Dempsey Visits South Korea

04/21/2013 06:49 AM CDT                              Sun, Apr 21, 2013 at 5:01 PM China on Weeklong Asia Trip By Karen Parrish American Forces Press Service Beijing, April 21, 2013 - Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, arrived in South Korea today for meetings with senior U.S. and South Korean commanders. Hours later the chairman was airborne again, heading for a weeklong series of engagements in China and Japan. En route to Beijing, Dempsey spoke to reporters traveling with him about his meetings in Seoul with Army Gen. James D. Thurman, commander of U.S. forces in South Korea, and South Korean chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Jung Seung-jo. Dempsey said the three discussed several issues important to the U.S.-South Korea alliance, but the current si tuation with North Korea was their central topic. North Korea conducted an illegal nuclear test in February, and since has issued a series of threats and provocations aimed chiefly at the United States. "Seoul is rather normal," the chairman said, noting soccer games, bike races, and other everyday activities were readily observable today. The South Korean military is, however, on a heightened state of readiness, he added. In particular, the allies are focusing on intelligence gathering, the maritime domain, ballistic missile defense and counter-battery artillery fire, he said. The chairman said the "newest insight" he gained from today's discussion came from both Jung and Thurman, who noted the actions of Kim Jong Un, the young, hereditary leader of North Korea, bear marked differences from those of his father, Kim Jong Il, or his grandfather, Kim Il Sung. While the youngest Kim is following suit with them by continuing the "military first" policy under which the nation's scant resources go first to supporting the military and its weapons programs, Dempsey said one key difference is in the provocations most recently heard from Pyongyang. "We're not into a series of cyclic provocations," as has been typical in the past, he said, but instead the allies now see a prolonged campaign of provocative words and actions.  According to numerous reports North Korea has cut military communications between the two nations, blocked access from the south to the joint North-South industrial area of Kaesong near the demilitarized zone, and threatened various "sea of fire" attacks while moving missiles into launch-ready positions. "The question that we were discussing today primarily was, 'How do we posture ourselves for a period of prolonged provocation? How do you sustain [that]?'" Dempsey said the likeliest approach Thurman and Jung will take is to increase joint operations, bringing their forces into yet closer alignment to share the responsibilities of prolonged, heightened tension. Dempsey said along with the demands of a sustained, high-readiness force posture, the meetings also touched on the transition to the South Korean military's operational control of wartime alliance activities on the peninsula, set to take place in December of 2015. South Koreans currently lead normal, peacetime military operations, but the U.S. commander would assume control in a wartime setting. Dempsey said he's received a lot of military advice over the last few months, most of it boiling down to "avoid war." "From a military perspective, the best way to avoid war is to prepare for it," he said. While the alliance is not seeking to provoke the North, he said, U.S. forces will keep up the "fairly steady pattern" of training exercises, port calls and other activities on the peninsula and in the region. "We have a sustained presence here that I think is assuring to our allies," he added. Later today the chairman arrived in Beijing, where he will spend a few days in high-level meetings before moving on to Tokyo.

