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Zahir Ebrahim | Project Humanbeingsfirst.org
Sunday January 10 and Monday January 11, 2016 | Last updated Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Part-X of Manufacturing The Killing Fields in Pakistan: Part-I, Part-II, Part-III, Part-IV, Part-V, Part-VI, Part-VII, Part-VIII, Part-IX, Part-X
The provocation template of exercising foreign policy using proxy service providers to seed international dysfunction is only an open secret. It is not a state secret. America's current best friend, the absolutist kingdom of Saudi Arabia, just like America's former best friend, the absolutist dictator Iraqi Saddaam Hussein, is about to taste the fruit of supping with the devil without a very long spoon. As Henry Kissinger is known to have once quipped: "it may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal."
Nawaz Sharif, the incumbent prime minister of Pakistan, owes his life to the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A lesson that he learnt in a hurry after having witnessed the fate of the former prime minister who has hanged by the predecessor military dictator of Pakistan, and saw history repeating itself without the Saudi intervention offering him refuge. The prime minister of Pakistan can only repay his personal debt in national blood.
What is also not inexplicable is the Pakistan Army COAS quickly rushing to dignify the Saudi regime's brutality under the most banal propaganda rubric that would easily resonate with the public mind --- threat to holy Saudi Arabia! Their marching orders, one may intelligently surmise, must have come directly from Washington. Because, like all militaries of the world prepared for proxy services, Pakistan's too takes its policy and priority cues from her own principal paymasters. As cliché as it may be, there is still no free lunch!
To those who think all is well in Pakistan, that our Generals and rulers have made things better at the homefront wrt terror and there is nothing major going on wrt the latest Shia-Sunni conflagration being set-up globally, read for yourself the latest headlines in Pakistan's largest English news daily, Dawn, reproduced below. Pakistan is being set-up to be in the very eye of the storm. Being an ostrich must be a great blessing for my Pakistani friends, busy as each one of us is in the pursuit of our "American Dream" regardless of where we live. I was informed most reliably yesterday for instance by my friend in Lahore that our General COAS, the top man in charge of the country's defense, and the most honest man in Pakistan, has things under full control.
This morning's News headlines inform us otherwise. All kinds of propaganda craft is being brought to bear to add fuel to the making of these new killing fields just as it was during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s where brother killed brother, 8 million, an order of magnitude more than the fratricide in the American Civil War. See this excerpt from an ancient political treatise (presented as historical fiction) if you think the cracks and lacunas among Shia and Sunni don't exist, or are not known to the arsonists who will come galloping as the fire brigade next, just as they are today the 'harawal dasta', the Marines if you will, fueling and then prognosticating the fire in preparation for the main Army's arrival.
These historical fissures among Muslims which are perennially ripe for blood-harvest by those who are neither Shia nor Sunni, have to be closed off. And closed off fundamentally, not just with Band-Aids that peel off with the tiniest of scratching. Historical fault-lines by themselves need be of no more significance or consequence than as a scholarly footnote to the source of rich diversity among a latter day people, variegated as we all are in myriad cultures and civilizations. It is only when the footnote falls into the hands of Machiavelli and becomes enlarged as the entire book, that fratricidal blood flows in the streets and among nations. History vouches for the veracity of that truth. See Averting Shia-Sunni World War.
Please dare to care.... take a stand.
Pakistanis must not become sentimentalized by our religion, which we tend to mostly wear on our sleeves only, to take sides on the narratives being brought to us, but rather galvanized by perceptively understanding who are the victims and who are the victimizers. We must stand up for the victims. That is us. For it is the victims, us, who are made the canon fodder in the geopolitical games of the elite. I will not be that canon fodder. Neither should you. Take that stand. Reject the entire fictional narrative; it is being orchestrated by hard acts of state terror to create a cycle of reactionary violence at the international level designed to percolate down to our own streets and neighbourhoods
You can imagine the killing of the Saudi Shia dissent scholar Sheikh Nimr by the Saudi kingdom to be virtually equivalent to the killing of Franz Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria-Este, whose calculated assassination in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914 precipitated Austria-Hungary's declaration of war against Serbia leading to World War I. That world war led to 50 million dead and all existent empires replaced by the rising Pax Americana. That Pax Americana is to be replaced by World Government through these upcoming manufactured world wars. That's the general blueprint. 9/11 was its first provocation for the final push to global transformation. Shia-Sunni conflagration is to be the next in the long series of incrementally creating world order out of chaos.
The template of Machiavellian provocation to diabolically induce the anticipated chain reaction is ubiquitous in Pax Americana history. The ex post facto "oops" narrative of April Glaspie, the US Ambassador to Iraq before Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990, to newspaper reporters before her sudden and unexplained demise demonstrates how dysfunction in international relations is fabricated and used as pretext for launching premeditated imperial foreign policy: "Obviously, I didn't think, and nobody else did, that the Iraqis were going to take all of Kuwait." Saddaam Hussein was given the green light to invade Kuwait in the aftermath of the eight year Iran-Iraq war after Kuwait (as one may sensibly surmise) was goaded into extracting more oil from a heavily contested oil rich region between Iraq and Kuwait. With Iraq increasing its troop concentrations on the border, April Glaspie reported Saddaam Hussein's candid request for the American position to the State Department, and she was told to report back to Saddaam Hussein: "We have no opinion on your Arab - Arab conflicts, such as your dispute with Kuwait." (See April Glaspie's transcript of meeting with Saddaam Hussein, July 25, 1990 - Presidential Palace – Baghdad)
Once the highly predictable and easily manipulatable Iraqi dictator took the military step of invading Kuwait a week later after the sly blank-check had been given to him by the superpower, just as he had been given in invading Iran a decade earlier under the full military and economic support of the United States, this time the United States made Muslim Iraq public enemy number one and bombed that nation back to pre-history with a full scale military invasion. George Bush Sr., the president of the United States at the time, after his overt laissez faire diplomatic green lighting Saddaam Hussein's adventurism, suddenly drew a line in the sand. In his address to the American nation on the eve of America's new "just war", he piously dignified American terror: "This is an historic moment. We have in this past year made great progress in ending a long era of conflict and Cold War. We have before us the opportunity to forge for ourselves and for future generations, a NEW WORLD ORDER. A world for the rule of law, not the law of the jungle, governs the conduct of nations. When we are successful, and we will be, we have a real chance at this new world order. An order in which a credible United Nations can use its peace keeping role to fulfill the promise and vision of the UN's founders." (George H. W. Bush Sr., January 16, 1991, watch-speech, transcript)
That engineered "just war" which began with aerial bombing in a reign of nightly terror by the Christian superpower, was followed by thirteen long years of crippling full spectrum economic sanctions and no-fly zones maintained by his successor president, William Jefferson Clinton. And that was followed by another full scale military invasion and nightly aerial bombing terror in 2003 by the prodigal son following in his father's footsteps, George W. Bush Jr., in the pretext of Iraq possessing WMDs that Saddaam Hussein was about to launch upon the United States and its Allies any minute. In 2005, like April Glaspie in the previous decade, the Iraq Study Group offered its ex post facto mea culpa of "intelligence failure", a well worn template with much mileage evidently still left in it, after the fait accompli had been diabolically engineered and the "mission accomplished". Cheap public blood, especially Muslim blood, repeatedly shed by game-theory laced highly predictable and manufactured "happenstances" of history that lead to the desired foreign policy outcome in a sea of fabricated chaos! We know what that desired ultimate outcome is: New World Order that "fulfills the promise and vision of the UN's founders." The bibliography on this subject is extensive and rich, but the scholarly ostriches of Pakistan, like the rest of the world, find it both convenient to their careers and lucrative to their pocket-books to pretend that it does not exist.
