The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Taliban suicide squad attacks Kabul police complex; 3 killed

Kabul, January 21
NATO troops joined a fight against a Taliban suicide squad that stormed a Kabul police headquarters at dawn today, killing three police officers and unleashing a standoff that lasted for more than eight hours.

The Taliban took responsibility for the attack, which turned into the longest standoff between the insurgents and security forces in Kabul since a major coordinated raid on the capital lasted 18 hours in April last year.

Three of the five attackers were killed in the early part of the assault, while two others wearing suicide vests holed up in the five-storey building in west Kabul and fired on security forces, a police officer said. They were also killed later.

"It's over. The last two terrorists are dead and they were not even given the chance to detonate their suicide vests," Kabul police chief General Mohammad Ayoub Salangi said.

The reason it took so long to overpower the last two men was "because our boys acted very carefully”, he said.

"There were lots of important documents, so we acted very carefully not to cause any damage to those documents," Salangi added.

Four traffic police officers, two members of the special forces and six civilians were wounded, deputy interior minister General Abdul Rahman said.

An AFP photographer said Norwegian soldiers were seen firing at the police building. NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) confirmed its participation in the operation but insisted it was small.

"We do have a very small number of people assisting the Afghan security forces officials in the scene. It's primarily an advising role and absolutely the Afghan officials are in the lead," an ISAF spokesman said.

NATO says the Taliban insurgency has been weakened and characterised the attack as a ploy to attract media attention, but the time it took to mop up the insurgents will be seen as an embarrassment. — AFP

The clash

The Taliban took responsibility for the attack, which turned into an eight-hour standoff between the insurgents and security forces
All five attackers were killed by the Afghan security forces and NATO troops
Four traffic police officers, two members of the special forces and six civilians were wounded in the attack

French troops recapture key Mali towns

Diabaly (Mali), January 21
French and Malian armoured columns rolled into the towns of Diabaly and Douentza in central Mali today after the Al-Qaida-linked rebels, who had seized the towns, melted into the bush to avoid air strikes.

France said the advance was a success in its campaign to oust Islamist fighters from Mali's vast desert, where they have held sway for 10 months, raising fears the area could become a launchpad for international attacks.

"The advance by Mali's army into towns held by their enemies is a certain military success for the government in Bamako and for French forces supporting the operations," French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said. Diabaly, 350 km north of capital Bamako, had harboured the main cluster of insurgents south of the frontline towns of Mopti and Sevare. — Reuters

1971 war criminal gets death in B’desh

Dhaka, January 21
A fugitive Islamic cleric linked to the fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami party, who is believed to be in Pakistan, was today handed down death penalty by a special Bangladesh court for crimes such as murdering six Hindus and raping several women during the 1971 Liberation War.

In its maiden verdict, the three-member International Crimes Tribunal-2 sentenced 63-year-old Abul Kalam Azad, an anchor of Islamic programmes at a private TV channel, to death.

"Abul Kalam Azad (alias Bacchu Razakar) will be hanged by neck till his death," tribunal chairman Justice Obaidul Hassan pronounced at a crowded courtroom in downtown Dhaka after the trial in absentia. Azad fled the country in April last year as he was charged with "crimes against humanity" during Bangladesh's India-backed Liberation War. — PTI

war crimes

Abul Kalam Azad (63) was handed down death penalty by a special Bangladesh court for crimes such as murdering six Hindus and raping several women during the 1971 Liberation War

Azad, a former member of fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami party, fled the country in April and is believed to be hiding in Pakistan

Algerian PM: 37 foreigners killed in hostage crisis

Algiers, January 21
A total of 37 foreign workers died at an Algerian desert gas plant and seven are still missing after a hostage crisis coordinated by a Canadian, Algerian Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal said today.

Sellal also said 29 Islamists had been killed in the siege, which Algerian forces ended by storming the plant, and three had been captured alive.

Earlier, an Algerian security source said documents found on the bodies of two militants had identified them as Canadians, as special forces scoured the plant following Saturday's bloody end to the siege.

"A Canadian was among the militants. He was coordinating the attack," Sellal told a news conference, adding that the raiders had threatened to blow up the gas installation. The Canadian's name was given only as Chedad.

In Ottawa, Canada's foreign affairs department said it was seeking information, but referred to the possible involvement of only one Canadian.

American, British, French, Japanese, Norwegian, Filipino and Romanian workers are dead or missing after the attack, for which veteran Islamist fighter Mokhtar Belmokhtar has claimed responsibility on behalf of the Al-Qaida.

The jihadis had planned the attack two months ago in neighbouring Mali, where French forces began fighting Islamists this month, Sellal added. — Reuters

NAB officer’s death: Pak forms probe panel
Afzal Khan in Islamabad

The The Pakistan government has formed a judicial commission to probe the mysterious death of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) assistant director Kamran Faisal who was investigating Rental Power Plant scam against Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf.

Faisal was found hanging from a ceiling fan in his room in the Federal lodges here. His hands were tied and the computer on which he had written the report was found missing. A postmortem report had declared that Faisal had committed suicide.

The commission set up by the government will be headed by Supreme Court former judge Javed Iqbal. Justice Iqbal will select two officers to assist him and will present its report within two weeks.

The commission has been empowered to order a police investigation into any matter coming before it and to summon any person and any record for examination.

Meanwhile, officials of the NAB protested in Islamabad, Lahore, Quetta and Peshawar and demanded a transparent inquiry into the death of Faisal. They wore black armbands and declared that they do not believe he committed suicide.

Officials in the NAB headquarters met the head of the agency Fasih Bokhari, and presented their demands, including an inquiry into Faisal's death and better security for investigation officers.

