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Mariah Carey takes a tumble onstage (video) – Daily Gossip
Violation of Pakistan's sovereignty unacceptable: President
SLAMABAD, Sep 30 (APP): President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday said the Government of Pakistan strongly disapproves any incident of violation of its sovereignty...link
Face-off between India, Pak delegates at UNGA
NEW YORK: In an unusual face-off, Indian and Pakistani diplomats engaged in heated exchanges in the UN General Assembly ( UNGA) over Jammu and Kashmir...link
Revisiting the Debate: Mammogram Benefit for Women in Their 40s?
Male and female relatives of young women with breast cancer are at greater risk of developing cancer themselves, according to research published today.
Scientists studied parents and siblings of 504 women diagnosed with the disease before the age of 35 and found they were at a 1.5 to two-fold increased risk of prostate, lung, brain and urinary cancers.
The risk was little changed among the relatives of women who did not carry known faulty genes that increase the chance of breast cancer. That suggested there may be other undiscovered gene disorders causing cancer in young women and their families, the researchers said, meaning further work could help identify more people who might be susceptible.
Women who inherit one of the abnormal genes known as BRCA1 and BRCA2 have a 55% to 85% risk of developing breast cancer in their lifetime. But most women with the disease do not have the high-risk genes, which only account for between 2% and 5% of all breast cancers.
Professor John Hopper, from the Centre for Molecular, Environmental, Genetic and Analytic Epidemiology at the University of Melbourne, who led the study published in the British Journal of Cancer (BJC), said: "These results are surprising and novel, and could be pointing to a new cancer genetic syndrome.
"Just as the link between male and female breast cancers in some families led UK researchers to find the breast cancer susceptibility gene BRCA2, the results of this study could help scientists discover new cancer susceptibility genes." Dr Lesley Walker, the director of cancer information at Cancer Research UK, which owns the BJC, said: "These early results are interesting in pointing to some increased risks of other cancers in the relatives of very young breast cancer cases. This study is important in suggesting a strategy to help identify other genes which significantly increase a woman's breast cancer risk. More studies with larger numbers will help confirm these risks."
It is already known that relatives of early onset breast cancer patients without mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 carry up to a four-fold increased risk of the disease compared with those with no family link, but this study suggests close relatives also face higher chances of other cancers.
It also backed up earlier research by finding that mothers and sisters of women with breast cancer had a substantially increased risk of the disease, even if the women did not have a BRCA mutation. The risk for sisters was greater than for mothers. Previous studies have suggested increased risks of other cancers for relatives of women with breast cancer, but the links have been weak and inconsistent.
Of the 504 women in the study, 41 had a BRCA mutation. A total of 2,200 parents and siblings were involved.
US envoy plans more talks with Abbas, Netanyahu
Mr Netanyahu, who goes back into peace talks with the Palestinians on Tuesday in Egypt, talked at the weekend about a compromise on the extension of a 10-month moratorium on settlement construction to both Tony Blair, the Middle East envoy, and later his cabinet. But this prompted immediate outrage from Jewish settlers, a constituency with considerable leverage over his broad coalition.
Settlers, who celebrated Mr Netanyahu's election last year, accused him of betrayal and of wilting under US pressure. The moratorium on construction in the disputed territories of the West Bank expires in the last week of this month and until now Mr Netanyahu has firmly denied that any extension would be possible. Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian leader, has threatened to leave the talks if settlement construction resumes and Barack Obama, US President, last week called for the freeze to be prolonged.Mr Netanyahu, who goes back into peace talks with the Palestinians on Tuesday in Egypt, talked at the weekend about a compromise on the extension of a 10-month moratorium on settlement construction to both Tony Blair, the Middle East envoy, and later his cabinet. But this prompted immediate outrage from Jewish settlers, a constituency with considerable leverage over his broad coalition.
