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# The Global Intelligence Files

On Monday February 27th, 2012, WikiLeaks began publishing The Global Intelligence Files, over five million e-mails from the Texas headquartered "global intelligence" company Stratfor. The e-mails date between July 2004 and late December 2011. They reveal the inner workings of a company that fronts as an intelligence publisher, but provides confidential intelligence services to large corporations, such as Bhopal's Dow Chemical Co., Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon and government agencies, including the US Department of Homeland Security, the US Marines and the US Defence Intelligence Agency. The emails show Stratfor's web of informers, pay-off structure, payment laundering techniques and psychological methods.

## IND/INDIA/SOUTH ASIA

Released on 2012-08-24 09:00 GMT

Email-ID | 831389
Date | 2010-07-11 12:30:10
From | dialogbot@smtp.stratfor.com
To | translations@stratfor.com

Table of Contents for India
----------------------------------------------------------------------
1) Striking Comparisons Between US Wars in Afghanistan, Vietnam
Commentary by Chintamani Mahapatra, Chairman, CCUS&amp;LAS, School of
International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University: A Vietnam in the
Making
2) Delhi Article Discusses Situation in Afghanistan, 'Contradictions'
Faced by India
Article by Indranil Banerjie, defence and security analyst based in New
Delhi: "Endgame in Kabul"
3) Pakistan Author Says Reconciliation Only Way for Durable Peace in
Afghanistan
Article by Dr. Raja Muhammad Khan: Whither Afghan Reconciliation
4) Pakistan Editorial Warns Govt of Indo-US Nexus, Calls For new Terror
Strategy
Editorial: A Wake-up Call
5) Indian Border Force Seeks To Check Bangladeshi Force's 'Disinformation
Campaign'
Unattributed report: "BSF Angry With Dhaka Media R ole"
6) Dhaka Experts Urge Integrated Management To Address Water Problems in
South Asia
Report by news agency UNB: Integrated Management a Must To Address Water
Problems in S Asia, Say Experts
7) Move Fast To Tap Into India Market: Rawat
Unattributed article from the "Business" page: "Move Fast To Tap Into
India Market: Rawat"
8) Commentary Urges India To Be 'Honest' About China 'Even If Politically
Incorrect'
Commentary by Sunanda K. Datta-Ray: " Sweet Nothings: India Must Be Honest
About China Even If Politically Incorrect"
9) Indian Editorial Views Japan's Decision To Begin Nuclear Talks
'Forward-Looking'
Editorial: "Nuclear Talks With Japan"
10) Indian Commentary Views Failure of Politicians Responsible for Kashmir
Unrest
Commentary by Praveen Swami: "The Making of Srinagar's Teenage Martyrs"
11) Article Highlights Myths, Realities of India's Foreign Policy Towards
Pakistan
Article by Abdul Zahoor Khan Marwat: "Indian foreign policy towards
Pakistan myths and realities"
12) Intellectuals Call For Removing Kashmir Chief Minister To Bring Peace
Report by Anil Anand: Government Under Pressure To Sack J&amp;K Chief
Minister Omar Abdullah
13) Indian Air Combat Development Institute To Evolve New Warfare Tactics
With Sukhoi
Report by Suman Sharma: Sukhois Set for Gwalior as IAF Evolves New
Tactics
14) US Official 'Expected' To Discuss 'Recent Overtures' to Iran
Corrected version: replacing Routine with Priority tag; Report by Archis
Mohan: "Tehran Concern on US Table"
15) Editorial Urges Kashmir Govt To Revive Political Process To End
Violence
Editorial: Long Shadow
16) Andhra Pradesh Asks for Tr oop-Carrier Choppers for Anti-Maoist
Operation
Report by G.S. Radhakrishna, Sujan Dutta: Andhra Seeks Copter Lift --
Rebel-Hit State Wants Choppers To Carry Troops
17) Indian Officials Suspect Kashmir Unrest Aimed at Helping Pakistan in
15 Jul Talks
Report by Sankarshan Thakur: "Anti-Terror Thrust Faces Valley Threat"
18) US Official 'Expected' To Discuss 'Recent Overtures' to Iran
Report by Archis Mohan: "Tehran Concern on US Table"
19) Weekly Profiles Guptas Ahead of Launch of New Daily Newspaper
Report by Mandy Rossouw: "Are the Guptas the New Shaiks?"
20) Comment Sums Up World Cup Experiences; Ponders Over FIFA Legacy Left
Behind
Comment by Niren Tolsi: "The Cup Ran Over, Now for the Hangover"
21) Civil Society Groups Call For Probe Into Killings, Rights Abuse in
Kashmir
Report by Aarti Dhar: "'Demo cracy Under Severe Strain in Kashmir'"
22) Police Seize Explosive Material From Private Bus in Kerala Town
Unattributed report: "Explosive Materials Seized From Bus"
23) Foreign Minister Says Pakistan Will Try to Solve All Bilateral Issues
With India
Un-attributed report: "Pakistan to adopt dialogue process to resolve all
issues: FM"
24) Security Forces Recover 'Huge Quantity of Explosives' in Kashmir
Unattributed report: "75 kg Explosive, IEDs Seized in Kishtwar; Two HM
Ultras Held With Terror Fund"
25) Report Alleges Indian Group 'IGCOE Hacker' Hacks Punjab Police Website
Report by Sajid Bashir: "Punjab Police website hacked by 'Indian' group"
26) Indian Scientists Try To Fix Satellite 'Glitch' Behind TV Telecast
Disruption
Unattributed report: "Scientists Trying To Fix Insat-4B"
27) Curfew relaxed in Indian Kashmir, 20 people arrested - agency
28) Rebel Bodo Group Claims Responsibility for 8 Jul Assam Rail Blast
Report by Manoj Anand: "Bodos Warn Against Rail Travel"
29) Editorial Urges Pakistan To Insist Result-Oriented Talks With India
on Kashmir
Editorial: The Killing Fields of Kashmir
30) Pakistan Article Says Global Community Should Help Solve Kashmir Issue
Article by Mohammad Jamil: "Kashmir boils again"
31) Article Hopes Pakistan, India Relations Improve Through Institutional
Efforts
Article by Muhammad Yasir Khan: "India-Pakistan trade"
32) New Delhi's Proposed Economic Package for Maoist-Hit Areas To Bolster
Development
Unattributed report: "Special Package for Naxal-Affected Areas"
33) Famous Journalist Says US, India, Israel Afraid of Pakistans
Ideological Base
Report by: Iftikhar Alam: US, Israel, India frightened of Pak ideological
base, says Nizami
34) Top US official to visit India 14 Jul to lay 'groundwork' for Obama's
Nov trip
35) International Campaign Started to Promote Peace in Pakistan, India
Report by staff correspondent: "Signature campaign launched to promote
peace"
36) Iran, India Sign Cooperation Accord
37) Pakistan Daily for Representation of OIC, African Union in UN Security
Council
Editorial: Reforms in UNSC
38) California Top Recipient of Clean Tech Investments in North America
Xinhua: "California Top Recipient of Clean Tech Investments in North
America"
39) Iran, India sign six pacts
----------------------------------------------------------------------
1) Back to Top
Striking Comparisons Between US W ars in Afghanistan, Vietnam
Commentary by Chintamani Mahapatra, Chairman, CCUS&amp;LAS, School of
International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University: A Vietnam in the
Making - The Pioneer Online
Saturday July 10, 2010 10:01:32 GMT
History, when it repeats, can be deadly. The American involvement in
Afghanistan is gradually taking a trajectory that reminds one of Vietnam.
Of course, nobody uses the V-word much these days, but the comparisons are
striking. First of all, the United States happens to be the common
external power that waged war in both these Asian countries. Secondly, it
was Republican administrations in Washington that initiated the
interventions -- Dwight D Eisenhower in Vietnam and George W Bush in
Afghanistan.
Most importantly, it was Democratic administrations who escalated the
operations; reluctantly at first, but with renewed gusto subsequently.
Lyndon B Johnson in 1965 wrapped America's fate with Vietnam and the Obama
administration with Afghanistan in 2009. If John F Kennedy had lived to
complete his term, history would perhaps have taken a different turn,
because Kennedy had actually set a phased withdrawal from Vietnam in
motion. But the Gulf of Tonkin incident of 1964 gave Johnson the impetus
to reverse the Kennedy order and he made Vietnam the greatest priority of
his foreign policy. By the end of his term in 1968, more than 5,55,000
American soldiers were stationed in Vietnam. And they were dying too --at
the rate of over 1,000 a month.
Cut to 2001. No doubt George W Bush ordered military strikes in
Afghanistan in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the US, but after
initial success -- the expulsion of Mullah Omar's Taliban regime -- his
focus soon shifted to Iraq. The Iraq chapter proved his undoing and Barack
Obama used it as a touchstone on Bush's performance during the 2008
campaign. As President, Ob ama not only censured the Bush administration
for lacklustre and half-hearted performance in Afghanistan, but also
outlined an explicit troop removal from Iraq and zeroed in on Afghanistan.
He authorised more Drone attacks on Afghan militants and insurgents in the
first few months of his administration than President Bush during his
entire presidency.
Fourthly, successive US administrations fought in Vietnam in order to
contain an ideological enemy in Communism. In the same way, the Republican
Administration under George Bush and the Democratic Administration under
Barrack Obama articulated the threat from Afghanistan in terms of Islamic
extremism. So, in both places, American troops ended up fighting against
an enemy which was ideologically committed against it and prepared to go
to any length.
Fifthly, the Vietnamese Communists were actively supported with weapons,
men and material by a neighbouring country -- China. Religious extremists
fighting the American and allied forces in Afghanistan receive their
political, material and to some extent cadre assistance, from Pakistan.
The Nixon administration realised that the key to extricate itself from
Vietnam quagmire was an appropriate understanding with Beijing. Now, Obama
appears to be bargaining for an end to US military operations from
Afghanistan with Pakistani support.
In the 1960s, China faced US containment and in turn backed North Vietnam
and Viet Cong insurgents. But after the Nixon-Mao talks, there was a
Sino-US detente which enabled Washington to break the nexus between
Chinese and Vietnamese communists and chart out a withdrawal strategy. In
the early 1990s, Pakistan lost its strategic relevance to Washington after
the fall of the Soviet empire. In fact, Pakistan became the object of US
sanctions under the Pressler Amendment since 1990 and came under further
heavy US sanctions in the wake of the Chagai Hill nuclear tests. When the
US invaded Afghanistan in Octobe r 2001 in response to 9/11, Pakistan was
no longer a US ally.