Biographies: Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey

Shameful day for Washington

A few hours ago, President Obama stood with parents who lost children in the Newtown tragedy and said: "All in all, today was a pretty shameful day for Washington." That's because a minority of senators blocked legislation that would have made America safer and better protected our kids. Forty-five lawmakers stood in the way of improvements to the background check system that would keep guns out of the hands of violent criminals and the mentally unstable -- something that 90 percent of Americans support. You're going to want to hear President Obama explain why he thinks this happened. Watch the video or read the transcript below, then share this so that everyone knows what comes next: http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/preventing-gun-violence/action -- The President's Remarks -- A few months ago, in response to too many tragedies -- including the shootings of a United States Congresswoman, Gabby Giffords, who's here today, and the murder of 20 innocent schoolchildren and their teachers -- this country took up the cause of protecting more of our people from gun violence. Families that know unspeakable grief summoned the courage to petition their elected leaders -- not just to honor the memory of their children, but to protect the lives of all our children. And a few minutes ago, a minority in the United States Senate decided it wasn't worth it. They blocked common-sense gun reforms even while these families looked on from the Senate gallery. By now, it's well known that 90 percent of the American people support universal background checks that make it harder for a dangerous person to buy a gun. We're talking about convicted felons, people convicted of domestic violence, people with a severe mental illness.  Ninety percent of Americans support that idea. Most Americans think that's already the law. And a few minutes ago, 90 percent of Democrats in the Senate just voted for that idea. But it's not going to happen because 90 percent of Republicans in the Senate just voted against that idea. A majority of senators voted "yes" to protecting more of our citizens with smarter background checks. But by this continuing distortion of Senate rules, a minority was able to block it from moving forward. I'm going to speak plainly and honestly about what's happened here because the American people are trying to figure out how can something have 90 percent support and yet not happen. We had a Democrat and a Republican -– both gun owners, both fierce defenders of our Second Amendment, with "A" grades from the NRA -- come together and worked together to write a common-sense compromise on background checks. And I want to thank Joe Manchin and Pat Toomey for their courage in doing that. That was not easy given their traditional strong support for Second Amendment rights. As they said, nobody could honestly claim that the package they put together infringed on our Second Amendment rights. All it did was extend the same background check rules that already apply to guns purchased from a dealer to guns purchased at gun shows or over the Internet. So 60 percent of guns are already purchased through a background check system; this would have covered a lot of the guns that are currently outside that system. Their legislation showed respect for gun owners, and it showed respect for the victims of gun violence. And Gabby Giffords, by the way, is both -- she's a gun owner and a victim of gun violence. She is a Westerner and a moderate. And she supports these background checks. In fact, even the NRA used to support expanded background checks. The current leader of the NRA used to support these background checks. So while this compromise didn't contain everything I wanted or everything that these families wanted, it did represent progress. It represented moderation and common sense. That's why 90 percent of the American people supported it. But instead of supporting this compromise, the gun lobby and its allies willfully lied about the bill. They claimed that it would create some sort of "big brother" gun registry, even though the bill did the opposite. This legislation, in fact, outlawed any registry. Plain and simple, right there in the text. But that didn't matter. And unfortunately, this pattern of spreading untruths about this legislation served a purpose, because those lies upset an intense minority of gun owners, and that in turn intimidated a lot of senators. And I talked to several of these senators over the past few weeks, and they're all good people. I know all of them were shocked by tragedies like Newtown. And I also understand that they come from states that are strongly pro-gun. And I have consistently said that there are regional differences when it comes to guns, and that both sides have to listen to each other. But the fact is most of these senators could not offer any good reason why we wouldn't want to make it harder for criminals and those with severe mental illnesses to buy a gun. There were no coherent arguments as to why we wouldn't do this. It came down to politics -- the worry that that vocal minority of gun owners would come after them in future elections. They worried that the gun lobby would spend