George W. Bush made a highly debatable decision when he responded to the attacks by attacking Afghanistan, and later Iraq. For the 3,000 civilian deaths of 9/11, the United States butchered thousands of civilians in Afghanistan (women and children amongst them). Under the pretext of weapons of mass destruction, Iraq was invaded and massacred, and what was once a flourishing Baghdad was reduced to rubble. According to WikiLeaks, the civilian death toll in Iraq was over 92,000 deaths.

The ‘War on Terror’ continued with Pakistan being forced to become a coalition partner with the United States and a never-ending stream of drones still continues to annihilate the tribal areas. Noam Chomsky in his columnon 9/11 titled ‘Was war the only answer’ explains that the attack on Pakistan has only radicalised the nation further, and that America has in fact helped Bin Laden on his mission. “That Washington seemed bent on fulfilling bin Laden’s wishes was evident immediately after the 9/11 attacks,” says Chomsky.

Simon Jenkins of the Guardian agrees to that and insists that waging war was not in America’s best interests. Anti-American sentiments were fuelled when America attacked a hapless Afghanistan, and later Iraq and then carried out drone attacks in Pakistan. Daniel Byman from the Brookings Institution (an American think-tank) suggests that drone strikes may kill “10 or so civilians” for every militant killed. In contrast, the CIA believes that since 2010, no civilians have been killed in the attacks — only militants were killed. Civilian deaths are seldom reported and when we hear of the casualties, they are given that seemingly benign terminology: collateral damage’. Whilst we have thousands of 9/11 survivor stories like the one mentioned in the beginning, somehow, Western media has failed to produce similar news stories that talk about the suffering of a little girl in Iraq, or someone in Afghanistan, or someone in Pakistan whose school was blown up in the fighting instigated by a nation once highly esteemed in the world.

“Pakistanis are too poor to go and seek treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. They also realise that the trauma is far from over,” writes Mohammed Hanif in the Guardian’s ‘Comment is Free’ section. Indeed, poverty-stricken individuals in Pakistan have more pressing concerns such as proper meals and potable water.

That is most certainly not to belittle the crime that was 9/11 or the sufferings of those who went through that horrific incident. I only wish to present a simple question — why is it that when Muslims kill it is called ‘terrorism’ or ‘crime against humanity’ and when the United States massacres anyone in broad daylight, with the aid of men such as Tony Blair, we dismiss it as though the blood of those being killed is of lesser value? Is it fair to clothe the butchery of innocent civilians, who get killed alongside so called ‘militants’ under the garb of ‘collateral damage’? Moreover, why isn’t the Western media powerful enough to expose the true situation in Palestine, where the most horrific injustices take place under the approving eye of the United States?

War has been detrimental for the United States economically too. The economy collapsed after billions of dollars were deployed to fund the wars which many noted thinkers and writers have termed a mistake. The spillway effect has been the worst recession the world has seen in recent times.

There is no doubt about the fact that the attacks on the twin towers were truly terrible and every such action or intention by the militants has been condemned by Muslims all around the world, as it should be. However, America has achieved little in terms controlling terrorism – for every civilian murdered by American troops, a new Bin Laden is born. The word ‘jihad’ is in rampant misuse and young people are brainwashed as they happily blow themselves up in the name of Islam. Radicalism has placed its feet on firmer ground than before as militants use America’s crimes to fuel sentiment against America.

Amidst all this, Islam and Muslims have taken the most serious bashing. Anyone with a beard and a cap is automatically a ‘fundamentalist’, women with hijab are looked at sceptically as though they are oppressed and opting for ‘madressa’ for your child is a definite no-no — even if all they do there is teach the Arabic language.

Ten years down the line, we as a global community are worse off. Life on this planet becomes increasingly more dangerous as a doomed war continues, and we wander farther away from peace and stability. One wonders though, how Artie Van Why would have taken it if something like 9/11 happened on a daily basis, and that too for years. Someone in Iraq would know.

Mehmudah Rehman is a Dubai-based freelance writer who blogs at Ummanaal’s Musings.

