 |
Saturday,
May 18, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
|
East Timor — birth of a new nation US plane bombs Afghan village
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Threat of worse attack: Cheney Sept 11 disclosures: Bush suffers jolt Pearl’s body traced, says police
Nod to review Pak’s
Shariah laws Israeli Army reoccupies Jenin Nepal Maoists
mull talks
|
|
East Timor — birth of a new nation
At the stroke of midnight on may 19, East Timor, ruled by Indonesia for more than a quarter of a century as its 27th province, joins the comity of independent nations, marking, to quote the UN secretary-general, Mr Kofi Annan, “a historic moment” for the tiny Pacific territory, and for the United Nations. “The pride of the East Timorese people on that night will also be the pride of the international community and of the UN”, says Mr Annan. “Rarely has the world come together with such unity, resolve and speed to secure a people’s self-determination.” For India, the long-awaited
transition of East Timor from a UN administered territory to a full-fledged, independent nation, is a moment to cherish, if only for the reason that one of its own distinguished diplomats will be assisting, as a special envoy of the UN secretary-general and the new head of the UN Mission of Support, in the efforts of the world body to help build the country. Mr Kofi Annan has recommended that the UN stay directly involved in the reconstruction of East Timor for three more years. The diplomat, Mr Kamalesh Sharma, until recently India’s ambassador at the United Nations, takes over from Mr Sergio Vieira de Mello from Brazil, who has governed East Timor since Indonesia abandoned its claim to the territory in late 1999. In a recent interview to the New York Times, Mr Sharma said while he expected to meet with the first president of East Timor, Mr Jose Alexandre Gusmao, and his cabinet regularly, the UN would put a high priority on turning over decision-making to the people of East Timor. President Gusmao, who scored a landslide victory in the
April elections, acknowledging the trust of the Timorese, has declared that the next five years will constitute “a great challenge not only for our government also for all of civil society and all the democratic institutions of our country.” East Timor’s 88-member legislative assembly which was elected in April last year will transform itself into a national parliament on May 20, and the new East Timor government will be sworn-in the same day. The 56-year old Mr Gusmao, who is often compared to Mr Nelson Mandela, had mounted resistance through Indonesia’s occupation of East Timor. He was captured in 1992 and held in Indonesia until his release in 1999. East Timor had been on the international agenda since 1960, when the UN General Assembly added the territory to the list of non-self-governing territories. At that time, East Timor was administered by Portugal. Fourteen years later, in 1974, Portugal sought to establish a provisional government and a popular assembly which would determine the status of East Timor. But civil war broke out between those who favoured independence and those advocated integration with Indonesia. Unable to control the situation, Portugasl withdrew. It was followed by military intervention and the territory was made the 27th province of the country. The world organisation, notes a UN press release, never recognised the integration and both the Security Council and the General Assembly called for Indonesian withdrawal. Between 100,000 and 200,000 East Timorese are believed to have died during the 25-year occupation by Indonesia and at least 1000 people were killed before and after the 1999 plebiscite. The path to independence started when an overwhelming majority of East Timorese on August 30, 1999, voted to separate from Indonesia. In response, militia groups, backed by elements in the Indonesian armed forces, embarked on a campaign of arson, looting and violence that was brought to an end only when UN forces intervened. Most of East Timor’s infrastructure was destroyed, and the country is still rebuilding after the devastation. East Timor, with a population of about 800,000, is currently administered by the UN Transitional Administration (UNTAET), which, together with East Timorese interim government, is engaged in rebuilding the nation and putting in place a new independent democracy. According to a UNDP report, East Timor will be the poorest in Asia after its May 20 independence. Donor countries and multilateral agencies which have just concluded a two-day conference in Dili to discuss post-independence support for the economical programme outlined by the East Timor government have pledged $ 360 million in aid to support the fledgling nation over the next three years. This support will complement a $ 81 million assistance already available through the Trust Fund for East Timor and the UNTAET successor mission, the UN Mission of Support in East Timor
(UNMISET). |
|
US plane bombs Afghan village
Islamabad, May 17 The bombing occurred overnight in Bal Khel village in Sabari district, 30 km north-east of Khost, the Pakistan-based private news service said, quoting local sources. A wedding was in progress in the village when people fired into the air in traditional celebration and US helicopters flying over the area could have mistaken it for hostile fire. An aircraft later bombed the area for several hours. It quoted sources as saying that terrified residents had been confined to their homes by fear and had not been able to remove dead bodies and evacuate the injured to hospitals for some time after the attack. Bagram air base (Afghanistan): The coalition forces have killed some Al-Qaida and Taliban troops in combat in the south-eastern Afghan province of Paktia, a British spokesman said on Friday. “The British forces supported by the coalition forces deployed in the south-east of Afghanistan to assist the Australian Special Air Services who are engaged in combat,” said British Commander General Roger Lane. He said the fighting was “in an area historically used by Taliban and Al-Qaida”. “The coalition has made contact with the enemy, some have been killed,” he said, adding that there were no casualties on the coalition side. “A number of attacks by air have been conducted.”
