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Thursday,
August 22, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Tapes on Osama’s ‘rehearsal’ attacks
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No case against Shahabaz: govt Lethal arms flood Pak tribal areas Karachi US mission suspects indicted |
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8 die in Moscow apartment blast Advani visit triggers dispute over Patel
Indo-US ties sag: experts Over 60 killed in
Nepal landslide Alpha Punjabi from UK Films on Sept 11 at Toronto fest
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Tapes on Osama’s ‘rehearsal’ attacks
Islamabad, August 21 The tapes, one containing a step-by-step lesson on firing a surface-to-air missile, were made at a secret training camp in eastern Afghanistan and apparently were intended for distributing on to terrorist recruits, the network said in the third report on a series of tapes it obtained from an Al-Qaida archive in Afghanistan. Tapes aired on Monday showed Al-Qaida operatives experimenting with poisonous gas on dogs and conducting mock ambushes and kidnappings, while those shown yesterday recorded Osama bin Laden warning of a mission that would “result in killing Americans and getting rid of them”. Most of the tapes appeared to have been made before the September 11 attacks in New York and Washington, although some aired on Monday showed television coverage of the attacks. The CNN said some training videos aired today were four years old and had been taken in part apparently to let Bin Laden get a good look at how the Al-Qaida combat drills were progressing without the need for him to travel to the training grounds. Much of the training shown on the tapes apparently reflected techniques mapped out in handwritten manuals that had been found in Afghanistan-based training camps since destroyed by US-led coalition forces fighting the Taliban and the Al-Qaida.
AP
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Laden orders fighters to attack Musharraf Islamabad, August 21 A front-page story in the Daily Times quoted an official source as saying: “It has been reported that Osama plans to conduct a terrorist operation against Pakistani authorities in retaliation for the arrest of Al-Qaida members.” Bin Laden has also told Al-Qaida members and their families to leave Pakistan. Intelligence agencies had unearthed the plan and informed the federal government that these underground Al Qaida elements might target higher functionaries of the present government in the federal and provincial capitals. The flag-hoisting ceremony presided over by President Pervez Musharraf on the eve of Independence Day (August 14) was reported to have been held indoor for security reasons. However, government officials denied this and said the ceremony was held in the convention centre due to the sweltering heat and rain. The paper said that in the light of the intelligence report, provincial governments and the district administration of the federal capital have been told to enhance security around people associated with the military government. But a spokesman for the Interior Ministry, when contacted, said security agencies have tightened the noose around suspected terrorists. “Many of them have been arrested and the others are being continuously chased.” He said Pakistan borders in the west have been completely sealed off and people from Afghanistan are no longer illegally crossing over into Pakistan. Musharraf had warned yesterday that the Al-Qaida network might be regrouping in Afghanistan because of the weakness of the Afghan Government, raising new questions about the success of the US-led war on terrorism. In another interview, Musharraf conceded that Bin Laden could be alive and in Pakistan’s tribal areas. But he said it was more likely that bin Laden and Taliban spiritual leader Mullah Omar would be in Afghanistan if they had survived the US attacks. Another report in the Dawn said US forces have launched a large-scale operation to hunt down Al Qaida and Taliban suspects in areas in Afghanistan close to the Pakistan border. The operation, continuing for the past two days, has targeted many districts close to the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. US troops have started house-to-house searches for suspects. US military planes and helicopters are circling overhead to provide air cover.
IANS |
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No case against Shahabaz: govt Islamabad, August 21 The government in reply to a query from the High Court yesterday said the Interior Ministry had not filed any order restricting the entry of Shahabaz to Pakistan. However, action could be taken against him by any government department if any case was registered against him. The government’s submission to the court followed Gen Musharraf’s interview to a newsagency yesterday in which he said Shahabaz would be sent back if he entered Pakistan. “He will board the next plane and go back to Saudi Arabia” if he tries to come to Pakistan from his exile, Gen Musharraf said adding that Sharif and family signed a “confidential” document agreeing to stay in exile for 10 years. Speculation was rife about Shahabaz’s return as he has been nominated as a new President for the Pakistan Muslim League, (PML-Nawaz), till recently headed by Nawaz Sharif. Shahabaz has been nominated President as the party would have faced disqualification under the new rules brought in by the Musharraf government barring the individuals convicted by courts from contesting the poll. Yesterday, Deputy Attorney General (DAG) of Punjab Khan Saeeduz Zafar informed Mr Justice Maulvi Anwarul Haq of the Lahore High Court that no restraining order was in place against Mr Sharif’s entry into the country. Under the instructions of the Interior Ministry, he would be dealt with in accordance with the law when he returns, the court was told. The DAG was making a statement on behalf of the federal government on a writ petition of a local PML (N) leader contending that the Musharraf government was contemplating not allowing Mr Shahbaz Sharif to return home. Following the DAG statement, the judge disposed of the petition. However, following a request, the petitioner was granted the right to approach the court again should Mr Shahbaz Sharif be victimised by any of the government agencies.