Today i am going to share some really old pictures which related to Pakistan Independence, Every picture is unique and tell you the story behind the Azaadi of Pakistan.

I also include little caption with each picture, so you can understand that when and feom where the picture was taken!

The 26th All India Muslim League session at Patna, held in December, 1938.

Guard of honour on the occasion of Lahore Resolution 23 March, 1940. Quaid-e-Azam is seen on the stage with Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan.

Jinnah in Karachi, 1947.

Oath taking ceremony at Governor General House, Karachi, 14 August, 1947.

People cook rotis (bread) in bulk for the refugees.

People trying to arrange food and shelter for refugees who have just reached Pakistan, 1947.

Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan with Mr. Habib Rahimtoola, 8 July, 1950.

Refugees carry their belongings alongside a train track.

Squadron in pre-partition.

Earlier it was expected that Pakistan will launch its satellite in second week of August, preferably on 14th of August but keeping in view the weather factors, the launch has taken place.

Paksat-1R is based on DFH-4 platform and will be positioned at 38.0 degrees East. Paksat-1R will replace Paksat-1 which was launched on January 31st, 1996. The DFH-4 (DongFangHong-4) platform is a large telecommunications satellite platform – a new generation of hardware based on high output power and communication capacity.

Paksat 1-R will provide range of services including broadband Internet, digital television broadcasting, remote and rural telephony, emergency communications, tele-education and tele-medicine and hosting of defense applications.

The satellite is equipped with three receiver antennas and two transmission antennas. It can support the transmission of 150-200 TV programs simultaneously to ground users using a 0.45m antenna device. The DFH-4 satellite also includes strong capabilities against hostile interference and jamming.

The satellite will be operated from SUPARCO (Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission) Satellite Ground Stations located in Lahore and Karachi.

Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir said:

The successful launch is yet another shining illustration of the time-tested friendship between Pakistan and China and has ushered in a new era of cooperation in space technology between the two countries. This also marks the next step in taking forward Pakistan’s space Programme “2040″.

Pakistan’s Ambassador to China Masood Khan said:

It is a symbol of Pakistan-China cooperation in the area of space technology. It is the first of the kind to be launched by China and Pakistan. Therefore it establishes a new platform, and marks a new beginning.

Satellite had its first failed launch on February 14, 1996 but this timethe control room of the launch centre, in China, said the launch was successful and after 26 minutes, satellite was separated from its carrier rocket and entered geostationary.

This marks Pakistan to become 6th country in the world to perform this task while United States, Europe, Africa, India and Jewish citizens’s genome maps were already being developed.

In Pakistan, Dr. Iqbal Chaudhry, head of the project, got volunteered support of Dr. Atta Ur Rehman who is former federal minister and pattern of Karachi University’s International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences.

Genome of a living person is like an image that has all the information about him. It can be termed as software that carries information in it. Like where his ancestors came from, how is his personality, his physical features, how is the color, the ethnicity and mental capacity, etc.

More details such as what diseases he/she is suffering from or which diseases are likely to attack are also made available. All this information is coded in the Genomes.

Elaborating further on genomes, Dr. Iqbal said that there are 300 hundred billion genomes in one human cell.

Core genome for all the human beings is almost same with little differences that categorize them and makes it possible to differentiate on the basis of race and identity.

Project cost a total of 40 thousand dollars out of which half was paid by Beijing Institute.

Genome maps of different areas of Pakistan will be developed in the coming days and DNA testing will start in Gawadar and costal areas in the first phase. Genome maps of residents of Kailash will also be developed.

The photos, taken by a Pakistani security official who entered the compound after the early morning raid on Monday, show two men dressed in traditional Pakistani garb and one in a t-shirt, with blood streaming from their ears, noses and mouths.

None of the men looked like bin Laden. President Barack Obama decided not to release photos of his body because it could have incited violence and used as an al Qaeda propaganda tool.

“I think that given the graphic nature of these photos, it would create some national security risk,” Obama told the CBS program “60 Minutes.”