AFP |
|
Threat of worse attack: Cheney
New York, May 17 Mr Cheney in a speech in New York yesterday said an investigation by the Congress into possible intelligence failures ahead of the September 11 attacks, should be handled with great circumspection. “An investigation must not interfere with the ongoing efforts to prevent the next attack, because without doubt a very real threat of another perhaps more devastating attack still exists,’’ Mr Cheney said at the speech at a dinner marking the 40th anniversary of the New York State Conservative Party. Meanwhile, according to media reports Mr George W. Bush was about to sign a presidential directive aimed at launching an all-out assault on Al-Qaida two days before the September 11 attacks. The formal national security presidential directive dealing with all aspects of war against Al-Qaida arrived on Mr Bush’s desk on September 9, just before the attacks, NBC News said yesterday, citing US and foreign sources. Mr Bush probably did not have time to closely review the document in the two days before the attacks, officials believe. However, it had been submitted to his National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice and he was expected to sign it, according to the report. Under fire from angry lawmakers, the White House defended its decision not to alert Americans to information before the September 11 attacks that Osama bin Laden’s terrorist network wanted to hijack US airplanes. US President George Bush had received only general, non-specific information, during a vacation briefing at his Ranch on August 6, that Laden’s group was considering hijackings, and never considered making that information public, said US National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice. “You would have risked shutting down the American civil aviation system with such generalized information,” Mr Rice said on Thursday.
AFP |
|
Sept 11 disclosures: Bush suffers jolt
Washington, May 17 The Washington Post today said the lawmakers had demanded answers from the White House and threatened to launch expanded probes into whether the government did enough to protect American lives questioning the aura of invincibility that President Bush enjoyed after the September 11 terror attacks. In an uncommon move, Democrats shed their reticence about attacking the popular President. Some of the families of those killed in the twin attacks said the government had let them down. Joining the Democrats were the Republicans in expressing concern. Sen Richard C. Shelby (Ala), Republican on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence said, ‘’I believe, and others believe, if it had been acted on properly, we may have had a different situation on September 11th.’’ The terrorist attacks transformed Mr Bush’s presidency, lifting him from just over 50 per cent support in opinion polls to 90 per cent. For that reason, Democrats are hopeful — and some GOP congressional aides were nervous — that the sudden questioning of whether Mr Bush did enough to prevent the attacks could damage Mr Bush’s standing as a decisive and competent war leader, the Post said.
UNI
|
|
Osama alive, says Taliban leader Dubai, May 17 “The battle (in Afghanistan) has (just) started, its fire has been kindled and it will engulf the White House, seat of injustice and tyranny,” Mullah Mohammad Omar was quoted as saying by the Saudi pan-Arab daily Asharq
Al-Awsat. “Sheikh Osama is, thanks be to God, still alive, to the horror of (US President George W.) Bush,” he said.
AFP |
|
Pearl’s body traced,
says police
Karachi, May 17 “The initial reports are that the police is quite sure that it is the body of Daniel Pearl,” Mr Rashid Quereshi, presidential spokesman said in a telephone interview in Islamabad. A team of four forensic experts were taken today to a shallow grave in southern Karachi where the police uncovered a body the previous night. The police was led to the body by three suspects in the kidnapping case who identified the body as that of Pearl’s, Dr Qasim Soomro, Sindh provincial police surgeon, said. A heavily armed convoy of the police accompanied the four-member forensic team to the grave in Gadap. The body was dug up last night, but was not removed in order to protect the site and the evidence. One of the forensic specialists, Dr Tariq Mirza, is a DNA expert, Mr Soomro said. AP
|
|
Nod to review Pak’s
Shariah laws
Islamabad, May 17 The Council of Islamic Ideology of Pakistan decided to study the Hudood Ordinance “to identify all those parts which are not in accordance with the Koranic teachings and ‘Sunnah’ (traditions of Prophet Mohammad),” APP reported. It quoted council Chairman S.M. Zaman as telling reporters in Lahore that the council realised that the Hudood Ordinance could have “human errors.” The chances that some of its clauses had “fault” could not be ruled out, he said. The statement came as some women’s organisations launched a campaign for the repeal of the law after a court in the north-western Kohat district last month convicted 26-year-old Zafran Bibi of adultery and sentenced her to death by stoning. She has challenged the verdict and the country’s top Islamic court has admitted her appeal for hearing. Zafran Bibi was arrested more than a year ago but has denied the allegations, claiming that she was raped by her brother-in-law.
AFP |
|
Israeli Army reoccupies Jenin Jenin, May 17 A security source said scores of Israeli tanks, backed by helicopter gunships, had rolled into the Palestinian town and the refugee camp, opening fire on several targets, and that fighting with armed Palestinians was continuing one hour after the operation started. NABLUS: At least 15 Israeli tanks rumbled into the autonomous Palestinian city of Nablus in the north of the West Bank late on Thursday, Palestinian security officials said. Israeli soldiers opened fire, but with no reports of casualties, after the tanks entered the town from two directions. The army moved into Taluza, north of Nablus, and arrested at least 20 persons in house searches after telling villagers to stay in their homes. An army statement said there was a “brief incursion into Taluza” to “make arrests and destroy terrorist infrastructure in the area.”
AFP |
|
Nepal Maoists
mull talks Kathmandu, May 17 Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal, alias Prachanda, has offered to hold talks to end the seven-year-old insurgency, media reports said today. The Maoists proposal of talks was sent to seven political parties, which have formed an alliance to launch a campaign against the rebels throughout the country. The offer to negotiate an end to Nepal’s bloodiest internal conflict came several days after the rebels said the earlier proposal of talks was a hoax. Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba had rejected their proposal a few days ago.
UNI |
|
Russia condemns
Jammu massacre Moscow, May 17
|
|
|
20 die in bus crash Dar Es Salaam, May 17
|
 |
| Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir | Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs | Nation | Editorial | | Business | Sport | World | Mailbag | In Spotlight | Chandigarh Tribune | Ludhiana Tribune 50 years of Independence | Tercentenary Celebrations | | 122 Years of Trust | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
At the stroke of midnight on may 19,
East Timor, ruled by Indonesia for more than a quarter of a century as its 27th province, joins the comity of independent nations, marking, to quote the UN secretary-general, Mr Kofi Annan, “a historic moment” for the tiny Pacific territory, and for the United Nations.
In video(
