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| Sunday,
December 31, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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Israel,
Palestine firm on demands Bush names four to
Cabinet
British
cop hopes to win back job |
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Lankan
troops recapture bridge Report on
1971 war declassified It’s
magic time for Thai politicians Ferry
disaster toll rises to 80 Singapore on UN
Security Council
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Israel, Palestine firm on demands JERUSALEM, Dec 30 (Reuters) — Prospects of fresh West Asia talks again became bleak after Israelis and Palestinians locked horns over the right of return of Palestinian refugees and control over Jerusalem. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak said yesterday that he would not sign a deal agreeing to the right of Palestinian refugees to return or Palestinian sovereignty over the Jerusalem site known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Arabs as al-Haram al-Sharif. The Palestinian Cabinet said after its weekly meeting that it would not agree to a deal that failed to fully meet its core demands, but it was still committed to “full and serious negotiations under international sponsorship”. Marking a new channel in negotiations, a senior Palestinian official told Reuters that Palestinian delegates were due to hold talks with US officials in Washington to discuss a peace plan proposed by President Bill Clinton to kickstart the talks. The official did not say when Mr Ahmed Korei, Palestinian Parliament Speaker, and Mr Khaled Salam, economic adviser to Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, would meet the US officials. In an interview with Israel’s Channel Two television, Mr Barak tried to allay fears of many Israelis that he was ready to cede the Temple Mount, Judaism’s holiest site, to Palestinians. “The government under my authority will not accept any agreement in any form that will recognise the right of return. I do not intend to sign any document that will transfer sovereignty over the Temple Mount to Palestinians,” Mr Barak said. With the concept of sovereignty open to definition, it was not clear whether his statement marked a toughening of the Israeli position after its Security Cabinet conditionally accepted Mr Clinton’s blueprint for peace on December 27. The Clinton proposal presented last week was reported to give Palestinians sovereignty over the Jerusalem shrine and maintain Israeli control over the Western Wall. In exchange for land adjoining Gaza, Israel would annex several West Bank settlement blocs where 80 per cent of the 200,000 settlers now live on land captured in the 1967 war. Palestinians would accept a restriction on the right of refugees to return to the homes they left, or were forced to flee, in the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. But the Palestinian Cabinet appeared to rule out compromise, asserting that “the Palestinian leadership confirms its commitment to the full right of refugees to return to their lands and homes in accordance with UN Resolution 194.” “Our people will never, under any circumstances, concede one inch from our Jerusalem and our Islamic and Christian holy sites,” the statement said. The Palestinian Cabinet said it was considering the US plans in consultation with “Arab brothers and with friends out of concrete concern to preserve Palestinian national rights”. A senior Palestinian official said Palestinians had forwarded a letter to Mr Clinton yesterday outlining their positions and requesting that the proposals be clarified further before giving the final verdict. An Israeli diplomatic source said Israel would soon submit its own reservations to the USA on the peace proposals, including its objection to transferring sovereignty over the Temple Mount to the Palestinians. Polls in Israel’s two biggest newspapers, Yedioth Ahronoth and Maariv, put the opposition to Mr Clinton’s proposals at between 51 and 53 per cent of the Israeli public and support for his ideas at 38 to 44 per cent. The proposals would reportedly give the Palestinians all of the Gaza Strip and around 95 per cent of the West Bank for a future state. Russia’s Foreign Ministry said US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and her Russian counterpart Igor Ivanov agreed during a telephone conversation yesterday that both capitals should step up joint work to end a three-month-old Palestinian uprising. In continuing violence, a Palestinian policeman was killed in a battle involving Israeli tank fire near the Israel-Gaza border yesterday. During the battle, one of the fiercest in more than a week, the Palestinian police and snipers exchanged fire with Israeli soldiers near the Erez crossing on the Israel-Gaza border, witnesses said. The death brought the toll to at least 346 persons killed in a three-month-old Palestinian Intifada (uprising) that erupted in the vacuum of stalled peace talks. Most of the dead are Palestinians and Israeli Arabs. As many as 41 Israelis have also died. One of the two soldiers killed in a Palestinian bomb attack on the Israel-Gaza border on December 28 was buried in Jerusalem. Fourteen persons were wounded by a bomb blast on a Tel Aviv bus the same day. Around 10,000 supporters of the militant Islamic group Hamas burned an effigy of the Tel Aviv bus during an anti-Israeli rally in the West Bank city of Nablus. Dozens of Hamas activists fired in the air in a show of defiance. AFP adds from Washington: The White House refused to comment on statements made by Israeli Primer Minister Ehud Barak rejecting any peace accord that would grant Palestinians sovereignty over Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, which holds deep religious significance for both Jews and Muslims. “We don’t have any comment,” White House spokesman Jake Siewart told AFP on Friday, adding that US officials remained in consultation with Israelis and Palestinians. |
