Hillary Clinton Visits Pakistan to Urge Action against Taliban Militants

U.S. Secretary of the State Hillary Clinton landed in Islamabad on Thursday to deliver a tough warning to Pakistan to cut suspected ties with militant groups which have severely strained ties between the uneasy allies. Clinton, arriving from the Afghan capital, Kabul, went immediately to the U.S. embassy and then went to a dinner meeting attended by top U.S. and Pakistani military and civilian leaders. The heavyweight U.S. team, including new CIA director David Petraeus and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey, was a clear sign that Washington is determined to get its message across. 

Then they met Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani and Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, who were expected to be joined by Pakistan's powerful army chief, General Ashfaq Kayani, and Lieutenant-General Ahmed Shuja Pasha, the head of the Inter-services Intelligence (ISI) spy agency which U.S. officials have singled out for its alleged support of militant groups.

          Hillary Clinton speaks with Pakistani MPs at the US embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan. 

She said the US held one preliminary meeting with the Haqqani network "to see if they would show up,” and also she added to the Pakistani journalists that the Pakistani government officials helped to facilitate such a meeting." Mrs. Clinton said that the US had reached out to the Taliban and to the Haqqani network to test their sincerity and willingness to engage in a peace process and also Clinton warns Pakistan to cut suspected ties with militant groups. (The US military was furious about a Haqqani-directed truck bomb that injured 77 US soldiers, and a subsequent attack on the US embassy in Kabul.)

DETERMINED MESSAGE

U.S. officials had earlier said Clinton would seek to strike a constructive tone in discussions with Pakistani leaders, who have strongly denied backing insurgents and accused the United States of ignoring Pakistan's own interests in the battle against militants. But Clinton on Thursday took a clearly combative tone, saying Islamabad had a choice to make. "It is a time for clarity. It is a time for people to declare themselves as to how we are going to work together," she said.

The US has blamed the recent attack on Kabul's US embassy on the Haqqani network

 

Us Army Unveils the Tiny Kamikaze ‘Switchblade’ Drones to Kill Militants

The US Army has unveiled its new ‘kamikaze’ drones named ‘Switchblade’, which are small enough to fit inside a soldier’s backpack, and help transmit live video from overhead to identify and destroy the enemy target. The impressive robotic craft weighs less than 2kg and launches from a tube before its wings fold out as it flies into the air. The operators can then send a message to the drone ‘to arm it and lock its trajectory onto the target’, the company said in a press release.

Impressive craft: A soldier launches a 'kamikaze' drone and watches its live feed as it flies out of a tube. It will soon be available for use by the U.S. Army

Reports suggest that the drone flies into a target and detonates a small explosive, but can still be disarmed at the last moment even if it is heading for a kill. The US Army is paying manufacturer AeroVironment $4.9 million for the drones to help it develop a new way of killing suspected militants. The California Company said it is this feature that makes its drones unique and gives ‘a level of control not available in other weapon systems’, the Daily Mail reports.

"Switchblade provides a revolutionary rapid strike capability to protect our troops and give them a valuable new advantage on the battlefield," said Tom Herring, AeroVironment senior vice president and general manager of its Unmanned Aircraft Systems unit.

Drone: The impressive robotic craft weighs less than 2kg and launches from a tube before its wings fold out as it flies into the air

They are so costly and contain such a myriad of proprietary information and technology that U.S. troops often go into harm’s way to recover the drones if they crash.

Us Issues Travel Alert Warning Of Terror Attacks In India

The United States has issued a travel alert to its citizens in India, warning them of possible terror attacks in the country during the holiday season. "Recent Indian government advisories and local media report increased indications that terrorists are planning attacks in India," the State Department said in a statement yesterday.

The advisory steps up a warning issued last month

 "US citizens traveling or residing in India are always urged to maintain a heightened situational awareness and a low profile, monitor local news reports, consider the level of security present when visiting public places, and take appropriate steps to bolster their personal security," said the alert. It also noted that public places, such as markets, trains, buses, religious sites, hotels and restaurants were potential targets.

The advisory, which steps up a warning issued last month, said that popular shopping areas such as Chandni Chowk, Connaught Place, Greater Kailash, Karol Bagh, Mehrauli, and Sarojini Nagar, should be avoided.

It said US citizens traveling or living in India should maintain "a high level of vigilance", and be aware of their surroundings or any unattended packages.

Severe weather sweeps Florida: 50 homes damaged

25 homes were damaged in Sunrise and 25 in Plantation

      Severe weather has damaged more than 50 homes in several Florida towns, officials said, and schools in the Florida Keys were canceled Wednesday because of heavy rain and frequent lightning. No serious injuries were reported. Damage assessments were under way in Plantation and Sunrise, Florida, after a suspected tornado swept through south Florida about 10 p.m. Tuesday.

At the time, a tornado warning for the area was expiring, said Joel Gordon, battalion chief for the Plantation Fire Department. Gordon said about 25 homes were damaged in Plantation. In Sunrise, another 25 were damaged, with six classified as uninhabitable. Three people sustained minor injuries in Plantation, but none were transported to a hospital, Gordon said. Some gas leaks from propane cylinders were reported, he said, and "we were able to secure those without any major damage or issues."

Monroe County, Florida, which encompasses the Keys, canceled schools Wednesday as bands of thunderstorms with frequent lightning moved through, according to a statement from Sunny Booker, safe school coordinator for the county school district. The National Weather Service issued a flood advisory for the area, the notice said.

American Jobs Act Bus Tour: Obama speaks at Asheville Regional Airport

Obama at Asheville Regional Airport in Fletcher, N.C.

President Barack Obama is on a three-day American Jobs Act bus tour to discuss jobs and the economy. Obama’s tour comes as Republicans and several moderate Democrats remain roadblocks to passing his $447 billion jobs plan in the Senate.

Air Force One landed at Asheville Regional Airport, where President Obama was greeted by Senator Kay Hagan and Asheville Mayor Terry Bellamy. He spoke just before 11:00.

The American Jobs Act includes a proposal to provide $2 billion to improve safety, add capacity and modernize infrastructure at airports across the country. Asheville Regional Airport could be eligible for $60 million of those funds. And as the President said, there's plenty of work to go around:

"In this airport right here in Asheville, you've got a runway that needs to be widened and repaired. You've got a taxiway that's in the wrong spot –- which means that planes sometimes get too close together. So we could be doing some work right here at the Asheville Airport that would help boost tourism, help to boost the economy here, put people to work right now.  But it's not just here in Asheville. All across the state, you've got highways that need to be built. You've got bridges that need to be fixed. You've got schools that need to be modernized. And that's what America used to do best. We used to build things to built the Transcontinental Railroad; built the Golden Gate Bridge; the Hoover Dam; the Grand Central Station. There's no reason why we should sit here and watch the best highways and the newest airports being built in China. We should be building them right here in the United States of America. Right here in North Carolina."

This afternoon, the President will stop for a BBQ lunch and later visit West Wilkes High School in Miller's Creek, North Carolina.