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| Sunday, November 19, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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Pak has 720 kg weapon
grade uranium: report
PGPC has come to stay: Chairman |
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Mori faces no-trust
move tomorrow Tigers’ fuel dump
destroyed Police hunting for Suharto’s son Sons in search of
father’s remains ‘Womanising’
no reason for divorce Sharif’s aides to
face court martial Anwar: govt to review
5 other charges Castro “uncovers”
assassination plot Estrada ready to face trial Kenyan brew toll
touches 128
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Pak has 720 kg weapon
grade uranium: report ISLAMABAD, Nov 18 (UNI) — Pakistan has stockpile of 720 kg of weapon grade uranium, which is enough to make 36 nuclear weapons, the Friday Times reported quoting strategic thinkers. However, there is no clear report that Pakistan also possess delivery system for nuclear weapons. It is reported that Pakistan has developed and tested a “nuclear weapons” based on a Chinese design that was intended for delivery by an intermediate range missile. Pakistan had probably nuclear weapons prior to the availability of the delivery system. The present nuclear weapons inventory include weapons designed for delivery using A-5 Phantom aircraft. A-Phantoms have been equipped to deliver air dropped atomic weapons. F-16 aircraft have also practiced the “toss bombing” technique that would also be used for delivering nuclear weapons. In addition to the bombs, Pakistan has Hatf 1 and 11, Shaheen 1,11 and 111, Ghauri and Ghaznavi missiles. Ghauri and Ghaznavi missiles are believed to have been developed with the help of North Korea, the paper reported. However, the paper has warned the authorities not to make mistake by blackmailing the west on the nuclear issue. “Bombs attract neither money nor respect. Irresponsibility merely attracts rogue state status”. It stated that if any attempt is made by the Pakistan regime to export nuclear technology to other states, it will lead to severing of all contacts with Pakistan by the western world. Pakistan has more to lose than to gain by trying to blackmail the west on nuclear issue and squeeze certain financial concessions. On the question of nuclear weapons falling into the hands of fundamentalist, the Friday Times said it would be more detrimental for Pakistan rather than the west. “Nuclear weapons in the hands of Taliban like forces are unacceptable.” It stated that Pakistan would not be able to redraw its boundaries through the barrel of the gun. “Neither Afghanistan nor Kashmir issue can be solved through military means alone. Under the new economic order, bombs attract rogue status.” |
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Clinton gets Dayton
Peace Prize DAYTON (Ohio), Nov 18 (Reuters) — The US President, Mr Bill Clinton, has won the first Dayton Peace Prize in recognition of his role in bringing warring sides in the Bosnian conflict to a historic peace deal on November 21, 1995. “Under President Clinton’s leadership, a war in the heart of Europe was brought to an end,” Mr R. Bruce Hitchner, Chairman of the Dayton Peace Accords Project and Director of the University of Dayton’s Center for International Programs, said. He was speaking yesterday during a news conference at Wright-Patterson Air Force base, site of the three-week Herculean struggle to resolve a conflict in which 2,50,000 persons were killed and two million fled their homes. Mr Clinton intervened at key points to bring about the deal but Mr Richard Holbrooke, now US Ambassador to the United Nations, was the key player on the scene. Mr Holbrooke, accepting the prize on Mr Clinton’s behalf yesterday, praised the President’s decision to send US troops to keep the peace in Bosnia. The award includes a $ 25,000 cash prize that will be designated towards a post-war reconstruction effort. It recognises an individual or organisation contributing to extraordinary reconstruction of a society torn apart by war. HANOI: Communist Vietnam gave US President Bill Clinton the unprecedented honour of addressing the nation live on television but translation of his remarks became virtually unintelligible when he mentioned sensitive rights issues. In the televised speech to students at Hanoi’s National University, Clinton gently urged Communist Vietnam to consider strengthening its respect for human rights, opening up its political system and further liberalising its economy. Simultaneous translation of the speech as broadcast on state-run Vietnam Television largely drowned out the original English. Most of Clinton’s uncontroversial remarks are rendered clearly, but the translation became hopelessly garbled when Clinton touched on human rights. |
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Clinton
pledges aid for Yugoslavia HANOI, Nov 18 (DPA) — US President Bill Clinton today expressed support for Yugoslavia’s transition to democracy, a day after he established formal diplomatic relations with the nation. Speaking in Vietnam, he announced a substantial emergency aid package for Yugoslavia. “We take this action in response to remarkable changes in Yugoslavia following the democratic election of President Vojislav Kostunica and the ouster of Mr Slobodan Milosevic,” Mr Clinton said in a statement. “We and our allies are committed to supporting this historic democratic transition,” he said. Washington on Friday joined France, Germany and Britain in establishing ties with Yugoslavia. As a first step, Washington will provide about $ 45 million in emergency food aid to help Serbia through the winter. Congress has also appropriated $ 100 million in assistance to Serbia as well as $ 89 million for Montenegro, Mr Clinton said. |