In a move analogous with Nixon's detente policy towards China, George W
Bush renewed contacts with Islamabad before initiating attacks on
Afghanistan. The major difference was that Pakistan was more vulnerable to
American diktat than China ever was. But Chinese leader Mao Zedong
responded positively to Nixon's overtures on account of the strategic
gains he perceived from a friendship with America. Pakistani strongman
General Pervez Musharraf also had such an illusion.
Recent developments suggest that the US is developing war fatigue in
Afghanistan. The Vietnam War, which began in 1965, was over in 1973,
making an eight-year war. Two years later, South and North Vietnam got
united under Communist rule. But America has been in Afghanistan for over
nine years now. It is now becoming crystal clear to American policy makers
that this war is unwinnable. There are indications that the Obama
administration w ould, sooner rather than later, implement an exit
strategy.
There is a context to this. The recent episode which marked General
Stanley McCrystal's replacement by General David Patraeus reveals beyond
doubt the existence of acute intra-agency differences in the Obama
administration over the country's strategy and policy related to the
Afghanistan war. McCrystal's replacement is the second of its kind in
American history -- the first being the dismissal of General Douglas
McArthur by President Truman after the former's open quarrel with the
White House over the strategy to be adopted for the Korean War. Both the
generals were in favour of expanding the scope and intensity of military
operations in opposition to the position taken by the Presidency.
The appointment of General Patraeus as the Commander of US forces in
Afghanistan is actually a clear sign of Obama's exit strategy. This
general was the architect and executor of the "surge" in Iraq which su
cceeded to a certain extent in reducing violence in Iraq and paved the way
for outlining a troop withdrawal strategy. In Vietnam, the US escalated
the military strikes before finally departing from the war theatre. In
Iraq, the surge preceded announcement of a time-table for troop reduction
and final withdrawal. In Afghanistan too, the similar strategy is being
tried.
While rising unpopularity of US military operations in Afghanistan and
persistent economic recession are additional causes factored into the
calculation of an exit plan, it has to be recognised that no superpower
ever likes to leave the impression of a military defeat. This explains the
escalation of bombing in Vietnam, the surge in Iraq and identical
application in Afghanistan. Negotiations with the Vietnamese Communists
continued even as American bombers sprayed napalm over North Vietnam and
bombed its cities. So too would negotiations with the Taliban take place
in the midst of Drone attacks. There ar e enough indications of such a
plan being unfurled in Afghanistan already.
China became an adversary of Vietnam after America's departure and even
attacked Vietnam in 1979-four years after the unification of that country.
Pakistan, which seems to be nurturing a section of the Taliban and
negotiating for their installation as a future government in Kabul, has
hopes for a friendly Afghan regime to enjoy so-called "strategic depth".
Will it succeed or there may be a Pak-Afghan war in the foreseeable
future?
Of course, all would depend on the nature of the American exit. The US is
not departing from Iraq lock, stock and barrel. It may not do so in
Afghanistan either. But if it does, the Vietnam analogy may come true.
(Description of Source: New Delhi The Pioneer Online in English -- Website
of the pro-Bharatiya Janata Party daily, favors nationalistic foreign and
economic policies. Circulation for its five editions is approximately
160,000, with it s core audience in Lucknow and Delhi; URL:
http://www.dailypioneer.com)
Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.
2) Back to Top
Delhi Article Discusses Situation in Afghanistan, 'Contradictions' Faced
by India
Article by Indranil Banerjie, defence and security analyst based in New
Delhi: "Endgame in Kabul" - The Asian Age Online
Saturday July 10, 2010 09:45:24 GMT
General Petraeus takes charge at a bad time. His predecessor, General
Stanley McChrystal, was sacked unceremoniously at a time when it is
believed that Washington bigwigs are looking to political solutions that
would exclude Afgh an President Hamid Karzai and make dodgy deals with the
enemy to forge peace.
If anybody is exulting, it is Pakistan's military establishment. The
Afghanistan endgame is going their way and the hope is that the summer of
2010 will demonstrate this conclusively. If that happens, they would have
effected a remarkable turnaround. For, nine years ago, the Pakistani
military establishment was in the dog house. It had been threatened with
extinction, humiliated and told to get lost from Afghanistan.
Today, the jihadi proteges of the Pakistan Army, the Taliban as well as
fighters led by the elusive Jalaluddin Haqqani, are calling the shots. The
Pathan tribes of Pakistan's frontier agencies are also back in action.
Fighters from Waziristan in the south to Bajaur and Swat in the north
regularly cross over to give battle to Nato troops in Afghanistan. This is
like the old times of the Soviet jihad. Today, Pakistani security experts
and retired military officers are openl y saying that the US has lost the
war in Afghanistan. One commentator on a Pakistani television programme
gleefully proclaimed: "We will bury India and the US in Afghanistan".
American intelligence agencies and its military are fully aware of the
Pakistan Army's close links with the Afghan Taliban and fighters like
Jalaluddin Haqqani. New York Times correspondent David Sanger, in his book
The Inheritance, has written how US military intelligence overheard
General Ashfaq Kayani referring to Maulavi Jalaluddin Haqqani as "a
strategic asset". Two weeks later, India's embassy in Kabul was bombed by
Haqqani's men acting in collusion with the Inter-Services Intelligence.
All this is old hat by now. Yet, Gen. Kayani refuses to attack north
Waziristan where Haqqani and his men are based. The US with all its cash
incentives and drone disincentives can do little about it.
The problem is that with Gen. McChrystal's exit and the entry of Gen.
Petraeus, the US might be on the verge of making a deal with Pakistan's
generals on Afghanistan. Gen. Petraeus is somewhat of a "political"
general and had turned the military tide in Iraq not through any new war
fighting strategy but through political manipulations. Gen. Petraeus is
fully aware of the Pakistan Army's links with the Taliban and people like
Haqqani. Only, thus far he has chosen to be diplomatic about the whole
thing. Gen. Petraeus knows that today, it is Gen. Kayani who has them in a
meat grinder and only he can stop the fighters shooting at US soldiers in
Afghanistan. A deal with the enemy would have many supporters in
Washington, who believe the Afghan war is a lost cause.
This leaves India in a difficult position. For, any such deal would have
to address the Pakistan Army's main demand of being allowed to dominate
Afghanistan. Gen. Kayani was the first Pakistan Army Chief to openly
declare that their legitimate aim was to secure "strategic dept h" in
Afghanistan. "We want a strategic depth in Afghanistan but do not want to
control it", he had declared at a press conference in February this year.
He was clearly addressing the Americans and had added that Pakistan's
"strategic paradigm needs to be fully realised", meaning that India had to
be kept out or restrained in Afghanistan. He had warned that an
environment hostile to Pakistan could strain its battle against militancy
and extremism. In other words, Kayani wants to regain what his Army had
lost in 2001: dominance in Afghanistan.
Such a denouement is completely unacceptable to India. India's new
ambassador to Kabul, Gautam Mukhopadhaya, who must have had an inkling of
what is brewing in Af-Pak, had warned of precisely such a scenario in a
recent paper published by the Washington thinktank Carnegie Endowment for
International Peace. India, he wrote, "does not see the Afghan problem as
a derivative of India-Pakistan prob lems that has to be addressed from
that angle (as Pakistan tries to project it). It considers it a serious
violation of the norms of inter-state conduct that Afghanistan should be
made to pay the price for Pakistan's bilateral problems with India in the
form of destabilisation and a desire for 'strategic depth', or that
Pakistani state institutions should use terrorism to fight a proxy war
against India in India or a third country. Nor does it believe that the
Pakistani military will sever its links with or fully cooperate with the
coalition over the Afghan Taliban, even if India were to reduce troops
across Pakistan's eastern border, and views any cooperation by Pakistan in
this regard as selective and aimed only at securing concessions from
India. India also does not accept that Pakistan should be rewarded for its
cooperation with the coalition by political concessions from India, when
it is, in fact, the Taliban's prime backer. Given these almost
diametrically opposed imp ulses, interests, strategies, and positions, it
is difficult to see how Indian and Pakistani positions on Afghanistan can
be reconciled".
Now that Mr Mukhopadhaya is in Kabul, he will have to face considerable
pressure to reconcile the very contradictions he has written about. His
success or failure will not only determine the history of India's
relations with Afghanistan but also that of the Afghan people, who have
experienced the Pakistani scourge once before.
(Description of Source: New Delhi The Asian Age Online in English --
Website of the independent daily with good coverage of security issues.
Harshly critical of US policies, run by T. Venkattram Reddy. Circulation
estimated at 244,317, with an elite audience; URL:
http://www.asianage.com)
Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. o f
Commerce.
3) Back to Top
Pakistan Author Says Reconciliation Only Way for Durable Peace in
Afghanistan
Article by Dr. Raja Muhammad Khan: Whither Afghan Reconciliation - The
Frontier Post Online
Saturday July 10, 2010 09:56:30 GMT
Sequel to the pronouncement of US forces' exit plan from Afghanistan by
President Obama on December 2, 2009, 'London Conference on Afghanistan'
was held on January 28, 2010. British Government hosted the conference
along with UN and Afghanistan. The basic objective set for the conference
was to transfer the security responsibilities of Afghanistan to its own
security forces from the ISAF and to entice the warring factions; the
Taliban, to end the violence. The agreed strategy was "Instead of
demonising the Taliban, we now contemplate the possib ility that some of
them could become part of the solution, an Afghanistan run by the Afghans
themselves." A reintegration fund was established to allure the Taliban to
give up militancy and join peace process. As per the former British Prime
Minister, Gordon Brown, the primary objective of the fund was to, "provide
an economic alternative to those who have none other than participation in
the insurgency." In a way, through London Conference, President Hamid
Karzai sought the formal approval of international community for the start
of reconciliation process with Taliban and other warring factions in
Afghanistan. The Americans, though agreed to this new initiative, however,
remained incredulous of the reconciliation and its outcome for them. The
main consideration remained with the US policy makers was, 'if at all
Taliban are to be reintegrated into the main stream, including Afghan
Government functionaries, then what did US get by ousting them in 2001 and
wagin g a prolonged war thereafter'? Since January 2010, there has been no
let-up in the US and NATO military operations, killing many Afghans. The
occupation forces even could not subdue the Taliban after launching
frequent offensive including Marjah Operation launched in February 2010.
