W O R L D

3 US soldiers among 9 killed in Pak blast
Peshawar/Islamabad, February 3
Three US soldiers were among nine persons killed today when a suspected suicide bomber targeted a security forces' convoy in the restive northwestern Dir area, the first such attack that has left American troops dead in Pakistan.

Taliban claim responsibility

A man carries an injured boy from the site of a bombing near a school in Timergara, the main town in Lower Dir district in Pakistan’s restive North-West Frontier Province, on Wednesday. — Reuters

Pak hails India’s move to resume dialogue
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has welcomed India’s proposal to resume the dialogue process between the two neighbouring countries and termed the step a positive development.

White House: Obama to meet Dalai Lama
Washington, February 3
Notwithstanding the strong objections raised by China, the White House has asserted that US President Barack Obama, plans to meet Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, when he is in Washington next time. However, no date for the Obama-Dalai lama meeting was announced by the White House.

India hands over $5 m aid to Haiti
New York, February 3
India has handed over five million dollars to Haiti's UN envoy Leo Merores, as aid for the victims of the devastating earthquake that hit the Caribbean nation in January. India is now considering the second phase of its response that will be geared towards reconstruction and rebuilding of Haiti's infrastructure and economy.

3 US soldiers among 9 killed in Pak blast

Taliban claim responsibility Pakistani Taliban has claimed responsibility for a suspected suicide attack in which three US soldiers and six others were killed in the restive northwest of the country on Wednesday, the first such incident that has left American troops dead in Pakistan. — PTI

Peshawar/Islamabad, February 3
Three US soldiers were among nine persons killed today when a suspected suicide bomber targeted a security forces' convoy in the restive northwestern Dir area, the first such attack that has left American troops dead in Pakistan.

Three US soldiers, who were in Pakistan to train personnel of the paramilitary Frontier Corps, were killed in the blast, the Inter-Services Public Relations said.

Besides the US soldiers, four girl students, a Frontier Corps personnel and a passer-by were killed in the blast, local officials said.

Over 70 persons, including one foreigner and several Pakistani security personnel, journalists and students of a girls' school, were injured.

The suspected bomber rammed his explosives-laden vehicle into the security forces convoy, which was on its way to a school-opening ceremony in Lower Dir district of North West Frontier Province.

The attack was carried out at 10.50 am local time when the convoy was passing by another state-run girls' school located a few kilometres from Tirmargarha, the main city of Dir district, witnesses said.

There was considerable confusion about the identities and professions of the dead foreigners in the initial hours after the attack.

Initial reports said the dead foreigners were journalists or aid workers but this was ruled out by officials.

As many as 41 girl students, four Pakistani journalists and five security personnel were among the injured, officials said.

Four of the students were in a serious condition. An emergency was declared in the hospitals in Timergarha.

The roof of the girls' school caved in due to the blast.

Classes were being held outside in the sunshine due to the harsh winter and this had minimised casualties, district administration chief Ghulam Muhammad said.

"If the students had been in their classrooms, the number of deaths would have been higher," he added.

The convoy was on its way to the inauguration of a school that was reconstructed after it was destroyed by the Taliban.

Security forces cordoned off the area, set up road blocks and launched a search operation to trace those responsible for the attack.

Dir is located between the Swat valley and Bajaur tribal region, where Pakistani troops have conducted campaigns against the Taliban. This was the first time that American soldiers had been killed in a blast in Pakistan. — PTI

Pak hails India’s move to resume dialogue
Afzal Khan writes from Islamabad

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has welcomed India’s proposal to resume the dialogue process between the two neighbouring countries and termed the step a positive development.

Qureshi acknowledged that, of late, some positive signals have been coming from New Delhi that may lead to thaw in relations and open up prospects of resumption of bilateral dialogue which India has declined since the Mumbai carnage of November 26, 2008. Hitherto, India has insisted that Pakistan must first take genuine steps to bring to justice the accomplices and handlers of the terrorists who attacked Mumbai in November 2008, killing 166 persons.

Indian Home Minister P Chidambaram is expected to visit Pakistan later this month to attend multilateral conference of South Asian Association for Regional Countries (SAARC) interior ministers. He has not ruled out a bilateral meeting with his Pakistani counterpart and other Pakistani leaders.

Talking to a private news channel, Qureshi said Pakistan also believed that all outstanding issues could be resolved through bilateral talks, adding that Pakistan had always focused on resumption of the dialogue process.

“There are many outstanding issues between the two countries, and we have decided to resolve them through peaceful negotiations,” he said.

He said positive signals had been emanating from the Indian side, adding that Indian Home Minister P Chidambaram had already said if he came to Pakistan for the SAARC meeting later this month, there was a possibility of bilateral talks.

The Foreign Minister said India had adopted a “very strict” strategy after the Mumbai mayhem, but now their intellectuals and newspapers were asking for a review of policy.

“A new thinking is developing there and if they have expressed a desire [to resume dialogue], we welcome it,” he said. To a question, he said the two countries had entered the fifth round of dialogue before the Mumbai tragedy and “I wish to resume dialogue from that stage.”

White House: Obama to meet Dalai Lama

Washington, February 3
Notwithstanding the strong objections raised by China, the White House has asserted that US President Barack Obama, plans to meet Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, when he is in Washington next time. However, no date for the Obama-Dalai lama meeting was announced by the White House.

"The President told China's leaders during his trip last year that he would meet with the Dalai Lama, and he intends to do so. The Dalai Lama is an internationally respected religious and cultural leader, and the President will meet him in that capacity," Bill Burton, the White House deputy press secretary said. At the same time, Burton clarified that the US considers Tibet as a part of China. "To be clear, the US considers Tibet to be a part of China. We have human rights concerns about the treatment of Tibetans. We urge the government of China to protect the unique cultural and religious traditions of Tibet," Burton said.

The Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, PJ Crowley, said China has made its views clear to the US on the Dalai Lama. "Chinese have made clear their views regarding meetings with the Dalai Lama, regarding arms sales to Taiwan, and I think what we're clearly indicating is that we will continue to follow our national interest just as we would expect China to follow its national interest," he said. According to media reports, China yesterday warned Obama that his meeting with the Dalai Lama would harm US-China relationship.

“Such a meeting would harm others but bring no profit to itself either,” Zhu Weiqun, executive vice-minister of the United Front Work Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said. He said such a move would violate international rules. China will take necessary measures to counter it, he added. As US President, Obama has not met the Tibetan spiritual leader. He became the first US President in a decade not to meet the Dalai Lama when he was in Washington last October. — PTI

India hands over $5 m aid to Haiti

New York, February 3
India has handed over five million dollars to Haiti's UN envoy Leo Merores, as aid for the victims of the devastating earthquake that hit the Caribbean nation in January. India is now considering the second phase of its response that will be geared towards reconstruction and rebuilding of Haiti's infrastructure and economy. The ambassadors of both the countries discussed the areas in which India would be able to best serve Haiti's need in the coming months.

India's envoy to the UN, Hardeep Singh Puri said New Delhi was seriously studying the situation and was considering providing the "Jaipur foot and low cost housing among other things." Describing the international outpouring of aid as overwhelming Merores said Haiti deeply appreciated the very generous contribution of the Indian government. — PTI