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Abu Ghraib General given demotion
Suicide bomber kills 22 in Iraq
7 Nepalese parties join hands for revival of democracy
Maoists kill top Hindu leader
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Malaysia backs Pak bid for ASEAN role
Galloway wins riding on anti-war sentiments
Mixed luck for ethnic candidates
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Abu Ghraib General given demotion
Washington, May 6 The disciplinary action came as the Army completed what it called an ‘‘exhaustive’’ internal review of top commanders in Iraq and their role in the prison abuse scandal, naming Karpinski as the sole high-ranking officer to merit punishment. Allegations against the others, including Lt-Gen Ricardo S. Sanchez, the top ground commander in Iraq at the time, were found by the Army to be unsubstantiated. For Karpinski, who has complained that she is a scapegoat in the prison abuse scandal, the demotion reduces her in rank to colonel in the army reserves. Investigations of soldiers involved in detainee abuses continue. But the findings issued on Thursday in effect close the Army's examination of the culpability of senior officials in the scandal. Four other top commanders came away unscathed on Thursday, a development likely to anger Pentagon critics who believe high-ranking officials have escaped accountability while sergeants and privates who worked as prison guards have been court-martialled. Last spring, the Army suspended Karpinski from her command of the 800th Military Police Brigade. Now Bush, acting on recommendations from Army officials, has demoted her because her ‘‘performance of duty was found to be seriously lacking,’’ according to the Army. Army officials added, however, that Karpinski did not personally order, approve or engage in the abuse. The investigation also did not find that she was aware of the abuse as it was occurring and failed to stop it. Army officials denied that Karpinski was being held to a higher standard than full-time Army commanders. ‘‘As far as the Army is concerned,'' the official said, ‘‘she's done.’’ The Army also specified that 24 other officers -- including a colonel and four lieut-colonels -- and two chief warrant officers face military prosecution or received nonjudicial punishments and letters of reprimand for their roles in detainee abuse in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Army did not release the names of these officers or details of their cases. By arrangement with the
Los Angeles Times-Washington Post |
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Suicide bomber kills 22 in Iraq
Baghdad, May 6 The attack in the mostly Shi’ite Muslim town of Suwayra was part of an escalation of guerrilla violence that has stepped up pressure on Iraq’s new government announced eight days ago. Guerrilla bombings and other attacks have killed over 200 people since the cabinet was announced, raising fears that the attacks will fuel sectarian tensions. Suwayra is near Iraq’s so-called “triangle of death” South of Baghdad where insurgents have launched many deadly attacks and carried out kidnappings. |
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7 Nepalese parties join hands for revival of democracy
Kathmandu, May 6 "We have agreed on a common agenda to move ahead with our struggle for restoration of democracy and the draft agenda, which also includes revival of the House, will be published soon after the meeting of the seven party formally endorses it," said Pradip Nepal, spokesman of the Nepal Communist Party-UML. The House of Representative has been absent since May 2002, when former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba recommended to dissolve it after he had serious differences with the Nepali Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala, that led to a split in the largest democratic party. Interestingly, Nepali Congress (Democratic), the split away party headed by Deuba, yesterday endorsed the idea of backing the demand for revival of the House of Representatives, the concept Koirala has been advocating since the beginning. "It is impossible to activate the 1990 constitution in the absence of Parliament," the party said in its statement. The seven political parties, including the NC, NC (Democratic), CPN-UML, Nepal Sadbhavana Party (A), United Left Front, People's Front Nepal and Nepal Workers and Peasants Party, which held a series of meetings endorsed the idea of the revival of the Parliament to resolve the present crisis, including the Maoist problem, Pradip Nepal said. The revival of the House was necessary for a certain period to resolve the Maoist issue and to hold general elections, which would ultimately lead to restoration of multiparty democracy, Pradip Nepal said. The political parties also agreed to resolve the Maoist problem through dialogue. They unanimously voiced to address the issues raised by the Maoists to bring them to the national mainstream through initiating a peace process, he said. During the meeting of the seven political parties it was realised that the King seized power in the absence of the Parliament, one of the participants said. The political parties would decide about holding fresh agitation programmes after the NC President Mr Koirala returns from his visit to five development regions to mobilise the party workers, party sources said.
