Epstein Secrets

r in the Middle East. The kingdom's closest ties remain with Pakistan. The Pakistani press has reported that Riyadh provided a $1.5 billion loan to Islamabad to help Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's effort to get Pakistan's economy out of its slump. The Saudis have a close relationship with Sharif, who live

captured the Democratic nomination for president partly on the basis of his opposition to the Iraq War. He has had some success— notably in killing Osama Bin Laden and in initiating negotiations with Iran that could, if they succeed, transform the politics of the Middle East. But Obama has also stumbled—initia

ving that his cousin was innocent, and not involved in any insurgent activities, Tariq joined a group of tribal elders last October at a meeting in Islamabad organized by Reprieve, the human rights group. Neil Williams, a volunteer for Reprieve, spent an hour speaking with Tariq at the meeting. "We star

raq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Syria, Somalia and Libya. Drones routinely patrol the Mexican border, and they provided aerial surveillance over Osama bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. In his first three years, Obama has unleashed 268 covert drone strikes, five times the total George W. Bush order

articularly the Obama administrations have emphasized the war against al-Qaeda to such an extent that the U.S.-Pakistan alliance is in tatters. Now Islamabad's very stability has come into question. It is good to hear from Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and other senior officials that al-Qaeda and the

other senior officials that al-Qaeda and the Taliban have suffered major setbacks. It was even better to hear that U.S. troops had finally killed Osama bin Laden. Nevertheless, these triumphs have come at demonstrable cost. There was perhaps no reliable way to kill bin Laden without grievously offending Paki

articularly the Obama administrations have emphasized the war against al-Qaeda to such an extent that the U.S.-Pakistan alliance is in tatters. Now Islamabad's very stability has come into question. It is good to hear from Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and other senior officials that al-Qaeda and the

other senior officials that al-Qaeda and the Taliban have suffered major setbacks. It was even better to hear that U.S. troops had finally killed Osama bin Laden. Nevertheless, these triumphs have come at demonstrable cost. There was perhaps no reliable way to kill bin Laden without grievously offending Paki

alth sources in Peshawar, the seat of both the tribal FATA Secretariat as well as the Provincial Govt, and official sources in the national capital Islamabad -- including by coincidence Dr Waqar Ajmal, the Pakistani technical focal point for polio at the Gates Foundation, who is based in Seattle but was v

had and Muslims); (iv) PE has become a jihad issue linked to family planning: bans khandan, jihad asaan ("big families help jihad"); (v) after the Osama bin Laden raid in Abbotabad in May 2011, many clerics no longer speak out in favour of PEC; (vi) a "war" of the Fanvas, pro and contra; (vi) for all Haj pil

d two million refugees.2° In 1991-92 there were nearly three million. But the two countries have had different policies towards the Afghan refugees: Islamabad confined them to refugee camps. It gave the Pakistanis a better political control over those foreigners but made the latter totally dependent on in

Qaeda's own vision of the Iranian neighbour. Al Qaeda opposed any official relations with Tehran, an 'enemy' to be opposed all the time. The goal of Osama bin Laden's organisation was to have its own routes out of Afghanistan, independent of the Iranian authorities' influence.40 At the end of 1990s, Tehran had mo

Barack Obama set his sights on reorienting the United States' relationship with Pakistan. For decades, Washington had been a fair-weather friend to Islamabad, eager to work together when its own security interests were at stake, but otherwise indifferent to Pakistan's domestic challenges. But recognizing

Afghanistan and Pakistan, was hamstrung from the outset. The problems do not stem only from the U.S. drone campaign and the covert raid that killed Osama bin Laden, nor is Islamabad's failure to take on difficult domestic reforms solely to blame. The problems are also due to the United States' inability to ins

alth sources in Peshawar, the seat of both the tribal FATA Secretariat as well as the Provincial Govt, and official sources in the national capital Islamabad -- including by coincidence Dr Waqar Ajmal, the Pakistani technical focal point for polio at the Gates Foundation, who is based in Seattle but was

had and Muslims); (iv) PE has become a jihad issue linked to family planning: bara khandan, jihad asaan ("big families help jihad"); (v) after the Osama bin Laden raid in Abbotabad in May 2011, many clerics no longer speak out in favour of PEC; (vi) a "war" of the Fatwas, pro and contra; (vi) for all Haj pil

alth sources in Peshawar, the seat of both the tribal FATA Secretariat as well as the Provincial Govt, and official sources in the national capital Islamabad -- including by coincidence Dr Waqar Ajmal, the Pakistani technical focal point for polio at the Gates Foundation, who is based in Seattle but was

had and Muslims); (iv) PE has become a jihad issue linked to family planning: bara khandan, jihad asaan ("big families help jihad"); (v) after the Osama bin Laden raid in Abbotabad in May 2011, many clerics no longer speak out in favour of PEC; (vi) a "war" of the Fatwas, pro and contra; (vi) for all Haj pil

alth sources in Peshawar, the seat of both the tribal FATA Secretariat as well as the Provincial Govt, and official sources in the national capital Islamabad -- including by coincidence Dr Waqar Ajmal, the Pakistani technical focal point for polio at the Gates Foundation, who is based in Seattle but was

had and Muslims); (iv) PE has become a jihad issue linked to family planning: bara khandan, jihad asaan ("big families help jihad"); (v) after the Osama bin Laden raid in Abbotabad in May 2011, many clerics no longer speak out in favour of PEC; (vi) a "war" of the Fatwas, pro and contra; (vi) for all Haj pil