World View: Terrorist Bombings Continue in Pakistan Despite So-Called 'Cease-Fire'

This morning’s key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com

• North Korea’s Kim Jong-un reelected with 100% of the vote
• Terrorist bombings continue in Pakistan despite so-called ‘cease-fire’
• Outrage growing in Pakistan as famine kills hundreds of children
• 3D printing promises to revolutionize defense, aerospace industries

North Korea’s Kim Jong-un reelected with 100% of the vote

North Korea’s supreme leader Kim Jong-un has won re-election to theSupreme People’s Assembly, receiving 100% of the vote, with 100%turnout. According to the official news agency:

“This is an expression of all the service personneland people’s absolute support and profound trust in supreme leaderKim Jong Un as they single-mindedly remain loyal tohim.”

When you vote in North Korea, there’s only one candidate on theballot, and you’re allowed to vote Yes or No. And the way you do thatis to openly pick up the Yes ballot from one table or the No ballotfrom another table, in full view of everyone, and then drop the ballotinto the ballot box.

The reason that North Korea even holds elections is because it allowsthe authorities to keep track of dissidents, as not being home to votewould put a dissident’s life in danger. Independent (London) and AP

Terrorist bombings continue in Pakistan despite so-called ‘cease-fire’

On March 3, terrorists carried out a terrorist suicide bombing on acourthouse in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, killing 11 people,including a judge, and wounding 23 others. According to reports, theterrorists entered the complex and opened fire indiscriminately ateveryone, hurled hand grenades and later exploded their suicide vests.

This came just one day after the Pakistani Taliban (Tehrik-e-Taliban -TTP) announced a one-month “unconditional” cease-fire, to allownegotiations with the government to continue. As I indicated at thetime, these cease-fire announcements are often used by terrorists togive themselves time to restock their weapons inventory. After theMarch 3 attack, a TTP spokesman said,

“We have already declared a ceasefire and we strictlyadhere to our deal with the Government. Our colleagues in theorganisation also cannot violate this agreement.”

Well, apparently that doesn’t apply to all of TTP’s “colleagues.” Oneof their colleagues is supposed to be Ahrar-ul-Hind (AH), a TTPsplinter group, who claimed responsibility for the March 3 attack.According to an AH spokesman:

“We are an independent group and have no links withTTP. We were a part of TTP earlier but now we operateindependently.”

He said that the judicial system in the country was “un-Islamic” andthat they would continue their “struggle” till Shariah law wasenforced.

In Punjab province alone (the province where Islamabad is located),there are at least 57 extremist and terrorist outfits, out of which at28 are homegrown. Punjab is also home to various foreign terrorists,including the Afghan Taliban and Uzbek terrorists. Security forces dolittle to stop these groups, for fear of being attacked themselves inretribution. Some of these groups, particularly Lashkar-e-Toiba(LeT), were originally created by Pakistan’s security forces in the1980s to fight the Indians in Kashmir or the Russians in Afghanistan.Today, those groups have turned against Pakistan, and are activelytraining to take control of Afghanistan once the Americans and Natoleave. South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP – India)

Outrage growing in Pakistan as famine kills hundreds of children

Hundreds of children have died of malnutrition and disease inPakistan’s Sindh province in the last few weeks, because of the worstdrought since 2000. On Sunday, 375 children were brought to a singlehospital on one day. In just the last few days, thousands of familieshave been compelled to leave their homes in search of water, leavinghundreds of villages vacated. Finger-pointing has begun, with thefederal government and the local Sindh government accusing each otherof letting the situation get out of control. The Nation (Pakistan) and Gulf Times

3D printing promises to revolutionize defense, aerospace industries

3D printers have gained worldwide attention for their ability tocreate all kinds of small objects, particularly guns, on the fly.However, 3D printing, also called “additive manufacturing,” has beenhampered so far because the plastic materials used in the processcreated items that broke under stress. But new, more advancedprinters use metal-based substances, making it possible to manufacturehard-to-make items, such as brackets and tools for multi-milliondollar programs ranging from satellites to jet fighters,revolutionizing the defense and aerospace industries. National Defense Magazine

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