On 01 May 2013, on the very same day that Hizb ut Tahrir / Wilayah Pakistan began a huge country wide distribution of the Urdu translation of the speech of the Ameer of Hizb ut Tahrir, eminent statesman and jurist, Sheikh Ata Bin Khalil Abu Al-Rashtah to the people of Pakistan, the Pure, the Good, the people of Pakistan were subjected to wide spread media reports publicizing

الحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله وعلى آله وصحبه ومن ولاه وبعد،

Praise be to Allah, prayer and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family and his Companions and those who follow him,

To the people of Pakistan, the Pure and Good Land, which was established in origin for Islam and Muslims...

To the Ulemah, the intellectuals and politicians, those amongst them who have confirmed sincerity, both in their Deen and in their Iman

To the rulers of Pakistan, particularly Zardari, his gang and cohorts who exposed the country and its people to America, its spies and intelligence...

To Kayani and his cohorts who forced the army in service to America in Afghanistan, and withdraw forces from the border with India to the tribal areas and Baluchistan...

To the Electoral Commission which is supervising the elections...

To all of these we address this speech, whilst I realize that Zardari and his spies, Kayani and his gang, have minds that do not comprehend, ears that do not hear and eyes that do not see, however in Pakistan there are those who listen to the truth, their eyes overflowing with tears, they are those who listen to the truth and pursue the good in it and they are in gratitude to their Lord. As for them, Zardari and his spies, Kayani and his gang, we are sending this letter for them as an excuse before Allah (swt) and perhaps they may fear Him:

Firstly: O people of Pakistan, the Pure and Good Land: O descendants of Muhammad bin Qasim, progeny of those who struggled with him in the Opening of these lands by the early Muslims, how could you ever be pleased with an oppressive and brutal regime, that discards the Book of Allah (swt) and the Sunnah of His Messenger (saw) behind its back, violating the provisions of the Shariah and exposing the country to America and its allies, to corrupt the lands utterly, not even sparing its soil or cattle ... killing its people with drones, planting explosives and fostering chaos?! How could you ever be pleased with a government moving away from the battle front against the Hindu Mushrikeen, occupiers of the lands of Islam in Kashmir and other than Kashmir, moving from this front to fight your brothers in the tribal areas and Balochistan as well as the resistance in Afghanistan?! How could you ever be pleased by the government's abduction of your sincere and loyal sons in broad daylight from the streets, madrassas and mosques only for the government to then deny such kidnapping without a shred of shame before Allah (swt), His Messenger (saw) and the believers?! Indeed, they have seized many of the persons of Hizb ut Tahrir because they say our only Lord is Allah (swt), keeping them for months, many months, in severe torture as they previously did with the abductees and as they currently do with the Hizb ut Tahrir 's official spokesman and those seized after him?! You may say that you can not do anything, but you are capable, so consolidate your efforts with the Hizb and your Lord will bestow mercy by His permission, Glorified be He, for the Hizb will never tire or seek rest from its great work, in accordance to the Shariah, until inshaaAllah it brings change, ends the rule of the unjust and restores the Truth to its people. So be with the Hizb in its movements and do not be afraid of any other than Allah, knowing that the future is only for those who fear Allah ...

And to the Ulemah who fear Allah, do you not see the abolition of the rulings of Allah? Do you not see America roaming the length and breadth of the country with its drones, explosives and intelligence, all with the complicity of the ruling faction and its cohorts? Do you not see the plundering of the Ummah's wealth and corruption eating away at the backbone of the state and its institutions? Do you not hear and see the advocates of the Call to Allah (swt), to the establishment of the Khilafah "Caliphate" for the implementation of the law of Allah, do you not see how they are abducted and severely tortured, whilst considering that the example of Naveed Butt, the official Spokesman of Hizb ut Tahrir is not so long ago for you, seized in broad daylight and who will have been kept in torture for a full year on the very day of these elections? Do you not see all of this? Is this not a terrible evil? Is it not a duty that you must call in rejection of it? And if you say that we do not have a state to change things by the hands physically, do you not have tongues by which you can speak up in denial? Is not speaking the word of truth the greatest jihad, as RasulAllah (saw) said when he was asked what its the best Jihad, ‘كَلِمَةُ حَقٍّ عِنْدَ سُلْطَانٍ جَائِرٍ' "The word of truth before the unjust rulers" an-Nisai], so why do you hold your tongues and why do you not speak?