Sheikh Nimr's grotesque execution by barbaric beheading at the hands of his own state, her on-going military invasion and bombing of impoverished mostly Shia Yemen (Zaidi denomination) using mercenary armies, her purchasing a coalition of 34 nations along the Sunni axis, are all calculated provocations to get Shia Iran (Ithna Ashari denomination) to declare war on Sunni Saudi Arabia (Wahabi-Salafi denomination) for her global oppression of the Shias using her American sponsored Takfiri brigades (see Understanding ISIS and Imperial Surrogates and 'Terror Central' in Operation Gladio Redux). How long can the Iranian leadership, boldly proclaiming to be the valih-e-faqih-muslimeen, hold out from intervention without losing legitimacy to that title in the mind of the taqlidi Shia flock worldwide? Once forced to sit on the Russian roulette table, there can be no winners. So far, it appears that Iran under valih-e-faqih Ayatollah Khamenei, has pragmatically understood the devil that she has been supping with for her recently concluded JCPOA treaty to unilaterally disarm herself of all potential nuclear weapons technology in exchange for international relief from the long running economic sanctions. The revolutionary state has sagaciously resisted her national instinct to rush headlong into any holy war set up for it, as it did during the reign of the first valih-e-faqih of Iran, the late Ayatollah (imam) Khomeini, who identified America as the Great Satan and watered her cemeteries with the youthful blood of a generation in the name of Sacred Defence.
In that same vein of engineered Machiavellian provocation, how long before a Hezbollah Pakistan is born by the existential necessity of self-defence, to offer armed resistance to the Takfiris in Pakistan shedding Shia blood with impunity with the state looking the other way? (See The New SAVAK in Pakistan). For all that spilled Muslim blood in Pakistan and elsewhere, the Pakistanis have not been galvanized into displaying public furor of any consequence.
Apathy is a strong motivator for any people to look the other way, or at best do the obligatory feel-good "weekend jihad" and get on with the pursuit of their "American Dream" the rest of the week. But any perceived threat to the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the custodian of Mecca and Medina, is a different story altogether. With proper propaganda support, that would easily become the universal cause célèbre for yet another sacred defence! The new narrative is a most brilliant play from Machiavelli's playbook of engineering conflagration.
This time it is engineered to flashpoint, and assisted by the state apparatuses of the vassal states, as with the carefully crafted public rhetoric of '"strong response" to threats to his country's territorial integrity,' the Pakistani rulers repeatedly assured the Saudi Defence minister (see news reports below). Instead of holding Saudi Arabia to the much touted human rights standards for its barbaric beheadings and causing the death of thousands of pilgrims in the preceding Hajj season, with no respect shown to the dead pilgrim bodies which were subsequently buried anonymously in mass graves and no apologies offered to their grieving families and nations, the Pakistani officials, military and political, rushed to declare their oath of allegiance to the kingdom that bankrolls Pakistan and provides safe haven to its out-of-favor political leaders during military take-overs.
Caption Saudi defence minister was received by Prime Minister's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz and Defence Minster Khawaja Asif.─ Photo: PID (Dawn.com)
Nawaz Sharif, the incumbent prime minister of Pakistan, owes his life to the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A lesson that he learnt in a hurry after having witnessed the fate of the former prime minister who has hanged by the predecessor military dictator of Pakistan, and saw history repeating itself without the Saudi intervention offering him refuge. The prime minister of Pakistan can only repay his personal debt in national blood.
Caption ISLAMABAD: Saudi Foreign Minister Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir shaking hands with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif before their meeting at the PM House.—INP (Dawn.com)
Caption Saudi deputy crown prince and Defence Minister Muhammad Bin Salman along with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at PM House.─ Photo: PM House (Dawn.com)
Caption Saudi deputy crown prince and Defence Minister met COAS General Raheel Sharif, COAS at General Headquarters.─ Photo: ISPR (Dawn.com)
Caption It was agreed that the two countries would cooperate in developing an effective counter narrative to defeat the extremist mindset. ─ Photo: PID (Dawn.com)
Caption ISLAMABAD: While Chief of Army Staff Gen Raheel Sharif assured visiting Saudi Defence Minister Mohammad bin Salman on Sunday of "strong response" to threats to his country's territorial integrity, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif called for resolving its crisis with Iran through diplomacy and offered Pakistan's good offices in this regard. (Dawn.com)
What is also not inexplicable is the Pakistan Army COAS quickly rushing to dignify the Saudi regime's brutality under the most banal propaganda rubric that would easily resonate with the public mind --- threat to holy Saudi Arabia! To protect the holy lands from the impoverished Yemenis, Pakistan's Defence Minister, Khawaja Asif, unabashedly admitted on the National Assembly floor that Pakistan has agreements with Saudi Arabia, stating: "our people do provide training to the Saudi troops." (January 19, 2016). Training to do what? To bomb impoverished Yemen in partnership with the Western Allies' proxy war services, as even headlined in the British press: "British military advisers are in control rooms assisting the Saudi-led coalition staging bombing raids across Yemen that have killed thousands of civilians, the Saudi foreign minister and the Ministry of Defence have confirmed." (January 15, 2016). Pakistan military advising and training the Saudis for bombing Yemen – Why? What threat does the Shia rebellion in the North of that impoverished country to demand equality and justice from their own government present to Western backed Saudi kingdom? Only as the provocation template to induce Iran into the Shia-Sunni battlefield being mercilessly carved out in Muslim blood, with Pakistan, the eager beaver proxy services provider to the world, already declaring its chosen side! Then they shall come as "peace makers", as the Holy Qur'an vouches the war-mongers always deceitfully do: "When it is said to them: "Make not mischief on the earth", they say: "Why, we only want to make peace!"" (2:11). Lo and behold, after choosing sides, after aiding and abetting the Saudi aggressors in their propaganda narrative of the so called 34-nation Sunni coalition to wage "war on terror" from which Shia Iran is carefully kept out "due to trust deficit", Nawaz Sharif accompanied by his COAS gallantly trot off to both nations to become the valiant "peace makers" ("Saudi Arabia, Iran brotherly countries: PM Nawaz", January 19, 2016).
Beyond the pretenses and public relations which wear thin, for the royal welcome mat eagerly laid out in Pakistan for Saudi Defence and Foreign Ministers, Pakistan's military's marching orders to provide proxy services to the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, one may intelligently surmise, must have come directly from the head of Western Alliance, Washington. Because, like all militaries of the world prepared for proxy services, Pakistan's too takes its policy and priority cues from her own principal paymasters. As cliché as it may be, there is still no free lunch!
To be faithful to one's own nation one must not have foreign paymasters, nor harvest one's own nation to make up the difference. Perhaps that truism is no longer obvious to anyone.
The provocation template of exercising foreign policy using proxy service providers to seed international dysfunction is only an open secret. It is not a state secret. America's current best friend, the absolutist kingdom of Saudi Arabia, just like America's former best friend, the absolutist dictator Iraqi Saddaam Hussein, is about to taste the fruit of supping with the devil without a very long spoon. As Henry Kissinger is known to have once quipped: "it may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal."
The war imposed upon us is principally an intellectually fueled war. Those who don't use their intellect cannot ever confront it. Those who do, unfortunately have no power unless people together use their collective national intellect. Fools and useful idiots will always overwhelm the most profound intellect as has happened throughout human history. Mobs are swayed by emotions and sentimentalism and before their rising noon tide, the tallest intelligence, the fairest virtue, bows her head in acquiescence when they come to burn her house down. The people of the Indian subcontinent are given to this predilection more than almost any other people. The blood partition of 1947 is empirical evidence of that fact that nothing was left sacred by the Hindu-Muslim-Sikh mobs incited by events beyond their control and acumen, swearing blood revenge upon each other. Neighbour killed neighbour, friend killed friend, just because they were not part of the same religion. That same fire of separation on ideological grounds, "us vs. them", is being rekindled among the same people, specifically of riot prone Pakistan. But this time along their natural fissures, the sectarian boundary.
