'It's OK, You're Allowed to Laugh.'

The incredibly awkward comedy stylings of U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

BY COLUM LYNCH | DECEMBER 16, 2011

It's not easy for U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to make light of world events. Every day, he is required to comment with solemnity and pathos on the world's afflictions: a car bombing in Iraq or Afghanistan, a bloody crackdown on protesters in Syria, a flood in Pakistan, an earthquake in Haiti, or the prospects of a nuclear war with North Korea. But as the holiday season approaches, bringing a host of year-end anniversary events, Ban gets an opportunity to crack wise now and again.

Which begs a serious question: How funny is the secretary general?

I scoured the record for a collection of Ban's most memorable comic moments. Frankly, most of the jokes are on the corny side, and I had trouble deciphering a few of the punch lines. But the spectacle of a man with barely a single strand of comedic DNA in his system and plagued with bad timing playing for laughs has produced some humorous moments. "I'm going to be a little bit funny this evening so I hope you will bear with me," Ban warned in a typical disclaimer during the U.N. Correspondents Association's awards banquet last year.

Ban treaded a similar path this year, warning the audience to brace for "a real disaster: me trying to be funny." Actually, it was one of Ban's more successful ventures into comedy, complete with a video vignette depicting the 67-year old diplomat having a wild night out on the town, skateboarding along New York City's 1st Avenue, and accidentally transmitting online photos of himself to leaders of the G-20.

In one skit, Ban responds to the global financial crisis by moonlighting as a short order U.N. cook and seeking alternative sources of revenue on a Home Shopping Network channel. With the number 1-800-UN4Sale blinking on the screen, Ban tries to sell a U.N. coffee mug, a U.N. resolution, and a bag of construction debris from the renovation of the New York headquarters. When that doesn't work, he offers to auction UNICEF's headquarters and a lunch with Associated Press's fetching U.N. reporter Edie Lederer. Following a long riff on bulls -- Ban received a gift of one from South Sudan's President Salva Kiir -- the U.N. chief took issue with criticism that his reform efforts have a lot like his new pet: "too big, too slow, and full of waste."

"That's bull," Ban insisted. "That's bullshit."

When Ban, fresh out of the Korean Foreign Ministry, began his first term as secretary general, he had to fight the impression that he was a bit too bland for the world's top diplomatic job. He quickly set out to charm the press corps with a rendition of "Santa Clause Is Coming to Town." Only, in this version, it's Ban who is coming to town. He gets points here for trying, but it's clear that the U.N. chief could stand to have a better command over his material.

For a high-flying diplomat like Ban, a bit of local comic humor is always a good way to soften up a foreign audience. On a recent trip to New Zealand, Ban invoked the country's roots -- declaring in the native Maori He waka eke noa -- "we are all in this canoe together," and comparing the national sporting obsession to his own line of work.

"Rugby scrums confuse anyone who doesn't know the game. So do U.N. debates," he said. "And sometimes they can look very similar! In rugby, you lose teeth. In diplomacy, you lose face."

On May 13, 2010, Ban introduced himself to young participants at a model U.N. conference with this line: "I must admit, I was a little confused when I walked in. You are all so polished and wonderful to look at. I thought you could be models, and I thought that I was at New York Fashion Week. Perhaps that's what Model U.N. really means! It's OK. You are allowed to laugh."

I guess you had to be there.

Ban usually lightens up at the annual fundraiser for the U.N. Foundation, an advocacy group formed with a $1 billion contribution from Ted Turner -- and this year was no different. With the rock band Linkin Park in attendance, Ban said: "I am proud to be the first secretary general in the United Nations history to have had a Facebook townhall meeting with Linkin Park. But, I must admit. I wasn't always so hip. Some years ago, my daughter said, ‘I really like Linkin Park.' I said ‘Linkin Park? Is he Korean?'"

