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Fresh violence in Uzbekistan, 21 dead US envoy ‘meddling’ in Dhaka’s internal affairs Tamil candidate shot in Sri Lanka Several arrested in raids in Britain 2 suspects charged in Madrid train bombings Annan fires security chief over attack |
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Terror attack plan foiled
in Manila 2 Pakistanis executed
by Islamic militants
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Fresh violence in Uzbekistan, 21 dead Tashkent, March 30 There were reports of explosions and shooting in the capital Tashkent throughout the day. In the northern neighborhood of Yalangach, the police stopped a small car and two alleged terrorists jumped out and detonated explosive-laden belts, killing themselves and three police officers and injuring five more policemen, said a National Security Service officer at the scene, who declined to give his name. An Interior Minister outside an apartment building about 100 meters away said 16 terrorist suspects had been killed — 11 men and five women. Some had been shot by the police but others had killed themselves with grenades, said the officer. Mr Oleg Bichenov, deputy chief of the Tashkent city police anti-terrorism department, claimed the authorities had “destroyed almost all of them,’’ but refused to give further details. “There were dead and wounded in the shootout with terrorists”, Russia’s ITAR-Tass news agency reported, but it was not clear how many. The operation began in the morning but there were no details on how many troops were involved in the sweep. Soldiers and the police used empty trucks and an armoured personnel carrier to block vehicles along the road to Mr Karimov’s residence. Several operations to track down alleged terrorists were ongoing in Tashkent and the surrounding region, said Ms Svetlana Atikova, spokeswoman for the Prosecutor-General’s office. It is becoming clear that the events which have happened in Tashkent and Bukhara region of Uzbekistan were prepared before and thoroughly with support from the extremist forces abroad,” President Karimov said in a televised address. “Unfortunately, innocent people have died as a result of the terrorist attacks. Investigation has discovered a large amount of explosives. On this basis, the conslusion can be drawn that the main goal of the organisers of these crimes was to break peace of the people, bring disorder in society and undermine the country’s political course,” RIA Novosti news agency quoted the Uzbek leader as saying. “As the President, I promise that everything will be done to find the quilty,” Mr Karimov assured the people.
— AP, UNI
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US envoy ‘meddling’ in Dhaka’s internal affairs
Dhaka, March 30 Opposition leader Sheikh Hasina categorically stated that certainly it was for the people of Bangladesh to decide whether the present government should stay or go. Leftwing leaders censured Mr Harry’s remarks, calling it “interference” in the domestic politics and said it’s the people who would decide who would rule the country. On Sunday, 28 the envoy told reporters that the US Government would like to see political stability here with the BNP completing its, term, unless Parliament decided to pull down the government. Responding to the American Ambassador’s remarks, Sheikh Hasina said, “People will take decision who would be in power or for how long, no matter whoever gives certificates. She, however, said the US Ambassador himself mentioned the absence of good governance, poor law-and-order situation, widespread corruption, instability, ineffective Parliament, killing of businessmen and pullout of investment in the country. She questioned: “How long will we have to bear this oppressive regime? How long people will have to suffer this nightmare?” Deploring the Ambassador’s remarks, Workers Party President Rashed Khan Menon said, “It seem that he (Harry) speaks like a viceroy of President Bush in Bangladesh. He added: “ America does not require to remind us of what it written in our Constitution about the resignation of a government. He (the Ambassador) is not behaving like a diplomat. He is trying to interfere in our internal affairs.”
