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Syria strike possible by Wednesday: France
Paris/Cairo, August 30
French President Francois Hollande said a military strike on Syria could come by Wednesday and that Britain's surprise rejection of armed intervention would not affect his government's stand.
Supporters of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad hold up his image at an anti-war rally at Times Square in New York.
Supporters of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad hold up his image at an anti-war rally at Times Square in New York. — Reuters

Special to the tribune
Bhuttos among those who regret pressure on Syria
Some surviving members of the Bhutto family in Pakistan, along with the governments of Russia and China, are among those who regret the pressure on the Assad regime in Damascus which is under pressure from the US and its allies following allegations that it sanctioned the use of chemical weapons.



EARLIER STORIES

Iran can't access oil money: US
Washington, August 30
The US government has concluded that nearly half of Iran's monthly earnings from crude oil exports are accumulating in accounts outside the country because of sanctions that restrict Tehran's access to the money.

Osama killing: Pak doc’s conviction wrong, says US
Washington August 30
The US on Friday said the overturning of the 33-year jail term given to Shakeel Afridi, the doctor who helped the CIA track Osama bin Laden, should lead to an outcome that reflects that action against the Al Qaida chief was in both US and Pakistan's interest.





 

 

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Syria strike possible by Wednesday: France 
 * UK Parliament votes against military action * US seeks ‘international coalition’

Paris/Cairo, August 30
French President Francois Hollande said a military strike on Syria could come by Wednesday and that Britain's surprise rejection of armed intervention would not affect his government's stand.

"France wants firm and proportionate action against the Damascus regime," he said in an interview to Le Monde daily today. The French parliament is due to meet on Wednesday for an emergency Syria session.

Hollande said the British parliament's rebuff would not influence the course of action Paris would take. "Each country is free to choose whether to take part in such an operation or not. That holds true for Britain and France," he said.

The French leader, who had vowed to "punish" President Bashar al-Assad's regime for an alleged chemical weapons attack on August 21, said, "There was a body of indicators pointing to the responsibility of the Damascus regime."

The US also said it was seeking an "international coalition" for military strikes on Syria over alleged chemical attacks, even as it faced the prospect of unilateral action after the UK rejected involvement in a shock Parliament vote.

A UK government motion calling for a strong humanitarian response which may have included military strikes was rejected by 272 votes to 285 late last night after seven hours of impassioned debate in the House of Commons. Cameron, who has been aligned with President Obama in advocating a tough response, indicated after the vote that he would abide by the outcome.

The outcome raises serious questions for Obama, who has not yet made a decision on the way forward in Syria but had indicated his administration would need international support for any strike.

After failing to win support for an anti-Assad resolution before the UN Security Council, US officials were looking to allies like Britain and France to build a coalition for action in Syria. The White House said after the vote that it would continue to assess its options on Syria.

"The US will continue to consult with the UK government, one of our closest allies and friends. President Obama's decision-making will be guided by what is in the best interests of the US," said National Security Council spokesperson Caitlin Hayden. — Agencies

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Special to the tribune
Bhuttos among those who regret pressure on Syria
Shyam Bhatia In London

Some surviving members of the Bhutto family in Pakistan, along with the governments of Russia and China, are among those who regret the pressure on the Assad regime in Damascus which is under pressure from the US and its allies following allegations that it sanctioned the use of chemical weapons.

The late President Hafiz Al Assad of Syria, father of current Syrian President Bashar Al Assad, was a personal friend of the late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who served as both the President and the Prime Minister of Pakistan between 1971 and 1977. On Bhutto's orders, Pakistani military experts helped train the Syrian army and even maintained a Pakistani army contingent in Damascus for several years.

When Bhutto was overthrown in a military coup in 1977 and hanged in 1979, his wife and daughter, Benazir Bhutto, were placed under house arrest. But his two sons, Murtaza and his younger brother Shahnawaz, managed to flee across the border to Afghanistan. From there, they found their way to Nice in France.

After Shahnawaz died in mysterious circumstances in Nice in 1985, Murtaza looked for a safer refuge and took up President Assad's offer of hospitality in Damascus where he was treated as a state guest. At the time he was eight years older than Assad's older son and chosen successor, Bassel, who later died in a car accident, and 11 years older than the current President, Bashar.

It was also in Damascus that Murtaza met and courted Ghinva, his second (Lebanese) wife, and became a familiar figure in the city's luxury hotels. Locals still remember him for his distinctive pistol packed red waistcoat, his fondness for Black Label Scotch and playing pool in one particular hotel's bar.

