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TechnoratiThousands of Pakistanis Hold Anti-US Rally
Thousands of Pakistanis march in the southern port city of Karachi to denounce the 'unwelcome' influence of the US in the nuclear-armed country.
![[Thousands of Pakistanis hold rallies against US in port city of Karachi.]](http://www.commondreams.org/files/article_images/pakistan-2_1.jpg "pakistan-2.jpg")
About 10,000 participants, holding party flags, banners and placards, chanted anti US slogans and demanded the government to Washington's policies on Sunday.
Member of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), a religious political party, also burnt American flags and chanted anti-US slogans.
The protesters also accused US president Barack Obama of pursuing the same policies of his predecessor in the volatile region.
The demonstrators chanted slogans like "Leave America, Leave!" and "Down with the US," while holding banners which read "No to American Slavery," a Press TV correspondent reported.
Addressing the rally, JI chief Munawar Hassan held US responsible for political and economic instabilities in Pakistan.
While condemning the US drone attacks in Pakistani tribal region, protestors held President Obama responsible for the killing of what they believe "innocent people".
Washington says the drone attacks are aimed at suspected militants, but Pakistani media say only one-sixth of US missiles actually hit militant hideouts.
Hundreds of Pakistani civilians have lost their lives in such attacks, which started under the Bush administration. Islamabad has repeatedly condemned the US raids, demanding an immediate end to the imprecise drone attacks.
The demonstration comes as the Pakistani military is preparing to mount an all-out assault on pro-Taliban militants in the South Waziristan tribal region along the Afghan border.
At least Thirteen Pakistani troops and 18 Taliban insurgents were killed in clashes in the volatile region over some past 24 hours.
19 Comments so far
Show AllThanks Reverand Jimmie Joe. That put me in mind of the old Donovan song; Universal Soldier. Who's really to blame? Everyone is "just following orders" aren't they? But, who is giving them their orders? In the final analysis it is WE THE PEOPLE who are funding this killing. Are we complicit? How do we, in a "democracy" regain control of a government that is being controlled by the "man behind the curtain"?
"Country’s sovereignty at stake, JI leaders tell rally",
by Irfan Ali, June 29, 2009
(url broken over two lines)
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=
2009\06\29\story_29-6-2009_pg12_2
QUOTE:
KARACHI: Thousands of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) supporters staged an anti-US rally on Sunday to condemn the American interference in Pakistan’s affairs.
Protesters carrying JI, Islami Jamiat-e-Talba and Shabab-e-Milli flags and portraits of Dr Afia Siddiqui demanded the release of missing people as well as Siddiqui. Shouting anti-US slogans, the protesters vented their anger against the killings
of civilians in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq.
The protesters gathered on Numaish Chowrangi from all over the city and included men, women, children and elderly citizens.
JI Karachi chief Mohammad Hussain Mehanti led the rally along with former legislators namely Laeeq Khan, Hameedullah Khan and Younus Barai. The rally proceeded to Rimpa Plaza area where the JI leaders addressed it from an overhead bridge. The JI members argued that Pakistan’s sovereignty and independence was at stake and Pakistani rulers were not free in their decisions.
The JI leaders insisted that a four-nation alliance comprising Pakistan, Iran, China and Afghanistan, should be formed to contain the US influence and force it to leave the region.
Mehanti warned the US and its allies that Pakistanis would not remain silent if the drone attacks and interference continued. He asked the army chief to adopt a reconciliatory and democratic approach instead of using of force in tribal areas. He said that with use of force, they could not defeat the other side.
“The 1973 Constitution guarantees Shariah law. All representative scholars of Muslim sects unanimously gave 22 points and that is enough to ensure Pakistan as an Islamic state free from corruption,” he said.
END QUOTE
There're no pictures with that article, except for one, the same picture as shown with the above Press TV article and others.
Given recent events in Iran, can Press TV be considered a credible source for news? Press TV published the pronouncement of Iran's ambassador to Mexico that Neda Soltan might have been killed by the CIA. Did Press TV broadcast the supposed confessions of dissidents along with other Iranian television services? Did it condemn the practice? Did it condemn the arrest of journalists - foreign and domestic - in Iran? I think commondreams.org ought to review it's policy regarding the publication of articles from Press TV.
With so called friends like the US you certainly don't need any enemies. Why Pakistan is allowing the US to get away with murder after murder within their own borders is a big unanswered question. Is there in fact complicity between the current Pakistani government and the American government to sacrifice hoards of unlettered peasants as being expendable? Has the doublespeak of the US military that it uses on its American brain dead population to cover horrible crimes now caught on in Pakistan? When will the horrendous Karma for all these unspeakable crimes come back to the US to roost? I want to be very far away from America when it finally happens.
The chickens have come home to roost, {for Obama}
But, he still does not have a clue, as he has Gates and
other Bushees as advisers. We are in a major depression
and the only one making money is Bill Clinton, Why?
When will the people in this country get a wake-up call?
Caption to the pic says 10k people are there-looks like a lot more to me.
Soon as we go into Waziristan the fireworks will fly.
The article said 12 Pak soldiers killed? Pakistan said 25, the Tal said over a hundred.
That sea of people protesting the US & burning it's flag pictured above will soon be an ocean. Which will wash us away. 167 million pissed off people in that country.
Thes people around the world just don't understand,it is our duity to make all countries in our emage.
But isn't war "the health of the nation"?
Why do they hate us so?
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan – President Hamid Karzai accused Afghan guards working for U.S. coalition forces of killing a provincial police chief and at least four other security officers during a gunbattle outside a government office Monday.
Those ungrateful savages! How dare they protest our effort to rid them of al kayder terrorists and Taleban. We are bringing them civilization; if a few thousand innocent women and children are killed, it is an unfortunate side-effect of our heroic struggle for freedom. Instead of protesting, they should be thanking us, after all it is for their own good, right?
Operation Enduring Freedom is code for Operation Enduring Petro-Rackets.
You guys are being sarcastic right?
Cause as a reverend, you should know......
10 Commandments......
Thou shalt not kill.
Doesn't say who or where, just says don't do it.
Actually, I believe the commandment is: 'Thou shalt not murder'. Killing in war is apparently okay. Look at the bloody 'history' referenced in the Old Testament.
Thou shall not murder is the new corporate USA facist translation. It was thou shall not kill for 2,000 years. I do not believe there has been any new breakthroughs in translation knowledge so---------------
Murder is the new revised corporate translation.
A history of jewish and christian bloodshed does not refute the translation, only shows lack of adherence to it.
The Buhddist also prohibit killing yet there were Buhddist warriors.
I think you will find if you do any looking that the Old Testament translation is and has always been 'thou shalt not murder' - notwithstanding what the TV preachers say and you may believe.
'Corporate USA fascist translation'? That's a good one.
One of my friends, a minister, posits that negative commandments ("thou shalt not") are useless because one can always claim "I did not do the killing". In his opinion the commandment should read "thou shalt uphold life". I agree.
Yea! A helipad to get off the planet and not just out of Pakistan. The world could use a long break from the terrorist activities of the US!!
Hope the US embassy has a helipad - they're going to need it one day.