Archive for category Pakistan
I read today that PETA has approached Pakistan to ask if they could advertise on the compound wall of Usama Bin Laden’s house in Abbottabad. Personally, I think they should deny it and bulldoze the compound. But if Pakistan did sell advertising space on that wall?…… -Matt
Now this is funny! So I wonder what kind of stuff he had….or I mean…his ‘sons’ had? (wink, wink….) Either way, there was pornography found at the UBL mansion and that is hilarious. Al Qaeda’s head honcho was a smut peddler!!!
Here is the other angle on this. Because like with the whole controversy about the ‘gun’ used to kill UBL and all that attention brought to the manufacturers, the favorite porn of UBL and family would probably increase the sales of whatever company produced it and make the actors equally famous (or infamous). lol -Matt
Exclusive: Pornography found in bin Laden hideout: officials
May 13, 2011
By Mark Hosenball and Tabassum Zakaria
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A stash of pornography was found in the hideout of Osama bin Laden by the U.S. commandos who killed him, current and former U.S. officials said on Friday.
The pornography recovered in bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, consists of modern, electronically recorded video and is fairly extensive, according to the officials, who discussed the discovery with Reuters on condition of anonymity.
The officials said they were not yet sure precisely where in the compound the pornography was discovered or who had been viewing it. Specifically, the officials said they did not know if bin Laden himself had acquired or viewed the materials.
Reports from Abbottabad have said that bin Laden’s compound was cut off from the Internet or other hard-wired communications networks. It is unclear how compound residents would have acquired the pornography.
But a video released by the Obama administration confiscated from the compound showed bin Laden watching pictures of himself on a TV screen, indicating that the compound was equipped with video playback equipment.
Materials carted away from the compound by the U.S. commandos included digital thumb drives, which U.S. officials believe may have been a principal means by which couriers carried electronic messages to and from the late al Qaeda leader.
Three other U.S. officials familiar with evidence gathered during investigations of other Islamic militants said the discovery of pornography is not uncommon in such cases.
Story here.
This is funny. Over the course of this blog’s history, I have had five visits from Abbottabad Pakistan according to my Google Analytics. They found the site through Google, and these are the dates they visited.
Sept 28, 2010
August 16, 2010
June 30, 2010
April 7, 2010
October 8, 2009
Now what I did was to go back to each of these dates and see what stories they were attracted to. Well what I found out was that it wasn’t a story they clicked on, but a Funny Stuff poster I posted a long time ago called Potential. I posted this poster to show how ridiculous our enemy was, and how little regard they had for human life. So did Bin Laden or any of his clowns check out the poster? It is a good possibility because on those dates, there wasn’t anything of significance interest to their efforts, and the Potential Poster had top viewing. lol
The reason for that is because it reached the first page of Google Images for the search ‘funny stuff’. Thousands of people over the course of the image’s history have viewed the thing because of it’s placement in the image search. And it looks like I was able to piss off five folks with that ultra-offensive poster. Score!!! The best part is that thing will continue to do it’s damage to the psyche of booger eaters world wide. hee hee -Matt
Edit: Just so folks know, I was not the original creator of this poster. I just found it floating around out there on the internet and thought it was pretty funny.
This is incredible news, and I am writing this as it is coming over the news. Usama Bin Laden is dead and it sounds like his body has been recovered, and identification has been made. President Obama is soon to come on the television and make the announcement. This is such awesome news.
By the way, all of Al Qaeda and it’s supporters better watch out–because you are next!…… -Matt
Edit: An American team was tasked with killing or capturing UBL at a mansion in Abbottabad, Pakistan. There was a firefight, and OBL was killed in the firefight. The body was identified by DNA and all of this was confirmed by President Obama in his speech.
Edit: CNN Reports that it was Navy SEALs that came in by helicopter to assault the mansion that UBL was at. Supposedly one of UBL’s sons was killed in the attack as well.
Rest in peace to the fallen. You know, I could not tell you how many Pakistani security guards have been killed over the years defending NATO shipments because no one tracks it. I would have to say it was high, but who knows….