Pm graft case: govt withdraws plea

Islamabad: The Pakistan government on Monday withdrew a petition seeking a review of a Supreme Court order directing the authorities to take action against Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf and other suspects for alleged corruption in power projects. The petition was withdrawn by Wasim Sajjad, the premier's counsel. He said the petition was being withdrawn on the directive of Ashraf.

‘Visa on arrival put on hold as Pak demands too many papers’

Islamabad, January 21
The visa on arrival scheme for senior citizens above 65 years at the Wagah border crossing was put on hold as Pakistan was demanding too many documents from Indian applicants, diplomatic sources said today.

The Indian side had put in place simplified procedures for issuing visas on arrival to Pakistani citizens, who were required to produce only a copy of their national Identity Card and a utility bill as proof of residence. On the other hand, Pakistani authorities wanted Indian citizens to provide several documents, diplomatic sources said.

Pakistan also insisted that Indian applicants should name a sponsor on the Pakistani side, they said.

With all such arrangements being implemented on a reciprocal basis, Indian authorities decided to put the visa on arrival scheme on hold, the sources said.

"The procedures will be changed and Pakistani citizens will be required to produce the same documents as Indian citizens," a source said. The visa on arrival scheme was scheduled to start on January 15 at the Attari Integrated Check Post under a new visa agreement signed by India and Pakistan in September to ease cross-border travel.

Initial reports had contended that the scheme was put on hold because of growing tensions between the neighbours over ceasefire violations along the Line of Control.

Indian officials have not announced any fresh date for operationalising the visa on arrival scheme.

Indian officials had earlier said the visa on arrival facility would not be available at any other immigration or border point and Pakistani senior citizens would be issued a 45-day, single-entry visa valid for up to five places. —PTI

Obama calls for national unity
US President takes oath of office for second time in 24 hours
Sets a pragmatic tone for the daunting challenges ahead

Washington, January 21
President Barack Obama urged Americans on Monday to reject political "absolutism" and partisan rancor as he kicked off his second term with a call for national unity, setting a pragmatic tone for the daunting challenges he faces over the next four years.

US President Barack Obama speaks at his swearing-in ceremony in Washington on Monday. — Reuters

Obama's ceremonial swearing-in at the US Capitol was filled with traditional pomp and pageantry, but it was a scaled-back inauguration compared to the historic start of his presidency in 2009 when he swept into office on a mantle of hope and change as America's first black President.

With second-term expectations tempered by lingering economic weakness and the political realities of a divided Washington, Obama acknowledged the difficult road ahead even as he sought to build momentum from his decisive November re-election victory.

"We cannot mistake absolutism for principle, or substitute spectacle for politics, or treat name-calling as reasoned debate," Obama said as he stood in the wintry cold atop a giant makeshift platform on the Capitol steps overlooking the National Mall.

Looking out on a sea of flags, he spoke to a crowd of up to 700,000 people, less than half the record 1.8 million who assembled four years ago.

Obama arrived at his second inauguration on solid footing, with his poll numbers up, Republicans on the defensive and his first-term record boasting accomplishments such as a US healthcare overhaul, ending the war in Iraq and the killing of Osama bin Laden.

But battles are looming over budgets, gun control and immigration, with Republicans ready to oppose him at almost every turn and Obama still seemingly at a loss over how to engage them in deal-making.

When Obama raised his right hand and was sworn in by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, it was his second time taking the oath in 24 hours, but this time with tens of millions of people watching on television.

The president beamed as chants of "Obama, Obama!" rang out from the crowd.

Obama had a formal swearing-in on Sunday at the White House because of a constitutional requirement that the president take the oath on January 20. Rather than stage the full inauguration on a Sunday, the main public events were put off until Monday. A second inauguration marked another milestone of political passage for Obama, the Hawaiian-born son of a black father from Kenya and a white mother from Kansas. — Reuters

India looks forward to Obama’s ‘big’ plans

As US President Barack Obama heads into his legacy-shaping second term in office, assumptions, expectations and suggestions abound about what his administration could mean for India with which he professes to have enduring ties.

Given the bipartisan support and evolving “strategic partnership” between the two democracies, India barely figured during the election campaign. Outsourcing and visas were mentioned but as a glancing reference as part of the poll rhetoric.

Obama has said India figures “big” in his plans, but it is not clear how and in what way he would direct the US policy towards India in the next four years. A host of experts and US-based think tanks have suggested a “to-do” list as he prepares to announce his policy priorities in the inauguration address.

Some observers believe “pragmatic” Obama’s second term would not differ radically from the first and US-India relations would be deepened with some new initiatives. Others say factors like the discovery of shale oil and gas providing the US with a strategic boost will influence its global relations and there could be a redefining of the notions of engagement. — IANS

Indians among immigrants paying to flee Britain

London, January 21
Indians are reportedly among thousands of illegal immigrants willing to pay human smugglers up to £1,500 to flee the UK. A new BBC undercover documentary has revealed that the foreign nationals are put in the back of trucks and transported to Calais in France before making their way to other European destinations.

Some want to try their luck elsewhere in the European Union instead of going to their home country and some others are criminals fleeing the country.

A fixer for one such human smuggling group, a former Indian police officer, told an undercover reporter for BBC’s Panorama expose that he could be taken across the English Channel as part of two or three trips organised every week.

Another Indian national told the show Immigration Undercover that he ran a prostitution racket in Ilford, east London, which employed young girls whose visas had expired. One such girl, Ushma, said she would meet 40 clients a week to pay for her sister’s wedding back in India.

The UK government has stressed that it is cracking down on organised immigration crime.

Mark Harper, UK minister of state for immigration, said Britain is working with other European governments to tackle criminal gangs involved in the movement of migrants.

There are no firm figures on the number of illegal migrants living in Britain, although in 2009 a London School of Economics study reported that there were at least 600,000. — PTI