Dawn correspondent Anwar Iqbal with Barack Obama during an exclusive interview at the White House on Friday. —DawnWorld Obama talks to Pakistan
SEE UPDATE below...
WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama, in an exclusive interview to Dawn, has said that he believes the Pakistani state is strong enough to win the military offensive against the extremists.In this first-ever one-on-one interview by any US president to the Pakistani media, Mr Obama assured the Pakistani nation that he has no desire to seize Pakistan’s nuclear weapons or send US troops inside the country.
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UPDATE: US missile strike kills 60 at funeral in Pakistan here from The Guardian. When I first read the article above from Dawn - I noticed the silence from Obama when asked about the use of drones - ie: "Responding to a question about drone attacks inside Pakistan’s tribal zone, Mr Obama said he did not comment on specific operations..."
In this article - URL - I added for today, June 24th - the revenge motives, ruthlessness, killing of civilians and chaotic violence would seem to be on all sides. For our part as would be peacemakers in the US, I can't see how the use of drones has been demonstrated yet to be ultimately wise or useful? Perhaps someone may eventually find that for every civilian killed - the "beneficial" effects of killing two militants is wiped out? Of course - even framing a discussion this way is ludicrous. Yet I trust that the point is made. The very fact that as so often civilians are being killed would certainly be counter-productive - and especially at a funeral! (And as has happened a number of times before in other places - civilian killings at weddings and mosques!) Why would those who want to appear to take a "high" road of defense - even when there appears no way except the use of violence - choose to use some of the SAME "genre of methods" as those whose tactics they abhor? And what about the end results in terms of the allegiances and sympathies of villagers who become victims and observers? As an American, I'd urge less following of American military ways and more of what comes out of Pakistan's more elevated principles. And let's all hope, pray and act so that violence will be on the way out as a method of choice.
18 comments:
Be sure to take a quick look at the next posting on this blogsite: Women and Peace (Creating Change from the Grassroots) and a Liberian Heroine - I suppose you'll be glad.
"Mr Obama assured the Pakistani nation that he has no desire to seize Pakistan’s nuclear weapons or send US troops inside the country."
Thats something really good, i heard by any US president.
We know very well how to secure our nuclear program as well as how to defend our country!
but always i feel the need of reminding it to All on international level.
WE AREN'T WEAK!!
So glad to see your comment, ReeBz! YES! And let's be sure to remind US Prez Obama should he ever appear in any way to forget these words of his...so glad we have his record here...let's all remember! I really respect Dawn for covering this - a first interview of the kind between Pakistan and the US.
Somehow (it may be obvious & reasonable- Isuppose) I have a "hunch" that the US & Pakistan will be in close touch on various levels over the years ahead & maybe if each of us do our millionth part-however small it may seem - to reach for & confirm the most positive between us.
Maybe there will be "a field" where we can meet which is not one of fear, dominance, threats yet one of sharing common goals of beauty (art, literature, the heroines and heroes of democracy, the golden rule, the best of the secular - the best of the spritual and so much more). (our best poets have said similar and so did the amazing Riverbend Blog by the Iraqi "girl blogger" (let me know if you see any writings from her recently?)
ReeBz, do stay in touch! I've watched your Comments on various sites with increasing joy & seen your writing (which was already substantial) deepen even more.
Connie,
i really feel it by heart that in the world there are so less people like you. i mentioned it earlier.i can feel the pain you have for the weaker ones and most importantly for the truth!
thanks for all ur efforts!i really appreciate.
i havent seen this blog yet. can you give me the link :)?
Thanks!
And you indicate a very similar heart for the voiceless ones as well, ReeBz...and thank you for these blessed efforts of yours.
If you get here via google/search oneheartforpeace or bookmark, you can scroll down for the Women and Peace item or you can go to the right column to find it right under this post. Just so you'll know for future items.
Sent you link.
Thanx and do keep your comments coming as well as other items you'd like me to possibly post?
I like this post and the exchange that followed :).
Thanx for letting ReeBz and I know that you liked the post and exchange. Maybe sometime you'll tell us what particularly appealed to you, Khurram Sahib?
Connie
Thanks for appreciating my writings :)
If you font mind would you like to answer me some questions related to you :)?
whats your social status in US? like Sir khurram here is a journalist and an educationist,i'm a student.Whats ur profession? Do you work under some news agency?Actually you always cover so many world level news so i generate this idea about you :)
Khurram Sir, Thanks to you too for liking the exchange, one way or the other, i find it appreciating too :)
ReeBz,
Thanx again for continuing this lively exchange - one of my goals for this blogsite. To answer your questions: I received a university degree in Communications. I am a freelance writer (independent - not for any news agency nor for any other group.) Status is not on my radar (smiles) yet this might be a great topic for discussion sometime. Now tell me about your favorite topics. Also what are some of the subjects or types of classes which you enjoy most? How do you envision meeting some of your goals? Keep tuning in and posting your comments for any any other reason.
Oh nice :)
I am doing "masters" in "Mass Communication" and will receive university degree in Two years InshaAllah.[as its a 2 years course]
About the subjects i enjoy most..umm it can be "writing".I'm a student and i have not started writing anything as a profession basis,but i enjoy it.i like to share my thoughts and communicate people through my writings and so i started a blog :).I dint have any idea whether i can write or not, or if i will be able to generate traffic on my blog,but i wrote one article for the daily newspaper "DAWN" and it was published in it which encouraged me for all i'm doing now :)
i have also written few poems, two of them i posted on my blog,i hope you will find sometime out of your busy life for reading those poems :)
Its always so nice talking to ya,
See ya again :)
Congrats for the published "DAWN" article - I'd love you to send it this way if easy to do!