Here are some Pictures of Abbottabad Operation

White House photo of Obama and his national security team following events in the Bin Laden operation

The compound, within which Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was killed, burns after it was attacked in Abbottabad, Pakistan in this still image taken from mobile phone video May 2. (Stringer/Reuters)

This video frame grab, obtained from ABC News on May 2, shows the interior bedroom in the mansion where Osama Bin Laden was killed May 1. (ABC News/Handout/Reuters)

Pakistani soldiers walk past the bin Laden compound, surrounded in red fabric, where locals reported a firefight took place overnight in Abbotabad, located in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province May 2. (Faisal Mahmood/Reuters)

A crashed military helicopter is seen near the hideout of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden after an operation by U.S. Special Forces in Abbottabad, Pakistan on May 2. (STR/AFP/Getty Images)

The unidentified body of a men is seen after a raid by US Navy SEAL commandos on the compound where al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was killed in Abbottabad, May 2, 2011.

“Tonight, I can report to the people of the United States and the world, the United States had carried an operation that has killed Osama Bin Laden, a terrorist responsible for killing thousands of innocent people,” Obama said in a statement.

“Today, at my direction, the United States carried out that operation… they killed Osama Bin Laden and took custody of his body.

“The death of Bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date against Al Qaeda.

“We must also reaffirm that United states is not and will never be at war against Islam. Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader, in fact, he slaughtered many Muslims,” Obama said.

DNA from bin Laden’s body, compared with DNA samples on record from his dead sister, confirmed bin Laden’s identity. The body was recovered by the US military and is in its custody.

(Unconfirmed photo of Osama Bin Laden’s dead body being shown on a private TV channel in Pakistan)

what do you think about the death of Osama? share your view below

Check out the video of Pakistani VIP rikshaw and dont forget to share it with others, specially your foreign friends.

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Check out the video and the answered of Obama to the girl who claim that Pakistan is a terrorist state. President Obama give the answer of the girl question very smartly. Pakistan is not a terrorist country but the country who is attacked by terrorists.

Sohail had a rifle ready and quickly aimed it directly in the robber’s face, forcing the man to drop the bat and lay on the ground. Unbeknownst to the man, Sohail never loads his gun.

According to Sohail, the man immediately started to plead with him, tearfully saying, “I’m sorry, I have no food. I have no money. My whole family is hungry. Don’t call the police. Don’t shoot me.”

“When I see him starting crying [those] things, I really feel bad for him,” said Sohail. “I say, oh man, this is something different.”

Sohail made the man pledge never to rob anybody ever again, then gave the man $40 and a loaf bread. Sohail, who is from Pakistan, said the man then wanted to be a Muslim like him, so he recited an Islamic oath and gave the would-be robber the name Nawaz Sharif Zardari.

Sohail went to get some milk, but when he returned the man had fled with the money and food.Both Mohammad Sohail and Suffolk County Police have no idea who the man is. After the May incident, Sohail explained that he will “absolutely not” be pressing charges, though police are still investigating the case

Over the past six months, Sohail’s story of sympathy and kindness has inspired many across the country.

The Shirley Express store has received numerous letters of admiration.

“No person has ever moved my spirit the way you did. From your biggest admirer,” one letter says. “Great men are capable of great acts. You are a great American,” another reads.

He has also received several checks with such messages for “a couple hundred dollars” in total, says Sohail. He has made a point to give this money “to the people” by offering free bagels, rolls and coffee in his store every night after 9 o’clock.

But the envelope that arrived on Wednesday came as a surprise. Postmarked November 11 without a return address, it enclosed a $50 bill and a note apparently from the would-be robber.

The typed letter begins, “You change My Life (sic),” and goes on to say that the man is sorry for his actions six months ago.

“At the time I had No money No food on my table No Job, and nothing for my family. I know that it was wrong, but I had know (sic) choice. I needed to feed My family. When You had That gun to my head I was 100% that I was going to die,” reads the letter.

The letter says Sohail’s acts inspired him to become a “True Muslim” and that his life has changed dramatically.

“I’m very happy that somebody got to change his life,” Sohail said. “If he is a maybe criminal, maybe is not anymore. So now he is a good person in this community and I’m very glad for that. He’s staying out of trouble, he’s not in a jail, he’s taking care of his family.”