The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	US seeks regional support to end Iraq political chaos PM Maliki offers amnesty to undercut support for insurgents Baghdad, July 3 Iraqi forces today struggled to break a military stalemate with Sunni militants, as US officials reached out to key regional leaders to push for an end to political chaos in the strife-torn country. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has offered an amnesty aimed at undercutting support for the militants who have overrun large areas of Iraq, after the new Parliament's first session ended in farce, with MPs walking out instead of working on government formation. With calls for politicians to come together unsuccessful, Washington contacted Iraqi and regional players individually, with President Barack Obama calling Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah and Vice President Joe Biden talking to former Iraqi parliament speaker Osama al-Nujaifi, a prominent Sunni leader. The White House said Biden and Nujaifi agreed on the importance of Iraqis “moving expeditiously to form a new government capable of uniting the country". Secretary of State John Kerry meanwhile phoned Kurdish leader Massud Barzani and stressed the important role the Kurds could play in a new unity government in Baghdad, seen as vital to meeting the challenge of Islamic State jihadists, who have led the militant offensive, spokeswoman Jen Psaki said. Maliki's amnesty call appeared to be a bid to split the broad alliance of jihadists, loyalists of executed dictator Saddam Hussein and anti-government tribes waging the offensive. Maliki's announcement came a day after an eagerly awaited opening to the Council of Representatives descended into chaos and ended in disarray without a speaker being elected. Under a de facto agreement, Iraq's premier is a Shiite Arab, the speaker Sunni Arab and the president a Kurd. Presiding MP Mahdi Hafez said the legislature would reconvene on July 8 if leaders were able to agree on senior posts. 32 Turkish truck drivers freed Ankara: Islamic militants in Iraq have freed 32 Turkish truck drivers held hostage for three weeks in a mass kidnapping that shocked Turkey, the foreign minister said today. — AFP 30,000 Saudi troops deployed on border Dubai: Saudi-owned al-Arabiya television said Saudi Arabia had deployed 30,000 soldiers on its border with Iraq on Thursday after Iraqi forces abandoned the area, but Baghdad denied pulling forces back and said it remained in full control of its frontier. Kurd chief wants independence referendum Dubai: Leader of Iraq’s Kurds set the ball rolling on Thursday for a referendum on their dream of independence, a setback for efforts to unite country's politicians against a militant offensive.
	Sarkozy rebuffs ‘political’ corruption charges Paris, July 3 France's Socialist government today rejected claims it was using the justice system for political ends after ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy accused his enemies of being behind corruption charges. Charged with three corruption-related counts yesterday, the right-winger angrily hit back in a televised interview, denying he broke the law and denouncing “political interference” in the case. Sarkozy insisted his political career was not over, but an opinion poll released today showed nearly two-thirds of French voters against a comeback by the conservative who ran France from 2007 to 2012. “The judiciary is independent, there is no longer any intervention,” government spokesman Stephane Le Foll told Europe 1 radio. “Some people have a hard time believing this, for reasons I don't want to comment on,” Le Foll said, in a reference to left-wing allegations that Sarkozy's government unduly influenced the justice system. By accusing the judiciary of bias, including singling out one judge in the case, Sarkozy "is trying to divert public attention to politics, conspiracies or who knows what," Socialist Party leader Jean-Christophe Cambadelis said. Some have compared Sarkozy's attack on the judiciary with former Italian leader Silvio Berlusconi's tirades against judges he accuses of being behind his many legal woes. Sarkozy, 59, was yesterday hit with charges including corruption and influence peddling after he was quizzed for 15 hours by judges investigating an alleged attempt to interfere in judicial proceedings n another case. Sarkozy's longtime lawyer Thierry Herzog and senior magistrate Gilbert Azibert were also charged. — PTI
	Taliban fire rockets at Kabul airport Kabul, July 3 Taliban insurgents fired rockets into Kabul international airport today, setting a hanger ablaze but no casualties were reported, officials said, in an attack that underlined security fears in the Afghan capital. The rockets landed on the military side of the airport, which includes a large NATO base as well as a separate terminal for civilian flights to cities such as Dubai, New Delhi and Istanbul. "Three rockets have landed inside the military garrison of Kabul airport from an undisclosed location," a statement from the Kabul police said. "Part of the area where the rockets landed has caught fire." Mohammad Yaqub Rassouli, head of the airport, said that firefighters rushed to put out the blaze in a hanger containing spare parts as military flights were halted. He said civilian planes were not affected. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid in an email message sent to AFP claimed the responsibility for the attack on the airport. "There is loss of life and financial losses to the airport, and several planes were torched," the Taliban said. — AFP UK airports on alert over 'bomb' fears London: Security has been tightened across all UK airports over US intelligence reports pointing towards a "credible threat" to trans-Atlantic flights being targeted with a new generation "stealth bomb". US officials believe two terror networks in Syria and Yemen have teamed up to target flights bound for America, reports said. — PTI Uganda airport under threat: US Kampala: The US embassy in Uganda warned on Thursday of a "specific threat" by an unknown group to attack the international airport serving the capital Kampala.
