Ansar Abbasi hits back a rejoinder to The New York Times report, Michael More, Intimidation and Fraud Observed in Afghan Election

Judith A McHale’s “excellent” work and the New York Times’ reported Helene Cooper’s “exclusive” story might have made the day for the two but I am set to be declared any time as an al-Qaeda member and then killed inhumanly without being given the chance to defend myself.The NY Times’ August 20th story “US officials get a taste of Pakistanis’ anger at America” reflects how smartly Washington and the US media make villains. I never had any doubt about their bias towards us — the Muslims and Pakistanis — but I never thought one day I myself would taste the magic of their lethal combination.In my “one-on-one” recent meeting with Ms McHale, the Obama administration’s new under secretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs, in Islamabad I did say that “we hate you” rather went on to the extent of telling her that “you” are callous, inhuman and cruel and that “you” have no respect for human lives. All this was said in a particular context and had a special reference but the way McHale quoted me in the New York Times suggests as if Ansar Abbasi hates McHale and that we Pakistanis hate all Americans.First, I believe that the US under secretary was unfair to have picked up only me and my selected but mutilated “quotes” from our 30-40 minutes long interaction though she met other 16 Pakistani journalists and eight officials too. There is no explanation as to why I was treated so “specially”. Secondly, to my reckoning this “one-on-one” meeting, which was though also attended by Gonzalo Gallegos, Consular for Public Affairs in the US Embassy in Islamabad, and Joe Mellot, McHale’s special assistant, was a background interaction but it turned out to be an opportunity to portray me as a villain in the US media. Why most Pakistanis hate US policies? Ansar’s rejoinder to The New York Times report

Moore is back with his new movie, 'Capitalism: A Love Story,' wearing his trademark baseball cap to go after corporate America. Michael Moore on His Latest: 'I Made This Movie As If It Was Going to Be the Last I Was Allowed to Make'

Election observers said it was too early to draw overall conclusions about the validity of the Afghan election but that inquiries were needed. World" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/23/world/asia/23afghan.html" target=_blank>Intimidation and Fraud Observed in Afghan Election By CARLOTTA GALL

In a reversal of Pentagon policy, the military is notifying the International Committee of the Red Cross of the identities of militants who were being held in secret at camps. World" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/23/world/middleeast/23detain.html" target=_blank>Pentagon Shift Gives Names of Detainees to Red Cross By ERIC SCHMITT on Terrorism