To the intellectuals and politicians ... those from amongst them who are sincere and resolute, this time is your time, America completely controls the regime, directing it in any direction it pleases, which has led to the ruin of the economy, such that the economy is now mortgaged to the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, earning the curses of the people and causing their exhaustion, their shoulders overburdened by taxes ... and which also led to the collapse of the country's security and spread of chaos amongst its people. You witness all that, including the situation of Karachi, which was once a reassuring sanctuary for those who migrated to escape the Hindu oppression, so as to live together like the original Muhajireen and Ansar, but it is now a city where you witness discord has arisen between the people, some of it being caused by conspiracies and the rest of it by orchestrating explosions ... Moreover, this regime has sold Kashmir and made it a lost and forgotten cause, and moved from the front against India, which occupies the land of Muslims, to a new front against the tribal areas, Balochistan and the Afghan resistance ... America's spies roam the length and breadth of the land, unmanned drones, as well as manned aircraft, violate its skies, reining destruction and killing without impunity! How can you ever be silent on such evil and dark happenings? Do you believe that the calamity when it comes to pass will afflict only the corrupt, oppressive and traitorous rulers? In fact the calamity afflicts both the oppressors and those who are silent regarding their oppression. Allah (swt) said, ((وَاتَّقُوا فِتْنَةً لَا تُصِيبَنَّ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا مِنْكُمْ خَاصَّةً وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ)) "And fear the calamity that does not only afflict those who oppressed and know that Allah is severe in punishment" [Surah Al-Anfaal: 8:25] and RasulAllah (saw) said, إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُعَذِّبُ الْعَامَّةَ بِعَمَلِ الْخَاصَّةِ، حَتَّى يَرَوْا الْمُنْكَرَ بَيْنَ ظَهْرَانَيْهِمْ، وَهُمْ قَادِرُونَ عَلَى أَنْ يُنْكِرُوهُ فَلَا يُنْكِرُوهُ، فَإِذَا فَعَلُوا ذَلِكَ، عَذَّبَ اللَّهُ الْخَاصَّةَ وَالْعَامَّةَ "Indeed Allah does not punish the people in general for the actions of the few, unless they see the Munkar amongst them and they are able to deny it, yet they do not deny it, and should they do that, then Allah will punish the people in general along with the few." [Narrated by Ahmed]

Secondly: To the ruling faction, Zardari, his spies and cohorts: the wise one is the one who learns from the mistakes of others. Did you not see the fate of all the traitors who conspired against their country with the Kafir colonialists, spread corruption and consumed wealth unlawfully, and seized people who proclaim our Lord is Allah alone ... know that their fate is always the blackest of fates, for even their colonial masters will discard them aside the street, after they are spent in their roles of service!

How could you hand over this land to America and its spies to ruin them as it pleases and grant Pakistan's airspace to drones that bomb as they please, whenever and wherever they please ... I realize that America orders you and forbids you and you are not able to refuse its demands, but even the traitors sometimes say: ‘No, enough is enough,' yet you swim in a destructive torrent and do not speak a word of rejection!