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PGPC has come to stay: Chairman NANKANA SAHIB (Pakistan): For the Government of India and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee
(SGPC), Lieut-Gen Javed Nasir, Chairman, Pakistan Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee,
(PGPC) is one of the most talked about and hated persons. However, he commands great respect among the
pro-Khalistan activists all over the world. General Nasir is a former ISI chief. Before his appointment as Chairman, Evacuee Trust Property Board and the recently formed
PGPC, General Nasir served in many departments. After initial hiccups, he decided to disclose his mind and future plans of the
PGPC. The person who was not prepared to be photographed initially, spoke at length during an exclusive interview with
TNS. “The PGPC has some to stay,” he said when his attention was drawn to the demand of the SGPC for disbanding it. He said the PGPC was formed on the demand of the Sikhs from all over the world for the maintenance of Sikh shrines in Pakistan. The gurdwaras in Pakistan were in pitiable condition as the SGPC would take all offerings and donations to India “illegally” in alleged connivance of corrupt officials of the evacuee board and not even a single penny was spent to preserve holy places of Gurus in Pakistan. Instead of seeking the disbanding of the
PGPC, the SGPC should cooperate with the Pakistan Government for preserving the Sikh heritage here, he said. Taking a tough stand on the decision of the SGPC for not sending jathas to Pakistan for paying obeisance at Sikh shrines in Pakistan, General Nasir said, “The PGPC has taken a categorical stand for not inviting the President and members of the SGPC to Pakistan officially until they return Rs 1 billion donation money which they had taken to India during the last pilgrimage.” He, however, said the PGPC would allow the SGPC President and members to visit Pakistan as part of the “Khalsa Panth” like any other Sikh.” “We, however, not only recognise the Delhi Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Hazoor Sahib Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and the Patna Sahib Gurdwara Committee but also pay respect and protocol to the Takhts”. “The PGPC will have two co-Presidents One dealing with all matters outside the gurdwaras and he will be ex-officio Chairman of the Evacuee Trust Property Board just like it used to be the ex-officio Deputy Commissioner,” General Nasir said. Asked about the criticism of the PGPC for being headed by a former ISI chief, General Nasir said he was no more with the intelligence agency and was now doing his duty as Chairman of the evacuee board honestly for preserving the heritage of minorities”. General
Nasir, however, evaded a direct question about handing over the PGPC to a baptised Sikh. He admitted that the PGPC co-Chairman and its members were not yet given adequate powers on the pattern of the SGPC members. He claimed that the Pakistani Sikhs were basically illiterate and could not handle the gurdwara affairs properly. He said the election of the PGPC would be held in due course of time. The Pakistan Government has, however, taken a categorical decision that the PGPC would always be headed by a Pakistani Sikh though its members would be co-opted from all over the world. General Nasir said when the SGPC had failed to take control of the gurdwaras outside Punjab (India) and Takht Patna Sahib and Hazoor Sahib had separate management, it had no locus
standing to challenge the formation of the PGPC in a sovereign country. |
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Mori faces no-trust
move tomorrow TOKYO, Nov 18 (Reuters) — Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori’s reformist ruling party rival vowed today to do his best to oust the unpopular premier, as a showdown loomed that could split their party and prolong a political chaos. But former LDP executive Koichi Kato — who has made economic reform his rallying cry — said he would not immediately shift policy gears to a tight fiscal stance that could kill the nation’s fragile recovery from a decade of stagnation. “I would not force myself to carry out fiscal reform all at once. Our task is to put the economy back on the recovery track,” Kato said on a television programme on current affairs. Japanese opposition parties plan to present a no-confidence motion against Mr Mori in Parliament on Monday, and Mr Kato and a key ally in the LDP have said they would vote in favour. The 190-opposition camp cannot pass the motion alone in the 480-seat lower house, but could succeed if enough of the 64 members in the two factions opposed to Mr Mori back the measure. Rival party barons in both camps are now scrambling to solidify their support ahead of the vote on Monday, which appeared too close to call. “I will try to talk to LDP members including those within my faction to consolidate support,” Mr Kato said. Critics of the LDP old guard that put Mr Mori in his post applaud Mr Kato’s vow to curb public spending that has given Japan the worst debt burden among advanced nations and to speed up deregulation to foster greater competition. If the no-confidence motion passes, Mr Mori must either resign within 10 days, in which case the LDP must hold an election to replace him as party chief, or call a general election. Even if the no-confidence motion is rejected, there are no guarantees that Mr Mori will keep his job for long given persistent worries within the LDP about letting him lead the party into an upper House election next July. |