Settlers, who celebrated Mr Netanyahu's election last year, accused him of betrayal and of wilting under US pressure. The moratorium on construction in the disputed territories of the West Bank expires in the last week of this month and until now Mr Netanyahu has firmly denied that any extension would be possible. Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian leader, has threatened to leave the talks if settlement construction resumes and Barack Obama, US President, last week called for the freeze to be prolonged.
Danny Dayan, the chairman of the Yesha Council which represents the West Bank's 300,000 Jewish settlers, said: "If the freeze continues in any way, we promise to make every effort to fight against the Netanyahu government. It will be the beginning of the end."
Mr Dayan's colleagues were also incensed, with Gershon Mesika, leader of the settlers in the northern West Bank, announcing that a continuation of the freeze would amount to "a declaration of war". He added: "We would do everything possible to topple the prime minister."
Mr Netanyahu said limits could be imposed on the amount of construction that would be allowed, suggesting a smaller number of new homes than the 20,000 for which the settlers already have planning permission.
"Between zero and 20,000, there is also a middle ground," Mr Netanyahu said.
Mr Netanyahu's apparent willingness to compromise suggests that the prospect of the talks collapsing just weeks after they started could be averted. There have been indications that the Palestinians could accept some building in major settlements that are likely to become part of Israel in any proposed land swap.
Ehud Barak, Mr Netanyahu's doveish defence minister, has also put together a plan to ensure that new settlement construction is blocked by bureaucratic hurdles, according to the Israeli press.
There is no question that forcing through an agreement would carry a heavy political cost for Mr Netanyahu, even while doubts remain over his sincerity towards the peace talks. In an illustration of the difficulties that lie ahead, settlers went on the rampage in a Palestinian village in the West Bank yesterday, burning cars and daubing houses with graffiti.
On the Palestinian side, the hardline Islamists of Hamas are also implacably opposed to the talks and there has been an upsurge in recent days in rockets fired from Gaza, the territory which the group controls..
Disputed land in Ayodhya Ram's birthplace, but split it: High Court
The HC gave its stamp of judicial approval to the Hindu belief that Lord Ram was indeed born there. The court also ruled by a majority verdict that the disputed 120 feet by 90 feet plot land be divided into three equal parts among three petitioners ...link
NRO beneficiaries resign voluntarily; no threat to govt: Gilani
Pakistani Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani has cancelled visits starting this month to Europe, the foreign ministry said, a move which could intensify media speculation that pressure is mounting for a change in government.
The government's perceived poor handling of summer floods has raised questions over political stability in Pakistan, a nuclear-armed country fighting homegrown Taliban insurgents which the U.S. regards as vital to efforts to stabilise Afghanistan.
"In view of his pre-occupations with the post-flood situation, the Prime Minister has decided not to go ahead with his scheduled visits to Paris and Brussels," said a Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman in a statement.
"(The) Prime Minister's official visit to France is being re-scheduled."
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi will lead Pakistan's delegation to the Asia-Europe summit in Brussels next month, said the statement.
Pakistani leaders have said the government has done its best to help flood victims given its limited resources and have appealed for international aid to help with reconstruction.
The military has taken the lead in relief and rescue efforts, reinforcing the view that it's Pakistan's most decisive and efficient institution in times of crises.
Those dynamics have raised questions in the Pakistani media and elsewhere about the fate of the civilian government.
"No one knows if Gilani decided at the spur of the moment to cancel his visit, or he was advised not to travel abroad in the face of the urgency the government is facing because of the floods and the pressure for a change in government," said an article in Pakistan's The News on Saturday.
The newspaper has been outspoken against several Pakistani governments over the years.
Gilani's press secretary, Shabbir Anwar, said he had been scheduled to leave at the end of this month for Paris with a delegation of 40 other officials to meet French President Nicolas Sarkozy and then travel from there on Oct 1 to Brussels.
Instead Gilani decided to stay behind and the size of the delegation was reduced to save on expenses after the floods.
"This had nothing to do with politics," Anwar told Reuters.
