Drone operator haunted after years of watching aftermath of attacks

MONTANA: A drone operator has revealed the emotional toll years of remotely aiming missiles at people on the other side of the world has had on him. For more than five years Brandon Bryant worked as a U.S. Air Force drone operator, firing missiles remotely from a Nevada base. But the 27-year-old said watching the grisly consequences of his actions unfold on a computer screen led to drinking, depression and finally a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder. 'I can see every little pixel if I just close my eyes,' Mr Bryant, who believes he is responsible for more than 1,600 fatal hits, said. His experiences have been shared as two human rights groups raised serious concerns about the consequences of drone strikes in Yemen and Pakistan, CNN reported. While the U.S. Argues that the strikes are vital in the fight against terror, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have said some attacks, which have killed scores of civilians, could amount to war crimes. For Mr Bryant, who described being in 'zombie mode' as he monitored drone cameras, the effect of the strikes caused personal problems because he could never escape the deadly impact of his work. The Montana native, who signed up to the Air Force when he was 19, made his first kill in 2007, an event he remembers in vivid detail. After aiming a Hellfire missile at three men on a dirt road in Afghanistan, Mr Bryant watched the aftermath unfold on a monitor. 'The smoke clears, and there's pieces of the two guys around the crater. And there's this guy over here, and he's missing his right leg above his knee,' he said in a November article for GQ. 'He's rolling around, and the blood is squirting out of his leg, and it's hitting the ground, and it's hot. His blood is hot,' Mr Bryant said. 'It took him a long time to die. I just watched him. I watched him become the same color as the ground he was lying on.' While the U.S. Continues to back its drone program, even under international criticism, Mr Bryant said remotely operating the devices led to his decision to quit the air force and turn down a $109,000 'People say that the drone strikes are like mortar attacks,' he told NBC News. 'Well, artillery doesn't see this ... It's really more intimate for us, because we see everything.' As Mr Bryant came near to the end of his drone service he was presented with what amounted to a scorecard showing the number of fatal hits he had made. 'I would’ve been happy if they never even showed me the piece of paper. I've seen American soldiers die, innocent people die, and insurgents die. And it's not pretty. It's not something that I want to have - this diploma,' he said. Among the many upsetting scenes Mr Bryant witnessed was an incident when he drones recorded insurgents burying a roadside bomb in the path of U.S. Soldiers. 'We had no way to warn the troops,' he said, adding that three servicemen were killed after driving over the device. He also remains haunted by the image of a small figure running towards a building he had just aimed at Afghanistan. Mr Bryant was convinced the figure was a child, but his superiors told him it was a dog. He claims that in the final report of the strike, neither a child nor dog was mentioned. His experiences left Mr Bryant 'feeling like a sociopath', he said. 'I don’t feel like I can really interact with that average, everyday person. I get too frustrated, because A) they don't realize what's going on over there. And B) they don't care.'

KP CM warns of blocking Nato supplies if drone attacks continue

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak has urged the federal government to start talks with the Taliban as soon as possible as all the political parties gave its mandate for the task. Speaking to the media, he said that his government would consider blocking NATO supplies if drone attacks were not stopped. Khattak said that the KP government had not made any contact with the Taliban and only the federal interior minister gave assurances to the provincial government in this regard. He warned that the KP government was about to block Nato supplies if the United States didn’t stop drone strikes.

Pakistan urges India to release prisoners from jails

AMRITSAR: Pakistan has called on India to release those Pakistani prisoners who have completed their jail terms. The demand came as members of a Pakistani judicial commission visited a prison and met 57 such prisoners. Indian officials were also present during the meeting. Speaking to media Justice Mian Muhammad Ajmal appealed to the Indian authorities to release the prisoners as their detention was illegal.

Sheikh Hasina, Khaleda Zia hold talks to end political impasse

Dhaka, October 26: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her rival Khaleda Zia Saturday discussed the possibility of a dialogue between ruling and opposition parties to end the stalemate over a caretaker government to oversee elections, Xinhua reported. The two leaders talked to each other over phone for 37 minutes. It was the first direct conversation between them since 2009. Prime Minister Hasina invited Khaleda Zia, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson, to Gono Bhaban, the former's official residence, Monday evening to discuss about the caretaker government, said a BNP official requesting anonymity. Hasina, also the ruling Bangladesh Awami League (AL) party president, urged the BNP chief to withdraw her call for a three-day strike from Sunday morning, the official added. BNP chief accepted Hasina's invitation for holding dialogue, but deferred the premier's proposed date. "We'll hold talks but cannot withdraw the hartal (shutdown)," Khaleda's press secretary Maruf Kamal quoted her as saying to Hasina during the 37-minute phone conversation. Zia also said the dialogue could be held after the shutdown. On Friday, Bangladesh's main opposition called a three-day nationwide shutdown from Sunday morning to press its demand for restoration of the non-party caretaker government system to oversee the national elections slated for early 2014. Zia announced the shutdown at a grand rally in capital Dhaka, giving Hasina government two-day ultimatum for initiating a dialogue on a neutral election-time government. At least six protesters were killed and about 500 injured when anti-government protesters and activists of the ruling party fought pitched battles Friday in different parts of Bangladesh.

