KABUL: A secret US military report says that the Taliban, backed by Pakistan, are set to retake control over Afghanistan after Nato-led forces withdraw from the country, The Times newspaper reported on Wednesday.
Lt Col Jimmie Cummings, a spokesman for the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), confirmed the document’s existence but said it was not a strategic study of operations.
“The classified document in question is a compilation of Taliban detainee opinions,” he said. “It’s not an analysis, nor is it meant to be considered an analysis.”
Nevertheless, it could be interpreted as a damning assessment of the war, now dragging into its eleventh year and aimed at blocking a Taliban return to power, or possibly an admission of defeat.
It could also reinforce the view of Taliban hardliners that the group should not negotiate peace with the United States and President Hamid Karzai’s unpopular government while in a position of strength.
The document cited by Britain’s The Times said that Pakistan’s powerful security agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), was assisting the Taliban in directing attacks against foreign forces.
The allegations drew a strong response from Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Basit. “This is frivolous, to put it mildly,” he told Reuters. “We are committed to non-interference in Afghanistan.”
The Times said the “highly classified” report was put together by the U.S. military at Bagram air base in Afghanistan for top Nato officers last month. The
Article source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/Taliban-poised-to-retake-Afghanistan-after-Nato-pullout/articleshow/11714135.cms
BANGALORE: Veteran space scientist K Kasturirangan today made an emotional appeal for an amicable end to the Isro row so that the agency is “back on track”, drawing a parallel between the current episode and mid-90s’ “espionage case” to stress the gravity of the situation now.
“I hope that this gets defused as early as possible so that we are back on track on which we are supposed to be travelling,” Kasturirangan, who headed Isro for more than nine years till G Madhavan Nair succeeded him in 2003, told PTI.
“I am very keen that this entire matter blows over and defuses”, Kasturirangan, a Planning Commission member, said. His voice choking at times, he said: “Like any other member of the country’s scientific community, more importantly of Isro, I would very much wish this happens.”
Kasturirangan’s passionate appeal comes amid the full-blown row over government’s action to debar Nair and three other top scientists from holding any government posts over the controversial Antrix-Devas deal. The action which has outraged the scientific community has seen a bitter Nair persistently attacking the decision for which he has blamed Isro chairman K Radhakrishnan.
Kasturirangan said there there was a parallel (to the present imbroglio) in the “spy case” when he was the agency chief. “And we took a resolve in the organisation (at the time) that a programme (space mission) which was supposed to be launched in August, we will try to do
Article source: http://timesofindia.feedsportal.com/fy/8at2EtY0W9LCV1j2/story01.htm
Kareena Kapoor gets candid with TOI about movies and her upcoming marriage
Kareena and Imran’s crackling chemistry in the romcom Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu is the talk of the town. The film releases on February 10 and is produced by Karan Johar’s Dharma Films. Here, Bebo talks about the film and then some.
There are comparisons being drawn between Geet in Jab We Met and Riana of Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu… The two characters are totally different. Geet was a childish, naive Punjabi girl, whereas Riana is very urban. The character is as mad and free-spirited as Geet, but Riana knows what she is doing. Even though she doesn’t have a house or a job, she is a positive person… very similar to the way I am. I’ve been positive in every situation, be it my career, personal life or my relationships.
A bubby character can be annoying. How do you do it so endearingly? Acting is my passion. It’s something I enjoy doing so much that I will probably do it till I am 70. There is nothing else that I know. It is in my blood. And when I am performing, it is not like I am acting. It just happens.
This is your first film with Imran. Did you want to work with a younger hero this time? Yes. I’ve been working with 40+ heroes for a while now, so I wanted to work with a younger hero. Imran and
Article source: http://timesofindia.feedsportal.com/fy/8at2Etk0W82s91ik/story01.htm
Sussanne chooses Gauri over Priyanka
Tagged Under : Latest entertainment news
Slapathon turned into a hug-fest at SRK’s Mannat, as the dramatis personnae of the big fight became one big ‘happy family’ again. The inside story of how the soap-style finale was worked out
A day after the infamous ‘Kha.One’ Farah Khan and sheepish husband Shirish Kunder went around Bollywood on a peace mission.
The day began with Farah driving to Sanjay Dutt’s house to apologise on her husband’s behalf and to present their side of the story and it ended with Farah en famille driving again to Shah Rukh Khan’s Bandra home. That meeting lasted for over three hours and according to sources, produced a storyline that a Karan Johar or Sooraj Barjatya would be proud to produce.
“Some incidents in our life when resolved makes relationships stronger than they were ever before,” tweeted Shrish Kunder. It’s the kind of philosophising children do after they have been whacked by their mothers.
This newspaper has learnt that an urgent confabulation between Farah, her sibling Sajid Khan and her rakhi brother Sajid Nadiadwala led to Monday’s peace overtures. It began on a not-so-happy note for them when Sanjay Dutt coldly heard out Farah and Nadiadwala but refused to offer any comfort. Sanju Baba, we learn, is rather miffed at the way Kunder rained on his parade and took away the spotlight from Agneepath’s success.
When this was reported to him Farah’s brother Sajid jumped into the act and called
Article source: http://timesofindia.feedsportal.com/fy/8at2Etk0W8kcE1iw/story01.htm
