Latest news with #US-designated
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Israel will spread nuclear arms everywhere
Listen to article When ISIS started around 2014, many people opined that this terrorist group was created by the United States in order to further its interests in the Middle East. While that was not true, the United States actually created the conditions, which created the terror group. The US invaded Iraq and captured and tortured some of the men who had nothing to do with Al-Qaeda. Some of those men went on to create ISIS as a result of the humiliation they had faced at the hands of American occupiers. Similarly, the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty has been successful in preventing most of the states around the world from acquiring nuclear weapons not because the Pakistani nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer, who was accused of selling the formula for nuclear bomb to US-designated rogue states, was confined but because most states did not feel the need to go nuclear. Nation states strongly believed that international laws, international bodies, and especially the United States would do the moral thing if these states ever faced aggression from other countries. That may have changed for good now if not before. Libya was one of those states that gave up its nuclear programme in exchange for benefits and guarantees from the United States. Gaddafi faced the result of that bad calculation and Libya is no longer there as we knew it. North Korea showed defiance in the face of similar pressure to give up its nuclear programme and while it is very poor, it has survived the American onslaughts and shenanigans. Pakistan is a vivid example as well. Iran signed the NPT. It allowed international inspectors on its soil to satisfy the needs of the world that it was not making a nuclear bomb. The result was that Iran was always accused of cheating and planning to rush toward making a bomb. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned the world that Iran would become a nuclear armed state within 3 to 5 years. He first said that in 1992 and then in 1995. He said it in 2015 and before and after that as well. None of it was true. Every time an American president opened his mouth about Iran, he issued a threat against it. Obama said, "I don't bluff" and "all options are on the table" including the "military component". After the 1979 revolution in Iran, America has worked against Iran at every step. It provided chemical weapons to Iraq to be used against Iran. It has imposed sanctions on Iraq and deterred other countries from buying Iranian oil. All despite Iran choosing not to go nuclear or maybe because of it. The truth is Iran never wanted to make a bomb. But that may have just changed. Their calculus, if they have people who can do so much as add and subtract, would only come to one conclusion: Iran must have nuclear weapons in order to deter the world from acting against it. Israel and its unconditional supporter America criticise and impose sanctions on nations that are capable of fighting and defending their sovereignty. Bloody wars are waged against countries that are defenseless, that are not nuclear armed states. Israel would have never ever dared of attacking Iran, had Iran been a nuclear armed state. More importantly, Iran playing the nice guy and being the norms following player have not yielded any defence benefits for it. It has rather weakened its defence. And this is not just playing inside the mind of Iran but rather inside the mind of every nation state. Being in the good books of the US by giving up the thought of nuclear weapons isn't a currency strong enough to be banked upon to ensure defence should a US ally attack you. Israel is creating the desire for states to want to go nuclear. Despite the habit of the world to tap itself on the shoulder for being civilised, in the end survival comes down to brute power. Not values, not education, not anything else.
Shafaq News
13-06-2025
- Business
- Shafaq News
US sanctions top Iraqi faction leaders
Shafaq News/ On Thursday, the US Treasury Department imposed new sanctions on Nasser al-Shammari, Deputy Secretary-General of Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba (HHN), as well as two other Iran-backed Iraqi paramilitary groups—Kataib al-Imam Ali and Kataib Ruh Allah Isa Ibn Maryam—as part of an ongoing campaign to curb destabilizing activities linked to Tehran's regional network. The sanctions, issued by the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), will freeze any assets the designated individuals and entities hold under US jurisdiction and generally prohibit Americans from engaging in financial transactions with them. According to the Treasury, the sanctions aim to disrupt the financial and operational capabilities of these factions, which have been involved in attacks on US forces and continue to operate outside the control of the Iraqi state. Al-Shammari, a senior figure in HHN—a US-designated terrorist group and prominent member of the so-called "Axis of Resistance"—joins a list of sanctioned individuals already including the group's leader, Akram al-Kaabi. HHN has been accused of direct involvement in targeting US personnel in Iraq and Syria. The move also extends to Kataib al-Imam Ali, an armed group closely tied to Lebanese Hezbollah, and its offshoot, Kataib Ruh Allah Isa Ibn Maryam. Both groups have played roles in Syria and Iraq, with the latter notable for recruiting Christian fighters, particularly from the Syriac and Assyrian communities, according to the Washington Institute. US Congressman Joe Wilson welcomed the sanctions, but called for further steps—urging the Trump administration to add the Badr Organization to the sanctions list. Wilson described Badr as sharing 'the same DNA' with other sanctioned groups and warned of its entrenched influence in Iraq's political and security landscape. The Badr Organization is one of the most established Iran-backed factions in Iraq. Although it operates under the umbrella of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), Badr also holds significant political power in the Iraqi parliament and government. Despite its longstanding ties to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), it has so far avoided direct US sanctions.
