Posts tagged India

Indian Nukes a Hoax!

4
2 years ago
by Ammar in , , ,

manmohan-afp-608The success of the Indian nuclear program, after being questioned by foreign experts and agencies initially, is now in serious doubt after Indian Nuclear Scientist, S. Santhanam, has said that India should not rush into signing the CTBT as the 1998 tests were far from successful.

India, overwhelmed by their film-industry, has a history of creating great media hype around whatever they do. An example is the failure of the Indian Missile program and the fact that India is now dependent on outside help.

Here is what has been around in the news:

Pokhran II not fully successful: Indian scientist

NEW DELHI: The 1998 Pokhran II nuclear tests might have been far from the success they have been claimed to be. The yield of the thermonuclear explosions was actually much below expectations and the tests were perhaps more a fizzle rather than a big bang.

The controversy over the yield of the tests, previously questioned by foreign agencies, has been given a fresh lease of life with K Santhanam, senior scientist and DRDO representative at Pokhran II, admitting for the first time that the only thermonuclear device tested was a “fizzle”. In nuclear parlance, a test is described as a fizzle when it fails to meet the desired yield.

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Urdu on the Web: Google Indic Transliteration

10
2 years ago
by Ammar in , ,

google_transliterationI have held the view that we need to promote Urdu computing and Urdu on the internet with extensive research and development and practical implementation with more and more content put online that is localised and based on Urdu. Here is Google Labs with a fantastic service called “Indic Transliteration“.

Google Indic Transliteration offers an option for converting Roman characters to the Urdu characters. This lets you type Urdu words phonetically in English script and still have them appear in their correct alphabet. Note that this is not the same as translation — it is the sound of the words that are converted from one alphabet to the other, not their meaning.

For example, typing “shukriya” transliterates into Urdu as:

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The PEACE Act 2009 (Kerry-Lugar Bill)

6
2 years ago
by Ammar in , , ,

The PPP government celebrates the passing of the “Pakistan Enduring Assistance and Cooperation Enhancement Act” by the USA Congress which would provide an estimated $1.5 billion per year in financial assistance to Pakistan for the next 5 years. The conditions that have been set for the provision of this assistance are, to say the least, humiliating for any patriotic Pakistani.

The conditions associated with this bill constitute most text of the text this bill contains which I took the time to read through in detail.

Let me highlight only a few of the absolutely disappointing clauses that are included as “conditions” for this aid:

to ensure access of United States investigators to individuals suspected of engaging in worldwide proliferation of nuclear materials, as necessary, and restrict such individuals from travel or any other activity that could result in further proliferation;

This is a clear indication that the PPP led government is ready to risk a National Security issue of such importance for a small amount of money. By accepting this assistance, the government intends to agree to give the United States access to nuclear scientist, Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan, which is absolutely NOT acceptable to the people of Pakistan. (more…)

Regional Isolation for Pakistan?

5
2 years ago
by Ammar in , , ,

We have a declared enemy in India on one side of the border – a notorious Afghanistan on the other. We have a friends to our North in China and Iran to our South-West. I have failed to understand why, ever since the present government has assumed control, the government has literally snubbed the Chinese a few times and irritated Iran on multiple counts while trying its best to butter-up Afghanistan and India to become ‘friends’ of Pakistan!

I could not find time to write on several issues that have bothered me – transit trade via Pakistan to Afghanistan being one of them. I could not find time to write how bad I felt when our leaders spent thousands of dollars in an Indian night club in the United States when millions sit homeless in the land of the pure!

This is an issue I want to write about. This is a question my mind is putting up again and again. Are we now headed into complete regional isolation amidst talk of Iran closing the Pak-Iran border? (more…)

Obama’s Litmus Test?

6
3 years ago
by Ammar in ,

It is too early to say whether or not Barrack Hussain Obama’s approach to the Muslim world would be any different to that of the Bush administration. He has made big promises and committed himself to ‘change’, however there isn’t much time left before he actually steps into the White house as President of the United States of America.

The past two months have been difficult for the world. First, it was Mumbai and then barbaric Israeli terrorism in Gaza. Both India and Israel enjoyed full support of the White house and George W. Bush.

It seems as if the Mumbai drama, staged by the Indians and the Israeli’s together, has failed to achieve its objective and Pakistan has come out of it clean. It is interesting to note, however, that once we noticed the dust settling here in South Asia – the Israeli’s launched a full scale war on the Gaza strip. The Indian-Israeli nexus of terror is strong and requires a dedicated column to explain.

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