Murtaza returned to Pakistan in 1993 when his sister, Benazir, was serving her second term as the Prime Minister. Tension between the siblings was high because Murtaza believed that he, not his sister, should be the Prime Minister. He was shot dead in controversial circumstances in September 1996. The Benazir's government lost power in 1996 and Benazir herself was assassinated in Rawalpindi in 2007.

Benazir's widower and political successor, President Asif Zardari, paid a state visit to Damascus in 2010 when relations between the two countries were revived and strengthened.

The bond

* Hafiz Al Assad, former President of Syria and father of current Syrian President Bashar Al Assad, was a friend of late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who served as both the President and the Prime Minister of Pakistan between 1971 and 1977

* On Bhutto's orders, Pakistani military experts helped train the Syrian army and even maintained a Pakistani army contingent in Damascus for several years

* Since then, the Bhuttos have good relations with the Assads

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Iran can't access oil money: US

Washington, August 30
The US government has concluded that nearly half of Iran's monthly earnings from crude oil exports are accumulating in accounts outside the country because of sanctions that restrict Tehran's access to the money.

The estimates are the latest indication that new sanctions imposed in February are deepening Iran's economic distress and making it increasingly difficult to access billions of dollars in vital oil revenues.

The US government estimates about $1.5 billion of crude oil revenues is piling up in restricted foreign accounts every month now. Crude revenues overall averaged about $3.4 billion monthly in the first half of year, according to the assessment. — AP

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Osama killing: Pak doc’s conviction wrong, says US

Washington August 30
The US on Friday said the overturning of the 33-year jail term given to Shakeel Afridi, the doctor who helped the CIA track Osama bin Laden, should lead to an outcome that reflects that action against the Al Qaida chief was in both US and Pakistan's interest.

State Department Deputy Spokesperson Marie Harf said, "We continue to believe that the prosecution and conviction of Dr Afridi sends exactly the wrong message about the importance of this shared interest," Harf told reporters. — PTI

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BRIEFLY

Irish Nobel Literature laureate Seamus Heaney dies at 74
DUBLIN (IRELAND):
Irish writer and poet Seamus Heaney, who won the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature, died today at the age of 74, his family said. He passed away in a Dublin hospital following a brief illness. Heaney was awarded his Nobel prize "for works of lyrical beauty and ethical depth, which exalt everyday miracles and the living past". "The poet and Nobel laureate died in hospital in Dublin this morning after a short illness. The family has requested privacy at this time." Funeral arrangements are to be announced later. — AFP

Plea to bar Zardari from leaving Pakistan
ISLAMABAD
: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Friday issued a notice to the federal government in relation to a petition that called for barring President Asif Ali Zardari from leaving the country. The President will relinquish the office on September 8. The petitioner has approached the court following reports that he might leave the country to live abroad. The notice was issued by a two-judge bench headed by Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali which fixed the next hearing for September 3. — TNS
Participants walk through the streets during the Generation Festival in Anoumabo, Abidjan. The festival is held every year by the Achan, an ethnic group living in southern Ivory Coast, as a way to introduce the next generation that will participate in the ruling of the village.
Participants walk through the streets during the Generation Festival in Anoumabo, Abidjan. The festival is held every year by the Achan, an ethnic group living in southern Ivory Coast, as a way to introduce the next generation that will participate in the ruling of the village. — Reuters

Pakistan bans mobile phone packages
LAHORE:
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has directed all companies to discontinue voice and text chat packages to stop youth from indulging in activities "contrary to the moral values". The step came after the federal government received complaints from lawmakers and hardline groups about phone packages that allow users to make cheap calls late at night. — PTI

Morsi supporters hold rally in Egypt 
CAIRO
: Thousands of Islamists took to streets following Friday prayers demanding reinstatement of deposed Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi and warned of civil disobedience movement against the army-backed regime. The alliance has released a statement on Wednesday saying that August 30 would be "the beginning of a civil disobedience campaign to pressure the putschists to end the coup." — PTI

Suicide attack kills eight in Afghanistan
KABUL:
A suicide bomber attacked people leaving a memorial service at a mosque in northern Afghanistan on Friday, killing a district chief, his apparent target, and seven others, the police said. At least 11 persons were wounded in the strike. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but suspicion fell on the Afghan Taliban. — AP

US envoy to leave for North Korea
TOKYO
: US envoy was set to leave Japan on Friday to secure the release of an imprisoned American missionary in North Korea, a move that could signal the start of a thaw in relations between Washington and Pyongyang. Robert King, special envoy for North Korean human rights issues, is scheduled to return from Pyongyang on Saturday after a one-day trip. — Reuters

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