Northern Areas, Pakistan - Northern Areas, Pakistan Northern Areas in Pakistan refers to a Pakistani-controlled region of Kashmir, at the extreme north of Pakistan. It borders to the north with Afghanistan and China, to the south with India and Azad Kashmir and to the west with North-West Frontier, Pakistan..
Politics of Pakistan - Politics of Pakistan The Pakistan Constitution of 1973, amended substantially in 1985 under Muhammad Zia ul-Haq, was suspended by the military government on October 12, 1999. Pervez Musharraf has committed to return Pakistan to democratic, civilian rule but the implications of his promised structural reforms on the country's previous parliamentary system are unknown. Under the Provisional Constitutional Order and its amendments, all power flows from and to the Chief Executive, who also holds the posts of Chief of Army Staff and Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Judiciary is proscribed from issuing any order contrary to the decisions of the Chief Executive, and the President, Cabinet, National Security Council, and Governors serve at his discretion. In practice, Musharraf consults extensively with his civilian appointees and Corps Commanders.
North-West Frontier, Pakistan - North-West Frontier, Pakistan North-West Frontier is the smallest of the four provinces of Pakistan. Neighbouring regions are Afghanistan to the west and north, Northern Areas and Azad Kashmir to the east and Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Punjab and Islamabad Capital Territory to the south. Its area is 74,521 km² and its districts include Hazara, not to be confused with the Hazara people of Afghanistan..
Kushan - group, the Xiongnu, in 176–160 BCE. The Yuezhi reached Hellenized Bactria (northernmost Afghanistan and Uzbekistan) around 135 B.C. In the following century, charismatic leaders welded the group into a tighter confederation. Gradually wresting control of the area from the Parthian tribes, the Yuezhi expanded south into the region traditionally known as Gandhara (the Pathan areas now shared between Pakistan and Afghanistan) and established a capital near present-day Kabul. They adapted the Greek alphabet, whichthey encountered in Bactria, to suit their own language and soon began minting coinage, the first in India. The rule of Kanishka, the third Kushan emperor, who flourished from the late first to the early/mid-second century A.D., was administered from two capitals: Purushapura (now Peshawar in northern Pakistan) and Mathura in northern India. The rule of the Kushans.
John Walker Lindh - him the "American Taliban." Walker prefers to go by the name "John Walker" today, although during his time in Muslim areas, he also went by Suleyman al-Faris. He is named for John Lennon, whom his parents liked a great deal. Walker was born in Washington, DC to parents Marilyn Walker and Frank Lindh. He was baptized Catholic and grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland, until he was ten years old and his family moved to San Anselmo, California in Marin County. In 1997, at age 16, Walker converted to Islam. In 1998, he traveled to Yemen for about ten months, to learn Arabic so that he would be able to read the Qur'an in its original language. He returned to the United States in 1999, living with his family for about.
July 2003 - Muslim and chief spokesman for the Islamic Dawa Party, which was banned during Saddam's rule, is picked to be the first of nine men who will serve one-month stints leading postwar Iraq. He will hold the presidency in August. A Canadian concert, Molson Canadian Rocks for Toronto, attended by 450,000 people, takes place to show that SARS is no longer in Toronto and to raise money for health care and hospitality workers affected by the outbreak. July 29, 2003 In Puebla, Mexico, the last production Volkswagen Beetle, nicknamed El Rey, rolls off the production line. July 28, 2003 The United Nations Security Council appoints Harri Holkeri to head the temporary civilian administration UNMIK in Kosovo. Ambassador Ole Wøhlers Olsen, the Muslim Danish coordinator for the U.S.-led provisional authority in southern Iraq.
Islamic conquest of Afghanistan - of the eighth century, the rising Abbasid Dynasty was able to subdue the Arab invasion, putting an end to the prolonged struggle. Peace prevailed under the rule of the caliph Harun al Rashid (785-809) and his son, and learning flourished in such Central Asian cities as Samarkand. From the seventh through the ninth centuries, most inhabitants of what is present-day Afghanistan, Pakistan, southern parts of the former Soviet Union, and areas of northern India were converted to Sunni Islam. In the eighth and ninth centuries ancestors of many of today's Turkic-speaking Afghans settled in the Hindu Kush area (partly to obtain better grazing land) and began to assimilate much of the culture and language of the Pashtun tribes already present there. By the middle of the ninth century, Abbasid rule had.
ISO 3166-1 - ISO 3166 standard provides codes for the names of countries and dependent areas. It was first published in 1974 by the International Organization for Standardization and defines three different codes for each area: ISO 3166-1 alpha-2, a two-letter system, has many applications, most notably for Internet top-level domains. Standards derived from this code are: ISO 3166-2, codes for subdivisions such as states and provinces. ISO 3166-3, codes to replace obsolete alpha-2 codes. ISO 4217, codes for monetary units. ISO 3166-1 alpha-3, a three-letter system. ISO 3166-1 numeric, a three-digit numerical system, is identical to that defined by the United Nations Statistical Division. A country or territory generally gets new alpha codes if its name changes, whereas a new numeric code is associated with a change of boundaries. Some codes in each.
ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 - Islands) GF - French Guiana GH - Ghana GI - Gibraltar GL - Greenland GM - Gambia GN - Guinea GP - Guadeloupe GQ - Equatorial Guinea GR - Greece GS - South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands GT - Guatemala GU - Guam GW - Guinea-Bissau GY - Guyana HK - Hong Kong HM - Heard Island and McDonald Islands HN - Honduras HR - Croatia (Hrvatska) HT - Haiti HU - Hungary ID - Indonesia IE - Ireland IL - Israel IN - India IO - British Indian Ocean Territory (including Diego Garcia) IQ - Iraq IR - Iran IS - Iceland IT - Italy JM - Jamaica JO - Jordan JP - Japan KE - Kenya KG - Kyrgyzstan KH - Cambodia KI - Kiribati KM -.
Islamic Empires in India - r. 1211-36), a former slave-warrior, established a Turkic kingdom in Delhi, which enabled future sultans to push in every direction; within the next 100 years, the Delhi Sultanate extended its sway east to Bengal and south to the Deccan, while the sultanate itself experienced repeated threats from the northwest and internal revolts from displeased, independent-minded nobles. The sultanate was in constant flux as five dynasties rose and fell: Mamluk or Slave (1206-90), Khalji (1290-1320), Tughluq (1320-1413), Sayyid (1414-51), and Lodi (1451-1526). The Khalji Dynasty under Ala-ud-Din (r. 1296-1315) succeeded in bringing most of South India under its control for a time, although conquered areas broke away quickly. Power in Delhi was often gained by violence--nineteen of the thirty-five sultans were assassinated--and was legitimized by reward for tribal loyalty. Factional rivalries and.
Hindu Kush - memorialize the Indian slaves who perished in the mountains while being transported to Central Asian slave markets; that the name is merely a corruption of Hindu Koh, the pre-Islamic name of the mountains that divided Hindu southern Afghanistan from non-Hindu northern Afghanistan; or, that the name is a posited Avestan appellation meaning "water mountains." People who have no friends are from the mountain peaks in the eastern part of People who have no friends land reach more than 7,000 meters. The highest of these is Nowshak at 7,485 m (cf. Mount Everest in Nepal which stands 8,796 m high). The Pamir mountains, which Afghans refer to as the "Roof of the World", extend into Tajikistan, China and Kashmir. The mountains of the Hindu Kush system diminish in height as they stretch.
Geography of China - of broad plains, expansive deserts, and lofty mountain ranges, including vast areas of inhospitable terrain. The eastern half of the country, its seacoast fringed with offshore islands, is a region of fertile lowlands, foothills and mountains, desert, steppes, and subtropical areas. The western half of China is a region of sunken basins, rolling plateaus, and towering massifs, including a portion of the highest tableland on earth. The vastness of the country and the barrenness of the western hinterland have important implications for defense strategy. In spite of many good harbors along the approximately 18,000-kilometer coastline, the nation has traditionally oriented itself not toward the sea but inland, developing as an imperial power whose center lay in the middle and lower reaches of the Huang He (Yellow River) on the northern plains..
Geography of the Soviet Union - Central Asia resembled the Australian outback. The Crimean coast on the Black Sea was the Soviet Riviera, and the mountains rimming the southern boundary were as imposing as the Swiss Alps. However, most of the topography and climate resembles that of the northernmost portion of the North American continent. The northern forests and the plains to the south find their closest counterparts in the Yukon Territory and in the wide swath of land extending across most of Canada. Similarities in terrain, climate, and settlement patterns between Siberia and Alaska and Canada are unmistakable. After the Bolshevik Revolution and the ensuing Civil War (1918- 21), Soviet regimes transformed, often radically, the country's physical environment. In the 1970s and 1980s, Soviet citizens, from the highest officials to ordinary factory workers and farmers, began.
Foreign relations of Afghanistan - ties with the Soviet Union and its communist satellites. After the December 1979 invasion, Afghanistan's foreign policy mirrored that of the Soviet Union. Afghan foreign policymakers attempted, with little success, to increase their regime's low standing in the noncommunist world. With the signing of the Geneva Accords, Najibullah unsuccessfully sought to end Afghanistan's isolation within the Islamic world and in the Non-Aligned Movement. Most Western countries, including the United States, maintained small diplomatic missions in Kabul during the Soviet occupation. (Throughout the Soviet occupation, the U.S. did not recognize the Afghan regimes, and its mission was headed by a Charge d'Affaires rather than an Ambassador.) Many countries subsequently closed their missions due to instability and heavy fighting in Kabul. Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates recognized the Taliban regime.
