News

Pakistanis Celebrate Quaid-e-Azam birthday

Pakistanis celebrated the 134th birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah with great enthusiasm and national spirit. The day was celebrated with a pledge to transform Pakistan into a vibrant, progressive and enlightened country as envisioned by the great leader as well as to follow his principals "Unity, Faith and Discipline".

What about Jinnah’s Pakistan

Rep. Peter King Planning Hearings on Muslim "Radicalization"

Republican Rep. Peter King of New York plans to hold hearings in Congress next year on the "radicalization" of Muslim communities. King is planning to hold the hearings once he takes up the chairmanship of the House Homeland Security Committee. He says the hearings are planned in response to complaints from law enforcement officials that Muslim leaders have been uncooperative in terror investigations.

"When I meet with law enforcement, they are constantly telling me how little cooperation they get from Muslim leaders," King told the Times. "It is controversial. But to me, it is something that has to be discussed." Read More

Bloomberg Splits With Peter King Over Muslim 'Radicalization' Hearings

Rep. Keith Ellison Slams Rep. Peter King for Holding Hearings on Radical Islam

Afpak After Holbrooke: Replacing an Irreplaceable Man

The untimely passage of Ambassador Richard Holbrooke leaves big shoes to fill in the AfPak region. It may take two men to replace him.

In a column that Holbrooke wrote for the Washington Post in March 2008, entitled "Hope in Pakistan: the problems are real, but so is progress" he captured the essence of the US relationship with that "most allied of allies":

Over decades, Washington has usually sent mixed signals to Pakistan. This time the message should be clear and consistent: democracy, reconciliation, the military out of politics, a new policy for the tribal areas -- and more democracy.

Holbrooke truly got Pakistan in many ways, even though his tough approach to negotiations sometimes alienated key players on the other side of the table in both Pakistan and Afghanistan. That is what will make it difficult for President Barack Obama to replace him at the critical juncture in the US engagement with the region.  Read More

Pondering A 'Plan B' In Afghanistan

The new year will mark a new chapter in the war in Afghanistan. President Obama has said that starting in July he wants to start drawing down U.S. troop levels. How many troops leave will depend in large part on what kind of progress is made in the next six months. If that progress is underwhelming, there may be calls to change the strategy altogether. And some alternatives are already in the making.

Things could go well in Afghanistan in the next six months: The Karzai government could get in line, the Pakistanis could do more to pressure the Taliban, and the overall violence level in Afghanistan could drop. But if that doesn't happen, there are several people beginning to plot out alternatives. Richard Armitage, who served as deputy secretary of state in the last Bush administration, is one of them. "I think Afghanistan is quite important to us, but it's not of overriding importance to our national interests," he says. Read More

SBA Announces New Initiatives Aimed at Increasing Lending in Underserved Communities

With small business owners and entrepreneurs in traditionally underserved communities continuing to face challenges accessing capital, the U.S. Small Business Administration announced two new initiatives aimed at increasing SBA-backed loans to small businesses in these markets.

The two new loan initiatives – Small Loan Advantage and Community Advantage – are aimed at increasing the number of lower-dollar SBA 7(a) loans going to small businesses and entrepreneurs in underserved communities. The agency’s most popular loan product, 7(a) government-guaranteed loans can be used for variety of general business purposes, including working capital and purchases of equipment and real estate. 

 “Over the last two years, we’ve seen lending to all small businesses tighten up, and that tightening has been even greater in traditionally underserved communities, including among minorities, women and in rural areas,” SBA Administrator Karen Mills said. “These new Advantage initiatives are aimed directly at getting more loans into these markets so these small business owners can get the capital they need to start or grow their business and create good paying jobs in local communities across the country.”

Built on what the agency refers to as its “Advantage” platform, both Small Loan Advantage and Community Advantage will offer a streamlined application process for SBA-guaranteed 7(a) loans up to $250,000. These loans will come with the regular 7(a) government guarantee, 85 percent for loans up to $150,000 and 75 percent for those greater than $150,000.

Small Loan Advantage will be available to the 630 financial institutions across the country in the agency’s Preferred Lender Program (PLP). Under PLP, which includes most of the agency’s highest volume lenders, SBA delegates the final credit decisions to lenders.

“Many entrepreneurs and small business owners across the country have enormous potential to drive economic growth and create good-paying jobs in their local communities, but too often they face barriers in fulfilling that potential,” said Hughes, who will chair the council.  “I’m excited to be a part of this effort to strengthen the link between these entrepreneurs and the SBA’s wide variety of resources. SBA assistance played a critical role in my success, and I’m eager to do all I can to help make sure others have access to these same opportunities.”