— UNI |
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Tamil candidate shot in Sri Lanka
Colombo, March 30 The assailants killed candidate Rajan Sathyamoorthy at his home in Batticaloa even as the head of the European election monitoring mission, John Cushnahan was on a visit in the region, officials said. They entered Sathyamoorthy’s house in the heart of the Batticaloa town, 300 km, east of Colombo and escaped after spraying bullets on him and his son-in-law, they said. Sathyamoorthy, a candidate from the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), had been a staunch supporter of breakaway Tiger leader V Muralitharan, better known as Karuna, who led an unprecedented split in the main rebel group earlier this month. Karuna’s spokesman Varadan said that the killing was the handiwork of the main Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) based in north island. “Choosing civilian targets is highly provocative,” Varadan said. “In spite of all these provocation we try to be patient. We fear the consequences of these activities of Prabhakaran and his intelligence chief Pottu Amman,” he said. However, Tiger officials in the island’s north denied any involvement in the killing. The main Tiger leadership had earlier warned those who supported Karuna that they too would be treated as traitors. Tigers are known to kill people whom they label as “traitors.” Chief Election monitor Cushnahan paid a visit to the residence of Sathyamoorthy and offered condolence to the family of the bereaved, a spokesman for the monitors said. Sathyamoorthy had organised several protests in the region in support of Karuna after the main rebel organisation expelled him and labelled him a traitor. Meanwhile spokesman of Election Commissioner said: “There is a two-day cooling period during which there can be no campaigning. All arrangements are now in place to conduct the election.” Independent surveys have placed the two main contenders — President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s leftist Freedom Alliance (FA) and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s right-wing United National Party (UNP) — neck and neck.
— PTI |
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Several arrested in raids in Britain London, March 30 Some of the sites were situated close to two airports serving the British capital. Sky News television and the domestic Press Association news agency, quoting police sources, said the dawn raids had targeted “Islamic terrorist suspects”. The raids came 19 days after the Madrid bombings in which 190 were killed by blasts on four commuter trains in the Spanish capital. “At approximately 1030 IST in a pre-planned intelligence-led operation, police officers supported by officers from the Thames Valley, Sussex, Surrey and the Bedfordshire Police executed search warrants issued under the Terrorism Act on 2000, at premises in London and the Home Counties,” a police statement said. Some of the raids took place at sites near to Gatwick and Luton airports. Others occurred at Ealing in West London, Redbridge in East London and at an undisclosed location in the Thames Valley. Scotland Yard declined to reveal how many persons had been raided or how many people had been arrested. It also refused to comment on reports that bomb-making equipment was recovered during the raids.
— AFP |
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2 suspects charged in Madrid train bombings Madrid, March 30 Three other persons held in relation to the suspected Al-Qaida attacks on March 11 were freed as there was no indication they had any role, the source said. Judge Juan del Olmo accused the Syrian national — now one of 15 persons still held over the bombings — of belonging to a terrorist group and of being an “essential accomplice” in 190 murders. The Moroccan was accused of collaborating with a terrorist group. The source said the Syrian had been identified by one person wounded in the attacks and another who escaped unhurt.
— Reuters |
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Annan fires security chief over attack
United Nations, March 30 He, however, rejected the resignation of his Deputy Louise Frechette, a Canadian, who headed the steering group which advised Dr Annan to send senior staff members to work in Iraq despite unstable security situation following the US-led military action. Two officials responsible for security on the ground in Baghdad came in for highly critical comments and were charged with misconduct. They would face disciplinary proceedings. UN Security Coordinator Tun Myat of Myanmar on paid leave since November last was asked to step down as the report said he “appealed to be oblivious to the developing crisis.” Dr Annan rejected Frechette’s offer to resign but sent a critical letter to her expressing “disappointment and regret” over security flaws, Chief UN spokesman Fred Eckhard said.
— PTI |
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Terror attack plan foiled
in Manila Manila, March 30 President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who faces a tough campaign for re-election May 10, said the explosives were to have been used to bomb trains and shopping malls in Manila. “We have prevented a Madrid-level attack in the metropolis,’’ she said, referring to the sprawling capital of more than 10 million people. She said one of the men arrested claimed responsibility for a February 27 explosion and fire aboard a passenger ferry that killed more than 100 persons.
— AP |
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2 Pakistanis executed by Islamic militants Wana, Pakistan, March 30 The two district officials were among 14 government men captured by Al-Qaida fighters and other militants in a Pakistani offensive launched on March 16. Twelve of the hostages were released unharmed on Sunday. The bodies of the two were brought to a paramilitary camp and identified, a paramilitary officer said.
— Reuters |
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