"The retention of Robert Gates and General Petraeus in the coming Obama administration poses a deeper problem. Both were leading players in the regime that kidnapped, tortured and detained people in Guantanamo and secret prisons around the world. They must bear some responsibility for what happened during the Bush administration. For President Obama to say torture was wrong and he would stop the practice and yet keep two of the most senior figures of the regime that perpetrated these crimes would be hard to understand for people around the world. For this reason, it would be unhelpful for America’s image, badly in need of repair."

"In this situation, India must avoid the blame game and instead develop a long-term relations with its neighbours by resolving all pending issues especially with Pakistan."

"None of these incidents passed unnoticed, with the mainstream media writing extensively on each, sometimes causing even greater concern for Arab Americans and American Muslims who wanted to be part of the election '08 story, but not in this manner."

"Security is of mutual interest to both India and Pakistan. Cooperation between the two nations will be requisite in enacting balanced policies that will eventually lead to goodwill between the many faith-based communities who call that region their home. Outside of America, the Indian sub-continent is one the most religiously diverse regions in the world. In an increasingly globalized world, where some the biggest challenges require common solutions; such diversity can be a source of strength. But to achieve this, leaders of all faith groups will have to work hard to promote inter-faith understanding and politicians will have to eschew the divisive politics of religion baiting."

"Those who executed the military precision operation were certainly not amateurs but highly trained and motivated professional terrorists who were prepared to die for their cause and who, I suspect, were part of a larger geopolitical agenda and the operational nature and scale of their enterprise suggests that they were not religious zealots for at no time is there any record or indication of them chanting or exemplifying any religious fervour like those who allegedly flew their hijacked planes into the World Trade Centre."

"Despite bearing the hallmarks of military precision and the unexplained failure by Indian intelligence to intercept the operation, it is astonishing that South African media would allow the proliferation of stereotypical reports."

"Private companies that own newspapers have editorial rights. That right should be respected. Every newspaper has the right to print, or not print, anything it wants. That is not the issue. The issue is the lack of journalistic ethics. Ethics are not required by law - or are they? If any individual interfered with the electoral process in such an extreme way that it influenced the outcome of an election, would it be acceptable?"

"The Mumbai event appears to be a whistle blower for Pakistan. It may culminate on blaming on Pakistan and an expedition that may bring horrifying results for the world."