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| Saturday, December 2, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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Palestinians reject Barak's
proposals
Summit ‘likely’ if Pak
response positive Annan blasts Pak for fuelling Afghan
war $ 60 m cut from Pak F-16
account China welcomes
J&K ceasefire |
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Bombing suspects
remanded in custody Freedom rallies in Irian
Jaya New York wakes up to rodent
threat 61 hours in ice
block Mori to reshuffle
Cabinet Pak withdraws
diplomat Indian Sergeant
reinstated
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Palestinians reject Barak's proposals JERUSALEM, Dec 1 (Reuters) — Palestinians rejected Israeli Prime Minister Barak’s proposals and warned against violence after prayers at the Jerusalem site holy of Al-Aqsa mosque to Muslims and Jews that has been a flashpoint for past clashes. Yesterday, the beleaguered Israeli Prime Minister proposed a peace deal that would grant Palestinians statehood, allow Israel to annex Jewish settlements and delay negotiations on Jerusalem and the Palestinian refugee question for up to three years. Palestinian and Israeli officials said the Jewish state would reopen the Palestinian airport in the Gaza Strip on Friday as part of a variety of confidence-building measures meant to quell the uprising. But senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat swiftly rejected the offer as a re-election ploy. He said any accord had to cover all issues, including the status of Jerusalem, which both sides want as their capital. "I don’t think we will be a part of the election campaign," Mr Erekat told Reuters. Israel decided to end age restrictions barring young men from worshipping at Al-Aqsa mosque. But the authorities did not lift a ban on Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza Strip from entering Jerusalem to pray there. Israeli troops shot dead two Palestinians in separate incidents in the West Bank and Gaza on Thursday. Gun battles erupted elsewhere in the West Bank and Gaza. "The decision is not an easy decision, but one thing is clear: we are taking a step to show our desire to allow the freedom to worship," Israel’s police chief Yehuda Wilk said. "I really hope that this fact will not be exploited to demonstrate on the mount," he told Israel’s Channel One television, calling the site by its Jewish name, Temple Mount. The Israeli police will spread out around the shrine, called Al-Haram Al-Sharif by Muslims, in the alleys nearby and throughout east Jerusalem, spokesman Shmulik Benruby said. The militant Palestinian Hamas group called for a "day of rage" on the first Friday of the Muslim holy month of ramadan. Mr Jawad Boulus, lawyer for Orient House, Palestinian headquarters in Jerusalem, told Israel’s Channel One television it would not take much to spark clashes at the holy site. The Israeli police says that it has kept the site free of unrest for weeks by preventing youths from praying there on Fridays and by keeping out Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza. Pre-empting an Opposition move to oust him, Mr Barak called for an early election two days ago. Polls show Mr barak trailing far behind the man who will likely be his opponent in a race, former right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and political analysts say only a peace deal ensures the Israeli leader re-election. The Israeli army believes some of the Hizbollah guerrillas who captured three of its soldiers at the Lebanese border in October were disguised as UN peacekeepers, an Israeli newspaper said. A spokesman for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon called the report incorrect but said parts of unifil uniform and UN insignia, arm-bands and licence plates were found in two abandoned vehicles that were used in the abduction. The mass circulation daily Yedioth Ahronoth, said the finding was in an army report on the incident submitted to the military’s chief of staff, Lieut-General Shaul Mofaz. The newspaper said the soldiers, on border patrol, broke with normal procedure and drove their jeep off a designated route because they saw a vehicle on the Lebanese side of the frontier which looked like a car used by UN peacekeepers. |
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Summit ‘likely’ if Pak response positive DUBAI, Dec 1 (UNI) — There is every possibility of a summit between Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Gen Pervez Musharraf after Ramzan in New Delhi if the Indian Government’s unilateral ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir holds and the Pakistan military ruler’s response to it is positive. This is the view of Mr Mansoor Ijaz, an American businessman of Pakistani origin involved in the mediation efforts on the Kashmir issue. A member of the influential US Think Tank Council on foreign relations, Mr Ijaz has made five visits to India and Pakistan in the past year to break the deadlock over the disputes. If the Pakistan ruler’s “response is positive Indo-Pakistani bilateral negotiations could begin immediately under a summit meeting between Mr Vajpayee and Gen Musharraf in Delhi and run simultaneously with Indo-Kashmir talks”, he told Gulf News in Dubai. Seen by many as a secret envoy with the backing of President Bill Clinton but clearly not part of the US Administration, Mr Ijaz said “If Gen Musharraf supports a valley-wide ceasefire, which is glaringly easy to do since the winter snows are coming soon, cross-border conditionalities disappear in Delhi.” However, Mr Ijaz hastened to add that the key to Pakistani involvement in the Kashmir issue on a tripartite basis was the Kashmiri himself, “If Salahuddin, who