Thursday, November 12, 1998
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W O R L D | Thursday, November 12, 1998 |
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UNSCOM tells staff to leave Iraq UNITED NATIONS, Nov 11 — Chief UN Arms Inspector Richard Butler today ordered all his staff out of Iraq after discussions with US officials, his spokesman said. Violence
marks B'desh stir |
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 UN personnel prepare to leave the UN compound in Baghdad on Wednesday. — AP/PTI Clinton
meets Dalai Lama |
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Israeli Cabinet ratifies pact with
conditions JERUSALEM, Nov 11 — The Israeli Government ratified the Wye river peace accord with the Palestinians today, but only after attaching several riders to the decision, officials said.
India,
China set to resume talks Starr
defended in Republican memo France,
Cuba to write off debts Oppn
blasts Sharif over Shariah Bill |
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UNSCOM tells staff to leave Iraq UNITED NATIONS, Nov 11 (Reuters) — Chief UN Arms Inspector Richard Butler today ordered all his staff out of Iraq after discussions with US officials, his spokesman said. More than 100 of the remaining inspectors and support personnel were en route to Bahrain after Mr Butler spoke to US officials, the spokesman said, adding “safety of personnel is our utmost consideration.” The move comes amid reports that Washington was preparing to launch a military strike against Iraq because of its ban on UN weapons inspections. Mr Ewen Buchanan, spokesman for the UN Special Commission (UNSCOM) in charge of Iraqi disarmament, told newsman that based on his discussions with US officials, the executive chairman (Butler) has decided, as a precautionary measure, to withdraw all UNSCOM personnel from Iraq. He said this included inspectors from the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency, which handles nuclear arms left behind would by the local staff guarding equipment. Mr Buchanan said many of the inspectors, helicopter pilots, communication experts and other staff would be in Bahrain. Should they be able to resume work again. “We remain ready to resume our full work in Iraq,” he said. Iraq halted cooperation with the UNSCOM on October 31, triggering warnings of military retaliation from the USA and Britain. France has also not ruled out the use of force. A diplomatic source, whose country has personnel in the special commission, told AFP in the Iraqi capital that the “complete withdrawal” was at the orders of UNSCOM headquarters in New York. WASHINGTON (Reuters): The USA has said that time is running out for Iraq to comply with UN arms inspections and confirmed aircraft carrier Enterprise is speeding to the Gulf where another US carrier is now based. Defence Secretary William Cohen told reporters yesterday that President Bill Clinton had made no decision whether to launch US missile and bombing strikes against Iraq, but said impatience with Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was growing. “We have all indicated that time is running out,” he said when asked if the USA was drawing closer to military action after Iraq abruptly announced that it was halting all cooperation with UN weapons inspectors. “The military option is still on the table,” said Mr Cohen, adding that he had ordered the carrier Enterprise, which left Norfolk, Virginia, this week to replace the carrier Eisenhower in the Gulf, to speed its Atlantic Ocean transit and arrive on November 23 instead of November 26. The USA already has a major air and naval force in the Gulf and the Pentagon says that the force, including more than 300 ship-launched Tomahawk Cruise missiles, is capable of dealing a powerful blow against Iraq. Mr Clinton yesterday met Mr Cohen, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, National Security Adviser Sandy Berger and General Henry Shelton, Chairman of the USA Military Joint Chiefs of Staff, to discuss Iraq. He also consulted by phone with British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Meanwhile, Russia called for a diplomatic solution to the crisis, saying Washington should work with the UN rather than go it alone with military strikes. “We are deeply convinced that the path to normalising the Iraqi situation lies in efforts at international cooperation within the framework of the UN,” head of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Press Department Vladimir Rakhmanin said in Moscow. The Marine helicopter carrier Belleau Wood was also heading to the Gulf from Japan to replace the helicopter carrier Essex and will arrive on November 26, Mr Cohen told reporters at the Pentagon. BAGHDAD (AFP): Iraq called for an Arab “revolt” in its showdown with the United Nations over arms inspections and vowed it would not back down in the face of western military threats. “Iraq has not changed its stand and will never give up its rights and legitimate demands,” the ruling Baath Party’s newspaper, Al-Thawra; said. “Babel” newspapers, which is run by President Saddam Hussein’s son Uday, urged Arabs to “revolt” in support of Iraq’s campaign against the UN Embargo, slapped on Baghdad for its August 1990 invasion of Kuwait. “Arabs, from the