UNI |
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Lethal arms flood Pak tribal areas Islamabad, August 21 Arms dealers in the town of Dara Adamkhel, which has been the hub of gun-manufacturing activity, say that the US, European and Israeli-made deadly weapons are attracting buyers from across the country, particularly Punjab province. Apart from foreign made weapons the Wah factory-manufactured MP-5 rifles are also available in Dara market. Dara town, 35 km southwest of Peshawar, has been an attractive markets for the militants of all hues and shades for many years. During the de-weaponization drive, the government had exempted this town from the drive. Some of the arms-makers had also been given employment at the Wah factory. The new variety of lethal weapons has come in the market at a time when Islamabad is evolving strategy to clean the society from “Kalashnikov culture” that was introduced with the invasion of Afghanistan by the former Soviet
Union. Survey made by Dawn in various arms market in the tribal areas of Dara Adamkhel, Khyber Agency and Kurram Agency revealed that the latest version of US-made M-16 carbine with laser designator and binoculars, Bulgarian and Zchekoslvakia made Kalakov (222) and Israeli-made highly sophisticated pistols were available at different stores in Dara Adamkhel. The market price of US-made M-16 carbine is Rs 180,000 in Dara. The price of Bulgarian made Kalakov ranges between Rs 20,000 and Rs 35,000, Zche-made Kalakov costs between Rs 20,000 and Rs 23,000, US-manufactured pistol costs Rs 80,000 while the Israeli- made rapid-fire pistol is available at Rs 130,000 in the market. The market price of Wah factory manufactured MP-5 assault rifle is Rs 60,000 per piece.
ANI |
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Karachi US mission suspects indicted Karachi, August 21 Mohammed Imran, Mohammed Hanif and Mohammed Ashraf had been charged with conspiracy, murder and terrorism in the carbombing that killed 12 Pakistanis. All charges carried the death penalty. Their indictment took place inside a secured school room of the jail where they were being held. The accused were separated from the judge and spectators by a floor-to-ceiling steel grille. Officials decided to hold the trial inside the jail for security reasons. Prosecutors said they had a list of 50 witnesses to call in the case. The police alleged that the defendants were members of the outlawed militant organisation Harkat-ul-Mujahedeen al-Almi, an offshoot of a major
Kashmir militant group. The three had also been charged, along with a Pakistani paramilitary ranger, of plotting an assassination attempt against President Pervez Musharraf. They were not indicted on the assassination charge.
AP |
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8 die in Moscow apartment blast Moscow, August 21 Officials said 12 persons were injured in the blast, with three of them being taken to hospital in a serious condition. One woman received over 80 per cent burns, Russian television reported. The toll could rise as rescuers aided by sniffer dogs searched for bodies beneath the rubble, officials said. Moscow police chief Vladimir Pronin said experts believed “a powerful gas explosion, probably on the ground floor” caused the blast. Up to 25 persons could be buried under the rubble of the apartment, the Emergencies Ministry said.
AFP |
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Advani visit triggers dispute over Patel London, August 21 It started with an announcement that Advani will unveil a bust of Patel at the Indian High Commission Wednesday, the day he arrives on a two-day visit. The Council of Indian Muslims condemned the ceremony, saying in a note that Patel is “seen by Hindu extremists as one of the Hindutva leaders”. The statement provoked a strong reaction by several Indian and Gujarati groups. The views of the Council of Indian Muslims were roundly condemned. But in the middle of the dispute no one seemed more hurt than members of the Sardar Patel Memorial Society in Britain. “Sardar Patel was for the whole of India,” said Praveen Amin, chair of the society. “He had fought for Muslims also. He was not anti-Muslim and I don’t know why they are saying this.” Amin said the Patel society is not sectarian. “We are not a political or a religious organisation. The memorial society is a peaceful group. We have no axe to grind here, we are here only to remember his achievements.” The Council of Indian Muslims described Advani as “the author of macabre crimes committed against Muslims in Gujarat”.