The military, which has ruled Pakistan for more than half of its history, has held huge sway over security and foreign policy, even while civilian governments have been in power.
"Recent rumours of a pending military coup are fueled by politicised private media groups, which hope to undermine the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) led government of President Asif Ali Zardari," said Eurasia consultancy group.
Even though Pakistan has a history of military coups, analysts say one is unlikely now because the army would inherit the flood disaster, and a takoever could make Western donors hesitant to provide aid for reconstruction after floods.
It may, however, try to manipulate Pakistani politics from behind the scenes, Eurasia said.
PPP spokeswoman Fauzia Wahab said it had asked Gilani to meet other political parties to "counter these rumours" about a possible change in government.
"It's a war of nerves. Whenever our party is in power some factions (parties) gang up together and keep on conspiring against us," she said, adding that the military was not involved in the "campaign" because it could not afford to shift its focus away from the fight against Taliban insurgents.
Pakistani minister resigns after criticizing army
Pakistan's federal minister for defense production resigned after being summoned by the prime minister to explain comments he made criticizing the army and accusing it of killing prominent politicians, officials said Sunday...LINK
NY judge gives 86 years in prison to Pakistani scientist who shot at US troops in Afghanistan
Pakistani scientist convicted of trying to kill U.S. agents and military officers in Afghanistan was sentenced Thursday to 86 years in prison after she delivered a message of world peace and forgave the judge.
"I am a Muslim, but I love Americans too," Aafia Siddiqui said during one of several rambling statements delivered in a lilting voice at the behest of U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman.
"Forgive everybody in my case, please," she added. "Also forgive Judge Berman."
During a three-hour hearing in federal court in Manhattan, Siddiqui claimed she had evidence Israel was behind the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks and warned more plots were in the works.
"I do not want any bloodshed. I do not want any misunderstanding. I really want to make peace and end the wars," she said.
Siddiqui rolled her eyes, shook her head and threw up her hand in frustration as her lawyers tried to convince the judge she deserved leniency because she was mentally ill.
"I'm not paranoid," she said at one point. "I don't agree with that."
She also tried to dispel rumors she was being tortured while in New York, and urged calm over her plight.
"Tell the Muslims, please don't get emotional," she said, addressing reporters in the audience. "I'm OK. ... I do not want any violence in my name."
News of the harsh sentence still touched off protests in Pakistan.
In the northwestern city of Peshawar, dozens of people took to the streets, burning tires and shouting "Down with America!" and slogans against Pakistani's president and prime minister. Some hit a portrait of U.S. President Barack Obama with their shoes.
"This sentence is a slap in the face of our rulers who have pledged and made promises to bring back Aafia," Siddiqui's sister Fauzia said at her home in the southern city of Karachi.
The Pakistani government, which helped bankroll Siddiqui's defense, was "disappointed at the sentence and sad that our efforts to get her back to Pakistan did not succeed," said foreign office spokesman Abdul Basit. "We are in touch with the U.S. administration to see what possible options are available. We are not giving up."
The sentence imposed on the mother of three capped a strange legal odyssey that began two summers ago, when the 38-year-old Siddiqui turned up in Afghanistan carrying notes referencing a "mass casualty attack" on New York City landmarks and a stash of sodium cyanide.
At trial earlier this year, jurors heard eyewitnesses describe how, after she was detained by Afghan police, Siddiqui grabbed a rifle and tried to shoot U.S. authorities who had gone to interrogate her. They said she yelled, "Death to Americans!" before she was injured in return fire and subdued.
At trial, Siddiqui testified in her own defense. Charges that she purposely shot at soldiers were "crazy," she said. "It's just ridiculous."
Prosecutors argued for a life sentence, saying Siddiqui's crimes were premeditated and intended to harm Americans.
"This was not some random act," Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher La Vigne. "On that day, she saw her chance and she took it."
The defense had asked the judge for a sentence closer to 12 years behind bars. Her lawyers argued in court papers that their client's outburst inside a cramped Afghan outpost was a spontaneous "freak out," born of mental illness, not militancy.
