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Friday,
April 12, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Israeli pullout confined to villages
Referendum move illegal: Pallone
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A strong chance of peace: Ranil
A bizarre merchant of death
ICC born despite US opposition New party in J&K soon
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Israeli pullout confined to villages Jerusalem, April 11
However, troops still occupy most of the West Bank cities of Bethlehem, Jenin, Nablus and Ramallah as Israeli Prime Minister vowed yesterday to continue with the West Bank campaign until the army meets its goals. The villages from which the troops withdrew since yesterday include Arura, Jaljulia, Ahvin, Dir Abu, Suda, Amoriya, Dir Asna, Tamoon, Bilah and Atil, the Defence Ministry said in a statement today. Israeli forces last night withdrew from three West Bank villages of Kabatiyah, Yatta and Al-Samoha after having completed their operations against terrorist infrastructure in these areas. The decision to withdraw troops from these three villages was taken following a decision reached at between Sharon and Defence Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, Israeli media reported. The Israeli Army launched fresh raids into two Palestinian towns and a refugee camp. Just hours before Mr Powell was due to arrive here on a peace mission, the army said its forces swept into the towns of Bir Zeit and Dahariya and the Ein Beit Elma refugee camp, making arrests and seizing weapons. Palestinian witnesses said troops ordered students out of their dormitories at Bir Zeit University, the West Bank’s largest university and a stronghold of nationalism, and detained several students. Soldiers also imposed a curfew and seized the town’s main government building.
HEBRON: Israeli tanks mounted a large-scale incursion into the autonomous Palestinian West Bank area of Daharyeh, near Hebron, early on Thursday, an AFP reporter observed. Dozens of tanks and armoured cars entered the area, and exchanges of fire ensued, although there were no reports of casualties. Israeli troops proceeded to carry out house-to-house searches and made several arrests, including that of Town Mayor Nayef Oureidat. Meanwhile, a suspected Palestinian suicide bomber was killed when the explosives he was wearing blew up in this West Bank city, apparently by accident. The explosion took place near a taxi stand. WASHINGTON: Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres today said Israeli forces would leave Palestinian areas within three weeks but said his government was open to advice from US Secretary of State Colin Powell on a pullout timetable. In an interview with NBC’s “Today’’ show, Peres said Israel took President Bush’s request to pull out of Palestinian areas without delay very seriously but that they still had work to do. “To start with, we take the request of President Bush very seriously, we are not playing around,’’ Peres said. “I do hope that we shall be able to conclude the whole operation within a matter of two weeks or three weeks, maximum.’’ He added: “Gradually leaving the West Bank shall take two to three weeks but we will listen very carefully to the advice of the Secretary (Powell) regarding the timetable.’’ UNITED NATIONS: Facing a certain veto by the USA, the Arab nations decided against pressing a vote in the Security Council on another resolution on West Asia which would have called for an immediate pullout of the Israeli forces from Palestinian territory and for an international presence. After closed door consultations by the council, that Arabs felt that pressing a vote could adversely affect the mission of US Secretary of State Colin Powell who is due to meet Israeli Prime Minister in Jerusalem tomorrow and intends to see besieged Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, diplomats said yesterday. In any case, they said the statement issued by the “Quartet” comprising the USA, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations vindicated their stand that Israel should immediately withdraw from the territories. Besides, the USA is also amenable to the idea of sending observers in the region.
PTI, AFP, Reuters |
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Referendum move illegal: Pallone Washington, April 11 “He (Musharraf) is simply paying lip service to democratic rule by holding the referendum,” said Pallone, a New Jersey Democrat, in a speech in the House of Representatives, referring to its announcement last week. Pallone said Pakistan’s constitution mandated both Houses of Parliament must elect the President. “From what I understand, a referendum to extend Musharraf’s rule by five years is illegal and unconstitutional under the constitution. “As a result of Musharraf’s blatant disregard for constitutional law, there has been opposition to the referendum within Pakistan. The 15-party Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy, which includes the country’s two main parties, has been vocal about Musharraf’s unconstitutional means to remain president.” In addition, there had been public backlash against the referendum plan from Pakistan’s leading newspapers, major Islamic parties and the 54-nation Commonwealth, he said. “The leaders of the opposition party in Pakistan attempted to hold a rally against the referendum, which led to the arrest of dozens of these leaders by the police. The arrest of these leaders causes major concern because not only is Musharraf proceeding with an unlawful referendum, he is also barring leaders of the Opposition party to publicly protest. “Although a ban on rallies has been in effect in Pakistan to quell Islamic extremist rallies, it is unacceptable that Musharraf is allowing the ban on rallies to apply to a rally in opposition to his referendum.”
