AS THE WORLD TURNS

Asfandayar says insurgency in Pakistan defeated, but terrorism challenge remains 

NEW YORK, May 16 (APP): "Awami National Party leader Asfandyar Wali Khan said on Saturday night that intense efforts of the Pakistani political forces and the army’s operations have broken the back of insurgency in the country, but acts of terrorism still pose a grave challenge. “The defeat of insurgency is great success,” the ANP leader told members of the Pakistani community at a function organized by the Pakistan League of America, a non-political body.

Pakistan’s image abroad will not improve unless terrorism in all its forms and manifestation was eliminated, he said, while lamenting the fact that the terrorists were killing their own countrymen. Asfandyar is here to address a conference being held tonight in Brooklyn, a borough of New York City, honouring his grandfather, Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan."  For the whole article, click here.  Too many Americans are too young to realize that  Pakistan and India were a united country until they split a few decades ago.  Politically the US has tried to remain friendly with both Nations but, admittedly, our drone attacks which are killing civilians, has raised hackles. This week's FBI raids only confirms that there are many who hold a very large grudge about it all.  We can count ourselves lucky that the Suburban in Times Square packed with bombs did not cause a disaster. 

Meanwhile BBC News reports that Chilean authorities have arrested a Pakistani student arrested at the US embassy in Chile after triggering a bomb detector has been charged with illegal possession of explosives.  For that full story, click here.  It seems the Americans are not in good favor anywhere in the world, does it not?  Can it be that we have gone about it wrong in the Bush years of divisiveness and belligerence?  Was our ridiculous foreign policy posturing off-putting to the rest of the world?  It certainly seems to be though Obama and Secretary Clinton hve come a long way on the path to better world relations.  Let's face it, like the Republicans, some people just aren't going to like us no matter what we do.