The repetitive failing of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, have
eventually forced them to re-evaluate their rigid policy of not
reconciling with the ground realities. It was in the same context that at
the concluding session of the G-20 Summit, held at Toronto, Canada,
President Obama declared the Pakistan's Afghan settlement efforts as
"useful". Without making a direct reference about the parties taking part
in the reconciliation process, the US President said that, "conversations
between the Afghan government and the Pakistani government, building trust
between those two governments, are a useful step". While giving a tacit
approval of the reconciliation process, President Obama emphasized on the
political solution to the conflict in Afghanistan. He even gave implicit
approval for the inclusion of Taliban in the process of reconciliation.
Indeed, Pakistan has long been emphasizing on the reconciliation of all
Afghan groups including the Taliban for the establishment of a broad based
government in its neighbourhood. Pakistan perceives that, reconciliation
is the only way for a durable peace in that country. Over the period, the
reconciliation process has gained more support from almost all
stakeholders as well as the international community. The United Kingdom
has also supported the reconciliation process. Its Army Chief during a
recent statement fully backed the process. The British Foreign Minister,
Mr William Hague has visited Pakistan and appreciated the role played by
Pakistan in curbing the scourge of terrorism. He too emphasised on the
reconciliation process in Afghanistan. After all, war is not the solution
of any issue. The decade old war in Afghanistan has not led to a solution
of the issue. Continuation of an indefinite war is in the interest of
neither the US and NATO nor the Karzai administration. Therefore, there is
no need to make it an issue of the prestige as far as the US hierarchy is
concerned. After all this war is proving to be longest drawn war in the
history of U.S and economicall y insupportable. Wars are fought to attain
certain aims and objectives in the shortest possible time. If staying in
the region is the ultimate aim, then, US may linger on it indefinitely.
However, it will have to satisfy the domestic audience, once the families
of the US and NATO soldiers in Afghanistan are continuously receiving the
dead bodies of their loved ones back home. In the same backdrop, the newly
appointed US military commander in Afghanistan, General David Petraeus,
has also supported the reconciliation process. General Petraeus, has
recently replaced General Stanley MacCrystal, who was sacked by Presid ent
Obama on being critical to the US political leadership. Indeed, General
MacCrystal has the strong urge for the negotiations with the Taliban for a
durable peace in Afghanistan. In an interview with the Financial Times on
January 25, 2010, the former commander of the ISAF said that; "the Taliban
can contribute and help in the future to run the country." He further said
that, "a soldier Vcaoura he had been enough fighting and there is a need
to find a political solution." This realistic feeling was of a commander
who knew the real situation on the ground. While undergoing through his
confirmation process, in front of the Armed Services Committee, General
Petraeus told the Chairman of the Committee, Senator, Carl Levin, that,
"Pakistani involvement in some form of reconciliation agreement, I think
that is essential". He further told the Committee that, "Clearly, we want
to forge a partnership or further the partnership that has been develo
ping between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Those countries are always going to
be neighbours. And helping them develop a constructive relationship would
be an important contribution". More recently, there have been reports that
President Karzai has met some of the key Taliban elements like Sirajuddin
Haqqani in connection with the reconciliation among various Afghan groups.
However, these reports did not get official confirmation, as General
Petraeus referred his telephonic conversation with Afghan President during
the senate confirmation, who denied any such meeting in the recent days.
Nevertheless, had there been a truth in these reports, why should
President Karzai be stopped from meeting the Afghan nationals,
particularly those who contributed a lot in the pulling out of Soviet
forces from Afghanistan. What, if they now oppose US, after all US is also
an occupying power, not very different from the former Soviet Union.
Nevertheless, the new military commander in Afghani stan has boldly
accepted the fact that, it was on the U.S requirement in 1980s that
Pakistan established a linkage with notables of Afghanistan to shape the
Mujahideen against the former Soviet Union. Therefore, if those
connections are still intact, there is no harm in that. After all Pakistan
and Afghanistan are two neighbours, who share common culture, traditions
and above all the same religion. Yet another acknowledgement made by
General Petraeus on the Pakistani contributions is that, "We can
facilitate the dialogue, participate in the dialogue, be an honest broker,
we are friends to both. We are enormously enabling both. Pakistan is in a
tough fight. One of its fights, by the way, is to keep our lines of
communication open." According to a BBC report, Taliban have refused to
negotiate with the Afghan Government until the withdrawal of the foreign
forces from the Afghan soil. These were indeed the apprehensions of
President Obama and CIA Director Leon Panetta, while the news of the
reconciliation was spread all around. After a deliberate analysis of the
statements of various US officials, it appears that still US intends using
the policy of 'stick and carrot' for the solution of Afghan issue. As in
the past, the new General also wants to maintain an upper hand, even if
the reconciliation process goes on. The General thinks that Taliban should
be first defeated in the field and then negotiated once they are in the
position of weakness. As he indicated that, "Now, whether that is possible
, such an agreement, I think is going to depend on a number of factors
that will play out over the course of the summer, including creating a
sense among the Taliban that they are going to get hammered in the field
and perhaps should look at some options". Such s trong threats may not be
acceptable to Taliban, therefore, would lead to further fuelling the
already fragile situation. It seems that US has not learnt a lesson from
the Marjah Operation, in which over 15000 troops (US, NATO and ANA troops)
participated in the small town of the Marjah, but met complete failure.
There was no gain by the US and NATO forces in that. As a face saving
through a secret patch-up, Taliban allowed the photo session of US forces
landing at a small plateau in that town. Now, if General Petraeus is
planning a similar operation in Kandahar, he must understand that, the
fate of that operation would not be very different from the Marjah
Operation. At this critical juncture, the hammering of Taliban in the
field would not be possible for US. Rather, this would be a futile
exercise, might result into killing of innocent Afghans, and more body
bags despatched to their hometowns, as it has been happening since October
2001. There is yet another confusion boggling the mind of General
Petraeus. Theoretically, he supports the policy of President Obama
regarding the US withdrawal of troops from that country commencing from
July 2011. Ho wever, practically, he is not convinced. As he highlighted
that, "I support the policy of the President. As the President has stated,
July 2011 is the point at which we will begin a transition phase in which
the Afghan government will take more and more responsibility for its own
security. As the President has also indicated, July 2011 is not a date
when we will be rapidly withdrawing our forces and switching off the
lights and closing the door behind us." In order to support his own point
of view, the General feels that still a considerable time is required
before the security responsibilities can be taken over by the Afghan
forces themselves. As he elaborated, "It is going to be a number of years
before Afghan forces can truly handle the security tasks in Afghanistan on
their own. The commitment to Afghanistan is necessarily, therefore, an
enduring one and neither the Taliban nor our Afghan and Pakistani partners
should doubt that". General Petraeus has joined his new assignment, in the
Afghan war theatre with a lot of bewilderment in his mind. In the first
phase, he has to disprove the visualization of General Stanley MacCrystal
that NATO and US forces are losing the Afghan war. To change this
perception, he would depend on the much talked and long awaited summer
offensive in Kandahar, the Taliban stronghold. The operation if conducted
would be a serious setback to the reconciliation process, started by
President Karzai. It would rather be a counterproductive effort, leading
to the addition in the Taliban strength. Otherwise, Taliban Movement is
taking the shape of Afghan National Resistance Movement against oppressive
foreign occupation. Apart from the Afghan masses, President Karzai would
even not support this operation, as it would undermine his own authority.
Therefore, the General should re-evaluate the feasibility of this summer
offensive. The General should bear in mind that irrespective of his
military power, Tali ban could be neither subdued nor defeated. Could they
defeat them in last ten years? Rather, Taliban became more powerful than
they ever were. Therefore, the wisdom demand that General Petraeus,
otherwise a mature professional soldier should analyse the ground
realities in Afghanistan, before deciding for a major military operation
in that country. Secondly, The General must have a precision whether to
support or otherwise, the reconciliation process among the various groups
in Afghanistan. For an honourable exit of US and NATO forces from
Afghanistan, he must bear in the mind that this is the only way forward.
The common Afghan is now sick of the repeated foreign invasions /
occupations and factiona l fighting continuing since late 1970s. Moreover,
US too cannot afford a prolonged war. It has spent trillions of dollars on
overseas wars and earned a bad repute for its generations even. US
soldiers are involved in horrendous killings of Afghan and Iraqi innoc ent
people. Ther efore, they must stop this carnage here and go back. What all
Afghans want is the peace and employment, which US failed to give them?
Thirdly, there still exists indistinctness in the mind of General, whether
to follow the timeline for the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan
(July 2011) as spelt out by President Obama in December 2009. Rather than
an immediate "switching off the lights," follow a gradual withdrawal
process for the exit from the Afghanistan. This would fulfil the demand of
the Taliban, who want pulling out of foreign troops from their homeland
before reconciliation and reintegration into the government is made
possible. Fourthly, US hierarchy must understand that presence of India, a
geographically non-contiguous country; creates more complications than
ever before. In the garb of reconstruction, Indian leadership wants to
colonize the Afghan people and their homeland. This fact would be more
pronounced once NATO and U.S decide to leave the Afg han soil. General
Petraeus must know that except a few leaders of the Northern Alliance,
Afghans are highly allergic to Indian role in their country. India is
indeed part of Afghan flux, therefore, its leaving Afghan soil prior to
U.S, and NATO forces pull-out would be most essential. Otherwise, India
would play its old game of fuelling the infighting between Pakhtuns and
Northern Alliance. Fifthly, though the General himself has acknowledged
that Pakistan has a very significant role in the Afghan peace, as
Afghanistan and Pakistan are part of same society, hence, Pakistan's
contributions should not be relegated to accommodate the interests of
others. Pakistan's solemn effort is to establish peace and stability
followed by economic prosperity in Afghanistan. "Pakistan cannot wish
anything for Afghanistan, which it does not wish for itself." Indeed, the
roots of the current internal instability in Pakistan can be traced to the
prolonged instability in Afghanistan. O nce Afghanistan stabilises,
Pakistan would get stability as a routine matter. Moreover, by now
everyone is convinced that Afghan stability would come through the process
of reconciliation among its various groups including Taliban and Northern
Alliance. The New US General and the Commander of ISAF, General David
Petraeus must have these things in mind to precede further in a fiddly
situation like Afghanistan. Having clarity and brevity about
aforementioned facts would give the General a series of new successes,
rather meeting the fate of his predecessor, General Stanley MacCrystal.
(Description of Source: Peshawar The Frontier Post Online in English --
Website of a daily providing good coverage of the Northwest Frontier
Province, Afghanistan, and narcotics issues; URL:
http://www.thefrontierpost.com)
Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regard ing use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.