French is the U.N.'s second working language, and Ban has struggled to master it. Every year, at the annual meeting of the Francophonie -- a gathering of 56 French-speaking governments -- Ban has sought to disarm the audience with some jokes in French. "This is the third time I have attended a francophone reception and I still don't know exactly what Francophonie means," he said.

Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images

 SUBJECTS: BAN KI-MOON WATCH
 

Colum Lynch writes Foreign Policy's Turtle Bay blog. You can follow him on Twitter @columlynch.

HAMLET

9:19 AM ET

December 16, 2011

Ban, who was wearing a dark

Ban, who was wearing a dark blue bulletproof vest when he landed, said Somalia is more than just famine and corruption.

“I believe we are now at a critical juncture, a moment of fresh opportunities for the future of Somalia people ... to bring a new measure of stability and possibilities to people’s lives,” he told a news conference at Mogadishu’s presidential palace.

Somali President Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed called the trip historic and said it proves that progress is being made.

Ban said that the U.N. Political Office for Somalia will relocate to Mogadishu from Nairobi, Kenya in January. He also welcomed the decision by Kenya’s parliament this week to contribute soldiers to the African Union force in Somalia, which is now comprised mostly of Ugandan and Burundian troops.

Kenya’s military spokesman said Friday that the country’s contribution to the African Union force — approved by Kenya’s parliament on Wednesday — would take overall numbers of peacekeepers in Somalia above the 12,000 allowed by a U.N. Security Council mandate. Maj. Emmanuel Chirchir said the addition of Kenyan troops to the AU force — currently 9,000 strong — still requires Security Council approval.

Ban told Somalia’s political leaders that they must make faster progress on a four-point plan to improve security, governance, reconciliation and create a constitution. The roadmap must be implemented by next August or the government risks losing international funding.

One reason the U.N. political office is opening in Mogadishu is to enable the U.N. to keep closer tabs on Somalia’s leaders and ensure they are making more progress toward the four goals, a U.N. official said. He spoke on condition he not be identified because of the sensitive nature of the issue.

E.J. Hogendoorn, an Africa analyst with the International Crisis Group, said that when he was in Mogadishu last month he saw huge advances in security compared to a year ago, thanks in large part to the African Union force. He said the opening of the U.N. office in Mogadishu next month will give the world body a better sense of what’s happening in the Somali government, and give the U.N. more influence.

“This should be a place where the U.N. can operate. If it can operate in places like Baghdad or Kabul, it should be able to operate in Mogadishu,” he said.

After meeting with Mogadishu’s leaders, Ban spoke at a news conference in which he stressed the importance of seizing the moment. “We have a very limited window of opportunity,” he said. “Now is the time to advance on the Constitution and parliamentary reform.”Ban, who was wearing a dark blue bulletproof vest when he landed, said Somalia is more than just famine and corruption.

“I believe we are now at a critical juncture, a moment of fresh opportunities for the future of Somalia people ... to bring a new measure of stability and possibilities to people’s lives,” he told a news conference at Mogadishu’s presidential palace.

Somali President Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed called the trip historic and said it proves that progress is being made.

Ban said that the U.N. Political Office for Somalia will relocate to Mogadishu from Nairobi, Kenya in January. He also welcomed the decision by Kenya’s parliament this week to contribute soldiers to the African Union force in Somalia, which is now comprised mostly of Ugandan and Burundian troops.

Kenya’s military spokesman said Friday that the country’s contribution to the African Union force — approved by Kenya’s parliament on Wednesday — would take overall numbers of peacekeepers in Somalia above the 12,000 allowed by a U.N. Security Council mandate. Maj. Emmanuel Chirchir said the addition of Kenyan troops to the AU force — currently 9,000 strong — still requires Security Council approval.

Ban told Somalia’s political leaders that they must make faster progress on a four-point plan to improve security, governance, reconciliation and create a constitution. The roadmap must be implemented by next August or the government risks losing international funding.