Immigration

Rep. Peter King to Ramp Up Immigration Crackdown

Rep. Peter King plans to use his new bully pulpit to target immigration. The New York congressman, who will become the new chairman of the House Homeland Security next week, told the New York Post that he will push for legislation to tighter border security and arrest more immigrants crossing the border illegally. 

He said President Obama's immigration policies were failing "The Obama administration continues to display an obvious lack of urgency when it comes to gaining operational control of the border, which is absolutely critical," King (R-LI) told the newspaper. King said Obama has "done little" during his term to curb undocumented immigration, adding that the country needs a new game plan "that incorporates the necessary staffing, fencing and technology to do the job."

His proposals will target private companies that employ undocumented immigrants and beefing up local police to give them free range to make immigration arrests.

Revised form for Medical Certification for Disabilities for Naturalization

USCIS has issued a revised Form N-648 (Medical Certification for Disability Exceptions) for individuals with certain disabilities seeking exceptions from the English and civics requirements for naturalization. Many Pakistani Americans will find the new revisions helpful in getting US citizenship applications processed faster for their parents or relatives with disabilities. See attached fact sheet for more details.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

PAKPAC wishes its readers a prosperous and glorious 2011 that rewards all your future endeavors with success. May next year bring happiness, and good health to you and your loved ones; and may all the seasons of your life be filled with Peace and Joy.

In 2011 PAKPAC will remain committed to promoting the welfare of Pakistani Americans, and improving US-Pakistan relations, as it has done for the past twenty one years. PAKPAC thanks you for your continued support of its activities and programs, we could not continue without your support.

Events & Activities

South Asia 2010 – A year in review

Last week, the Atlantic Council's South Asia Center held a discussion with Gilles Dorronsoro, Visiting Scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Ikram Sehgal, Chairman of Pathfinder G4S. Shuja Nawaz, the South Asia Center's Director, moderated the session. With nearly twenty percent of the world's population living in India and Pakistan alone, events in the greater South Asia region exert an enormous impact on the international system. India's rising economic strength has been accompanied by increasing political influence, as evidenced by President Obama's recent visit to the country in November. Pakistan, devastated this summer by the worst flooding in the country in decades, continues to play a complex strategic role in the security of the region. What were the major challenges and triumphs in South Asia over the past year? What will shape the India-Pakistan relationship in 2011? What are the prospects for a positive outcome in Afghanistan as the US and NATO begin to reevaluate their objectives for the coming year? Click here to view the event on C-SPAN Video

Viewpoint

Plan B in Afghanistan – Robert Blackwill & Henry A. Kissinger

U.S. policy toward Afghanistan involves spending scores of billions of dollars and suffering several hundred allied deaths annually largely to prevent the Afghan Taliban from controlling the Afghan Pashtun homeland.   But the United States and its allies will not defeat the Taliban militarily. President Hamid Karzai's corrupt government will not significantly improve. The Afghan National Army cannot take over combat missions from ISAF in southern and eastern Afghanistan in any realistic time frame. And on December 15, the New York Times assessed that "two new classified intelligence reports offer a more negative assessment and say there is a limited chance of success unless Pakistan hunts down insurgents operating from havens on its Afghan border". That won't happen. Read More

Afghanistan-Pakistan Strategy Should Stay the Course – Bruce Riedel

The White House is being appropriately modest in describing the progress of President Obama’s strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan. We are far from being on the edge of anything anyone would describe as success in south Asia.

·                     Yet at the same time we are no longer close to the precipice of defeat and strategic disaster as we were when the president inherited the war in January 2009. At that time the al Qaeda core leadership in the border lands on the Pakistani-Afghan border was under minimal pressure and planning new attacks on America, their Afghan Taliban allies had the momentum in much of Afghanistan and were gobbling up territory across the south and east of the country rapidly, and we had just witnessed the worst terror attack in the world since 911 in Mumbai, India. In both Afghanistan and Pakistan Obama inherited disasters because American foreign policy had failed to develop effective strategies for both countries and to resource them properly.

·                     Today the al Qaeda core is under considerable pressure from the drones. For example, al Qaeda’s number two Ayman Zawahiri, who used to put out a new diatribe against America every other week or so, has put out only four messages so far this year. His operational tempo has been disrupted. But al Qaeda remains agile, resourceful and dangerous. Any let up in pressure from the drones would allow it to rapidly rebuild its capacity to threaten North America and our European allies. Read More

The Afghanistan Surge is Working; Now We Need Pakistan’s Full Effort – Lisa Curtis

The long-awaited White House Review on Afghanistan demonstrates that General Petraeus’ counterinsurgency strategy is beginning to pay dividends. The additional U.S. troops deployed to Afghanistan have helped the U.S. and coalition forces begin to uproot the Taliban from some of their traditional strongholds in southern Afghanistan. The most important task now is to gain greater Pakistani cooperation.

