US ready to talk to Taliban chief Mullah Omar

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said that Washington is ready to negotiate with Taliban leader Mullah Omar, as his involvement is crucial for the prospects of peace in Afghanistan.

According to the Age, Clinton’s comments are seen as a significant shift in US policy, from moves to divide the Taliban-led insurgency and isolate Omar, to an acknowledgement of his leadership.

Earlier, the Haqqani network’s commander, Sirajuddin Haqqani, warned Washington that only the Quetta Shura, the Taliban-led militant organisation, could negotiate a peace deal and that his fighters would not be divided.

In an appearance before the House foreign affairs committee, Clinton said the US would continue to “fight, talk and build” in Afghanistan and Pakistan to test any willingness to negotiate.

Clinton said there was “evidence going both ways” on its intentions.

She said last month's Haqqani meeting was not a “negotiation” and that no meetings had followed it, but she stressed that any negotiations with the Taliban in the future would require the Quetta Shura’s blessing.

US met Haqqani representative at ISI insistence'

The US held a meeting with a Haqqani network representative at the insistence of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan, but this was not a negotiation, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has told lawmakers.

"The ISI asked us to meet with a representative of the Haqqani Network. There was such a meeting. It was not a negotiation... There was no follow-up meeting," Hillary said in response to a question at a Congressional hearing on Afghanistan and Pakistan convened by the House Committee on Foreign Affairs yesterday.

"This was done in part because I think the Pakistanis hope to be able to move the Haqqani Network towards some kind of peace negotiation... And the answer was an attack on our embassy," Hillary said in response to a question from Congressman Steve Chabot.

Hillary emphasised the negotiations that would be part of any Afghan-led peace process would have to include the Quetta Shura which is still led by Mullah Omar.

"I think everyone agrees that the Haqqani Network has safe havens inside Pakistan, that those safe havens give them a place to plan and direct operations that kill Afghans and Americans," she said.

Hillary said there was a major military operation that was held in Afghanistan just in the past week that rounded up and eliminated more than a hundred Haqqani Network operatives.

“We are taking action to target the Haqqani leadership on both sides of the border. We're increasing our international efforts to squeeze them operationally and financially.”

"We are already working with the Pakistanis to target those who are behind a lot of the attacks against Afghans and Americans," she said.

"I made it very clear to the Pakistanis that the attack on our embassy was an outrage, and the attack on our forward operating base that injured 77 of our soldiers was a similar outrage.”

"And it was in both instances terrible, but the fact is we avoided having dozens and dozens of wounded or killed," she said.

In her remarks, Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, questioned the Obama Administration's decision to both hold talks and go for crackdown on the Haqqani network.

"On the one hand, the US is negotiating with the Haqqani network, and yet on the other, we're attempting to destroy the network.”

"There have been some unwelcome developments since the President's announcement four months ago such as the multiple, high profile assassination of major leaders in Afghanistan," she said.

Secretary of State Hillary in Afghanistan to discuss peace moves

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will discuss possible peace talks and Afghanistan's tricky ties with Pakistan when she meets Afghan President Hamid Karzai and other key leaders in Kabul on Thursday, US officials said.

Hillary’s arrival on Wednesday on an unannounced visit to Afghanistan follows several high profile attacks in the Afghan capital, including an assault on the US embassy in September and days later the assassination of Karzai's top peace envoy, former president Burhanuddin Rabbani.

"She wants to signal US support for a secure and stable Afghanistan," a senior US official told reporters travelling with Hillary.

"She wants to emphasise that the United States remains committed to Afghan reconciliation and will support President Karzai in his efforts, recognising the difficulties that process has undergone since the assassination of Rabbani."

The visit comes as Afghanistan, Pakistan and the United States all see strains in their relations, complicating the outlook as the Obama administration pushes ahead with plans to draw down troops and turn over security responsibility to Afghan forces by the end of 2014.

Efforts to reach a political solution to a conflict now over a decade old will be on Hillary's agenda, along with support for Afghans as they step up their own security work, the official said.

Hillary will meet Karzai and other Afghan officials, US officials said, and hold a round-table meeting with non-government leaders and civil society activists. She will also hold a joint news conference with the Afghan President.

US officials said Hillary would also discuss the future "strategic partnership" between Afghanistan and the United States after 2014, with an eye to eventually formalising the alliance.

"She'll want to point to that as a signal to Afghans, to the region, that the United States will remain committed to Afghanistan beyond 2014."

Hillary is expected to preview plans for conferences on the future of Afghanistan due to be held in Istanbul in November and Bonn in December which US officials hope will tighten international cooperation on political and economic strategies to stabilise the country.