— PTI |
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Maoists kill top Hindu leader
Kathmandu, May 6 It was the first time a religious leader has been targeted in the Maoist insurgency in the world’s only Hindu nation. The army said assailants gunned down Narayan Pokharel, chief of the Nepal wing of the World Hindu Federation and a well-known religious scholar, in the western town of Butwal soon after dawn. There has been no claim of responsibility from the Maoists or from anyone else. The terrorists shot him nine times. One of his aides was injured. Gyandera had imposed the emergency on February 1, sacking the government, jailing political leaders and suspending civil rights.
— Reuters |
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Malaysia backs Pak bid for ASEAN role
Kuala Lumpur, May 6 "We welcome and support at international level Pakistan's more active role in ASEAN as full dialogue partner," Mr Badawi later declared explicitly at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Aziz. In an equally significant development the two sides decided to conclude the
FTA-related early harvest agreement by July. They also agreed to take all necessary steps to ensure early resumption of the PIA and Malaysian Airlines flights between the two countries, starting with the Lahore sector. At the outset, Mr Aziz said although Pakistan's relations with ASEAN were growing it wanted a full dialogue partnership with the association. Stating that Pakistan was looking for a comprehensive partnership with Malaysia which covers trade, investment, banking, and tourism, he underlined: "This has to be broad and deep, including many facets." Mr Aziz asserted that Pakistan strived for peace in the region. Terming the bilateral meetings 'very successful', the Malaysian Prime Minister said the FTA talks were proceeding well. "We expect to sign the agreement by the end of this year," he added. Referring to the cooperation in the
OIC, Mr Badawi specially commended the capacity-building initiative of the organization. During their one-to-one interaction, the two leaders discussed the revitalizing of the OIC and UN reforms. Mr Aziz briefed his Malaysian counterpart about Pakistan's role in the region and apprised him about its relations with the neighbouring countries, including India, China, Afghanistan, and Iran. In the context of Indo-Pakistan relations, Mr Aziz talked about the ongoing composite dialogue process and underscored the need to address the core issue of Jammu and Kashmir. He also asked the Malaysian leadership to press upon India this need. |
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Galloway wins riding on anti-war sentiments
London, May 6 In constituencies with high Muslim populations there has been an average nine per cent swing away from the Labour Party. Although many live in areas with seemingly unassailable Labour majorities, their impact was felt by the significant erosion in those Labour majorities. Mr George Galloway, a radical left-winger, who attacked Mr Tony Blair and Mr George W. Bush as “wolves” over the Iraq war has won from Muslim-dominated Bethnal Green and Bow in East London. Mr Galloway was expelled from the Labour Party over his strong opposition to the invasion of Iraq. Declaring his win as a victory for Iraq, Mr Galloway said addressing Blair, “All the people you killed, all the lies you told, have come back to haunt you. The best thing the Labour Party could do is sack you tomorrow morning.”
— UNI |
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Mixed luck for ethnic candidates
London, May 6 Shailesh Vara, the Indian Conservative MP, retained his seat from Cambridgeshire North West. The oldest candidate in this election, Mr Piara S. Khabra, retained his seat of Southall. Labour MP Mohammad Sarwar won from Glasgow Central. Labour MP Marsha Singh retained his seat of Bradford West. Labour’s Khalid Mahmood and Sadiq Khan won from Birmingham Perry Barr and Tooting, respectively. Among the losers are Conservatives Parmjit Singh Gill from Leicester South, Sandip Verma from Wolverhampton South West and Liberal Democrat’s Prabhat Verma and Marcello Verma.
— UNI |
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