By Ray McGovern January 20, 2013 "Information Clearing House" - Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, a practicing Catholic, sought a blessing on Wednesday from Pope Benedict XVI. Afterward Panetta reported that the Pope said, “Thank you for helping to keep the world safe” to which Panetta replied, “Pray for me.” In seeking those prayers, Panetta knows better than the Pope what moral compromises have surrounded h ...

By Yvonne Ridley The only thing that surprised me when I heard that the Algerian kidnappers had called for the release of  Dr Aafia Siddiqui was that it hadn’t happened sooner. Don’t get me wrong, as a former hostage myself, there is no way I condone the actions of what has unfolded in a remote corner of the Algerian desert. And my heart goes out to the families of those who have lost loved ones in the unfo ...

By: Shahid Aziz Kargil, like every other meaningless war that we have fought, brings home lessons we continue to refuse to learn. Instead, we proudly call it our history written in the blood of our children. Indeed, our children penning down our misdeeds with their blood! Medals for some, few songs, a cross road renamed, and of course annual remembrance day and a memorial for those who sacrificed their tomo ...

Asif Haroon Raja In order to hide their crimes and to distort historical facts, Indian historians and political leaders have chosen to paint Quaid-e-Azam as the ‘villain of the piece’. The Indians propagate the theme that ‘Muhammad Ali Jinnah was a communalist responsible for the bloody break up of Pakistan. He founded a theocratic and non-secular State’. The BJP and other Hindu hardliners even now accuse h ...

ISLAMABAD: Tehrik-e-Minhajul Qauran chief Allama Tahir ul Qadri culminated his four days long march after an agreement with the government here on Thursday. After successful negotiations with the government, he congratulated the participants of long march, the nation as well as the ruling coalition for what he termed the successful culmination of the long march. Addressing the participants of the sit-in, fo ...

Asif Haroon Raja Operation ‘Weaken Pakistan through covert war’ launched in 2002 by so-called allies of Pakistan was part of four-dimensional plan to destabilize, de-Islamize, denuclearize and destroy Pakistan. For eleven years concerted efforts have been made by the US and its allies grouped together in Kabul to achieve their objectives. The first phase of destabilization has progressed fairly well and tod ...

By Ben Schreiner The French military intervention into Mali on Friday — France’s second in as many years into a former African colony — was reportedly “seconded” by the United States.  This ought to come as no great surprise, given the Pentagon’s deepening penetration into Africa. According to the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), the Pentagon plans on deploying soldiers to 35 different African countries in 20 ...

   By Sajjad Shaukat At this crucial juncture, when general elections are very close, the announcement of long march by Dr Muhammad Tahirul Qadri, the chief of Tehrik-e-Minhaj-ul-Quran (TMQ) and Pakistan Awami Tehrik (PAT) to Islamabad on January 14, 2013 is quite irrational. In this regard, while addressing a massive public meeting at Minar-e-Pakistan on December 23, last year, Dr Qadri demanded postponeme ...