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| Sunday, September 9, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
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Sanctions against India, Pak may be lifted simultaneously Washington, September 8 Pakistan is moving towards serial production of solid-propellant short range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) with assistance from China, the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has said.
EU, Africa reach pact on slavery 600 Jaish ultras booked, 50 held
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| Megawati tenders
another apology Banda Aceh (Indonesia), September 8 Indonesia’s President today made an emotional apology to the people of Aceh for their suffering under past governments and said dialogue was the only way to halting bloodshed in the rebellious province.
2 killed in poll violence in Bangladesh Dhaka, September 8 Two persons have been killed in political violence in the run up to Bangladesh’s October 1 general elections which will be contested by at least 95 political parties and 1,931 candidates, officials said today.
Abu Sabaya’s brother captured
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Sanctions
against India, Pak may be lifted simultaneously Washington, September 8 If this happens, say analysts, it would be clear that, despite the Bush Administration’s assertions to the contrary, US foreign policy’s “zero sum game” strategy is very much alive. The administration understandably argued against any such perception. A senior official told IANS: “It is clear if sanctions are lifted against India for the nuclear tests conducted in May, 1998, it will also be appropriate to lift nuclear sanctions on Pakistan. This does not mean the status of sanctions imposed on Pakistan as a result of the military takeover in October, 1999, would change.” In her only interview since being confirmed Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs by the Senate, Christina Rocca had told IANS that the concept of the zero sum game towards South Asia had been totally eliminated from Washington’s foreign policy lexicon. “India and Pakistan are important to the United States, separately and for different reasons,” she said. Leading the charge, however, for the simultaneous lifting of sanctions is Senator Sam Brownback, ranking Republican on the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee and author of the Brownback Amendment, which gives the President permanent authority to waive the sanctions against New Delhi and Islamabad. Pakistani American groups have invited Brownback and other influential Senators to political parleys and had hosted fundraising receptions to convince them that lifting the sanctions against India alone would be deemed “discriminatory” in Pakistan and would further alienate the USA there. At most of these events, the warm-up act has been by Pakistan’s Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi. “We have emphasised that once the sanctions review is completed, removal or waiver of sanctions against Pakistan and India should be done concurrently,” she said. At the same time, she urged the Pakistani American community to strongly “convey to administration as well as members of Congress that all nuclear-related sanctions against Pakistan must be removed or waived keeping in mind principles of fairness and non-discrimination.” Pakistan is deftly playing another card by arguing that if the USA is discriminatory in lifting sanctions, it would complicate the rapprochement Islamabad seeks with New Delhi. There is no denying that Congress and the administration have been listening. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher echoed these sentiments: “Pakistan is a friend of long standing. It is an important regional Islamic power. And we are committed to working through the difficult political, economic and social challenges with Pakistan.” A senior Pentagon official, Assistant Secretary of Defence for International Security Affairs Peter Rodman, went even further, taking a swipe at India in the process. He said during a media roundtable at the Pentagon: “The relationship with India is different. But Pakistan has been an ally over many decades. We, as a great power, shouldn’t be dispensing with allies when, you know, we think conditions have changed.” Senator Joe Biden, chairman, Foreign Relations Committee, left the door open for the lifting of sanctions against Pakistan as he urged the removal of sanctions against India. In his letter to President George Bush, he said: “Economic sanctions on India serve to stigmatise rather than stabilise. If we show our goodwill by removing this irritant, India will respond with reciprocal acts of goodwill in non-proliferation and other areas. (Then) Congress will be more likely to look with favour on the repeal (rather than the mere waiver) of the 1998 sanctions”.
