Posted on 11/07/2014 5:04:24 AM PST by csvset
Her house was raided Oct 21, 2014...
Interesting timing :
Dar briefs Robin Raphel on Pak-US Business Opportunities moot , , our correspondent, Thursday, October 02, 2014
From Print Edition
ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar had a luncheon meeting with US Ambassador Robin Raphel here on Wednesday.
During the meeting there was detailed discussion on the Diamer Bhasha with particular focus on generating much needed finances for the project.The minister also apprised Robin Raphael about modalities of the Pakistan-US Business Opportunities conference, saying it would be held as scheduled on October 8.
He said the conference would serve as a useful forum to explore financial resources for Diamer Bhasha besides affording an opportunity to both Pakistani and US businessmen to interact and forge useful cooperation. Ambassador Robin welcomed holding of the conference and wished it all success.
Dar also exchanged views with Ambassador Raphael on CASA-1000 project. He said it had great significance keeping in view meeting the energy requirements of Pakistan. He however added that since a new government had assumed power in Afghanistan, the outstanding matters regarding this project would be taken up with it for settlement on priority.
—————— http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-13-33253-Dar-briefs-Robin-Raphel-on-Pak-US-Business-Opportunities-moot
I take it back, it’s in Brit papers
Which could mean she’s familiar with the Chicago crowd’s alSammarae the former post-invation Iraqi electricity minister tied to Antoin Rezko and Nadhmi Auchi.
And Massoud was assassinated a few days before the 2001 9/11 attacks by al Qaeda.
I wonder if she had her own email server, too?
state department bump,,,,
Should Hillary be worried?
Huma, sweetie, make sure she is run over by a cement truck, okay?
Cancellation of Putin’s visit to Pakistan
October 3, 2012
by S. M. Hali
The Nation [Pakistan]
http://nation.com.pk/columns/03-Oct-2012/cancellation-of-putin-s-visit-to-pakistan
President Vladimir Putin’s last minute cancellation of his, or for that matter any Russian Head of State’s first-ever, visit to Pakistan, has not only left a bad taste in the mouth, but also raised doubts about Pak-Russo relations. It also postponed the Quadrilateral Summit, involving Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Afghanistan, planned for October 2-3, 2012. The instrument of cancellation was a letter from Mr Putin to his Pakistani counterpart, without assigning any reasons. The Russian chancellery, at Islamabad, too failed to provide any cogent reason for the unceremonious termination of the visit.
In the near past, Pakistan has been trying to reset its relations with Russia, in accordance with its newfound “Look-East” policy, and diversifying its affiliation beyond the US; both China and Russia figure prominently in this foreign policy re-designation. China is already Pakistan’s all-weather time-tested friend, but relationship with Russia has been complicated. For instance, erstwhile USSR was ignored much to its chagrin, when Pakistan opted to join the US camp in the cold war era and signed anti-Communism defence pacts - Seato and Cento. Matters came to a head when Pakistan opposed the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, supporting the Afghan mujahedeen in their guerrilla movement, which ultimately led to USSR’s retreat from Afghanistan and later its disintegration. Russia, which emerged as the successor of the Soviet Union, also inherited the animosity towards Pakistan.
Although it has managed to establish bonds with the other Central Asian States, which regained independence after USSR’s demise, Russia has been a tough kettle of fish. Recent overtures by Pakistan have managed to heal some of the wounds. However, the cancellation has come as a major setback in the formalisation of the reset in Islamabad’s foreign policy imperatives.
Putin’s letter does not shed much light on the rationale behind the cancellation, but his emphasis on advancing “mutually beneficial trade and economic projects” does provide some clues. Analysts opine that he was not pleased with Pakistan’s lukewarm response to Russian interest in the Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline project. The project did not receive endorsement from the US and India, which was initially a part of the project, backed out, reportedly, under Washington’s duress. Russia’s Deputy Minister of Energy and representatives of leading energy giant, Gazprom, the state-controlled gas monopoly, attended the Pak-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on September 10.
At the meeting, Gazprom representatives gave a presentation on the pipeline and reiterated their interest during a meeting with President Asif Zardari. Unfortunately, no firm commitments were given to the Russian delegation, which wanted to secure the project without bidding. A fly on the wall during the discussions, revealed that Pakistanis had contended that exemption from bidding would violate the rules of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority. The Russians, reportedly, were not convinced. In addition, Gazprom is interested in the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project. This particular project does have US backing, but cannot hope for fruition till the security situation prevalent in Afghanistan improves. One of Russia’s economic and strategic goals is the implant of its energy footprint in the region. Putin’s government has been keen to invest $500 million in CASA-1,000 (Central Asia-South Asia) electricity transmission project. These were some of the economic constraints, which may have contributed to the cancellation.
Some conspiracy theorists have put forward the rationale that since Mr Putin is visiting Tajikistan in the week he was due in Pakistan, this is an indicator that the cancellation of the visit to Islamabad had to do more with something bilateral. Others insist that the US may have pressurised Russia directly or through India to call it off. Such a justification is difficult to comprehend; since in 1997, it was US Assistant Secretary of State Robin Raphael, who had visited Pakistan and urged Islamabad to improve ties with Moscow.
President Vladimir Putin’s letter to President Asif Zardari ends on a sanguine note, as he has invited him to visit Moscow instead. It is hoped that the fissure is not deep and can be bridged.
The writer is a political and defence analyst. Email: sultanm.hali@gmail.com
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.