4) Back to Top
Pakistan Editorial Warns Govt of Indo-US Nexus, Calls For new Terror
Strategy
Editorial: A Wake-up Call - The Nation Online
Saturday July 10, 2010 07:04:49 GMT
DG ISI Lt. Gen. Ahmed Shuja Pasha's briefing to the Parliamentary
Committee on National Security led by Senator Raza Rabbani, in which he
categorically stated that external forces were involved in terrorism in
Pakistan and that the country should now rethink its strategy on war on
terror, should send alarm bells ringing within the concerned government
quarters. The General also told the committee that the ISI was keeping a
close watch on the US and Indian strategic contours in the region.
Certainly, the intelligence agencies and in this case t he ISI constitutes
the ears and eyes of the government and it is their duty to keep them
abreast of all the crucial developments happening around. But given the
worry and a sense of urgency with which the head of the ISI, a no nonsense
individual, has tried to portray the overall picture, rightly voicing our
genuine security concerns, there is reason to believe that something has
gone seriously wrong and now threatens our existence as a nation. Reading
between the lines, it is pretty obvious that the foreign powers
destabilising Pakistan that the General referred to, are the US and New
Delhi. Just a few days back, he met with the Prime Minister and informed
him about the dangers confronting Pakistan. It is comforting to know that
the point that the General is trying to bring home to the leadership is to
watch out for the Indo-US nexus in the region. Besides, the ongoing
sinister campaign in the US intelligence and media circles to defame the
ISI would further confirm their v icious designs. There should be little
doubt that the Americans intend to weaken and politically discredit the
ISI so that they could have a virtual free for all. Demigods that they
are, the Americans certainly loathe the thought that the Agency can
monitor their polices and activities in the region. The idea of the ISI
being a regional policeman would certainly be an anathema to them and
hence the vilification campaign against it. The US actually wants to
create space for its covert military operatives and mercenaries like
Dynacorp and Blackwater to play their blood and dagger games on our soil
free of any scrutiny or checks.
Hillary Clinton, who would be visiting the country later this month,
should be told in no uncertain terms that Washington's plan to destabilise
Pakistan would be dealt with an iron hand. As stressed by General Pasha,
it is time Islamabad carved a new terror strategy. Is it any wonder that
while the Americans themselves adopt a strategy that suit s them, for
instance negotiations with militants in Afghanistan, they invariably force
Pakistan to resort to the use of force.
(Description of Source: Islamabad The Nation Online in English -- Website
of a conservative daily, part of the Nawa-i-Waqt publishing group.
Circulation around 20,000; URL: http://www.nation.com.pk)
Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.
5) Back to Top
Indian Border Force Seeks To Check Bangladeshi Force's 'Disinformation
Campaign'
Unattributed report: "BSF Angry With Dhaka Media Role" - The Telegraph
Online
Saturday July 10, 2010 22:20:14 GMT
The BSF toda y cautioned Bangladesh media to find out the truth regarding
the border situation in Meghalaya rather than giving fabricated reports
about the "illegal cultivation and encroachment of Bangladeshi land" by
Indian nationals.
The BSF has also urged them to realise that the commander of the 21 Bn BDR
wants to keep the issue of land of adverse possession held by India alive,
thereby becoming a messiah of the local Bangladeshi population.
BSF public relations officer Ravi Gandhi in a statement issued here today
said it is a well-planned strategy by the BDR, especially by the commander
of 21 Bn BDR, Alam, to sensationalise the issue related to areas of
adverse possession.
"Alam is trying to garner support of the locals in the border areas by
giving them false promises that they would be allotted plots of land in
the areas of adverse possession once the BDR is able to take them over,"
the statement said.
The BSF has also alleged that A lam is taking aggressive posture and
keeping the issue alive to get the sympathy of his seniors aiming at a
promotion.
The BSF said since extraction of boulders and stones in Sylhet border by
Bangladeshi residents has become a lucrative business, the BDR men posted
there want to rake up the issue of adverse possession frequently to remain
in the present area of deployment considering the financial benefits they
derive.
The concern of the BSF is that while it had exercised restraint on June 15
when the BDR had resorted to unprovoked firing in several areas of Jaintia
Hills injuring a Khasi villager, the Bangladesh media maintained that
several Bangladeshis were also injured when the BSF had fired back.
Moreover, there were reports recently in Bangladesh media that the BSF had
fired at Bangladeshi civilians and Meghalaya villagers are "occupying"
Bangladesh land.
According to the border force, the Indian farmers are cultivating their
own l ands well inside Indian territory since decades and it is the BDR,
which often fire upon Indian nationals without any provocation, to
terrorise the border population so that they can encroach upon Indian
land.
"The BSF maintains utmost restraint whenever there is a border skirmish.
The false reports that the BSF is resorting to firing are nothing but an
attempt to malign the image of force among Bangladeshi nationals," the
statement added.
(Description of Source: Kolkata The Telegraph Online in English -- Website
of Calcutta's highest circulation English daily, owned by Anandabazaar
Patrika Group, with a circulation of 325,000. Known for in-depth coverage
of northeast issues, Indo-Bangladesh ties. Maintains an impartial
editorial policy; URL: http://www.telegraphindia.com)
Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.
6) Back to Top
Dhaka Experts Urge Integrated Management To Address Water Problems in
South Asia
Report by news agency UNB: Integrated Management a Must To Address Water
Problems in S Asia, Say Experts - The Daily Star Online
Saturday July 10, 2010 22:19:15 GMT
Comprehensive integrated watershed management involving South Asian
countries can address the longstanding water-related problems including
flood havoc, desertification and flash flood, according to water
experts.They say as the origin of all principal rivers of Bangladesh is
outside the country, those rivers depend on upstream water to continue its
flow and the country will not be able to address water-related problems
without integrated initiative with neighbouring countries.A bout 92
percent of the catchments area of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and the Meghna
(GBM) rivers are located outside Bangladesh while the GBM river basin is
around 64 percent in India, 18 percent in China, 9 percent in Nepal, and 3
percent in Bhutan.It is estimated that the catchments area of the Ganges,
Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers is 12 times the size of Bangladesh.Water
expert Sardar M Shah Newaz told UNB that river floods result from melting
of snow in the Himalayas and heavy monsoon rainfall over the catchments of
Ganges and Brahmaputra floodplains lying outside Bangladesh.He said:
"Flash flood occurs in Bangladesh every year due to runoff during heavy
rainfall in the neighbouring upland areas, mostly outside Bangladesh. We
cannot manage our flash floods for want of comprehensive and planned
watershed management."Shah Newaz, also director of Flood Management
Division of Institute of Water Modelling (IWM), underscored the necessity
of water reservoirs in maintain ing water system in South Asian region.He
said as Bangladesh is a downstream country, there is no capability to
build water reservoirs here. Bangladesh can build water reservoirs in
upstream areas of GBM basin in cooperation with neighbouring
countries."India, Nepal and Bhutan have great potentiality to construct
water reservoirs in upstream areas due to huge space. If those countries
will take joint initiative to build water reservoirs with mutual
understanding, all countries will be benefited."Shah Newaz said more power
can be generated by setting up hydropower station in upstream areas to
address the electricity crisis in the region.Recalling some big floods
that occurred in Bangladesh over the couple of decades, he said it is
common phenomena that the country's Meghna river basin is flooded every
year and the flood situation can be controlled by ensuring integrated
watershed management in the region."If we will ensure comprehensive
integrated watershed man agement in a planned way, the ecosystem may
improve though it will be changed."Chairman of National Disaster
Management Advisory Council Dr MA Quassem said water availability is
around 90 billion cubic metre (BCM) during the dry season against the
demand of about 147 BCM, a shortfall of nearly 40 percent, resulting in
drought like situation in large parts of the country."Water shortage in
the dry season affects all water using sectors. Due to inadequate surface
water, ground water is extensively used for irrigation and the
over-extraction is causing deterioration of its quality."He said
Bangladesh receives more than 1.0 billion tons sediment inflow from the
upper catchments of the GBM rivers in absence of planned water management.
"Rivers get silted as these sediments are deposited within the
channels."Dr Quassem said rapid global warming has been causing
fundamental changes to the country's climate. While flood-proneness in the
monsoon season would increase, reduced water availability in the dry
season would become more severe and accelerated sea level rise would
increase salinity intrusion into low-lying areas."It is predicted that
45cm rise of sea level may inundate about 17 percent of our land by 2050
resulting in about 35 million climate refugees from the coastal districts.
Our water-related problems are created on the upstream watershed outside
our territory and we face the consequence s."He said integrated watershed
management of the GMB basin can increase water flow in dry season (flow
augmentation potential in dry session around 175,000 cusecs).Dr Quassem,
also member of National Water Resources Council, said the upstream storage
reservoirs would provide multipurpose benefits like hydropower generation
in addition to dry season augmentation of flows.Nepal's hydropower
generation is estimated at about 83,000MW, of which 42,000MW is considered
as techno-economically feasible while that of Bhutan about 2 0,000MW, and
India 34,000MW, he said.He said the issue of cooperation among the
co-riparian countries on watershed management should be considered
(Description of Source: Dhaka The Daily Star online in English -- Website
of Bangladesh's leading English language daily, with an estimated
circulation of 45,000. Nonpartisan, well respected, and widely read by the
elite. Owned by industrial and marketing conglomerate TRANSCOM, which also
owns Bengali daily Prothom Alo; URL: www.thedailystar.net)
Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.
7) Back to Top
Move Fast To Tap Into India Market: Rawat
Unattributed article from the "Business" page: "Move Fast To Tap Into
India Mark et: Rawat" - The China Post Online
Saturday July 10, 2010 22:16:58 GMT
TAIPEI -- Taiwan, as a hardware giant, could make big profits by
strengthening its commercial collaboration with India, which offers
top-of-the-line software services, according to India's top envoy to
Taiwan, although he urged Taiwanese businessmen to "move fast" before the
market is saturated.
Pradeep Kumar Rawat, who has been heading the India-Taipei Association for
eight months, said Taiwan's expertise in hardware and India's software
strength can complement each other, which would be mutually beneficial.
According to the Bureau of Foreign Trade, the total trade volume between
Taiwan and India in the first quarter of 2010 stood at US$2.17 billion, an
83-percent increase from the US$1.12 billion recorded in the same period
of last year.
The bilateral trade amount in 2009 was US$ 4.6 billion, or 1.1 percent of
Taiwan's overall annual trade, making India Taiwan's 17th- largest trade
partner, its 15th largest export market and its 20th biggest supplier.
Premier Wu Den-yih has recently designated India as one of the Taiwan's
priority markets. Among the Brazil, Russia, India, China (BRIC) countries,
India is closest to Taiwan in terms of geographic location, apart from
China.