IANS |
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China helps Pak to make missiles: CIA Washington, September 8 “With Chinese assistance, Pakistan is moving toward serial production of solid-propellant SRBMs such as the Shaheen-I and Haider-I,” says the latest CIA report to the Congress on Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction, covering the period July through December 31, 2000. Stating that Pakistan flight-tested the Shaheen-I in 1999 and plans to flight-test the Haider-I in 2001, it says Islamabad will require continued Chinese and other assistance for the successful development of the two-stage Shaheen-III MRBM (medium range ballistic missile). “Pakistan continued to acquire nuclear-related and dual-use equipment and materials from various sources, principally in Western Europe. Islamabad has a well-developed nuclear weapons programme, as evidenced by its first nuclear weapons tests in late May 1998. “Acquisition of nuclear-related goods from foreign sources will remain important if Pakistan chooses to develop more advanced nuclear weapons,” the report says. It says “China, which has provided extensive support in the past to Islamabad’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes, in 1996 pledged it would not provide assistance to unsafeguarded nuclear facilities in any state, including Pakistan. We cannot rule out, however, some unspecified contacts between Chinese entities and entities involved in Pakistan’s nuclear weapons development.” “Pakistan continues to rely on China and France for its ACW (advanced conventional weapons) requirements and negotiated to purchase an additional 40 F-7 fighters from China,” the CIA report says. It says that during this reporting period, China continued to take a very narrow interpretation of its bilateral non-proliferation commitments to the USA and is a “primary supplier” of advanced conventional weapons to Pakistan, Iran and Sudan, among others. The CIA indicated that Pakistan had also been receiving missile assistance from North Korea, using the expression “South Asia”. “Throughout the second half of 2000, North Korea continued to export significant ballistic missile-related equipment, components, materials and technical expertise to countries in the Middle East, South Asia and North Africa.” The CIA warns that “as their domestic capabilities grow, traditional recipients of weapons of mass destruction and missile technology could emerge as new suppliers of technology and expertise. “Many of these countries such as India, Iran and Pakistan are not members of supplier groups such as the Nuclear Suppliers Group, Australia Group and the Missile Technology Control Regime and do not adhere to their export cons-traints”. “In addition, private companies, scientists and engineers in Russia, China and India may be increasing their involvement in weapons of mass destruction and missile-related assistance, taking advantage of weak or unenforceable national export controls and the growing availability of technology.”
PTI |
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EU, Africa reach pact on slavery Durban (South Africa), September 8 “I can confirm that agreement between the EU and the Africa group on the document on the past has been reached...the right wording has been found,’’ EU spokesman Koen Vervaeke said. A senior African negotiator also confirmed the deal. “It (a deal) has been reached,’’ the negotiator said. Vervaeke and the negotiator declined to give details of the agreement. Africa and the EU have been at loggerheads over how to address past injustices, including slavery and colonialism, as well as the issue of reparations for damage done. Negotiations also resumed in Durban to reach an agreement on the thorny issue of West Asia. Arab and Muslim nations accepted a compromise text on the Middle East at the United Nations conference on racism today. The Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) said although the text did not “adequately reflect the magnitude and untold suffering of Palestinian people for over 50 years or the situation in the Middle East in the recent months,” it would not block its passage. NEW DELHI: After his return from the world conference on racism in South Africa, Dalit leader Ram Raj today said the Indian Government’s stiff resistance to inclusion of casteism in the Durban declaration had itself internationalised the issue and described it as a “Triumph of the Dalit agenda.” The
Chairman of the Confederation of SC/ST Organisations, Mr Ram Raj,
told reporters here that the Dalit lobby at Durban had been highly successful in making the world aware of the rampant caste discrimination in the country.
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600 Jaish ultras booked, 50 held Islamabad, September 8 Five policemen, including Gujaranwala City SP Mushtaq Hussain, were injured when Jaish members hurled stones and later fired at the police when the security personnel attempted to prevent them from taking out an unauthorised procession in the town two days ago, the daily ‘Dawn’ reported today. In a crackdown later, the police arrested 50 leaders and activists of the outfit and registered anti-terrorism cases against 600 others, it said. Jaish-e-Muhammad, founded by Moulana Masood Azhar who was released by the Indian Government after the hijacking of an Indian Airlines plane in December, 1999, is one of the frontline militant outfits operating in Kashmir. Masood himself was scheduled to address the meeting at Gujaranwala on Thursday. The confrontation on Thursday began after Jaish activists group insisted on holding a public meeting at Sheranwala Bagh in Gujaranwala. But the administration declined to give permission asking them to hold the meeting in the local mosque. Later scores of Jaish activists blocked the traffic and chanted slogans against the government, police and the administration, the newspaper said, adding that Maulana Asmatullah also delivered a provocative speech against the government. The confrontation between the police and Jaish activists went on till early hours of yesterday, the report said.