As if this terrible subservience to America and its allies was not enough, you assail the people of Hizb ut Tahrir, deploying your spies, abducting them and torturing them by brutal means! Do you really believe that these Shabaab do not have the people behind them and men to support them? Do you feel secure from the evil of your future and its consequences? Do you really think that no-one is with them? Or that they are devoid of help and backing? Think as you want, but know that Allah (swt) is with them as well as His Messenger (saw) and the believers ... and Hizb ut Tahrir is of the people, the fact that it does not undertake physical acts of revenge today is not out of cowardice or fear, but because the Hizb believes that Islam has not permitted such acts in the stage of carrying the call. However, the Hizb will right the wrong upon the establishment of the Khilafah "Caliphate", as promised by Allah (swt) and foretold by RasulAllah (saw) and then you, and those who follow you of cohorts, will be seized by a punishment that you deserve, for Allah (swt) said, ((وَسَيَعْلَمُ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا أَيَّ مُنْقَلَبٍ يَنْقَلِبُونَ)) "The oppressors will come to know by what overturning they will be overturned." [Surah Ash-Sharaa: 26:227]

And even if you escaped punishment in this world, you will witness the day when the mother will abort her pregnancy from fear, and you will then realize the verse:

((وَلَا تَحْسَبَنَّ اللَّهَ غَافِلًا عَمَّا يَعْمَل الظَّالِمُونَ إِنَّمَا يُؤَخِّرُهُمْ لِيَوْمٍ تَشْخَصُ فِيهِ الْأَبْصَارُ
مُهْطِعِينَ مُقْنِعِي رُءُوسِهِمْ لَا يَرْتَدُّ إِلَيْهِمْ طَرْفُهُمْ وَأَفْئِدَتُهُمْ هَوَاءٌ))

"Consider not that Allah is unaware of that which the wrongdoers do, but He gives them respite up to a Day when the eyes will stare in horror.) * (They will be) hastening forward with necks outstretched, their heads raised up (towards the sky), their gaze returning not towards them and their hearts empty.)" [Surah Ibrahim: 14:42, 43]

Thirdly: As for Kayani and his gang, they are even worse than Zardari in mischief and evil, and in oppression and corruption. Kayani's role in surrendering the country to America is the greatest, as is his role in allowing the American drones to bomb the Muslims most severely and dangerously. So is his role in moving the main front of the army from the border with the Kafir Hindus to the tribal areas, Balochistan and resistance in Afghanistan, as well as his role in other humiliation and shame, such as his role in securing the abduction of the Shabaab of Hizb ut Tahrir and their torture, for such a role is of even greater abomination before Allah (swt) and the servants of Allah. And such also is his role in the supplying of America and its allies in Afghanistan with military logistics, medicine, food and water, for this is the role of the traitor who exceeds all other traitors ... not to mention his role in collusion with the spies of America in conspiracies and bombings in Karachi and elsewhere. His role is the greatest, for he has sufficient military force to stop all these tragedies and calamities, if he cared to, and prevent these explosions, bombs and drones ... But he forgot about his Deen and he forgot his oath when he was drafted into the army, to protect the country from all aggression and not to surrender it to the spies of America!

Kayani and his gang are the front line of America and its allies in arresting every loyal and brave military officer, who loves Allah (swt) and His Messenger (saw), as he did in the case of Brigadier Ali and his brothers, as well as other sincere officers. Kayani and those behind him think that this would ensure the loyalty of the army to his treacherous plans, in the killing of Muslims to satisfy the Kafir colonialists ... But Kayani forgot or made himself forget the fact that the Pakistani army is in its entirety a Muslim army, which took up arms to fight for the sake of Allah, and that the army may be silent for some time but not for all time, especially since Kayani's betrayal of the military uniform he wears and the weapon he carries, is so obvious it needs neither further explanation nor clarification ... the awakening of the army seized Kayani and his gang with shock, and it will seize him, inshaAllah, from where he could never consider and he will taste the earnings of his treachery for Allah (swt) said, ((وَاللَّهُ غَالِبٌ عَلَى أَمْرِهِ وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ)) "Allah has full power and control over His Affairs, but most people do not know." [Surah Yusuf: 12:21]

