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| Wednesday,
July 4, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
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USA blames Israelis, Palestinians Palace massacre: 6
royal guards sacked
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No quota for Sindhis in House: Advani
Abu Sayyaf men free two Filipino hostages Bush extends sanctions against Taliban |
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Colombian army kills 16 rebels Chinese premier keen to visit India Indian prisoner’s body
awaits burial in Lahore
Musharraf takes salary of army chief only Hasina to stay at official residence indefinitely US commander apologises Object rivalling Pluto moon found
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USA blames Israelis, Palestinians Jerusalem, July 3 The 15-day-old ceasefire faced its most difficult test yesterday after a Palestinian and an Israeli were killed in separate incidents, two car bombs exploded near Tel Aviv and Israel killed three Islamic militants. Following the rise in violence, which had subsided for more than a week after the sides agreed to a truce, Israel said it would reassess its policies in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Fifteen Palestinians and eight Israelis have been killed since the warring parties adopted the truce brokered by US CIA Director George Tenet on June 13. “We think the Palestinians have not done enough to fight terror and to end the violence. We also want to make it clear that we remain opposed to Israel’s policy of targeted killings,’’ said US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher. “Both sides need to exert maximum efforts to halt the violence and we will continue to urge them to do so,’’ he told a daily briefing in Washington. Israeli radio and television reported that Israeli and Palestinian security officials met late yesterday to try to save the truce from a collapse. An Israeli helicopter gunship fired a missile at a car in the West Bank late on Sunday, killing three Islamic militants Israel said were responsible for attacks against Israelis. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine said the car bombings were in retaliation for the “assassinations’’. Palestinian President Yasser Arafat lashed out at Israel, accusing it of violating the truce and committing an “ugly crime’’ by killing the three militants. The Israeli army reported more than half a dozen shooting incidents in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip overnight yesterday. It said one civilian was wounded in a West Bank shooting. A Jewish settler spokesman said a Jewish settler had gone missing while out with his sheep. The Israeli army and a search party were looking for him after his sheep returned without him. Palestinian security officials said soldiers fired on a police post in Gaza, forcing it to be evacuated. In a shooting near the Israel-West Bank border earlier yesterday, Palestinian gunmen killed Aharon Abidya, 41, Israeli police said. Later, Israeli troops shot dead Radwan Eshtaya, 37, at the entrance to the West Bank village of Salem, Palestinian security and hospital officials said. The army was checking the report. The UN’s West Asia envoy, Terje Roed-Larsen, told reporters in Gaza: The situation is very difficult. The events of the last couple of days show how fragile the ceasefire is. All indications are now it will not hold.’’ In New York, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan urged both sides “to exercise maximum restraint so that a total collapse of the ceasefire can be prevented’’.
Reuters |
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Palace massacre: 6
royal guards sacked Kathmandu, July 3 The King dismissed “six aides-de-camp of the late King Birendra, late queen Aishwarya and late Crown Prince Dipendra while four others were strongly warned and seven others were transferred to the Army Headquarters,” said the Nepali language daily Rajdhani, quoting a highly placed palace source. Among those receiving “strong warnings” were two senior army officials, the newspaper said. Opposition parties in Parliament had been demanding reprimands against security officials on duty at the palace on June 1. An official investigation found that Dipendra shot dead nine members of the family at the Friday dinner before turning the gun on himself. Reports said Dipendra had been angry at his parents’ disapproval of his would-be bride. A separate report by a former Principal Military Secretary, General Shanta Kumar
Malla, said the six aide-de-camps and 11 others on duty had failed in their responsibility to protect the family. Since the massacre, a complete reorganisation of the palace security system has been ordered. The King has appointed as his aide-de-camp Madhukar Singh
Karki, the top guard of Prince Nirajan, who was killed in the massacre. Dipendra’s staff has been entirely dismissed.