PTI |
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Panel moots Fijian dominance Suva, September 8 The Constitution Commission was set up by the caretaker government following last year’s coup which overthrew the nation’s first Indian-led government of Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry. It will formally report next week but with Fiji still in a political hiatus following elections, it is far from clear which government it will report to. With a two-thirds majority required for constitutional change, and no political grouping able to obtain it, the commission’s views may languish. It does, however, provide an insight into indigenous fears of Indians, descendants of sugarcane workers imported by the British colonial masters in the 19th century. For immediate peace and stability, it is important to give priority to maintaining and effecting Fijian leadership in the country, and within a time frame to allow others to be culturally assimilated and accepted as Fijians, it recommends. Cultural assimilation needs to begin at school and the Fijian language needs to be made compulsory for all students, the report says. In surprisingly hostile, almost racist language, the government commission says Indians do not respect “the special position” of Fijians. “Their excessive, frequent and rather aggressive push to acquire political equality and leadership in Fiji displayed their lack of respect, and showed their insensitivity to the rights and interests of fijian paramountcy of political control in their country,” it said. Meanwhile, caretaker Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase said he was on the verge of forming a government to rule Fiji for the next five years. “I propose to go to government house on Monday to inform the president,” he told reporters today. Fiji held a week of voting and a further week of counting in a general election to restore democracy after a May, 2000, coup. The military-installed caretaker government of Qarase, now the Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua (SDL) party, holds a lead over the deposed Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry’s Fiji Labour Party (FLP). A small militant nationalist Conservative Alliance/Mata Nitu Vanua (MV), whose members include coup plotter George Speight, holds the balance of power.
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Megawati
tenders another apology
Banda Aceh (Indonesia), September 8 Ms Megawati Sukarnoputri made the apology, her second to Acehnese since taking office last July, while addressing a crowd of residents at the main mosque in the local capital Banda Aceh during a visit to the province. “The governments in the past have had shortcomings and made many mistakes. For that, personally and on behalf of the government as the President of Indonesia, I offer my deep apologies to the people of Aceh,” Ms Megawati said. “But we must look to the future, otherwise we will get nowhere.” Visibly emotional and constantly waving her right hand for emphasis, Ms Megawati also urged Acehnese to be patient as the government tried to develop the province. She called on unidentified parties to halt a wave of violence.
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Aid workers plead innocence Kabul, September 8 “During the investigation, we were accused of many things but that was not true,” Mr George Taubmann, Afghanistan director for Germany-based Christian relief agency Shelter Now International (SNI), told the court. Today marked the first time any of the detained foreigners — four Germans, two Australians and two Americans — had been seen or spoken in public since their arrest five weeks ago. Six are women and two men. Twenty-four SNI staff — the eight foreigners and 16 Afghans — were held on charges that could carry the death penalty. The detainees, have been identified as Taubmann, Katrin Jelinek, Margrit Stebner and Silke Durrkopf, who are all German; Australians Peter Bunch and Diana Thomas; and Americans Dayna Curry and Heather Mercer.
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2 killed in poll violence in Bangladesh Dhaka, September 8 The police and media reports said the two were killed in clashes yesterday in eastern Chandpur district. More than 70 persons have been killed in political violence in the volatile country since a caretaker government under Mr Latifur Rahman took over from former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed, who completed her five-year term in July.
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Abu Sabaya’s
brother captured Jolo (Philippines), September 8 Almuhayser Hilaw, brother of Abu Sabaya and two other members of the Abu Sayyaf were captured while one was killed when marines raided their hideout in the southern island of Jolo yesterday, Lieutenant Abdurafad Sirajan, head of town security, said. Sabaya is the spokesman for the Muslim armed group which is still holding two Americans and 16 Filipinos in the nearby island of Basilan.
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