One reason the U.N. political office is opening in Mogadishu is to enable the U.N. to keep closer tabs on Somalia’s leaders and ensure they are making more progress toward the four goals, a U.N. official said. He spoke on condition he not be identified because of the sensitive nature of the issue.

E.J. Hogendoorn, an Africa analyst with the International Crisis Group, said that when he was in Mogadishu last month he saw huge advances in security compared to a year ago, thanks in large part to the African Union force. He said the opening of the U.N. office in Mogadishu next month will give the world body a better sense of what’s happening in the Somali government, and give the U.N. more influence.

“This should be a place where the U.N. can operate. If it can operate in places like Baghdad or Kabul, it should be able to operate in Mogadishu,” he said.

After meeting with Mogadishu’s leaders, Ban spoke at a news conference in which he stressed the importance of seizing the moment. “We have a very limited window of opportunity,” he said. “Now is the time to advance on the Constitution and parliamentary reform.”Ban, who was wearing a dark blue bulletproof vest when he landed, said Somalia is more than just famine and corruption.

“I believe we are now at a critical juncture, a moment of fresh opportunities for the future of Somalia people ... to bring a new measure of stability and possibilities to people’s lives,” he told a news conference at Mogadishu’s presidential palace.

Somali President Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed called the trip historic and said it proves that progress is being made.

Ban said that the U.N. Political Office for Somalia will relocate to Mogadishu from Nairobi, Kenya in January. He also welcomed the decision by Kenya’s parliament this week to contribute soldiers to the African Union force in Somalia, which is now comprised mostly of Ugandan and Burundian troops.

Kenya’s military spokesman said Friday that the country’s contribution to the African Union force — approved by Kenya’s parliament on Wednesday — would take overall numbers of peacekeepers in Somalia above the 12,000 allowed by a U.N. Security Council mandate. Maj. Emmanuel Chirchir said the addition of Kenyan troops to the AU force — currently 9,000 strong — still requires Security Council approval.

Ban told Somalia’s political leaders that they must make faster progress on a four-point plan to improve security, governance, reconciliation and create a constitution. The roadmap must be implemented by next August or the government risks losing international funding.

One reason the U.N. political office is opening in Mogadishu is to enable the U.N. to keep closer tabs on Somalia’s leaders and ensure they are making more progress toward the four goals, a U.N. official said. He spoke on condition he not be identified because of the sensitive nature of the issue.

E.J. Hogendoorn, an Africa analyst with the International Crisis Group, said that when he was in Mogadishu last month he saw huge advances in security compared to a year ago, thanks in large part to the African Union force. He said the opening of the U.N. office in Mogadishu next month will give the world body a better sense of what’s happening in the Somali government, and give the U.N. more influence.

“This should be a place where the U.N. can operate. If it can operate in places like Baghdad or Kabul, it should be able to operate in Mogadishu,” he said.

After meeting with Mogadishu’s leaders, Ban spoke at a news conference in which he stressed the importance of seizing the moment. “We have a very limited window of opportunity,” he said. “Now is the time to advance on the Constitution and parliamentary reform.”Ban, who was wearing a dark blue bulletproof vest when he landed, said Somalia is more than just famine and corruption.

“I believe we are now at a critical juncture, a moment of fresh opportunities for the future of Somalia people ... to bring a new measure of stability and possibilities to people’s lives,” he told a news conference at Mogadishu’s presidential palace.

Somali President Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed called the trip historic and said it proves that progress is being made.

Ban said that the U.N. Political Office for Somalia will relocate to Mogadishu from Nairobi, Kenya in January. He also welcomed the decision by Kenya’s parliament this week to contribute soldiers to the African Union force in Somalia, which is now comprised mostly of Ugandan and Burundian troops.

Kenya’s military spokesman said Friday that the country’s contribution to the African Union force — approved by Kenya’s parliament on Wednesday — would take overall numbers of peacekeepers in Somalia above the 12,000 allowed by a U.N. Security Council mandate. Maj. Emmanuel Chirchir said the addition of Kenyan troops to the AU force — currently 9,000 strong — still requires Security Council approval.

