 |
|
Bush defends action against Saddam
Pak releases 3 N-scientists Srinagar-Muzafarabad bus with
special permits S. Africa to give legal help to accused judge |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Nine Maoists shot in Nepal Pak, Turkey pledge to fight terrorism Zee Cine Awards move to Dubai
|
|
Bush defends action against Saddam Washington, January 21 In his speech to a joint session of the House of Representatives and the Senate yesterday, he said the world without Saddam Hussein’s regime was a “better and safer place”. Hitting out at the critics of the Iraq war, he said, “Let us be candid about the consequences of leaving Saddam Hussein in power. Had we failed to act, the dictator’s weapons of mass destruction would continue to this day.” He ignored criticism that Iraqi weapons of mass destruction — the threat from which formed the basis for the decision to go to war against Iraq — have not materialised despite intensive searches by arms inspectors. Instead, he pointed to discoveries of facilities and equipment in Iraq that may constitute attempts to develop chemical and biological weapons, mass graves and said the Iraqi people are better off today than they were under Saddam. Calling America a “nation with a mission,” the US President said the war on terror would continue. “We are also confronting the regime that harbour and support terrorists, and could supply them with nuclear, chemical or biological weapons.” He said it was wrong to think that the danger of terrorist attacks had passed. He appealed to the Congress to renew the controversial anti-terrorism laws. In the 54-minute speech, Bush, however, unlike last year, did not mention Osama bin Laden or the ‘axis of evil’, the label he used earlier to group Iraq, Iran and North Korea, or the Mideast
imbroglio, but said that his hard-line approach was working, pointing out Libya’s agreement to give up its WMDs. “Nine months of intense negotiations involving the United States and Great Britain, succeeded with Libya, while 12 years of diplomacy with Iraq did not,” he said. Sounding upbeat about the US economy, he said, “We have come through recession and terrorist attack and corporate scandals and the uncertainties of war. And because you acted to stimulate our economy with tax relief, this economy is strong and growing stronger.” Outlining the domestic issues likely to figure in his election campaign, Bush said trying to improve education standards, extending access to prescription drugs for senior citizens and immigration reform were on the agenda of his administration. Among other issues, he stressed the need to teach children the importance of abstinence from sex to avoid sexually transmitted diseases and to strengthen the institution of marriage. He again voiced his opposition to gay marriages, saying marriage can only be between a man and a woman. The audience to the speech included leading members of the US-appointed Governing Council of Iraq who are in the USA for talks with the Administration and the United Nations. The speech came a day after Iowa endorsed Senator John Kerry as the Democratic Presidential candidate.
— PTI |
|
Pak releases 3 N-scientists Islamabad, January 21 Nuclear scientists Saeed Ahmad, Yasin Chohan and Mohammad Zubair of Khan Research Laborataries (KRL) have been released, Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said. “Some are under investigation. They will be freed if found innocent,” he said adding the guilty would be punished. A Director of Drawing and Design, KRL, Saeed was reportedly picked up from Karachi Airport while he was attempting to board a flight to Islamabad on November 13 last year. However, the fate of Dr Farooq, another KRL scientist who was picked up along with Saeed was not known. Chohan was released a few days ago. Denying reports that the government planned to hand over nuclear scientists to foreign countries for questioning, Ahmed said they were being questioned in Pakistan’s interest. He said 80 per cent of debriefing of father of the nuclear bomb Dr A. Q. Khan and other scientists was complete. Meanwhile, former army chief General Aslam Beg denied a British media report that he was detained for questioning over his alleged involvement in proliferation of nuclear technology to Iran. ‘The Times’ of London reported
yesterday that Beg was questioned in Islamabad for his role in the alleged transfer of nuclear technology to Iran. Questioning the government’s move to debrief the nuclear scientists, Beg said “the current debriefing is wrong”. Instead of detaining them, the officials concerned should have gone to the scientists’ offices and shown respect to them. Pakistan Defence spokesman Major Gen Shaukat Sultan also denied that Beg was questioned saying the “report is absolutely false”. In another development, family members of the detained nuclear scientists and officials held separate press conferences to complain of the “shabby” treatment being meted out to the scientists.
