Aziz Haniffa In Washington,DC

Stories by Aziz Haniffa In Washington,DC

'India's concerns not addresed at the summit'

'India's concerns not addresed at the summit'

Rediff.com   19 May 2010

Diplomatic observers and South Asia experts in the US do not believe that two of India's major concerns that Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh brought up with President Obama on Afghanistan, during his state visit in November and again recently on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit have been alleviated during the summit between Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

Pak madrassas churning out terrorists: US lawmaker

Pak madrassas churning out terrorists: US lawmaker

Rediff.com   19 May 2010

Influential US lawmaker Congressman Ed Royce has called for the shutting down of the Deobandi schools (madrassas) in Pakistan, which he alleged "continue to churn out terrorists that attack" democratic nations, including India and the United States.

'Pak worries about India's Afghan role misplaced'

'Pak worries about India's Afghan role misplaced'

Rediff.com   18 May 2010

Dr Abdullah Abdullah, erstwhile foreign minister of Afghanistan and a candidate in the 2009 Presidential election, has lauded India's role in Afghanistan in terms of infrastructure development and institutional capacity building as significant and dismissed Pakistan's paranoia and deep suspicions about New Delhi's involvement in his country as totally misplaced.

Karzai's Taliban move: 'A futile exercise'

Karzai's Taliban move: 'A futile exercise'

Rediff.com   18 May 2010

Echoing India's concerns over Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai's move toward reconciliation and reintegration of segments of the Taliban into the Afghan government -- which has been endorsed by the Obama administration -- Dr Abdullah Abdullah, erstwhile Afghan foreign minister and Karzai's nemesis, who was a candidate in the controversial 2009 presidential elections, said pursuing such a policy would be a futile exercise.

India's youth connected, says Obama's Muslim envoy

India's youth connected, says Obama's Muslim envoy

Rediff.com   17 May 2010

Srinagar-born Farah Pandith, President Barack Obama's special representative to Muslim communities worldwide, recently made her first trip to India after her high-level appointment. She had 'a great trip,' she told rediff.com, and 'was very humbled to be able to go back.'

Afghanistan offers to make peace between US, Iran

Afghanistan offers to make peace between US, Iran

Rediff.com   13 May 2010

The war-ravaged nation of Afghanistan has offered to try and help bring about a rapprochement between the United States and Iran, even as Washington continues its campaign to isolate Teheran over its alleged nuclear weapons programme in violation of its nonproliferation obligations.

Terrorism, not India, main threat to Pak: Obama

Terrorism, not India, main threat to Pak: Obama

Rediff.com   13 May 2010

Obama said, "I think there has been in the past, a view on the part of Pakistan that their primary rival, India, was their only concern. (But) I think, what you've seen over the last several months is a growing recognition that they have a cancer in their midst--that the extremist organizations that have been allowed to congregate and use as a base the frontier areas to then go into Afghanistan, that that now threatens Pakistan's sovereignty."

US may name TTP as terrorist outfit by May end

US may name TTP as terrorist outfit by May end

Rediff.com   12 May 2010

The designation of the Pakistani Taliban, also known as the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation and lumping it with the likes of other Pakistan-based terrorist outfits such as the Jaish-e-Muhammad and Lashkar-e-Tayiba, 'is a no brainer,' and will likely happen before the month is out, senior Obama administration officials told rediff.com.

B P Agrawal wins prestigious MIT award

B P Agrawal wins prestigious MIT award

Rediff.com   11 May 2010

Social entrepreneur Dr Bhagwati P Agrawal, founder and executive director of the nonprofit Sustainable Innovations, has received the $ 100,000 Lemelson-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Award for Sustainability.

IITians gush over Nohria's appointment as HBS dean

IITians gush over Nohria's appointment as HBS dean

Rediff.com   11 May 2010

The sense of pride and utter joy by some high profile Indian American alumni of the Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai, that one of their own Nitin Nohria, had been appointed the new dean of the Harvard Business School was palpable.

Mumbai's Ponda on US revenue service council

Mumbai's Ponda on US revenue service council

Rediff.com   11 May 2010

Ponda is currently director of the firm's tax department, which is among the six finalist law firms nationwide for Chambers USA Awards for Excellence 2010 in Taxation Law.

US rolls out the red carpet to pacify Karzai

US rolls out the red carpet to pacify Karzai

Rediff.com   11 May 2010

The United States administration on Monday rolled out the red carpet for Hamid Karzai and his entourage, barely six weeks after the White House seriously considered canceling the invitation extended to the beleaguered Afghanistan president.In March, President Obama had made a surprise visit to Kabul and read out the riot act to Karzai. While inviting the Afghanistan president to Washington, Obama had also rebuked him for his failure to end massive corruption.

Najeeba Syeed to join Claremont theology school

Najeeba Syeed to join Claremont theology school

Rediff.com   11 May 2010

Srinagar-born Najeeba Syeed-Miller has been named to the faculty at Claremont School of Theology, becoming the first Muslim faculty member at what is one of America's leading universities in the study of theology.

Encourage entrepreneurship, stop radicalisation

Encourage entrepreneurship, stop radicalisation

Rediff.com   7 May 2010

Sirajuddin Qureshi, India's leading meat-exporter to the world and president of the India Islamic Cultural Centre, said being at the summit "was a unique experience."

Indian-Americans denounce 'racist' advertisement

Indian-Americans denounce 'racist' advertisement

Rediff.com   7 May 2010

Indian American politicians have denounced a television advertisement by a conservative group called Americans for Job Security that hits at a governor who had earlier favoured outsourcing jobs to India.

American evangelist attacks Hinduism

American evangelist attacks Hinduism

Rediff.com   7 May 2010

Activists of the Indian-American community and the Hindu American Foundation have denounced Reverend Franklin Graham, the son and heir apparent of celebrated evangelist Reverend Billy Graham, for maligning Hinduism during an interview.

'Obama is not going to be Big Brother'

'Obama is not going to be Big Brother'

Rediff.com   4 May 2010

Cochin-born and raised Shaffi Mather, founder of an ambulance service that has revolutionized medical transport in Mumbai and Kerala, was appreciative of President Obama's "vision of trying to bring together grassroots and community-based entrepreneurs, instead of the regular Fortune 500 and Forbes businessmen."

Pak needs reassurance over India threat: Pentagon

Pak needs reassurance over India threat: Pentagon

Rediff.com   29 Apr 2010

As Pakistan combats the terrorist threat along the Af-Pak border by moving about one lakh troops from its India border, a top Pentagon official told United States lawmakers on Thursday that Washington needs to reassure Islamabad that it is not exposing itself to increased risk along its eastern border.

'CK was the management icon, the trailblazer'

'CK was the management icon, the trailblazer'

Rediff.com   29 Apr 2010

'There is no denying that he was the pioneer among Indian American management experts and set the trend for so many others to follow'

1298 ambulance founder hails Obama summit

1298 ambulance founder hails Obama summit

Rediff.com   29 Apr 2010

Shaffi Mather, 41, founder of the yellow ambulance or the 1298 service, was appreciative of US President Barack Obama's vision of trying to bring together grassroots and community-based entrepreneurs, instead of the regular Fortune and Forbes 500 and 100 businessmen, to the parley.