heads the militant group Hizb-ul-Mujahideen and Yasin Malik of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation front want Pakistan at the table, India will agree”. He said the grave risk that Mr Vajpayee ran now was how long the Indian public could withstand the humiliation of attacks on its Army during the ceasefire. However, he said that in his recent conversation with strategic planners in New Delhi, he sensed “a fundamental commitment to find peace, no matter the cost”. He was of the view that “If India is prepared to bleed through what many Indians now believe is a pointless guerilla war, they may be equally willing to bleed the same amount for peace — a strategy that will clearly pay greater dividends”. On Pakistan’s repeated assertion of tripartite talks on Kashmir, Mr Ijaz said it demonstrated a complete lack of understanding by Islamabad of its own stated position. Mr Ijaz said “While the world intelligence community knows how much military support the ISI and the (Pakistani) Army give the Kashmiris, it is patently absurd for Islamabad to violate its own publicly stated position and thereby create a false pretense for not talking”. He was of the firm view that eventually Gen Musharraf was going to overcome internal resistance by responding to India’s peace overture, mostly because that was what the Kashmiris wanted. The Kashmiris were sick and tired of the violence and bloodshed from both sides, he added. |
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Annan blasts Pak for fuelling Afghan war UNITED NATIONS, Dec 1 (PTI) — UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has blasted Pakistan for militarily helping the Taliban and fuelling the conflict in Afghanistan. Condemning the involvement of “external players of various sorts” for fuelling the conflict, Mr Annan singled out Pakistan for sharp criticism in this connection. “It is deeply distressing that significant non-Afghan personnel, largely from Pakistani madrasas, are not only taking active part in the fighting and most, if not all, are on the side of the Taliban”, but “there also appears to be outside involvement in the planning and logistical support of their military operations,” Mr Annan said in a report released yesterday. But he did see a “glimmer of hope” for the “long-suffering” country in the recent agreement between warring parties and said the international support is essential in the “difficult quest for peace.” The agreement, he noted, committed the United Front and the Taliban to the UN-sponsored negotiations. But this is “only a first step in what will at best be a long and difficult journey towards peace.” Mr Annan said if, “as we must hope”, political initiatives succeed in starting substantive negotiations, it would be necessary to sharply increase the diplomatic capacity of the UN special mission to Afghanistan. Mr Annan also deplored the Taliban’s failure to turn over “indicted terrorist” Osama bin Laden, as demanded by the Security Council. “The Taliban authorities have made it clear that they consider Bin Laden as their guest and that the customs of pashtoon hospitality do not allow for his expulsion from the country,” he said in the report. |
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$ 60 m cut from Pak F-16 account ISLAMABAD, Dec 1 (PTI) — The USA has “adjusted” $ 60 million out of $ 140 million Pakistan had paid for the purchase of F-16 fighter jets, which were not delivered due to the Pressler amendment, against four lakh tonnes of wheat supplied to Islamabad in 1999 under its aid programme, media reports said here today. US Assistant Secretary of State, Karl Inderfurth informed about the deduction in a letter to Pakistan Ambassador to Washington Maleeha Lodhi, the English daily ‘Dawn’ said. Mr Inderfurth’s letter took Ms Lodhi by total surprise as Pakistani Foreign Office officials, economic affairs division as well as the Ambassador herself, had been treating the 400,000 tonnes of wheat as “aid” and not an adjustment in the F-16 account. Mr Inderfurth’s letter, written in August, revealed that the outstanding money against the F-16s was not $ 140 million but $ 80 million and the US Government had already deducted $ 60 million for the wheat supplied to Pakistan in 1999. Islamabad noticed the deduction of money only recently when it asked Washington to return the money. Following Mr Inderfurth’s letter, several top-level meetings were held in Islamabad and it was finally decided to accept the US position and concede that the 400,000 tonnes of wheat was not “aid” but “a purchase” by Pakistan, the report said. |
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China welcomes
J&K ceasefire BEIJING, Dec 1 (PTI) — After initial hesitation, China today welcomed India’s unilateral Ramazan ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir hoping that it would lead to “improvement” in India-Pakistan relations. “The Chinese position on the Kashmir issue is clear. We welcome all efforts conducive to the improvement in relations between India and Pakistan and the relaxation of the regional situation,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said. In its initial comment on Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s unilateral ceasefire decision on November 19, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said China hoped that India and Pakistan would resolve their differences, including the Kashmir dispute, through peaceful means. “We hope both India and Pakistan will settle all their differences, including the dispute over Kashmir, by peaceful means through dialogue and consultation,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on November 20 without directly commenting on the ceasefire. The statement went on to say that resolving the differences between India and Pakistan “is not only in line with the common interest of the people of both countries but also conducive to peace and stability in South Asia.” |