Taiwan's major exports to India are mainly mechanical appliances,
electrical equipment, textiles, plastics, automobile parts and artificial
fibers, while India's major exports to Taiwan include cotton yarn and
cloth, iron ore and iron products, granite and chemicals.
"Indian companies and Taiwanese talent can join hands to develop new
products that can be globally marketable. That is the current global
trend, as India has become the largest research and development
destination for multinationals," Rawat said, giving examples such as
Microsoft, IBM, and Cisco System.
He said more than 100 of the Fortune 500 companies have set up shops in
India, focusing mostly on R&amp;D and design in the information technology
(IT) sector, a number that is increasing. "Somehow, for some reason,
Taiwan has yet to move in this direction," he said, adding that India is
an ideal candidate for Taiwanese investors in the areas of product
development, manufacturing and marketing.
In terms of India's market, Rawat said, the fast-growing middle class in
India and the low-penetration of white goods, can all play in Taiwan
companies' favor.
"India is one of the youngest countries in the world and its domestic
consumer market is not just growing, it's exploding. This presents the
perfect opportunity for Taiwanese manufacturers," he said.
Products can be designed in India, partially made in Taiwan and assembled
and exported out of India. By doing so, he said, the products would enjoy
tariff-free trea tment in many countries.
Rawat also lauded India's advanced IT sector, centered mostly around the
cities of Bangalore, Hydrabad and Chennai, saying that meshed with
Taiwan's innovative high-tech talent, the two sides could profit greatly.
"Of course, India has its problems and it is not perfect. We have
shortcomings. But the reality is, India will never be China and some of
the present problems will probably still be there in 20 years, so why
complain about it now?" he asked.
According to Taiwan's External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) which
has offices in Mumbai, New Delhi and Chennai, India is a "good market, but
not an easy one" for Taiwanese investors, citing past problems of disputes
and overdue payments.
TAITRA suggested that in addition to the IT and manufacturing industries,
Taiwanese businessmen could also tap into India's huge vegetarian market
-- 30 percent of the population is vegetarian -- by exporting food ad
ditives and raw materials.
In an effort to boost bilateral economic ties, a double-taxation avoidance
agreement is expected to be signed in the near future.
"All I can say is that Taiwan should act fast before all the best cream
from the milk has been taken," Rawat concluded.(Description of Source:
Taipei The China Post Online in English -- Website of daily newspaper
which generally supports the pan-blue parties and issues; URL:
http://www.chinapost.com.tw)
Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.
8) Back to Top
Commentary Urges India To Be 'Honest' About China 'Even If Politically
Incorrect'
Commentary by Sunanda K. Datta-Ray: " Sweet Nothings: India Must Be Honest
About China Even If Politically Incorrect" - The Telegraph Online
Saturday July 10, 2010 22:20:11 GMT
(Description of Source: Kolkata The Telegraph Online in English -- Website
of Calcutta's highest circulation English daily, owned by Anandabazaar
Patrika Group, with a circulation of 325,000. Known for in-depth coverage
of northeast issues, Indo-Bangladesh ties. Maintains an impartial
editorial policy; URL: http://www.telegraphindia.com)
Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.
9) Back to Top
Indian Editorial Views Japan's Decision To Begin Nuclear Talks
'Forward-Looking'
Editorial: &qu ot;Nuclear Talks With Japan" - The Hindu Online
Saturday July 10, 2010 22:19:12 GMT
(Description of Source: Chennai The Hindu Online in English -- Website of
the most influential English daily of Southern India. Strong focus on
South Indian issues, pro-economic reforms. Good coverage of strategic
affairs, with a reputation for informed editorials and commentaries.
Published from 12 cities, with a circulation of 981,500; URL:
http://www.hindu.com)
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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.
10) Back to Top
Indian Commentary Views Failure of Politicians Responsible for Kashmir
Unrest
Commentary by Praveen Swami: "The Making of Srinagar's Teenage Martyrs" -
The Hindu Online
Saturday July 10, 2010 22:20:11 GMT
(Description of Source: Chennai The Hindu Online in English -- Website of
the most influential English daily of Southern India. Strong focus on
South Indian issues, pro-economic reforms. Good coverage of strategic
affairs, with a reputation for informed editorials and commentaries.
Published from 12 cities, with a circulation of 981,500; URL:
http://www.hindu.com)
Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.
11) Back to Top
Article Highlights Myths, Realities of India's Foreign Policy Towards
Pakistan
Article by Abdul Zahoor Khan Marwat: "Indian foreign policy towards
Pakistan myths and realities" - The News Online
Saturday July 10, 2010 22:20:06 GMT
The basic principles of the Indian foreign policy claim that India will
keep faith in maintaining good relations with neighbours as well as all
other countries round the globe, non-interference with the sovereignty of
all nations, non-partisan outlook towards world powers with stress on
non-alignment and resolution of conflicts between nations through peaceful
negotiations.
However, the Indian foreign policy has seen several shifts over the years.
First, India became one of the founding members of the Non-Aligned
Movement (NAM). Later, it developed extremely close relationship with the
Soviet bloc. Then came the Americans and New Delhi wholeheartedly embraced
them, leaving no doubt that it had litt le interest in maintaining its
non-aligned status.
With regards to Pakistan, the Indian foreign policy has always been very
aggressive and hostile. Pursuing the same strategy, even today, the Indian
foreign policy towards Islamabad revolves around has four pillars.
First, make all out effort to tarnish Pakistan's image by portraying it as
the mentor of all terrorist activities not only in the region but also
throughout the world. In this regard, the Indian police and law
enforcement agencies blame Pakistani intelligence for creating unrest in
India.
The fact, however, is that it is their oppressive state policies that are
causing unrest in the Indian heartland and forcing people to confront the
state. At the same time, Indian diplomats have been going around, claiming
that the Pakistani state and some militant outfits, which they claim have
Islamabad's support, are involved in terrorist activities around the
world. Nothing can be farther from the truth a s till to-date no
worthwhile evidence has ever been shared in this regard. The world is
witness to the fact that Pakistan has sacrificed thousands of its military
personnel and civilians in the fight against terrorism.
Second, the Indian foreign policy seeks to sideline the Kashmir issue and
tell the world that it is a bilateral matter and of little significance.
The reality is that the Kashmir issue has led to three Indo-Pak wars and
made the region hostage to conflicts.
(Description of Source: Islamabad The News Online in English -- Website of
a widely read, influential English daily, member of the Jang publishing
group. Neutral editorial policy, good coverage of domestic and
international issues. Usually offers leading news and analysis on issues
related to war against terrorism. Circulation estimated at 55,000; URL:
http://www.thenews.com.pk/)
Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.
12) Back to Top
Intellectuals Call For Removing Kashmir Chief Minister To Bring Peace
Report by Anil Anand: Government Under Pressure To Sack J&amp;K Chief
Minister Omar Abdullah - Daily News and Analysis Online
Saturday July 10, 2010 22:20:00 GMT
Pressure is building on the Centre to sack key members of the Kashmir
government, including chief minister Omar Abdullah. Suggestions are coming
in for taking action against the security establishment.The call for
Omar's removal came from certain Kashmir-centric "intellectuals and
academicians" in their interactions with top officials in the prime
minister's office. They believe the Omar's removal will pacify se
paratists and bring peace.The suggestion to remove the chief minister
seems untenable, particularly since no alternative candidate is available
to the Congress, which is a partner in the National Conference government
in the state.The idea of imposing Governor's Rule (it's not President's
Rule in J&amp;K (Jammu and Kashmir)) is not acceptable to the Centre as it
would not like to be directly involved in the state administration, since
this could give separatists more rope.The threat over Omar might die down
sooner than later, but questions are being asked about the absence of his
father, union minister Farooq Abdullah, from Kashmir. He has been camping
in London for the past week, where his wife lives. Abdullah family sources
dismissed reports of differences between father and son and clarified that
the minister was in London because of his wife's illness.Even as the
Centre struggles to bring peace to the Valley, new evidence has cropped up
suggesting that Pakistan could be instigating the brigades of
stone-throwers. The transcript of a telephone conversation between two
Hurriyat separatists showed that they were discussing the killing of at
least 15 people during a rally in Srinagar.A highly-placed home ministry
source claimed to have found evidence to establish that money was being
sent from Dubai to keep Kashmir's army of stone-pelters going. Funds were
being routed through money transfer agency, Western Union, and there have
been transactions of up to Rs10 lakh (approximately $21,386).
(Description of Source: Mumbai Daily News and Analysis (DNA) online in
English -- Indias first "all-color page" English-language daily, owned by
the Diligent Media Corporation, a joint venture between industry majors --
the Dainik Bhaskar (Indias number one Hindi daily) Group and Zee Group.
Launched on 30 July 2005, DNA started with a subscribed circulation of
300,000. The daily targets a young readership; URL: www.dnaindia.com)
Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.
13) Back to Top
Indian Air Combat Development Institute To Evolve New Warfare Tactics With
Sukhoi
Report by Suman Sharma: Sukhois Set for Gwalior as IAF Evolves New
Tactics - Daily News and Analysis Online
Saturday July 10, 2010 22:19:05 GMT
As part an upgrade and to evolve new tactics in aerial warfare, Indian Air
Force's (IAF's) Gwalior-based Tactics and Air Combat Development
Establishment (TACDE) will for the first time receive frontline fighters
Sukhoi-30MKI by the end of this year.Gwalior is essentially a base for
French Mirage-2000 fighters. TACDE is an aer ial warfare training
institution which devises combat tactics for its top 1% fighter pilots.
The Sukhois will replace MiG-27s, which will go back to their original
bases in Kalaikunda, Hashimara and Bagdogra in the east.A source said the
new Sukhois being manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will
be based in Gwalior. The numbers are not certain as of now, but it could
be anything close to a squadron.An assortment of fighters in the IAF
inventory are sent to TACDE to evolve tactical procedures for various
aircraft, implement standard operating procedures and train pilots in
operational doctrines.TACDE was conferred presidential standards in
November 2009. At present, its training inventory includes MiG-21 Bisons
and MiG-27s. While the existing Sukhois are being upgraded, the Union
cabinet recently cleared an order for 42 more to be manufactured by HAL,
raising the IAF Sukhoi strength to more than 250.
(Description of Source: Mumbai Daily News and Analysi s (DNA) online in
English -- Indias first "all-color page" English-language daily, owned by
the Diligent Media Corporation, a joint venture between industry majors --
the Dainik Bhaskar (Indias number one Hindi daily) Group and Zee Group.
Launched on 30 July 2005, DNA started with a subscribed circulation of
300,000. The daily targets a young readership; URL: www.dnaindia.com)
Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.