I also wanted to highlight the brutality of this latest attack. It is one thing to kill your enemy, but to also desecrate their bodies like this? To me, this is the work of irhabists, and I do not see how any god–to include Allah, could ever condone such a thing. -Matt
Three guards beheaded at NATO terminal in Pakistan
April 1, 2011
Militants early Friday beheaded three security guards at a NATO truck terminal and damaged 10 oil tankers in a restive Pakistani tribal area bordering Afghanistan, officials said.
The murders took place at the NATO supply vehicle hub in Landi Kotal, a town in the restive Khyber tribal district where the bulk of supplies destined for foreign troops in Afghanistan pass through.
“Early Friday we found the beheaded bodies of three security guards from the NATO trucking terminal,” tribal administration official Iqbal Khan Khattak told AFP. Read the rest of this entry »
This is great news. Either the US paid the ‘diyat’ directly or indirectly to the families of the dead, but either way blood money was paid and Raymond was released!
It reminds me of the cases currently in Afghanistan. I wonder how much a compensation payment would have to be in order to get Robert Langdon and others released? In Raymond’s case, it sounds like a total amount of $ 2.3 million was paid out to all three of the families.
Now the thing to watch in Pakistan is the public reaction. Uprisings have been going on throughout the world, and the government in Pakistan is probably bracing itself for the negative reaction from the population after this release. Hell, they were already fired up after Davis killed the two men out of self defense. I have no doubt that elements of the Taliban and AQ are right in there stirring up the masses into a lather. It doesn’t take much to get the mob all riled up in Pakistan.
That brings up another point I wanted to make. The media in Pakistan, and specifically the new media is a joke. It is so hard to tell who is politically motivated, who has an agenda, or who is really focused on just getting the truth out. Most of the times I just laugh when reading the stuff, because it’s as if the author of the story found his material in a comic book. Or worse yet, you can blatantly tell when it is some irhabist dork trying to spin the story. Matter of fact, I am sure they are just dreaming up new and fantastical ways of spinning the Davis deal as we speak.
Finally, our relations with Pakistan pisses me off. The US has dumped billions of dollars into that country in this war. Not to mention all the support and money given during their flooding crisis last year, and other disaster in past years. And what really gets me going is that AQ and the Taliban enjoy a nice little safe haven along the border, and yet we continue to depend on Pakistan’s ability to do the job of destroying them. They have not done this, and it’s as if the money we have been giving Pakistan is passed on to the Taliban and AQ to build resorts and health spas for their guys up in those hills. Pffft.
And look how much hassle it took to get Davis back? Are we not in the same fight? What really gets me is how would you like to be a soldier in the Pakistani army that lost friends in the war, and yet they see their government playing games like this? Politics… -Matt
U.S. did not pay compensation in Raymond Davis case
March 16, 2011
The U.S. government did not pay any compensation to the families of two Pakistanis killed by Raymond Davis, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Wednesday.
“The United States did not pay any compensation,” Clinton told reporters in Cairo. Asked who paid the families, she replied: “You will have to ask the families.”
This just came up on my radar, and I had never heard of the Fauji Foundation before. I guess what you could call this group is a massive welfare company that was established years ago to take care of Pakistani veterans and their dependents. They do this by providing jobs for ex-servicemen.
Which brings us to the story below. I guess Bahrain has been using the Fauji Foundation’s Overseas Employment Service for awhile now to fill out the ranks of it’s security forces? This really comes into play with the current uprisings in Bahrain and I imagine the anti-riot forces were partially composed of Pakistains. So chalk up Bahrain and Libya as two countries that are using contracted forces for police/military duties. Or better yet, they are using private forces as a strategic tool to flex with whatever problem they come up against.(I am not supporting how they are using private industry–just pointing out an observation)
This first story below talks about a massive recruitment drive to plus up the National Guard in Bahrain. And this is not a new thing here. Supposedly Bahrain and Pakistan have had a long relationship when it came to using these contract forces. It is also interesting that ever since this story broke out, the OES job portal at the Fauji Foundation has taken down these job ads? Either they filled them all, or they wanted to minimize any attention by stripping the ad after the story came out about the connection between Pakistan and the anti-riot police in Bahrain. It sounds like they certainly had plenty of folks who applied for the job of doing Bahrain’s bidding–6,000 to 7,000! -Matt
Overseas Employment Services: Fauji Foundation headhunts for Bahrain’s security units
Ex-servicemen ‘export’ mercenaries to the Middle East
Fauji Security Services (Pvt) Limited.