IANS |
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A strong chance of peace: Ranil Colombo, April 11 “I think we can intensify the peace process,” Mr Wickremesinghe told the privately-run Yes FM radio station. In his first news conference in 15 years yesterday, Tamil Tiger chief Vilupillai Prabhakaran said he would not yet abandon the demand for an independent Tamil state, but insisted that he was “sincerely and seriously committed to peace.” Prabhakaran also expressed confidence that a Norwegian-mediated peace process, which resulted in a February 22 ceasefire ahead of peace talks in Thailand next month, would succeed. The civil war has claimed more than 64,000 lives. “Prabhakaran gave a lot of positive indications of commitment to sit down and talk. This is positive and we need to look at that,” Mr Wickremesinghe said. Prabhakaran told journalists that the struggle for self-determination could take many forms including war and negotiations. He said his group wanted to discuss the establishment of an interim administration for the northern area. Mr Wickremesinghe said the comments showed that the rebels “are willing to work within the territorial integrity of the country”. “The Tamil Tigers have so far not defined it, but yesterday Prabhakaran said if there is internal self-determination that is an acceptable alternative to a separate state,” Mr Wickremesinghe said. He said his government would try to balance its concerns before deciding whether to lift the ban on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, which Prabhakaran demanded as a precondition to joining the Thailand peace talks. Besides Sri Lanka, the LTTE is also banned in the USA, Britain, Canada, Australia and India. The Tamil Tigers have been fighting for a separate homeland for the minority Tamils in the north and the east since 1983. They complain of discrimination in jobs, education and politics by the majority Sinhalese. Prabhakaran’s marathon media show for the world stage last evening turned out to be a public relations disaster for him, and a big disappointment as a news-making event. If the 47-year-old guerrilla leader, often described as the reclusive chief of one of the world’s deadliest outfits, was seeking to shore up his image and to seem legitimate and acceptable to the global community, the 150-minute event could have had the opposite effect. After putting journalists through what should have been their longest and strangest security regimen, there were expectations of some path-breaking announcement, but Prabhakaran did not did not go beyond the LTTE’s known position on any issue. Ban on live coverage and use of satellite phones in the vicinity of the venue put off a host of media organisations that had come heavily prepared for the event. Some journalists protested against the prohibition on satellite phones, and pleaded they could be retained by LTTE cadres until the end of the press conference. The only thing they could do was to transport the journalists back in the shortest possible time to the Tamil Eelam Economic Development Headquarters near Kilinochchi.
AP, Reuters, PTI |
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Philippine ship burns, 23 die Manila, April 11 Dozens of passengers were missing, they said. Many passengers drowned when they jumped off the MV Maria Carmela, a 680-tonne passenger and cargo vessel, after it caught fire as it steamed towards the port of Lucena, about 110 km southeast of Manila. The fire started when the ship was 18 km off Lucena, the coast guard said. Manila radio station DZMM quoted survivors as saying that the fire started with an explosion in the cargo hold and spread across the ship within 10 minutes. Passengers fought for life jackets, the survivors said. Some of those who were killed died from severe burns. Passenger Juanito Capareno said he survived by clinging to a length of rope thrown at him. “We were five holding on to the rope. Minutes later, all of them (the others) were gone,” he said. “One of them was a boy.” A total of 290 persons, including 243 passengers and 47 crew, were on board. It is the latest maritime disaster to befall the Philippines.Overcrowding on inter-island ships is rife and the safety record is dismal. In 1987, about 4,000 persons died in a collision between the ferry Dona Paz and an oil tanker near Manila — the world’s worst peacetime sea tragedy.
Reuters |
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A bizarre merchant of death Pretoria, April 11 Basson (51) sat quietly in a packed Pretoria courtroom as Judge Willie Hartzenberg began his judgment by listing 46 charges of murder, conspiracy and fraud. The courtroom had prominent apartheid figures like former Defence Minister Magnus Malan, to hear the outcome of a trial that has lasted more than two years. “He deserves to be punished”, said Ali Palaso, who lives in a township near Pretoria. If convicted, Basson faces life in prison. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges, which include more than a 12 of murder. The state has accused Basson of making poisons used to kill or attempt to kill mostly black opponents of the apartheid government, drug dealing and misappropriating government funds for a lavish lifestyle. The list of alleged bizarre deeds all by Basson include inventing gadgets such as screwdrivers concealing hypodermic needles and cigarettes laced with anthrax. Basson kept a black mamba, one of the world’s deadliest snakes, in his office to extract its venom. His laboratory was also said to contain whisky spiked with herbicide, chocolates poisoned with botulin and explosive washing powder. Basson has denied hand in political assassinations carried out by agents using his toxins. Reuters |
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ICC born despite US opposition United Nations, April 11 At a solemn ceremony at U.N. headquarters, 10 countries brought the total number of nations to ratify a Rome treaty establishing the International Criminal Court (ICC) to 66 — six more than needed to bring the treaty into force on July 1. The 10 nations — Bosnia, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Congo, Ireland, Jordan, Mongolia, Niger, Romania and Slovakia — deposited their papers all at the same time so the honour of being the 60th state does not go only to one country. “The required number of 60 ratifications for the entry into force of the Rome statute has been reached,” said chief U.N. legal counsel Hans Corell. “A page in the history of human kind is being turned.” The tribunal is expected to go into operation next year in The Hague. The new tribunal has jurisdiction only when countries are unwilling or unable to prosecute individuals for the world’s most serious atrocities:
Reuters |
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New party in J&K soon London, April 11 The new party, to be based in the Kashmir valley, will include several members outside India. They will project the Kashmir problem "in its proper historical and socio-cultural perspective," Mr M.A. Raina, director of the campaign, told IANS. Comprising political leaders, lawyers and journalists, the new party will "not compromise on communal harmony and a multicultural ethos," Raina said. It will therefore include Muslim leaders, Kashmiri Pandits as well as Sikhs from the valley. The campaign leaders say violence within Jammu and Kashmir is part of the intrigue to disturb harmony among various sects in the Muslim-majority state. They will work to keep up the traditions of peace and sectarian harmony. Leaders of the separatist All-Party Hurriyat Conference have been asked to adopt a flexible approach and show courage and confidence by starting a meaningful dialogue with Delhi to explore the possibilities of a peaceful solution.
IANS |
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King approves anti-terrorism Bill Kathmandu, April 11 The Bill, passed by both the Houses of Parliament earlier this week, provides for maximum penalty of life imprisonment and seizure of property of those involved in terrorism and disruptive activities. |
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Prime Minister Ranil Wickreme-singhe today welcomed the Tamil rebel leader’s peace overtures, saying that there was now a strong chance of finding a political solution to Sri Lanka’s 18-year-old separatist war.