If simpleton minds think it cannot happen, that all this is far fetched, just see how the militaries of Shia majority Iraq and Shia majority Iran so easily decimated each other in the name of their respective "divine mandate". Just imagine the momentousness of the "divine mandate" when Mecca and Medina are presented as being in danger! Muslim masses are mere putty in the hands of propagandist and religious authority figures. Where the billion Muslims have stayed largely impervious to the Saudi kingdom obliterating archeological vestiges of the early advent of Islam and its noble Prophet from their Hijaz territories, only because there has been no adverse propaganda campaign against that imperial evil, and also because the systematic destruction is carried out under the positive propaganda cover of expanding Hajj services to accommodate the larger number of people coming for pilgrimage, the Muslim masses will be mobilized instantly to put on their jihad robes and pile on top of each other to reach heaven with the right provocation. The fratricide is indefinitely sustainable when accompanied by, as Brzezinski put it, "a high degree of doctrinal motivation, intellectual commitment, and patriotic gratification."
The mobilization exercises to recruit the mujahideen for America's proxy war against the USSR in Afghanistan among the Sunnis worldwide, but mainly in Afghanistan-Pakistan, and the baseej and other canon fodder in Shia Iran by Ayatollah Khomeini for the American sponsored Iran-Iraq war during that same period to birth-pang the infamous "arc of crisis", which, as Brzezinski prognosticated in the Time Magazine of January 1979: "An arc of crisis stretches along the shores of the Indian Ocean, with fragile social and political structures in a region of vital importance to us threatened with fragmentation. The resulting political chaos could well be filled by elements hostile to our values and sympathetic to our adversaries.", have unequivocally demonstrated the success of "God is on your side" applied thickly enough!
Let's not fall for it again. Inform our leaders, our generals, our rulers, our scholars, our opinion-makers, that we do not wish to be participant in their games. That we are not sheep and that we refuse to service the mutton eaters!
Let each one of us feel the burden of responsibility to douse the dry kiln wood around us and within our reach, in plentiful water before the imperial spark succeeds in setting it all ablaze.
Spread the education: http://pakistan-humanbeingsfirst.blogspot.com/2016/01/manufacturing-killing-fields-in-pakistan.html
Zahir Ebrahim
Project Humanbeingsfirst.org
Project Humanbeingsfirst.org
(a record for posterity – for who pays any attention today)
Threat to S. Arabia will evoke strong response, says army
Baqir Sajjad Syed — Updated Jan 11, 2016 10:38am
Saudi deputy crown prince and Defence Minister Muhammad Bin Salman along with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at PM House.─ Photo: PM House
It was agreed that the two countries would cooperate in developing an effective counter narrative to defeat the extremist mindset. ─ Photo: PID
ISLAMABAD: While Chief of Army Staff Gen Raheel Sharif assured visiting Saudi Defence Minister Mohammad bin Salman on Sunday of "strong response" to threats to his country's territorial integrity, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif called for resolving its crisis with Iran through diplomacy and offered Pakistan's good offices in this regard.
"Pakistan has historically pursued the policy of promoting brotherhood among member states of the OIC. Pakistan has also always expressed its readiness to offer its good offices to brotherly Muslim countries for resolution of their differences," the prime minister was quoted by his office as having told the Saudi deputy crown prince.
Prince Mohammad met the army chief and the prime minister during his seven-hour stay here. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif received him at the airport, but curiously there was no counterpart meeting.
Saudi defence minister was received by Prime Minister's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz and Defence Minster Khawaja Asif.─ Photo: PID
The Saudi prince, whose visit came close on the heels of one by Foreign Minister Adel Jubeir, was reportedly here to find out how Pakistan could militarily assist his country.
The prime minister recalled the "historical, cultural, and religious" ties and reiterated the established commitment of standing with the "people of Saudi Arabia" in case of any threat to its territorial integrity, while also stressing the need for peacefully resolving the conflict.
PM offers Saudi prince help to diplomatically resolve crisis with Iran
In his meeting with the Saudi minister at the General Headquarters, the army chief delivered a stronger message — probably offering the visiting leader the sound bite that he came looking for.
Saudi deputy crown prince and Defence Minister met COAS General Raheel Sharif, COAS at General Headquarters.─ Photo: ISPR
Gen Sharif, according to ISPR, "re-asserted that any threat to Saudi Arabia's territorial integrity would evoke a strong response from Pakistan".
Negotiations between GHQ and Saudi officials on defence cooperation preceded Prince Mohammad's visit. The discussions are being kept highly secret.
Although it is publicly unknown what the military has committed to the Saudis, Gen Sharif found it enough to say that the defence relationship with the country was held "in highest esteem".
Amid speculations on the matter, a government source was reported as saying that the military had committed deployment of troops in Saudi Arabia.
However, the claim could not be verified and military spokesman Lt Gen Asim Bajwa was unavailable for comments because he is out of the country.
Defence Minister Mohammad told Gen Sharif that his country would extend "full support to Pakistan's position on all matters".
The execution this month of Saudi Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr Baqir Al Nimr and the subsequent reaction from Iran, including storming of the Saudi embassy in Tehran, sparked the crisis in the already tense relationship between the two countries. Saudi Arabia responded by cutting off its diplomatic relations with Iran and many of its Arab allies followed suit.
Foreign Minister Jubeir said after a special session of the Gulf Cooperation Council a day earlier that Saudi Arabia was mulling additional steps against Iran, but Defence Minister Mohammad hinted in a media interview that confrontation would not be allowed to escalate into an all-out war.
Besides discussing the tensions with Iran, the Saudi prince was also here to promote a counter-terrorism coalition, which is said to be his brainchild.
Video posted by PML-N official Facebook page
Prime Minister Sharif welcomed the initiative and reaffirmed support for the coalition of 'like-minded Islamic countries'.
"Pakistan supports efforts to counter terrorism and extremism," he said in his meeting with the visiting minister.
"The two leaders agreed to strengthen bilateral relations between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia and deepen the cooperation in all fields, including defence, security, fight against terrorism, trade and investment and meeting manpower requirements of the kingdom," the official statement said.
It was also agreed that the two countries would cooperate in developing an effective counter-narrative to defeat the extremist mindset.
Published in Dawn, January 11th, 2016
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Threat to S. Arabia will evoke strong response from Pakistan: PM
Dawn.com — Updated Jan 10, 2016 09:26pm
Saudi deputy crown prince and Defence Minister Muhammad Bin Salman along with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at PM House.─ Photo: PM House
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in his meeting with Saudi Arabia's Deputy Crown Prince and Defence Minister Muhammad Bin Salman and assured Saudi Arabia of Pakistan's support if if any threat arises to its territorial integrity.
According to a statement released from Prime Minister House, the prime minister also exchanged views with the Saudi dignitary on bilateral relations and regional security.
Video posted by PML-N official Facebook page
Meeting with COASChief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif met the Saudi Defence Minister at General Headquarters this afternoon and discussed matters related to regional security and defence cooperation.
During his meeting with Muhammad Bin Salman, the COAS said that Pakistan enjoys close and brotherly relations with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and attaches great importance to their security.
About the country's defence ties with Saudi Arabia, Raheel Sharif repeated that Pakistan holds its defence ties with the Kingdom in highest esteem and any threat to Saudi Arabia's territorial integrity would evoke a strong response from Pakistan.
According to ISPR, Saudi Defence Minister also expressed similar thoughts and also appreciated Pakistan's armed forces over their successes in fight against terrorism.