Profile of a Welfare Organisation for Ex-Servicemen
Overseas Employment Services: Fauji Foundation headhunts for Bahrain’s security units
By Saba Imtiaz
March 11, 2011
The Overseas Employment Services (OES) of the Fauji Foundation is recruiting hundreds of ex-servicemen to serve in the Bahrain National Guard (BNG).
Advertisements in an Urdu language daily and on the OES website state that the BNG “immediately” requires people with experience and qualifications as anti-riot instructors and security guards.
While an official at the Fauji Foundation said there were 800 vacancies and 6,000-7,000 applications had been received, another at the OES said there were 200 to 300 vacancies and a number of people had been selected.
The advertisement states that a BNG delegation is visiting Pakistan from March 7 to March 14 to recruit people from the following categories: officers (majors), Pakistan Military Academy drill instructors, anti-riot instructors, security guards, and military police as well as cooks and mess waiters. Civilians were required as security guards, while the rest of the categories required experience in the military or security forces. The requirement for anti-riot instructors was NCOs (non-commissioned officers) from the Sindh Rangers or officers of an equivalent rank from the Elite Police Force.
The official at the OES also said that Bahrain’s army had recently recruited ex-servicemen from Pakistan. In December, the OES advertised positions for retired Pakistan Army doctors to serve in the King’s Guard.
The Fauji Foundation was set up in 1954 and serves as a trust for ex-servicemen and their families. It is believed to be among the largest industrial conglomerates in the country.
Bahrain tensions
Pakistanis serving in Bahrain’s security forces were reportedly involved in a crackdown on protestors in Manama in February in which seven people were killed and hundreds injured. Some injured protestors told the media that the police who beat them up spoke Urdu.
Below I have posted two snapshots of the private security industries in Pakistan and India. In a nutshell, those industries are exploding with growth. In Pakistan, terrorism is the driver of this increase. In India it is a combination of economic expansion along with terrorism as the drivers.
Of course Pakistan and India are very mistrustful of one another, and there is also the growth of their defense industries to meet the needs of their militaries. Interesting stuff and definitely an area to keep a watch on. -Matt
Boom in Pakistan’s private security industry
January 18, 2011
Pakistan’s deteriorating law and order has led to a boom in the private security industry in the country. Companies are investing millions of dollars to train and update their security operations.
An estimated 30,000 private security guards have found employment with 400 private security agencies that have sprung up in Pakistan in recent years. These guards are paid about ten thousand Pakistani rupees a month… well above the minimum wage of six thousand.
Specialist security guards and bodyguards make around 25 thousand rupees.
Training includes special focus on the deadliest of enemies, the suicide bomber. Iqbal Mahmood, the trainer at Security 2000 explains how to look for one. “If someone is draped in white dress, particularly resembling a white shroud is a sign that the person has come ready to die. This is usually the first sign, secondly when the body looks a bit out of proportions; particularly the chest is raised higher than a normal human being is another give away sign that this person might be a suicide bomber,” says Mahmood.
The security industry in Pakistan is worth around 60 million dollars a year. Visit any luxury hotel in Pakistan and you’ll see where the money is being spent.
Zahid Shah, Security Manager at Pearl Continental Hotel says, “We have tried to maintain and standardise our security arrangements by beefing up this location with various kinds of systems, there can be hydraulic blockers, there are electronic barriers, there are sniffer dogs, besides of course the manual arrangements which is comprising of the security guards and the supervisors that we have.”
Story here.
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Booming private security agencies seek PE funding
Paramita Chatterjee & Pramugdha Mamgain
18 Jan, 2011
As rapid economic expansion creates a booming market for private security services, small and mid-sized companies in the sector are seeking risk capital infusion to further expansion plans. Growing public infrastructure in the form of roads, airports, shopping malls and commercial complexes has triggered a boom in the market for security services that is expected to grow five-fold to reach a size of 30,000 crore by 2015.
This is cool. I signed up for job alerts with the DoS awhile back, and they sent me this one today. I have gotten other job alerts from them for all sorts of interesting stuff, but this is the first security related job. With that said, this would be another deal you could add to your job seeking machine.