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Bush names four to Cabinet WASHINGTON, Dec 30 (PTI) — US President-elect George W. Bush laid the groundwork for his Cabinet-in-the-making by approving four key nominations, including that of Governor Tommy
G. Thompson, who is now in the midst of an unprecedented fourth term, as Secretary-designate of Health and Human Services. Mr Bush nominated Mr Anthony
J. Principi, President of QTC Medical Services as Secretary of the Department of Veteran’s Affairs and former Colorado Attorney-General Gale Norton as the Head of the Department of the Interior. Mr Roderick Paige,
Superintendent of Schools for the Houston Independent School District is chosen Secretary of Education. The four Cabinet appointments left only three slots to be filled after the New Year — the secretaries of Labour, Energy and Transportation. Mr Paige becomes the second Black member of the Bush Cabinet. The other is Mr Colin Powell, designated secretary of state. Ms Norton becomes the first woman. Mr Bush yesterday nominated Mr Donald Rumsfeld, 68, to be his Defence Secretary. Mr Rumsfeld’s appointment for the coveted position comes as a surprise announcement as he had been tipped for the post of Director of the CIA by the news media. |
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British cop hopes to win back job London, Dec 30 (IANS) — Supporters of a British policeman, who was forced to resign last summer after allegedly making a racist comment, hopes he may win back his job because of the precedent created by another officer who was also sacked for similar reasons and then reinstated. Rick Pentith “resigned” from his post as community constable in the Yorkshire town of Shipley, north of London, after allegedly referring to an Asian colleague as “wog”. He has also had to leave his police home. Although he admitted making inappropriate comments, Pentith denies using the word “wog” and is fighting to overturn the decision. An appeal to the West Yorkshire Police Authority’s independent appeals tribunal is expected to be heard in February and Pentith has also lodged a claim of unfair dismissal. Pentith’s supporters say the example of police constable (PC) Steve Hutt should have a bearing on his case. The London Metropolitan Police Officer was reinstated by British Home Secretary Jack Straw just before Christmas after being suspended for calling a suspect a “black bastard”. One of Pentith’s friends, who did not want to be named, told IANS, “PC Hutt’s case has given us a lot of hope. We think there’s now a chance and Rick feels it must have a bearing on his case.” “Over the last couple of weeks Rick’s been extremely low but this has given him a real lift.” Pentith’s father, John, a retired police officer who earlier claimed his son was the victim of political correctness, added: “It’s given us fresh hope because as far as I see it, PC Hutt’s case was a lot worse than Rick’s. What he said was said directly to someone who was in custody at the time but in Rick’s case if the word was used — and that’s disputed anyway — it was said about someone who wasn’t present.” “Rick’s alleged offence pales into insignificance alongside PC Hutt’s so if his punishment can be overturned, Rick’s must be too excessive.” Another Pentith supporter told IANS: “We need to have greater clarification of the rules and the penalties associated with breaking them so there is consistency.” “There’s a need for fair and sensible penalties and to have as much transparency as possible so people can see there’s a sliding scale of punishments — possibly fines, reprimands and suspensions up to redundancy — that have been considered.” |
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Lankan troops recapture bridge colombo,
Dec 30 (pti) — The
Sri Lankan army today continued its offensive against the ltte in northern Jaffna and recaptured a strategic bridge despite the unilateral declaration of a ceasefire by the rebels. An army spokesman Brig Sanat Karunaratne, said troops backed by Israeli-made Kfir and MiG-27s war planes mounted a major offensive this morning on the ltte defences at the Navatkuli bridge, about 20 km from Jaffna town, and captured it. “The army has recaptured the bridge during the first stage of the offensive and there appears to be not much resistance from the ltte”, he said. Today’s offensive by the army was the second of its kind after the ltte announced a unilateral ceasefire on the eve of Christmas as a prelude to commence peace talks. However, the government rejected the offer saying that it was a ploy by the rebels to regroup and retrain its cadre. The government said the talks could begin even while the fighting continued and both sides could reach an agreement over the ceasefire if the talks progressed to the satisfaction of both sides. Today’s operation is considered to be significant as the Navatkuli bridge, links the town with the south of the peninsula. The capture of the bridge by the ltte in April this year enabled the rebels to gain an easy access to lay siege to Jaffna town. “Now that danger no longer exists”, Brigadier Karunaratne said. The Ltte almost succeeded in capturing the peninsula this year. But after heavy initial losses, the army succeeded in halting the ltte advance and pushed the rebels further south of Jaffna to retain a firm footing in the peninsula. |
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Report on 1971 war declassified islamabad,