The crown prince reaffitmed Kingdom's full support to Pakistan's position on all matters
Saudi defence minister was received by Prime Minister's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz and Defence Minster Khawaja Asif.─ Photo: PID
Saudi Arabia's Deputy Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, who is also the deputy prime minister and minister for defence, arrived here on Sunday for a day-long trip for seeking Pakistan's support as the kingdom mulls additional steps against Iran.
This is the second high-profile visitor from Riyadh in three days. Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir visited Islamabad on Thursday for discussing Riyadh's tensions with Tehran and the counter-terrorism coalition that Saudi Arabia had announced.
Prince Muhammad followed up on the discussions FM Jubeir had here and met Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif and Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif.
A military cooperation arrangement is expected to be concluded
The Saudi defence minister will also meet meet Minister for Defence Khawaja Asif.
Pakistan has indicated it could consider the Saudi invitation to join the 34-nation coalition (proposed by Riyadh before the Iran spat). However, no official announcement has been made so far.
Islamabad has criticised Iran for reacting to Saudi cleric Sheikh Nimr's execution and sees it as interference in internal matters of the kingdom.
FM Jubeir on Saturday, after an extraordinary meeting of the foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council, said that Saudi Arabia could take further steps against Iran if tensions were to escalate.
A source said that the Saudi defence minister is expected to conclude a military cooperation arrangement during the trip, which the two sides have been negotiating recently.
Saudi Assistant Defence Minister for Military Affairs Muhammad Bin Abdullah al-Ayish earlier visited GHQ and his trip was followed by discussions at other levels. Details of the cooperation agreement are being kept under wraps.
A military official described intensified contacts as part of Riyadh's heightened diplomatic outreach to allied countries amid aggravating tensions with Iran.
Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen Rashad Mahmood is also expected to visit Saudi Arabia later this month.
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S. Arabia assured of support
Baqir Sajjad Syed — Updated Jan 08, 2016 10:22am
ISLAMABAD: Saudi Foreign Minister Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir shaking hands with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif before their meeting at the PM House.—INP
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan reaffirmed on Thursday its support to Saudi Arabia, which is embroiled in a tense standoff with Iran, and the counter-terrorism coalition that it (Riyadh) was setting up.
The reiteration of support for the Saudi government was made during a shortened visit by Saudi Foreign Minister Dr Adel Al-Jubeir to Islamabad for discussions on his country's diplomatic row with Iran and the multinational coalition against terrorism it (Saudi Arabia) had announced.
"People of Pakistan held the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in high esteem and also had deep respect for the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. … (they) will always stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Saudi Arabia against any threat to its territorial integrity and sovereignty," PM Sharif told FM Jubeir, while assuring him of Pakistan's unconditional support.
Additionally, a media statement said the two sides discussed regional and global issues of common concern and agreed on promoting multi-faceted cooperation.
Foreign Minister Jubeir holds talks with Sharif, army chief
The Saudi foreign minister started his whirlwind tour of Islamabad with a meeting with Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif at GHQ and then visited Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at his residence before concluding the trip with a meeting with Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz.
Mr Jubeir, who led a 17-member delegation, stayed in Islamabad for a little over six hours. His trip was officially described as a 'working visit'.
He was to originally visit Islamabad on Sunday, but postponed it at the eleventh hour due to the storming of Saudi embassy in Tehran by protesters agitating against the execution of Saudi dissident Sheikh Nimr Baqir Al-Nimr.
As the Saudi foreign minister landed in Islamabad, protesters from various religious parties held a protest demonstration in the federal capital's D-Chowk against Pakistan's decision to join the Saudi-led coalition and execution of Sheikh Nimr.
The Foreign Office cancelled a planned joint press conference by Mr Aziz and Mr Jubeir to avoid possible media questions over the recent regional developments involving Saudi Arabia.
A statement issued by the Foreign Office said that Mr Jubeir talked about tensions with Iran during his meetings.
Pakistan, which had already condemned the Saudi embassy incident, went a step further by noting it "believes in respect for international norms and adherence to non-interference".
Counter-terrorism coalitionBesides the tensions with Iran, the Saudi foreign minister was said to have briefed Prime Minister Sharif on details of the counter-terrorism coalition.
Saudi Arabia had last month announced that it was establishing a 34-nation coalition to fight terrorism. The government at the time of announcement of the coalition, in which Pakistan had been included, conceded that it did not know much about the group, but still agreed to join it. It was also said that the extent of involvement in the activities would be decided after Riyadh shared the details.
Speaking to Mr Jubeir, Mr Sharif said: "Pakistan welcomes Saudi Arabia's initiative and supports all such regional and international efforts to counter terrorism and extremism."
During the delegation-level meeting the two sides led by the respective foreign ministers, agreed on engaging the clergy for formulating a narrative against extremism and terrorism.
Published in Dawn, January 8th, 2016
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Shia protesters oppose Pakistan's involvement in Saudi-led coalition
AFP — Published Jan 08, 2016 09:20pm
A woman holds a sign for cleric Nimr al-Nimr, who was executed along with others in Saudi Arabia. —Reuters
ISLAMABAD: Hundreds of people joined a Shia-led protest in Islamabad on Friday against the government's decision to join Saudi Arabia's 34-country coalition against extremism, as Riyadh's foreign minister ended a two-day visit to the country.
The protesters presented a memorandum to the Foreign Office spokesman demanding Pakistan to drop out of the alliance, which was announced in December and is seen as the latest sign of a more assertive foreign policy by the Saudi kingdom, the dominant Muslim power in the Middle East.
"Neither the Pakistan army nor the nation is for rent, we will oppose any attempts to sell the army to the house of Saud for a few billion riyals," said Shia activist Gul-e-Zahra, addressing the Friday's rally.
Pakistan announced on Thursday they would join the Saudi-led military alliance to fight "terrorism" in the Islamic world, following a meeting between Riyadh's foreign minister Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
Saudi Arabia announced the coalition last month, naming Pakistan as a member, but Islamabad had initially reacted cautiously saying it needed further details before deciding the extent of its participation.
In a separate rally in the capital, an estimated 1,500 people chanted slogans against Saudi's execution of Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr on January 2, which sparked a deepening crisis between Riyadh and regional rival Iran.
An ASWJ supporter holds a placard to condemn the attack on Saudi consulate in Iran. —Reuters
Small scale rallies against the Saudi coalition were also organised in Lahore, however, protests were also held in Islamabad against Iran, with demonstrators accusing Tehran of "meddling "in Saudi Arabia's internal affairs.
The protesters chanted slogans vowing to "lay down their lives for the protection of the custodians of the holy cities", a term used for the ruling Saudi family.
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Iran-Saudi row may widen sectarian divide: Pew survey
Anwar Iqbal — Updated Jan 08, 2016 07:55am
WASHINGTON: The conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran is likely to further widen an existing sectarian divide in the Middle East, pitting Muslims against Muslims, warns a US survey released on Thursday.
The survey by the Washington-based Pew Research Centre shows that in Jordan, a predominantly Sunni country, 78 per cent of the public have a favourable view of Saudi Arabia, compared with only 8 per cent who have a positive opinion of Iran.
In the Palestinian territories, where again Sunnis predominate, about half — 51pc — have a favourable view of Saudi Arabia.
Here, there is a split by location. Among Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip, 60pc have a positive opinion of Saudi Arabia, compared with 46pc among West Bank residents.
Meanwhile, only 34pc in the Palestinian territories express a positive opinion of Iran, with more support coming from the West Bank (40pc) than from Gaza (24pc).
Overall, 48pc in Lebanon have a favourable view of Saudi Arabia versus 41pc who like Iran. However, as is usually the case in Lebanon, opinion is divided among three main religious groups in the country: Christians, Sunni Muslims and Shia Muslims.
