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Monday,
June 18, 2001, Chandigarh, India   |
Massacre delays peace
talks with Maoists
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All 15 hostages in Tajikistan
freed
Indo-Russian
missile talks from June 20 Canada warns Pak of C’wealth
sanctions |
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No proof of charity by
spy One-time waiver on arms supplies to Pakistan Oldham tense after fresh
protests
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Massacre delays peace talks with Maoists Kathmandu, June 17 Mr Padma Ratna Tuladhar is acting as a go-between for Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala’s government and the Maoist rebels who control large parts of rural Nepal. The Maoists have been fighting a “people’s war” since 1996 to overthrow the constitutional monarchy and replace it with a republic. More than 1,600 persons have died in the insurgency. Mr Tuladhar said the fragile relationship between the two sides had disintegrated since the royal palace massacre on June 1, which left the King and nine other royals dead and propelled Birendra’s brother Gyanendra onto the throne. Mr Tuladhar, a member of Nepal’s Human Rights Commission, said the two sides had recently agreed in principle to meet each other for talks. “Before the tragedy of the killings there was movement towards dialogue between the two sides,” he said. But after the massacre, the Maoists released a statement saying that Gyanendra and the Prime Minister were behind the killings. They called for the army and the people to join forces with them to overthrow the government. “The government must be seen to be supporting the new King, so how can they talk to a group that says Gyanendra killed his brother,” he said. “I believe the dialogue process will be interrupted for some time. But we are still trying hard to bring them together”, Mr Tuladhar said. The Maoists had warmed to King Birendra, even though they want to overthrow the institution of monarchy, because he reportedly refused to send the army to fight against them. Although Nepal has had a constitutional monarchy since 1990, the King is supreme commander of the armed forces and retains influence in political affairs. Mr Tuladhar revealed that Birendra’s younger brother, Dhirendra, who also died in the palace shooting, had made contacts with the Maoists to encourage dialogue. “Birendra was liberal towards the Maoists and sent his brother to them as his representative. But Gyanendra is seen as more hardline,” Mr Tuladhar said. The government has clamped down on the Maoists since the killings. The Editor of Nepali newspaper “Kantipur”, which published an article written by Maoist rebel leader Baburam Bhattarai in the aftermath of the massacre, has been charged with treason against the monarchy. Mr Tuladhar said the Maoists had not been able to exploit the instability in Nepal following the killing of almost the entire royal family. “There are Maoists in Kathmandu, but they are not very strong in numbers. If they hold a demonstration there will only be 50 or 100 of them and they are afraid of being arrested and imprisoned. They would have to gain support from other groups if they were to make an impact in Kathmandu.”
AFP |
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Bush, Putin part with cautious embrace Brdo Pri Kranju (Slovenia), June 17 Mr Putin, controlled and pragmatic, remained unwavering in his opposition to US missile defence plans and the expansion of NATO toward Russia’s borders. Mr Bush, affable and upbeat, praised Mr Putin as “a man Americans can trust.” Though Mr Putin was delighted to get an invitation to Mr Bush’s ranch in Texas this autumn and the men shared compliments, no documents were signed and there was little sign of breakthroughs. For both sides, the brief chance to meet face-to-face was the turning point, amid tensions over arms control, spy scandals and Russia’s cooperation with Iran. Now they can get down to crafting specific deals and policies, aides say. “I was able to get a sense of his soul,” Mr Bush said. “We talked straightforward. Nothing was rejected out of hand ... and there was a receptivity that I was most pleased to see,” he said. The Presidents looked relieved as they left a joint news conference for a glass of champagne on the terrace of the Brdo castle before departure. The meeting ended Mr Bush’s five-day, five-nation maiden tour of Europe, where he encountered skepticism from allies over his missile defence policy, global warming, trade and capital punishment. In reiterating the US argument in favour of missile defence, Mr Bush said it would be aimed at “rogue states” that also threatened Russia. Mr Bush insisted that relations would not hinge on missile defence, and stressed that he and Mr Putin also talked about other things, such as conflicts in the Balkans, West Asia and , Afghanistan, besides breakaway Chechnya, where Russia has come under international criticism for alleged excesses by its troops. Mr Bush chafed at a question about what incentives he might have offered Mr Putin to gain Russian acquiescence. White House aides had said in advance that Mr Bush was prepared to offer Mr Putin inducements such as arms purchases, military aid and joint anti-missile exercises with Russia. “We didn’t have a bargaining session. We had a session between two men who came to office for the right purpose,” Mr Bush said. They also discussed ways to improve foreign investment in Russia, and Mr Bush paid Mr Putin an impressive compliment: “I was so impressed that Mr Putin was able to simplify his tax code in Russia with a flat tax. I’m not so sure I’ll have the same success with the Congress.” Mr Putin called the ABM treaty the “cornerstone of the modern architecture of international security” and added: “Any unilateral actions can only make more complicated various problems and issues.”