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Bombing suspects
remanded in custody VANCOUVER, Dec 1 (UNI) — The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has warned radical Sikh groups in Pakistan and Canada to stay away from the witnesses in the Air-India bombing case or face the full wrath of the law. An Air-India Boeing 747, “Kanishka”, which took off from Canada on June 23, 1985, had exploded off the Irish coast in a terrorist act which was blamed on Punjab militants. All 329 on board were killed. The RCMP warning came in the wake of reports that a key witness was threatened with liquidation if he testified against the two accused — the city’s millionaire Ripudaman Singh Malik and Kamloops priest Ajaib Singh Bagri — in the court. Meanwhile, two suspects in one of the worst terrorist attacks in aviation history made a brief appearance in a Canadian court amid reports that some of the witnesses in the case were being threatened. Ripudaman Singh Malik and Ajaib Singh Bagri, charged with the murder of 329 persons in the 1985 bombing of an Air India jumbo jet, stood side-by-side in the prisoners’ box in the courtroom on Thursday while their lawyer asked for more time to prepare their defence. They were ordered back into custody and their next court appearance was scheduled for January 31. In an interview to a local newspaper Province, the witness, who preferred to be anonymous, said he was lured to a secret place a few days back where three leaders of the extremist movement were waiting for him. They told him it was not a good idea to participate in “something that is so vital to the interest of the Sikh cause”. The witness claims his entire statement to the Canadian police appears to have been read by the militants. They knew what he had told the police, who he had implicated and the police detachment where he made his statement and the date. According to him, the militants also told him that the crown (prosecution) witnesses include a man who lives in New York, two former employees of Khalsa School in Surrey County, a Lower Mainland businessman, a Sikh journalist and a villager in Punjab. The militants later warned him that it was not a good idea to testify in courts. “You are one of us, you will be considered a traitor if you depose”, he was told. They also claimed to have seen a briefcase full of prosecution documents containing witness statements. The crown’s case consists of 132 large binders of evidence, including surveillance pictures taken by the Canadian police. This information is now in the hands of Sikh militants bent on intimidating the witnesses, it was claimed in the report. The newspaper also said some other witnesses named in the crown’s documents have received intimidating telephone calls from Sikh extremists in British Columbia, Pakistan and India. |
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Freedom rallies in Irian Jaya JAKARTA, Dec 1 (Reuters) — Thousands packed the Irian Jaya capital of Jayapura and other towns today in peaceful rallies to mark the anniversary of a unilateral declaration of freedom in Indonesia’s troubled easternmost province. But 3,700 km away in the Indonesian capital Jakarta, the police fired tear-gas shells to disperse 300 Irianese protesters in front of the US Embassy after they ignored warnings to take down the “Morning Star’’ flag, the symbol of demands for independence. Witnesses said seven protesters were arrested and by midday the situation appeared to have calmed down. The flag was hoisted throughout the giant and resource-rich province, at the eastern end of the Indonesian archipelago, but there were no reports of any violence. Analysts and activists had feared the anniversary marking a 1961 declaration of independence by Irianese tribal chiefs could trigger clashes between security forces and indigenous Irianese. President Abdurrahman Wahid, his erratic one-year rule constantly under fire, on yesterday warned the government would not tolerate attempts by separatists in the remote and thinly- populated region to break away and he threatened firm action. Many locals accuse Indonesia of years of human rights abuses and complain their mountainous province has received little in return for the vast natural wealth long exploited by Jakarta. Speaking from Jayapura, where the military put on a public show of strength on yesterday, pro-independence leader Willy Mandowen said his prayers for calm had been answered. Irian Jaya police chief Sylvanus Wenas disputed estimates by local independence leaders that 10,000 persons attended the rally in Jayapura. Some independence leaders have been demanding the release of four key separatist figures who were arrested this week and will be charged with treason, which carries a penalty of life in jail. The “Morning Star” flag had been hoisted at Imbi Park, but Wenas said authorities would only allow it to fly until Friday evening. Papuans, as the indigenous Irianese like to be known, first hoisted the “Morning Star” flag — a white star on red square next to blue and white stripes — in 1961. A riot erupted in the highland town of Wamena in October after the police removed such flags, leaving dozens dead. Irian Jaya was incorporated into Indonesia in 1963, after heavy diplomatic pressure on the Netherlands. In 1969, a UN-run plebiscite was held among local leaders which resulted in a vote to join Indonesia. The vote has been widely criticised as unfair. |
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New York wakes up to rodent