"All she wanted to do was get away because she was afraid," said defense attorney Dawn Cardi.
Calling Siddiqui an "enigma," Berman started the sentencing by outlining Siddiqui's history, noting that she was educated in the United States at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Brandeis University in the early 1990s.
Berman said she returned to her native Pakistan in 2003 and married a purported al-Qaida operative, a nephew to Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the admitted mastermind of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Both are held at Guantanamo Bay.
He said it was not clear where she was from 2003 through 2008, though Siddiqui tried to clear that up when she spoke, saying she was held in a secret prison in Afghanistan for many years.
When the judge announced that he planned to sentence Siddiqui to 86 years in prison, someone in the courtroom shouted: "Shame! Shame! Shame on this court!" The judge warned the woman she would be removed if she made another outburst.
Just before she was sentenced, Siddiqui said she was at peace. Afterward, she insisted that her lawyers not appeal.
"It's useless, pointless," she said. "I appeal to God."
Akshay's special gift for Aishwarya in MasterChef
MUMBAI: Akshay Kumar who will be hosting and judging a cookery show, has reportedly published a cookbook. And guess what ! Who is the first reader of the book? It is the world beauty Aishwarya Bachchan.Aishwarya is the co-star of Akshay in their upcoming films Action Replayy.
Akshay in association with Star Plus new show MaterChef India, has helped compile a book on almost all the Indian dishes. The book contains all his favourite recipes from the contestants who participated in the cookery show. It also comprises of his famous Khiladi special sizzlers, as reported by a channel on television.
Aishwarya was seen on the show MasterChef India as a celebrity guest. Akshay presented her with the cook book as an exclusive gift. Now probably the Bachchan bahu will be serving delicious Indian dishes to the Bachchan pariwar.
In Action Replayy, both the actors will be seen in a retro look. The film is based on a 1994 play with the same name. The film is slated to hit the screen on November 5.
Pakistan prepare for Asian Games
By Our Sports Reporter “I had been invited, to attend the camp but I politely turned down the offer.” -File Photo KARACHI: Former Pakistan football team captain Mohammad Essa, while reacting to a news item, has clarified that he has not been “dropped” .LINK
China denies ban on rare earths exports to Japan
China stepped up its maritime dispute with Japan today as it halted high-level exchanges over the extended detention of a Chinese fishing boat captain.
State broadcaster CCTV said Beijing had suspended ministerial and provincial-level contacts, including talks on increasing flights, and postponed a meeting on coal.
The row began more than a week ago, when a trawler collided with two Japanese coastguard ships near uninhabited islands in the East China Sea that are claimed by both countries. The two countries have a long history of tensions over territory, resources and other issues.
But after several years of improving relations and increasing trade, they have more to lose if ties are damaged, meaning they will be wary of letting the spat get out of hand.
A foreign ministry statement read out on television said Japan's refusal to release the captain had "already caused serious damage to Sino-Japanese bilateral contacts". Earlier, in a statement on the Chinese foreign ministry website, spokesman Ma Zhaoxu warned: "If Japan insists on making one mistake after another, the Chinese side will take strong countermeasures, and all the consequences should be borne by the Japanese side."
Xinhua news agency added that Chinese vice foreign minister Wang Guangya had expressed "strong indignation" and made "solemn representations" to the Japanese ambassador, Uichiro Niwa, who has been summoned repeatedly since the row began.
"Regarding individual issues, what is needed is to respond calmly without becoming emotional," Noriyuki Shikata, a spokesman for the Japanese prime minister's office, told Reuters.
Takeshi Matsunaga, assistant press secretary for Japan's foreign ministry, said the unilateral steps China had taken were "regrettable".
The court in Okinawa, Japan, said Zhan Qixiong could be held for another 10 days for further questioning. Authorities have released the other 14 crew members. He was arrested on 8 September and under Japanese law prosecutors can hold him for up to 20 days while deciding whether to charge him.