Fourthly: To the Election Commission, you are Muslim, and so you realize that the legislation is for Allah (swt) alone, so how do you allow yourselves to hold elections that will produce an assembly to legislate instead of Allah (swt)? How can you hold elections for ordering and forbidding by other than Allah? How can you hold elections knowing that Zardari, Kayani, their cohorts and factions, hold the reins from behind a curtain? How can you hold elections for an assembly that makes laws to serve the interests of the political and military leadership and as a natural consequence the interests of America, which is at the very top of their interests? Elections are for representation and the representation is not permissible except if the subject is Shariah, so how do you organize elections for other than Shariah and call the people to welcome it? Do you not know that establishing a legislative assembly that makes Halal and Haram instead of Allah (swt) is a huge sin? Tabarani narrated in Al-Kabeer that Adi bin Hatim said,

فَانْتَهَيْتُ إلى رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وسلم) وَهُوَ يَقْرَأُ سُورَةَ بَرَاءَةَ فَقَرَأَ هَذِهِ الْآيَةَ ((اتَّخَذُوا أَحْبَارَهُمْ وَرُهْبَانَهُمْ أَرْبَابًا مِنْ دُونِ اللهِ)) حَتَّى فَرَغَ مِنْهَا، فَقُلْتُ: إنَّا لَسْنَا نَعْبُدُهُمْ، فَقَالَ: «أَلَيْسَ يُحَرِّمُونَ مَا أَحَلَّ اللهُ فَتُحَرِّمُونَهُ، ويُحِلُّونَ مَا حَرَّمَ اللهُ فَتَسْتَحِلُّونَهُ؟» قُلْتُ: بَلَى، قَالَ: «فَتِلْكَ عِبَادَتُهُمْ»

"I came upon RasulAllah (saw) and he recited from Surat Bara'a this verse اتَّخَذُوا أَحْبَارَهُمْ وَرُهْبَانَهُمْ أَرْبَابًا مِنْ دُونِ اللهِ [At-Tawabah 9:31] until he finished. I asked: How did they worship them? He said: "Did they not make Haraam what Allah had made Halaal and did they not make Halaal what Allah had made Haraam." I said: Yes, so he said: "That is their worshipping of them."

O Election Commission: It is not the need of the hour to hold elections that produce an assembly that legislates instead of Allah (swt) and decide laws that are not revealed by Allah (swt) from authority ... the need of the hour is the establishment of the Khilafah "Caliphate" and a Bayah to a just and rightly guided Khaleefah who rules by Shariah and nothing else ... the need is for Pakistan to be the nucleus of the Khilafah "Caliphate" state, if not the important part of the Khilafah "Caliphate" State ... the need is for Pakistan to increase in its power by the Deen, so that its army and nuclear weapons can be a power for truth and justice ... the need is for the liberation of Kashmir, for Kashmir is a land of Islam which is occupied by the Mushrikeen ... and the need is for the re-annexation with East Pakistan, "Bangladesh," not by sea or air, but by land, through the Muslim lands ... and instead of the army confronting Muslims in Pakistan and Afghanistan, the weapons of these two armies will be directed in the right direction, facing America and its allies, causing them to retreat from their evil and destructive schemes ... and thus according to the promise of Allah (swt) and the glad tidings of RasulAllah (saw), Pakistan shall be the nucleus of the Khilafah "Caliphate" or part of the Khilafah "Caliphate" state, which will light up the earth with the guidance of the new Khilafah "Caliphate", by which the lands shall reveal their treasures, the skies will send their blessings and Allah (swt) shall heal the breasts of a believing people...

In conclusion, the hypocrites and those in whose hearts is a disease say that Muslims are deceived by their Deen, such has been uttered by their predecessors before them, but we reply as Allah (swt) said,(( إِذْ يَقُولُ الْمُنَافِقُونَ وَالَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ مَرَضٌ غَرَّ هَؤُلَاءِ دِينُهُمْ وَمَنْ يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ)) "When the hypocrites and those in whose hearts was a disease (of disbelief) said: "These people (Muslims) are deceived by their religion.'' But whoever puts his trust in Allah, then surely, Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise.)" [Surah Al-Anfaal: 8:49 ].