Mr Bush returned to Washington yesterday night. AP |
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Bush’s greatest title is ‘Dad’ Brdo Pri Kranju (Slovenia), June 17 In a rare joint radio address with his wife Laura, Mr Bush said yesterday that his father former President George Bush had given him the most precious gift in life — unconditional love — and said the greatest title he himself would ever have was Dad.” “Many Americans believe that their father is the finest man they have ever known. That’s certainly true in my case,” Mr Bush said in his weekly radio address released in Slovenia, where he is wrapping up a five-day European trip. “My dad provided me with life’s greatest gift: unconditional love,” he added. “And he still makes sure all his children know how much he loves us.” In his first five months as President, Mr Bush has seldom spoken of his father in public in an apparent effort to avoid comparisons and to be seen as his own man. Mr Bush, father to twin 19-year-old daughters, spoke of the joys of fatherhood and the importance of parents providing a good example to their children as he marked Father’s Day, which falls today. The Bush twins, college students Jenna and Barbara, have recently received citations for underage drinking in episodes that have drawn broad media coverage, to the White House’s dismay. The President spoke of fatherhood as a watershed event in his own life. “So many of my generation had the same experience I did. When we held our children for the first time, we found ourselves,” he said. “We found a world of duty and love that changed our lives. And since that day, ‘Dad’ has been the (most) important title I have ever held or will ever hold.” Americans celebrate Father’s Day today. Joining him in the taped radio broadcast, Mrs Laura Bush happily recalled childhood drives with her father, “bumping along the dusty roads of West Texas in our car.” Reuters |
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All 15 hostages in Tajikistan freed Dushanbe, June 17 “This (their release) became possible thanks to the fact that...Emergency Situations Minister of Tajikistan Mirzo Ziyoyev flew to Tavildara and held talks with the kidnappers after which all 15 hostages were freed,” a highly-placed official in the presidential administration said. The group, taken hostage by former fighters of the Islamic opposition gunmen serving in the Central Asian state’s Emergencies Ministry under the terms of a 1997 peace agreement, included a US citizen and two Germans. The 15 civilians working for German aid group Agro Action were kidnapped on Friday during a visit to the Tavildara district, 180 km east of the capital Dushanbe. An Agro Action source, confirming the release of the hostages, said, “They will probably return to Dushanbe this evening.” A Security Ministry official said the kidnappers were led by Said Akhmatov, commander of an Emergencies Ministry paramilitary battalion. They had been demanding the release of Akhmatov’s brother Nazarali Yormakhmadov and several others arrested last month on suspicion of taking part in the murder of Deputy Interior Minister Khabib Sanginov in April, the Security Ministry official said. But the presidential administration source said the hostages were freed without any conditions and none of the kidnappers’ demands would be met. Ziyoyev, who appeared to have negotiated the release of the hostages, was formerly one of the main figures in the Islamic opposition to which Akhmatov and the kidnappers belonged.
Reuters |
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Indo-Russian
missile talks from June 20 Moscow, June 17 Mr T.C.A. Rangachari, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs and Deputy Russian Foreign Minister Georgy Mamedov are to co-chair the Indo-Russian Working Group on Strategic Security to discuss the implications of the abrogation of the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) treaty to adjust US plans for a missile shield to protect itself and allies from the missiles of “rogue” states. Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov and External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh had agreed to set up this working group during the Indian minister’s recent Russia visit to dispel speculations over New Delhi’s welcome of the Bush missile defence plans. Observers note that the Indo-Russian group is to hold its meeting close on the heels of the US-Russian Ljubljana Summit at which the future of ABM treaty and the US NMD plans were at the top of the agenda of President George W. Bush and Russian leader Vladimir Putin. The appointment of Mr Mamedov, who looks after the relations with the USA in his ministry and is Russia’s key arms control negotiator, as the co-chairman of the Indo-Russian body on missile defence issues also indicates the importance Moscow attaches to dialogue with New Delhi and virtually sees India as a nuclear power.
