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JonLP24

(29,935 posts)
34. and its not good
Thu Apr 23, 2015, 04:16 PM
Apr 2015

Saudi Arabia and Pakistan may have just renewed a secret nuclear weapons pact

The visit by the chairman of Pakistan's Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee will likely prompt concern in Washington and other major capitals that Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have reconfirmed an arrangement whereby Pakistan, if asked, will supply Saudi Arabia with nuclear warheads.

The main meeting on Gen. Rashid Mahmoud's itinerary was with King Salman — the topics discussed were reported as "deep relations between the two countries and ... a number of issues of common interest."

Read more: http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/nuclear-nuances-of-saudi-pakistan-meeting#When:21:27:41Z#ixzz3YAIzerA8

Pakistan ISI (their CIA)

Al-Qaeda

The ISI supported Al-Qaeda during the war against the soviet regime, through the Taliban, and it is believed there are still contact between Al-Qaeda and the ISI.[120] An assessment by British Intelligence in 2000 into Al-Qaeda training camps in Afghanistan showed the ISI were playing an active role in some of them.[121] The leak in 2012 of e-mails from Stratfor revealed that papers captured during the raid in Abbotabad on Osama Bin Laden's compound showed up to 12 ISI officials knew where he was and that Bin Laden had been in regular contact with the ISI.[122]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inter-Services_Intelligence#Al-Qaeda

Aside from terrorism issues from the two countries how about human decency

2011 Bahrain uprising

The Bahraini uprising was a series of demonstrations, amounting to a sustained campaign of civil and violent[21][22] resistance in the Persian Gulf country of Bahrain. As part of the revolutionary wave of protests in the Middle East and North Africa following the self-immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi in Tunisia, the Bahraini protests were initially aimed at achieving greater political freedom and equality for the majority Shia population,[23][24] and expanded to a call to end the monarchy of Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa[3] following a deadly night raid on 17 February 2011 against protesters at the Pearl Roundabout in Manama,[25][26] known locally as Bloody Thursday.

Protesters in Manama camped for days at the Pearl Roundabout, which became the centre of the protests. After a month, the government requested troops and police from the Gulf Cooperation Council. On 14 March, 1000 troops from Saudi Arabia and 500 troops from UAE entered Bahrain and crushed the uprising.[27] A day later, the king of Bahrain declared martial law and a three-month state of emergency.[28][29] Pearl Roundabout was cleared of protesters and the iconic statue at its center was destroyed.

(Pakistan)

The appearance of the advertisements was preceded by two "quiet trips" to Pakistan by Bandar bin Sultan, now the Director General of the Saudi Intelligence Agency. Later, the Foreign Minister of Bahrain, Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa and commander of the National Guard made a similar visit. It was only then that the advertisements started appearing.[254] The Pakistani government said they have "nothing to do" with these recruitments, because they are done via "private channels".[250] However, the Iran News Agency reported that in August 2011, Asif Ali Zardari, the President of Pakistan has agreed to send more Pakistani troops to Bahrain during his one-day visit to the country.[260] It was also reported by The Jakarta Post that the Bahraini government tried to hire Malaysian mercenaries.[261]

Al Jazeera English sources estimated that the number of riot police and the National Guard has increased by as high as 50 percent after at least 2,500 Pakistanis were recruited in April and May 2011. According to Nabeel Rajab, the exact size of the increase is not known, however he said it was "much more than 1,500 or 2,000". The size of the National Guard in 2011 was estimated by the US State Department to be 1,200. After requirements its size has increased by about 100 percent.[254]

Foreigner officers were among security forces ordered to attack protesters.[256] The BICI report mentioned that officers of Pakistani origins were responsible for mistreatment of detainees.[262] "He was beaten, tortured and hung. During the first three days, he was stripped of his clothes and sexually assaulted, in addition to being deprived of sleep ... He was routinely beaten and insulted by the prison guards, all of whom were of Pakistani origin", the report mentioned.[11]:449

Bahraini human rights groups and opposition parties have heavily criticized recruiting mercenaries in the Bahraini security forces. Nabeel Rajab said "They’re told they are going to go to a holy war in Bahrain to kill some non-Muslims or kafir [infidel] or Shias ... And those are maybe responsible for a lot of killing and a lot of systematic torture and human rights violations committed in the past months and years".[250] Michael Stephens, of the Royal United Services Institute linked recruiting mercenaries in the Bahraini security forces to the lack of government confidence in its own citizens. "So they rely on foreign recruits to unquestioningly carry out orders of violently suppressing protests", he said.[254] Bruce Riedel, a leading American expert on South Asia said "when the very serious demonstrations began and it looked like the regime might even be toppled at a certain point, their hiring of mercenaries went up substantially".[250]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahraini_uprising_of_2011#Censorship_and_repression