And as the final words, I call upon you in this address from a location, far away yet not so far inshaaAllah, praying to Allah (swt) that He brings us together upon one occasion, upon the announcing of the Khilafah "Caliphate" and the giving of the Bayah to a Khaleefah, where the people raise Takbeers through their happiness and joy in the streets and atop the roofs of their homes, whilst the Mu'azin make Takbeers from within the mosques... And the soldiers make Takbeer out of happiness and joy for their return to their original work, a Muslim army that protects Islam, opens the lands and spreads goodness throughout the world.

((وَيَوْمَئِذٍ يَفْرَحُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ * بِنَصْرِ اللَّهِ يَنْصُرُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الرَّحِيمُ))

"The day believers will rejoice * upon the victory of Allah who makes victorious whom He wishes and He is the Mighty, the Merciful." [Surah Ar-Rum: 30: 4-5]

Wassallamu alaikum warahmattu Allahu wabarakatu

Your brother,
Ata Bin Khalil Abu Al-Rashtah
Ameer of Hizb ut Tahrir

The infamous Victorian corset of the 19th century became a sign of the woman's subjugated state. That in order to appear appealing to men she had to clad a garment that reshifted her organs and contracted her lungs to such an extent that it was known that many women actually passed out. But health and well being in the Victorian era, was secondary to the mould women had to fit.

Today in the 21st century we would believe such garments to be only a figment of history and now the imagination! However there has been a reported rise of the post-baby girdle amongst women after they have their baby, particularly after American actress Jessica Alba admitted wearing one after each time she gave birth to her two children. She said, "It was brutal..... But worth it."

There are a variety of brands which sell such a product now, as women rush to embrace a garment of agony, virtually hours after experiencing the agony of childbirth. Although many of the women argue it helped their stomach muscles contract and had health benefits, there are no proven ones as Dr Edward R. Laskowski, specialist in sports medicine, recently said that it just "temporarily compress and redistribute fat and skin around the abdomen."

The fact that a discussion is now ensuing in the beauty world about girdles being an option to regain one's former figure, when such a garment was labelled and sealed as oppressive over a century ago, highlights the absolute failure of the feminist struggle in the West. Because feminism erupted seeking to smash the shackles of expectations and moulds which degraded women, reducing them to objects to look pretty. However here we are a century or more later, still discussing how enduring pain to be perceived as beautiful by men and society, is acceptable and even praised.

This is because although women under feminism woke up in the West and started to fight for their rights, what they did not realise was the system had not been woken up. The system was still the Capitalist system which always put making money over the well being and value of people. So as women fought to be just like men, in order to be treated the same as men and enter the workplace, Capitalism supported this because it would make money. Women working would make more revenue and GDP. As women fought to have the freedom to dress how they wanted, and behave how they wanted, Capitalism supported this and pushed her to do this, by making money out of sexualising her in everything from the media to advertising so men would buy. It was never about the woman's struggle, rather about revenue.

It is this system which never cared for the rights of women and never owed anything to the well being of women, which now continues to damage the lives of women. It does not care how far women have come whether it has been a century or a day; it only cares that women can still be made to feel terrible about their physical appearance so they will then purchase make-up to girdles, to feel better. It cares only that if the image of the physically beautiful woman is perpetuated in public, men will continue to be interested and buy into it.

Women must understand that taking on a battle for rights and value will never come to anything under a system which will never care. If they want real rights and value to be enshrined and prioritised whatever happens, the only alternative is Islam.