36 Taliban killed in Afghan raids since Friday

Kabul: Thirty-six Taliban militants were killed in joint security operations carried out in different Afghan provinces since early Friday, the interior ministry said Saturday. "Afghan police, army, National Directorate for Security (NDS) and the NATO-led ISAF coalition forces conducted several joint clearance operations in Nangarhar, Parwan, Zabul, Uruzgan, Wardak and Ghazni provinces over the past 24 hours. "As a result 36 armed Taliban were killed, five wounded and three others were arrested," reported Xinhua citing the ministry in a statement. In addition, the police also defused six improvised bombs in Nangarhar, Laghman, Takhar and Herat provinces, it said. According to figures released by the ministry, over 330 militants had been killed, 113 wounded and nearly 140 detained since a series of military operations were launched in October in Afghanistan.

Iran, UN-Arab envoy want political solution for Syria

Tehran: Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and UN-Arab League joint special representative to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi Saturday called for finding a political solution to the ongoing Syrian crisis. Brahimi, who arrived in Tehran Saturday, expressed hope that with the help of Syria's neighbours, "we could mobilize all parties to solve the Syrian issue", Xinhua reported. "What is happening in Syria is a humanitarian crisis," said Brahimi, adding that "crimes against Syrian people by all sides should be stopped". Also, Zarif said "conflicts in Syria can only be solved by the Syrian people ... and we can only offer assistance" for political solutions. About Iran's role in the upcoming Geneva II talks on Syria, Brahimi said participation of Iran is "natural and necessary". "If invited to the Geneva II talks, Iran will attend the conference with the aim to find a political solution" to the Syrian problem, said Zarif. On Oct 7, US State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said the US might agree with Iran's participation in the conference if Tehran backs the "Geneva I Communique," which called for a transitional government in Syria. The US and some western countries have accused Iran of supporting the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the civil war and called Iran "part of the problem". Iran has said that it will not accept any precondition to its attending the Geneva II meeting. Being the main regional ally of the Syrian government, Iran has condemned foreign intervention and "terrorists' involvement" in the Syrian conflict.

Pakistani policemen with fake degrees to be arrested

Islamabad: Arrest warrants have been issued against 112 Pakistani policemen, including four sub-inspectors and two woman constables, who managed to acquire jobs with fake degrees, Online new agency reported. The warrants were issued following an inquiry. The director of the anti-corruption department also issued directives in writing to all concerned officials, asking them to present the challans of these policemen in the anti-corruption court at the earliest. Teams have been set up to arrest these policemen. Meanwhile, the department has also issued orders to register cases against 140 other policemen on the charges of having been recruited in police department with fake degrees.

Sharif to take all parties into confidence on Taliban talks

Islamabad: Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Saturday said he would take all parties into confidence about talks with the Taliban, Xinhua reported. Sharif's statement came just hours after the opposition leader, Khurshid Shah, said the government had not shared anything about the dialogue with the armed militants. The country's all major political and religious parties last month had called on the government to initiate talks with the Taliban for ending bloodshed. The opposition leader said he has written to the prime minister, stating that the government has not taken any step to inform them about any development on the issue of talks with the Taliban. Sharif, has directed that all political parties be taken into confidence with regard to the progress of dialogue with the Taliban, the prime minister's office said Saturday. The representatives of different political parties should feel as part of the process, Sharif said in a meeting with Interior Minister Chowdhary Nisar Ali Khan. The prime minister has asked Khan to contact the leaders of political parties and take them into confidence on the talks, sources said. Official sources said Sharif is likely to speak in the parliament soon for taking the house into confidence on his recent visit to the US.

