N Korea (Channel News Asia)

Europe

* Indian Kashmir under federal rule (BBC)
* Suspected militants killed in Kashmir (BBC)
* Joint Pakistan-US military exercises (BBC)
* Pakistan poll figures show anomalies (BBC)
* Sri Lanka may face fresh elections (BBC)
* Probe into deaths by starvation (BBC)

Middle East

* India imposes governor's rule in Kashmir (IRNA) (Gulf News)
* 16 die in Kashmir battles (Gulf Daily News)
* Indian troops withdrawal vindicates Pak stand on dialogue: (IRNA) (Gulf News)
* Pakistan's Islamic groups welcome withdrawal of Indo-Pak forces (IRNA)
* Summit visit 'is doubtful' (Gulf Daily News)
* Coalition to press for snap poll in Lanka (Gulf Daily News) (Gulf News)
* India, US air forces to hold joint exercises in Agra (IRNA)
* India, Malaysia discuss Kashmir, Iraq (IRNA)
* PML-N to stage rallies, protests (Gulf News)
* PPPP, MMA enjoy consensus almost on all issues: Pak politician (IRNA)
* Unmanned American spy plane crashes in Pakistan (IRNA)
* Asia-Pacific cooperatives seminar begins in New Delhi (IRNA)
* Mahathir, Musharraf talks to focus on trade ties (IRNA)
* $73m being spent on Pak-Afghan border security, says Pak minister (IRNA)
* Pakistan elections internal issue, says Afghan spokesman (IRNA)
* India's CII business delegation to visit Iran (IRNA)

Editorial


* Why Does India Withdraw Troops from Pakistan (People Daily)
* Watch for more tension (International Herald Tribune)
* Nothing much to cheer about (International Herald Tribune)

Business/Technology


N/A

Africa


N/A

Americas

* Indian Kashmir placed under governor's rule

Srinagar, India -- The governor of Indian Kashmir took over the state's administration yesterday as political parties failed to break a deadlock over who would lead a new coalition. Governor G. C. Saxena asked Mr. Abdullah earlier yesterday to continue as caretaker chief minister until a government was in place in Jammu and Kashmir state, which is at the centre of a military standoff between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan. "The state has been put under governor's rule after Farooq Abdullah refused to continue as caretaker chief minister," an official spokesman said.

http://www.globeandmail.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/PEstory/TGAM/20021018/
UKASHNSB/Asia/internationalAsia/internationalAsia_temp/6/6/9/

* Pakistan to match Indian troop cuts

Pakistan matched rival India in pledging to withdraw hundreds of thousands of troops from their border Thursday, beginning a mutual stand-down after months of heightened tension that brought the South Asian nuclear neighbors to the brink of war. The government said soldiers would be pulled back to "peacetime locations," and that the withdrawal would begin soon. The moves were welcomed in Washington, which considers both countries allies and has sent top diplomats to the region to try to defuse the situation. The Foreign Ministry said the decision was made after a top-level meeting chaired by President Pervez Musharraf.

http://www.thenewsmexico.com/noticia.asp?id=37832
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/
Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=&call_page=TS_World&call_
pageid=&call_pagepath=News/World&col=
http://www.globeandmail.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/PEstory/TGAM/20021018/UREPOM-1/Asia/
internationalAsia/internationalAsia_temp/7/7/9/

Asia-Pacific

* Kashmir under federal rule

The Indian federal government has assumed direct rule over India's portion of Kashmir after state parliamentarians failed to agree on a coalition government following inconclusive state elections. The temporary move was aimed at avoiding political crisis and put the federal government's top representative in Jammu-Kashmir state, Governor Girish Chandra Saxena, in charge until state parties could agree on a new government, the governor's office said. The Indian governor, Saxena, had extended a deadline for the parties to agree on a government and asked the incumbent chief minister, Farooq Abdullah, to stay on as a caretaker. But Abdullah refused to agree to the plan.

http://theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,5312953%255E401,00.html
http://abc.net.au/asiapacific/news/GoAsiaPacificBNA_704557.htm
http://www.dailytelegraph.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,5312953%255E401,00.html
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/southasia/view/22164/1/.html

* 19 killed in Jammu, Kashmir

Eleven militants, seven of them Pakistani intruders, and four security soldiers were among 19 people killed since Wednesday evening in Jammu and Kashmir where militants set off two Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blasts. Security forces killed seven Pakistani intruders, five of them in Poonch sector, who were provided cover fire by Pakistani rangers, an army spokesman said. Five militants belonging to Tehrik-i-Jehad outfit were killed when troops intercepted them near Mahiri in Poonch, he said. Security forces shot dead two Pakistani intruders and defused an IED in Rajouri district, the spokesman said. Two army personnel were killed when militants fired at a security force patrol in Kupwara district, according to the Press Trust of India.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2002-10/18/content_600225.htm

