Titles:

• UK:40 percent of Muslim students want Sharia law
• Summit lets Turkey flex its diplomatic muscles
• US Congress approves crusader bill
• U.S. official: Al Qaeda in Yemen bigger threat than in Pakistan
• Pak-Army assured to launch offensive in NWA: Munter
• WikiLeaks: U.K. trained Bangladeshi ‘death squad'

 News Details:

UK:40 percent of Muslim students want Sharia law
The whistleblower website 'Wikileaks' has revealed the outcome of a 2009 poll in the secret US diplomatic cables, saying that 32 percent of Muslim students in 30 universities across the UK believe killing in the name of religion is justified, while 40 percent want Muslims in the country to be under the Sharia law. The Daily Mail quoted a cable from January 2009 as saying that the survey, which was conducted on 600 Muslim and 800 non-Muslim students, also found that found 54 percent wanted a Muslim party to represent their worldview in the Parliament. The cable suggests increasing radicalization among Britain's young Muslims. According to another U.S. cable, dated February 5 2009, reaching out to Britain's Muslim community was a 'top priority' for U.S. embassy staff. "Although people of Muslim faith make up only 3 to 4 percent of the UK's population, outreach to this key audience is vital to U.S. foreign policy interests in the UK and beyond. ... This is a top Mission priority," the paper quoted the cable, as saying. The February cable outlined a plan 'engagement and community capacity-building' to counter the possible growth of 'violent extremism' in the UK.

Summit lets Turkey flex its diplomatic muscles
Turkey, a stable and fast- growing economy, hosts leaders from Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Central Asian states at an economic summit on Thursday which illustrates Ankara's growing regional influence. Plagued by conflict but blessed with vast oil and gas reserves, the Eurasia region has seen its geopolitical significance increase. The summit of the 10-member Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) is expected to produce few concrete results, but its significance lies in the attendance of some of the region's high-profile political leaders. The meeting, which will be attended by Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, demonstrates Turkey's ability to network in a region where world powers struggle for trust. Ahmadinejad, who held one-to-one talks with Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan late on Wednesday, is in Turkey a month before planned nuclear talks with six major powers in Istanbul. Turkey, a rising Muslim democracy that has applied to join the European Union, has cultivated its eastern neighbors to consolidate its position as a link between Europe on the one hand and the Middle East and Central Asia. Turkey will use it to showcase its growing diplomatic assertiveness and project a foreign policy it defines as having "zero problems with neighbors."

US Congress approves crusader bill
The US Congress has approved a bill authorizing the Pentagon to spend $160bn in Iraq and Afghanistan during this budget year. A previous version was rejected because it included several controversial measures, including one to allow gays to serve openly in the military. This year's bill, which received largely bipartisan support in Congress, agreed to $725bn in defense proposals, including $158.7bn for combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The legislation would also raise the pay of troops by 1.4% and allow the children of members of the military to stay covered under the military's health care until they are 26-years-old. Other provisions in the legislation include:
$75m to train and supply weapons to Yemeni counter-terrorism forces
$205m for a programmers with Israel to develop a mobile defense system
$11.6bn toward the development of security in Afghanistan
$1.5bn to Iraqi security forces

U.S. official: Al Qaeda in Yemen bigger threat than in Pakistan
The administration's top counterterrorism adviser said Friday that the al Qaeda group based in Yemen poses a greater threat to Americans than Osama bin Laden's group based in Pakistan. John Brennan, assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism, said the Yemen-based group, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, is "increasingly active" in reaching out to find terrorist recruits, even in the United States."Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is now the most operationally active node of the al Qaeda network," Brennan said during a forum at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.Brennan's remarks came a day after the release of the annual Afghanistan/Pakistan review and President Barack Obama's outline of his view of the threat posed by al Qaeda from its Pakistan base."It will take time to ultimately defeat al Qaeda, and it remains a ruthless and resilient enemy bent on attacking our country," Obama said Thursday.

Pak-Army assured to launch offensive in NWA: Munter
US Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter said that Pak-Army has assured to launch offensive in North Waziristan. Talking to media here US Ambassador Cameron Munter said that Pak Army has assured to conduct operation in North Waziristan while the Army would itself decide operation timing despite US demand of immediate offensive in the area. He said that Pak Army is making serious efforts for elimination of terrorism. He said that America wants complete elimination of extremists groups from Pakistan and Afghanistan and military and security cooperation with Pakistan would be further increased in this connection. He said that America wants to strengthen democratic institutions in Pakistan. He said that the government of Pakistan would have to take such steps that would increase trust of Pakistani masses over America.

