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Sunday,
June 24, 2001, Chandigarh, India  
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US envoy meets Arafat as violence continues
Pak
police raids jehadi groups |
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Petition
against Musharraf declined Pope seeks pardon
in Kiev From Air Show to
Space Congress |
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Laden
launches recruitment drive
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US envoy meets Arafat as violence continues Ramallah (West Bank), June 23 The militant Islamic group Hamas, which claimed the attack, pledged to carry out more bombings during a mock funeral for suicide bomber Ismail Bashir al-Massoubi, 27, in Gaza Strip. In fresh bloodshed, Israeli soldiers killed a Palestinian early on Saturday as he and two others tried to infiltrate into Israel armed with hand grenades and a firearm, the army said. Hamas officials said the deceased, Mohammad Suwadan, was a member of the group and was on a mission to “kill Israelis”. Seven Palestinians and six Israelis have now been killed since the ceasefire, brokered by US CIA Director George Tenet, took effect 10 days ago. At the symbolic funeral for al-Massoubi, 10 Hamas activists clad in white shrouds with fake bombs tied to their waists vowed before 7,000 mourners to become suicide bombers in their turn. In the southern Gaza Strip, scores of families sifted through the rubble of homes destroyed by armoured Israeli bulldozers in a pre-dawn raid near the border with Egypt and the Jewish settlement of Netzarim. “It’s obvious there can be no military solution to this problem,’’ US Envoy Burns told reporters after his talks with Arafat in Ramallah, in West Bank. “It’s only through a political process that security can be re-established and also a return to a normal life for Palestinians living under very difficult circumstances”. “I also stressed the importance that the American administration attaches to both sides fulfilling their obligations under the security work plan put together by George Tenet, again as a means of ensuring the security and returning to normal life both peoples deserve,” Mr Burns said. Mr Saeb Erekat, a senior Palestinian negotiator who attended Saturday’s talks, said: “President Arafat reiterated to Mr Burns our full commitment to carry out our obligations under the Tenet understandings. “We asked the US through Mr Burns to help us face the difficulties our people are facing on the ground from the settlers’ violence, the army, the siege and we urge the US to do something to protect the Palestinian people,’’ Mr Erekat added. He said the Palestinian delegation would have another meeting with the US Envoy on Saturday night. Mr Burns came to Ramallah a day after holding talks in Jerusalem with Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres. His mission paves the way for a visit by US Secretary of State Colin Powell next week. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon leaves Israel on Sunday for Washington talks with President George Bush. He is due to stop over in London for talks with British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Two Israeli soldiers and a Palestinian bomber were killed in an explosion in Gaza Strip yesterday when the troops were lured to a booby-trapped jeep by Palestinians pretending to be in distress, the army said. Elsewhere in Gaza yesterday, two Palestinian teens were critically wounded by Israeli fire. The Islamic militant group Hamas claimed responsibility for the explosion, announcing the name of the suicide bomber — 27-year-old Ismail Maoussabie — over mosque loudspeakers in Gaza City.
Reuters, AP |
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Pak police raids jehadi groups Islamabad, June 23 Pakistan Interior Minister Moinuddin Haider said raids were made yesterday on two extremist religious groups, involved in sectarian clashes at Jhang — witness to serious sectarian strife between majority Sunnis and minority Shia extremist organisations. The drive is confined only to religious groups creating sectarian ill-will and not aimed at Pakistan-based Jehadi groups which were continuing militant operations in Kashmir. Mr Haider said the police began raiding several places across the country for the recovery of arms after the two-week amnesty for voluntary surrender of weapons came to an end on Wednesday and over 600 persons have been arrested for possessing arms illegally . The minister said the government had pressed into service all police and intelligence agencies, including the ISI to recover arms from the civilians as well as from Islamic organisations. The weapons recovered included a huge anti-personnel carrier which was owned by a family in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP). At least 300 weapons were seized from the port city of Karachi alone, where the police also unearthed two arms caches dumped in graveyards. The government has said that raids could be made on militant outfits and Afghan refugee camps following reports that some asylum seekers there were involved in gun-running. An AFP report says that nearly 84,000 rifles, Klashnikovs, revolvers, pistols and carbines were handed over during the amnesty period. The surrendered weapons also included 15 anti-aircraft guns handed over in the north western tribal region bordering Afghanistan. Officials have privately admitted that the number of arms surrendered during the amnesty was insignificant compared to the millions of unauthorised weapons believed to be in circulation in Pakistan.
