February 2018
Kabul regime offers amnesty to the Taliban in a bid to end 16-year war
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali: US-client Afghan President Ashraf Ghani Wednesday (Feb 28) proposed the recognition of the Taliban as a legitimate political group, as part of a process that could lead to peace negotiations and put an end to more than 16 years of war. His offer came days after the Taliban called for direct negotiations with the US. Ghani made the proposal during a conference of countries and organizations involved in the so-called Kabul Process aimed at setting up a platform for negotiations with the militants who control about 70% of the country. The one-day conference in Kabul was attended by representatives from more than 20 countries and several international organizations. The Taliban was not invited. Read More
Extra-judicial killings mount in BJP-ruled India
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali: The Uttar Pradesh (UP) state government of Yogi Adityanath continued allowing police encounters since BJP came to power in the state in March 2017, Caravan News of India reported Monday (Feb. 26, 2018). In 10 months of its regime, the state police conducted 1038 encounters killing 32 alleged criminals, and the Yogi government has officially boasted of these killings. But families of many of the victims have come out alleging that their dear ones were killed in staged shootouts. Read More
Death of a ‘crusading’ preacher
By Dr. Habib Siddiqui: Billy Graham, widely touted here in the USA as ‘America’s pastor’, died on February 21 at his home in Montreat, North Carolina. He was 99 years old. In 1963, he famously said, “We are selling the greatest product on earth. Why shouldn’t we promote it as effectively as we promote a bar of soap?”[Saturday Evening Post] What Billy was selling to his audience was the ‘soul-saving’ tablet of Christianity, which he packaged as “crusades” from small events in towns across the USA to television sets around the world. Truly, he was a precursor of the Protestant televangelism that helped reshape the American religious and political landscapes. According to his ministry, he preached Christianity to more people than anyone else in history, reaching hundreds of millions of people either in person or via TV and satellite links. Read More
China boosts air defenses in western region as Indian border row simmers
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali: China’s air force is trying to boost its capability at high altitudes over its far western airbases amid simmering tensions with India, sending more advanced fighter jets to the area, South China Morning Post reported Thursday (Feb 22). Months after a protracted stand-off on the Doklam plateau ended, both nations are still building up their militaries along the border – which observers say is preparation for further confrontation, the Post said. Read More
Trump buoyed white supremacists, sparking backlash among black nationalist
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali: President Trump’s first year in office proved to be just as racially divisive as his campaign — but even more consequential, says the Southern Poverty Law Center report released on Wednesday (Feb. 21). “President Trump in 2017 reflected what white supremacist groups want to see: a country where racism is sanctioned by the highest office, immigrants are given the boot and Muslims banned,” said Heidi Beirich, director of the SPLC’s Intelligence Project. “When you consider that only days into 2018, Trump called African countries ‘shitholes,’ it’s clear he’s not changing his tune. And that’s music to the ears of white supremacists.” Read More
Mueller Indictment of the Russians
By Habib Siddiqui: On Friday (Feb.1, 2018) federal grand jury in Washington DC indicted 13 Russian nationals and a Kremlin-linked internet firm (Internet Research Agency) on charges that they meddled in the US presidential election of 2016. The US government said Russian entities begana concerted years-long effort as early as 2014, dedicated to undermining the American political system and sow discord. Read More
Trump Presidency: A historical assessment 2018
By Arthur Scott: Celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of 1968 is very reminiscent of today. America then and now finds itself experiencing a cultural meltdown in race, gender, class, war, equity, generations and values. Past becomes present! An overriding characteristic of `68 wasthe declining faith among Americans in the integrity of political institutions to problem-solve and to keep the Union whole. This confidence loss in government began with the assassination of JFK and the flawed Warren Reportwhich many Americans found suspect. They saw it as a cover-up of a possible coup d’état. Read More
Fourth Court of Appeal declares Trump's 'Muslim Ban 3.0' unconstitutional
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali: A panel of 13 judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in Richmond, Va., Thursday (Feb. 15) declared Trump's Muslim ban (3.0) illegal and unconstitutional. The appeals court in International Refugee Assistance Project v. Trump stayed its decision pending resolution of a related case that is already at the U.S. Supreme Court. That case, Trump v. Hawaii, will be argued in April. “When we compromise our values as to some, we shake the foundation as to all,” Chief Judge Roger Gregory said in the majority ruling. Read More
What’s behind the U.S. stock market bust?