WikiLeaks: U.K. trained Bangladeshi ‘death squad'
The British government has trained a paramilitary force accused of hundreds of killings in Bangladesh, according to leaked U.S. embassy cables. The Guardian newspaper said the cables described training for members of the Rapid Action Battalion as being in "investigative interviewing techniques" and "rules of engagement." One cable notes that U.S. training for the battalion in counterterrorism would be illegal under U.S. law because of human rights violations. The newspaper said the battalion has been accused by human rights activists of being a "death squad" responsible for more than 1,000 extra-judicial killings since it was established in 2004. In March, the battalion's leader said it had killed 622 people in "crossfire."

The Spokesman of Hizb ut-Tahrir Indonesia (HTI), Muhammad Ismail Yusanto, believes that the House of Representatives has become a legitimate tool of foreign intervention with the release of the legislation which is harmful  unfavorable to the people.

"Parliament has enacted law on electricity which is clearly detrimental to the people interest," said Ismail after the event of "End of Year Reflection 2010" held by HTI, in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Not only that, foreign intervention particularly that of the United States against Indonesia is also revealed in the Wikileaks site. In fact, the grip of  U.S. on Indonesian will become stronger after the agreement of Comprehensive Partnership between Indonesia and the U.S.  was reached.

Other problems that occurred in 2010, he said, were the case of IPO of Krakatau Steel and the Century Bank scandals that indicated a "state corruption" through the changes of policies and regulations.

"All efforts to combat corruption are meaningless, if those who are involved are the state officials. Corruption in Indonesia shows a more systemic tendency, it is not simply done by one or two people but by a lot of people together, such as the case of Gayus Tambunan, " Ismail said.

He also said that the state corruption is also indicated by the increasing number of liberal economic policies made by governments, among others, the increase in electricity price and the subsidy restrictions on fuel.

 According to him, fuel restriction plan is the government's efforts to complete the liberalization of oil and gas sector, as outlined by the IMF.

"This policy will make foreign companies free to dominate from the upper course to the lower course of the business of foreign gas stations which will rake in huge profits," he said.

Not only that, liberalization also influences the political world, in which the Parliament which is supposed to be the representative of the people, now becomes a tool of legitimacy of foreign intervention.

The issue of terrorism and the conflicts of the ummah and  the cults continued to occur in 2010.

To solve these problems, Ismail continued, the government should abandon the capitalist system and the secular and return to the Islamic Law.

"The system of democracy that exists today turns out to harm people. Indonesia must return to the Islamic law and seek a trustworthy leader, "said Ismail. (ANTARA, 21/12/2010)

Question and Answer

Question: On 16 December 2010, the media reported two matters for long-term consideration: the first being the visit of the Prime Minister of China to India with a large trade delegation, of around 300 business men. This visit has been accompanied with unusual warmth. The second matter is that of a trilateral deal between South Korea, China and Japan to establish a co-operative secretariat between the three countries. This is along with cooling of tensions between the two Koreas, with respect to mutual threat between the US and South Korea on one side and North Korea on the other, with tacit support from China to North Korea. What is the significant of these happenings?

 Answer: To answer this question, we review the following:

• 1- Since the 1960s America has feared the emergence of China as a world power and has sought to restrict China's ambitions to regional matters. America has used a variety of issues to contain China's sphere of influence, and to keep her leadership preoccupied with parochial problems. America has persistently exploited the issue of Taiwan, North Korea, autonomy for Tibet, poor treatment of Chinese minorities (East Turkistan, Falun Gong etc.) and interference in bilateral disputes between China and Japan over islands as a means of lighting fires around China's borders. Additionally, America has a string of bases stretching from Afghanistan, Central Asia, and Pakistan to the Asian Pacific rim that includes the Korean peninsula, Japan.... The aim of these military bases is to ensnare China and prevent her from projecting military power.

• 2- Notwithstanding efforts to curb China's military expansion, America has also aggressively sought to build India's civil and military capabilities to offset China. Speaking before a joint sitting of Indian parliament Obama said, "I stand before you today because I am convinced that the interests of the United States - and the interests we share with India - are best advanced in partnership...United States not only welcomes India as a global power. We fervently support it. Promoting shared prosperity, preserving peace and security, strengthening democratic governance and human rights - these are the responsibilities of leadership. As global partners this is the leadership United States and India can offer in the 21st century...With my visit, we are now ready to begin implementing our civil nuclear agreement...We need to forge partnerships in high-tech sectors like defense and civil space." (US supports India as global power, the Indian Online, Nov 8 2010). It is noteworthy that India on September 29th 2010 sent 4 personnel from the Indian army, air force and navy to train with the U.S.'s 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit at the latter's base in Okinawa in the East China Sea during 2010.