She is also expected to discuss ties between Afghanistan and neighbouring Pakistan, accused by officials in both Afghanistan and the United States with working to undercut the US-led military campaign in order to protect its influence in the region.

Ties between Kabul and Islamabad have been particularly strained since the assassination of Rabbani, who was killed by a suicide bomber posing as a Taliban reconciliation envoy.

Many Afghans, including senior officials, have accused the Pakistan government of having links to the killing, and accused their neighbour of fomenting instability to further its own political interests. Pakistan denies this.

Karzai has been more circumspect, but hinted after the killing that he had lost hope in pursuing peace talks with the Taliban and suggested negotiations with Pakistan instead.

Top US officials have also accused Pakistan of supporting insurgent groups in Afghanistan after September's 20-hour attack on diplomatic targets in Kabul, including the US embassy.

But President Barack Obama and Hillary have both stressed that the US relationship with Pakistan is too important to abandon, although Hillary said last week if Islamabad did not help solve Afghanistan's difficulties it would "continue to be part of the problem”.

A thriving China is good for America: Hillary

Congratulating Chinese people as they celebrate their National Day on today, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said the US is committed to the success of China as a thriving China is good for America.

"The United States is committed to the success of China, because a thriving China is good for America and a thriving America is good for China," Hillary said in a statement issued to greet people of China on the occasion of their National Day on October 01.

"From the official state visit of President Hu Jintao in January, to the very successful third round of the US-China Strategic & Economic Dialogue in Washington in May, the United States has shown a deep commitment to this important relationship," she said.

"Together, our two countries are seizing this moment in history and developing the positive, cooperative, and comprehensive relationship envisioned by our presidents," Hillary said.

"Our two peoples are known for their hard work and ingenuity, and it is clear that by working together we can find solutions to our most pressing global challenges," she said.

"On this 62nd anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, whether you celebrate with family, friends, or loved ones, know that the United States stands with you as a committed partner and friend," Hillary said hoping all Chinese people everywhere have a safe and joyous holiday.

India conveyed to the US, Have to 'fight the scourge together for Terrorism'

India has conveyed to the US that countries with a "determined position to fight terror" cannot be selective in their approach in dealing with the menace and have to fight the scourge together "across the board".

External Affairs Minister SM Krishna discussed the issue of terror with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at a bilateral meeting that lasted here for over 40 minutes.

Terming the meeting as "very good and constructive," Krishna later told reporters that the two sides spent time on discussing the issue of terrorism and condemned the recent attacks on the American mission in Kabul and at the High Court in New Delhi.

"I made out the point that it is necessary for all those countries which have taken the determined position to fight terror will have to act together and fight it across the board without being selective in our approach," he said adding that "Secretary Clinton agreed with us."

The talks also featured concerns over the Haqqani network with the External Affairs Minister pointing out that "whenever terror comes up for discussion, the Haqqani group is certainly a factor which is woven into terrorism."

On whether America's recent accusation against ISI for supporting the deadly Haqqani network has brought a sense of unity between India and the US on Pakistan, Krishna said "it is not a question of America agreeing with India and India agreeing with Pakistan."

He said the countries have to see what is "our approach, reaction, response to terror.

"If the position US takes on terror is exactly similar to the position India takes that does not mean to say that they have been converted to our position or we have taken position similar to them."

The two sides also followed up on the civil nuclear treaty and discussed what needs to be done further.

Clinton urged Krishna to ensure that India's nuclear liability regime conforms with the Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear damage, an American official said requesting anonymity.

Krishna and Clinton discussed a host of multilateral issues including the situation in Palestine, Sudan and Syria.

When asked to comment on the divergent views that India and the US have on Syria and Palestine, Krishna said as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said in his address to the UN General Assembly, "We cannot order how nations set their house in order."

On concerns that momentum of the India-US relations appear to be slowing down, with certain defence contracts not being awarded to US companies, Krishna said this is not an issue by which US would be offended.

He said defence contracts are awarded on basis of merit and are a comparative tabulated evaluation done by a committee of experts. "I do not think anybody can take offence if we chose something else. US has been into this long enough not to misjudge the relationship based only on a particular issue. We will have to take the generality," he added.

Krishna said he was "quite satisfied" with the outcome of his talks.

Clinton complimented India on its active participation in the New Silk Road initiative to strengthen transit and trade in South and Central Asia.

"The ministers compared notes on the upcoming New Silk Road conference in Istanbul in early November," the official said.

Obama support slips; Hillary Clinton most popular

As new polls suggested that President Barack Obama's support is eroding among elements of his base, he claimed that his odds of being re-elected in 2012 are "much higher" than they were in 2008.

The latest New York Times/CBS News poll released Friday suggested that a yearlong effort by Obama to recapture the political centre has failed to attract independent voters.