Iran has not halted 20 percent uranium enrichment

Tehran: Tehran has not halted enrichment of uranium to 20 percent purity level, a senior Iranian lawmaker said Saturday. The latest remarks by the Majlis (parliament) National Security and Foreign Policy Commission chairman, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, run contrary to earlier assertions by another member of the commission who said Iran had temporarily stopped the production of 20 percent enriched uranium, Xinhua reported. Stating that Iran's nuclear activities are being pursued as they were in the past, Boroujerdi said Iran "continues the (uranium) enrichment to the level of 20 percent", official IRNA news agency reported. About nuclear talks between Iran and the world powers, Boroujerdi said in the recent talks between Iran and the P5+1, namely the US, China, Russia, France and Britain plus Germany, Iran asked the powers to recognise its enrichment right and remove sanctions. "We need to wait for the results of the negotiations," he added

UAE to give USD 3.9 bn to Egypt's military-installed govt

Dubai, October 26: The United Arab Emirates agreed today to give Egypt's military-installed government another USD 3.9 billion in aid after transferring USD 1 billion in July, the official WAM news agency said. The UAE and other Gulf monarchies were staunch supporters of the July 3 overthrow of Egypt's first Islamist president, Mohamed Morsi, and have vowed to help the interim government address the economic devastation wrought by two years of political turmoil. The two countries signed the latest agreement during a visit by Egyptian Prime Minister Hazem Beblawi to the oil-rich Emirates, WAM reported. It said USD 1 billion of the new funds would go to support Egypt's fuel needs while the remainder would be earmarked to "support (Egypt's) development programme and (are) aimed at improving the living conditions, lives and human development of the Egyptian people through a number of projects." The Emirates, along with Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, pledged USD 12 billion in aid to Cairo within days of the army's overthrow of Morsi, which came amid massive protests against the year-long rule of Egypt's first freely elected president. Egypt's economy has been in a tailspin since the overthrow of longtime ruler Hosni Mubarak in February 2011, contributing to the political unrest that has gripped the country since his ouster.

Hafiz Saeed claims US pressuring Pakistan to act against him

Lahore, October 26: Jamaat-ud-Dawah chief Hafiz Mohammad Saeed has claimed the US is demanding that the Pakistan government should take action against him because he had been opposed American drone strikes. "The US is demanding the imposition of a ban on JuD because I am raising my voice on drone strikes. If this is my crime, I will continue committing it," he said while delivering a sermon during Friday prayers at the JuD's mosque in Chauburji here yesterday. The founder of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba claimed the US was "speaking the language of India". Though the regime of former military ruler Pervez Musharraf banned the LeT, Pakistani authorities only placed the JuD on a "watch list" after the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Saeed, for whom the US has offered a bounty of USD 10 million, has been accused of masterminding the assault on India's financial hub that killed 166 people. President Barack Obama raised the activities of the JuD and Saeed when he met Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in Washington on Wednesday. Saeed claimed the Obama administration was building pressure on the Pakistan government to act against the JuD. "But let me tell them that we are not afraid of any ban or sanctions," he said. He also claimed the Pakistan government had put the Kashmir issue on the back burner because of "their weaknesses"

Sheikh Hasina fails to reach Zia over phone, shutdown looms

Dhaka, October 26: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday telephoned her arch-rival Khaleda Zia to invite her for talks to resolve a standoff on holding the next general election but failed to reach her, even as Bangladesh braced for a shutdown called by the main opposition BNP. "The Prime Minister called the opposition leader at her official phone at 1:15 pm (local time) but nobody picked it for half an hour," Abul Kalam Azad, press secretary to the premier, told reporters here. Hasina's special assistant Mahbubul Haque Shakil said the premier tried to reach Zia from 1:15 pm to 1:45 pm but no one responded to her phone call. He said Hasina was still trying to reach Zia, the chief of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). BNP's acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told reporters that Zia's official phone "is out of order for a long time" and all her lines "remain out of order most of the times." An official said a personal aide of Hasina also called the BNP chief's special assistant, Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas. "He (Biswas) was told that the Prime Minister is scheduled to attend a meeting of the Awami League's parliamentary party at 6pm. The Leader of the Opposition can call her back by 6pm, if she wants to," the official said. Hasina reached out to her arch-rival a day after BNP supporters staged violent protests across Bangladesh to push the party's demand for setting up an interim government comprising of non-political individuals. Six persons were killed and over 300 injured in clashes between BNP workers and security forces. Zia has threatened to launch a 60-hour nationwide shutdown from tomorrow if her demands are not met. Hasina has proposed the formation of a caretaker government with representatives of all political parties, but this was rejected by Zia. The violence continued today as suspected opposition activists blasted seven crude bombs in front of the houses of a Supreme Court judge, the environment minister and a police office. A bus and a private car was set ablaze. No one was injured in the explosions but they sparked fears of violence ahead of the possible shutdown. Paramilitary Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) troops guarded the streets in the capital where most residents preferred to stay indoors and the streets looked deserted.

