Friday, September 04, 2009 WASHINGTON: US Chairman Joint Chief of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen has said US wants much better ties with Pakistan while US is facing difficult times in Afghanistan. Defense Secretary Robert Gates is taking issue with any notion that the war in Afghanistan "is slipping through the administration's fingers."Meeting with reporters at the Pentagon Thursday, Gates and Mullen both acknowledged growing impatience with the war. But he said that must be expected, given that the United States has had a presence there for eight years.Gates said he believes "it's important for us to be able to show over the months to come" that President Barack Obama's new strategy for both Afghanistan and Pakistan is succeeding. Obama had said the goal is to defeat and dismantle the al-Qaida terrorist network and its allies.He said any request for additional U.S. troops or funds for the war in Afghanistan would only come after officials study a new assessment of the conditions there by Gen. Stanley McChrystal.Speaking to reporters Thursday, Gates said he doesn't believe "the war is slipping through the administration's fingers," and said that public suspicions about the mission are understandable given eight years of war.Gates said he believes "it's important for us to be able to show over the months to come" that President Barack Obama's new strategy for both Afghanistan and Pakistan is succeeding. Obama had said the goal is to defeat and dismantle the al-Qaida terrorist network and its allies.
Sunday, February 28, 2010 HAVANA: Hundreds of wealthy merchants and cigar aficionados from all parts of the world gathered in Havana this week to bid high stakes for humidors full of premium cigars. Cuba's annual Habanos festival ended on Friday night with an auction of ornate humidors of cedar and mahogany stacked with hand-rolled stogies that raised 800,000 euros ($1.09 million dollars). Habanos S.A. executives this month said cigar sales fell 8 percent to $360 million in 2009, so they have created the Julieta, a smaller, milder version of the Romeo y Julieta cigar, aimed specifically at female smokers. Women now make up only 5 to 10 percent of customers for Habanos. But even with the creation of the Julieta, Garcia said Habanos has only modest hopes for 2010 sales, due largely to a weak economy in Spain, the biggest market for Cuban cigars. The flavor of premium tobacco relies on the soil and climate in which it is grown. The western province of Pinar Del Rio, famous fo...
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