An overwhelming number of Sunni Lebanese have a favourable view of Saudi Arabia (82pc), while Iran's favourability among Sunnis sits at 5pc.
An even greater divide exists among the Lebanese Shia population, with 95pc saying they like Iran, while only 3pc say the same about Saudi Arabia.
Christians in Lebanon tend to have more favourable views of Saudi Arabia (54pc) than Iran (29pc).
In two other Middle Eastern nations surveyed, there is little support for either Saudi Arabia or Iran. In Turkey, around two-in-ten have favourable views of each power.
And in Israel, even fewer like Riyadh (14pc) or Tehran (5pc). In Israel, the Arab population is about as positive toward Saudi Arabia (37pc favourable) as it is Iran (34pc), despite the fact that the Israeli Muslim population is predominantly Sunni.
Jews in Israel, however, have little regard for Saudi Arabia (10pc favourable) or for Iran — for which there is little per cent favourability among Israeli Jews.
Published in Dawn, January 8th, 2016
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What the Dawn article left out:
Pew Reseaarch: The Middle East's sectarian divide on views of Saudi Arabia, Iran, January 7, 2016, http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/01/07/the-middle-easts-sectarian-divide-on-views-of-saudi-arabia-iran/
The recent execution of Shia leader Nimr al-Nimr, along with dozens of other prisoners, by the Saudi Arabian government has sparked a furor in the Middle East. The storming of the Saudi Embassy amid protests in Iran, a predominantly Shia Muslim nation with long-standing animosity toward predominantly Sunni Saudi Arabia, has led to the cutting of diplomatic ties between the two powers. Saudi allies in the region, such as Bahrain, have followed suit.
The tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran are often characterized as sectarian – that is, Iran and its Shia allies versus Saudi Arabia and its Sunni brethren. And this characterization plays out to a large degree in public attitudes toward the two countries in five Middle Eastern nations Pew Research Center surveyed in spring 2015. In Jordan, a predominantly Sunni Muslim nation, 78% of the public have a favorable view of Saudi Arabia, compared with only 8% who have a positive opinion of Iran.
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Saudi execution exposes dangerous political and religious divisions
Reuters — Published Jan 06, 2016 03:59pm
LONDON: Saudi Arabia's execution of Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr has exposed the dangerous political, religious and socio-economic fault lines which run through the kingdom and the Gulf.
News of the execution sparked some unrest among Shia communities in Saudi Arabia's oil-rich Eastern Province and in neighbouring Bahrain as well as in southern Iraq.
Iran's supreme leader effectively called for the overthrow of the Saudi monarchy, drawing a furious response from the Saudi government, which accused the Islamic Republic of interfering in the kingdom's internal affairs.
Iranian protesters stormed the Saudi embassy in Tehran, and Saudi Arabia responded by breaking off diplomatic relations and encouraging allied Sunni governments to do the same.
Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United Nations (UN) told reporters on Monday "we are not natural born enemies of Iran".
But restoring diplomatic relations would only be possible if Iran were to "cease and desist from interfering in the internal affairs of other countries, including our own".
The rivalry between the two big powers in the Gulf is often simplified to a contest between a conservative Sunni monarchy and a revolutionary Shia republic; the reality is more complicated and worrying.
Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province lies at the dangerous intersection of great power rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia, sectarian conflict between Sunni and Shia, social and economic grievances, and the world's largest oil reserves.
Fault linesResearchers at Columbia University have put together an outstanding collection of maps illustrating the cultural, religious, tribal and linguistic divisions across the Gulf region.
They show Shia majority areas stretching in an arc up through Iran, across southern Iraq and down along the eastern coast of Saudi Arabia into Bahrain, with a further output in the highlands of northern Yemen.
Iran has taken a special interest in the Shia communities in all these countries; and in some cases the government in Tehran, especially the Revolutionary Guards and other elements, have tried to export their influence.
But it is also clear that many of these Shia communities have strong local grievances and much of the unrest has local roots rather than simply being stirred up by Iran.
Shia communities in Iraq, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have all suffered discrimination and marginalisation at the hands of Sunni-dominated governments and societies over the last century.
What adds to the destabilising cocktail is that areas that are home to many Shia communities are also where most of the region's oil and gas fields and remaining reserves are.
Southern Shia-dominated Iraq contains far more oil and gas than the Sunni-majority areas in the centre of the country.
And in Saudi Arabia, Eastern Province is where almost all the country's oil and gas reserves are to be found.
Conditions in the Eastern Province remain relatively opaque because access and reporting are controlled by the Saudi government, which also strongly discourages international discussion about political risks affecting the kingdom.
The potential for serious unrest is one of those low probability, high consequence risks that are difficult to estimate properly but which should not be ignored.
Unrest remains a tail risk rather than a central risk. It is much more likely the Eastern Province will remain peaceful, and much less likely that it will see social upheaval.
No one will make money betting on political instability in Saudi Arabia or unrest in the oilfields because the probability in any given year is low.
The risk of unrest could be as low as 5 per cent or even 1pc but that is not the same as zero. The same could have been said about the risk of upheaval in Egypt or Tunisia before 2011.
The risks are real enough that they are perceived as a serious danger by the Saudi government, which continues to maintain a heavy security presence in the area, and they help explain why the confrontation between Riyadh and Tehran is so bitter and so personal.
Complex kingdomIn most parts of the Middle East, national boundaries do not correspond to religious, cultural, linguistic or tribal divisions, and Saudi Arabia is no exception.
The kingdom is an amalgamation of the conservative central region (Najd) with the western coast (Hijaz) and the eastern oases along the Gulf coast (al-Hasa), all of which were separately administered until comparatively recently.
King Abdulaziz, ruler of the Najd, conquered al-Hasa in 1913 from the disintegrating Ottoman Empire, and added the Hijaz in 1924/25, finally unifying the country in 1932. But there are still major cultural and religious differences between the regions and even within them.
Much of the ruling political and religious elite is drawn from the Najd, which is also identified with the austere Wahhabi form of Islam.
Hijaz was the home of more liberal interpretations of Islam while the majority of the population in al-Hasa followed Shia Islam.
As part of an effort at nation-building, conservative religious views from the Najd have been imposed on other parts of the country.
According to the US government's Commission on International Religious Freedom, the modern Saudi state "privileges its own interpretation of Sunni Islam over all other interpretations" and "restricts most forms of public religious expression inconsistent with its particular interpretation of Sunni Islam".
One result is a long history of tension between Sunnis, especially those following a strict Wahhabi interpretation, and the Shia communities in al-Hasa, now renamed the Eastern Province.
"Authorities continue to repress and discriminate against dissident clerics and members of the Shia community" the Commission on International Religious Freedom wrote in its latest annual report.
"The Shia community also faces discrimination in education, employment, the military, political representation, and the judiciary," the Commission concluded, according to the International Religious Freedom Report 2015. The Saudi government denies any discrimination.
Recent reports have noted progress towards ending official discrimination, but how much unofficial discrimination remains is unclear because the Saudi government strongly discourages research.
As recently as 2012, the Commission found: "There are no Shia ministers in the government, only 5 of the 150-member Shura (Consultative Council) are Shia Muslims, and there are very few Shia Muslim leaders in high-level government positions, particularly in the security agencies."
"In predominantly Sunni Muslim areas of the country outside the Eastern Province, Shia and Ismaili Muslims face harassment, arrest and detention," it concluded, according to the International Religious Freedom Report 2012.
Violent protestsSectarian tensions between Sunnis and Shias have periodically resulted in unrest in the Eastern Province ─ including two major labour strikes against the Arabian American Oil Company (Aramco) in 1953 and 1956, a full-scale uprising in 1979/80, and demonstrations in 2011.