Japan has accused the captain of deliberately striking a patrol ship as it tried to intercept his vessel, and obstructing officers. But China has said the detention is illegal and has repeatedly demanded the authorities free him.
The dispute led to small-scale anti-Japanese protests in China yesterday, the anniversary of 1931's Mukden incident, which led to occupation by Japan.
But a huge police presence protected the Japanese embassy in Beijing and buildings in Shanghai and Shenzhen, and Japan's new foreign minister, Seiji Maehara, praised China's "considerable efforts to restrain them".
Maehara, who is thought to be more hawkish on China than his predecessor, repeated Tokyo's call for Beijing to handle matters calmly, stressing it was being dealt with according to Japanese law.
But he added that the isles – known as the Diaoyu islands in China and Senkaku islands in Japan – were an "integral part of Japanese territory".
"Territorial issues do not exist in this region," Maehara told broadcaster NHK.
The Nikkei business daily reported earlier today that Japan may start drilling near a gas field in another disputed part of the East China Sea if China does so.
Japanese officials said on Friday that China had moved drilling equipment to the area, having scrapped scheduled talks over joint exploration in the wake of the trawler incident. Although known reserves appear to be relatively modest, it is thought that there may be more to be found..
Netanyahu is a skilled killer, says Ahmadinejad
By JPOST.COM STAFF Iranian president is interviewed by CNN's Larry King, says Iran has "no interest" in a nuclear bomb; calls Israel an "illegitimate, war-waging country...LINK
Pak asks India to stop treating Kashmir as its integral part
Upping the ante, Pakistan on Thursday said there can be no result-oriented discussions with India on the Kashmir unless New Delhi stops treating it as the country's integral part and seeking a solution within the ambit of the Indian Constitution...LINK
Law ministry sends summary on Swiss cases to PM
ISLAMABAD : The law ministry on Thursday sent the summary regarding the reopening of Swiss cases against President Asif Ali Zardari to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, sources told DawnNews...link
Brig Imtiaz, Adnan file pleas for fresh surety bonds
LAHORE: Former head of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) Brig (retd) Imtiaz Ahmed and ex-MD OGDCL Adnan Khawaja on Wednesday filed petitions in the Lahore High Court for the submission of fresh surety bonds after they were arrested from the Supreme Court, ...link
Violence fears in Pakistan after Imran Farooq's murder
"This is the most tragic event in the history of our party", says a red-eyed Farooq Sattar.
Mr Sattar is head of the MQM's leadership in Pakistan. He was speaking to the BBC in a small crowded room in the ancestral home of the now-deceased Imran Farooq.
Sitting beside him is a frail and weary looking Farooq Ahmed - father of the slain MQM leader.
We had arrived a little earlier at the Farooq residence in Karachi's middle-class neighbourhood of Sharifabad. Located near the heart of the city, it is made up of apartment complexes - and small three-storey houses. The Farooq residence is just such a building.
Hundreds of grim-looking mourners are packed into the narrow lanes leading up to the house.
There is also a great deal of anger, although it has been muted so far.
Security is tight - there is a strong presence of paramilitary rangers and police.
MQM activists have also set up several checkpoints where all cars and pedestrians are thoroughly searched.
We have just driven down from the nearby MQM party headquarters. There were fewer people there, but just as tight security.
The party leadership in Pakistan is now debating what should be their future strategy.
Cause not accomplished'
Despite the fact the murder took place thousands of miles away, there is real fear here.
After many years of relative calm, it appears the MQM is once again feeling under siege.
"I spoke to my son a day before the incident - he was fine and spoke cheerfully," Mr Ahmed says.
Sitting on a bed across from him is his wife Raeesa, who breaks out in tears at the mention of her dead son's name.
"My boy was a good man - he only fought for the poor and underpriviledged," she says.
"I was so afraid for him when the operation started - but was happy when he appeared in London.
"Even though he was so far away, at least he was safe."