Time of India
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Trump travel ban: Why did he spare Pakistan?
US President Donald Trump has imposed a travel ban on nationals from 12 countries, citing national security risks, but Pakistan which openly hosts and celebrates US-designated terror groups is missing from the list. White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson posted on X: "President Trump is fulfilling his promise to protect Americans from dangerous foreign actors that want to come to our country and cause us harm." In March, the Trump administration was considering issuing sweeping travel restrictions for the citizens of dozens of countries including Pakistan, as per an internal memo seen by Reuters. During his first term, Trump had taken a very hard stance against Pakistan for its sponsorship of terror. What moved Trump's hand in a short period of time? Also Read: US imposes entry ban on 12 nations, adds restrictions on 7 others Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play War Thunder now for free War Thunder Play Now Undo From Trump 1.0 to Trump 2.0: The change of heart During his first term as the US president, Donald Trump's first tweet of 2018 was on Pakistan: "The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!" he posted on X, then called Twitter, on January 1, 2018. In August that year, the US military cancelled $300 million in aid to Pakistan, accusing it of not doing enough to root out militants from its border region with Afghanistan. Another $500 million were stripped by Congress from Pakistan earlier to bring the total withheld to $800 million. In November 2018, Trump accused Pakistan of helping to hide Osama bin Laden, stating, "But living in Pakistan right next to the military academy, everybody in Pakistan knew he was there" . Consequently, the US suspended a significant portion of its military aid to Pakistan. Live Events In April 2019, the Trump administration imposed visa sanctions on Pakistan under Section 243(d) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). This US law mandates that if a country refuses or unreasonably delays accepting the return of its nationals who have been ordered deported from the United States, the US government may impose sanctions, including visa restrictions on certain categories of that country's citizens. Also Read: Terror hub Pakistan not included: Brahma Chellaney hints at US' Deep State's anti-India stance The sanctions were targeted visa restrictions, initially applied to certain Pakistani officials and government representatives. The State Department, in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), began denying or delaying visa issuance to these individuals. The move was designed to be escalatory, signaling that broader visa restrictions could follow if Pakistan did not take corrective action. This was a rare use of Section 243(d). Prior to Pakistan, only a handful of countries had faced such penalties (including Guinea, Cambodia, and Eritrea). However despite tensions, Trump also sought to reset relations with Pakistan. In July 2019, then Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan visited the US, where Trump called for strengthening trade ties and offered to mediate the Kashmir dispute, a proposal India rejected. What explains Trump's new love for Pakistan? In March this year, Pakistan was part of the sweeping travel restrictions planned by the Trump administration for the citizens of dozens of countries. However, a US official had told Reuters at that time that there could be changes on the list and that it was yet to be approved by the administration. One change that has happened is Pakistan has been dropped from the list. The action is not inconsistent with Trump's recent statements on Pakistan. In a recent interview with Fox News, Trump spoke glowingly about Pakistan: "They are brilliant people and make incredible products." Trump has offered unqualified praise for Pakistan several times after Operation Sindoor. He claimed he intervened during the India-Pakistan conflict and convinced both the countries to reach what Trump claimed to be ceasefire. India has contested this interpretation. It has said it just halted military action and didn't agree to any ceasefire with Pakistan. It has also said the halt in India's Operation Sindoor came at Pakistan's request and not due to Trump's intervention. Trump suggested he used trade as a negotiating tool to force India into a ceasefire. The ministry of external affairs said the issue of trade did not come up during any talks with the US and "it was the force of Indian arms that compelled Pakistan