PTI |
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Petition against Musharraf declined Islamabad, June 23 The petition filed by the Lawyers’ Forum in Lahore had been returned yesterday by the Registrar of Lahore High Court on the grounds that the petition has been filed before the principal seat of Lahore High Court which was not a proper Bench to deal with. The Registrar also declined to entertain the petition on the grounds that Article 248 of Pakistan’s constitution stipulated that no legal petition could be filed against the President of the country. Not deterred by the court’s disinclination to admit his petition, Mian Hanif Tahir of the Lawyers’ Forum again filed another petition asking it to be referred to the Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court. The petition said that General Musharraf who was also a government employee by virtue of being the Chief of the Army could not hold the office of the President. It also stated that under the terms of the constitution only Parliament could elect the President. It said the appointment of General Musharraf also violated Articles 41 and 47 of the constitution, besides infringing on the Supreme Court judgement validating the October 1999 military coup and asked the court to prosecute him for high treason. A similar petition was pending before the Sindh High Court in Karachi. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Muslim League (PML), headed by deposed Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif criticised Supreme Court Chief Justice Irshad Hasan Khan for administering the oath of office to General Musharraf and called for the resignation of the judge.
PTI, UNI |
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Pope seeks pardon
in Kiev
Kiev, June 23 The 81-year-old Pope, whose controversial visit to Ukraine has sparked a bitter dispute between the former Soviet republic’s Roman Catholics and its Orthodox majority, said the Catholics, for their part, “forgave the wrongs” done to them. “My most heartfelt wish is that the errors of the past not be repeated in the future,” the pontiff said. Portraying himself as a “pilgrim of peace and brotherhood,” the Pope began the historic visit by expressing hope that he would “be received with friendship by all those who, without belonging to the (Catholic) church, have an open heart for dialogue and cooperation.” Since the collapse 10 years ago of the Soviet Union, which outlawed religion, Ukraine’s Orthodox majority has accused the Roman Catholics of seeking to convert the population, taking control of parishes and seizing church assets.
AFP |
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From Air Show to Space
Congress Paris, June 23 A man dressed up as a US astronaut walked the halls shaking hands and pausing to be photographed. Perhaps, looking for “space” to park! Has man found his space in the space? He is seen exploring to chart the galaxies and trying to find out the beginning of the universe and through satellites striving to bring the world into an oyster through global communication, medicine, navigation, agriculture,
meteorology and mineral exploration. The idea is to unite the world in joint ventures and consortiums of ventures of discovery commerce and technology. From the information picked up from the “space” stalls it is evident that the proposed Space Congress at Houston, Texas, from October 10 to 19, 2002, is slated to be an event devoting itself to science, technology, infrastructure, missions, legal and policy frame works, business and applications and education and history. The themes that continue to engage the attention of the space explorers, up there and behind drawing boards and control panels, relate to international space station commercialization by involving the private sector, using space industry for diverse economic enterprise, uses of exploration in life sciences and biomedicine, unfolding mysteries of the universe through voyages and of course using space technology for commerce. The Committee on Space Research is sponsoring the Space Congress in collaboration with some companies. The hosts and organizers are the United States National Academy of Sciences (NASA) and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). As the world prepares for the next Air Show in the UK and later for the World Space Congress-2002, each country and company talked of “peace” defending its functions as to why so much expenditure on warfare. The participants (countries and companies) talked of self “protection” (defence), “projection” by carrying out operations beyond their own borders for resolution of conflicts, “prevention” by aiming to halt emergence of conflict situations and anticipating the re-emergence of a major threat to themselves or the region and “deterrence” against nuclear threat attempting to contribute to balance and security. Name any aspect of air warfare, travel or transportation, the Show had it; safety of passengers, stealth spying on the internal or external trouble-shooters, up gradation of existing war birds, enabling passengers over come DVT(deep vein thrombosis) or what is called the ‘economy class syndrome’ due to less leg space, cramped sitting position and long flight hours, air-to-air fuelling etc. The Show provided a comprehensive exposure on all this not forgetting the radar and telecommunication technologies revolutionizing contacts, detection and access. A Belgian company, Euro-GSM has come up with a “multi-system” phone that works the world over using both Iridium and Global Star Satellites. It is code-named, “Orb’ phone”. In this world wide web of aviation, India is just a speck when seen through the cockpit of the steel birds — some with killer power and others serving as flying ambulances and hospitals. It is time Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) added wings to its operations. Nevertheless, but for its presence, the Tricolour would not be fluttering in the pleasant weather and wind alongside 43 other countries at Le Bourget. It has many more nautical miles to go before it can join the aerospace club. How far is India’s participation in the World Space Congress-2002? |
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Laden launches recruitment drive London, June 23 This was revealed in a 100-minute videotape, which is causing a sensation in the Islamic world where it is being circulated by hand, news reports here said yesterday. In the videotape, bin Laden appeals to his “brethren living in countries that are allied to Jews and Christians” to join his fighters and “prepare for a holy war”.
PTI |
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