14) Back to Top
US Official 'Expected' To Discuss 'Recent Overtures' to Iran
Corrected version: replacing Routine with Priority tag; Report by Archis
Mohan: "Tehran Concern on US Table" - The Telegraph Online
Sa turday July 10, 2010 22:20:10 GMT
(Description of Source: Kolkata The Telegraph Online in English -- Website
of Calcutta's highest circulation English daily, owned by Anandabazaar
Patrika Group, with a circulation of 325,000. Known for in-depth coverage
of northeast issues, Indo-Bangladesh ties. Maintains an impartial
editorial policy; URL: http://www.telegraphindia.com)
Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.
15) Back to Top
Editorial Urges Kashmir Govt To Revive Political Process To End Violence
Editorial: Long Shadow - The Telegraph Online
Saturday July 10, 2010 22:20:01 GMT
(Description of Source: Kolkata The Telegraph online in English -- Website
of Kolkata's highest circulation English daily, owned by ABP Group, with a
flagship publication Anandabazar Patrika in Bengali. Known for in-depth
coverage of east and northeast India issues, and India-Bangladesh
relations. Maintains an impartial editorial policy. Circulation 457,100;
URL: www.telegraphindia.com)
Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.
16) Back to Top
Andhra Pradesh Asks for Troop-Carrier Choppers for Anti-Maoist Operation
Report by G.S. Radhakrishna, Sujan Dutta: Andhra Seeks Copter Lift --
Rebel-Hit State Wants Choppers To Carry Troops - The Telegraph Online</
div>
Saturday July 10, 2010 22:19:59 GMT
(Description of Source: Kolkata The Telegraph online in English -- Website
of Kolkata's highest circulation English daily, owned by ABP Group, with a
flagship publication Anandabazar Patrika in Bengali. Known for in-depth
coverage of east and northeast India issues, and India-Bangladesh
relations. Maintains an impartial editorial policy. Circulation 457,100;
URL: www.telegraphindia.com)
Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.
17) Back to Top
Indian Officials Suspect Kashmir Unrest Aimed at Helping Pakistan in 15
Jul Talks
Report by Sankarshan Thakur: "Anti-T error Thrust Faces Valley Threat" -
The Telegraph Online
Saturday July 10, 2010 22:19:14 GMT
(Description of Source: Kolkata The Telegraph Online in English -- Website
of Calcutta's highest circulation English daily, owned by Anandabazaar
Patrika Group, with a circulation of 325,000. Known for in-depth coverage
of northeast issues, Indo-Bangladesh ties. Maintains an impartial
editorial policy; URL: http://www.telegraphindia.com)
Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.
18) Back to Top
US Official 'Expected' To Discuss 'Recent Overtures' to Iran
Report by Archis Mohan: "Tehran Concern on U S Table" - The Telegraph
Online
Saturday July 10, 2010 22:19:11 GMT
(Description of Source: Kolkata The Telegraph Online in English -- Website
of Calcutta's highest circulation English daily, owned by Anandabazaar
Patrika Group, with a circulation of 325,000. Known for in-depth coverage
of northeast issues, Indo-Bangladesh ties. Maintains an impartial
editorial policy; URL: http://www.telegraphindia.com)
Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.
19) Back to Top
Weekly Profiles Guptas Ahead of Launch of New Daily Newspaper
Report by Mandy Rossouw: "Are the Guptas the New Shaiks?" - Mai l &amp;
Guardian
Saturday July 10, 2010 22:15:31 GMT
President Jacob Zuma seems to have replaced the well-known Shaik brothers
as his close allies with another influential and wealthy family: the
Guptas from India.The Guptas made headlines this week when they announced
that they planned to fund a new daily newspaper in South Africa called New
Age.Although the family is closely linked to former minister Essop Pahad,
who was a close friend of Thabo Mbeki, they now appear to be good friends
with Zuma as well.The Guptas met the Zuma family in 2001, according to
family spokesperson Gary Naidoo Gupta, who describes their relationship as
one of "mutual respect and cordiality".Like the Shaiks, the empire is run
by a set of brothers -- Atul, Rajesh (also known as Tony) and Ajay -- who
have taken the family business from computers and branched out into
mining, real estate, aviation, tourism and, more recently, media.The
family invested heavily in Vusizwe Media, the publisher of the monthly
political magazine, the Thinker, which is Pahad's brainchild, and used
that to expand their interest in the industry."After having commissioned a
professional and thorough feasibility study, the family became convinced
there is a gap for a commercially viable daily newspaper," Naidoo said.
"On that basis the family is investing in the launch of a new daily
newspaper, New Age. The family is confident that it will be a successful
and sustainable business venture."Despite the fact that Zuma's daughter,
Duduzile Zuma, was taken on as director of the Guptas' computer company,
Sahara, shortly after Zuma became president, and that Rajesh (Tony) Gupta
and Duduzane Zuma, Zuma's son, have a joint interest in Mabengela
Investments, the Guptas claim there is no commercial relationship between
the two families.The Guptas played a major role in influencing the
decision to bring last year's Indian Premier League (IPL) tournament to
South Africa, due to security concerns in India.In fact, it was Duduzane's
friendship with Tony Gupta that led the president's son to become a
cricket enthusiast, he told a reporter for the website Overseas Indian, at
the time of the tournament."I am trying to learn more of the rules and I
have started to indulge in the game at the Gupta residence, where I am
still trying to get my batting right before I can join in the action
cricket games."During the recent state visit by Zuma to India, Ajay Gupta
was the leader of the business delegation that accompanied the
president.Those who know the family well told the Mail &amp; Guardian that
the Guptas are "nouveau riche". Said one: "They have no big family money.
In India no one knows them. They have certainly become closer to Zuma
since he became president -- that was very obvious."The Guptas emigrated
from India in about 199 3, when Atul Gupta was sent to South Africa by his
father to explore business opportunities.According to Naidoo, Atul was
"extremely impressed and comfortable to base himself in South Africa"; he
then started the Sahara Group, which initially had interests in the IT
industry and Sahara Computers, a multimillion-rand computer company that
supplies computer hardware.The company received a lucrative tender last
year for the supply of laptops to 300,000 school teachers around the
country in a scheme in which teachers pay for a laptop at a rate
subsidised by government.The Guptas also have a stake in Tokyo Sexwale's
Mvelaphanda Resources, while Sexwale, in turn, sits on the board of
Sahara.The Guptas have been associated with Zuma or his family in a number
of controversial deals on which the M&amp;G has reported, including Shiva
Uranium, owned by the Guptas, a BEE consortium led by Duduzane Zuma; and
Imperial Crown Trading, the well-connected BEE company that snaffl ed
iron-ore rights po tentially worth billions from under the noses of
iron-ore giant Kumba.Imperial Crown Trading is half-owned by Jagdish
Parekh, chief executive of Okbay Investments, a Gupta family vehicle;
Parekh is chief executive of Shiva Uranium and was the also of JIC Mining
Services, in both of which Duduzane Zuma has a stake.(Description of
Source: Johannesburg Mail &amp; Guardian in English -- A credible and
reliable weekly newspaper mainly owned by Zimbabwean publisher Trevor
Ncube's Newtrust Company Botswana Limited. It is known for its in-depth,
investigative reporting and for uncovering government corruption cases.
Its editorials tend to be critical of government policies)
Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.
20) Back to Top
Comment Sums Up World Cup Experiences; Ponders Over FIFA Legacy Left
Behind
Comment by Niren Tolsi: "The Cup Ran Over, Now for the Hangover" - Mail
&amp; Guardian
Saturday July 10, 2010 22:15:11 GMT
The first World Cup on African soil reinforced the delinquent joy of hope
-- an experience this continent's inhabitants, in particular, are all too
familiar with.In their quarterfinal clash with Uruguay, Ghana were mugged
on the goal line in the dying minutes of extra time by Luis Suarez's
"immaculate fingering".Then came the agony of watching Asamoah Gyan's
resultant penalty kick-miss swirl in slow motion off the crossbar and the
gut-wrenching drama of the ensuing penalty shootout. The misery of
840-million people followed close behind.It felt too much like previous
moments when hope was allowed to live b efore being kicked -- in the nuts
-- to death. Like voting in Zimbabwe or Kenya and then having the election
nicked and democracy rendered incontinent by the sharing of power between
victors and thieves.Vertiginous highs followed by the crushing lows of
unfulfilled expectations pervaded this tournament -- especially for those
who supported Bafana Bafana (local soccer team), the dismal African teams
or the romantic football of sides such as Germany and Mexico.It is this
cycle of hope flourishing, destroyed and then being reborn during the 2010
World Cup that has made the tournament a truly African experience -- more
so than any patronising mention of our rhythmic parties or Big Five
welcomes.Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez imagined before his team's semifinal
loss to Holland this week that football, and the World Cup, allows people
to dream of a sense of self that goes beyond the constraints of global
economic systems or their country's national fiscus, military power and
populat ion size.Tabarez said it would be difficult not to believe that
victory on the football pitch translated into something more permanent:
"We believe that," he said, when thinking about the effect his team's
success was having on people back home, "but not to the point where we
believe that the world has changed because we won a few games."Football
has the potential to change, but not to the extent that cliche writers
would have us believe. Through a distilling of emotions experienced over
90 minutes, it can potentially bring us closer to ourselves.And there is
an inescapable sense that South Africa -- even for this briefest period --
has experienced its own metamorphosis in hosting the World Cup: through
these often subliminal moments of self-reflection. Or amnesiac suspension
of reality.Writer Imraan Coovadia remembers his heart "thumping" during
the Bafana match against France, when the boys came so close to qualifying
for the knockout stage of the tournament. "Compared with Brazil and India,
street life in South Africa, especially at night, always seems so bleak,
hostile, unforgiving. But since the World Cup started, there's been a
sense of joy and love and solidarity in the streets, with all these
hundreds of thousands of people. It's, you know, beautiful," he said."And
yes, we're a manic-depressive country. In 2007 we were up, in 2008 we were
down -- so no doubt something will come along to ruin our mood, but
hopefully it will just be another presidential wife, not a new wave of
xenophobic riots," said Coovadia.That the spectre of fatal xenophobic
attacks similar to those of two years ago still hangs over South Africa --
with foreign Africans this week continuing to leave Western Cape townships
in fear - is indicative of the paradoxical nature of sport's effect. South
Africans came out in droves to support other teams from the continent --
especially Ghana -- once Bafana had been knocked out , yet revulsion for
African foreigners remains.President Jacob Zuma has been at pains to point
out that "the world has seen this country in a different light". But
people -- such as shack dweller Mnikelo Ndabankulu -- believe the
corporate, elite nature of the tournament has done little to change the
dispossessed's view of the world."The poor have had no access to the World
Cup or to the people from other countries who came here for it, so how
could this change anything?" asked Ndabankulu.England goalkeeper David
James told the Mail &amp; Guardian that he found the chasm that existed
between South Africa's world-class stadiums and hotels, and the ubiquitous
shack sprawls, "staggering"."There is still so much to be done in this
country in addressing what seems to be huge socioeconomic differences --
that much is obvious -- but whatever doubts I have about this World Cup's
effects on people is tempered when I speak to ordinary people like the
guys who work at the hotel and their enthusiasm and excitement they feel
to have us here," said James.Although the parochialism embedded in South
African society through years of apartheid-induced isolation and, more
recently, through ghettoisation and a dysfunctional education system,
might have lifted for the middle classes and those working in menial jobs
in the hospitality industry, it is arguable what effect, if any, it would
have on those most angry about their marginalisation in this society - the
unemployed youth who, potentially, are most prone to articulating their
discontent through violence.Zuma said, rightly, that the world has "seen
the precision when it comes to planning and logistical arrangements. They
have seen the efficiency of our security infrastructure."That South Africa
has delivered a world-class Cup is irrefutable. But the delivery has been
focused in and around stadiums, for television audiences and the elite who
have visited our shores, from fans to players -- and ultimately, for
Fifa.The South African government has responded, with billions of
taxpayers' rands, to Fifa's requests for security, speedy 24-hour medical
response, the swift justice of after-hours courts and efficient blue-lit
transport for its officials and players -- usually to the detriment of
ordinary South Africans' rights to access these, and with complete
disregard for the ordinary punters stuck in traffic jams because public
transport remains dysfunctional or awaiting, years later, some justice for
a loved one's murder or rape because of backlogged courts.The question
remains, too, of what Fifa's legacy to South Africa will be. The stadiums
are a legacy to ourselves, as is whatever goodwill we allow to grow from
this tournament.But observing the impunity with which Fifa has taken over
the country and served its own ends -- from co-opting police to act on
behalf of itself and its corporate partners to its complete lack of
transpa rency or accountability, especially with taxpayers' money -- one
shudders to think what lessons watching politicians are learning.ANC Youth
League president Julius Malema has already been ordering police around as
if they were his personal footmen. Blue-light brigades are already being
misused by self-important politicians.And on Wednesday night thousands of
ordinary punters were prevented from watching the Spain vs Germany
semifinal in Durban because the newly built R9-billion King Shaka Airport
was closed down because of runway congestion.Their commercial flights were
either sent back to Port Elizabeth, Cape Town or Johannesburg, or circled
for hours before landing too late for the match.A pilot who had been
trying to land a plane at the airport from 10am that day and managed to do
so only close to midnight spoke to the M&amp;G on condition of anonymity.