Ban told Somalia’s political leaders that they must make faster progress on a four-point plan to improve security, governance, reconciliation and create a constitution. The roadmap must be implemented by next August or the government risks losing international funding.

One reason the U.N. political office is opening in Mogadishu is to enable the U.N. to keep closer tabs on Somalia’s leaders and ensure they are making more progress toward the four goals, a U.N. official said. He spoke on condition he not be identified because of the sensitive nature of the issue.

E.J. Hogendoorn, an Africa analyst with the International Crisis Group, said that when he was in Mogadishu last month he saw huge advances in security compared to a year ago, thanks in large part to the African Union force. He said the opening of the U.N. office in Mogadishu next month will give the world body a better sense of what’s happening in the Somali government, and give the U.N. more influence.

“This should be a place where the U.N. can operate. If it can operate in places like Baghdad or Kabul, it should be able to operate in Mogadishu,” he said.

After meeting with Mogadishu’s leaders, Ban spoke at a news conference in which he stressed the importance of seizing the moment. “We have a very limited window of opportunity,” he said. “Now is the time to advance on the Constitution and parliamentary reform.”Ban, who was wearing a dark blue bulletproof vest when he landed, said Somalia is more than just famine and corruption.

“I believe we are now at a critical juncture, a moment of fresh opportunities for the future of Somalia people ... to bring a new measure of stability and possibilities to people’s lives,” he told a news conference at Mogadishu’s presidential palace.

Somali President Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed called the trip historic and said it proves that progress is being made.

Ban said that the U.N. Political Office for Somalia will relocate to Mogadishu from Nairobi, Kenya in January. He also welcomed the decision by Kenya’s parliament this week to contribute soldiers to the African Union force in Somalia, which is now comprised mostly of Ugandan and Burundian troops.

Kenya’s military spokesman said Friday that the country’s contribution to the African Union force — approved by Kenya’s parliament on Wednesday — would take overall numbers of peacekeepers in Somalia above the 12,000 allowed by a U.N. Security Council mandate. Maj. Emmanuel Chirchir said the addition of Kenyan troops to the AU force — currently 9,000 strong — still requires Security Council approval.

Ban told Somalia’s political leaders that they must make faster progress on a four-point plan to improve security, governance, reconciliation and create a constitution. The roadmap must be implemented by next August or the government risks losing international funding.

One reason the U.N. political office is opening in Mogadishu is to enable the U.N. to keep closer tabs on Somalia’s leaders and ensure they are making more progress toward the four goals, a U.N. official said. He spoke on condition he not be identified because of the sensitive nature of the issue.

E.J. Hogendoorn, an Africa analyst with the International Crisis Group, said that when he was in Mogadishu last month he saw huge advances in security compared to a year ago, thanks in large part to the African Union force. He said the opening of the U.N. office in Mogadishu next month will give the world body a better sense of what’s happening in the Somali government, and give the U.N. more influence.

“This should be a place where the U.N. can operate. If it can operate in places like Baghdad or Kabul, it should be able to operate in Mogadishu,” he said.

After meeting with Mogadishu’s leaders, Ban spoke at a news conference in which he stressed the importance of seizing the moment. “We have a very limited window of opportunity,” he said. “Now is the time to advance on the Constitution and parliamentary reform.”
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SAIFBUTT

9:55 AM ET

December 16, 2011

good

"It used to be that religious figures enjoyed a special place in the hearts of Iranians, otherwise the revolution would never have taken place," recalls the popular Iranian filmmaker Kamal Tabrizi. "Yet, today this trust has been undermined." Charlotte Wiedemann met with this uncompromising film director

Kamal Tabrizi (photo: ISNA)
With his biting film comedy "Marmulak" (The Lizard), Tabrizi broke all box-office records in Iran As with other well-regarded Iranian filmmakers, the revolution has left its mark on the director Kamal Tabrizi. For some, this might come as a surprise, since a couple of years ago Tabrizi made sure that all over Iran people were having a good laugh at the expense of the country's clergy.

