"It's important that Afghanistan doesn't burn bridges with Pakistan & the Quetta Shura Taliban, the peace process is important, & needs to be pursued"

Afghanistan Halts Taliban Peace Initiative - WSJ.com: "The U.S. has been actively aiding Mr. Karzai in his efforts to secure a peace deal that could make it easier for America and its allies to withdraw their troops from Afghanistan and end major combat operations within two years. Civilian casualties have risen to record levels this year—2,120 in the first eight months—according to the United Nations, with the Taliban-led insurgency responsible for three-quarters of the deaths and injuries.

The Karzai administration's attempts to pressure Pakistan follow weeks of increased criticism from Washington, where top U.S. officials have accused the ISI of supporting recent attacks on American targets in Afghanistan.

Kabul's new strategy has created concern among some Western officials working in the region who don't want to see the peace process derailed entirely.

"It's important that Afghanistan doesn't burn bridges with Pakistan and the Quetta Shura Taliban," said one Western diplomat in Kabul. "The peace process is important, and needs to be pursued.It is clear that, first and foremost, Pakistan must to do its own share in addressing the sanctuaries and helping Afghanistan and the international community to deal with the insurgency.""

Note:

KABUL—Afghan President Hamid Karzai has decided to suspend efforts to begin direct talks with the Taliban, turning his attention to cutting a deal with Pakistan, officials said, as Kabul alleged on Sunday that the killer of its top peace envoy was a Pakistani. Mr. Karzai, who had made negotiations with the Taliban leadership a top priority, is expected to outline his revised strategy this week in a nationally televised address, as he looks for new ways to bring a decade of war to an end. (pls click link above for complete article)
'via Blog this'

Israelis and Palestinians were told to restart direct talks and try to reach a settlement by the end of next year

Pushing on for Mideast peace - The Washington Post: "The Palestinian statehood bid appears to have resulted in a very wise decision on the part of the United Nations [“Major powers push for new Mideast talks,” news story, Sept. 26]. The Israelis and Palestinians were told to restart direct talks and try to reach a settlement by the end of next year.

The two parties have given assurances that they want a peaceful settlement and that they are willing to consider a two-state solution. Both have declared in no uncertain terms what they want and what they are unwilling to consider. Since the conditions they have put on the table are irreconcilable, some compromise will be necessary. Both parties will have to give up some of their demands."

'via Blog this'

West Philippine Sea forum scheduled | The Manila Bulletin Newspaper Online

West Philippine Sea forum scheduled | The Manila Bulletin Newspaper Online: "The Carlos P. Romulo Foundation for Peace and Development (CPR), in collaboration with the Institute of South East Asian Studies, Singapore (ISEAS) will host a "by invitation only" forum on West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) on October 17 in Manila.

At least 23 notable former officials and authorities from the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) member-countries, China, Australia, India, Canada, the United States, and Europe are expected to attend.

In a statement, CPR Foundation chair Roberto R. Romulo noted that tensions between claimants to the potentially oil-rich waters and land features of the South China Sea, where also a quarter of the world's shipping passes, has risen to potentially dangerous levels with incidents involving China, the Philippines and Vietnam in recent months.

“All claimants agree that the disputes should be resolved through peaceful means, including dialogue, although progress has been slow,” said Romulo."

'via Blog this'

UN / Communiqué on Somalia mini-summit, news, StarAfrica.com

UN / Communiqué on Somalia mini-summit, news, StarAfrica.com: (pls click link for complete article) " Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, convened a high-level meeting on Somalia in New York on 23 September 2011. Participants included representatives of Burundi, China, Denmark, Djibouti, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Norway, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Uganda, African Union, European Union, League of Arab States and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Abdiweli Mohamed Ali, Prime Minister of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia, and Jean Ping, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, gave an update on recent political and security developments in Somalia, as well as the humanitarian situation.

Participants reaffirmed respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, political independence and unity of Somalia. They noted that recent political and security developments created an opportunity to further peace and reconciliation in Somalia, and stressed the importance of establishing broad-based and representative institutions through an inclusive political process."

'via Blog this'

Arab Spring, focus of speculation for 2011 Nobel Peace Prize

A Nobel Peace Prize for the Arab Spring? - CBS News: ""It's particularly hard in the context of these protests where there hasn't always been an identifiable leadership," said Kristian Berg Harpviken, the director of the Peace Research Institute Oslo, and a prominent voice in the Nobel guessing game.

His top picks are Egyptian activists Israa Abdel Fattah, Ahmed Maher and the April 6 Youth Movement, a pro-democracy Facebook group they co-founded in 2008. They "played an instrumental role in the mobilization of protests on both the Internet and on the street," Harpviken said.

His second choice is Wael Ghonim, a marketing executive for Google, for re-energizing the protests on Cairo's Tahrir Square after the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak."

'via Blog this'

Surveys Show Israelis’ Two Sides - Pessimistic but Happy - NYTimes.com

Surveys Show Israelis’ Two Sides - Pessimistic but Happy - NYTimes.com: "JERUSALEM — With the start of the Jewish New Year at sunset on Wednesday, a traditional time for stock taking in Israel, the public mood seems paradoxical: a growing disillusionment with the prospect of Middle East peace yet a marked sense of satisfaction with life here.

Connect With Us on Twitter
Follow @nytimesworld for international breaking news and headlines.
That gap, reflected and discussed in media commentaries, was evident in a survey of Israeli Jews published on Wednesday in the newspaper Yediot Aharonot. Two thirds of the survey’s respondents said there was no chance — ever — of achieving peace with the Palestinians. But asked if Israel was a good place to live, 88 percent said yes.

In an article accompanying the poll results, the survey’s director, Mina Zemach of the Dahaf Institute, was quoted as saying she could not remember a time when skepticism about the possibility of peace ran so high."

'via Blog this'

Peace for Humanity - Muhammad (PBUH) The Merciful - YouTube

Peace for Humanity - Muhammad (PBUH) The Merciful - YouTube: "24th September 2011 @ Wembley Arena under the supervision of Shaykh ul Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir ul Qadri (Founder of Minhaj Welfare Foundation)

Special Guests:
Shaykh Dr Ahmed Omer Hashim (Former Chancellor Al-Azhar University Egypt)
Shaykh Dr Abd Al-Fadeel Al-Qawsi (Senior Al-Azhar University Delegate)
Shaykh As'ad Muhammad Sagharji (Syria)
Shaykh Abdul Hakim Murad (University of Cambridge, UK)
Dr Joel Hayward (Royal Air Force College, UK)
Shaykh Hassan Mohiuddin Qadri (President MQI Supreme Council)
Shaykh Ahmed Babikir (UK/Sudan)
Shaykh Muhammad Al-Ninowy (USA)
Prof John L. Esposito (USA)
Dr Rowan Williams (UK)
Mesut Kurtis - Famous Nasheed Artisit (Macedonia)"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gxm7C5m8g8

'via Blog this'