* Indian army: troops pull back will take upto 6 weeks

A gigantic task faces the Indian army in ferrying over 500,000 troops back to their peace time locations from the Indo-Pak border with the phased pull-back expected to take upto six weeks. The three services Chiefs Gen. S Padmanabhan, Air Chief MarshalS Krishnaswamy and Admiral Madhvendra Singh Thursday chaired high level meetings at their respective forces headquarters to chalk out the plans for demobilization. Highly placed army officials said that initially the pull back would start from the international border facing Punjab and then subsequently troops from Rajasthan, Gujarat and Jammu sector wouldbe withdrawn, according to the Press Trust of India.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2002-10/17/content_600158.htm

* Pakistani troops fire heavy artillery across Line of Control

Pakistani troops fired heavy artillery and mortar shells in various sectors of Jammu and Kashmir from across the Line of Control (LoC) since Wednesday evening but there was no damage or casualty on the Indian side, a defense spokesman said Thursday. Artillery and mortar firing from across the LoC was reported inKargil and Mushkoh sectors for two hours Wednesday evening, he said, adding Indian troops gave an adequate response. Pakistani troops also targeted Kanzalwan area in Kupwara district and Siachen glacier in Ladakh with mortar fire last nightforcing Indian troops to retaliate, he said.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2002-10/17/content_600153.htm

* India noncommittal on PM's participation at SAARC meet

The Indian government Thursday remained noncommittal on Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's participation at the SAARC Summit in Pakistan next January and said there was no point in going "just to see each other's faces" without the summit having any objective. "If the SAARC Summit is held, the Prime Minister will definitely attend it. But the Summit should have an objective and it should not be just to see each other's faces," External AffairsMinister Yashwant Sinha told reporters on the sidelines of the valedictory function for a journalism course for Afghan nationals. Asked when a decision would be taken on Vajpayee attending the summit, he said, "This will be decided at an appropriate time."

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2002-10/17/content_600103.htm

* India urges SE Asia to broaden fight against terrorism

India's prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee has urged South-East Asia to expand its fight against terrorism and religious extremism. Mr Vajpayee told a summit being held in New Delhi aimed at fostering trade ties between India and the Association of South-East Asian Nations that the region has an "active role" to play in curbing terrorism. The Indian leader says the time has come to broaden the fight against terrorism and religious extremism.

http://abc.net.au/asiapacific/news/GoAsiaPacificBNA_704291.htm

* Unmanned U.S. aircraft crashes in Pakistan

An unmanned U.S. aircraft crashed near Jacobabad airport, about 300 kilometers north of Karachi, on Thursday due to technical failure, a Pakistan Air Force spokesman said. The spokesman gave no further details and said he could not confirm whether there were casualties.

http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=7&id=234945

* Sri Lanka gov't hints at election

Sri Lanka may face its third election in a little more than two years after the Supreme Court put a referendum obstacle in the way of government efforts to reduce President Chandrika Kumaratunga's powers, a senior minister hinted Thursday. "We might have to make a direct appeal to the people," cabinet spokesman Lakshman Peiris said in response to reports the court had decided some clauses in a government-proposed 19th Amendment to the Constitution will need both a two-thirds parliamentary majority and consent by the people in a referendum to become legal.

http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=7&id=234929

* Pakistan gave nuke technology to N Korea

An American newspaper has said US intelligence officials have concluded that Pakistan was a major supplier of critical equipment for North Korea's newly revealed secret nuclear weapons programme. According to the New York Times' online report on Thursday, the equipment, which may include gas centrifuges used to create weapons-grade uranium, appears to have been part of a barter deal beginning in the late 1990's. In return, North Korea supplied Pakistan with missiles it could use to counter India's nuclear arsenal, the report said. North Korea admitted that it has had a uranium enrichment programme for years, in violation of a 1994 Agreed Framework under which it promised to freeze its work on nuclear weapons.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/southasia/view/22150/1/.html

Europe

* Indian Kashmir under federal rule

Political parties in Indian-administered Kashmir are speeding up efforts to form a new government after the state was put under federal rule. The Kashmir wing of the Congress Party has held a meeting with independent members of the legislative assembly to try and make up the numbers. No party won a conclusive majority in recently held elections which led to a heavy defeat for the ruling National Conference party. The Indian authorities imposed direct rule after the parties failed to form a coalition government. The move followed the refusal of outgoing Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah to remain as caretaker head of the state administration.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/2338227.stm

