Oil embargo on Serbia planned
WASHINGTON, April 25 — NATO missiles pounded targets across Yugoslavia today, halting television broadcasts and hitting an army barracks and chemical factory as President Bill Clinton defended alliance plans to choke oil supplies fuelling Serb forces in Kosovo.

UN panel flays Cuba, Iran on human rights
GENEVA, April 25 — The United Nations Human Rights Commission, in its annual assessment of the human rights performance of governments, has condemned Afghanistan, Cuba, Iran and Iraq, but avoided pronouncing itself on the situation in China.

Church service for shootout victims
WASHINGTON, April 25 — US Vice-President All Gore and Colorado Governor Bill Owens on Sunday joined thousands of mourners at a church service for the victims of the Columbine High School shoot out in Littleton, Colorado.

NATO assumes cop’s role outside region

WASHINGTON, April 25 (PTI) — The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) has assumed authority to intervene in conflicts outside their region and declared their determination to campaign more vigorously against nuclear and missile proliferation.

US President Bill Clinton hailed NATO’s expansion of its mandate on the occasion of its 50th anniversary celebrations here and declared at a news conference that NATO had reaffirmed its readiness “to address regional and ethnic conflicts beyond the territory of NATO members.”

The 19-member alliance has already operated outside its borders in Bosnia and now in Kosovo. How far it would try to extend its authority and in which continents is not clear from the communiqué.

The communiqué said that the NATO summit “decided to increase alliance efforts against weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery.” Warmly welcoming the new NATO members — Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic — the communiqué made it clear that “the three new members will not be the last.”

It pledged that NATO “will continue to welcome new members in a position to further the principles of the treaty and contribute to peace and security in the Euro-Atlantic area.” 

The requirements for NATO membership have been stated by the USA and other nations to include democracy and freedom at home and willingness to spread it abroad, strengthening the military capability of every member to NATO standards.

In a gesture to Russia, which is boycotting the NATO summit in a vigorous protest against the bombing of Yugoslavia, the communiqué said NATO is determined to “build on the area of common ground with Russia concerning the international response to the crisis in Kosovo.”

The leaders also expressed readiness to resume “consultations and cooperation in the framework of the founding Act.”

NATO celebrated its “new strategic concept, membership action plan and defence capabilities initiative”, at a dinner hosted by President Clinton last night. It was attended by 40 heads of state and government — the largest such gathering ever to be held in Washington.

NATO spokesmen pointed out that the organisation commands two-thirds of the world’s military power. 

The right to intervene in local conflicts outside the NATO area, observers note, effectively challenges the authority of the UN Security Council as the sole body to determine where military force may be employed against member nations.

Meanwhile, NATO leaders gave authority to its military leaders to pick the targets in the undeclared war against Yugoslavia.

NATO is recognised as the postwar world’s most successful military organisation. Its main challenge was the old soviet union which disintegrated. On the demise of the Soviet Union, the USA wanted to find a new rationale for the organisation and USA’s trans-Atlantic leadership. That has now been successfully accomplished at its 50th anniversary in Washington.

Reuters adds: At the end of the second day of the three-day summit, President Clinton sought to justify Allied tactics. He said NATO was not drifting into a Vietnam war, but the conflict would not end swiftly like the Gulf war.

"I think the important thing for everyone to understand is that in order for this strategy to succeed, we need two things — one, vigorous execution, and, two, patience," President Clinton said.

More than 1,000 people wearing target signs that symbolise Serbian protest at NATO air strikes and chanting "stop the bombing" rallied noisily outside the White House as the summit met nearby."

Splits over the oil blockade emerged in the 19-nation bloc at the summit, originally called to map NATO’s mission into the next century but which has turned into a council of war.

ISI turns focus on Punjab

ISLAMABAD, April 25 (PTI) — In a series of moves aimed at reviving the fading militancy movement in Punjab, the Pakistani authorities have taken over management of all gurdwaras in the country and appointed an Islamic hardliner as head of the top management body of Sikh shrines.

The apparent re-focusing of the ISI’s policy of actively assisting militancy in India, after decades of engaging in a futile proxy war in Kashmir, started earlier this month with the government taking over the management of all Sikh shrines in the country.

Soon afterwards, the government named Lt-Gen Javed Nasir (retd) , a former ISI head and a well-known Islamic hardliner, as head of the newly established Pakistan Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PGPC) and incharge of all Sikh shrines, in a bid to tighten its hold over them.

