Pakistan: Great US Ally?
Maulvi Omar, a spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban, said his group had demanded Mohammad's release in discussions with the government.
"We hope the government will take more such confidence-building measures," he said.
-Pro-Taliban Leader Released by Pakistan - washingtonpost.com
So much for not negotiating with terrorists: the Pakistani government strikes again. First they ask us not to cross their borders – they will take care of their terrorist problem on their own thank you very much.
Well, looks like their way of taking care of it, is to release prisoner in exchange for talks. I understand that Pakistan doesn't want the US "meddling" in what are admittedly, their affairs, but this is just another problem that the US has and cannot control.
[House Speaker Nancy Pelosi] added that Bush needs to tell the American people how keeping 140,000 troops in Iraq will help reduce the threat the nation faces because the U.S. military is bogged down in Iraq, what conditions will be needed for further troop withdrawals beyond July and how much longer the threat from extremists hiding along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border will be allowed to "grow because our resource commitment in Iraq makes is impossible to respond adequately."
China ‘Gold Medal’ For Executions – BBC
In case you're wondering what all the Olympic torch protestors have been complaining about, the BBC is running an article about a recent report from Amnesty International on the death penalty around the world. The article focuses on China.
"As the world's biggest executioner, China gets the 'gold medal' for global executions," said the organisation's UK director, Kate Allen.
"According to reliable estimates, on average China secretly executes around 22 prisoners every day - that's 374 people during the Olympic Games," she added.
Apparently, the idea of capital crimes is a bit different in China than the rest of the world:
More than 60 crimes can carry the death penalty in China, including tax fraud, stealing VAT receipts, damaging electric power facilities, selling counterfeit medicine, embezzlement, accepting bribes and drug offences, Amnesty [International] said.
…and the idea of due process is a bit different than western states:
The BBC's Quentin Sommerville, in Beijing, says justice is usually swift - most of those sentenced to death are executed only weeks after they are found guilty.
The article then goes on to discuss the findings in Iran and other Middle Eastern countries – where the death penalty is also prevalent. Iran was the only country to have more reported capital punishments than China.
The report and article end with a call for the world to stop employing the death penalty.
Election Day – The Digital Journalist
Election Day - The Digital Journalist A very cool dispatch that of the election in Pakistan – uneventful and remarkable for being so.