PTI |
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Canada warns Pak of C’wealth
sanctions Toronto, June 17 During an hour-long meeting in Ottawa, Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Manley repeatedly asked his visiting Pakistani counterpart Abdul Sattar when Islamabad would hold elections. “The minister (Manley) made it very clear that if Pakistan is not very clear about an electoral timetable, they may face some sanctions from the Commonwealth at the meeting in Brisbane,” Sanjeev Chowdhury, Mr Manley’s Press Secretary, said. Mr Manley also told Mr Sattar that Pakistan’s return to democracy was a key element in re-establishing full relations between the two countries. He said possible sanctions against Pakistan would be at the top of the agenda when Commonwealth heads of states met in Australia in October. “Our policy with Pakistan is one of critical engagements” and that implies maintaining pressure on the military regime to live up to its undertaking on the country’s transition to democracy, Mr Chowdhury said. Mr Manley indicated Canada was working with the Commonwealth. Mr Chowdhury said Mr Sattar spoke about the recent local elections in Pakistan and the likelihood of Islamabad holding federal elections by October, 2002. But Mr Manley, noting that Pakistan had suspended democracy, wanted a firm indication of elections at both the federal and provincial levels. He advised Mr Sattar that Islamabad should go to Brisbane with “very specific (election) dates”. To Mr Sattar, membership of the Commonwealth is symbolic but economic sanctions could be another matter. He reportedly said Pakistan needed another year to prepare for the elections. He was reportedly not sure what difference it would make if the elections were held in two years and nine months or two years and 10 months. Mr Sattar also met Secretary of State for Asia Pacific Rey Pagtakhan. Pakistani High Commissioner Tariq Altaf could not be reached for comment. Before his arrival in Canada, Pakistani officials had indicated Canada would announce lifting of sanctions imposed in May, 1998, after the nuclear tests. “There is this sense of discrimination,” Mr Sattar was quoted here as saying. “Pakistan was not the first country to conduct these (nuclear) tests in 1998. But relations with Pakistan remain abnormal whereas the country which conducted the tests first has achieved normalisation.” “The Canadian move to keep Pakistan frozen in sanctions looks more inexplicable in view of the fact that Pakistan’s nuclear blasts were in response to India’s initiative in the nuclear field,” said Mr Andy Merchant, President of the Pakistan-Canada Business Council. “As such, if India can be deemed worthy of being absolved of its ‘guilt’, there is no understandable reason why Pakistan should still be made to pay for its ‘infraction’,” he said. While announcing the lifting of sanctions against India in March, Mr Manley had expressed Canada’s deep concern over the dangerous trend toward nuclear proliferation in South Asia. Canada continues to call on India to renounce its nuclear weapons programme, to sign and ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and join the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) as a non-nuclear weapons state.
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No proof of charity by spy
Washington, June 17 Hanssen has been accused of spying for the Russian intelligence agency, the KGB, and indicted on 21 counts, 14 of which could carry the death penalty. On Friday, CBS News quoted Hanssen’s wife Bonnie as saying that her husband had promised a New York-based Catholic priest that he would divert the funds he received from the KGB to the Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity. However, the charity refused to confirm the donations, saying that they did not keep track of them. Bonnie told the investigators that after she stumbled on evidence in 1980 that her husband was passing information to the KGB, she took him to Father Robert P Bucciarelli on how to seek repentance for his unpatriotic act, the New York Times said. The priest first asked Hanssen to give himself up, but later asked him to seek salvation by donating the money received from his spying activities to charity. Bonnie told investigators that Hanssen told her that he had given the money to Mother Teresa’s Kolkata-based charity in small instalments. She, however, admitted that she did not have independent evidence to prove that Hanssen actually donated the money. The Times quoted Sister Mary Domingo, chief of the Eastern United States region of the Missionaries of Charity as saying that she could not confirm the donations and would not discuss contributions to the Charity.
UNI |
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One-time waiver on arms supplies to Pakistan Washington, June 17 The waiver allows spare parts for systems such as Cobra attack helicopters, tube-launched, optically-tracked, wire-guided missiles and M-113 armoured personnel carriers. A UN spokesman defending the waiver, said it was important that peacekeeping units arrived as fully-equipped and as self-sufficient as possible. A panel of the House of Representatives has already cleared the waiver which has been sent to the Senate for final perusal as required by law. Officials here said they anticipated no opposition in the Senate, hoping that the equipment required by Pakistani force would be despatched to Sierra Leone by the end of this month. Pakistan has committed 4,000-men brigade for the UN peace-keeping mission in Sierra Leone. This will make it the largest contributor of men to nearly 11 UN peacekeeping missions across the world surpassing Bangladesh. ANI |
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Oldham tense after fresh protests London, June 17 The most recent tension in the northwest England town erupted between a group of National Front supporters and around 40 members of the Anti-Nazi League, a police spokesman said. “The crowd was quite vocal and some racist remarks were made and the commanding officer decided to move in and make the arrests,” said a spokesman for the Greater Manchester police. Oldham has become a byword for racial violence in Britain since hundreds of Asian youths last month threw petrol bombs at the police and attacked cars and shops amid claims that they were not being adequately protected from racist taunts and violence. The situation was exacerbated by last week’s British general election when the far-right British National Party won 16 per cent of the vote in one
Oldham constituency and 11 per cent in another. Reuters |
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