The 1953 and 1956 strikes "were sparked by grievances over low wages, poor working and living conditions, and racism," according to historian Toby Jones of Rutgers University, according to 'Desert Kingdom: How Oil and Water Forged Modern Saudi Arabia'.
"From the beginning, Aramco was acutely aware of compatibility issues between Sunni and Shia Muslims," the company's former chief executive Frank Jungers wrote in his memoir, 'The Caravan Goes On: How Aramco and Saudi Arabia Grew Up Together'.
"The Shias were definitely in the minority nationally but made up the majority in the Eastern Province and tended to live in separate areas. The company was careful as a matter of policy not to allow this religious difference to become a factor in the training or evaluation of an employee," Jungers explained.
Aramco worked hard to professionalise its labour force, but the fact Jungers mentioned religious differences so prominently underscores the potential for tension.
In 1979, protests erupted in Qatif and a number of other Shia areas of the Eastern Province, as well as in neighbouring Bahrain, and became violent following confrontations with the security forces.
The unrest, which had a strong sectarian element, came only a few months after the shah was violently overthrown and the Islamic Revolution brought to power Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomenei in Iran.
The new government in Tehran sought to export its revolutionary ideology and openly encouraged Shia communities in neighbouring Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia to revolt against their Sunni rulers.
Khomenei's government broadcast its revolutionary message by beaming a powerful radio signal directly into the Eastern Province.
"There is little doubt that the Iranian Revolution helped galvanize politics and energise dissent among Shia in neighbouring countries," according to Jones. "The revolution helped explain both the timing and some of the forces that encouraged Saudis to take to the streets."
In 2011, there were again violent protests in the Eastern Province and Bahrain as part of the wider Arab Spring, again mostly involving Shia communities, which were put down by the security services.
Following Nimr's execution, hundreds of protesters marched through Qatif on Saturday, according to eyewitness reports.
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Source URL: http://pakistan-humanbeingsfirst.blogspot.com/2016/01/manufacturing-killing-fields-in-pakistan.html
Print URL: http://print-humanbeingsfirst.blogspot.com/2016/01/manufacturing-killing-fields-in-pakistan.html
Faith-Politico URL: http://faith-humanbeingsfirst.blogspot.com/2016/01/manufacturing-killing-fields-in-pakistan.html
Source PDF: https://sites.google.com/site/humanbeingsfirst/download-pdf/manufacturing-killing-fields-in-pakistan-seeing-beyond-the-news-headlines-by-zahirebrahim.pdf
First circulated in email on Sunday January 10, 2015 | Published Monday January 11, 2015 | Last updated Tuesday, January 19, 2016 11:00 am 7934
Manufacturing The Killing Fields In Pakistan – The reality behind the Headlines in today's Dawn 25/25


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Fridges and freezers come in every shape and size – and we have them all at MG Domestic! Stand-alone or integrated, separate or combined in a single unit, plain white or painted with the Union Jack! The choice is yours.
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Sports utility vehicles are purpose-made for the quintessential Australian lifestyle.
The blend of flexibility and off-road versatility they offer are a perfect match for a spot of camping, a bit of sport and regular trips to the beach.
And it shows in the sales charts. Sales of compact SUVs are up by 32 per cent this year in a market that is up by only 10 per cent, and the boom is unlikely to end soon, as all-new entrants come in and some of the existing players bring in new versions of popular models.
As 2012 draws to a close, we've had a look at the five best-selling compact SUVs in Australia this year, and run the eye over a couple of new versions of once-popular models that could shift the market in 2013.
Nissan's X-Trail has led sales in the category this year, ahead of Mazda's CX-5, which is close behind despite giving its competitors a head start in the sales race by not hitting forecourts until February.
Toyota's RAV4 and Subaru's Forester are still selling well, despite the fact that new models are just over the horizon.
Nissan also has another hit on its hand with the more city-friendly Dualis, which was spun off the same platform as the chunkier X-Trail.
Here are the top five in order of sales:
Nissan X-Trail
The Nissan X-Trail is on track to be the top-selling compact SUV for this year despite the fact that the current model has been largely unchanged since late 2007.
The key to its success in recent months has been some radical pencil-sharpening. You can buy one for about $27,990 drive-away at the moment. That's less than the recommended retail price and a saving of roughly $4000.
That's a tempting incentive, but the X-Trail is showing its age against more polished newcomers.
It is the only top-selling compact SUV to have a four-star ANCAP crash safety score and its fuel economy can't compete with its closest challenger, the CX-5.
The car received a mild facelift in 2010, but mechanically little has changed, which means its on-road dynamics are off the pace in 2012.
The job of staying on top will get even harder next year, with the Mazda CX-5 on track to overtake it and new versions of the RAV4 and Forester likely to give it a hard time.
Mazda CX-5
Mazda's CX-5 gave its rivals a head start this year and has rounded up all but one in the sales race.
It has won fans with its combination of above-par road manners, sharp styling and fuel-saving features that helped it to win Drive's Car of the Year trophy as the Best SUV Under $40,000.
The Mazda's stop-start system and Skyactiv technology help the diesel version achieve 5.7 litres per 100 kilometre fuel economy, while the base petrol car uses just 6.4L/100km.
One of the few criticisms levelled against the CX-5 was that its 114kW, 200Nm, 2.0 litre, four-cylinder engine lacked grunt. But that engine has been discontinued for 2013, and replaced by a 2.5-litre four with 138kW 250Nm.
The other question mark against the CX-5 is linked to its diesel engine, which has problems relating to its oil levels, but Mazda assures us a fix has been found.
Toyota RAV4
Toyota revealed the look of its new RAV4 at the Los Angeles motor show in November. The new model shares elements of Toyota's new look with the Corolla and Camry.
It will also have some significant mechanical changes, mainly under the bonnet.
The thirsty 200kW V6 used in the current RAV4 will be swapped for a fuel-efficient 2.2 litre four-cylinder diesel turbo diesel that should give the car sub 6L/100km fuel use figures.
Toyota has not yet revealed power figures for the diesel RAV4, which has never before been offered in Australia. The offer of a diesel option is sure to boost sales.
Front-drive models will also use a Corolla-sourced 102kW 2.0-litre petrol four-cylinder, while the Camry will donate its 2.5 litre, 133kW engine for use in all-wheel-drive cars.
The all-wheel-drive versions are expected to offer a choice of six-speed manual or automatic transmissions, while the base car will carry the Corolla's six-speed manual or continuously variable transmission.
Nissan Dualis
Nissan's Dualis shares much of its underpinnings with the more rugged-looking X-Trail, but looks worlds apart with a hatchback aesthetic that has proved particularly popular with buyers looking for a smaller SUV.
Dualis is the smallest among the top five compact SUVs, but it has versatility that belies its size.
The car is available in two or four-wheel-drive and gives buyers the option of a third row of seats in the form of the Dualis+2.
The Dualis+2 blurs the lines between motoring's traditional hatchback, people mover and SUV segments.
Despite its relative age, the Dualis beat the Mitsubishi ASX, Suzuki SX4 and Subaru Impreza XV in a small SUV shootout last year and continues to be popular with buyers.
Subaru Forester
Subaru has dumped conventional automatic gearboxes for CVT transmissions in its 2013 Forester range and like Toyota, it will offer a range of four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines.
The Forester has been the most successful car in Subaru's Australian history, and the new model should bring customers back to the brand.
Unlike many of its rivals, Subaru has stuck to its guns and will continue to sell the all-wheel-drive Forester without offering a two-wheel-drive option.
Next year's all-new Forester is larger than the current model and will feature improved engines as well as a six-speed manual option on the base 2.0 litre Forester X, though other models are likely to be CVT-only.
The existing Forester's 108kW, 350Nm diesel uses just 5.3L/100km of fuel, a figure that the new car should be able to better.
