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Obama vows to defeat Al-Qaida
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Diplomatic cables not part of US policy: Hillary
Sweden adds details to arrest warrant for Assange
Explosive hits India-bound Thar Express
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Obama vows to defeat
Al-Qaida
Washington/Kabul, December 4 “We will never let this country serve as a safe haven for terrorists who would attack the United States of America again. That will never happen,” Obama said in his address to US troops at Bagram Air Base near Kabul, where he paid a short unannounced visit last evening. “This part of the world is the centre of a global effort where we are going to disrupt and dismantle and defeat Al-Qaida and its extremist allies. That’s why you’re here. That’s why your mission matters so much. That’s why you must succeed, because this effort is about the safety of our communities back home and the dignity of the Afghan people who don’t want to live in tyranny,” he asserted. Obama noted that one year ago, he had ordered additional troops to serve in Afghanistan, a country that was the staging ground for the 9/11 attacks in the US. “All of those troops are now in place. And thanks to your service, we are making important progress. You are protecting your country. You’re achieving your objectives. You will succeed in your mission,” he said during the visit that last a few hours. “We said we were going to break the Taliban’s momentum, and that’s what you’re doing. You’re going on the offence, tired of playing defence, targeting their leaders, pushing them out of their strongholds. Today we can be proud that there are fewer areas under Taliban control and more Afghans have a chance to build a more hopeful future,” Obama said. He said the American troops were helping build the capacity of the Afghan people, meeting recruitment targets, training Afghan forces and partnering with those Afghans who want to build a stronger and more stable and prosperous Afghanistan. Pak, Afghanistan to
end ‘blame game’
Islamabad/Kabul: Pakistan and Afghanistan today agreed to end the "blame game" in a bid to deepen anti-terrorism cooperation and boost economic ties between the two neighbours who have often accused each other of not doing enough to check militancy. Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, who made a sudden visit to Afghanistan today, held talks with President Hamid Karzai to deepen joint strategy against terrorism and boost economic cooperation. "Now there is an equal realisation that both the countries are equally suffering because of terrorism and there should be no blame game," Gilani said at a press conference after his talks with Karzai.
— PTI
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Diplomatic cables not part of US policy: Hillary
Washington, December 4 "Diplomatic cables are not policy. They are meant to inform. They are not always accurate. They are passing on information for whatever it's worth," Clinton told BBC. "I think everyone knows that if we cannot speak openly and candidly with one another, we cannot understand each other and we cannot make policy that will benefit each other. I have found in my many conversations in the last week that there is certainly an understanding of what diplomacy means," she said. When pointed out that revelations were embarrassing for some leaders, Clinton said: "Well, of course, it's not their (diplomats') words. It's what somebody said about them. And oftentimes it's not secondhand; it's third and fourth-hand." "I have personally expressed my regret to individual leaders as well as publicly to anyone who has been offended or affected. But this is a tough business we're in, and it's a challenging world and most leaders get it. They may not appreciate it, because who wants to be - have something that some person somewhere said about you put in the public domain," Clinton said. "But they know that the United States-the policy of this Administration is very clearly made in Washington by the President, by myself, by the rest of the high-level Administration officials. And that's who they exchange views with and cooperate with on an ongoing basis," she said. Clinton said the theft of the confidential information by a young private was done under the authority of the Defence Department, which had a legitimate reason for wanting more access to information. "But it wasn't handled appropriately. I think that is clear. I've called for a full investigation. As soon as we had any word that there was any leakage going on, we immediately stopped participating," she said. "The Defence Department has made significant changes so that this can never happen again. But we're rethinking how we share information. It's kind of a constant balancing act. On the one hand, you want information to be in the hands of people who are literally fighting and dying for what we're seeking. On other hand, you don't want it to get into the wrong hands," Clinton said.
— PTI
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Sweden adds details to arrest warrant for Assange
Stockholm, December 4 Assange has denied the allegations, saying they are part of a smear campaign. Prosecutor Marianne Ny told DPA that she did not know if the information had reached British authorities. Britain required that the warrant mention the maximum sentences for all the alleged crimes for which Assange is being investigated, while the Swedish legal authorities only listed the sanction for rape, the crime with the longest term. The Swedish Supreme Court Thursday rejected an appeal filed by Assange against the detention order. Ny said she assumed all authorities would work to ensure Assange's arrest. The whereabouts of Assange, 39, are unknown, and he has recently given interviews from an undisclosed location.
— DPA
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Explosive hits India-bound Thar Express
Islamabad, December 4 At least 155 passengers, including 105 Pakistanis and 50 Indians, were on board the train, officials said. The incident occurred near Dhabeji station in Thatta, 67 km from provincial capital Karachi, early this morning. Deputy Superintendent of Police (Railways) Aftab Memon said there were no reports of loss of life or injury in the incident. Railway officials said the train was targeted with a low-intensity bomb. The incident occurred after the train departed shortly before midnight from Karachi’s Cantonment railway station. The police said two bombs were planted by suspected militants on the railway track. One bomb went off, damaging a portion of the track, while the second bomb was later defused. The train continued its journey to India after authorities detached the derailed bogies. Rescue teams were also dispatched to the site. In 2007, nearly 70 persons, a majority of them Pakistanis, were killed when the trans-border Samjhauta Express train was bombed near Panipat. — PTI
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