AFP |
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No quota for Sindhis in House: Advani Dubai, July 3 “The
days of reservation are gone and the Sindhis should fight for
their place in the Indian polity,” he said at a reception hosted
by the Sindhi community here. Making the plea for the reservation,
Ram Buxani, founder chairman of the Overseas Indians Economic
Forum, said there were about two crore Sindhis in India. In a
memorandum to the minister, Mr Buxani said overseas Indians were
concerned over “interference” in judiciary, the misuse of the
police and other investigating agencies for the purpose of
fulfilling political agenda of individuals and political parties
in India. He also demanded that Indian passport holders living
abroad for more than five years be given the voting right and the
political system in India should be reformed to introduce
political funding. Meanwhile, Mr Advani on Tuesday met Dubai
Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum and discussed
bilateral relations between India and the UAE. Official sources
said the meeting, lasting 20 minutes, came shortly before Mr
Advani left for New Delhi at the end of his eight-day three-nation
tour, which took him to Germany and Turkey before he arrived
here. Mr Advani said the two countries must build on the
foundation of their excellent relations in various fields. The
Home Minister also extended an invitation to Sheikh Mohammed to
visit India at his own convenience. PTI, UNI |
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Abu Sayyaf men free two Filipino hostages Zamboanga (Philippines), July 3 The two, identified as Lalaine Chua and Luis Bautista, were recovered by the army in Lamitan town in southern Basilan island and were flown to the military base in this southern city, military officials said. Sources close to the negotiations said the two were freed late yesterday but the army picked them up shortly before dawn. They said six million pesos ($ 113,210) had been paid to secure their freedom, but the government said it had no
knowledge of any money changing hands. Philippine President Gloria Arroyo’s spokesman Rigoberto Tiglao hailed the release, saying “we are happy that they have escaped from the Abu Sayyaf hell.” He said the two were undergoing a military check-up in Zamboanga, adding that Ms Arroyo had been informed of the development. Yesterday, Abu Sayyaf spokesman Abu Sabaya said in a statement that his group was ready to free Chua and Bautista but could not do so because of a heavy military presence. Mr Tiglao said despite the release of the two, the armed forces had not relaxed their offensive against the Abu Sayyaf, a small band of several self-styled Islamic freedom fighters branded by Manila as plain bandits. Chua and Bautista were among the 17 Filipinos seized along with Californian Guillermo Sobero and Christian missionary couple Martin and Gracia Burnham of Kansas from an upmarket resort off the western island of Palawan on May 27. The Abu Sayyaf hid them in their stronghold in Basilan and began seizing even more hostages as they eluded a massive military campaign to rescue them. Although 11 of the original 20 hostages from the resort were earlier freed, two Filipino male captives were killed and the Abu Sayyaf boasted that they had killed Sobero, whose body has not been found. Two other plantation workers seized by the rebels were also executed. There have been widespread allegations that a ransom had been secretly paid for the other hostages from the resort who were earlier freed. The Arroyo government has ruled out paying any ransom for the hostages but families have been secretly reaching deals after the military failed to recover the captives despite a huge deployment of troops.
AFP |
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Bush extends sanctions against Taliban Washington, July 3 Mr Bush signed an executive order yesterday continuing a sanctions policy originally begun by the Clinton Administration two years ago, after the bombing of two US embassies in east Africa, which the USA has blamed on Bin Laden. “The Taliban continue to allow territory under their control in Afghanistan to be used as a safe haven and base of operations for Bin Laden and the Al Qaeda organisation who have committed and threaten to continue to commit acts of violence against the USA and its nationals,’’ Mr Bush wrote in a statement released by the White House. The order freezes all property of the Taliban in the USA and prohibits trade by Americans involving the territory of Afghanistan controlled by the Taliban. The decision came after Washington warned the Taliban movement on Friday that they would bear responsibility for any attack on US interests by Bin Laden. The US Ambassador to Pakistan, William Milam, delivered the warning during an hour-long meeting at the Taliban Embassy in Islamabad, Taliban Ambassador Mullah Abdul Salam Zaeef told Reuters last week. Bin Laden has been accused by Washington of many attacks on American targets, including the 1998 bombing of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, which killed 224 persons. It has offered a $5 million reward for his capture.