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Tigers’ fuel dump
destroyed COLOMBO, Nov 18 (Reuters) — Sri Lanka’s Air Force today said it had destroyed what was believed to be a fuel dump belonging to Tamil rebels in the war-hit northern Jaffna peninsula. An Air Force spokesman said the pilots saw a large explosion after they attacked positions in Ariyalai, near Jaffna city, belonging to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in their Israeli-built K’fir aircraft. “The pilots saw a huge fireball just after the bombs were dropped,” the spokesman said. Ariyalai was the scene of fighting in early September during rebel offensives in the build-up to the general election on October 10. The attack comes three days after the Air Force said it killed 12 LTTE cadres in a bombing raid on LTTE bases in Alampil on the eastern coast about 280 km from Colombo. The attack also comes one day after the Sri Lankan military resumed civilian flights from Jaffna after a seven-month suspension over fears of missile attacks by Tamil Tiger rebels. Jaffna is home to 500,000 minority Tamil civilians, but is cut off from the rest of the island by a huge patch of territory controlled by the LTTE and is accessible only by air and sea. Flights were suspended in March after a military transport plane crashed in the north central Anuradhapura district, 200 km north of Colombo, killing all 40 persons on board. |
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Police hunting for Suharto’s son JAKARTA, Nov 18 (AP) — The police want to question members of former dictator Suharto’s family after Indonesia’s President today ordered them to press on with their hunt for the fugitive youngest son of the former leader. Hutomo “Tommy” Mandala Putra, a multimillionaire businessman, has been on the run for more than two weeks evading an 18-month prison sentence for corruption. A police search has so far failed to find any trace of him despite orders from President Abdurrahman Wahid that he be put behind bars. National Police Chief Gen Bimantoro Surojo said detectives would start interrogating Tommy’s two brothers and three sisters along with other relatives from Monday. So far members of the prosperous Suharto clan claim that they don’t know where he is. Some of their homes have been searched by officers who have denied bungling the case or going soft on the former leader’s family. His lawyers maintain that Tommy, 38, has not skipped the country and is in hiding because he fears his life would be in danger if he went to prison without special protection. “The President asked me to continue the manhunt for Tommy,” Bimantoro said after a brief meeting with President Abdurrahman Wahid. Tommy’s disappearance is proving to be a major embarrassment for Wahid’s crisis-ridden 13-month-old administration. It came to power on promises of eliminating corruption and establishing the rule of law only to be bogged down in scandal and mismanagement. |
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Sons in search of
father’s remains TIEN CHAU (Vietnam), Nov 18 (Reuters) — “I’m hit hard.” These were the last known words of US Air Force Captain Lawrence Evert before his crippled F-105D fighter-bomber crashed into a rice paddy north-west of Hanoi in 1967. Thirtythree years and 10 days later, Evert’s two sons watched US experts and Vietnamese workers sift through dense wet clay for any remains of their father, and said their childhood fantasies of bringing him home were coming real. “When we were younger, about six and eight, we used to talk about how we would come over to Vietnam and come get him out of jail,” David Evert told reporters at the crash site. “We thought he was alive, so we thought we’d come get him and take him home. And we kind of feel that’s what we’re doing right now,” he said, his voice choked with emotion. David Evert and his brother Daniel were visiting the site with US President Bill Clinton. They came to highlight the US-Vietnamese Joint Task Force-Full Accounting,” which seeks to learn the fate and recover remains of the 1,498 Americans missing from the Vietnam war. “Our nation has made a commitment that we will not rest until we’ve achieved the fullest possible accounting for our lost veterans,” Mr Clinton said in a speech to workers at the site. |
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‘Womanising’
no reason for divorce CAIRO, Nov 18 (DPA) — An Egyptian court has rejected a divorce plea by a housewife who said her husband was “having multiple romantic liaisons with numerous women”. The court of appeals, upholding the same verdict by a lesser court, told the wife that “this allegation, even supposing it is true, provides no acceptable justification for filing for divorce under the law”. A local daily, Al-Akhbar, reported that the all-male panel said acceptable justifications for divorce may include abandoning the wife or beating or otherwise mistreating her, but that “womanising” was not on the list. Egyptian laws, governing family matters, are composed of hybrid legislation based on Sharia, the Islamic jurisprudence system that theoretically provides for stoning adulterers to death. That punishment is seldom if ever applied, but the court in many Arab countries mete out lenient prison terms for husbands and male relatives who murder a woman for alleged promiscuity. |