threat EVERYTHING but crime is rising in the city that likes to think of itself as the capital of the world: tourism, employment, housing costs, congestion, self-regard and rats. This last index of both prosperity and poverty is now an Official Problem, with a Deputy Mayor appointed as “rat tsar”, $ 600,000 set aside for public education about rats, legislation proposed and a rat conference held at Columbia University in Manhattan. About 250 academics, health officials, politicians and administrators at the conference heard a rallying cry from Randy Dupree, a rat expert. “Twenty years ago this city had a concerted effort to fight rats,” he said. “That stopped and now we’ve seen a burgeoning of the rodent population. What we need is everyone to join in a war on rats.” But good intentions are not enough, said biologist Bruce Colvin, with the city’s rats living longer, breeding faster and eating better all the time while growing resistant to poisons. “If you’re chasing critters up and down alleyways, you’re missing the point,” he said. “You have to change the environment. You provide the food, they do the sex. That’s the formula.” Some estimates put the rat population at 8 million — an exaggeration, says Mr Colvin — against an official human count of 7.3 million, which does not include an illegal immigrant population of perhaps 2 million. Both groups are served by about 17,000 restaurants, most of them proud of their contribution to what the city believes is the highest-quality and most diverse cuisine on the planet. They prefer not to dwell on one element that is of particular interest to Mr Colvin. “For rats, grease is a high-protein food source,” said the biologist. “It allows them to kick up their sex drive. You know the rest.” Deputy Mayor Joseph Lhota, who heads the campaign to persuade people to take greater care of their rubbish, said that this year the city had carried out 30,000 inspections, 51,000 exterminations and cleaned up 5,000 open spaces. His boss, New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, has had to contend with demonstrators on the steps of city hall chanting: “One rat, two rats, three rats, four; everywhere I look there’s more and more,” and “Fumigation is a right, not just for the rich and white.” And it was left to Mr Giuliani to reassert New York’s pre-eminence in this field, as in all others. “We make unprecedented efforts to kill rats,” he said, “We kill more of them than any place else. We probably lead the country in
rat-killing”. — The Guardian, London |
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61 hours in ice block NEW YORK, Dec 1 (DPA) — US magician David Blaine was hatched from a 200 kg block of ice in New York after spending 61 hours and 45 minutes in the frosty prison. The 27-year-old magician not only survived but will also get $ 1 million for his feat from the national television network ABC. “He has some strong pain, mostly in his back and legs,” said his doctor, Ronald Ruden. “He said Blaine had managed some sleep during the two days and two nights inside the ice by leaning against the frozen walls with a wool cap. Blaine was barely able to stand towards the end of his self-imposed ordeal and when a microphone was lowered down to him, he uttered some incoherent words. Blaine’s ice block was hollowed out to fit his body, and the “human possible” wore boots, pants and a hat to protect. He received fresh air and liquids through tubes and medical technicians watched his body temperature and pulse, ready to intervene with ice breakers if cramps or blood clots appeared. |
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Mori to reshuffle
Cabinet TOKYO, Dec 1 (PTI) — Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, who survived a no-confidence motion in Parliament last week, has decided to reshuffle his Cabinet to reward those who backed him even as his Liberal Democratic Party’s Secretary-General offered to resign today. Party sources said Mr Mori would like to assert his leadership with the Cabinet reshuffle expected next week. The Cabinet shake-up is aimed at refreshing the image of Mr Mori’s administration following a no-confidence motion in Parliament last week that nearly split the ruling party, they said. |
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Pak withdraws
diplomat DHAKA, Dec 1 — The Pakistan Government has withdrawn their errant Deputy High Commissioner Irfan Raza and expressed regret for the comments made by Raza at a seminar recently regarding the Bangladesh liberation war. Local television networks in their news bulletin broadcast a report from Islamabad quoting news agencies saying that Pakistan has withdrawn Irfan Raza. The Bangladesh Government had taken a strong stand on this issue. The government was contemplating expulsion of the Pakistani diplomat. Indian Sergeant
reinstated LONDON, Dec 1
(PTI) — A Sergeant of Indian origin, who was sacked from the British Metropolitan Police (MET) after a row over racist hate mail, has been reinstated with “full apology” from Ian Blair, the Deputy Commissioner, it was officially stated today. Sergeant Gurpal Virdi was dismissed from the force earlier this year after a racist hate mail was sent to 13 officers from ethnic backgrounds. At a four-week hearing in March, the MET accused him of sending the material to himself and others to back a claim of racial discrimination against the force. |
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Israeli border guards watch Palestinians pray near a roadblock in the West Bank town of Bethlehem on Friday. Three thousand Israeli police were deployed in East Jerusalem, which houses two mosques — the Al-Aqsa and the Dome of the Rock — during the first weekly prayers of Ramadan, as the Israeli authorities lifted age restrictions on worshippers.— AFP
photo