The Indian Muslim Federation, the other Indian Muslim group in Britain, boycotted a reception for Advani. The federation called his Rath Yatra a blood yatra and criticised him for being a member of the group that assassinated Mahatma Gandhi. “We all know the history of Hyderabad and Junagadh and what role Patel played in building India,” said a leader from a Hindu group. “For some people now to see the creation of India as an example of Hindutva raises questions about what they really want,” the leader said.
IANS
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Indians seek Ganga substitute in UK London, August 21 The Hindus believe that because all rivers flow into the sea, the ashes will eventually reach the same place that they would if they had been scattered on the Ganga. Thousands of Hindus and Sikhs living in Britain now make a costly trip to the sacred Ganga for the ceremonial scattering of cremated remains, in line with their religious traditions. If The Bradford Metropolitan City Council gives its approval to the site, a small shrine will be built to Shiva, the Lord of creation, destruction and of the dance. Mr Morani Ghupta, chairman of the World Council of Hindus in Yorkshire, said the sole requirement of Hindus was that they should be prepared to make the necessary leap of faith. “The most important thing in the Hindu faith is where your mind is, you are there,” he said. “So even if you are on the bank of River Aire and you are meditating and feeling like you are on the banks of River Ganga, then perhaps you will get the same reward.” It has taken three years to find a place that has fast-flowing water and a safe position for mourners.
PTI |
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Indo-US ties sag: experts Washington, August 21 “Indo-American relations have always been based on false expectations on both sides,” Professor Ainsley Embree, adviser to former Ambassador to India Frank Wisner, said. Americans initially thought Enron was a great breakthrough. But because of US businesses’ lack of understanding of India, its culture and politics, the whole thing was a disaster and changed the attitudes of American investors, he said. “I am sure the BJP welcomed Americans because they saw it (war against terror) not as a war against terrorists, but as a war against Muslim terrorists seen in the light of Kashmir.” New Delhi is still counting on the USA playing a bigger role in Kashmir and pressuring Pakistan. “I think there are going to be great difficulties as we push Pakistan and go into Iraq. It’s going to create problems in Pakistan where there is tremendous hostility against President Pervez Musharraf both within the right wing and liberals.”
IANS |
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Over 60 killed in
Nepal landslide Kathmandu, August 21 Home Ministry official Lekhnath Pokharel said the death toll from the disaster in the remote village of Damti in eastern Ramechhap could rise. “This is an initial estimate,’’ he said, adding that 40 houses had been swept away. Officials said they were rushing a helicopter with relief supplies to the area.
Reuters |
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Alpha Punjabi from UK London, August 21 “There is a huge Punjabi population in the UK and the language is widely spoken by South Asians living in Britain” Sunil
Rohra, Chief Executive Officer of Zee told, said at the launch yesterday. Alpha Punjabi’ will feature
Gurbani- prayers- exclusively broadcast from the Golden Temple in Amritsar every morning from 4 a.m. The channel also offers a heady mix of Punjabi entertainment covering a spectrum of genres which include emotional dramas, cultural and religious
programmes, music, comedy and films, Rohra said. The channel would be a platform for Punjabis to show their talent in various creative and technical fields such as acting, direction, audiography and cinematography, he said. “We are trying to provide wholesome family entertainment to the South Asian
diaspora,” Rohra said. Alpha Punjabi is the network’s fourth channel in addition to Zee TV, Zee Music and Zee Cinema.
PTI |
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Films on Sept 11 at Toronto fest Toronto, August 21 Festival director Piers Handling announced the final lineup for September 5-14 event yesterday, including plans to shut down the proceedings on the morning of September 11 and then hold two special charity screenings. One will be “The Guys,” Jim Simpson’s film version of a play about a firefighter captain (Anthony Lapaglia) who lost eight men on September 11 and the editor (Sigourney Weaver) who helps him write their eulogies. “They’ve done a really, really fine job of ... turning it into a very subtle statement about the pain that one man is dealing with,” Handling said of the movie he called “a very touching film between two people who are not at all involved romantically. These events have brought them together.” The other charity screening will be “11’09’’1,” a compilation of 11 short documentaries about the day of the attacks from 11 directors, each running exactly 11 minutes, nine seconds and one frame. Last year, the festival cancelled all events for the day after attacks on the morning of September 11. The schedule resumed the next day, though some events were cancelled because participants were unable to travel to Toronto.
AP |
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