* Suspected militants killed in Kashmir

Security officials in Indian-administered Kashmir say five separatist militants have been shot dead in a gun battle with Indian troops. Officials say the gunmen were killed after they were spotted crossing the line of control from the Pakistani part of Kashmir on Thursday. Troops are now searching for other militants who are thought to be hiding in the area, which lies in the district of Poonch.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/2338691.stm

* Joint Pakistan-US military exercises

The commander of the American campaign in Afghanistan, General Tommy Franks, has arrived in Pakistan to watch the first joint military exercises between the two countries in four years. His visit comes a month after senior defence officials met in Pakistan to discuss restoring military ties. This new cooperation clearly stems from Pakistan's help in the war on terror. The two week exercise involves more than 100 American army personnel.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/2339209.stm

* Pakistan poll figures show anomalies

October 17 -- More Pakistani voters cast their vote in last week's election than in two previous elections, according to the country's Election Commission. The commission says more than 41% of the electorate turned out to vote. The revised polling figures include votes cast by post but does not make any significant difference on the overall party position in the new national assembly. Earlier assessments had shown a lower turnout but these latest figures from the Election Commission have proved them wrong.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/2337675.stm

* Sri Lanka may face fresh elections

October 17 -- The Sri Lankan government is considering the option of fresh elections if it cannot push through changes aimed at diminishing the President's powers. A spokesman for the Sri Lankan cabinet, GL Peiris said nothing had yet been decided but warned that parliament still controlled public finances which gave it considerable leverage. It is believed Sri Lanka's ten month old cohabitation government is entering a new phase of crisis. This has been triggered by the Supreme Court ruling on the proposed 19th amendment to the constitution, which seeks to diminish the President's powers to dissolve parliament.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/2336339.stm

* Probe into deaths by starvation

The authorities in the western Indian state of Rajasthan have ordered an inquiry into the deaths of 12 people in the eastern district of Baran due to starvation. Reports suggest the victims who were mostly children died due to hunger in the past two weeks in the Baran district, 400 Km from state capital Jaipur. Non-governmental organisations and social workers from the state of Rajasthan say the victims belonged to the Saharia tribal community. The state of Rajasthan continues to struggle with the effects of one of the most severe droughts the state has ever suffered.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/2339455.stm

Middle East

* India imposes governor's rule in Kashmir

India has brought its sector of disputed Kashmir under direct federal rule since Thursday night after the failure of local political parties to form a government. The decision came after Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, disgruntled by divergent results in recent parliamentary polls, refused to remain as caretaker head of the state. The governor's rule, however, will be revoked when any political party or coalition comes forward with the required majority to form a government.

http://www.irna.com/en/world/.ewo.shtml
http://www.gulf-news.com/Articles/news.asp?ArticleID=66022

* 16 die in Kashmir battles

Indian troops shot dead five cross-border militants yesterday and were engaged in a fierce firefight with an unspecified number of other rebels at a frontier zone of divided Kashmir, an official said. Elsewhere in Indian-administered Kashmir at least 11 others were killed in separatist-linked violence, the police here said. Indian army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel B S Rathore said the five guerillas were shot just after they entered Indian territory from Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Articles.asp?Article=35005&Sn=WORL

* Indian troops withdrawal vindicates Pak stand on dialogue:

October 17 -- Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf Thursday said the Indian announcement of troops withdrawal had vindicated Pakistan's stance that the only solution to the issues confronting India and Pakistan was through dialogue and not coercion, belligerence and saber rattling. He made these remarks while addressing a special meeting of the corps commanders at their general headquarters in Rawalpindi, a statement said. The meeting reviewed the prevailing geo-strategic environment in the region, the situation on the international borders, Line of Control and working boundary, as well as the recent announcement by India that it would be withdrawing troops deployed on the border with Pakistan under a phased program.

http://www.irna.com/en/world/.ewo.shtml
http://www.gulf-news.com/Articles/news.asp?ArticleID=66021

* Pakistan's Islamic groups welcome withdrawal of Indo-Pak forces

Pakistan's alliance of Islamic parties Friday welcomed withdrawal of Pakistani and Indian troops from their borders and said the alliance supports dialogue between the two countries. Addressing a news conference in Islamabad, Deputy Chief of Mutahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) Qazi Hussain Ahmed said the alliance hopes Indo-Pak tension will ease after establishment of elected government in Pakistan.