The rights of any group of people - man, woman, non-Muslim, Muslim can never be changed according to any perceived benefits or losses under Islam as it is the rule of Allah (swt) which has been defined by Him and set by Him. And the ruler in Islam is then accountable to Allah (swt) in how he executes the rule of Allah. Thus the viewpoint of the woman is always defined by hadith such as this where Muhammad (saw) said:

"الدنيا متاع وخير متاعها المرأة الصالحة "

"The world and all things in it are precious but the most precious thing is a virtuous woman" (Muslim)

Ensuring that the value of the woman through her character and virtues, always remains as the value that society judges her by.

((وَنَزَّلْنَا عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ تِبْيَانًا لِّكُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةً وَبُشْرَىٰ لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ))

"We have revealed the Book to you explaining clearly everything, and a guidance and mercy and good news for those who submit."
[TMQ 16:89]

Umm Abdullah Khan
Women's Media Representative Britain

Headlines:

• US Wants 20,000 Troops Arriving in Jordan
• Obama Voices Syria Chemical Weapons Concern to Putin
• Britain Reverses East of Suez Policy with Return to Military Bases in Gulf
• CIA Bribes Karzai: Millions in 'Ghost Money' Paid to Afghanistan President's Office

Details:

US Wants 20,000 Troops Arriving in Jordan

The Pentagon plans to relocate an effective military force beginning with 200 then up to 20 000 soldiers and station them in Jordan in order to be prepared for a possible military intervention in Syria. The first contingent, comprising 200 soldiers and to be sent from the 1st Armored Division from Fort Bliss, Texas, will be sent to Jordan to establish a "small headquarters" near the Jordanian border with Syria and plotting "possible military operations including rapid buildup of U.S. forces if the White House decides that a military intervention is necessary," the Los Angeles Times said citing government sources in the country. According to the source, this decision is the first step towards a possible involvement of Washington in the military conflict in Syria. The first contingent of the military depart this month to Jordan while "the majority will in May," adds the text. The newspaper says that the Pentagon "has also made plans to expand the force to 20,000 or more, if necessary, including a contingent for special operations carrying equipment to find stockpiles of chemical weapons in Syria," U.S. defense units to protect Jordan's air space and conventional military units able to invade Syria if necessary." The Secretary of Defense of the United States, Chuck Hagel, ordered the movement of troops to Jordan, while making clear that both he and President Obama remain "deeply concerned to launch a military intervention in Syria." On the same day, the Chief of Joint Staff of the U.S. Army, General Martin Dempsey, warned that sending U.S. troops to Syria could have "unintended consequences" that could worsen the situation. However, in autumn 2012, Dempsey supported military intervention in Syria by the United States, along with the then director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), David Petraeus, the former Pentagon chief Leon Panetta and former Secretary of State of the country, Hillary Clinton.

Obama Voices Syria Chemical Weapons Concern to Putin

US President Barack Obama has voiced concern to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin about reports that Syria has used chemical weapons. In a phone conversation, the two leaders agreed to stay in touch on the issue, tasking their foreign ministers to hold further talks. The US earlier said it had "varying degrees of confidence" that chemical weapons had been used in Syria. The government in Damascus has denounced the claims as "lies". In a statement, the White House said on Monday that Mr Obama and Mr Putin talked on the phone on Monday, with the US leader "underscoring his concern over Syrian chemical weapons". Washington has repeatedly criticised Russia - along with China - for blocking tougher action against Syria in the UN Security Council, including new sanctions. Mr Putin and Mr Obama are scheduled to hold a face-to-face talks in June. Mr Obama last week promised a "vigorous investigation" into the issue. He warned that it would be a "game changer" for US policy if the reports about chemical weapons were to be proved true. Both the US and UK have pointed to emerging evidence that Syria has used weapons such as the nerve gas sarin. The Syrian government has dismissed claims that its forces have used chemical weapons, saying that the Western accusations "do not have any credibility". More than 70,000 people have been killed since fighting between Syrian forces and rebels erupted in March 2011.