Atlantic to the Gulf, Iraq asks you for nothing more than
to assume your historic responsibilities to break the
embargo,” the newspaper said. |
USA "prepared to act" WASHINGTON, Nov 11 (Reuters) — President Bill Clinton warned Iraqi President Saddam Hussein today to end his defiance of UN arms inspectors, saying the USA was prepared to act if Baghdad failed to reverse course. Saying he hoped the Iraqi leader would allow unfettered access to UN inspectors as the USA conducted a military build-up in the region, Clinton said, "we must be prepared to act if he does not". Delivering an annual
Veterans Day address, Clinton condemned Saddam as a
threat to the stability of the region and said Iraq would
be capable of developing weapons of mass destruction
within months not years if the inspections ended. |
Clinton meets Dalai Lama WASHINGTON, Nov 11 (Reuters) — Defying China, President Bill Clinton has met the Dalai Lama at the White House to discuss his efforts to encourage a dialogue between Beijing and Tibet’s exiled god-king over the Himalayan region. The Buddhist leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate told reporters yesterday that he had a “good meeting” with Mr Clinton, who briefed him on his talks with Chinese President Jiang Zemin on Tibet, which China occupied in 1950. “He explained his meeting with Jiang Zemin and his efforts,” the Dalai Lama said, declining to offer details. “Sometimes more open discussion is useful, sometimes more silence is useful, so I feel it is better to remain low key.” Jiang surprised Mr Clinton by telling a news conference after their June summit that the door was open to talks with the Dalai Lama as long as he acknowledged Tibet was an inalienable part of China and Taiwan was a province of China. However, the two do not appear much closer to a breakthrough and Beijing yesterday issued a veiled warning to Mr Clinton not to meet the Dalai Lama. Separately, the official People’s Daily accused the Buddhist leader of “playing tricks” during his nine-day US visit. In an effort not to ruffle Chinese feathers, Mr Clinton did not schedule a meeting with the Dalai Lama but instead “dropped by” a meeting that the Tibetan leader had with US First Lady Hillary Clinton, spending about 30 minutes with them. After the meeting, the White House reiterated Mr Clinton’s desire to see China open discussions with the Dalai Lama. His Holiness the Dalai Lama was welcomed at the White House this afternoon, where he met the President, the Vice-President and the First Lady to discuss Tibet, White House spokesman Joe Lockhart said. “President Clinton expressed his strong support for efforts to foster a dialogue between the Chinese Government and the Dalai Lama and his representatives to resolve differences. The President welcomed the Dalai Lama’s commitment to non-violence and his efforts to initiate a dialogue with the Chinese Government.” “At the meeting they
discussed how best to increase the trust between China
and Tibet and how to best move forward to establish a
dialogue for both sides to resolve issues. The President
reiterated his deep and abiding interest in Tibet,”
the spokesman said. |
Violence marks B'desh stir DHAKA, Nov 11 (Reuters) — Bangladesh was crippled by the opposition-led general strike for the third day today, as stock markets, ports and most businesses remained shut. At least 20 persons were injured and the police arrested nearly 50 during clashes in Dhaka between supporters of the strike and the opponents, witnesses said. About 25 persons were hurt in the southern port city of Chittagong and 15 others in Cox's Bazar in the southeast in similar violence, local officials said. They said the police used batons and teargas trying to disperse rival activists fighting with guns, home-made bombs and stones. Streets were largely devoid of traffic. Trains, ferries and airline flights operated with a few passengers, and mostly not as scheduled, transport operators said. The police said it was bracing for more violence as the 60-hour national stoppage against the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina neared its end tonight. Four persons have been killed and at least 300 injured in strike violence across the country in the past two years, hundreds have been arrested. "We are doing the usual jobs... but with a bigger presence of police and paramilitary troops", a police security officer said. Government and private offices were again mostly deserted today. The strike, the sixth by the Opposition this year, comes as Bangladesh tries to rebuild after recent floods claimed more than 1,500 lives. Meanwhile, the Army on Wednesday made a rare foray into the country's latest political