http://www.irna.com/en/world/.ewo.shtml

* Summit visit 'is doubtful'

India sent conflicting signals yesterday on whether its prime minister would visit Pakistan in the new year for a regional summit, as New Delhi prepared to pull troops off the border to ease tensions with its nuclear rival. Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha cast doubt on whether the South Asian leaders' summit would go ahead as planned, but said Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee would attend if it did. "I have said...that if we don't make progress on Saarc issues, there is no point in holding a summit," he said of the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation summit (Saarc).

http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Articles.asp?Article=35001&Sn=WORL

* Coalition to press for snap poll in Lanka

Sri Lanka's government said yesterday it would press for a snap election in a showdown with President Chandrika Kumaratunga, who is critical of its peace drive with Tamil Tiger rebels. Prime Minister Ranil Wickreme- singhe's government had originally wanted to strip Kumaratunga of her power to dissolve parliament from December 5, or one year after the last election. But the matter has been sent to the supreme court, which is expected to call instead for a national referendum on whether to curb presidential authority. Constitutional Affairs Minister G L Peiris, the government spokesman, said the ruling coalition "does not intend to go for a referendum". The government would rather "face a snap parliamentary election to enhance its mandate by placing before people a wide range of issues, whereas a referendum would be limited to a single issue", he said.

http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Articles.asp?Article=34999&Sn=WORL
http://www.gulf-news.com/Articles/news.asp?ArticleID=66023

* India, US air forces to hold joint exercises in Agra

India and the United States will carry out the first ever air force to air force exercise in Agra on Saturday. The first contingent of 150-strong US Air Force personnel participating in weeklong exercise code-named "COPE India 02" arrived here on Thursday, sources said. While Indian and US naval and ground forces have carried out joint exercises before, this will be for the first time there will be an interaction between the air forces of the two countries, reported Press Trust of India (PTI).

http://www.irna.com/en/world/.ewo.shtml

* India, Malaysia discuss Kashmir, Iraq

India and Malaysia have held talks centering around the evolving situation in Iraq, the Indo-Pak standoff and the Kashmir situation with the two sides agreeing to intensify efforts to further consolidate economic and political ties. The entire gamut of bilateral issues figured during discussions held between Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and his Indian counterpart Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Thursday. This was followed by talks at the delegation level.

http://www.irna.com/en/world/.ewo.shtml

* PML-N to stage rallies, protests

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), apparently benefiting from the boost it has received by winning more seats than many had predicted in the elections, has warned that before the end of the month, it will stage "countrywide protests" against rigging. The PML-N plans a series of rallies, protest meetings and marches to drive home its point regarding rigging. The party's central leadership has already claimed the delay in announcing results and apparent changes in the victors, signalled rigging.

http://www.gulf-news.com/Articles/news.asp?ArticleID=66031

* PPPP, MMA enjoy consensus almost on all issues: Pak politician

October 17 -- The Pakistan's People's Party Parliamentarians' Central Information Secretary Taj Haider on Thursday claimed his party and religious forces shared views on almost all key issues. During an interview with IRNA here, Taj Haider said the PPPP and the Mutahida Majlis-e Amal had almost complete unanimity of views on restoration of the constitution, supremacy of the parliament and revival of true democracy. However, he did not make mention of the issues on which both sides had divergent views. Taj Haider said that the two entities should continue their dialogue on reaching a formal agreement for cooperation on the constitution of the government.

http://www.irna.com/en/world/.ewo.shtml

* Unmanned American spy plane crashes in Pakistan

October 17 -- An unmanned US Air Force spy plane crashed in Pakistan's southern Sindh province on Thursday, a local private television network reported. An RQ-1 Predator was operating in support of military operation in Afghanistan when it went down, Pakistan's Geo Television reported. There was no confirmation from the Pakistani government and US officials. According to the report, the plane crashed near Jacobabad not far from a military base being used by US forces. There was no casualty on the ground.

http://www.irna.com/en/world/.ewo.shtml

* Asia-Pacific cooperatives seminar begins in New Delhi

October 17 -- The Asia Pacific regional seminar entitled `Strategy for Image Building of Cooperatives' with the participation of Iran and 10 other countries began their deliberations here Thursday morning. According to an IRNA reporter, J.N.L. Srivastava, secretary in India's Ministry of Agriculture and one of the speakers at the inaugural of the three-day seminar, said that cooperatives provide the best system for a clientele-based organization with a preponderance of small and marginal farmers and workers, and for the wider economy as well.