a lot of money and paint them as anti-Second Amendment. And obviously, a lot of Republicans had that fear, but Democrats had that fear, too. And so they caved to the pressure, and they started looking for an excuse -- any excuse -- to vote "no." One common argument I heard was that this legislation wouldn't prevent all future massacres. And that's true. As I said from the start, no single piece of legislation can stop every act of violence and evil. We learned that tragically just two days ago. But if action by Congress could have saved one person, one child, a few hundred, a few thousand -- if it could have prevented those people from losing their lives to gun violence in the future while preserving our Second Amendment rights, we had an obligation to try. And this legislation met that test. And too many senators failed theirs. I've heard some say that blocking this step would be a victory. And my question is, a victory for who? A victory for what? All that happened today was the preservation of the loophole that lets dangerous criminals buy guns without a background check. That didn't make our kids safer. Victory for not doing something that 90 percent of Americans, 80 percent of Republicans, the vast majority of your constituents wanted to get done? It begs the question, who are we here to represent? I've heard folks say that having the families of victims lobby for this legislation was somehow misplaced. "A prop," somebody called them. "Emotional blackmail," some outlet said. Are they serious? Do we really think that thousands of families whose lives have been shattered by gun violence don't have a right to weigh in on this issue? Do we think their emotions, their loss is not relevant to this debate? So all in all, this was a pretty shameful day for Washington. But this effort is not over. I want to make it clear to the American people we can still bring about meaningful changes that reduce gun violence, so long as the American people don't give up on it. Even without Congress, my administration will keep doing everything it can to protect more of our communities. We're going to address the barriers that prevent states from participating in the existing background check system. We're going to give law enforcement more information about lost and stolen guns so it can do its job. We're going to help to put in place emergency plans to protect our children in their schools. But we can do more if Congress gets its act together. And if this Congress refuses to listen to the American people and pass common-sense gun legislation, then the real impact is going to have to come from the voters. To all the people who supported this legislation -- law enforcement and responsible gun owners, Democrats and Republicans, urban moms, rural hunters, whoever you are -- you need to let your representatives in Congress know that you are disappointed, and that if they don't act this time, you will remember come election time. To the wide majority of NRA households who supported this legislation, you need to let your leadership and lobbyists in Washington know they didn't represent your views on this one. The point is those who care deeply about preventing more and more gun violence will have to be as passionate, and as organized, and as vocal as those who blocked these common-sense steps to help keep our kids safe. Ultimately, you outnumber those who argued the other way. But they're better organized. They're better financed. They've been at it longer. And they make sure to stay focused on this one issue during election time. And that's the reason why you can have something that 90 percent of Americans support and you can't get it through the Senate or the House of Representatives. So to change Washington, you, the American people, are going to have to sustain some passion about this. And when necessary, you've got to send the right people to Washington. And that requires strength, and it requires persistence. And that's the one thing that these families should have inspired in all of us. I still don't know how they have been able to muster up the strength to do what they've doing over the last several weeks, last several months. And I see this as just round one. When Newtown happened, I met with these families and I spoke to the community, and I said, something must be different right now. We're going to have to change. That's what the whole country said. Everybody talked about how we were going to change something to make sure this didn't happen again, just like everybody talked about how we needed to do something after Aurora. Everybody talked about we needed change something after Tucson. And I'm assuming that the emotions that we've all felt since Newtown, the emotions that we've all felt since Tucson and Aurora and Chicago -- the pain we share with these families and families all across the country who've lost a loved one to gun violence -- I'm assuming that's not a temporary thing. I'm assuming our expressions of grief and our commitment to do something different to prevent these things from happening are not empty words. I believe we're going to be able to get this done. Sooner or later, we are going to get this right. The memories of these children demand it. And so do the American people. Thank you very much, everybody.