In an interview to the largest circulated Urdu daily Jung on Friday, a jubilant Nasir, expressed the hope that the separatist movement in Punjab would pick up soon and India would disintegrate, clearly indicating a hidden agenda behind the government sudden concern for the Sikhs.

The authorities also went out of their way to give prominence to several foreign-based militant groups at the recent tercentenary celebrations in Dera Sahib and Nankana Sahib here. Though pro-Khalistan slogans and banners during Sikh festivals is a regular feature in Pakistan, this year it was on a much larger scale.

A huge contingent of Sikhs from India, led by Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, was pushed to the background during a high-profile meeting with Premier Nawaz Sharif here last month while Dal Khalsa (DKI) activists such as Ganga Singh Dhillon, Satnam Singh Ponta and Surinder Singh held the centrestage.

The militant trio later called on Mr Shahbaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister and younger brother of Premier Sharif, during which Ponta claimed that actual Baisakhi and tercentenary of the Khalsa Panth were celebrated at Nankana Sahib and not at Anandpur Sahib.

These pro-Khalistan activists also addressed a Sikh jatha of nearly 1700 pilgrims from India and called for creation of the Khalistan. An Imam of a mosque also addressed the jatha in the presence of President Muhammad Rafiq Tarar and exhorted them to support Pakistan in Kashmir. In turn Pakistan would support the cause of Khalistan, he said.

During the whole exercise, pro-Khalistan elements, which also included Wadhwa Singh of the Babbar Khalsa and Gajinder Singh, one of the hijackers of an Indian Airlines’ flight earlier, were seen hobnobbing with Pakistani intelligence officials.

Anti-India sentiments whipped up by these elements culminated in the severe beating of Indian diplomat P. Ravindranathan on April 20. Pakistani intelligence officials were reportedly unhappy with Mr Ravindranathan’s role in ensuring a smooth trip for Indian pilgrims here.

Racist group owns up London blast

LONDON, April 25 (Reuters) — A Right-wing extremist group has claimed responsibility for a bomb attack in a London street that injured at least seven persons, according to the police.

The police said they were treating the attack, which took place yesterday, as racist. The claim was made in a call to the police from someone identifying himself as a member of the group, Combat 18, a police official said. The same group claimed responsibility for a bomb in another multi-ethnic area of London a week ago.

“At 8 p.m. yesterday, A 999 call (emergency number) was received by the police, claiming responsibility, saying it was Combat 18,” according to Mr Alan Fry, Deputy Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police’s anti-terrorist group.

Mr Fry spoke to reporters near the scene where the bomb exploded in a car in East London’s Brick Lane. He said the device was similar to the one which wounded 39 when it exploded in the South London area of Brixton a week ago.

“I have to say the device has similarities to the one in Brixton. I am linking the crimes. I am looking at this as a racist offence,” he said.

Combat 18 — the figure refers to the position in the alphabet of Adolf Hitler’s initials — is a racist group.

Delhi crisis to hit talks: Sharif

ISLAMABAD, April 25 (UNI, PTI) — The current political crisis in India would definitely affect the Indo-Pakistan peace dialogue as uncertainty loomed large over who would be India’s new Prime Minister and whether previous agreements would be honoured, Pakistan Premier Nawaz Sharif has said.

Talking to reporters in Lahore last evening, Mr Sharif said his recent talks with Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee might not be valid any longer due to a likely change in government.

“Though we have signed the Lahore declaration for promotion of ties between the two countries, I require a stable government in India to implement the agreement in true letter and spirit”, Mr Sharif said. It was difficult to ascertain who should be approached for negotiations till a stable government assumed office in India, he added.

He said Pakistan wanted a stable government in India that could take bold initiatives.

Mr Sharif said it was high time that Pakistan and India resolved all outstanding issues since the atmosphere was conducive for ending their differences.

“We are ready to take initiatives but if there is no stable government in India to respond. There is going to be no real progress so far as peace process is concerned”, he said.

Mr Sharif said during his recent visit to Moscow, when he requested Russia to mediate between India and Pakistan on the Kashmir issue, it suggested that the issue be resolved through negotiations. “I am not saying that Russia will mediate but we have asked it to play its role”, Mr Sharif added.

Mr Sharif termed this a “very positive development” since Russia had always put its weight behind India on regional issues and hoped that the new developments will help change Russia’s diplomatic approach vis-a-vis the differences between India and Pakistan.

Mr Sharif expressed fears that political deadlock in India could derail the normalisation process.

“The prolonged continuous political deadlock in New Delhi is turning out to be an impediment in making fast progress towards the peace process”, Sharif, who signed the accord despite opposition from hardliners at home, told reporters in his home town of Lahore.

