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India, Pak exploring new ideas on
US Congress must approve N-deal with India: Bush
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Bird flu presence confirmed in Pak
No headway on Iran issue at diplomats’ meet
Cartoon case: Swedish FM resigns
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India, Pak exploring new ideas on Kashmir: US
Washington, March 21 "You've seen some really good progress between India and Pakistan in the composite dialogue including on the aspect of Kashmir," said Mr Boucher. "They've had now confidence building measures---started bus lines, railroads, people back and forth in a way that they never had before, and each of them has stepped forward with I think some new ideas, some new thoughts, some new contacts in terms of political parties and the interest of different groups in-in Kashmir, so there's a fair amount of thinking going on---new ideas coming forth and--and new steps being taken and that's good," he said. On being asked about the option of self-governance, that has been touted as a probable solution to the issue, Boucher said he did not want to focus on individual ideas. He said the US viewed its role in the Kashmir dispute as that of a friend for both countries. The issue was bilateral and had to be solved by India and Pakistan only. "Well I think our--our role is kind of a friend to both sides. We're friends of the Indians, friends with the Pakistanis-- welcoming the steps they've taken, encouraging the progress they're trying to make, and I think in terms of specific steps that they're doing the right thing. Both sides see the US as a friend; there are different views about what--whether we should be involved or not. I think to the extent we define our involvement with both sides as friends, as encouragement, as interested--interested outsiders but leave the work to them--I think that's the right way to go," he said. He said the US was monitoring the "war of words" between Kabul and Islamabad adding that though there might be some differences over the two, fundamentally there was co-operation between them. "We have been in touch with both the Pakistani government and the Afghan government at various levels about the sort of war of words that's going on. This flares up from time to time; they're obviously both in a delicate situation and face the same kind of threats on their borders and so there are statements made from time to time but fundamentally there's a basis for cooperation. I think there is cooperation there," he said. "There's cooperation on the--the anti-terrorist problem that they both face in that area; there's cooperation on the economic development of that area and we've announced some new steps to get them together to work on opportunity zones there and there's cooperation really on the border management side of things," he added. "So we think there's plenty of ground for cooperation. We'll try to work with them in the very practical ways--kind of tone down the rhetoric and--and get to work on the problems we all face there," he said. He further said: "I think no country has done more in fighting Al Qaida or lost as many people in doing it as Pakistan has and their records speaks for itself. They are fighting terrorism for the good of their own nation and for the good of the region and for the good of the world and--and we're very much supportive in working with them in that".
— ANI |
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US Congress must approve N-deal with India: Bush
Admitting his decision to broker a civilian nuclear agreement with India was a controversial one, President George W. Bush says he is comfortable recommending it to the US Congress for approval and believes the lawmakers ought to approve it. Speaking at an event in Cleveland, Ohio, on Monday, Mr Bush said he agreed with the Indian Government that India should be encouraged to develop a nuclear power industry. ‘‘And that's a controversial decision on my part,’’ he admitted, ‘‘because it basically flies in the face of old Cold War attitudes, as well as arm control thinking.’’ Last week, at the request of the Bush Administration, three senior members of Congress - Senator Richard Lugar, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Congressmen Henry Hyde and Tom Lantos, Co-Chairmen of the House International Relations Committee, introduced legislation in Congress to enable nuclear cooperation with India. However, all three members of Congress have reservations about the agreement. Mr Bush said he felt ‘‘very comfortable recommending to the US Congress that it's - they ought to agree with the agreement that Prime Minister Singh and I have reached.’’ ‘‘It's important - it's important - it's also an important relationship,’’ he added. The deal has elicited a mixed response from members of the US Congress, who are on vacation till the end of the week. Washington's entrenched non-proliferation lobby has rallied against the plan. According to the US-India Political Action Committee, a group involved in lobbying members of Congress, key Senators have come out in support of the nuclear agreement. The group says Senators George Allen, Sam Brownback, John Cornyn, Michael Crapo, Kay Bailey Hutchison and Ted Stevens are all backing the initiative. Support in the House of Representatives has been less enthusiastic. Sharing the ‘‘logic’’ of the civilian nuclear agreement, Mr Bush pointed to the global demand for fossil fuels and noted, ‘‘an increase in the demand for fossil fuels in one part of the world affects the price of gasoline in our world. We're connected. Whether people like it or not, there is an interconnectedness today that affects our economy.’’ ‘‘Somebody's decision overseas affects whether or not people are going to be able to work here in America’’. ‘‘So I think it makes sense for the United States, as we ourselves become less addicted to oil and fossil fuels, which I'm serious about, encourage others to do so, as well. And one good way to do so, and to protect the environment at the same time, is to encourage the use of safe nuclear power,’’ Mr Bush said, adding, ‘‘It's in our interests, our economic interests that we work an agreement with India to encourage their expansion of civilian nuclear power.’’ Critics of the agreement say that by sharing nuclear know-how with India, the Bush Administration is creating a double standard for dealing with Iran, which the US and some European nations claim is using its nuclear programme to develop bombs. Teheran says the programme is aimed at developing nuclear power. Mr Bush noted that unlike Iran, India is willing to join the International Atomic Energy Agency. ‘‘They want to be a part of the global agreements around nuclear power,’’ he said. The President lauded India's record of nonproliferation. ‘‘They've had 30 years of not proliferating,’’ he said, adding, ‘‘India is a democracy and a transparent society. You find out a lot about India because there's a free press. There is openness. People run for office and are held to account. There's committee hearings. It's an open process.’’ Mr Bush says he does not view the relations with India and Pakistan as a zero-sum relationship and believes it is a “positive development” for the South Asian neighbours that the US has good relations with both countries. He credited Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, his predecessor Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf with “envisioning what is possible, how is it possible to develop a relationship that’s a peaceful relationship with our neighbour.”