to seek ceasefire". Clearly, Trump chose to support Pakistan in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor. Former Pentagon official Michael Rubin, writing in the Washington Examiner, said that by bragging about how he could leverage trade to stop fighting, Trump drew moral equivalence between terror-sponsoring Pakistan and terror-victim India. Why is Trump ignoring Pakistan's terror project against India and stepping in to save it? Many would think Trump, who sees himself as the greatest deal maker, has been bought by Pakistan which is 'investing' in the Trump family to reap geopolitical dividends, as several recent reports suggest. Trump's change of heart on Pakistan after Operation Sindoor -- ignoring its terror activities, praising it, and offering to mediate on Kashmir -- could be connected to a recent deal between Pakistan's Crypto Council and World Liberty Financial (WLF), a cryptocurrency venture in which Trump's family has 60% stake. WLF sent its heavy guns, including Zachary Witkoff, son of Trump's golf buddy Steve, to Islamabad where they were feted by Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif, and more crucially, army chief General Asim Munir, who just days later 'cleared' the mass killing in Pahalgam of tourists who were segregated on the basis of their faith, TOI had reported. WLF's stakeholders include Trump's two sons Eric and Donald Trump Jr, who, along with their brother-in law Jared Kushner, have been scouring different parts of the world for lucrative business deals and have attracted allegations of leveraging their links to the White House. There are other deals that would have mellowed Trump towards Pakistan. TOI reported that Gentry Beach, a hunting buddy and college friend of Donald Trump Jr, the US President's son, visited Pakistan in January and came back to brief Trump Sr and his close aides at Mar-a-Lago about the 'amazing place called Pakistan' and a potential to cut deals worth billions of dollars in explorations of rare earth minerals, oil & gas, and real estate. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif hosted him twice, first in Islamabad in January in the presence of his senior cabinet colleagues, including the ministers for finance and foreign affairs, and again in Dubai on February 11, on the sidelines of the summit of world govts. Beach was an exceptionally unknown face among hosts of foreign dignitaries and heads of state Sharif met. While in Pakistan, Beach noted the Islamic country had rare earth reserves of more than $50 trillion Pakistan has often tried to please the US by handing over terrorists that it had been using to achieve its own goals actually. Early in March, the US arrested in Afghanistan an ISIS-K operative involved in the 2021 Abbey Gate bombing that killed 13 Marines. Trump was quick to thank Pakistan for its help in nabbing the high-value fugitive from the Pak-Afghan border. "I want to thank the government of Pakistan for helping arrest this monster," he told the US Congress. TOI reported that what was brushed under the carpet was an open secret in intelligence circles -- the operative, Sharifullah, had been in Pakistan spy agency ISI's custody for over a year. ISI ran multiple operations using his network and ultimately handed him over to the CIA at the right time - when the regime changed in Washington. (With TOI inputs)
NDTV
03-06-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Pak Politician Backs Pahalgam Mastermind, Shares Stage With LeT Chief's Son
Islamabad: In what could be seen as yet another evidence of Islamabad fostering terrorism on its land, a prominent Pakistani politician was seen sharing the stage with the leadership of UN-proscribed terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The incident happened in Pakistan's Punjab province, where the state's assembly speaker, Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan, was spotted attending a rally with LeT deputy chief Saifullah Ahmad and Talha Saeed, son of LeT chief and 26/11 Mumbai attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed. Saifullah Khalid, also known as "Kasuri," is one of the masterminds of the recent terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam and a US-designated terrorist. Meanwhile, Talha Saeed is the de facto head of the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba. When asked about his presence at the rally, the Speaker of the Punjab Assembly told reporters that LeT deputy chief Kasuri "should not be seen as an accused in the Pahalgam terror attack case without an investigation." 