There has been less progress on standing up civilian government in the areas cleared of insurgents, however. While the U.S. and coalition forces have shown they are capable of clearing Taliban from their strongholds, they have yet to demonstrate that Afghan civilian leaders can hold these areas once military operations subside. This will be a key benchmark to watch over the next six months. Read More

Pakistan at the Brink – Harlan Ullman

To many observers, Pakistan has long been at the brink of an existential crisis, much of it due to a growing insurgency exacerbated by the war in Afghanistan. But now the economy is in crisis, too. The catastrophic floods have imploded the struggling economy raising the specter of frightening consequences. Compounding that crisis is uncertainty over IMF loans needed to sustain the economy. Meanwhile, the Parliament is deadlocked over a sales tax to raise desperately needed revenues for the government. Last week's loss of a small partner -- Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam -- in the coalition for almost comedic reasons underscored the seriousness of these crises.

More shocks and warnings will follow especially after the release of the White House Afghan review last week. Eliminating so-called Taliban sanctuaries in western Pakistan was a central conclusion of that review. Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen reiterated that point in his latest visit to Pakistan. The White House will increase pressure on the Pakistani government to act. Read More

States of Conflict: An Update – Michael O’ Hanlon

It is fairly straightforward to summarize the past year in Iraq and Pakistan, but a more complicated matter for Afghanistan. This was the year of two big developments in Iraq: the major reduction in American combat forces and a protracted election in which voting in March was followed by a nine-month delay in forming a new government. Despite the political confusion, violence did not escalate, and the economy continued to make slow progress. Still, Iraq cannot afford as much stalemate in the coming year as it experienced in 2010, and the new government will need to deliver security, public services and economic growth.

Civil Liberties

Justice Department reaches agreement with Philadelphia School System

The Justice Department today announced a settlement agreement with the School District of Philadelphia and the School Reform Commission to resolve an investigation into a complaint of race, color and/or national origin-based harassment of Asian students at South Philadelphia High School, and allegations that the school district was deliberately indifferent to the severe and pervasive harassment.  The complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, made by the Asian-American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), alleged persistent harassment, including an incident in December 2009, in which approximately 30 Asian students were attacked and approximately 13 were sent to the emergency room. Under Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution, school districts are required to protect students from harassment based on race, color, sex, national origin or religion.

With the cooperation of the district, AALDEF, numerous community advocacy groups, students, and numerous witnesses, the department conducted an extensive investigation of the school district’s policies and practices with regard to student-on-student harassment.  The settlement agreement will ensure that the district:  retains an expert consultant in the area of harassment and discrimination based on race, color and/or national origin to review the district’s policies and procedures concerning harassment; develops and implements a comprehensive plan for preventing and addressing student-on-student harassment at the high school; conducts training of faculty, staff and students on discrimination and harassment based on race, color and/or national origin and to increase multi-cultural awareness; maintains records of investigations and responses to allegations of harassment; and provides annual compliance reports to the department and the PHRC as well as makes harassment data publicly available. 

Best Practices of Bullying Policies

In response to requests for assistance from state and local officials across the country following a rash of bullying-related suicides, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan distributed a memo to state leaders outlining key components of strong state bullying laws and policies. The technical assistance memo is intended to serve as a reference for state and local officials developing or revising anti-bullying legislation or policies. “We need the commitment from everyone at the federal, state and local level to put an end to bullying,” U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said. “I hope that highlighting these best practices will help policymakers as they work to keep our children safe and learning.”

The memo, which was sent to all governors, chief state school officers and state education boards, is part of the Obama Administration’s commitment to prevent bullying in schools. In the memo, the Department compiled key components of existing anti-bullying laws from 29 states. The laws were divided into 11 categories, which ranged from listing examples of bullying behavior to specifying procedures for investigating incidents.

Several states are leaders in their bullying policies. For example, Florida law specifically defines prohibited conduct, and Kansas law clearly covers “cyberbullying.” Washington state regulations require school officials and employees to tell certain personnel about any bullying they are aware of, and Georgia prohibits retaliation against those who report incidents. And in Massachusetts, the state policy includes a provision to provide training to an extensive list of staff members to help them prevent, identify and respond to bullying. In addition to the memo, education officials are preparing a comprehensive summary of state anti-bullying laws and conducting a study of how those laws are implemented in the hopes that the data could further guide states in crafting effective regulations.

“We have all been told that bullying has been going on in our schools forever. But we can stop it now,” Duncan said. “Strong anti-bullying policies instill a climate that this behavior will not be tolerated.” For more on the Education Department’s efforts around bullying prevention, visit http://www.bullyinginfo.org. To read the technical assistance memo, see http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/secletter/101215.html.