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Pak test-fires cruise missile
Islamabad, March 21 A military spokesman said today that the missile successfully test-fired could carry warheads up to 500 km.
— UNI |
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Bird flu presence confirmed in Pak
Islamabad, March 21 |
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No headway on Iran issue at diplomats’ meet
New York, March 21 The meeting was billed as an attempt to develop a long-term strategy to deter Iran from producing any nuclear weapon but there was a vast chasm in the positions taken by the United States, Britain and France on one side and Russia and China on the other. The deadlock came as US and European officials said that Britain had presented Washington with a paper containing diplomatic strategy to resolve the crisis, including new talks and concessions, a US daily reported. However, the US representative at the talks John Sawers said there was no such proposal at the meeting. At the meeting last night, officials were joined by their United Nations Ambassadors struggling to produce a consensus text for the presidential statement on the Iranian nuclear issue. But no agreement could be reached in the face of strong opposition by Russia, backed by China, to the draft prepared by Britain and France with the backing of the US. The drafters would have another look at the draft to see if Russian views can be accommodated. The statement requires okay by all 15 members of the Council. Russia, diplomats say, is wary of what might follow the statement and it wants to ensure that a member or group of members cannot interpret it that it authorises them to take any action.
— PTI |
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22 Maoists, 10 securitymen killed in Nepal
Kathmandu, March 21 In another clash, at least nine policemen and two rebels were killed when the
rebels attacked a police post in Birtamod of Jhapa district in eastern Nepal this morning while another policeman was
shot dead in Dharan in the same region, the radio said quoting its local correspondents and security officials.
— UNI |
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Cartoon case: Swedish FM resigns
Stockholm, March 21 Freivalds said at a news conference she could not stay in the government in the "current situation." Prime Minister Goran Persson said Freivalds would be temporarily replaced by Deputy Prime Minister Bo Ringholm. Freivalds (63), had been criticised in the media and by opposition politicians for the shutting down of the website of a far-right party that was planning to publish caricatures of the Prophet. The site was closed on February 9 after a Foreign Ministry official contacted the web hosting company, which critics said was an intrusion on the freedom of speech. The ministry said the official had not ordered company to shut down the site, but merely advised it that the caricatures could pose a danger to Swedes, given the Muslim anger directed at the time toward neighboring Denmark, where the original Prophet cartoons were published. Freivalds had told the Swedish media she did not order the ministry official to contact the company, but a later report from the ministry said she was involved in the decision, sparking calls for her resignation.
— AP |
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Minister of Indian origin quits over sex scandal
Durban, March 21 Narend Singh quit as Minister of Arts, Culture and Tourism from the government after DVDs of his alleged escapades did the rounds in the country. “I have already informed premier Sbu Ndebele that my resignation will take immediate effect,” he told mediapersons in his hometown of Umkomaas, 75 km south of here. A tearful Narend Singh was flanked by his wife and children. —
PTI |
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NRI asks for withdrawal of peerage nomination
London, March 21 His announcement came as another NRI Chai Patel, founder of the chain of Priory Clinics and also a donor to the Labour party before the last general elections, said there were no strings attached to the loan and at no point did he discuss about anything in return. The Labour party has published a list of 12 wealthy donors, including Noon and Patel, who had bankrolled its election campaign to the extent of £ 13.95 million last year. In a statement to the Press Association, Noon said he had written to Prime Minister Tony Blair asking him to remove his name from Labour’s proposed list of working peers. “My international business reputation, built up over 50 years, is of the utmost importance to me. I have always acted with complete propriety and worked with integrity to build several businesses, both in the UK and overseas,” he said. —
PTI |
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