The poll found a 12-point jump since late June, to 43 percent, in the number of Americans who say the economy is getting worse. And for the first time since taking office, his disapproval rating has reached 50 percent in the Times and CBS News polls.

The poll found a 43 percent approval rating for Obama. It is significantly higher than Jimmy Carter, who had an approval rating of 31 percent at a similar time in his presidency, according to the Times and CBS News poll, which showed Ronald Reagan with an approval of 46 percent and the elder George Bush at 70 percent.

But at a small campaign fundraiser in Washington Thursday night, Obama sought to reassure donors and play down concerns of his weakness in the 2012 presidential race.

"Now, I know that, over the last couple of months, there have been Democrats who voiced concerns and nervousness about, well, in this kind of economy, isn't this just - aren't these just huge headwinds in terms of your re-election? Here's one thing I know for certain:

"The odds of me being re-elected are much higher than the odds of me being elected in the first place," the president said.

Meanwhile, another poll suggested over a third of Americans believe the US would be better off now if his 2008 Democratic rival Hillary Clinton were president.

The Bloomberg survey released Friday showed 34 percent of those questioned said America would be superior under a Hillary Clinton administration, while 47 percent said it would be about the same and 13 percent said it would be worse.

Hillary remains the most popular American political figure with nearly two-thirds of Americans holding a favourable view of the former first lady.

Half of the respondents felt the same way about Obama, who received the lowest job approval rating of his presidency, at 45 percent.

World's most powerful women

Hillary Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama.
She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the United States from 1993 to 2001.

Angela Merkel is the first female Chancellor of Germany. In 2007, she became the second woman to chair the G8, after Margaret Thatcher.
She played a central role in the negotiation of the Treaty of Lisbon and the Berlin Declaration. In domestic policy, health care reform and problems concerning future energy development have thus far been major issues of her tenure.

Dilma Vana Rousseff is the president of Brazil. She is the first woman to hold the office. Prior to that, in 2005, she was also the first woman to become Chief of Staff of Brazil, appointed by then President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. In 2005, a political crisis triggered by a corruption scandal led to the resignation of Chief of Staff José Dirceu. Rousseff took over the post, remaining in office until March 31, 2010, when she left in order to run for President. She was elected in a run-off on 31 October 2010.

 Indra Nooyi is the chairman and chief executive officer of PepsiCo. Nooyi joined PepsiCo in 1994 and was named president and CFO in 2001.
Nooyi has directed the company's global strategy for more than a decade and led PepsiCo's restructuring. In 2007 she became the fifth CEO in PepsiCo's 44-year history.

Sheryl Sandberg is the chief operating officer of Facebook. Prior to Facebook, Sheryl was Vice President of Global Online Sales and Operations at Google.














 

US:Time for India, China to revisit their position on Syria

The Obama Administration has urged both India and China to "revisit their position" on Syria even as US intensified its international campaign against the authoritarian regime. "We are certainly speaking to them (India and China) in New York," State Department spokesperson Victoria Nulandtold, referring to the talks being held in this regard at the UN headquarters in New York.

"We are speaking to them in Capitals. I think our message publicly has been clear. The Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton said in her interview that she thought it was time for India and China to revisit their position. So those conversations continue," Nuland said, but did not elaborate what kind of conversations the US was holding with these two countries.

She said there were countries that were still trading oil and gas with Syria and countries that have not renounced their willingness to send arms to Syria.

"So we are working to strengthen that coalition and continue to ensure that the message from the international community has teeth. Nobody is satisfied with the situation in Syria. It's abhorrent and repulsive, and our efforts will continue," Nuland said.

she added, and frankly, we continue to believe that the UN Security Council ought to more strongly condemn the violence than it has. We are working on more sanction measures, and we will continue to do so."

Hillary Clinton calls on countries to sanction Syria

US wants nations with close economic links to Bashar al-Assad's regime to follow it to sanction Syria's oil and gas industry
The US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, has called on other nations with closer economic links to Syria to join it in sanctions on Bashar al-Assad's regime.

She said Washington had been "very clear" in its statements about Assad's loss of legitimacy but the "real trick" was to convince "the Europeans and the Arabs and the Chinese and the Indians and others" to do more.

"We're going to sanction and we have been upping the sanctions. We're going to continue to do so," she said. "But we want others to follow, because Syria was not one of our major economic partners."

Clinton said it was necessary to sanction Syria's oil and gas industry.

A security crackdown has been ongoing in Syria since the start of Ramadan 11 days ago. Security forces killed at least 10 more people on Thursday as the raids and repression continued.

Mass demonstrations are expected across the country on Friday – the "day of not kneeling". A Facebook group, the Syrian Revolution 2011, said in a defiant message: "We only kneel before God."