Obviously you're quite effective sharing your thoughts and with communication - as well as your forthright honesty.
Curiosity for others' backgrounds and for the life around you sure helps lots with Communication fields. I love that we both have (or in my case had) this major! And it certainly is one field where learning more about it is a lifetime preoccupation.
How fun it will be to see what you do with your degree!
My degree in Communications was rather wide and general - which suits my lifestyle - and included some film studies which have enlarged my field of movie interests and choices - particularly a leaning toward international, philosophical and artistic films - yet not exclusively.
YES, I look forward to reading your blog and poems sometime soon and thanx for the welcoming invitation. I love poetry as well and perhaps we can talk about your favorite poets and why they are so?
Blogs are relatively new for me - I have lots to learn about them - so we can learn together! They feel like a great way to be oneself and "get out the word" on some significant - while otherwise missed (or not understood) places, people and causes.
Great to have this dialogue. See ya again sometime soon? :)
I'll be pleased to show you my article,let me make a search to find it on internet :)
it was about an ancient city named "Banbhore"
You are right, i also have "communication" as my major subject.
We will be taught about films,advertising and electronic media either in next semester or next year.
This semester,i learnt mostly about Print media, how to gather data for news and how to give it a final form. i really enjoyed but one should be creative enough and have a vast vocabulary to make any news effective with perfect selection of words.
And i chose "English" medium for it instead of "Urdu" for which i had to take extra test,which i qualified.
About poetry i.m not very much into it, i just sometimes like reading some nice and touching lines.It really depends upon my mood.But at the same time i would love to hear from you :)
Blogs are totally new for me too,i had no idea before few months what a blog is.i just got a lecture in university about blogging and so i thought making my own blog.I really feel the people i'm meeting via blogging are very qualified and daily i get a chance to learn something new :)
I daily tell my mom with alot happiness about you and comments you make on my blog.and how much you appreciate me.She is impressed by your honesty and your love for truth :)
Thanks alot Connie :)
http://www.dawn.com/weekly/yworld/archive/061118/yworld8.htm
here i found the link of my article in the Dawn's archives.
Congrats, ReeBz, for this victory for you!
From your note above: "And i chose "English" medium for it instead of "Urdu" for which i had to take extra test,which i qualified."
Maybe along the way, you will teach me a little Urdu?
How I'm looking forward to reading your blogs, poetry, the article mentioned above and your comments in other places. Thank you for finding the URL.
Please say hello to your mother for me. You sound like you're quite bonded to her - to be talking with her each day? I'd like to hear more about her - if she is willing? Tell her that your American friend can see easily your high principles - through the blogs, comments and hard work you do at our mutual "school online". Tell her I know that she put all the right values into your life - including your courage when you speak truth, your compassion by caring for the displaced and your abilities to ask the deepest and most important questions!
I frequently tell my family about you as well - about our new friendship and the joy it brings to me. More soon...
Thanks Connie :)
I'll covey all of your messages to my mom,she will be really happy :)
Yes,i'm so close with my mother and i discuss each and everything with her.i'm so habitual of sharing my routine with her,that she sometimes become annoyed :P
Yeah sure, why not,it would be my pleasure if i can teach you Urdu :)
Since you share your routine with your mom, she is among the most blest of mothers of daughers! Ask her to share her secrets. And perhaps you'll share why you feel so safe with her? Yet I am blest as well - my daugher is really bonded to me like you and your mom are. I hope you never ever quit telling her everything! What are some of the things you like to do together?
I plan to read the Dawn article and your poems before I answer you next time.
I really am looking so forward to learning Urdu and would love to know if you'd recommend a collection of children's songs, very very simple if there's a set with English translation? I can purchase if available online? Also tell me the best way to learn the alphabet and suggest how I might learn spoken and writing together. I am a "babe" remember in Urdu, completely - so don't be afraid at all to teach me URDU as you would a child, ok? :)
How old is your daughter Connie:)?
Not only i share my things with my mom but she also does:)She tells she waited for us to grow up so that she can share her pleasures as well as moments of sorrow with us.This really keeps you bonded with each other.:)
Connie,i'm really happy to see your interest in Urdu but i don't think i can prove myself as a good teacher.There must be many songs in urdu for children but i have no idea about their online availability.I find it quite difficult to tell the "spoken sounds" of every alphabet here.But i will talk with my friends,my mom and Sir Khurram if he can find enough time :) and will come back again to you,inshaAllah:)
Dear ReeBz,
What you have just shared about your mother is really profoundly important to me - about the nature of deep and bonded sharing needing to be a reciprocal exchange! Sometimes we parents don't want to "overload" or sadden our children. And this is only right. However, perhaps we overdue this caution at times? How do you advise parents to find the balance? When does it happen that a parent or another older adult might share a sorrow with you and NOT let this become too hard of a burden to you?
I've tried the URL for your DAWN article several times with no "luck". ONLY when it's convenient, would you mind sending it to me in plain copy as a full article? (by email?)
Don't worry too much about finding the Urdu for me - I am looking as well. I don't want you or others to miss out on important time for studies and other things. Just, keep an eye open just in case something turns up. I am back in touch with a friend also who may be able to help although her life is overwhelming right now...I can, however, find some items through internet and bookstore.
See You Soon...
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