 |
|
|
Stage set for Iran-West confrontation
US giving impetus to Indian N-plan, says angry Qaida
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
US Colonel charged in Abu Ghraib scandal
|
|
Stage set for Iran-West confrontation
United Nations, April 29 In a report sent simultaneously to the UN Security Council and the IAEA Board of Directors yesterday, the international nuclear watchdog’s chief said Iran had not fully cooperated with its inspectors and refused to give more information on key issues, including centrifuge programme. Nor had it halted its nuclear enrichment programme. Iran vowed that it would not end the programme and American and British officials said they planned to introduce a resolution under Chapter 7 of the charter in the council as early as next week, asking Teheran to stop producing uranium. The invocation of Chapter 7 makes the resolution mandatory. It also opens the door for sanctions and even military action if Iran fails to comply. Washington asserted that it would seek sanctions to deny Iran military equipment, dual use technology and international lending facilities. To pressurise Russia and China, who are reluctant to take the mandatory action, the US held out the possibility of coalition of nations applying sanctions outside the UN. But diplomats said they did not expect the US to advocate a military action in view of its preoccupation in Iraq and rising energy prices. In an eight-paged report, the IAEA chief accepted Iran’s claim that it had enriched small low-grade uranium which some western analysts had called a mere boast.
Resolve
standoff: India
New Delhi: Amid growing tension between Iran and the IAEA on the nuclear issue, India on Saturday stressed the need for
flexibility on all sides and asserted that a confrontation should be avoided at all costs and a solution found through dialogue to the standoff. “We continue to believe that a solution ought to be found through dialogue and confrontation be avoided at all costs,’’ a spokesman of the External Affairs
Ministry said. The spokesman said India would continue to contribute towards exploration of all diplomatic efforts to resolve the issue in a manner that respects Iran’s right to peaceful uses of nuclear energy consistent with its international obligations and commitments. The remarks come close on the heels of the telephonic conversation between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Iranian President Ahmadinejad last night. “The leaders essentially discussed bilateral issues, including cooperation in the field of energy.”
— PTI, UNI
|
|
Koirala to be sworn-in today
Kathmandu, April 29 84-year-old Koirala, President of the Nepali Congress, is suffering from bronchitis because of which he skipped yesterday’s meeting of the country’s revived Parliament, the first in four years. Mr Koirala, who was to take the oath of office yesterday, will now be sworn-in tomorrow, Nepali Congress spokesman Krishna Sitoula said. Though the veteran Nepali Congress leader’s condition has improved, he is taking rest as per the doctors’ advice.
— PTI
|
|
|
US giving impetus to Indian N-plan, says angry Qaida
Paris, April 29 In a video released on a Jehadist website, Zawahiri pointed to a visit by President Bush in March to New Delhi during which he signed a nuclear cooperation agreement with India. “He gives a strong impetus to the Indian nuclear programme, while doling out orders to Pakistan,” the Al-Qaida leader said yesterday. He also lashed out at Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf for his support to the US-led war on terror. “Musharraf is fighting Islam in Pakistan ... threatens national security in Pakistan... has placed Pakistan’s nuclear programme under America, therefore Jewish and Indian “I call on the people of Pakistan to work to remove this traitor from power...and I call on every officer and soldier in the Pakistani army to disobey their commanders’ orders to kill Muslims in Pakistan and Afghanistan,” Zawahiri said. In the third message from the organisation in a week, Zawahiri said “Musharraf is prepared to flee abroad where he has bank accounts when the popular revolution breaks out.” According to the video, the “message to the people of Pakistan” was recorded after the third anniversary of the fall of the regime of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein on April 9, 2003. — AFP
|
|
US Colonel charged in Abu Ghraib scandal
Washington, April 29 The Army Military District of Washington said Jordan faced 12 criminal counts relating to seven different charges. Prosecutors yesterday said he subjected detainees to forced nudity and intimidation by military working dogs and later lied about it to investigators. Ten low-ranking soldiers have been convicted in military courts in connection with the physical abuse and sexual humiliation of detainees at Abu Ghraib. Two officers senior to Jordan at Abu Ghraib have been disciplined by the army, but neither faced criminal charges. The charges against Jordan include cruelty and maltreatment of detainees, dereliction of duty, wrongful interference with an investigation, making false official statements and willfully disobeying a superior officer and others. Images of the abuse, including naked detainees stacked in a pyramid and others cowering before snarling dogs, first became public on April 28, 2004 — two years ago to the day before the charges were brought against Jordan. Jordan was in charge of the military’s Joint Interrogation and Debriefing Center at Abu Ghraib in the fall and winter of 2003 at the height of the detainee abuse.
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
In video (