He said chartered flights, reportedly containing celebrities such as Paris
Hilton and politicians such as Tokyo Sexw ale, were given preference to
land and park at the airport. Many were unscheduled, thus disrupting the
day's normal flight schedule and denying ordinary, paying football fans
the chance to celebrate.The Orwellian observation that "all animals are
equal, but some are more equal than others" has brayed louder than any
vuvuzela at this World Cup.But it has been suggested that this has been a
tournament in which the team ethic has triumphed over the individual. We
have swooned over the theatrics of Diego Maradona and the fleeting genius
of his countryman Lionel Messi, only to see them both vanquished by the
collective genius of Joachim Low and his German team. Ghana's team spirit
and endeavour has proved more successful than the teams propelled by
individuals Didier Drogba and Samuel Eto'o.The 2010 World Cup has been a
reminder that the collective -- of a team, of society -- has the potential
to be more successful than anything structured around individuals, their
egos or their self-ordained rights.(Description of Source: Johannesburg
Mail &amp; Guardian in English -- A credible and reliable weekly newspaper
mainly owned by Zimbabwean publisher Trevor Ncube's Newtrust Company
Botswana Limited. It is known for its in-depth, investigative reporting
and for uncovering government corruption cases. Its editorials tend to be
critical of government policies)
Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.
21) Back to Top
Civil Society Groups Call For Probe Into Killings, Rights Abuse in Kashmir
Report by Aarti Dhar: "'Democracy Under Severe Strain in Kashmir'" - The
Hindu Online
Saturday July 10, 2010 11:33:26 GMT
(Description of Source: Chennai The Hindu Online in English -- Website of
the most influential English daily of Southern India. Strong focus on
South Indian issues, pro-economic reforms. Good coverage of strategic
affairs, with a reputation for informed editorials and commentaries.
Published from 12 cities, with a circulation of 981,500; URL:
http://www.hindu.com)
Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.
22) Back to Top
Police Seize Explosive Material From Private Bus in Kerala Town
Unattributed report: "Explosive Materials Seized From Bus" - The Hindu
Online
Saturday July 10, 2010 1 1:06:08 GMT
(Description of Source: Chennai The Hindu Online in English -- Website of
the most influential English daily of Southern India. Strong focus on
South Indian issues, pro-economic reforms. Good coverage of strategic
affairs, with a reputation for informed editorials and commentaries.
Published from 12 cities, with a circulation of 981,500; URL:
http://www.hindu.com)
Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.
23) Back to Top
Foreign Minister Says Pakistan Will Try to Solve All Bilateral Issues With
India
Un-attributed report: "Pakistan to adopt dialogue process to resolve all
issues: FM" - The News Online
Saturday July 10, 2010 11:11:11 GMT
ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Friday said
that Pakistan will approach the dialogue process with a positive and
constructive mindset and with a view to resolving all the bilateral issues
with India, including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.
He was briefing the members of the Parliamentary Committee on National
Security at the Parliament House on Pakistan-India relations. The meeting
was presided over by Chairman of the Committee Senator Mian Raza Rabbani.
The foreign minister briefed the committee on the recent Pakistan-India
Foreign Secretary-level talks and noted that the talks were exploratory in
nature and primarily meant to prepare for a meeting between the foreign
ministers of the two countries on July 15.
He stated the talks had helped in improving the atmosphere and in laying
the ground work for the ministeria l meeting. He emphasised that the
resumption of the peace process was an important development.
(Description of Source: Islamabad The News Online in English -- Website of
a widely read, influential English daily, member of the Jang publishing
group. Neutral editorial policy, good coverage of domestic and
international issues. Usually offers leading news and analysis on issues
related to war against terrorism. Circulation estimated at 55,000; URL:
http://www.thenews.com.pk/)
Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.
24) Back to Top
Security Forces Recover 'Huge Quantity of Explosives' in Kashmir
Unattributed report: "75 kg Explosive, IEDs Seized in Kishtwar; Two HM
Ultras Held With Terror Fund" - Daily Excelsior Online
Saturday July 10, 2010 10:44:55 GMT
(Description of Source: Jammu Daily Excelsior Online in English -- Website
of independent daily providing comprehensive reporting on Kashmir issues.
Advocates hardline Indian stance against Pakistan on Kashmir. Circulation
of 150,000; URL: www.dailyexcelsior.com)
Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.
25) Back to Top
Report Alleges Indian Group 'IGCOE Hacker' Hacks Punjab Police Website
Report by Sajid Bashir: "Punjab Police website hacked by 'Indian' group" -
The News Online
Saturday July 10, 2010 09:35:15 GMT
LAHORE: The Punjab Police website was hacked for the second time by a
group 'IGCOE--Hacker' apparently from India and its homepage displays "Ha
Ha.....Losers...Stop proxy war against India!"The hackers removed the
message of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Inspector General
Police of Punjab as one can see a short message, "Data Awaited", against
the pictures of the chief minister and the inspector general of police.
When contacted, Special Branch DIG Naeem Akram Bharoka said the police
would take legal action against an Islamabad-based company responsible for
the website security, besides suspending its services from July 31. "We
are also going to give the domain hosting of the website and its
maintenance, including the data update to the Punjab Information
Technology Board."
(Description of Source: Islamabad The News Online in Engl ish -- Website
of a widely read, influential English daily, member of the Jang publishing
group. Neutral editorial policy, good coverage of domestic and
international issues. Usually offers leading news and analysis on issues
related to war against terrorism. Circulation estimated at 55,000; URL:
http://www.thenews.com.pk/)
Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.
26) Back to Top
Indian Scientists Try To Fix Satellite 'Glitch' Behind TV Telecast
Disruption
Unattributed report: "Scientists Trying To Fix Insat-4B" - The Asian Age
Online
Saturday July 10, 2010 09:01:56 GMT
The scientists sai d they are attempting to restore the services of
channels such as Doordarshan-DTH, Sun Direct and several regional networks
either through partial utilisation of some of the satellite's 24
transponders or by transferring the services to other Indian communication
satellites.
"ISRO has 209 transponders onboard its Insat satellites, so we are looking
at transferring the services of customers affected by the snag to any one
of these transponders. The last resort will be to explore transponders
available on foreign satellites," sources in Indian Space Research
Organisation told this newspaper. Losses due to the snag have not yet been
estimated.
Transponders are communications components that receive signals and
broadcast them at different frequencies, allowing almost instantaneous
transmission between distant points on the earth's surface.They are
employed onboard satellites for television broadcasting and
telecommunications.
Insat-4B satellite car ries 24 communication transponders and has been in
operation since March 2007.
(Description of Source: New Delhi The Asian Age Online in English --
Website of the independent daily with good coverage of security issues.
Harshly critical of US policies, run by T. Venkattram Reddy. Circulation
estimated at 244,317, with an elite audience; URL:
http://www.asianage.com)
Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.
27) Back to Top
Curfew relaxed in Indian Kashmir, 20 people arrested - agency - PTI News
Agency
Saturday July 10, 2010 08:03:21 GMT
Text of report published by Indian news agency PTISrinagar: Barring Sopore
and Pulwama, curfew relaxation continued in the Kashmir Valley in northern
India on Saturday to allow people to offer special prayers on the occasion
of a Muslim festival as police cracked down on stone pelters and arrested
20 people allegedly responsible for instigating mobs.The four-day-old
curfew was relaxed in the entire valley Friday night after a high-level
meeting presided over by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to enable people
offer special prayers overnight at the Hazratbal shrine for Shab-e-Mehraj,
an important occasion on the religious calendar here.Some protestors came
out in the streets in Qamarwari, Naaz cinema, Nowhatta and Maisuma of the
city this morning but were chased away by the police. Restrictions were
imposed in Maisuma after the protests.People continued to throng the
Hazratbal Shrine Saturday to have a glimpse of a Holy Relic of Prophet
Mohammed which is shown to people after every prayer after Shab-e-Mehraj
(night of ascent). Nearly 4, 000 people had gathered during the first
prayer at the break of the dawn.Shops and business establishments were
open and traffic was plying normally in the city.However, in Pulwama
district of South Kashmir, curfew had to be imposed after a media report
that one person had died in police firing, which was denied by
authorities.People started coming out on the streets despite
administration announcing that the news was not correct.Before things
could go out of hands, the authorities decided to impose curfew.Kakapora
area of Pulwama district had witnessed pitched battle between mobs and
security personnel last evening which resulted in injuries to 16 security
personnel and five civilians.(Description of Source: New Delhi PTI News
Agency in English )
Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.