Both parents say the last time they saw their son was back in May 2009.
"He was happy with life and committed to his work in the party," his father says. "On Wednesday, he was telling me how his children were doing - he was quite pleased."
However, he refrained from commenting who might be behind the murder: "I can't say who was responsible."
He does add something rather cryptically.
"The situation is still the same, " Mr Ahmed says, referring to MQM's struggle against he country's status quo. "The cause for which he was fighting has not been accomplished. Being in the government was never the goal."
Terrifying consequencesHis mother, however, breaks down in tears again.
"He was a patient humble boy - he was always worried about my health," she says.
Outside, neighbours and well-wishers express similar sentiments.
"He was a quiet and well-behaved young man," say Faiz Mohammad, an elderly man. "I remember meeting him in the streets and he was always very polite. The charges against him were all rubbish - the army manufactured them to malign him."
Ruksana, a young woman who was amongst the mourners, says that "Farooq was an inspirational leader".
"We want to say to Altaf Altaf Hussein [MQM leader], we are with you and you should not feel alone," she adds.
Meanwhile, emotions continue to simmer as some MQM leaders say there could be trouble if a connection is established with Pakistan.
"Our leaders continue to be killed despite the restraint we have exercised," says deputy parliamentary leader Faisal Subzwari. "We are committed to the peace in Pakistan, but some forces have not accepted our anti-feudal policies and continue to target our leaders."
Despite such provocations, Mr Subzwari says the MQM has shown great restraint.
But if connections are established between Pakistan and Mr Farooq's assassin, that may be soon be swept away.
For Karachi, and Pakistan, the consequences are terrifying.
Indian police kill 4, wound 30 in Kashmir Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2010/09/15/india-kashmir-violence.html#ixzz0zhWGix00
Indian police opened fire Wednesday on Muslim demonstrators in a Kashmir town, killing four people and wounding 30 as leaders of India's main political parties debated how to end months of separatist protests in the region.
The new clashes came two days after 18 protesters and a police officer were killed in street battles — the worst outbreak of violence in Kashmir in months of anti-India unrest this year.
In response to those protests, which were exacerbated by reports of a Qur'an desecration in the United States, authorities slapped a round-the-clock curfew across Indian-controlled Kashmir and threatened to shoot violators on sight.
The Qur'an issue resurfaced Wednesday, when thousands of protesters assembled close to a Christian school in the town of Mendhar, 180 kilometres southwest of Srinagar, Indian Kashmir's main city, chanting "Down with Qur'an desecrators" and "We want freedom."
Police fired tear gas and swung batons as the protesters tried to enter the school and used live ammunition when the crowd refused to disperse, a police officer said. At least four protesters were killed and 30 others wounded, six of them critically, he said.
Angered by the deaths, hundreds of people arrived from neighbouring villages and torched a court complex, a post office, a police headquarters and other government buildings, the officer said.
Meanwhile, protesters defying the curfew in Srinagar were met with tear gas, and separatists burned two government vehicles in the southern town of Shopian, the officer said.
PM calls for 'dialogue and discussion'
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh gathered the country's top political leaders Wednesday to appeal for new ideas for dealing with the protests.
Speaking at the start of the meeting, Singh accused separatist groups of orchestrating some of the violent protests. He appealed for calm in the region and said the government was willing to talk to any group that did not espouse violence.
"I have said this earlier and I say it again: The only path for lasting peace and prosperity in Jammu and Kashmir is that of dialogue and discussion," he said.
The meeting, which lasted more than four hours, ended with an agreement to send a delegation to Kashmir to hear opinions from all sides, according to a statement released afterward. The government will take the delegation's report, as well as the opinions expressed in the meeting, into account when it determines what to do in the region, it said.
Separatist leaders dismissed the gathering as a public relations ploy.
"The meeting is a cosmetic and halfhearted measure," said Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. "Our focus continues to be on the bigger issue of resolving the Kashmir dispute."