Reuters |
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Colombian army kills 16 rebels Bogota, (Colombia), July 3 The combat zones lie just outside an area as large as Switzerland that President Andres Pastrana had granted to the FARC as a safe haven about 2 years ago to kick off what have turned out to be slow-moving peace talks. The army called in support from the US-made Black Hawk helicopters to attack fighters from the 17,000-member Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia — known by the Spanish initials FARC. In more bloodshed reported on Monday, the army said it believed about 50 fighters had been killed in fighting between the rebels and far-right paramilitary outlaws in the northern province of Santander. But, soldiers had not yet reached the scene to confirm the information, it said. The peace process, aimed at ending a 37-year-old war, has so far failed to stop fighting that has claimed 40,000 mainly civilian lives in the past decade alone. But, in one of the talks’ biggest achievements so far, FARC in June freed 359 soldiers and police officers, some of them held in difficult jungle conditions for more than three years. The government also released 14 guerrillas with health problems from state prisons. But, just as it was making that peaceful gesture, FARC killed 30 soldiers in an attack on a military base in the southern cocaine-producing region of Putumayo a week ago.
Reuters |
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Chinese premier keen to visit India Beijing, July 3 Zhu said this to the Deputy Chairperson of Rajya Sabha, Dr Najma
Heptulla, when the latter called on him along with a 25-member Indian delegation comprising Members of Parliament, businessman and trade unionists. “I am looking forward to go to India,” Zhu said during talks with Dr Heptulla, who is here on a week-long official goodwill visit at the invitation of Chinese leader and chairman of National People’s Congress (NPC) standing committee. Li Peng. Official sources said that no daes had been fixed for Zhu’s first official visit to India and it would be worked out through diplomatic channels. Commenting on her nearly one-hour meeting, which exceeded the 30-minute schedule, Dr Heptulla said it was “very warm” and both sides exchanged views on bilateral and other issues of common interest in a relaxed atmosphere. The Indian side particularly discussed the need for improving India-China trade relations and the need to work closely to protect interests of the developing countries at the new round of trade negotiations in Doha in November. Zhu thanked India for supporting China’s 15-year-long bid to enter the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and went on to say that China was close to joining the Geneva-based multilateral trade body. Dr Heptulla said that India looked forward to China’s early entry into the WTO. Both leaders also expressed satisfaction at the recent improvement in the Indo-China relations and Zhu specially appreciated Heptulla’s personal contributions in enhancing bilateral interactions. Dr Heptulla said the Indian delegation was particularly happy by the warmth in Zhu’s attitude towards bilateral ties and the hospitality shown towards them. He also took time to answer questions raised by the Indian delegation on trade, tourism, cultural and other issues.
PTI |
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Indian prisoner’s body awaits burial in Lahore Islamabad, July 3 The story of 38-year-old Indian, Ameer-ul-Islam, who was caught by the Pakistan border guards for accidentally crossing over border early this year, turned tragic after he became a lunatic while serving a never-ending prison sentence, media reports quoting prison officials said. Ameer, hailing from Yattarian in Chottri tehsil in Hugli district died a tragic death due to head injuries received in a clash with a Pakistani lunatic prison mate. His body which was kept in a mortuary at Lahore for five months awaited last rites since his family disowned him, the reports said. He was trifle unlucky compared to his 21 Sikh and Hindu prison mates who had been cremated after their deaths with ashes kept in the urns to be handed over to their relatives. Officials at Kot Lakhpat jail, where he was lodged say Ameer seemed to be very much disturbed. “He used to sit in the corner of his tiny cell. Many a time, we got him thoroughly checked up by the jail doctors but he had no apparent physical problems,” they said. Later, a psychologist revealed that he had been suffering from severe mental disorders and got him transferred to a lunatic cell, adjacent to the jail hospital, Jail Superintendent Mian Farooq said. “Now his body has almost turned to a skeleton and demands to be buried as soon as possible,” mortuary sources said. It had been dumped in a room”, they added. Main Farooq said there was no legal remedy available to those foreigner prisoners who died in custody. “We are just guardians of the Indian bodies and we cannot take a single step without the prior instructions from our high-ups,” he said.