In his satire "Marmulak" (The Lizard), a thief escapes from prison disguised as a mullah and henceforth slyly plays at being a holy man. The film broke all box-office records. After three weeks, however, it was banned from being shown in cinemas and is only now making the rounds as a DVD.

Kamal Tabrizi has not let the success go to his head. The 49-year-old Tehran native of Azerbaijan descent has a pleasantly unpretentious air about him. His face bears laughter lines, he listens carefully, and is more than willing to talk about his life.

Revolution and the burning down of cinemas

As a 19-year-old, he was always present at anti-Shah demonstrations with his Super-8 camera. When the bullets began to fly, he ran for cover, not only to save himself, but his film material, as well.

"I come from a traditional religious family. This kind of piety, the praying, fasting, and everything that goes with it, was not particularly attractive to us young people. It was only when I was at university that I discovered an Islam that was concerned with the conditions of people's lives. This attracted me! Religion should improve the life of mankind. I still believe this today."

Before the revolution, his parents often told him that the cinema is not a wholesome place. "Cinemas were regarded as dirty, almost akin to bordellos. That is why many cinemas were burned down during the revolution. Many others were turned into mosques in order to sanitize them. There was a huge gap between the cinema and the clergy. Even to this day, many people have still not reconciled themselves with cinema. This includes members of the current government."

Pedagogical film

To view the Islamic Revolution as hostile towards film and art is nonetheless wrong, says Tabrizi. "We, the young people, rejected cinema under the Shah's regime because, for the most part, it was just shallow, cheap entertainment, devoid of any intellectual pretensions. We wanted to develop a completely new style. We wanted to make cinema that truly represented Iran. Film should educate and engage the viewer. We saw the camera as a tool to show what the revolution should be."

Support came from Khomeini personally. He held up a demanding minority film from the Shah period as a model – a remarkably sensitive decision. "The Cow," which was awarded in Venice, is a metaphorical tragedy about a farmer driven to madness by the loss of his only cow, finally becoming a cow himself.

When you see the film today, what is most impressive is the archaic power of the Iranian village, completely untouched by the Shah's modernization policies. "That was the key," recalls Tabriz. "We could finally cut loose."

As he was learning to make films, war broke out in 1980 between Iraq and Iran. On the second day of the war, Tabrizi was already at the front filming his first documentary. The war films of the time are largely regarded by Western film critics as youthful transgressions of those same Iranian directors who were later celebrated at film festivals.

"I am not ashamed when I see my earliest films," says Tabrizi. "They are simple, but they have something pure about them. They are about people who could face death at any moment."

It's the clergy that have changed

The purity of the relationship between Iranians and their religion has been lost. This is why there is a great deal of melancholy behind the laughter at Tabrizi's mullah comedy.

"It used to be that religious figures enjoyed a special place in the hearts of Iranians, otherwise the revolution would never have taken place," says the director. "This trust has been undermined. Society now has many problems with the clergy, and it is mature enough to deal with them."

Before "The Lizard" opened in the movie theatres, there was a special preview for the clergy. Everyone was so curious about the film that many brought their families along. Women and children were sat on one side of the theatre and the mullahs on the other. During the funniest parts of the film, loud laughter could be heard on the family side, while there was bitter silence on the clergy side.

"This just shows how far the clergy have distanced themselves from society," says Tabrizi. "I am a religious man," he adds, "no less than during the time of the revolution. It's the clergy that have changed, not me."

Charlotte Wiedemann

© Deutsche Welle / Qantara.de 2009

Translated from the German by John Bergeron

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ASMARASHAH

5:19 PM ET

December 16, 2011

Good reply

Yes you are right.
A senior Pakistani military officer said a NATO air strike killing 24 Pakistani troops on the Afghan border last month was pre-planned and warned of more attacks, comments likely to fuel tension with the United States.