Since 1989, a violent, separatist insurgency and the ensuing crackdown by Indian forces have killed an estimated 68,000 people. While that rebellion has been largely suppressed, public opposition to Indian rule remains deep, and the region remains heavily militarized with hundreds of thousands of troops, checkpoints along main roads, and harsh emergency laws still in force, creating further friction with the restive population.
The U.S. special envoy to Pakistan sought to highlight Washington’s aid efforts on Wednesday during his first visit since massive floods devastated one of America’s most important allies in the war against militancy.Richard Holbrooke stressed that U.S. support is focused on saving lives, rather than winning hearts and minds or pushing Pakistan to step up operations against al—Qaeda and the Taliban. He peppered his visits to two relief camps in southern Pakistan with reminders of just how much the U.S. has done.
“Our country has donated the most money and the most helicopters,” Mr. Holbrooke told a local official during a briefing at a relief camp run by the Pakistani army in a small cricket stadium in the Makli area of Sindh province.
“We do it through the international organizations, so it may not be as visible, but it is very big,” said Mr. Holbrooke, who wore a baseball cap for most of the visit that said “USAID- From The American People”, a reference to the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Other senior U.S. officials have also stressed that the flood relief is purely humanitarian. But even before the disaster hit, the U.S. was looking for ways to improve its image in Pakistan, a country where anti—American sentiment is pervasive despite spending billions of dollars in aid.
The U.S. has donated more than $260 million for flood relief and has provided 18 military helicopters to evacuate people and deliver food and supplies. It has also provided water purification kits and deployed mobile medical teams to help prevent the spread of disease.
But the scale of the disaster, which has killed more than 1,700 people and affected more than 18 million others, has overwhelmed both the international community and the Pakistani government.
Manzoor Ali Shaikh, the top official in Thatta, the district where Makli is located, told Mr. Holbrooke that he needs more food, water and shelter for the 500,000 displaced people camping out in his area. He also warned that the lack of proper sanitation was a “time bomb” of disease waiting to explode.
The floods first struck at the end of July following extremely heavy monsoon rains in the northwest. The floodwaters surged down the Indus River, submerging one—fifth of Pakistan at their peak, an area larger than England. More than 1.8 million houses have been damaged or destroyed, and at least six million people require urgent assistance to survive the next few months.
“My home was made of mud and bamboo, and it was totally washed way along with everything in it,” flood victim Bachal Lashari told Mr. Holbrooke. “I need money so that I can travel to my village and start over,” he said as he wove a traditional Pakistani bed in his tent at the relief camp.
Mr. Lashari and many of the other members of the camp fled from the area around Sujawal, a town of some 250,000 that was almost completely flooded at the end of August. Mr. Holbrooke swooped over the town in his helicopter as he made his way to the relief camp from the southern city of Karachi.
Much of the land for miles around Sujawal and Makli is still flooded, and it could take up to six months for the water to fully recede, said Shaikh, the local official. That means tens of thousands of people are going to remain dependent on the government and international groups for food, water and shelter.
The U.S. provided similar assistance when Pakistan was hit by a huge earthquake in 2005 that killed more than 80,000 people. That aid briefly helped boost public opinion of the U.S., but it has since declined, and 59 percent of the population now views the U.S. as an enemy, according to a recent Pew Research poll.
The flood relief could help improve the opinion of the U.S., but Washington has competition from Islamist charities that are also distributing aid. The area around the cricket stadium Mr. Holbrooke visited contained a camp run by Jamaat—e—Islami, an Islamic political party known for its anti—American views.
Mr. Holbrooke made an unscheduled stop at a camp run by Saudi Arabia as he made his way back to his helicopter from the cricket stadium. He briefly chatted with Faiz Mohammed, a farmer who fled Sujawal along with his wife and six children. At the end of the discussion, Mr. Holbrooke asked if Mohammed knew where they were from.
Mohammed shook his head, and Mr. Holbrooke said, “We are from America, and we are here to help you.”
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