New US amendment asks Pak to reform its counter terrorism policies

October 13th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - India and Pakistan must work together to counter terrorism, Pakistani foreign office spokesman said here Tuesday. India must stop blame game as time has come to solve all outstanding issues with tranquility, the Online news agency quoted foreign office spokesman Abdul Basit as saying.

October 13th, 2009 BEIJING - China has reportedly offered high-tech counter-terrorism system to Pakistan to boost its defence sector and to help its efforts to fight terrorism. According to reports, four delegations from different Chinese companies have met Pakistan Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani to decide upon the matter, while the China Development Bank and other Chinese institutions will provide funds in this connection.

October 2nd, 2009 WASHINGTON - Britain will assist Pakistan to set up a counter-intelligence agency on the line of British secret service, MI5. BBC's Richard Watson quoted senior British and Pakistani counter-terrorism officials as saying that British training and funding will be made available to the new security authority.

September 28th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Australia is to double to 140 the number of counter-terrorism training slots it provides to the Pakistani Army besides helping in the reconstruction of the war-torn Malakand division in the country's restive northwest, it was announced here Monday. This will make Australia the second biggest provider of military training to the Pakistani army apart from the United States.

September 9th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram met with top US officials Wednesday to deepen counter-terrorism cooperation between the countries after the Mumbai attacks last year.

July 30th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Underlining an immediate need of people's participation in counter terror strategy, US Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has urged the people of the country to join a "collective fight against terrorism". Speaking to the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, Napolitano highlighted that there is a need of a combined effort of individuals, companies, state and foreign governments against terrorism.

July 13th, 2009 Sharm el-SHEIKH/NEW DELHI - Underlining its commitment to renewing the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), India Monday asked the NAM countries to unequivocally condemn terrorism and called for greater solidarity among developing countries to counter the global financial meltdown. Nowhere is international solidarity for peace and development more relevant than in combating terrorism.

July 12th, 2009 2 senators: CIA concealment may have broken lawWASHINGTON — Six months into Barack Obama's presidency, twin investigations may be on the horizon into Bush-era policies in the war on terror. Two senators including the head of the intelligence committee suggested Sunday that the prior administration broke the law by concealing a CIA counter-terrorism program from Congress.

June 26th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The US has said it will support continuing dialogue between India and Pakistan them to find joint solutions to counter terrorism and to promote regional stability, but leave it to them how to go about it. "We will also continue to support dialogue between Indian and Pakistani leaders," Robert O.

June 18th, 2009 WASHINGTON - India and the US have called upon the world to join hands in combating terrorism in a long-term, sustained and comprehensive manner, saying there can be no justification for any act of terrorism. The call was made in a joint statement issued here Wednesday after a meeting of the US-India Counter-terrorism Joint Working Group to discuss efforts to coordinate global counterterrorism initiatives.

June 18th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan has acceded to the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism, an official said. "With the accession to this convention, Pakistan is now party to 11 international conventions against terrorism.

May 28th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The US plans to push the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Justice Department into global counter-terrorism operations in a shift away from the Bush administration's policy that relied largely on the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), a media report said Thursday. Moreover, the CIA-dominated system of clandestine detentions and interrogations will be replaced with one built around transparent investigations and prosecutions, the Los Angeles Times reported.

May 22nd, 2009 WASHINGTON - Worried over reports about Pakistan rapidly adding to its stockpile of nuclear weapons, and speculations about Islamabad misusing the US aid meant for carrying counter insurgency operations, a senior US Senator has moved an amendment to a bill before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that requires Pakistan not to redirect American aid for expansion of its nuclear establishments. Addressing the Committee, Democrat Senator Jim Webb said the amendment was primarily aimed at ensuring that Pakistan does not misuse the assistance.

April 30th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The release of the four Department of Justice classified memos that reveal the controversial approval given by the Bush administration to torture and interrogation techniques used on GITMO detainees have had a chilling effect on US counter terrorism, believes intelligence think tank STRATFOR. According to STRATFOR, realistically, those most likely to face investigation and prosecution are those who wrote the memos, rather than the low-level field personnel who acted in good faith based upon the guidance the memos provided, in spite of the fact that Obama has reassured that there will be no witch hunt.

April 23rd, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan has asked the British government not to deport its citizens who were rounded up on suspicion of links with terrorists, but were later released, as the UK Police could not produce evidence against them. Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit said students had to undergo a harsh time behind bars and now it is up to the UK Government to compensate the students.