	Israel boosts forces near Gaza as tension soars Jerusalem, July 3 Israel said on Thursday it was beefing up its forces along its frontier with the Gaza Strip, in what it called a defensive deployment in response to persistent Palestinian cross-border rocket attacks. Israel also faced the challenge of a further eruption of Palestinian anger in Jerusalem, where violent protests broke out on Wednesday after the body of a 16-year-old Palestinian boy was discovered in a forest on the edge of the city. Israeli police are investigating the possibility that he was the victim of a revenge killing over the deaths of three Jewish teenagers, whose abduction on June 12 Israel has blamed on Islamist Hamas militants in the occupied West Bank. Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Lerner, a military spokesman, said troops were taking up "defence positions" in Israeli communities that have been struck by the rockets from Gaza. He did not comment on the scale of the deployment. It is the first time since the border began to heat up in mid-June - in tandem with an Israeli military sweep and search for the three abducted Israeli youths in the West Bank — that Israel has announced troop movements near the Gaza Strip. "We are moving and we have moved forces," Lerner said in a conference call with foreign journalists. "Everything we are doing is to de-escalate the situation but on the other hand to be prepared if they don't de-escalate." Israel, he said, has "no interest in deepening the conflict with Gaza - the absolute opposite is true". Jerusalem was quiet on Thursday but tensions remained high in anticipation of Mohammed Abu Khudair's funeral. No time has been set for the burial, an event that will stir strong emotions among Palestinians and could trigger further confrontation. — Reuters 15 injured in air strikes Israeli air strikes wounded 15 people in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, local residents said, and militants kept up rocket fire on Israel, damaging two homes, in rising border tensions following the death of a Palestinian youth. The military said Palestinians in the Gaza Strip fired 14 projectiles into Israel on Thursday.
	Ukraine Prez appoints defence officials Kiev, July 3 Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko won Parliament's approval on Thursday to shake up the leadership of the armed forces as they struggle to end a rebellion by pro-Russian separatists. Parliament endorsed Colonel-General Valery Heletey as Defence Minister after hearing Poroshenko describe the 46-year-old as a man "who will work day and night for restoring the military capability of our armed forces." He also named a new chief of the general staff. Fighting continues, 9 hurt Donetsk: Fighting rumbled on in east Ukraine on Thursday between government troops and pro-Russian rebels despite a fresh push for ceasefire talks from international envoys. . Ukraine's border service said nine guards were wounded when rebels shelled the Dolzhansky border post with Russia. — Reuters Putin expresses ‘deep concern’ over victims Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday expressed “deep concern” over the growing number of civilian casualties and refugees in eastern Ukraine, the Kremlin said. — AFP
	Treason trial Musharraf signed emergency papers presented in court Afzal Khan in Islamabad The original documents related to the proclamation of the November 3, 2007 emergency — with former president Pervez Musharraf’s signature on them —were presented before the Special Court on Thursday. Section Officer of the Cabinet Division Kaleem Ahmed Shehzad presented the documents before the Special Court during the hearing of the treason case against the former president on Thursday. In his statement, he said an officer of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) came to his office on December 4 last year and asked for the relevant documents, including the verified copy of the proclamation of the emergency and the letter sent by President House Secretariat. Musharraf is facing treason charges for subverting and circumventing the Constitution by imposing emergency on November 3, 2007 and sacking or detaining about five dozen superior courts judges. He signed the emergency order as the army chief.
	Pak lodges protest with US over PPP snooping reports Afzal Khan in Islamabad Pakistan has raised the issue of spying on the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) with the US, the Foreign Office said on Thursday. Foreign Office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam said such spying was a violation of international law. Earlier, the PPP also expressed its displeasure over the revelation that the National Security Agency (NSA) was spying on the political party in 2010 and said "those who had violated the norms owe an apology," in a statement.
	Final push in ‘historic’ Iran nuclear talks Vienna, July 3 Iran nuclear talks entered today the decisive, dangerous endgame with a final round of hardball negotiations potentially going all the way to a July 20 finish line. The deal being sought by Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany would finally ease fears of Tehran getting nuclear weapons and silence talk of war, in exchange for ending punishing sanctions on the Islamic republic. With Sunni Islamic insurgents overrunning large parts of Iraq and Syria in chaos after years of civil war, this could help Tehran and the West normalise relations at an explosive time in the Middle East. "In this troubled world, the chance does not often arise to reach an agreement peacefully that will meet the essential and publicly expressed needs of all sides, make the world safer, ease regional tensions and enable greater prosperity," US Secretary of State John Kerry said this week. — AFP