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

Would you feel different if the airstrike was done by manned aircraft? Throd Apr 2015 #1
As was done in Vietnam? No, I would not. closeupready Apr 2015 #2
You're right. Wouldn't want to risk a military person's life. egduj Apr 2015 #4
I don't get this argument. Adrahil Apr 2015 #9
Ease of proliferation for one thing too cheap, safe, easy, and convenient for another. TheKentuckian Apr 2015 #67
The technology is THERE. We can't stop its proliferation. It WILL happen. Adrahil Apr 2015 #91
The fuck we can't or at least seriously try. The technology for nuclear and chemical weapons exists TheKentuckian Apr 2015 #95
So, how do we stop the development of drone tech? Adrahil Apr 2015 #97
You don't see how using a drone to kill people from 3000 miles away is any different SomethingFishy Apr 2015 #72
Why put pilots at risk when you don't have to? Throd Apr 2015 #74
Because we have become a "shoot first" nation. SomethingFishy Apr 2015 #77
Nothing nonchalant about my attitude at all. Throd Apr 2015 #79
That's a POLITICAL issue, not a technological one. n/t Adrahil Apr 2015 #94
Nope, not really. I don't really see an ethical difference. Adrahil Apr 2015 #92
Napalm, cluster bombs, WP, and Land Mines were banned by the International Community, bvar22 Apr 2015 #88
Drones are no more a terror weapon than an airplane at 15,000 ft. Adrahil Apr 2015 #93
This message was self-deleted by its author egduj Apr 2015 #11
the risk is the same treestar Apr 2015 #50
Message auto-removed Name removed Apr 2015 #8
NO. bvar22 Apr 2015 #25
k and r nationalize the fed Apr 2015 #36
Ironically, missile/bomb strikes from conventional aircraft Blue_Tires Apr 2015 #51
"I've never fully understood what people have against attack drones" bvar22 Apr 2015 #56
just say you're against targeted airstrikes... Blue_Tires Apr 2015 #58
I'm not the one "essentially saying" anything. bvar22 Apr 2015 #73
Oh, my mistake Blue_Tires Apr 2015 #86
And this time, solely because they are westerners Luminous Animal Apr 2015 #3
Yep. n/t demmiblue Apr 2015 #45
What treaties ban drones? n/t sharp_stick Apr 2015 #5
The buzz bombs of WWII were NOTHING like drones today. Adrahil Apr 2015 #6
The Buzz Bombs were STILL called Terror Weapons. bvar22 Apr 2015 #12
That's because buzz bombs worked very differently. Adrahil Apr 2015 #96
I guess all th civilians killed by drones are just "Collateral Damage". bvar22 Apr 2015 #111
Hey, my mom lived in Berlin 1938-1952.... Adrahil Apr 2015 #113
I heard him apologize and take full responsibility Octafish Apr 2015 #7
Thanks for posting that. NCTraveler Apr 2015 #13
The Drone Program creates enemies faster than it kills. Octafish Apr 2015 #40
It is not a problem (for the MIC), it is purposely done... awoke_in_2003 Apr 2015 #52
that is such an important point questionseverything Apr 2015 #53
What does taking full responsibility mean? gratuitous Apr 2015 #14
it was not "indicriminate" nor was it on "unknown targets". KittyWampus Apr 2015 #31
Who decides whom to kill? Octafish Apr 2015 #37
The Executive was handed sole responsibility for war Skidmore Apr 2015 #47
Exactly. Like Erik Prince. Octafish Apr 2015 #63
THANK YOU. GOOD GOD. woo me with science Apr 2015 #59
Who talks about NSA on DU anymore? Octafish Apr 2015 #62
Weren't two of those citizens AQ combatants? I am not talking still_one Apr 2015 #101
There were Americans before...including a teenage kid. Octafish Apr 2015 #102
Did they join AQ? still_one Apr 2015 #103
Does it matter? Octafish Apr 2015 #105
Yes it does. still_one Apr 2015 #106
Me either PowerToThePeople Apr 2015 #110
Well, they didn't know who they were targeting. So, yeah, "unknown targets." Comrade Grumpy Apr 2015 #41
Perhaps I used imprecise words gratuitous Apr 2015 #54
Actually the targets WERE unknown philosslayer Apr 2015 #64
An ordinary citizen who murdered might take full responsibility by standing trial. Orsino Apr 2015 #65
Sincere Apologies, deep regret, and condolences to the families.. bvar22 Apr 2015 #16
''This only is denied to God: the power to undo the past.'' Octafish Apr 2015 #38