Students learnt the success secrets

A special seminar held for the students by Kapri Institute
Ashwin Pandey of British Council taught the key secrets of English speaking

Life is not easy according to our dreams and imagination. In real life we have to rise and work to fulfill our dreams. We can change our life...and the world also but skill of English speaking is an urgent condition for the success. A seminar cum special training held at Ludhiana by the Kapri Institute of English speaking. Mr. Ashwin Pandey market manager, examination service British Council was the key speaker in the seminar.More than 150 students benefited from this special session. 

Mr. Ashwin Pandey announced that two new British Council IELTS test centresare started in Punjab. From 16the May students can also take tests in Moga and Bathinda with the British Council. He also announced scholarships given by the British Council. He told the students about road to IELTS which is free online training session for all IELTS aspirants. he also guided the candidates about all the steps and modules of IELTS. 

Speaking on the occasion, Anjali Chawla, Head of the Department of IELTS at the Kapri Institute said that teachers are trained by British Council. She said that Kapri has also a test registration centre for the British Council and has already trained more than 16,000 students.

Nitin Chawla, director marketing Kapri Institute said kapri held such workshops every year to help students to update skills. He also thanked Mr. Ashwin Pandey and Miss Harjot Kalsi for delivering the wonderful presentation to the students. 

Two days national convention at New Delhi

Calling all progressive, democratic, secular organisations to join us at the National Convention

 ‘India’s Descent into Fascism: How Do We Stop It?

April 17 & 18, 2013

New Delhi

ANHAD

A DECADE OF RESISTANCE: 2003-2013

Anhad is observing the completion of its ten years. Formed in March 2003 in the aftermath of Gujarat 2002 , ANHAD has actively contested the ideology of hate, the growing authoritarian character of the state, the growth of communal and fascist forces along with doing huge amount of work for the marginalised sections of the society especially women & minorities. ANHAD has intervened at the policy level, has done advocacy work from the grass root to the national level.

Today when the national consciousness is tilting towards the communal ideology and communal thought process has become common sense we feel there is a need to urgently call upon all secular and democratic forces in the country to stop India’s Descent into Fascism.

The falling economy, growing unemployment, displacement of people from their natural habitats and the joblessness created by the bursting of the IT bubble is creating a class which ,not being engaged with any ideological people’s movement and not having the skills to form a united struggle, is bound to turn towards fascism, and it is under these conditions when the ideas of fascism and dictatorship gain ground.   

ANHAD is organising a two day national convention ‘India’s Descent into Fascism: How Do We Stop It?’at the Constitution Club, Rafi Marg, New Delhi on April 17 & 18, 2013.

The convention will have representatives from a large number of states to present an over view of the situation from their states, experts who have worked on the questions of how terror has been used as a tool to demonise the minorities, communalisation of public and private spaces, culture, educational institutions and media & different segments of the society, it will look at recent cases of communal violence and the way forward. 

A special panel of academicians, jurists, activists will at the end come out with recommendations for the government and the civil society.

Convention Schedule

APRIL 17, 2013

8.00-9.00am Breakfast for outstation participants and Registration

9.00-9.30am- Welcome

9.30-11.15- Session 1: Voices from the Ground: An Overview of the Situation from different states:

Chair: Gagan Sethi

Speakers : Deepak Bhatt- MP,   Dr Anil Panikkar-Haryana,  Faisal Anurag- Jharkhand,  Kedar Misra-Orissa, Ramzan Chodhury-Haryana, Prof Haragopal- Andhra Pradesh, Dr. A Suneetha, Andhra Pradesh

11.15-1.00pm: Session 2: Voices from the Ground: An Overview of the Situation from different states:

Chair: Aruna Roy

Speakers: Anwar Ali- Kerala,   Mohd Arif _UP,  Neeraj Jain-Maharashtra,  Pritha Kejriwal- West Bengal,  Rajendra Sail- Chattisgarh, Shujaat Bukhari-Kashmir , Eric Pinto – Goa

1pm-2pm: Lunch

2pm-3.45pm-Session 3: Voices from the Ground: An Overview of the Situation from different states:

Chair: Prof. Rooprekha Verma

Speakers : Zakia Soman-Gujarat, Uttam Parmar-Gujarat, Yusuf Sheikh-Gujarat, Zamser Ali-Assam, Kavita Srivastava-Rajasthan, Arshad Ajmal-Bihar

3.45-5.30pm:  Session 4: Terror a Tool to Demonise Minorities and Sangh Terror Network

Chair: Dr. Ram Puniyani

Speakers: Manisha Sethi, Shahnawaz Alam, Subhash Gatade, Rajeev Yadav, Ajit Sahi

5.30pm -TEA

7.00- 10pm: Celebrating Diversity: An Evening of Poetry, Music and Dance

Welcome: Safeguarding and Celebrating Cultural Diversity: Kamala Bhasin

ANHAD CULTURAL GROUP, URI, JAMMU & KASHMIR, AVNI SETHI, DHRUV SANGARI, GAUHAR RAZA, GOVT GIRLS SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL, BHALOUT, ROHTAK, KHURSHID AKRAM, MANGLESH DABRAL, MAXFORT SCHOOL, DWARKA, NAMRATA PAMNANI, SIDDHI GOMA TRIBAL DANCE GROUP, VIDYA SHAH, VISHNU NAGAR, Documentaries on Anhad by Anhad Production House and Arma Ansari

