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Wednesday,
March 27, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Pervez
‘must snap’ ISI-ultras’ link Kashmir
issue ‘top priority’ for USA 3 NRIs’
role in Oscar-winning film Israeli
Cabinet split on letting Arafat go |
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Referendum
issue for ‘Pak courts to decide’ Norwegians,
LTTE begin talks
Quattrocchi’s plea US
military to train Afghan army Annan to
urge Iraq on inspectors
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Pervez ‘must snap’ ISI-ultras’ link Washington, March 26 Musharraf seems to be slipping in the crackdown on terrorists and the USA, which continues to support the military leader, should be alert to a possible backsliding, the paper said in an editorial. The Times said Musharraf should not seek to legitimise his military rule with a referendum. “Musharraf’s plan to try to legitimise his military rule with a referendum this year is unacceptable and should be discouraged by Washington. He needs to hold free and fair elections.” Musharraf has promised to hold democratic elections in October. Although the Pakistani leader arrested 2,000 terrorists, and cooperated with the USA in finding the culprits involved in the murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, he “must accelerate his efforts to purge the ISI of links with terrorist groups operating in Afghanistan, Kashmir and within Pakistan.” Acting against these groups, the paper said, “is likely to generate opposition to Musharraf within the army and, some say, could endanger his life. He has no choice but to change the direction of his troubled nation and its military establishment. “Dissident elements of the ISI have to be rooted out, and the agency has to end its support of Islamic insurgents in Kashmir and cease intimidating Pakistani civilian politicians.” The daily complimented Musharraf on his “impressive record” of going after groups linked to terrorism. But because of the continuing ability of terrorists to strike back with such actions as the attack last Sunday on a Protestant church in Islamabad and Pearl’s murder, Musharraf at times appears not to be doing enough. Bush continues to support the Pakistani leader and credit his efforts. For now, that backing seems justified. But the USA must be alert to possible backsliding and keep pressure on Musharraf to return democracy to Pakistan, according to the influential daily.
IANS |
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Kashmir issue ‘top priority’ for USA
Washington, March 26 “Relations between India and the USA have always been and will continue to be very important. And the issue particularly involving what is happening in Afghanistan makes it even more so because of the relations between India and Pakistan, the importance of a peaceful resolution of any of the differences involving Kashmir”, White House Press Secretary Arie Fleischer said yesterday. “So it is a top priority, it is something that the President has focussed on, as well as the State Department too, of course”, Mr Fleschier said. Asked about the State Department’s decision to withdraw non-essential US personnel out of Pakistan, Mr Fleischer said: “These are issues that, unfortunately, the State Department must wrestle with from time to time in different regions of the world”.
PTI |
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3 NRIs’ role in Oscar-winning film
New York, March 26 Needless to say Mahesh Ramasubramanian, Vinitha Rangaraju and Rahul Chandrakant Thakkar jumped with joy when their creation was announced as the winner of the Oscar for Best Animation film. The trio played key roles in their own fields in the production of “Shrek,” the movie that stole the hearts of young and old alike. As part of the Pacific Data Images (PDI), a Dreamworks affiliate, these software developers got exposure to Hollywood, which would have been otherwise near-impossible. “We loved making the movie, people enjoyed watching it, and now, critics have said they love it too,” said an excited Ramasubramanian, who has had a hand in adding character to a disgusting, ugly, yet somehow adorable, computer-generated ogre who takes mud showers and uses earwax cones as dinner candles. The visual effects developer said it took longer time for him to start liking the ogre, as he fell in love with the donkey at first instance! Rangaraju, who was the lighting technical director of the movie and also the lighting animator on several shots, would work on night and day effects, shadows and so on. Do they feel like winners themselves? “Of course! All the 300 of us (crew members) cannot be present to receive the award. But we know it’s the work of our hand that has won the award. Aaron Warner (producer) representing all of us received the award. We are extremely proud to be part of the team,” Ramasubramanian said, still in a delirium. A party for them on the day of the Oscar presentation was held at the Icon Club. To give them the feel of the Oscar venue, a red carpet was spread out, interviewers asked questions on outfits of the guests, and massive screens were telecasting the awards presentation live. “We felt we were in the ceremony,” the 27-year-old Pilani’s Birla Institute of Technology and Sciences graduate added. An independent category for Animated Film has been included in Oscar for the first time this year, which itself is an achievement for the animation field. The category was added on account of more than eight films produced last year.
IANS  |
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Israeli
Cabinet split on letting Arafat go
Jerusalem, March 26 A cabinet official said Prime Minister Ariel Sharon felt Arafat had not done enough to curb violence to earn a lifting of travel restrictions, but Defence Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer supported the Palestinian’s trip. As the debate raged, Israel said it had agreed in principle to US compromise proposals for a truce, while the Palestinians expressed reservations which they hoped to work out in new talks. The Palestinians had a meeting scheduled here today with US envoy Anthony Zinni, with three-way security talks including the Israelis likely to follow, according to a US official. The Israelis had set establishment of an effective truce as a condition for giving Arafat the green light to go to Beirut for the summit, opening tomorrow, that will feature a Saudi initiative for West Asia peace. But Cabinet official said Sharon, a long-time nemesis of Arafat, was cool to the idea of releasing the Palestinian from nearly four months of confinement in the West Bank. “Up to now, conditions are not right to allow Arafat to travel abroad,” the official told AFP. BRUSSELS: The European Union urged Israel on Tuesday to let Palestinian President Yasser Arafat travel to an Arab summit in Beirut unconditionally. European Commission spokeswoman Emma Udwin told a news conference EU leaders had made very clear at a summit this month that Arafat “should be given full freedom to travel to Beirut or anywhere else and without preconditions”. “It’s particularly important on this occasion because...we regard the Saudi initiative as a very important one, perhaps a unique opportunity to find a way out of the current situation. So we continue to hope that he will be allowed to travel,” she said. Meanwhile, two Palestinians were killed today when they blew up their car filled with explosives close to Jerusalem’s largest shopping mall after the Israeli police spotted them, the police said. The explosion, about a kilometre from the Malkha mall in southwest Jerusalem, occurred after the police sighted the suspect vehicle and gave it a chase. When the police closed in on the Palestinians, they blewup their car, the police said, adding that no police or passers-by was wounded by the blast.