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Sharif’s aides to
face court martial ISLAMABAD, Nov 18 (PTI) — Pakistan’s military regime has decided to court martial two senior army officer accused of aiding deposed premier Nawaz Sharif in masterminding the hijacking of Gen Pervez Musharraf’s plane in October last year. Military spokesman Gen Rashid Qureshi said today that former Chief of ISI General Ziauddin and Military Secretary to Sharif Brig Javed Iqbal would be court martialled. Sharif removed General Musharraf as Chief of the Army Staff on October 12, 1999 and appointed General Ziauddin as the new Army Chief, leading to the dismissal of the Sharif government. Brig Javed Iqbal was arrested when he tried to stop a group of pro-Musharraf army personnel who wanted to occupy the television station. All evidence have been collected against the two officials and they would be court martialled, Qureshi told reporters. “You will see the trial and the punishment to them.” |
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Anwar: govt to review
5 other charges KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 18 (AP) — Government prosecutors will review five remaining charges against jailed Malaysia’s former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim after the appeals against his corruption and sodomy convictions are over, news reports said today. “Where a person has been charged with more than one offence, we normally go through the process of trial and appeal for one case first,” Attorney General Mohtar Abdullah was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times daily. “Depending on the outcome of the appeal, we look at the situation and decide accordingly,” Mr Abdullah added. There are five charges remaining against him — one of corruption and four of sodomy. Anwar claims that Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad led a government conspiracy to frame him and prevent his political ascent. |
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Castro “uncovers”
assassination plot PANAMA CITY, Nov 18 (AFP) — An international gathering on youth in Latin America turned dramatic today when Cuban President Fidel Castro alleged he uncovered a plot to assassinate him during the summit. “We have learned that terrorists plan to use firearms, he alleged at the summit. “We have learned that terrorists planed to use firearms or explosives to achieve this goal,” Mr Castro told a press conference today, naming Cuban exile Luis Posadas Carriles as the mastermind of the alleged plot. Panamanian authorities said they were “talking” to a group of three Cuban-Americans here regarding the alleged plot. Panama’s Justice Minister Winston Spadafora played down the incident, however. The Cuban American National Foundation (FNCA) denied the claims by Mr Castro, saying that they had “no basis in fact.” According to Cuban security officials, some 600 plots have been made against Mr Castro’s life since he took power. Two heads of state: Peru’s Alberto Fujimori and Nicaragua’s Arnoldo Aleman made last-minute cancellations of their plans to attend the
summit. |
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Estrada ready to face trial MANILA, Nov 18 (AFP) — Philippine President Joseph Estrada today hit back at opposition efforts to discredit him and declared himself eager to face trial by the Senate over allegations of corruption. But at the same time, a key ally of the embattled President hinted that lawyers could mount a Supreme Court challenge over the House of Representatives adoption of a motion to impeach him. Speaking on his weekly radio show, Estrada accused “selfish businessmen and opportunistic politicians” of making “baseless accusations” against him and plunging the country into crisis. “I am thankful that Congress has acted at last,” Estrada said, reiterating that he would welcome the trial scheduled to start on December 7 as a chance to clear his name. “I have long been waiting for this since the accusations first surfaced against me. At last, I will have a chance in the proper forum to reveal the whole truth,” Estrada said. He also appealed to the public to respect the legal proceedings and to accept any decision emanating from the Senate trial. The impeachment proceedings stem from an accusation by a former Estrada friend, provincial Governor Luis Singson, that Estrada received huge payoffs from illegal gambling bosses and skimmed off government funds. Earlier this week, the House of Representatives speedily passed an impeachment motion with then-House Speaker Manuel Villar quickly reading out the order, ignoring efforts by pro-Estrada Congressmen to question the motion. |
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Kenyan brew toll
touches 128 NAIROBI, Nov 18 (Reuters) — The death toll from a lethal illegal brew rose to 128 today and the Kenyan police said they had arrested a man suspected of manufacturing the poisonous element in the drink. The police arrested Samuel Njoroge Karanja at a chemical factory in a slum area of Nairobi yesterday, the East African Standard reported. Israeli killed GAZA, Nov 18 (Reuters) — A Palestinian gunman today killed one Israeli soldier and wounded two, one of them critically, in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, the Israeli army said. “An Israeli army soldier, Baruch Plum, a staff sergeant aged 21 from Tel Aviv, was killed and two soldiers were wounded, one of them critically, in the early hours at an army post at the greenhouses of the Kfar Darom settlement,’’ an army statement said. |
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