Dec 30 (dpa) —
Pakistan’s military regime today declassified a controversial report on the dismemberment of the country’s eastern province that became Bangladesh in 1971. According to an official announcement, the document, spreading over several hundred pages, has been placed for public consultation at the Establishment Division, a Central Government Department in Islamabad. The Report was compiled by a commission formed to look into the causes that led to Bangladesh’s independence from Pakistan after a bloody civil war. The commission was headed by a former judge of the country’s Supreme Court, Justice Hamoodur Rehman, who himself belonged to the seceding province. The contents of the Hamoodur Rehman Commission report were never made known and had always been a source of controversy and speculation in Pakistan. Ripples were created recently when Indian newspapers published parts of the report that blamed senior Pakistan military officers for the emergence of Bangladesh, highlighting their professional and moral degradation. Bangladesh, which has accused the Pakistani army of genocide, claims at least three million civilians were killed in 1971 amidst widespread rape and loot. The civil war ended on December 16, 1971, with the surrender of 93,000 Pakistani soldiers to a joint command of Bangladeshi freedom fighters and Indian military forces which had joined the war to help Bangladesh win independence. |
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It’s magic time for Thai politicians BANGKOK, Dec 30 (Reuters) — One top Thai politician wears a different brightly coloured shirt each day of the week. Another gets a special blessing from a monk or carries sacred objects before meeting voters. Others consult fortune tellers on how to part their hair, what to ride and where to campaign. All over Thailand politicians are turning to magic and symbolism to boost their chances at the general election on January 6. “You’ve got to believe in miracles,” said Thai soothsayer and Buddhist astrologer Attaviroj Sritula. Attaviroj has lost count of the number of Thai politicians who have come to him for advice, and says most of them have eventually got what they wanted. Thai politicians consult astrologers the way leaders in other countries consult public opinion polls. Astrology can confirm existing beliefs or courses of action and builds confidence. Jamlong Krutkhunthot, a candidate with the Thai Rak Thai party of prime ministerial hopeful Thaksin Shinawatra, recently visited a statue of a famous Thai heroine, Ya Mo, to pay homage, make an offering and ask for poll success. Ya Mo, who led Thai warriors to victory over an invading army from neighbouring Laos in the early nineteenth century, is widely believed to confer success on her devotees. “I’ve always asked for her blessings, and I’ve never been disappointed,” said Jamlong, a longstanding member of parliament for the north-eastern city of Nakorn Ratchasima. “We also got blessings from a monk as well,” added one member of his team. Like most ordinary Thais, many Thai politicians visit fortune tellers and monks for advice before making major decisions, such as when to marry, move house or even what colour would suit them. Many people also keep and wear sacred amulets. Former Democrat Party secretary-general Sanan Kachornprasart wears a different coloured shirt each day of the week, which fortune tellers say should bring him prosperity and power. This failed, however, to prevent Thailand’s National Counter Corruption Commission from banning Sanan in August from politics for five years, for not declaring assets while he was a Canibet minister in the 1990s. Some candidates go in for particular behaviour on the first day of an enterprise, believing it will ensure success. Three candidates of the ruling Democrat Party from Phetchabun province, 350 km (220 miles) north of Bangkok, rode an elephant — the symbol of Thailand — to register their candidacy for the poll at the local government offices. |
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Ferry disaster toll
rises to 80 DHAKA, Dec 30 (AP) — Hundreds of anxious people gathered on a river bank today looking for their relatives who were on board a big ferry which sank after colliding with another boat in a dense fog in southeast Bangladesh. The police has, so far, recovered 80 bodies, 50 of them trapped in the wreckage of the double-deck ferry that carried nearly 400 persons yesterday in Chandpur district, 64 km southeast of Bangladesh capital Dhaka, Shafiquddin Ahmed, a senior police officer at Chandpur, told AP. Thirty bodies were found floating in the river Meghna. The ferry, with a capacity of 200, was overcrowded with people returning home after visiting relatives for the Id festival. The ferry wreckage was salvaged from under 30-feet of water, the police said. The police resumed search operations today after a night halt. They expect the death toll to rise as many people were feared missing and the swift water current could have washed some bodies down the river. Officials don’t know how many people swam ashore. |
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Singapore on UN Security Council singapore,
Dec 30 (Reuters) — Singapore will assume its seat as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (unsc) on January 1, the foreign ministry said today. Singapore’s membership in the
unsc will be for two years from January 1, 2001, to December 31, 2002, it said in a statement. Singapore will take over the
unsc presidency from the Russian Federation for January, the ministry said. It said the presidency rotates among members on a monthly basis. |
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