crisis, accusing the opposition leader of making "provocative statements". The move condemning Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Khaleda Zia came as a three-day general strike called by the BNP and its allies entered its final hours. A defence Press Office statement said reported comments by Khaleda Zia on Monday over security road blocks in front of her house were "provocative". It criticised her for pursuing political activities in the military district where she lives and also criticised the behaviour of her family. The military ruled Bangladesh directly or indirectly between 1975 and 1990, and this was its first statement in recent years linked to politics. The army called for an explanation of reports on Khaleda Zia's outburst. "Khaleda Zia said the government had destroyed the army. The government has withdrawn the army from the Chittagong Hill Tracts and engaged them in controlling traffic", the army quoted her as saying. Speaking to soldiers and officers present at the scene, she said "don't you want to continue your job in the army in the future?" The comments were
published in yesterday's newspapers, but the BNP said
they were "false and baseless". |
7 Maoists shot dead in Nepal KATHMANDU, Nov 11 (AFP) — The police shot dead seven Maoist activists in a night gunbattle, officials said today. They said the activists opened fire first when stopped by the police in Hapur village, Dang district, 395 km west from here, on Monday night. “The suspected insurgents started firing first after the police asked the group to stop for questioning and in the exchange of gunfire that ensued, seven of the Maoists were killed on the spot while a few others fled the scene after the incident,” a police spokesman said. The police later seized guns, grenades, explosives and fusewire. The underground Nepal Communist Party-Maoist has been waging a “people’s war” since February, 1996, demanding that the constitutional monarchial system in Nepal be replaced by a people’s republic. Nearly 40 persons have been killed since the party announced in mid-October that the war had gone into a “fourth stage”. Government calls for the Maoists to take their grievances to the negotiating table have been rejected until their demands are met. Their demands include the
release of all their activists, cancellation of arrest
warrants on Maoist leaders and a guarantee that the
negotiators will not be arrested. |
Israeli Cabinet ratifies pact with conditions JERUSALEM, Nov 11 (AFP) — The Israeli Government ratified the Wye river peace accord with the Palestinians today, but only after attaching several riders to the decision, officials said. After nearly six hours of debate, Cabinet Ministers in the Benjamin Netanyahu government voted eight to four with five abstentions to ratify the so-called Wye river land-for-security agreement, they said. The Cabinet also approved
maps of the West Bank zones to be turned over to
Palestinian control under the accord. |
Prabhakaran to be tried in absentia COLOMBO, Nov 11 (PTI) — The LTTE chief V Prabhakaran, his close associate and intelligence wing leader Pottu Amman and six other rebels will be tried in absentia in the case relating to the attack on the headquarters of Sri Lanka’s Central Bank here in 1996, the Colombo High Court has ruled. The court granted permission yesterday for their trial in absentia after the prosecution expressed its inability to serve the summons on the LTTE leaders, who were charged with death and destruction caused by the attack carried out by a gang of heavily armed LTTE suicide cadre. Over 90 persons were killed and 1,400 injured in the bomb attack on the bank. Two LTTE guerrillas, who
allegedly took part in the attack, were later arrested
and charged with murder and conspiracy along with
Prabhakaran and eight others on a record 712 counts. |
India, China set to resume talks BEIJING, Nov 11 (PTI) — Officials of India and China, whose bilateral relations have witnessed a downturn after the Pokhran nuclear tests, will meet here this month to prepare the groundwork and finalise the date for the 11th round of the joint working group (JWG) session. "A specific date would be worked out soon for the preparatory meeting before the next round of the JWG session here," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao said. "The preparatory meeting of the JWG will be held in Beijing this month," Zhu told PTI, adding "at present, the two sides are carrying out consultations on the specific date for this meeting through diplomatic channels." The fact that the countries are discussing dates for high-level meetings clearly indicates that they have recognised the need to engage in a dialogue rather than confrontation, diplomatic sources here said. The meetings are, however, likely to be stormy as both sides would like to bare their concerns, they said. "While the JWG has a fairly standard and established mandate, it is likely to discuss the recent developments in Sino-Indian relations," the sources said. Beijing will raise