Petrol-powered Foresters will feature stop-start systems to help them keep pace in the race to use less fuel and high-spec examples will be loaded with technology including electric assistance for off-road driving, and Subaru's Eyesight system, which can alert drivers of potentially dangerous objects and brake to avoid them.
We've had a pre-production drive of the new Forester and found that it is still capable off the beaten track, though it is more suited to the city life.
Mitsubishi Outlander
Mitsubishi's Outlander was a top-five seller a few years back and is another compact SUV that offers seven-seat versatility as an option.
The brand released a new version of its SUV in November and it could have a serious impact on the Australian SUV market. Run-out sales of the superseded model saw the Outlander soar above the CX-5 and X-Trail to be the best-selling SUV for October 2012, though it couldn't repeat the feat in November.
Outlander has a new look that has not met with universal acclaim, and it doesn't offer the driving dynamics of the Mazda CX-5 or the value of Nissan's X-Trail.
As with many of its rivals, Mitsubishi uses continuously variable automatic transmissions in the Outlander range, but for the top-spec diesel which has a conventional six-speed auto.
The Outlander dropped its flagship V6 model in favour of a turbo diesel V6 with 110kW and 360Nm.
The all-wheel-drive diesel offers 5.8L/100km fuel economy and is the pick of the range, but it costs $12,000 more than the entry-level front-wheel-drive base car and the sticker price can reach beyond $50,000.
Honda CR-V
Honda's CR-V was also a top-five seller but has slipped with the rest of the brand in the past couple of years.
The Japanese brand has sold more than 5.5 million CRVs since the car's launch in 1995, including 130,000 in Australia. The Thai-built, fourth-generation CR-V was launched last month and is available for the first time with two-wheel-drive.
A 2.0-litre, 114kW four-cylinder motor puts power to the front wheels in the base CR-V, while a stronger 2.4-litre, 140kW engine gets four-wheel-drive models moving.
The new CR-V is about small changes under the skin rather than a revolutionary new approach to soft-roading.
It's an approach that should be safe with buyers, who will have to make do without features such as stop-start fuel-saving technology that give competitors a green edge.
The five best-selling compact SUVs for 2012, and the deals manufacturers are offering:
* Drive away pricing for private owners in Sydney.
** Plus on-road and dealer costs
For more car reviews, video and news download the free Drive app. It updates every Friday with seven pages of fresh content from the Drive team.
This story Administrator ready to work first appeared on 苏州美睫培训.


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Ballenger, Bruce is the author of 'Creative Nonfiction', published 2008 under ISBN 9780205586455 and ISBN 0205586457.[read more]
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Last year, BMW made the Bosch MSC "cornering ABS" system available as a retrofit for the BMW HP4, branding the advanced safety feature as ABS Pro. Now BMW is making the ABS Pro safety package available as a retrofit to a number of BMW model that came with an ABS unit.
Most excitably, the upgrade kit can be used on the 2012-2014 BMW S1000RR, with the 2015-2016 BMW S1000RR kit in development as well. The addition of the ABS Pro on the 2015 S1000RR will include the "Race" riding mode, as well. The slip threshold and brake pressure gradient have been set at a higher level for use on roads with high friction coefficients compared to the "Rain" and "Sport" modes.


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A Democratic-oriented Super PAC reported today it received $5 million from an individual for use in making independent expenditures in the 2014 elections.
The Senate Majority PAC, a Democratic-oriented Super PAC, reported it had receipts of $5.7 million from April 17th through April 30th. The major donor was Thomas Steyer , founder of Fahr LLC in San Francisco, California. Steyer gave the $5 million through his NextGen Action Committee. Steyer was also founder of the hedge fund Farallon Capital Management.


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If you go in the video game section where all the tutorials are on a bunch of video game characters, you will see that there is a really old lesson on one of the main characters from The Legend of Zelda. As you know I like making updated versions of pop culture beings that have made an everlasting impression on the gaming industry. Today, I will be doing a new and improved version on "how to draw Link", step by step. I don't even think I need to explain to you guys who Link is because the video game has been around since the eighties. Link is a playable character in the million dollar game series of Zelda. Because he is so very popular, there has been a bunch of merchandise, including pins, wallets, clothes, hats, pencils, posters, and so forth made in Link's image. I myself enjoy the game series, but there is no one in my household that loves Zelda more then my fifteen year old brother. I kid you not, he has got to be one of the biggest fans of Zelda, but more importantly, Link himself. This sketch on Link came out awesome, and I think I did a great job capturing the very essence of this character. I really did have a ton of fun drawing him out, and I think you too will enjoy this tutorial on "how to draw Link" too. I was going to record myself drawing him, but then I thought that it would make a better lesson instead. Well, that's it guys. I'm all done with this description on Link. It's now your turn to try out this tutorial. And remember, when you're done with your artwork, don't forget to upload it to the site. Who knows, maybe your drawing will make it to the Top 50 too! Peace out guys, and happy drawing!
DragoArt members upload artwork and drawing tutorials! They are also allowed to leave comments on tutorials, profiles, etc. Many more features, as well; it's way better than just being a boring guest! Register Now!


text:
U.S. Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission
Volume XI, No. 5
April/May 1998
This issue of the Digest of EEO Law features the full text of the newly issued section of the EEOC's Compliance Manual on "Retaliation." The section provides guidance for analyzing claims of retaliation under the statutes enforced by the EEOC. Although the section, as part of the Compliance Manual, provides guidance and instruction to EEOC staff, it is valuable to federal agencies and practitioners as well. As footnote 5 of the section states, federal employees are also protected against retaliation under each of the discrimination statutes.
Ronnie Blumenthal, Director
Office of Federal Operations
EDITOR/WRITER: Douglas A. Gallegos
STAFF WRITER: Joan Hannan
Available on audiotape, or in braille, large print and on computer disk upon request. The Digest is now available through EEOC's homepage at www.eeoc.gov. Please send all inquiries and requests to Douglas A. Gallegos, EEOC, Office of Federal Operations, 1801 L Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20507.
is a publication of the EEOC's Office of Federal Operations


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This collection includes manuscript and typescript pages of poems, plays and stories by Chadwick. Also included are publicity shots and copies of theater reviews from Chadwick's theater days in South Africa.
The English born Alan Chadwick came into the world on July 27, 1909. Born into the upper class of Edwardian society, Alan was exposed at a young age to a variety of aesthetic pursuits, gardening being chief among them. As a youth the mystic Austrian philosopher Rudolph Steiner heavily influenced him. Steiner's theories, though largely disregarded by the wider academic community, found a stronghold in the mind of young Alan. Later in his life Chadwick would combine what he learned from Steiner with French gardening techniques to develop his own brand of biodynamic horticulture. Chadwick's passion for the arts led him to the Shakespearean theater where he performed professionally for thirty two years. However his life pursuit of beauty was violently interrupted by the Second World War, which he described as having "capsized my attitude to civilization." After the war he moved to South Africa where he continued to act and to garden. In 1967, Chadwick was persuaded by his friend Countess Freye von Moltke to take a position at the burgeoning UC Santa Cruz. During his time at the University, Chadwick labored to construct a showcase garden employing his biodynamic techniques. While working the soil, he taught the students his philosophy based on a clear understanding of the rhythms of nature in creating a thriving botanical environment, as well as about the role of the garden in human culture. Chadwick was an extremely magnetic individual who attracted a large following to his lectures and a large number of devoted volunteers, whom he worked hard in the garden. Though a charming person, Chadwick was also quick to anger and notoriously difficult to get along with at times. This aspect of his personality, along with disputes over the direction of his ambitious farm project, led to his leaving the University in 1973. In the final seven years of his life, Alan continued to work in his signature style helping to create several gardens around America. He died on May 25, 1980.