April 18, 2013

8.00-900am: Breakfast

9.00- 11.15: Session 5: Communalisation of Public and Private Spaces, Cultural, Educational institutions and Media, Globalisation and Communalism

Chair: Colin Gonsalves

Speakers: Amit Sengupta,  Anil Choudhry, Dr. Anupam Gupta, Avinash Kumar,  Dr Harvardhan Hegde, Prof Atul Sood, Sukumar Muralidharan

11.15-1.00pm: Session 6: Political Response to Growing Communalism

Chair: Mahesh Bhatt

Speakers: D Raja-CPI,  Digvijay Singh-Congress, DP Tripathi-NCP, Kavita Krishnan-CPI(ML), Ramvilas Pawan-LJP, Sitaram Yechury-CPM

1.00pm-2pm-Lunch

2.00-4.30pm: Session 7:  The Way Forward and Recommendations

Chair: Prof KN Panikkar

Speakers: Syeda Hamid, Vrinda Grover, Seema Mustafa, Dr. KM Shrimali, Harsh Mander, Dr John Dayal, Dr. Apoorvanand

Ms. Sunita Williams

Indian origin NASA Astronaut, Ms. Sunita Williams interacting with the press, in Mumbai on April 04, 2013. (PIB)

04-April-2013

Married six days before deploying

Snow-boarding Wounded Warrior Refuses to Be Sidelined

04/02/2013 11:21 AM CDT                     Tue, Apr 2, 2013 at 9:03 PM

By Donna Miles American Forces Press Service SNOWMASS VILLAGE, Colo., April 2, 2013 - Eight and a half months ago, Army Sgt. Kristian "Dino" Cedeno was on the top of the world -- married six days before deploying to Afghanistan with the love of his life and soldiering with his band of brothers from the 3rd Infantry Division's 2nd Brigade. Army Sgt. Kristian "Dino" Cedeno, who was severely wounded in Afghanistan, center, gets his ski boots adjusted by adaptive ski instructor Jill Reifsnider, right, and another instructor at the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic at Snowmass Mountain, Colo., April 1, 2013, as his wife, Gwen, left, looks on. Cedeno snowboarded at the clinic for the first time since being wounded, another step in his impressive rehabilitation. DOD photo by Donna Miles  Life changed in an instant when Cedeno stepped on an improvised explosive device during a firefight in Kandahar. His right leg was blown off just above the knee, and his left leg was so burned and peppered with shrapnel that his wife, Gwen, said it looked like a shark had chewed it away.Cedeno begged Gwen to divorce him, fearing he had let her down and could never be the husband she deserved. But Gwen, a fourth-grade teacher at the Department of Defense Education Activity school at Fort Stewart, Ga., assured him that she knew what she was getting into when she married a soldier. "I told him, 'You are mine, and I am yours,'" she said, promising to stand with him as their lives took a new and unexpected turn. Flash forward to today. After a month at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., and four months after being discharged from the James A. Haley Veterans Affairs Hospital in Tampa, Fla., Cedeno refuses to let what some would consider life-changing wounds define him -- or even slow him down. Yesterday, Cedeno snowboarded down Snowmass Mountain during the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic, surprising even himself at his accomplishment. The experience exhilarated Cedeno, one of just two active-duty troops among almost 400 disabled veterans participating in the clinic. "In one word, I feel like I'm alive again," he said while celebrating the success with Gwen and his adaptive ski instructor, Air Force veteran Jill Reifsnider, at his side. Like so many other aspects of his life, Cedeno acknowledged that his first time on a snowboard since his injury wasn't exactly as he remembered. As Iraq veteran Tommy Sowers, assistant secretary of veterans affairs for public and intergovernmental affairs, asked Cedeno if he was ready to take on the mountain, Cedeno said he expected to do a lot of