By Habib Siddiqui: What’s wrong with the Wall Street? Only a week ago the POTUS was boasting about how well the US economy had been performing since he was elected outdoing all previous records. Little did Trump realize that his boasting would burst on his own face so quickly, so badly and ‘bigly’! [As financial analysts would remind us the meteoric rise and devastating fall of the stock market had almost nothing to do with the POTUS.] No one seems to know where the stock market is heading and why it took such a stomach-crunching nose-dive. According to Yousef Abbasi, global market strategist for Jones Trading, the U.S. stock market has lost a whopping $3.1 trillion since the Dow hit a record high of 26,616 on Jan. 26. Read More
Turkey to deploy forces in the Gulf of Aden
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali: As Turkey expands its geopolitical and economic presence in the Middle East and East Africa, Turkish parliament has approved deployment of its forces in the Gulf of Aden, Somalia, and the Arabian Sea. Parliament on Wednesday (Feb 7) ratified a motion extending authorization of the deployment through Feb. 10, 2019, the Turkish Anadolu News Agency reported. Read More
Saudi Arabia approves India-Israel flights via its airspace
By Abdus-Sattar Ghazali: Saudi Arabia has granted Air India approval to operate direct flights from Delhi to Tel Aviv using Saudi airspace, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported Wednesday (Feb 7). The decision, which will be implemented in March, means that the flights from New Delhi to Tel Aviv would be shortened by two and a half hours. Read More
BJP MP Vinay Katiyar says: Muslims should not stay in India, migrate to Bangladesh or Pakistan
By Abdus-Sattar Ghazali: Vinay Katiyar, a leading Member of Parliament (MP) of the ruling Bharatiy Janata Party (BJP), said Wednesday (February 7) that the Muslims should not stay in India and should go to Bangladesh or Pakistan. He told the Asian News International (ANI), "Muslims should not stay in India. They divided the nation on the basis of population. So, what's the need of them staying here (in India)? They have been given lands. (They) should go to Bangladesh or Pakistan." Read More
Pakistan warns: India plans attack on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor installations in Gilgit
By Abdus-Sattar Ghazali: Pakistan's Federal Ministry of Interior says that India has made a plan to attack the installations of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in Gilgit-Baltistan, in a bid to sabotage the multi-billion mega project, the daily Dawn reported Monday (Feb. 5). Read More
11 Pakistani soldiers killed by Taliban gaining strength in neighboring Afghanistan
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali: A suicide bomber killed at least 11 Pakistani army soldiers and injured 13 at an army camp in Sawat Valley on Saturday (Feb 3). An army Captain was among those who died in the bombing. The Swat attack happened few days after the four back-to-back attacks in Kabul and Jalalabad that killed nearly 200 persons, including 14 foreigners, among them four Americans, 11 soldiers and scores of cops, government officials and civilians. Two of those attacks in Kabul were claimed by the Afghan Taliban and two by Daesh in Kabul and Jalalabad. The Taliban are openly active in 70 percent of Afghanistan's districts, fully controlling 4 percent of the country and demonstrating an open physical presence in another 66 percent, according to a recent BBC study. Read More
Fai welcomes UN chief's call for India-Pakistan dialogue on Kashmir
Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, Secretary General, World Kashmir Awareness Forum has expressed gratitude to Mr. Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary General for encouraging both India and Pakistan to address the issue of Kashmir through dialogue. The spokesperson of the Secretary General said on January 22, 2018, “We're obviously aware. We're following this… what's been going on, really for the last 10 days, and I think our… again, the SecretaryGeneral would encourage both sides (India & Pakistan) to address any outstanding issues through dialogue.” Read More
"Whitewashing" Genocide in Myanmar
By Ramzy Baroud: Billions of US dollars of foreign direct investments have already been channeled into Myanmar and six billion US dollars more are also expected to enter the country in 2018. That, too, is a great act of moral failing on the part of many countries in Asia, the West and the rest of the world. Myanmar should not be rewarded with massive largesse of foreign investments, while whole communities are being killed, or maimed. Read More
H E A D L I N E S [ 2 ]
January 2018 February 2018 March 2018 April 2018 May 2018 June 2018
July 2018 August 2018 Sept 2018 Oct 2018 Nov 2018 Dec 2018
The Journal of America Team:
Editor in chief:
Abdus Sattar Ghazali
Senior Editor:
Prof. Arthur Scott
Disclaimer and Fair Use Notice: Many articles on this web site are written by independent individuals or organizations. Their opinions do not necessarily reflect those of the Journal of America and its affiliates. They are put here for interest and reference only. More details
Your donation
is tax deductable.
Article by
Journal Writes