— PTI |
|
Srinagar-Muzafarabad bus with special permits Islamabad, January 21 Pakistan and India discussed proposals to drop visa requirements for passengers to travel in the bus between Srinagar and Muzafarabad, capital of the Occupied Kashmir, local daily ‘The Nation’ quoted Pakistan officials as saying. “The two countries have almost agreed upon doing away with the visa requirements for road travel between Muzaffarabad and Srinagar and they are likely to come up with a decision to issue special permits to the people in this regard,” it quoted officials here as saying. India while proposing to run the bus services for the first time between Srinagar and Muzafarabad suggested that it could be run using existing passports being issued by both countries along with visas. It was still not clear whether there was any change in India’s stand. Today’s report followed proposal by Pakistan to India to hold technical-level talks to run bus services between Kokharapar in Rajasthan and Munabao in Sindh and Srinagar and Muzafarabad in March. In its report ‘The Nation’ quoted Pakistani officials saying that the issue of permitting passengers through special permits was thoroughly discussed through diplomatic channels by the two countries. The travel permits would be issued by some competent authorities in Muzafarabad and Srinagar to facilitate people. Pakistan has proposed that the technical talks for Kokharapar and Munabao could be held on March 8 and 9 and Srinagar-Muzafarabad on March 29 and 30. The dates as well as Pakistan proposals reportedly figured in talks between Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri and Indian High Commissioner Shivshankar Menon here yesterday.
— PTI |
|
S. Africa to give legal help to accused judge Durban, January 21 “We will have to wait for the law to take its course. We cannot be seen to be intervening with their (India’s) judicial system, just as much as we would not want anybody to intervene with our judicial system,” Mamoepa said. Desai, a judge in the Cape Town High Court was arrested on Sunday after the woman filed a complaint with police charging him with raping her.
— PTI |
|
New witness reports Malik’s involvement
in A-I bombing Vancouver, January 21 Prosecutors said that the witness would require only 30 minutes to recount his involvement in the case, Canadian daily ‘The Globe and Mail’ reported. Another witness has told the court that Malik had asked him to take a package on board the Air-India flight. The surprise witness, who approached the investigators in December with a statement involving Malik’s role in the Air India bombings of 1985, would go further and testify that he was asked to get a bomb on the plane, the daily quoted sources as saying.
— PTI |
|
Nine Maoists shot in Nepal Kathmandu, January 21 Quoting local security units, the radio said the first clash took place in the northern part of the district, near the Nepal-China border in which two Maoists were killed. The seven others were killed when the security personnel pursued the fleeing Maoists and another clash took place about 80 km northeast of the capital. According to the radio, the top Maoist militiaman of the district was killed in the encounter. —
DPA, AP |
|
Pak, Turkey pledge to fight terrorism Ankara, January 21 Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, who has survived two recent assassination attempts blamed on Islamic militants opposed to his support for the U.S.-led war on terror, signed a flurry of accords at the start of a three-day visit to Turkey. “The cooperation agreement on the fight against international terrorism and organised crime reflects our common determination regarding the fight against terror,” Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer told a joint news conference. They gave no details of the accords, which also included agreements on banking, health and trade. “We must not allow our society to be taken hostage by the terrorists...(who) have given Islam a bad name,” Musharraf later told Turkish Parliament in the first address by a Pakistani leader.
— Reuters |
|
Zee Cine Awards move to Dubai Dubai, January 21 “For the first time, both top Hindi film stars, Shahrukh Khan and Hrithik Roshan, will perform at a function. It will be the largest entertainment event in which 300 stars, producers, directors and other film personalities from Bollywood will participate,” said Manish Vasisht, Zee Middle East Vice-President. The event will be held in association with the Dubai Media City on February 26. “We have decided to come to Dubai on a long-term basis and we are also planning some co-productions in future,” said Yogesh Radhakrishnan, business head of Zee Cinema. Mohammed Al Mulla of Dubai Media City said the staging of the show was in line with Dubai’s vision to bring global events of international appeal to the city.
— PTI |
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | National Capital | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
Ankara, January 21
Video
