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Thursday,
July 31, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Use new
tools against terror, says India
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Al-Qaida has links in Iraq, says Myers
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Pentagon scraps terror share market 13 life terms
for Palestine militant
Chinese teacher executed for raping students
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Use
new tools against terror, says India United Nations, July 30 The Indian suggestion came following a Security Council monitoring committee report that these terror groups continued to finance their activities and procure weapons and ammunition for their nefarious activities. Diplomats said New Delhi is expected to take an initiative in the matter in coming weeks. Participating in a Security Council debate on the committee’s report yesterday, Indian Ambassador V.K. Nambiar expressed concern that despite international community’s efforts, Al-Qaida still had the ability to finance its activities through charities and drug trade and continued to procure weapons. Pointing to the continued flow of arms across the Afghan borders resulting in increased attacks on coalition forces in Afghanistan and the use of heavy weapons in the Afghan region bordering Pakistan, Mr Nambiar demanded an inquiry into how and by whom such arms and ammunition were being supplied. “The nexus between drug smuggling and terrorism, the organised flow of arms across Afghanistan borders and increasing attack on coalition forces tell their tale of complicity and deceit,” Mr Nambiar said without naming Pakistan. Agreeing with the committee’s findings that despite some marked successes against terrorist groups, they still pose a “significant” threat to international peace and security, Mr Nambiar said it is vital that all members of the international community are united in their preparedness and, more importantly, willingness to tackle this growing menace. “The fight against terrorism can be addressed truly and effectively only when all nations realise that terrorism is a malaise that can strike at will in any part of the world, including those societies that currently may see vested interests in encouraging such tendencies,” he added. The committee’s conclusions, he told the Council, indicate the limitations of sanctions regime when applied to nebulous non-State grouping such as Al-Qaida and Taliban. That demanded an in-depth expert examination of new tools to make sanctions against such groups effective. Referring to the committee’s fear about the Al-Qaida getting access to nuclear and chemical weapons, Mr Nambiar urged the committee to place emphasis on study of possible proliferation of weapons of mass destruction among non-State actors such as Taliban and Al-Qaida. —
PTI |
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USA not to publish terror report part
on Washington, July 30 In a bid to clear Saudi Arabia’s name from reported allegations made in the report, Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al Faisal held a meeting with US President George W. Bush yesterday to persuade him to declassify the pages and allow the Saudis to respond. Mr Faisal said his country had been “wrongfully and morbidly” accused of complicity in the 9/11 attacks by those with “malicious intent.” Fifteen of the 19 hijackers who used planes to attack New York and Washington were Saudi nationals and there have been allegations that some were also funded from Riyadh. “Twentyeight blank pages are now considered substantial evidence to proclaim the guilt of a country that has been a true friend and partner of the USA for over 60 years,” he said. “Saudi Arabia has nothing to hide. We can deal with questions in public, but we cannot respond to blank pages,” he argued. Mr Faisal stopped short of criticising the Bush administration saying only that his country was “disappointed” at the decision. However, Mr Bush, before Mr Faisal arrived at the White House, ruled out publishing the material. He told reporters at a joint appearance with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon that disclosure of the full report would “help the enemy” by compromising intelligence sources and methods while investigations continued.—
PTI |
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Al-Qaida has links in Iraq, says Myers Bagram Air Base, July 30 “We’re getting very good intelligence from operations in Iraq on the Al-Qaida and it’s been very helpful in understanding the network and tracking down some of the leadership,” General Myers told reporters at a press conference at Bagram Air Base, about 50 km north of Kabul. “The one thing we knew going into the war in Iraq is that the group Ansar al-Islam was operating in north-eastern Iraq, it has ties to Al-Qaida ... that group is still active in Iraq. So those are known ties (between Iraq and Al-Qaida),” he said. He denied that the war in Iraq had diverted resources from the fight against Al-Qaida and terrorism. —
AFP |
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Pentagon scraps terror share market Washington, July 30 One day after Democrats in Congress brought the Pentagon’s Policy Analysis Market to light with withering criticism, a Defense Department spokesman said the programme had been terminated. “The Director has determined that this is a programme that under further scrutiny probably doesn’t deserve continued support,” spokesman Lawrence Di Rita told reporters yesterday. US senators released a letter saying that the programme’s funding would be eliminated and Sen. John Warner, a Virginia Republican who chairs the powerful Armed Services Committee, called the plan “a very significant mistake.” The Policy Analysis Market, launched online at
http://www.policyanalysismarket.org by the Pentagon’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, aimed at letting anonymous traders let money on when and whether such events as the overthrow of the Jordanian monarchy might take place. The market planned to focus at first on economic, civil and military futures of Egypt, Jordan, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Turkey, and the impact of US involvement with these countries. Traders were to begin registering on Friday, with trading set to start October 1. The programme was expected to initially cost $ 8 million. —
Reuters |
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13 life terms
for Palestine militant Jerusalem, July 30 Barghouti was an aide to his cousin Marwan Barghouti, the Palestinian uprising leader who is on trial in an Israeli civilian court, also facing murder charges. Ahmed Barghouti, 27, was convicted of 52 counts, including despatching suicide bombers who carried out attacks in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem that killed 12 persons and wounded dozens. The two were arrested together in April, 2002, in of Ramallah. Wearing a brown prison jumpsuit, Ahmed Barghouti was unrepentant, telling reporters before his sentencing that had he not been caught he would have continued to orchestrate attacks. He also affirmed his loyalty to his more famous cousin, whom many view as a possible future Palestinian leader. —
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India second in number of certified
professionals Washington, July 30 “Global Skills IQ 2003 Report”, brought out by Brainbench — a global leader in online skills measurement — has mapped the global distribution of skilled knowledge workers. The top 10 countries are: the USA, followed by India, Russia, Canada, the UK, Romania, Australia, Ukraine, Pakistan and Bulgaria. The study provides a country-by-country ranking in nine key categories which include computer software, essential skills (includes basic literacy, mathematics, interpersonal communications, basic computer skills) financial, healthcare, industry knowledge, information technology, language and communication, management, and office skills. —
UNI |
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Chinese teacher executed for raping students Beijing, July 30 Li Feng was executed immediately after he was sentenced by the Higher People’s Court of Jinlin province yesterday, the Xinhua news agency said. The favoured method in China is a bullet to the back of the head. The court found that Li Feng began sexually assaulting his students in August, 1998, when he was 21, soon after he started teaching at the school in Tonghua city. —
AFP |
HEAVY RAIN CLAIMS FOUR LIVES IN
PAK BLAST NEAR US EMBASSY IN YEMEN
ASSAULT ON INDIAN GIRL IN MSUCAT |
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