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The first ever clip from Thor is out, and it showcases the Norse God's nastier side, and Natalie Portman and Kat Denning's comedic talents. What do you think — does the "myth out of water" humor work so far?
Check out even more Thor footage in this behind-the-scenes video which includes concept art, plus some of the "Odin punishing Thor" clip we described earlier this week:
Kenneth Branagh's Thor will open in theaters on May 6th.


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(90) Customer Reviews
Price Range: USD $45.54 to $282.03
Passenger Cars
All Season
High Performance
All-Season Performance, Great Handling And StyleThe Eagle GT is an innovative tire featuring two distinct tread zones and TredLock® Technology for genuine all-season traction and great handling.
High-Performance Zone Helps to provide confident handling and dry gripAll-Season Zone Helps to provide enhanced traction on wet and snow-covered roadsTredLock Technology Microgrooves help provide biting edges for enhanced wet traction and lock together for confident grip in turnsDual circumferential grooves Help evacuate water for enhanced wet tractionRim protector Helps protect wheels against accidental curb damage
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They were nice when they were new. Noticed they got noisy after about ten thousand miles and not very good on wet roads. Not good at all in snow. Only lasted 22,000 miles. Won't buy again.
made this review on 12/28/2016 and is a
Confident, Experienced Driver
Full disclosure that I'm not a Goodyear fan. These came on my car when I bought it, and 20kmi later they're done. They got really, really loud over the last 7kmi and are basically useless in the wet at the moment, even with a small amount of tread left. The ride has been ultra hard, I assume due to the harder sidewall, which does give pretty solid cornering performance for an a/s tire. Aside from handling, these are a reminder of why I never buy Goodyear
Size: 245/40R18
Vehicle: 2009 Audi TT 2 Dr Convertible Base (245/40R18 93 Y) with 33789 KM of Tire Wear
made this review on 7/12/2016 and is a
Aggressive Driver (Hard Cornering)
These tires were fine when they were new. But it didn't take long for them to disintegrate from the inside causing vibrations through the whole car. A disappointing tire from a good brand. I still recommend Goodyear but not these.
Size: 205/65R15
Vehicle: 2003 Saab 9-3 4 Dr Sedan Linear with 64360 KM of Tire Wear
made this review on 6/8/2016 and is a
Confident, Experienced Driver
Very poor treadwear; replaced 2 at 23,000 miles and was told to check alignment but only 1 tow very slightly out of specifications. Replaced the other 2 at 38,000 miles, completely worn out and shot. Rotated and aligned frequently (every 5000 miles).
Average performance but would not buy again due to treadwear.
Size: 215/55R17
Vehicle: 2006 Toyota Solara 2 Dr Convertible SLE 17" option with 61142 KM of Tire Wear
made this review on 2/17/2016 and is a
Confident, Experienced Driver
I had a set of these on my 89 RX-7 GTU. Loved them, handled well, in dry conditions they were amazing and handled pretty good in the snowy weather that hits western Pennsylvania. Was really sad to find out they were discontinued when I went to get another set.
Size: 205/60R15
made this review on 2/8/2016 and is a
Aggressive Driver (Hard Cornering)
To see all 90 reviews on tire reviews page
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All orders are verified for fitment guarantee
Verified by tire & wheel expert
We honor the fitment.
1010TIRES.COM goes through many steps to ensure that all orders we ship will fit your described vehicle.
To the best of our knowledge, the 1010TIRES.COM vehicle, wheel, tire and tire and wheel package selectors are accurate. Due to the possibility of typographical errors, modified vehicles, wear of vehicle, age of vehicle, or other factors, our proprietary selectors may not always be 100% accurate. Our vehicle database is sourced and verified by third party and to the best of our knowledge is accurate and up to date.
Please be aware that if you are installing aftermarket wheels, and/or changing tire size you are customizing your vehicle; therefore, the products you order from 1010TIRES.COM may not fit exactly the same as the factory settings.
If the order is approved for our 100% Fitment Guarantee and the product doesn't fit we will offer you a replacement or a full refund, including shipping charges (*some conditions apply).
You must provide your vehicle information. The selected vehicle information must be accurate and complete. It is the customers' responsibility to provide accurate and complete vehicle information.
The vehicle must be unmodified and has all original factory settings. Please note, older vehicles may no longer have factory parameters and therefore, may not qualify for our 100% Fitment Guarantee.
You are purchasing a full set of tires, wheels or tires and wheels package. Less than a set (3 or less) does not qualify for our 100% Fitment Guarantee
Rims: Rims will bolt on and will not interfere on OEM brakes, suspension, or body components. Rims that require hub centric rings or different wheel nuts/bolts are still considered a correct fitment.
Tires: Will fall within the approved overall tire diameter, load rating, and speed rating (winter tires are approved to have a lower speed rating).
Tire and Wheel Packages: The package will bolt on and will not interfere on OEM brakes, suspension, or body components. Rims that require hub centric rings or different wheel nuts/bolts are still considered a correct fitment
When you place an order, you must select your vehicle information from the drop-down menus presented to you in the search by car areas. Please note, the description of the vehicle may differ from your markings on the car. Always refer to your user manual for a full description of your vehicle. The failure to choose the correct vehicle may affect the selection of the product that fits your vehicle and your claim for fitment guarantee may be rejected. If you feel that your exact vehicle is not listed please use "Notes and Additional Instructions" box to add your vehicle information at the checkout. A 1010TIRES.COM expert will use that information provided for verification.
Driver's Side Door Sticker Example
When upsizing or downsizing tires/wheels always refer to your original equipment tire size. Correct tire and wheel information can usually be found on the inside of the driver's side door on a sticker. It is the responsibility of the customer to verify that this information is correct prior to placing the order in order to qualify for Fitment Guarantee.
If you choose not to provide your vehicle information, or chose to skip Fitment Check, when placing an order our Fitment Guarantee is not applicable.
Once we receive your order our first priority is to check fitment. This is done by our fitment team that employs various methods and manufactures databases to check fitment. We may come to the conclusion that the products you have ordered will not fit your described vehicle. In this case, you will be notified and will be provided with alternative options. If you still feel confident about your original purchase and want to proceed with the order as is, we will ship it to you with a disclaimer to that effect and such order is not covered by our Fitment Guarantee Policy. If you need to return the order we will issue an in-store credit only and it's subject to our Return/refund policy.
Since we don't have your vehicle present to physically qualify it for fitment we rely on our collective experience and expertise, and consult numerous fitment sources to make approve fitment. Due to mechanical wear and tear of a vehicle, tires and/or wheels may not fit as intended. It is impossible to take these factors into account when verifying fitment. Therefore, on rare occasions when a customer claims the product does not fit we reserve the right to refuse such a claim based on our previous experience with the same vehicle and/ or manufacturers fitment data available to the public. In such cases we will request pictures showing the issues with fitment and will assess the claim on a case by case basis. If the claim for a fitment guarantee is denied our Return/refund policy will apply.
The vehicle description chosen or described by the customer is not complete, inaccurate or wrong.
The vehicle is not listed when order is placed.
The vehicle is listed on the manufacturers website as an approved fitment but the customer or the installer claims the product does not fit.
The manufacturer representative has qualified the product as an approved fit for your described vehicle but the customer or the installer claims that the product doesn't fit.
The order was not approved for 100% Fitment Guarantee and the order was shipped with the disclaimer to that effect
The order was approved as a fitment based on the previously filled orders for exact same vehicle and product shipped (we keep such data) but the product didn't fit due to the mechanical wear and tear.
*Please note, you are responsible for a safe keeping and handling of the order that is under our Fitment Guarantee policy. If the order is returned and we determine that the product was damaged, this voids the Fitment Guarantee policy. The refund will then be issued as per our return/refund policy.