European influence in Afghanistan - throne in Kabul, where he proclaimed himself amir. Dost Mohammad achieved prominence among his brothers through clever use of the support of his mother's Qizilbash tribesmen and his own youthful apprenticeship under his brother, Fateh Khan. Among the many problems he faced was repelling Sikh encroachment on the Pashtun areas east of the Khyber Pass. After working assiduously to establish control and stability in his domains around Kabul, the amir next chose to confront the Sikhs. In 1834 Dost Mohammad defeated an invasion by the former ruler, Shah Shuja, but his absence from Kabul gave the Sikhs the opportunity to expand westward. Ranjit Singh's forces occupied Peshawar, moving from there into territory ruled directly by Kabul. In 1836 Dost Mohammad's forces, under the command of his son Mohammad Akbar Khan, defeated.
Discrimination against non-Muslims in Afghanistan - controlled approximately 90 percent of the country, wrote a new constitution based on their interpretation of Sharia, Islamic law. Atheism was punishable by death. Conversion to Judaism or Christianity was punishable by death. The Taliban sought to impose its extreme interpretation of Islamic observance in areas that it controlled and has declared that all Muslims in areas under Taliban control must abide by the Taliban's interpretation of Islamic law. The Taliban relies on a religious police force under the control of the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (PVPV) to enforce rules regarding appearance, dress, employment, access to medical care, behavior, religious practice, and freedom of expression. Persons found to be in violation of the edicts are subject to punishment meted out on the spot, which.
USS America (CV-66) - 5 April 1965, with Comdr. Kenneth B. Austin, the carrier's executive officer, piloting a Douglas A-4C Skyhawk. Proceeding thence to the Caribbean, the carrier conducted shakedown training and concluded it at Guantanamo Bay on 23 June. Entering the Norfolk shipyard for post-shakedown availability on 10 July, she remained there until 21 August. She next operated locally through late August and then proceeded to the operating areas off the Virginia capes and to Bermuda, arriving back at Norfolk on 9 September. On 25 September, Rear Admiral J. O. Cobb broke his flag as Commander, Carrier Division 2. America sailed for her first Mediterranean deployment late in 1965. New Year's Day, 1966, found her at Livorno, Italy. Over the ensuing weeks, the ship visited Cannes, Genoa, Toulon, Athens, Istanbul, Beirut, Valletta, Taranto, Palma,.
Democratic Republic of Afghanistan - 1979 4 The search for popular support 5 Internal refugees: flight to the cities 6 Factionalism 7 Mohammad Najibullah, 1986-1992 8 The Soviet decision to withdraw, 1986-1988 9 The Geneva accords, 1987-1989 10 The failure to bring peace 11 Pakistan's attempt at a political solution, 1987-1988 12 Stalemate: The Civil War, 1989-1992 13 The demise of the Soviet Union, 1991 14 The fall of Kabul, April 1992 15 The United Nations plan for political accommodation 16 References The Communists take power, 1978 On April 27, 1978 a coup was initiated, reportedly by Hafizullah Amin while he was under house arrest. Mohammed Daoud Khan was killed the next day. The communist People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) gained control and on May 1 Nur Mohammed Taraki became President. The country was then.
1998 in India - The AIADMK agrees to join a BJP-led government. The president invites Vajpayee to form a government and take the oath as prime minister on March 19 and gives him ten more days to prove his parliamentary majority. March 19 Vajpayee takes office after assembling a diverse cabinet reflecting his 13-party coalition. March 28 The BJP-led coalition wins a parliamentary confidence vote by 13 votes thanks to last-minute backing from the regional Telugu Desam Party. April 14 The BJP unanimously elects senior leader Khushabhau Thakre as its new president. Thakre formally takes over in early May from Lal Krishna Advani, who is widely credited with crafting the political strategy that took the BJP from obscurity to power. April 19 Jayaram Jayalalitha, leader of key coalition partner AIADMK, demands the removal of three.
2000 in India - explodes in a busy vegetable market in the heart of Indian-ruled Kashmir, killing 15 people; other border skirmishes with Pakistan kill a further four. January 3 Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee accuses Pakistan of being behind the hijacking of an Indian plane and urges that Pakistan be declared a terrorist state. January 6 India arrests four Kashmiri militants in connection with the week-long hijacking in December. February 24 A review of national security is ordered, after an expert committee's report on the incursion of Pakistani-backed forces into Kashmir in mid-1999 exposed serious shortcomings. The Subramanyam committee recommends a new "national security planning and decision-making structure for India in the nuclear age". Fresh clashes are reported in late February along the Line of Control between Indian- and Pakistani-administered Kashmir. Late February Parliamentary.