Major General Ashfaq Nadeem, director general of military operations, was also quoted by newspapers on Friday as saying that Pakistan, a strategic U.S. ally, would deploy an air defense system along the border to prevent such attacks.

Nadeem made the remarks to a Senate committee on defense on Thursday. Senator Tariq Azim, who attended the briefing, confirmed to Reuters that Nadeem had made the comments.

The Daily Times said Nadeem described the attack as a plot. Another newspaper quoted him as saying it was a "pre-planned conspiracy" against Pakistan.

"We can expect more attacks from our supposed allies," the Express Tribune quoted Nadeem as saying at the senate briefing.

U.S. and Pakistani officials have offered differing initial accounts of what happened.

Pakistan said the attack was unprovoked, with officials calling it an act of blatant aggression -- an accusation the United States has rejected.

Two U.S. officials told Reuters that preliminary information from the ongoing investigation indicated Pakistani officials at a border coordination centre had cleared the air strike, unaware they had troops in the area.

Nadeem ruled out the possibility that NATO forces may have thought they were firing on militants, who often move across the porous frontier and attack Western troops.

One newspaper reported that he told the Senate committee that militants do not leave themselves exposed on mountain tops, like the ones where the Pakistani border posts were located.

Senator Azim also quoted Nadeem as saying that NATO helicopters singled out one army major as he was crossing from one border post to another after losing communications, and this also led the military to conclude the attack was planned.

Pakistan responded to the attack by suspending supply routes to NATO forces in Afghanistan.

Idle drivers of trucks carrying fuel and other supplies to the neighboring country fear being attacked by Pakistani Taliban militants who oppose cooperation with NATO.

Militants fired a rocket-propelled grenade at such trucks in the southwestern city of Quetta in Baluchistan province on Thursday night, setting fire to 29 vehicles, police officials said.

Washington, which sees Pakistan as critical to its efforts to stabilize Afghanistan ahead of a combat troop pullout in 2014, has tried to sooth fury over the NATO incident.

President Barack Obama called Pakistan's president to offer condolences over the strike that provoked a crisis in relations between the two countries. He stopped short of a formal apology.

Pakistan boycotted an international conference in Germany on the future of Afghanistan because of the NATO attack.

U.S.-Pakistani ties were already frayed after the secret U.S. raid in May that killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

A senior Pakistani military officer said a NATO air strike killing 24 Pakistani troops on the Afghan border last month was pre-planned and warned of more attacks, comments likely to fuel tension with the United States.

Major General Ashfaq Nadeem, director general of military operations, was also quoted by newspapers on Friday as saying that Pakistan, a strategic U.S. ally, would deploy an air defense system along the border to prevent such attacks.

Nadeem made the remarks to a Senate committee on defense on Thursday. Senator Tariq Azim, who attended the briefing, confirmed to Reuters that Nadeem had made the comments.

The Daily Times said Nadeem described the attack as a plot. Another newspaper quoted him as saying it was a "pre-planned conspiracy" against Pakistan.

"We can expect more attacks from our supposed allies," the Express Tribune quoted Nadeem as saying at the senate briefing.

U.S. and Pakistani officials have offered differing initial accounts of what happened.

Pakistan said the attack was unprovoked, with officials calling it an act of blatant aggression -- an accusation the United States has rejected.

Two U.S. officials told Reuters that preliminary information from the ongoing investigation indicated Pakistani officials at a border coordination centre had cleared the air strike, unaware they had troops in the area.

Nadeem ruled out the possibility that NATO forces may have thought they were firing on militants, who often move across the porous frontier and attack Western troops.

One newspaper reported that he told the Senate committee that militants do not leave themselves exposed on mountain tops, like the ones where the Pakistani border posts were located.