Mr Bean Converted To Islam MashAllah

Mr Bean Converted To Islam MashAllah.. And the relocation of “echo my” word Mr Bean shows from which the film was offensive to the Prophet – peace be upon him – was a major reason for the discovery of a teacher this true religion, and did not want Mr Bean authorizing the channels of information so, as it could only raise his finger testimony.

Pakistan to strengthen Air Force: Sharif

Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Saturday said every effort will be made to equip the Pakistan Air Force according to the requirements of the changing times. Sharif made the comments while speaking to Pakistan's Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafiq Butt, the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported. The air chief briefed the prime minister about professional and service matters of the country's air force.

Pakistan Army chief to visit China this month

Islamabad: Pakistan Army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani is scheduled to visit China from Oct 28-30, a media report said Saturday. During the visit, Kayani will review the strategic relations between the two countries, reported Geo News cites a tweet from Major General Asim Saleem Bajwa, director general, Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), Pakistan military media wing.

Pakistan Army chief to visit China this month

Islamabad: Pakistan Army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani is scheduled to visit China from Oct 28-30, a media report said Saturday. During the visit, Kayani will review the strategic relations between the two countries, reported Geo News cites a tweet from Major General Asim Saleem Bajwa, director general, Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), Pakistan military media wing.

Iran hangs 16 people in response to border attack

Tehran: Iran hanged 16 "terrorist elements" Saturday in response to a bloody attack on its border with Pakistan, an Iranian news agency said. Mohammad Marzieh, General Prosecutor of Zahedan city in Sistan and Baluchestan province, told ISNA that the "terrorist elements" were hanged Saturday morning in response to the border attack Friday night which resulted in the deaths of many Iranian border guards, reports Xinhua. "We had already warned of serious response to any terrorist movement in the province," Marzieh was quoted as saying. "For sure, last night's terrorist attack in Saravan was carried out by those who serve the foreigners' interests," he added. Earlier, at least 17 Iranian border guards were killed Friday evening in clashes near the Iran-Pakistan border.

17 Iranian troopers die in clashes

Tehran: At least 17 Iranian border guards were killed in clashes near the Iran-Pakistan border, a media report said Saturday. The armed conflict, which took place Friday evening near Saravan city bordering Pakistan in the Sistan and Baluchestan province, left 17 guards dead and many injured, reported Xinhua citing the official IRNA news agency. Rajabali Sheikhzadeh, Iran's deputy governor general for political and security affairs of the province, confirmed the death of border forces but declined to give further details. An informed source said that bandits or rebels were behind the attack. Units of military and security forces from other cities of the province were dispatched to the border area, the report said.

Pakistan supports Saudi Arabia rejection of UN seat

Islamabad, October 26: Pakistan has supported Saudi Arabia's rejection of its non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council, praising its call for reform, the foreign ministry said Saturday. Saudi Arabia declined the seat as a show of anger over the failure of the world forum to end the war in Syria and resolve the Palestinian issue, Xinhua reports. "Pakistan fully understands the imperatives and compulsions which led to their decision not to join the Security Council after being elected to its non-permanent seat for the term 2014-2015," the ministry said. A statement of the foreign ministry said Pakistan agrees with the Saudi government that there should be forward movement and progress on all issues including Syria, Palestine and other long-standing issues like Kashmir. "The Government of Pakistan has always supported all efforts to ensure a peaceful resolution of disputes and is confident that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will continue to play its role in the maintenance of international peace and security," it said. "The council should be equitable, fair and democratic nature," the statement said.

Pakistan to bar Afghan refugees after NATO leaves

Islamabad: Pakistan won't allow Afghan refugees to enter the country after the withdrawal of NATO forces from war-torn Afghanistan in 2014, a minister said. "Pakistan will not welcome fresh influx of refugees from Afghanistan and use all legal channels in collaboration with the international community to block entry of Afghans on the border," the Dawn newspaper quoted Pakistan's State and Frontier Regions Minister Lt.Gen. (retd.) Abdul Qadir Baloch as saying Friday. The minister said Pakistan would utilise all options to stop Afghan refugees from crossing over the border. "In case Afghanistan is unstable, then the local residents will be left with no choice but to flee to Pakistan but even then, we won't welcome them," he said.