“Though we signed the Lahore Declaration for promoting ties between the two countries. I require a stable government in India to implement the agreement”, he said. Both sides were to resume foreign Secretary-level talks next month on a host of bilateral issues, including Kashmir.

The talks have now been put off.

“Pakistan wants a stable government in India. But if there is no stable government in India to respond, there is going to be no real progress so far as the peace process is concerned”, Sharif said.

Pakistan has changed the demographic composition of Pak-occupied Kashmir by systematically settling outsiders there.

This was stated by Mr Mumtaz Khan on behalf of the European Union at the 55th session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva.

The session witnessed large number of representations on behalf of the people of PoK where the state of human rights has degenerated to its lowest level, the EU said.

The European Union of Public Relations alleged that through another policy Pakistan was brainwashing the Kashmiri school children of their culture, language and history.

Things are worse in Gilgit and Baltistan, where though there is no insurgency or terrorism. There are intelligence agencies and the army all over. This is one region where people have no civil or constitutional rights the EU alleged and said protests against this state of affairs were crushed by security forces and through sectarian clashes.

During the session, Mr Zulfikar Khan Aziz, a political leader of Gilgit, said the Pakistani slogan for the right of self-determination for Kashmiris was a ploy meant to divert the world attention of PoK. Within the part of Kashmir under its occupation, Pakistan will not allow any movement for the right of self-determination. “This slogan was only meant to incite Kashmiris on the Indian side”, he said.

He said in Gilgit and Baltisan there were no job opportunities for the locals but “we cannot even migrate to other countries because we are required to get exit permission from Pakistan through we are not part of Pakistan”.

In her statement, Helga Jurt said Pakistan had nurtured Harkat ul Ansar to unleash terror in Kashmir. This organisation, declared a terrorist outfit by the United States of America claims of cleansing Kashmir of the Hindu minority.

Oil embargo on Serbia planned

WASHINGTON, April 25 (Reuters) — NATO missiles pounded targets across Yugoslavia today, halting television broadcasts and hitting an army barracks and chemical factory as President Bill Clinton defended alliance plans to choke oil supplies fuelling Serb forces in Kosovo.

Risking possible confrontation with Russia — Serbia’s major oil supplier before air strikes started on March 24 — NATO said it was drawing up plans to "visit and search" ships bound for Yugoslavia.

At NATO’s 50th anniversary summit which has been overshadowed by the Kosovo crisis, President Clinton said an oil embargo against Yugoslavia was the next important tactical step.

"How can we justify risking the lives of the pilots to go up and destroy the refinery and the supply capacity of Serbia and then say but it’s Ok with us if people want to continue to supply this nation and its outlaw actions in Kosovo in another way?" the President asked at a news conference.

NATO planes attacked Yugoslavia’s third largest city Nis for the second successive night, and Serbian state television (RTS Satellite Transmissions) went off the air after an attack on a key transmitter near Belgrade.

The Yugoslav news agency Tanjug said NATO aircraft had attacked the Avala area in the hills above Belgrade, but had not hit the country’s largest transmitter there. RTS Transmissions were interrupted, but Radio Belgrade resumed broadcasts on a new frequency, it said.

NATO planes also attacked a chemical factory in central Serbia and hit army barracks and industrial sites in Nis, Yugoslav media and Internet websites said.

NATO offered an olive branch to Russia yesterday, saying in a communiqué that the alliance wanted to cooperate with Moscow on the Kosovo crisis.

But Russian President Boris Yeltsin’s envoy for Yugoslavia yesterday dampened hopes of a mediated breakthrough.

"If I had a trump card I would have already used it, and I would have gone from there (Belgrade) to where I could play it," said Viktor Chernomyrdin, a former Premier who met Milosevic on Thursday and offered to brief NATO on the talks.

Canada’s Foreign Minister Lloyd Axworthy said he planned to go to Moscow next week to hear from Chernomyrdin what progress had been made.

NATO also gave a polite diplomatic brush-off to President Leonid Kuchma of Ukraine when he presented his own Kosovo peace plan, based on a simultaneous ceasefire by NATO, Yugoslav forces and KLA guerrillas, and the deployment of peacekeepers from neutral nations as Yugoslav troops withdrew from the province.

UN panel flays Cuba, Iran on human rights

GENEVA, April 25 (IPS) — The United Nations Human Rights Commission, in its annual assessment of the human rights performance of governments, has condemned Afghanistan, Cuba, Iran and Iraq, but avoided pronouncing itself on the situation in China.