Of course this job is geared towards my American readers, and that is the way it goes. And based on the DoS’s current plans with WPS, they are going to need a ton of these SPS’s to help keep everything running smoothly.
Also, don’t let the pay throw you off either. With this kind of work, it is all about the over time pay/danger pay/post differential pay, and all of that can add up pretty nicely. I am not the POC for this job, and please follow the directions below if you want to apply. Good luck and let me know how it goes. -Matt
Announcement No: SPS-11-01
Opening Date: December 20, 2010
Closing Date: January 20, 2011
Position Title: FOREIGN SERVICE SECURITY PROTECTIVE SPECIALIST
Grade and Starting Salary Range: FP-06: $44,737 per annum*
Additional Benefits: Tax-Free Housing Overseas; Danger Pay; Post Differential; Overtime Compensation; Holiday Pay and Holiday Premium Pay; Night Shift Differential; Accrual of Annual and Sick Leave; Life Insurance; Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan (FEHB); Participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS); Separate Maintenance and Educational Allowances; Compensation for Disability or Death (Details available online at Compensation and Benefits.)
Number of Vacancies: The Department of State is developing a rank-order register to fill a limited number of Foreign Service Diplomatic Security Protective Specialist (SPS) vacancies. The specific number to be hired will depend on the needs of the Foreign Service. Applications are accepted ONLY during the period specified above.
Area of Consideration: All Sources.
Location: All assignments will be directed by the Department according to the needs of the Service. Assignments may be to any high or critical threat Foreign Service post abroad. Initial training and orientation will be held in the Washington, DC area.
* Includes the 16.52% Overseas Comparability Payment.
SPECIAL NOTICES
Please go to www.usajobs.opm.gov for application instructions.
Successful applicants are appointed to the Foreign Service as Limited Non-Career Appointment (LNA) employees with a federal benefits package.
Appointments will be made for an initial 13-month period and may be renewed annually up to a maximum of five years.
Overseas tours are unaccompanied.
There is no conversion mechanism to a career Foreign Service position. SPSs are encouraged to apply to become a Foreign Service specialist, but must meet the applicable qualifications and complete the standard application and assessment process.
The appointment may be terminated by the US Government at any time upon at least 30 days notice unless the termination is for cause. In this case, the 30 days notice is not applicable.
The SPS may terminate the appointment by written notification at least 30 days in advance.
Benefits Package
The following are some of the more significant benefits to employment in the Foreign Service:
1. Danger Pay – based upon post of assignment: Afghanistan – 35% of base pay; Iraq – 35% of base pay; Peshawar, Pakistan – 35% of base pay.
2. Post Differential – based upon post of assignment: Afghanistan – 35% of base pay; Iraq – 35% of base pay; Peshawar, Pakistan – 30% of base pay.
3. Overtime – OT may be expected and is paid at the rate of 1.5 times the hourly rate.
4. Separate Maintenance Allowance (SMA) – while assigned to unaccompanied posts, SPS employees are eligible for SMA. The SMA is an annual grant determined by the number of dependents and ranges from $6,000 for one child to $20,200 for an adult dependent if there are 4 or more family members. The SMA is non-taxable.
5. R&R – Kabul, Peshawar and Baghdad are all under a generous leave/R&R allowance program (usually taken at 50-60 day intervals). Kabul and Baghdad allow 2 R&Rs and 3 Regional Rest Breaks (RRBs) or 3 R&Rs and no RRBs. Peshawar allows 2 R&Rs and 1 RBB. R&Rs provide round-trip transportation to any point in the United States. Time usually allowed is approximately two weeks. In addition to the Annual Leave allowance (addressed below), at post discretion, a limited amount of administrative leave may also be authorized to be used while on R&R.
6. Paid Annual Leave – federal employees earn Annual Leave (AL) based upon the following formula.
If less than 3 years federal service – 4 hours a pay period (26 pay periods in a calendar year);
If between 3 and 15 years federal service – 6 hours a pay period;
If more than 15 years federal service – 8 hours a pay period. Former military service – time spent in the US military is credited towards the annual leave allowance unless the employee is retired from the military. If retired and receiving retired pay, then form SF-813 (Verification of a Military Retiree’s Service) must be submitted before a determination can be made as to creditable service.
