Headlines:
- US Trained Rebels Fail, Again
- Déjà vu with Pakistan’s Economy
- Britain spying on UK mosques
US Trained rebels Fail, Again
The first batch of soldiers who graduated and formed the New Syrian Forces (NSF), also known as Division 30, better known as Americas train and equip program. The program ended in disaster for the first recruits as many were arrested by Jabhut al Nusra, whilst some defected and others absconded. This embarrassing episode was made even worse last week as a US general explained at a Senate hearing that only 2 or 3 trained soldiers were ready since the first recruits were defeated.
The second class entered Syria by way of Turkey on Friday 11 September, and according to reports there were between 70 and 75 of them in total. But reports emerged on 22 September out of Syria that the group immediately took its weapons and vehicles to al-Qaeda territory and turned them all over to them. A statement from al-Qaeda’s Syria branch said the group’s membership had agreed to give them everything in return for “safe passage,” and that the leader of the second class, Anas Ibrahim Obeid, plans to issue a statement repudiating the US training strategy.
Déjà vu with Pakistan’s Economy
Global index provider MSCI recently announced plans to include Pakistan in its emerging markets index, due to its recent economic performance. MSCI announced it plans to upgrade Pakistan from frontier- to emerging-market status in 2016. News that Pakistan is being considered for inclusion in the MSCI emerging markets index was seized upon by a government desperate for international recognition of what it says are its achievements in stabilizing the Pakistani economy. The current government like its predecessors is trying to take the credit for saving the Pakistan economy from the brink of collapse. Like all his predecessors Nawaz Sharif made many grand promises. With Sharif now half way through his term the shiny new articulated buses, freshly dug underpasses and dedicated flyovers, Islamabad’s new public transport system is a symbol of a government that gets big things done. Hafeez Pasha, an economist and former finance minister highlighted, “In our close to 70 years’ history, we’ve never had a government that fudged statistics to the extent of this one. “Here in Pakistan, it’s really the poor who are getting it bad. The end result is despair, disillusionment.” A report by non-profit organisation, Rafter, confirmed that Pakistan’s economy continues to rely heavily on “commercial loans, concessionary donor loans and aid.”
Britain Spying on UK mosques
The UK domestic intelligence agency, MI5, admitted it is paying British Muslims up to £2,000 to spy on mosques. The intelligence agency is allegedly recruiting individuals to work on temporary assignments in cities including London and Manchester, sources from within the Muslim community said. The counter-terrorism initiative is believed to be targeting specific individuals, with informants gathering information over a series of weeks. Sources confirmed to the UK’s the Observer: “It’s being driven by the [intelligence] agencies, it’s a network of human resources across the country engaged to effectively spy on specific targets.” The UK government has already been exposed of recruiting sources to join the rebel groups in Syria to ensure Britain remains in the game in the Syria.