The project calling upon the government of China to ensure the observance of human rights, release political prisoners and preserve and protect the distinct cultural, ethnic, linguistic and religious identity of Tibetans and others was presented at the eleventh hour by the United States of America, and sponsored by Poland.

The international watchdog Human Rights Watch, which termed the result of Friday’s vote on China “deeply disappointing,” faulted the European Union and China’s other major trading partners for refusing to co-sponsor the resolution.

While the case of China was being debated in Geneva, a high-level US mission was negotiating trade agreements in Beijing.

The resolution against China was thus shelved, after the delegation of that country submitted a motion by which no decision was to be adopted.

Of the commission’s 53-member states, 22 backed China’s initiative, 17 voted against, while 14 abstained.

The resolution condemning Havana, meanwhile, was formally sponsored by the Czech republic and Poland, but promoted behind the scenes by the United States of America.

The resolution was passed with 21 votes in favour — including 16 from representatives of industrialised nations and former Socialist nations in Europe, which still act tacitly as a bloc in the Human Rights Commission. Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Uruguay and Morocco also voted against Cuba.

The text of the final resolution objected to laws enacted by Havana in February designed to protect the national independence and economy of Cuba.

The resolution on Iran, approved by 23 to 16, with 14 abstentions, declared concern over continuing rights violations in that country.

Church service for shootout victims

WASHINGTON, April 25 (ANI) — US Vice-President All Gore and Colorado Governor Bill Owens on Sunday joined thousands of mourners at a church service for the victims of the Columbine High School shoot out in Littleton, Colorado.

Some 3,000 people also turned out to remember one of the victims of the shootout, Rachel Scoot (17). Her funeral, attended by hundreds of weeping Columbine High School students, was the first in a painful week of services scheduled for the 12 students and a teacher who were killed.

Benazir’s slush cash
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s former ruling couple, Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari, created assets worth $ 478 million through corruption, the official Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported. APP said “competent authorities” have been asked to identify the properties purchased by the former Premier and her husband with the kick-back they received from a Swiss firm for which they have been sentenced to five years in jail and a fine of $ 8.6 million.— DPA

Food-for-guns plan
SAN SALVADOR: Salvadoran businessmen have resumed a food-for-guns exchange programme here in an effort to curb the country’s rising crime rate. “During the exchange, which will continue through Sunday.. (we) will invest some $ 50,000 donated by Norway and local businessmen,” David Gutierrez, head of the Patriotic Movement Against Crime (MPCD), said. The MPCD will exchange coupons for basic goods worth between $ 100 and 344 for each gun handed into the capital’s cathedral.— AFP

Hostage freed
MANILA: Communist rebels today released a Philippine army sergeant after more than one year in captivity, removing a major barrier in the resumption of peace talks with the government. The New People’s Army (NPA) turned over sergeant Vivino Demol to representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross and a humanitarian mission which negotiated the release in South of Manila.— DPA

3 gunned down
DHAKA: Suspected Left wing extremists in western Bangladesh gunned down three persons, including a local ruling party leader and his wife, as they slept, newspapers reported on Sunday. The killings in Kushtia district’s Kumarkhali village on Friday night came barely a day after Bangladesh’s new Home Minister Mohammad Nasim announced an amnesty for outlawed extremists while speaking at a public rally in the troubled region’s Jhenaidah district. — AFP

Palme-murder weapon
STOCKHOLM: The weapon used to assassinate Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme is now on sale carrying an exorbitant price tag. The Swedish police, after having spent multi-million kronors searching for it in depths of seas and lakes, on the most fatuous tip-offs, are now too broke to bid for it. “I have the weapon in question,” claims a junk-dealer in Borlange, Central Sweden. “And I will rather hand it over to the Palme Investigation Group if they pay the price I ask.” — UNI

N. Korea rebuffed
LONDON: South Korea has rebuffed North Korea for being stubborn in demanding US forces in Seoul on the first day of the latest round of peace talks between the two countries. Park Kun-Woo, South Korea’s chief delegate at the talks in Geneva, told reporters that Seoul was willing to discuss military forces only when substantial progress had been made in hammering out a permanent peace with North Korea. — ANI

Ariane-5 ready
PARIS: The latest model of the European space rocket, Ariane 5, will have its first commercial launch some time in July, with two telecommunication satellites aboard, the Arianespace Company has said. It will carry into orbit a satellite for Indonesia’s company PC Telekomunikasi and a satellite for radio broadcasts for the company Worldstar.— DPA