📍 #Exclusive 🇵🇰👹 Pakistan Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Ahmed Khan defends Pahalgam mastermind Saifullah Kasuri and accuses India of being responsible for the Pahalgam terrorist attack Note : On May -28, Pak politician Malik Ahmed Khan shared the stage with Talha Saeed,… — OsintTV 📺 (@OsintTV) June 1, 2025 "It was a political rally, and politicians from all walks of life were present there. Because I have a personal connection with the place (Kasur--the town where the May 28 rally took place), organisers also called me and I went," he said. Khan, a high-profile political figure in Pakistan, came under scrutiny after several video clips from the rally held on Wednesday (May 28) emerged on social media. In one of the footage, Talha Saeed was seen welcoming Malik Ahmad Khan on stage with other politicians. Another clip showed Kasuri calling India an enemy state ("dushman") and claimed he was "wrongfully" accused as the mastermind of the Pahalgam terror attack. He boasted of becoming more famous after India's charges. The event triggered security concerns among diplomatic circles, especially in India, where authorities are closely watching the development. LeT is a banned terror organisation, but the group and its affiliates continue to operate openly in Pakistan, often holding public gatherings under the guise of charity or nationalist causes. The presence of high-profile politicians at such gatherings continues to raise questions about Pakistan's commitment to fighting terrorism.
Economic Times
03-06-2025
- Politics
- Economic Times
Following Lashkar rally boasting 'revenge for 1971', Pakistan speaker's open support for Pahalgam mastermind sparks outrage
Following India's Operation Sindoor, concerns are rising as ties between the Pakistani government and terrorist groups seemingly strengthen. A Punjab Assembly Speaker was seen at a rally with Lashkar-e-Taiba leaders, including a US-designated terrorist involved in the Pahalgam attack. Lashkar leaders are openly celebrating 'revenge' for the 1971 war, blurring the line between state and terror. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Lashkar leaders boast of 'revenge for 1971' Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads 'We took revenge for Bangladesh' Growing concerns over terror-politics nexus The gap between the Pakistani government and terrorist groups seems to be getting smaller after India's Operation Sindoor. A shocking example of this was seen recently when Malik Ahmed Khan, Speaker of the Punjab Assembly in Pakistan, was spotted attending a rally with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) deputy chief Saifullah Kasuri and Talha Saeed , son of LeT founder Hafiz per a TOI report, Kasuri, a US-designated terrorist and one of the key planners behind the recent Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, was treated like a hero. When reporters asked Malik Ahmed Khan about his presence at the rally, he defended Kasuri by saying no one should be considered guilty without proper investigation. He also claimed a personal connection to Kasur, the town where the May 28 rally took presence of Talha Saeed and Kasuri at the rally came just days after videos started circulating of Lashkar terrorists celebrating what they called 'revenge' for Pakistan's defeat in the 1971 war against the videos, Kasuri is seen arriving at the rally with bodyguards carrying American M4 rifles, while flower petals are showered on him. He was even called the 'conqueror' of India by his one rally in Gujranwala on May 28, Muzammil Hashmi and others made hateful comments targeting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 'Modi, your missiles didn't scare our children. Why would your bullets scare us?' said Hashmi during the rally, which was hosted by the political wing of LeT, Pakistan Markazi Muslim another speech, Kasuri made emotional statements about the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. 'I was just four when Pakistan was broken apart in 1971. Indira Gandhi had said she drowned the two-nation theory. But on May 10, we took revenge,' he declared at a rally in Rahim Yar also talked about the Indian air strike on Muridke, which killed fellow terrorist Mudassar. He expressed pain at not being allowed to attend the funeral. 'I cried a lot that day,' he events have caused alarm internationally. As per a TOI report, experts believe this is yet another sign that certain Pakistani leaders are openly supporting extremist groups. With Lashkar terrorists making bold claims of violence and revenge, and top state officials sharing the stage with them, the line between state and terror is becoming dangerously from TOI