http://www.irna.com/en/world/.ewo.shtml

* Mahathir, Musharraf talks to focus on trade ties

October 17 -- Economic ties will top the agenda of talks between Malaysian Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohamad and President General Pervez Musharraf, officials said Thursday. Mahathir is to arrive in Islamabad on Friday on a two-day official visit. The Malaysian prime minister will meet representatives of the Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries and will discuss ways to enhance coordination between the private sectors of the two countries.

http://www.irna.com/en/world/.ewo.shtml

* $73m being spent on Pak-Afghan border security, says Pak minister

October 17 -- The Pakistani interior minister on Thursday said that a border security project along its western borders with Afghanistan is being implemented with US assistance of 73 million dollars. Addressing a news conference in Islamabad, Interior Minster Moinuddin Haider said most of the equipment for the project would come by January and February next year. Pakistan has stepped up security along borders with Afghanistan to block the infiltration into Pakistani territory of Taliban and Al-Qaeda suspects from Afghanistan.

http://www.irna.com/en/world/.ewo.shtml

* Pakistan elections internal issue, says Afghan spokesman

October 17 -- The Afghan interim government says that elections in Pakistan and their results are an internal issue of that country and Afghanistan will establish good ties with any future government in Pakistan. "Pakistan is our friend neighbor and we want cordial relations with any government in Pakistan," Syed Tayyeb Jawad, spokesman for Afghan President Hamid Karzai said. "But we also wish Pakistan to enjoy friendly bilateral ties with Afghanistan," the Afghan presidential spokesman said.

http://www.irna.com/en/world/.ewo.shtml

* India's CII business delegation to visit Iran

October 17 -- A 19-member high-level industrial-cum-business delegation of the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), led by Jagdish Khattar, managing director of Maruti Udyog Limited, will visit Iran from October 19 to 24. According to a press release of the CII, a copy of which was received by IRNA on Thursday, the high-level delegation will meet and establish contacts with representatives of Iranian business and industry and the relevant government agencies in its trade, commerce and industry sectors.. The delegation has the support of Iran's Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Mines, Confederation of Iranian Industries and the respective governments, the release said.

http://www.irna.com/en/world/.ewo.shtml

Editorial

* Why Does India Withdraw Troops from Pakistan

National Security Advisory Board of India on October 16 night decided at a meeting held by the Prime Minister that the 700,000 Indian troops would be withdrawn by stages for re-deployment as they had fulfilled the tasks entrusted to them. The decision was universally welcome by international community as soon as it was announced. Ten months have passed, but the deployment of massive forces has not brought Pakistan to its knees. It is not wise for India to continue to keep pressure in the border area, because, firstly, such an act can hardly yield greater results; secondly, the maintenance of large-scale military presence has cost India's 20 billion rupees in expenditure. Moreover, inciting war will get no international support. So India is supposed to find a suitable chance and reason to withdraw "seemingly".

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200210/18/eng20021018_105296.shtml

* Watch for more tension

The recent state elections in India's portion of the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir have produced an outcome that is likely to fuel tension with Pakistan in its standoff with India over Kashmir's future. The defeat of the ruling party has largely eliminated any possibility of charging Indian authorities with fixing the elections. Foreign journalists and diplomats found no evidence of rigging, although they did encounter complaints in some areas that soldiers were forcing voters to go to the polls. The legislative elections in Pakistan last week had an even lower turnout than the Kashmir elections, but have given radical Islamist parties their best result ever. The Islamists are among the staunchest opponents of Indian-controlled Kashmir. Renewed talks with Pakistan on Kashmir, if they happen, will likely come only after India has explored the possibilities for domestic negotiations with Kashmiri militants.

http://www.iht.com/cgi-bin/generic.cgi?template=articleprint.tmplh&ArticleId=74035

* Nothing much to cheer about

Thanks to America's new "friend and ally" Pervez Musharraf, Islamic parties captured two of the four provinces of Pakistan in the general election on Oct. 10 and gained a strong bargaining position in the national Parliament. This could undermine the war against terrorism led by the United States because a key focus of the campaign is on the two provinces bordering Afghanistan that have been won by the shrillest supporters of the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Pakistan. The elections were tailored to prop up Musharraf and the new style of democracy he seeks. The results suggest that he and the military have succeeded in making themselves politically indispensable. But it remains to be seen whether what may seem to be good for Musharraf and the military in the short term will also be good for Pakistan and the war against terrorism in the long term. The omens are not encouraging.

http://www.iht.com/cgi-bin/generic.cgi?template=articleprint.tmplh&ArticleId=74043

Business/Technology

N/A

=====================================================================================