PTI |
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Musharraf takes salary of army chief only Islamabad, July 3 “We eat and live on our own money. Contrary to what Benazir Bhutto says. I only get one salary — as Army Chief. Not long ago, I read a report in a newspaper about the house I built in Karachi. It is an ordinary house and money required for construction has left me under heavy debt", he said. “I do not know anything about the household expenditure. I do not even question what she does with money”, General Musharraf intervened to speak about his family and personal life when his wife Sehba was being interviewed by a newspaper. Sehba says that even after General Musharraf took over as the Chief Executive, the Musharraf household is run with the General’s salary. “Pervez gives me Rs 15,000 per month for the household budget, ” she adds. The tough-talking General, acclaimed for his immaculate communicative skills in English, blushingly admitted that his teacher-trained wife helped him improve his English. “Personally, (amidst a lot of embarrassed laughter and blushes) I think I have improved my English because of her. She is a very knowledgeable person, extremely homely as a wife. I am more outgoing, an extrovert. She is comfortable in whatever environment she is in”, he said in an interview to the daily The News conducted before he took over as President. Like General Musharraf, Sehba too hails from India from where her parents migrated to Karachi. Her father hailed from Lucknow and her mother from Aligarh. Musharraf’s family migrated from Delhi when he was four. Sehba, a graduate from Karachi, married Musharraf when he was Captain of the army. She said it was an arranged marriage. “We are not related. Our parents knew each other slightly. My parents sought my opinion when his proposal was received. I had no problems with it and
I said obviously they could look into it”, she said. Musharraf called on her family before the marriage took place. “I think it was to see me. That was all”, recalls Sehba, who would be accompanying General Musharraf to his visit to New Delhi on July 14. Sehba was with General Musharraf, when their plane from Colombo to Karachi was declined permission to land by deposed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s government which was subsequently over thrown in a military coup. Recalling her eventful travel back from Colombo to Karachi, she said, “I was about to take a quick nap when I noticed the change in the plane. Instead of losing speed and descending, it seemed to be gaining altitude. There was a deadly silence in the cabin. Then the ADC came and took Pervez away". “The ADC then asked Pervez if he would like tea. Pervez does not drink tea, but he took a cup. The he asked him if he would like a cigarette. Pervez does not smoke either, but he took one and lit up and that made me alert. I asked him if everything was all right. It was then that he told me all that had unfolded. By that time, the army had taken over”, Sehba said.
PTI |
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Hasina to stay at official residence indefinitely Dhaka, July 3 The Cabinet, at a meeting late yesterday chaired by the premier, agreed that Ms Hasina would stay at her official Ganobhaban residence as long as she wanted, although it would remain state property. Law Minister Abdul Matin Khasru said the decision was taken to ensure Ms Hasina’s security while “keeping the Ganobhaban under state ownership.” A law that came into effect last month authorises special security for Ms Sheikh Hasina and her sister Sheikh Rehana.
AFP |
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US commander apologises Tokyo, July 3 General Hailston, who said he was very sorry about the incident and very disappointed, made his apology in a visit to the Okinawa prefectural government. The visit came the day after the Okinawa police obtained an arrest warrant for Technical Sergeant Timothy Woodland, 24, on suspicion of rape, Okinawa government officials said. An Okinawa court issued the arrest warrant late yesterday after the police reported it had found Woodland’s fingerprints at the crime scene and had heard witnesses’ accounts. Investigators were convinced, based on a fingerprint match and the witnesses’ accounts, that they had enough evidence to charge Woodland with the rape of the woman after 2 am on Friday in the parking lot near the American Village shopping district in the central Okinawa town of Chatan near the base. Two sets of fingerprints were found by the police on a car in the parking lot. One set was said to be identical to those of the raped woman, said to be in her twenties, and the other to those of Woodland. Okinawa, where the last major battle of World War II took place, was under US military rule from 1945 to 1972.
DPA |
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Object rivalling Pluto moon found Los Angeles, July 3 The object, 2001 KX76, appears to be between 957 and 1,268 km across, making it larger than any known asteroid, and perhaps, even Pluto’s moon Charon. Charon is estimated to be 1,197 km in diametre. A team of astronomers used the Cerro Tololo Inter-America Observatory in Chile to find the object in images taken on May 22. It orbits the sun at a distance of about 6.4 billion km in the Kuiper Belt of objects beyond Neptune.
AP |
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