falling. "That's OK," Sowers assured him. "If you're not falling down, you're not trying hard enough." Then, at one point during Cedeno's downward run, air pockets formed around his new prosthetic leg, causing it to unexpectedly pop out of position midway down the slope. "It's a little different, and I have to adjust. I have to relearn things I have been doing for 20 years," he said. "But do you know what? I'll take that over being told, 'Hey, you can't do that.'" For Cedeno, the lessons he's learning at the world's largest and longest-running rehabilitative disabled sports event are life lessons: never give up and never stop reaching for new heights. It's the can-do spirit that's driven him throughout his recovery and rehabilitation, Gwen said. Cedeno remains committed to his career as an Army infantryman. "I'm not done yet," he said, hoping to one day serve as a drill sergeant so he can continue training other soldiers. "And I know I have a few more deployments in me," he added. "I'm not unrealistic," Cedeno insisted. "I know I have limitations and have to relearn things, and I accept that. But I'm 31 years old and not ready to hang my boots up." The speed of Cedeno's recovery attracts a lot of attention that he admits makes him uncomfortable. "I hate being told I'm a hero or an inspiration," he said. "I have always been that guy to do his job, not for the 'Good for you' or the congratulations." But Gwen regularly reminds her husband that he's a role model for his fellow wounded warriors who inspires awe in those who meet him and learn his story. "Do you not realize just how amazing you are?" she asks him, reminding him of how far he has come during the past eight months. In fact, Cedeno said, it's those around him -- his wife, his fellow soldiers, his caregivers -- who inspire him to press on. Talking privately with his fellow platoon members, he tells them, "You motivated me to continue this fight that I thought I had lost." That fight continues this week at the winter sports clinic, where Cedeno said he's found a support network that will be a big factor in his continued progress -- here on the slopes and in life. Looking up at the mountain, Cedeno said he was ready to tackle it once again, perhaps even faster this time. "It's just like my job. Of course I'm going back out there!" he said. "The important thing here is for the veterans to feel challenged," said Sowers as he joined Cedeno for a run down the mountain. "They get that joy of moving fast again. They get that experience of taking on something new." What participants experience during their week at the winter sports clinic continues for the other 51 weeks of the year, Sowers said. "They go back to their local communities and work with their recreational therapists to make sure they continue to challenge themselves," he said. They'll also take with them the camaraderie and support of their fellow veterans and wounded warriors, Sowers said. "We form lifelong friendships here that continue well after this event ends," he said. "It's part of what ensures that what begins here at the winter sports clinic continues encouraging them." The winter sports clinic, co-sponsored by the Veterans Affairs Department and the Disabled American Veterans, is open to U.S. military veterans with disabilities ranging from spinal cord injuries and orthopedic amputations to visual impairment and neurological conditions. During the six-day program, veterans learn adaptive Alpine and Nordic skiing and are introduced to rock climbing, scuba diving, trapshooting, snowmobiling, sled hockey and other sports and activities.

Biographies: Tommy SowersRelated Sites: Department of Veterans Affairs Related Articles: Disabled Veterans Sports Clinic Opens in Colorado