questions on India’s threat perception from China,
while New Delhi will use the opportunity to express its
concerns about Chinese aid to Pakistan’s missile and
nuclear programmes, they added. |
Starr defended in Republican memo WASHINGTON, Nov 11 (AP) — US Republicans have received a fat memorandum outlining arguments in defence of independent counsel Kenneth Starr in preparation for next week’s House impeachment hearing. Mr Starr is to be the only major witness now scheduled as the Judiciary Committee opens its examination of possible impeachment of US President Bill Clinton. Committee members now are talking about calling a top Clinton aide however. The first part of a two-part memo, written by the committee’s Republican staff, is titled “positive points’’ about Mr Starr. The Associated Press was permitted to briefly review a copy. The memo’s first point, Judge Starr is one of the country’s premier lawyers. “The second part of the paper focuses on response to recent attacks’’ on Mr Starr by Democrats. The committee is investigating whether Mr Clinton committed perjury and other crimes in his admitted sexual relationship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky. Several of the six committee Republicans, who attended a 45-minute meeting yesterday said they were briefed on the panel’s schedule and told by aides that investigators and chairman Henry Hyde were still considering whether to call additional witnesses. Mr Hyde has said he wants the committee to vote on any articles of impeachment by the end of the year. If the committee approves the charges, they will then go to a vote of the House for possible trial in the Senate. The meeting came a day after Republican committee members sent a strong message that they’re not shaken by election losses and are intensifying attacks on Democrats who believe lying about sex is not an impeachable offence. Republicans are even considering expanding impeachment hearings next week by calling Clinton’s closest White House Adviser, Bruce Lindsey. This possibility arose
after the Supreme Court on Monday refused to shield Mr
Lindsey from questioning by prosecutors on what
conversations he had with Mr Clinton about Ms Lewinsky. |
France, Cuba to write off debts MANAGUA, (Nicaragua) Nov 11 (AP) — France and Cuba have announced that they were forgiving Nicaragua’s foreign debt to help it recover from hurricane Mitch. The French government also cancelled debts owed by Nicaragua’s neighbour, Honduras, while Ireland announced it was doubling aid to central American nations ravaged by the storm. Britain said it hoped to contribute to a trust fund for the region and added its support to calls for a moratorium on debt payments by all affected countries. President Arnoldo Aleman
yesterday announced France’s forgiveness of
Nicaragua’s debt, calling it a message of optimism
which surely will stimulate other countries to take the
same decision.” |
Oppn blasts Sharif over Shariah Bill ISLAMABAD, Nov 11 (PTI) — The Opposition in Pakistan has launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for trying to "bulldoze" Parliament and "inciting people for violence" against those opposing the controversial Shariah Bill. The Senate (upper house) witnessed uproarious scenes last evening as the entire Opposition attacked Mr Sharif for his recent remarks in public meetings where he alleged one of the Opposition Senators had made blasphemous remarks against the Prophet. The Opposition also alleged that the Prime Minister, during the meetings, urged people to force the Senate to pass the Bill. Trading verbal blows for nearly four hours with the Treasury Benches, Senators of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), the Awami National Party and other parties alleged "he (Sharif) is trying to, ‘bulldoze’ Parliament by using Islam and is inciting people for violence against them". Defending the Prime
Minister, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Muhammad
Yasin Watoo said Mr Sharif had only asked people to urge
their representatives to pass the Shariah Bill in the
Senate. |
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| A tale of two brains WASHINGTON: Doctors who conducted the autopsy on President John F. Kennedy may have performed two brain examinations in the days following his assassination. The Washington Post says it is possible that doctors might have examined two different brains. The central contention of the report is that brain photographs in the Kennedy records are not of Kennedy’s brain and show much less damage than Kennedy sustained when he was shot in Dallas and brought to Parkland Hospital there on November 22, 1963. Doctors at Parkland told reporters that they thought Kennedy was shot from the front and not from behind as the Warren Commission had concluded. — PTI Statue ‘Jinnah’
in London Dictator’s
wealth Rich-poor gap ‘Jackal’s’
fast |
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