Britain Reverses East of Suez Policy with Return to Military Bases in Gulf

Britain plans to restore a permanent military presence in the Gulf, basing land, air and naval forces in the region, according to a defence think tank with close ties to the armed forces. The withdrawal of all British troops from Afghanistan next year will create a unique opportunity to reverse the "East of Suez" decision that formed a landmark in Britain's retreat from imperial power, the Royal United Services Institute will say in a paper to be published today. Harold Wilson's government decided in 1968 to close a string of military bases in the Gulf, which had served as a linchpin of Empire for more than a century. The British withdrawal was completed in 1971, allowing the Gulf States to become independent. The think tank will say the Armed Forces are considering a partial reversal of the "East of Suez" decision. "The military intends to build up a strong shadow presence around the Gulf; not an evident imperial-style footprint, but a smart presence," writes Professor Michael Clarke, its director. "This may not yet be declared government policy," he writes. "But the UK appears to be approaching a decision point where a significant strategic reorientation of its defence and security towards the Gulf is both plausible and logical." Any new British presence would be focused on the United Arab Emirates, where the RAF is planning to use al-Minhad airbase, according to the think tank. The Royal Navy has always kept three minesweepers and at least one frigate or destroyer in the Gulf, supported by a small permanent staff in Bahrain. The paper suggests this flotilla could be reinforced. The Army plans to use its links with Oman's armed forces to base troops in the country. This would allow the use of "thousands of square miles of challenging terrain ideally suited to the training of military units in the skills of desert warfare". Moving equipment and personnel from Afghanistan to the Gulf would be cheaper than bringing them back to Britain, says the paper. In addition, Britain's commercial links with the Gulf are increasingly important. About 100,000 British citizens live in the UAE, with trade between the two countries of £14 billion last year. Qatar is now Britain's biggest source of liquefied natural gas. Any deployment would also create a showcase for military equipment, it adds. Two assumptions lay behind the "East of Suez" decision: the oil price, then $4 per barrel, would stay at that level, and Iran, then under the Shah, would remain a reliable ally. The demise of both certainties and the ever-increasing wealth of the Gulf help explain why, if the institute's paper is correct, that decision is being quietly reviewed.

CIA Bribes Karzai: Millions In 'Ghost Money' Paid To Afghanistan President's Office

Tens of millions of U.S. dollars in cash were delivered by the CIA in suitcases, backpacks and plastic shopping bags to the office of Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai for more than a decade, the New York Times says, citing current and former advisers to the Afghan leader. The so-called "ghost money" was meant to buy influence for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) but instead fuelled corruption and empowered warlords, undermining Washington's exit strategy from Afghanistan, the newspaper quoted U.S. officials as saying. "The biggest source of corruption in Afghanistan", one American official said, "was the United States." The CIA declined to comment on the report and the U.S. State Department did not immediately comment. The New York Times did not publish any comment from Karzai or his office. "We called it 'ghost money'," Khalil Roman, who served as Karzai's chief of staff from 2002 until 2005, told the New York Times. "It came in secret and it left in secret." In response to the report, Karzai told reporters in Helsinki after a meeting with Finnish leaders that the office of the National Security Council had been receiving support from the U.S. government for the past 10 years. He said the amounts had been "not big" and the funds were used for various purposes including assistance for the wounded. "It's multi-purpose assistance," he said, without commenting on the report's claims the funds fuelled corruption and empowered warlords. U.S. and Afghan officials familiar with the payments were quoted as saying that the main goal in providing the cash was to maintain access to Karzai and his inner circle and to guarantee the CIA's influence at the presidential palace, which wields tremendous power in Afghanistan's highly centralised government. Much of the money went to warlords and politicians, many with ties to the drug trade and in some cases the Taliban, The New York Times said. U.S. and Afghan officials were quoted as saying the CIA supported the same patronage networks that U.S. diplomats and law enforcement agents struggled to dismantle, leaving the government in the grip of organised crime.

Abu Hashim