Three Pakistani smugglers killed

Amritsar: At least three Pakistani smugglers were killed by Border Security Force (BSF) troopers along the India-Pakistan international border in Amritsar sector of Punjab, BSF sources said Saturday. The troopers also recovered 24 kg heroin, valued at Rs.120 crore in the international market, one AK-47 rifle and a pistol. Officials said that the shootout took place in the early hours of Saturday when alert BSF troopers noticed some movement at the electrified barbed wire fence on the international border near Mullankot border out post. The troopers accosted the intruders, who were inside India territory. A shootout ensued as the intruders fired at the BSF following which the troopers fired back. The bodies of the intruders, the contraband and the weapons were recovered Saturday morning. The BSF has recovered nearly 285 kg of heroin along the Indo-Pakistan international border in the first 10 months of this year. They had recovered nearly 290 kg heroin in the area in 2012.

Health situation in Syria continues to deteriorate: WHO

Geneva: The health situation in Syria has been deteriorating due to a shortage of medicines and medical workers, the destruction of health facilities and difficult access to health care, said the WHO. Till July 2013, 64 percent of the country's public hospitals have been affected by the conflict, which erupted in March 2011. Among them, 24 percent has been damaged, and the rest is out of service, Xinhua quoted Tarik Jasarevic, spokesman of the World Health Organization (WHO) as saying Friday. More than 50 percent of skilled health workers have left the country. The situation is worse in affected areas. For example, at least 70 percent of the medical doctors have left Homs, said Jasarevic. Due to substantial damages to pharmaceutical plants, local production of medicines has reduced to 70 percent. Before the conflict started, 90 percent of medicines in Syria were locally produced, he said. He said that epidemiological situation remains stable with no major outbreak reported. The measles epidemic receded due to the vaccination campaigns last May supported by the UNICEF and WHO, he said. UNICEF spokesperson Matrix Mercado said that the agency has joined the WHO and other partners in mounting a large-scale immunization effort aimed at protecting children both in the country and across the region against polio and other vaccine-preventable diseases. Around 500,000 children in Syria have not been vaccinated against polio in the past two years due to insecurity and access constraints. Prior to the conflict, immunization coverage in Syria was about 95 percent, according to the UNICEF.

The rise of Islamic finance has exciting implications beyond the Muslim world

THE FINANCIAL crisis has made many question whether Western financial models can withstand future onslaughts, whether they are even fit for purpose. But Islamic finance (one of the fastest growing financial sectors) withstood the crisis comparatively well. A 2010 IMF study found that, on average, Islamic banks showed greater resilience than their conventional counterparts. So what are the implications of its rapid growth? The philosophy of Islamic law promotes equity and justness. As such, Islamic finance disallows interest-based activities, gambling and speculation. Financing is allowed only to fund real economic activity, and funding or undertaking activities that do not yield real economic gains is prohibited. One example is derivatives trading. While Islamic finance recognises the use of derivatives for hedging purposes, it disallows naked trades of instruments deemed a speculative act. But more broadly, Islamic finance is increasingly important in enhancing trade, cutting across borders, race and religious beliefs. According to Ernst & Young, 10 of the world’s 25 fastest-growing markets are in Muslim majority countries. Islamic financial tools will only boost trade between the Muslim and non-Muslim world. To date, global Islamic finance assets stand at $1.2 trillion (£743bn), and are expected to reach $2.6 trillion by 2017 according to a recent report from PwC. And Malaysia has proven that Islamic finance can flourish alongside conventional financial markets. The sukuk market has been key to the development of Malaysia’s infrastructure and economy over the past two decades, constituting more than 65 per cent of Malaysia’s private debt securities. Islamic banking assets now make up 24.1 per cent of Malaysia’s total banking system, double the level a decade ago. Both systems work in parallel. London is no stranger to Islamic banking. The UK is the leading western country for Islamic finance, with $19bn in reported assets. It has the largest number of Islamic financial institutions in any western country, and has reformed its tax laws to facilitate the sector. It can play the key role of global financial intermediary in promoting the use of Islamic finance worldwide. I hope to see further developments. Employment opportunities in the industry could be plentiful, and gender neutral. A few years ago, a journalist came to Kuala Lumpur to write a cover on Islamic finance. She ended up writing a piece on women serving in senior positions in Malaysia’s Islamic finance industry. It was a revelation. The glass ceiling in a male-dominated industry had been shattered by women in a Muslim dominated state. The Malaysian central bank governor is a woman (accorded “Grade A” status for the tenth time by Global Finance magazine), and is the country’s foremost supporter of Islamic finance. Malaysia also boasts female Shariah scholars and chief executives of Islamic banks. Close to half the Islamic banking population is made up of women. I hope Malaysia’s story will inspire others to promote the development of the industry for the greater good. Raja Teh is chief executive of Hong Leong Islamic Bank. She will be speaking at the World Islamic Economic Forum in London on 29 to 31 October