Senator Azim also quoted Nadeem as saying that NATO helicopters singled out one army major as he was crossing from one border post to another after losing communications, and this also led the military to conclude the attack was planned.

Pakistan responded to the attack by suspending supply routes to NATO forces in Afghanistan.

Idle drivers of trucks carrying fuel and other supplies to the neighboring country fear being attacked by Pakistani Taliban militants who oppose cooperation with NATO.

Militants fired a rocket-propelled grenade at such trucks in the southwestern city of Quetta in Baluchistan province on Thursday night, setting fire to 29 vehicles, police officials said.

Washington, which sees Pakistan as critical to its efforts to stabilize Afghanistan ahead of a combat troop pullout in 2014, has tried to sooth fury over the NATO incident.

President Barack Obama called Pakistan's president to offer condolences over the strike that provoked a crisis in relations between the two countries. He stopped short of a formal apology.

Pakistan boycotted an international conference in Germany on the future of Afghanistan because of the NATO attack.

U.S.-Pakistani ties were already frayed after the secret U.S. raid in May that killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

A senior Pakistani military officer said a NATO air strike killing 24 Pakistani troops on the Afghan border last month was pre-planned and warned of more attacks, comments likely to fuel tension with the United States.

Major General Ashfaq Nadeem, director general of military operations, was also quoted by newspapers on Friday as saying that Pakistan, a strategic U.S. ally, would deploy an air defense system along the border to prevent such attacks.

Nadeem made the remarks to a Senate committee on defense on Thursday. Senator Tariq Azim, who attended the briefing, confirmed to Reuters that Nadeem had made the comments.

The Daily Times said Nadeem described the attack as a plot. Another newspaper quoted him as saying it was a "pre-planned conspiracy" against Pakistan.

"We can expect more attacks from our supposed allies," the Express Tribune quoted Nadeem as saying at the senate briefing.

U.S. and Pakistani officials have offered differing initial accounts of what happened.

Pakistan said the attack was unprovoked, with officials calling it an act of blatant aggression -- an accusation the United States has rejected.

Two U.S. officials told Reuters that preliminary information from the ongoing investigation indicated Pakistani officials at a border coordination centre had cleared the air strike, unaware they had troops in the area.

Nadeem ruled out the possibility that NATO forces may have thought they were firing on militants, who often move across the porous frontier and attack Western troops.

One newspaper reported that he told the Senate committee that militants do not leave themselves exposed on mountain tops, like the ones where the Pakistani border posts were located.

Senator Azim also quoted Nadeem as saying that NATO helicopters singled out one army major as he was crossing from one border post to another after losing communications, and this also led the military to conclude the attack was planned.

Pakistan responded to the attack by suspending supply routes to NATO forces in Afghanistan.

Idle drivers of trucks carrying fuel and other supplies to the neighboring country fear being attacked by Pakistani Taliban militants who oppose cooperation with NATO.

Militants fired a rocket-propelled grenade at such trucks in the southwestern city of Quetta in Baluchistan province on Thursday night, setting fire to 29 vehicles, police officials said.

Washington, which sees Pakistan as critical to its efforts to stabilize Afghanistan ahead of a combat troop pullout in 2014, has tried to sooth fury over the NATO incident.

President Barack Obama called Pakistan's president to offer condolences over the strike that provoked a crisis in relations between the two countries. He stopped short of a formal apology.

Pakistan boycotted an international conference in Germany on the future of Afghanistan because of the NATO attack.

U.S.-Pakistani ties were already frayed after the secret U.S. raid in May that killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

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Travel for life | Familiarization trips

 

FAMULLA

9:05 AM ET

December 17, 2011

Women in work.