Combined Force Detains Senior Taliban Leader

04/01/2013 12:12 PM CDT                  Mon, Apr 1, 2013 at 10:38 PM

Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases WASHINGTON, April 1, 2013 - An Afghan and coalition security force detained a senior Taliban leader and several other insurgents during an operation the in Pul-e 'Alam district of Afghanistan's Logar province yesterday, military officials reported. The detained Taliban leader is accused of a wide range of insurgent operations in Logar province, officials said, including recruiting extremist fighters, managing the Taliban logistical network for the province, and planning and coordinating attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. In other Afghanistan operations yesterday: -- During a search for a senior Taliban official, a combined force killed or detained several insurgents in the Panjwa'i district of Kandahar province. The sought-after Taliban official is accused of overseeing all Taliban operations in the district. His network is believed to be responsible for insurgent activities including the assassination of Afghan civilians, the facilitation of weapons and improvised explosive devices into the district, and of attacks on Afghan and coalition forces. The security force also seized IED-making materials, three rifles, a pistol, six rifle magazines, six pistol magazines and ammunition as a result of the operation. -- In the Khugyani district of Nangarhar province, a combined force arrested a senior Taliban leader and one other insurgent. The arrested Taliban leader is believed to command a cell of insurgent fighters in the Khugyani district. He and his fighters are accused of illegally procuring various types of weapons and using them in multiple attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. The security force also seized one AK-47 rifle and a pistol as a result of the operation. -- A combined force detained an insurgent leader connected to both the Taliban and Haqqani networks and two other insurgents in the Gardez district of Paktiya province. The security force also seized IED components. In March 30 Afghanistan operations: -- The Kapisa Provincial Response Company, advised by coalition forces, arrested Najibullah Rahimi, the Tagab District Representative to the Kapisa Provincial Council. Najibullah is accused of financing a lethal-aid network and facilitating insurgent operations. The combined force also seized nine AK-47 rifles, five grenades, $50,000 in sequentially-numbered $100 bills and numerous cell phones and computers. -- A combined force arrested a Haqqani leader in the Sabari district of Khost province. The arrested insurgent leader is accused of obtaining IEDs and other weapons and distributing them to insurgent commanders. He also allegedly led a number of fighters in attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. -- In the Shah Wali Kot district of Kandahar province, a combined force arrested a Taliban leader and detained one other insurgent. The arrest Taliban leader is believed to be responsible for multiple insurgent operations including IED attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. -- A combined force detained several insurgents during a search for a senior Taliban leader in the Nad 'Ali district of Helmand province. The sought-after Taliban leader was allegedly plotting a campaign of attacks against Afghan and coalition forces in Helmand province. He and his subordinates are believed to have participated in a number of recent attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. The security force also seized a pistol, bomb-making materials and narcotics.

Related Sites: NATO International Security Assistance Force

A report from Jacobabad

Hindu Girl Ganga converted and forced married

Forced conversions                                                                                         Ugly face

Ganga a Hindu woman converted to Islam and forced married a Muslim man. The protest and a “wave of anger” within the minority community led to the postponement of polls for the Hindu Panchayat in Jacobabad yesterday.

Reports from Jhanjhri Street area of Jacobabad said Ganga, the daughter of gold trader Ashok Kumar,kidnapped & forced married Asif Ali, son of Bahadur Ali Surhio, at Amrot Sharif Dargah after converted to Islam. Aasia name given to Ganga.The woman’s parents and several relatives rushed to the shrine after learning about the conversion but the marriage had already been registered before their arrival. They returned to Jacobabad and lodged an FIR that alleged Ganga was kidnapped by Asif Ali his father, a brother named Abid Ali, and another man identified as Miran Bukhsh. Asif Ali was not at his residence but his father, brother and Miran Bukhsh were arrested.

The Hindu community of Jacobabad took to the streets and organised a protest against what the “kidnapping” of the woman. Incumbent Panchayat chief Harpal Das Chabria told several hundred voters and their candidates that kidnapping of Hindu girls and their “forced conversion” had increased.
He appealed to authorities to check the trend and provide protection to Hindus in Sindh.

A rally was organised from Janta Hall in Jacobabad against the alleged kidnapping. People marched to the local press club, shouting slogans for Ganga’s reunion with her family. Hindu leaders warned that if their demand was not met, the community would observe a strike across the city and start an agitation.

The Hindu community in Sindh has been up in arms since last year over the alleged abduction and forced conversion of many Hindu girls ...