China has vigorously reacted to such military exercises. In late September China's Rear Admiral Yin Zhuo warned that, "A series of military drills initiated by the US and China's neighboring countries showed that the US wants to increase its military presence in Asia. The purpose of these military drills launched by the US is to target multiple countries including China, Russia and North Korea and to build up strategic ties with its allied countries like Japan and South Korea." (Global Times, September 26, 2010).

• 3- A familiar pattern has prevailed ever since the six-party talks were instigated in 2003 to reign in North Korea's nuclear ambitions. This consists of America making certain demands during the six-party talks and when North Korea is close to meeting the demands, America reneges on its commitments. Furthermore, America has skillfully portrayed North Korea, with China as its main backer, as the guilty party during the fall out from the failed talks. For instance in 2007 the US announced that it would release $25million dollars of North Korea's frozen money, in return for Pyongyang to freeze its Yongbyon nuclear reactor and readmit IAEA inspectors. However, the US reneged on its promise and released the money very late, such that the transaction could not be completed on time. North Korea promptly withdrew from the six-party talks. Frustrated by numerous obstacles placed by the US, North Korea eventually withdrew from the talks in 2009 and adopted a more belligerent posture in an effort to restart negotiations on more favorable terms. The aggressive stance adopted by North Korea included expulsion of IAEA inspectors, announcing plans to resume enrichment, detonating a nuclear devise underground in May 2009, clashing with South Korea's Navy and the recent attack on a South Korean island.
• 4- The American response via the deployment of aircraft carriers, military exercises and convening talks minus, China and North Korea, has been to pressurize China to take a more forceful stance against its surrogate state. Admiral Mike Mullen, US Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, remarked on 8 December 2010 that he wished the Chinese would be more helpful, saying, "The Chinese have enormous influence over the North, influence that no other nation on earth enjoys. And yet, despite a shared interest in reducing tensions, they appear unwilling to use it," he said. It is interesting to note that in the immediate aftermath of the attack, China swiftly called for the resumption of the six-party talks, which was rejected by America. And lately, China has come out to publicly defend North Korea against America's intrusion in the region! This means that America wants to keep tensions raised and to present China and North Korea as if they were the source of tension and thus antagonize the countries of the region against them, but without reaching to the brink of war, because international and regional circumstances do not allow her to do so as America is busy in Iraq and Afghanistan.
• 5- In light of all this, we can say that the current Chinese measures, the signing of an accord by China Japan and South Korea on 16 December 2010 for establishing a tripartite cooperative secretariat in Seoul next year, as published by China on its network (Arabic.china.org.cn) Xinhua News Agency or what was published in multiple media sources, including this site, regarding the Chinese Prime Minister's visit to India ... All of these measures are to undermine America's efforts to isolate China from its neighbors and portray China as the aggressive party. South Korea and Japan are most pro-American and any close tie between them and China undermines America's exploitation of them against China. Also, India has been, and continues to be, one of the weapons that America exploits to trigger permanent tension betweens India and China, founded upon perennial disputes between them. Therefore China's closeness to India is to extinguish the flames of tension that America is trying to maintain between China and India.

It is expected that China has scored a point in its favor in countering America. That is if China exploits its visit to India and its agreement with Japan and South Korea well. And also if she did not fall into a trap of deception sprung by Japan and South Korea but backed by America

    On 20 December (2010), while addressing the convocation ceremony for graduates of the 12^th National Defence Course and the 9^th Armed Forces War Course 2010, Sheikh Hasina warned that tough steps will be taken against any forces putting the country's national security and sovereignty at stake. She said, ‘we will safeguard our independence even if it entails sacrificing our lives.' What a mockery?! This is the same Sheikh Hasina who, within a month of coming to power with the backing of her imperialist disbeliever-polytheist masters, collaborated in executing the long term Indian plot to destroy the defence forces of the country and the cold blooded killing of 57 army officers. In addition, she is protecting Indian trade and security interests by opening up country's ports and telecommunications to India, granting transit, handing over ULFA resistance leaders etc. Furthermore, in the past two years her government has allowed the US Asia and Pacific Command forces to freely conduct exercises and manoeuvres throughout the country, thus turning the country into a US military base.

Hizb ut-Tahrir wants to make it clear to Sheikh Hasina that no matter how many times she utters such lies she will not be able to conceal her treachery from the 150 million Muslims of the country. The party calls upon the people and the armed forces to work towards safeguarding the country, its people and defence system from the evil hands of the unpaid servant of US-India, Sheikh Mirzafor Hasina and her government; and re-establishing the Khilafah "Caliphate".