AFP, Reuters |
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Referendum issue for ‘Pak courts to decide’
Washington, March 26 “The legality of particular actions, such as a referendum” is “to be decided by the courts,” State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said yesterday. The USA, he said, has made clear its view that restoration of democratic civilian rule is critical to Pakistan’s political and economic development. It is important that Pakistan follows constitutional procedures with the legality of particular actions such as referendum to be decided by the courts, Mr Boucher said. “We are pleased by President Musharraf’s reaffirmation earlier this year of his commitment to hold provincial and national elections by October. We welcome those steps towards return of civilian rule in Pakistan and we will continue to encourage and support this process,” he said. Analysts noted that the indication in Pakistan of President Musharraf’s intention to hold a referendum to make himself an elected President has put Americans on the horns of a dilemma. They view support for President Musharraf as essential to safeguard US interests. At the same time, because no coup leader has been rejected by any country if he holds a referendum, they don’t seem too comfortable with that idea, the analysts added.
PTI |
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Norwegians, LTTE begin talks Omanthai (Sri Lanka), March 26 The arrival of Anton Balasingham, also the spokesman for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, has boosted anticipation that his meetings with rebel leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran and the Norwegians would help lead soon to direct peace talks. “They have been holding talks but there are no details,” an LTTE official told at the border crossing point Omanthai, about 230 km northeast of Colombo. The pro-LTTE Tamilnet website said the two would meet Norwegian peace negotiator Erick Solheim and Norwegian ambassador to Sri Lanka Jon Westborg “to discuss matters related to the permanent ceasefire between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan Government”. Balasingham flew direct to Wanni from the Maldivian capital of Male because he could fly through Colombo as the government has outlawed the rebel group as a terrorist organisation. His visit would have been unthinkable before the rebels and government signed a ceasefire agreement last month. The government said it had allowed the visit because it was important to the process. “No laws or regulations were violated in the process,” the government said in a statement, trying to head off criticism from nationalists among the majority Sinhalese. The Norwegians, asked by the government and Tigers to act as a go-between to try to end nearly two decades of fighting, helped arrange the trip so Balasingham and Prabhakaran could prepare for peace talks with the government. Direct negotiations — the first serious talks between the two sides in seven years — are expected within several months. Balasingham, who lives in UK, suffers from a serious kidney ailment and needs regular medical attention — a factor involved in deciding the venue of the talks, expected to begin this summer. Thailand has emerged as the latest favourite among the Sri Lankan media for the talks venue, but government officials say no decision has been made. Solheim and Westborg flew by helicopter to Wanni after meeting Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in Colombo. They were accompanied by General Trond Furohovde (retired), who heads the ceasefire monitoring mission.
Reuters |
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Quattrocchi’s plea Kuala Lumpur, March 26 His counsel told the court that even if New Delhi had established a criminal case against his client the offence would have to be recognised as a crime under the Malaysian law to warrant his extradition.
PTI |
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US military to train Afghan army
Washington, March 26 “The programme scheduled to commence within four to six weeks envisages training cycles of approximately 10 weeks in duration and will be led by 125 to 150 US Army Special Forces soldiers”, a Pentagon release quoted Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld as saying. A “Train the Trainer” programme aimed at training a cadre of Afghan officers and non-commissioned officers who will eventually assume training responsibilities from the US-led Training Task Force, will also be implemented. Chaman (Pakistan): A newly captured Taliban commander was moved under heavy escort today to the southern Afghan city of Kandahar, where US forces are holding scores of Taliban and Al-Qaida operatives, witnesses said. They said dozens of Afghan troops, with a helicopter flying overhead, escorted Mullah
Rehmatullah, who is said to have been responsible for handling the stream of foreign fighters who came to Afghanistan to fight alongside the ultra-Islamic
Taliban. PTI, Reuters |
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Annan to urge Iraq on inspectors United Nations, March 26 Announcing the dates for the meeting to be held in New York, chief United Nations spokesman Fred Eckhard said Mr Annan is “hoping for substantive and focussed discussions, specifically on the issue of (admission of) arms inspectors”. The meeting would come after the Arab summit in Beirut, where, Baghdad is expected to press the leaders to call for lifting of sanctions against.
PTI |
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New
York, March 26
Israeli
leaders appeared split today over whether to let Palestinian chief
Yasser Arafat attend a crucial Arab summit in Beirut as talks inched
forward on a ceasefire laid down as a precondition.
(
Omanthai
(Sri Lanka), March 26