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Statistical Tables
1.Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population by age and sex, 2010 annual averages 2.Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population 16 years and over by sex, 1970–2010 annual averages 3.Employment status by race, age, sex, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, 2010 annual averages 4.Employment status by marital status and sex, 2010 annual averages 5.Employment status by sex, presence and age of children, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, March 2010 6.Employment status of women by presence and age of youngest child, marital status, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, March 2010 7.Employment status of women by presence and age of youngest child, March 1975–2010 8.Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population 25 to 64 years of age by educational attainment and sex, 2010 annual averages 9.Percent distribution of the civilian labor force 25 to 64 years of age by educational attainment and sex, 1970–2010. 10.Employed persons by major occupation and sex, 2009 and 2010 annual averages 11.Employed persons by detailed occupation and sex, 2010 annual averages.12.Employed women by occupation, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, 2010 annual averages.13.Employed persons by industry and sex, 2009 and 2010 annual averages.14.Employed persons by detailed industry and sex, 2010 annual averages 15.Employed women by industry, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, 2010 annual averages.16.Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers in current dollars by race, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, and sex, 1979–2010 annual averages.17.Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers 25 years of age and over by educational attainment and sex, 2010 annual averages 18.Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by detailed occupation and sex, 2010 annual averages 19.Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by industry and sex, 2010 annual averages 20.Employed persons by full- and part-time status and sex, 1970–2010 annual averages. 21.Average weekly hours at work in all industries and in nonagricultural industries by sex, 1976–2010 annual averages 22.Work experience of the population by sex and full- and part-time status, selected years, 1970–2009 23.Married-couple families by number and relationship of earners, 1967–2009. 24.Contribution of wives' earnings to family income, 1970–2009 25.Wives who earn more than their husbands, 1987–2009 26.Wage and salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing Federal minimum wage by selected characteristics, 2010 annual averages.27.Working poor: Poverty status of people in the labor force for 27 weeks or more by age, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, 2009 28.Displaced workers by age, sex, race, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, and employment status in January 2010 29.Median years of tenure with current employer for employed wage and salary workers by age and sex, selected years, 1996–2010 30.Labor force status of 2010 high school graduates and 2009–10 high school dropouts 16 to 24 years old by school enrollment and sex, October 2010 31.Labor force status of people 16 to 24 years old by school enrollment, sex, and educational attainment, October 2010 32.Multiple jobholders and multiple jobholding rates by sex and race, 1994–2010 annual averages 33.Unincorporated self-employed persons in nonagricultural industries by sex, 1976–2010 annual averages 34.Employment status of the native-born and foreign-born civilian noninstitutional population by age and sex, 2010 annual averages 35.Union affiliation of employed wage and salary workers by sex, annual averages, 1983–2010 36.Employment status of veterans 18 years of age and over by sex and period of service, 2010 annual averages 37.Employment status of persons with disabilities by sex and age, 2010 annual averages I thank you Firozali A.Mulla DBA

 

HANKISME9

3:03 PM ET

December 18, 2011

Comments

Well I read the post above. And then rad the comments. Did any one read it but me? I see a lot of copy and pasted crap. I hope you all get banned. It's since-less to comment when it's not apart of what the post is. Kinda like if I just through something in here about the Battlefield 3 Strategy Guide see whats that about? Not about the post, thats for sure.

 

DOMINOES

1:42 AM ET

January 4, 2012

laughing is contagious

even if a joke is a bad one or a little corny, it is still contagious. Thanks for the light humor here FP, too many of your stories are serious beyond belief and they do not lead to a good decision on car dealerships in austin tx or a good place to live like austin apartments, but this guy should definitely work on his sense of humor if he wants to stay sane in a job like this.

 

YARINSIZ

1:39 PM ET

January 10, 2012

This should be a place where

This should be a place where the U.N. can operate. If it can operate in places like Baghdad or Kabul, it should be able to operate in Mogadishu,” he said. After meeting with Mogadishu’s leaders, Ban spoke at a news conference in which he stressed the importance of seizing the moment. “We have a very limited window of opportunity,” he said. “Now is the time to advance on the seslichat Constitution and parliamentary reform.”Ban, who was wearing a dark blue bulletproof vest when he landed, said Somalia is more than just famine and corruption.