There are some deep flaws with our Drone Program. bvar22 Apr 2015 #23
It's taken a generation to transform a nation of freedom lovers into security anxious. Octafish Apr 2015 #39
The video has some bogus banners... DreamGypsy Apr 2015 #10
Read more closely. Comrade Grumpy Apr 2015 #42
Thanks for the correction. DreamGypsy Apr 2015 #57
I doubt Obama was at the controls..... realFedUp Apr 2015 #15
OBama took "full repsponsibility", bvar22 Apr 2015 #18
Yeah, bvar. He's a trigger happy murderer, isn't he... KittyWampus Apr 2015 #29
Realistically realFedUp Apr 2015 #30
They both voluntarily visited a war zone knowing full well the risks involved 951-Riverside Apr 2015 #17
YOu say: bvar22 Apr 2015 #19
so why the attacks in India ? JI7 Apr 2015 #20
When it is OUR drone, bvar22 Apr 2015 #21
It's not so simple. terrorism affects the world JI7 Apr 2015 #24
Then get US the fuck out. bvar22 Apr 2015 #26
more people would have been killed without the us JI7 Apr 2015 #27
Are you sure about that? bvar22 Apr 2015 #68
i was talking about Pakistan JI7 Apr 2015 #84
We are the ones defending & backing Saudi fucking Arabia JonLP24 Apr 2015 #28
pakistan and saudi Arabia have a relationship also JI7 Apr 2015 #33
and its not good JonLP24 Apr 2015 #34
What we are fighting right now is blow back. ISIS is a creation of the Iraq war. And I think you are jwirr Apr 2015 #22
I wonder how you weigh the likelihood of being killed in a drone strike by your own government. Comrade Grumpy Apr 2015 #43
Dying in a drone strike or getting my head hacked off by ISIS/Al Qaeda. Hmmm! The choices... 951-Riverside Apr 2015 #46
Those guys managed to stay alive in Al Qaeda captivity for three and five years, respectively. Comrade Grumpy Apr 2015 #48
I don't care about how noble their cause might have been... 951-Riverside Apr 2015 #55
They would be alive today bvar22 Apr 2015 #71
Or they could have just set them free. Throd Apr 2015 #75
This is why it's always hard to rely on informants sendit Apr 2015 #32
Terrible. I only hope they went quick and painless, unlike... JaneyVee Apr 2015 #35
Not with the President on this tiredtoo Apr 2015 #44
At least he owned up to it instead of covering it up... Blue_Tires Apr 2015 #49
K&R woo me with science Apr 2015 #60
kick woo me with science Apr 2015 #61
Are drone strikes killing more civilians than manned air strikes in other wars? We have always jwirr Apr 2015 #66
And civilian deaths are NOT OK just because we've done it before. bvar22 Apr 2015 #69
No one said they are. I am asking about the type of bombers used. Is one worse than the other? jwirr Apr 2015 #70
That makes NO difference to the DEAD, or to me. bvar22 Apr 2015 #82
I have been anti war since the 60s. For heavens sake I am only looking for imformation. Apparently jwirr Apr 2015 #89
here's the figure I have read: EX500rider Apr 2015 #99
Thank you. That is the info I was asking for. Doesn't make war any better but it gives us a better jwirr Apr 2015 #100
No cause justifies the deaths of innocent people. Albert Camus Tierra_y_Libertad Apr 2015 #76
You do know, of course, the US didn't even know Weinstein and Lo Porto were at the compound NuclearDem Apr 2015 #78
You DO know that if the intelligenc is THAT bad, bvar22 Apr 2015 #80
Based on that it was an al-Qaeda compound. NuclearDem Apr 2015 #81
Its never OUR fault that we launch bombs at inhabitants of other countries. bvar22 Apr 2015 #83
And, naturally, you change the subject. NuclearDem Apr 2015 #87
What assertion? bvar22 Apr 2015 #90
"Do you deny that Dr. Warren Weinsteinand Giovanni Lo Porto where killed in this Drone Strike?" NuclearDem Apr 2015 #98
This dumb ass shit is going come back and bite us. JEB Apr 2015 #85
The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas kiva Apr 2015 #104
I'm not sure Ursula LeGuin is relevant to this particular hostage situation. Warren DeMontague Apr 2015 #107
I'm thinking of the ones who aren't walking away. kiva Apr 2015 #109
They were being held against their will, as hostages. Warren DeMontague Apr 2015 #108
It Was 1 American Hostage, Not Americans & 1 Italian Hostage Corey_Baker08 Apr 2015 #112
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