28) Back to Top
Rebel Bodo Group Claims Responsibility for 8 Jul Assam Rail Blast
Report by Manoj Anand: "Bodos Warn Against Rail Travel" - The Asian Age
Online
Saturday July 10, 2010 08:51:48 GMT
However, in related development outlawed Ulfa (United Liberation Front of
Asom) has condemned the blast and warned the armed rebel group to refrain
from targeting indigenous people of the state.The Ulfa commander-in-chief
Paresh Baruah in a statement to local newspapers said that any attempt to
target the Assamese people or divide the society will not be tolerated.
The NDFB, which justified their attack on Garib Rath Express in which a
five-year-old boy was killed and seven critically wounded, also warned the
civilians not to travel by passenger trains and government buses w hich
could be targeted by them. The threat of NDFB which has created panic
among the passengers has also come as challenge for the forces claiming to
have inputs on NDFB rebels procuring explosives in huge quantity before
launching the offensives.
(Description of Source: New Delhi The Asian Age Online in English --
Website of the independent daily with good coverage of security issues.
Harshly critical of US policies, run by T. Venkattram Reddy. Circulation
estimated at 244,317, with an elite audience; URL:
http://www.asianage.com)
Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.
29) Back to Top
Editorial Urges Pakistan To Insist Result-Oriented Talks With India on
Kashmir
Editorial: The Killing Fields of Kashmir - Business Recorder Online
Saturday July 10, 2010 08:41:41 GMT
EDITORIAL (July 10 2010): Come summer and India's trigger-happy Central
Reserve Police Force (CRPF) lets loose a reign of terror in the occupied
Kashmir. So this summer too, it is on a killing spree in the Kashmir
valley, as over the three weeks it has murdered no less than two dozen
civilians and injured over 70.
Meanwhile, all the important Hurriyat leaders have been placed under house
arrest and strict curfew imposed in Srinagar and all over the valley.
However, the deadliest day was last Tuesday when the security forces
killed three protestors and called in regular troops to quell
demonstrations in major population centres. But the rising tempo of
brutality is being squarely matched by the Kashmiris' determination to
defy the forces of repression.
As a regular phenomenon, in d efiance of curfew the protestors surge onto
the streets burning tyres and shouting "We want freedom" and "Blood for
blood". Since the Indian armed forces enjoy impunity in occupied Kashmir
they don't hesitate a bit in firing straight into the crowds. Their
victims invariably include women and children.
What would be more ironic and a shame of our times that the international
community is turning away from this enormous pogrom? The Indian-held
Kashmir today is the world's biggest slaughter-house where the tally of
killings since the wake of insurgency in 1989 exceeds 93,000 of which no
less than 7,000 are custodial deaths - leave alone thousands of cases of
women molestations and gang-rapes. Human rights violations are rampant,
with incidents of extra-judicial killings, disappearances, arrests and
desecration of women an everyday affair.
But now that media has been barred from reporting of violence and carnage
throughout the Kashmir valley ma ny a murder may go unreported - a
travesty of truth and reality that the world human rights organisations
must strongly reject. Likewise, the international forums of jurists must
take up with the United Nations and other relevant organisations and force
India to withdraw its draconian laws including Armed Forces Special Powers
Act (AFSPA) and Disturbed Areas Act. They should also ask India why these
black laws are only Muslim-majority Kashmir-specific while insurgencies
rage in its many other areas also.
But more than that, it is for Pakistan to bring the plight of Kashmiri
under sharper international focus. Ideally, at the meeting of the foreign
ministers in Islamabad next week Pakistan should insist on result-oriented
discussion with India on Kashmir, irrespective of revival or otherwise of
the Composite Dialogue. As a recognised party to the Kashmir problem it is
its bounden duty to actively support the Kashmiris' struggle for
self-determination.
Admitted, t hat during the Musharraf era, whether the Kashmir 'problem' is
fit for a solution/resolution became an 'issue' for discussion only and
was consigned to limbo in the name of some ineffectual CBMs. But the
ground reality is fast changing; in occupied Kashmir, a new younger
generation has come to fore to fight and die for independence. No wonder
then the media coverage of Kashmiris' recent protest marches and
demonstrations clearly suggests that their struggle has acquired the
colour of a strong modern-day freedom movement fully backed and joined by
the entire population including women and children. Wearing jeans and polo
shirts they dare the heavily armed security forces, responding to bullets
with brick-bats.
(Description of Source: Karachi Business Recorder Online in English --
Website of a leading business daily. The group also owns Aaj News TV; URL:
http://www.brecorder.com/)
Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.
30) Back to Top
Pakistan Article Says Global Community Should Help Solve Kashmir Issue
Article by Mohammad Jamil: "Kashmir boils again" - Pakistan Observer
Online
Saturday July 10, 2010 08:14:26 GMT
The Indian Held Kashmir boils again. Last week, police killed three youth
in IHK, and there were protests in the valley over the atrocities
committed on Kashmiri youth. Curfew has been clamped in Srinagar to
prevent people from holding protest demonstrations against the recent
killing of protesters by Indian troops. Reports from Sopore, Baramulla,
Kupwara, Handwara, Islamabad, Koimoh, Pulwama and Kakpora towns said that
curfew was being stri ctly enforced and people are suffering because they
are unable to buy food and items of daily use due to the curfew. According
Kashmir Media Service 33 people have been killed by Indian paramilitary
forces' during the month of June 2010 including four children.
The APHC Chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq in a statement in Srinagar said
that no power on earth could stop the Kashmir people from continuing their
liberation struggle. He urged the international community to send teams to
the occupied territory for taking stock of the situation. Unfortunately,
international community turns a blind eye to Indian brutalities
highlighted by the Human Rights Watch and other human rights
organizations. The 'champions' of human rights US and the West give
overriding consideration to their commercial interests with plus-one
billion market rather than human rights. For the last six decades,
Kashmiris are facing death and destruction, and even today young Kashmiris
are being killed in fa ke encounters; women are being raped. And
repression and state terrorism have turned Kashmir into a hell that would
stretch Dante's imagination. After facing unprecedented repression for
four decades from 1948 to 1988, valiant Kashmiris started armed struggle
in 1989 and since then at least 90000 Kashmiris have laid down their
lives. However, they are determined to take their struggle to the logical
conclusion. There are some parallelism between Kashmir, Palestine and
Bosnia so far as genocide of the Muslims is concerned, but the Kashmir
dispute is different in a way that it was India that took the Kashmir
issue to the UN under Chapter VI of the UN Charter, which deals with
Pacific Settlement of Disputes. The Security Council then passed the
resolution on January 5, 1949 stating: "The question of the accession of
the State of Jammu and Kashmir to India or Pakistan would be decided
through the democratic method of a free and impartial plebiscite". But it
was due to apathy of international community that it did not persuade
India to implement the UNSC resolution. Nevertheless, the issue is alive
in the UN records, and unless it is resolved there cannot be a durable
peace in the region.
However, European countries sometimes do raise the issue of human rights
violations in Indian Held Kashmir. In 2008, the European Parliament had
debated on mass graves in Indian Held Kashmir during the plenary session
of European Parliament in Strasbourg, France. And passed the resolution
which reads: "Hundreds of unidentified graves have been discovered since
2006 in Jammu and Kashmir and human rights violations committed by the
armed forces of India continue in an atmosphere of impunity". It called
upon the Indian government "to urgently ensure independent and impartial
investigations into all suspected sites of mass graves in Jammu and
Kashmir and as an immediate first step to secure the grave sites in order
to preserve the eviden ce." Hundreds of unnamed graves were already
discovered by a human rights group in Kashmir recently. Most of those
buried in the graves are believed to be victims of fake encounters by the
Indian armed forces. In another development, the Norwegian government
termed the new discoveries of unidentified graves in Indian-controlled
Kashmir as alarming despite the fact that India was signatory to UN's
Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.
In April, 2008, Amnesty International had urged the Indian government to
launch urgent investigation into the mass graves, which were thought to
contain the remains of victims of human rights abuses in the context of
the armed conflict that has raged in the region since 1989. Unlawful
killings, enforced disappearances and torture are violations of both
international human rights law and international humanitarian law, set out
in treaties to which India is a signatory. They also constitute internati
onal crimes. Amnesty International has also called on the Indian
government to unequivocally condemn enforced disappearances in Jammu and
Kashmir and ensure that prompt, thorough, independent and impartial
investigations into all sites of mass graves in the region are immediately
carried out by forensic experts in line with the relevant UN Model
Protocol. Unfortunately, even Muslim countries that have been supporting
Pakistan and insisting on implementation of UNSC resolutions on Kashmir
have now started the litany that the Kashmir dispute be resolved through
bilateral negotiations. It is true that according to Tashkent Declaration
after 1965 War and Simla Agreement after 1971 War, both India and Pakistan
had agreed to resolve all disputes through bilateral dialogue but both
countries had quite a few rounds of dialogue but to no avail. The problem
is that the US and European countries have double standards. Take the case
of East Timor, a resolution was passed and implemented within months. In
1991, when Iraq invaded Kuwait, once again UN Security Council passed the
resolution, which was implemented in weeks. Since the beginning of the
ongoing composite dialogue, The US, EU and even Muslim countries who ask
Pakistan to resolve the issue through bilateral negotiations as provided
in Tashkent and Simla agreements should understand that those agreements
were signed under duress. Secondly, article 103 of Chapter XVI of the UN
Charter clearly states: "In the event of a conflict between the
obligations of the members of the United Nations under the present Charter
or any other international agreement, their obligation under the present
charter shall prevail". It goes without saying that people to people
contact, cultural exchanges and economic cooperation are not alternatives
to the resolution of the Kashmir dispute. International community should,
therefore, help resolve the Kashmir dispute to avert the impending
disaster in case of war bet ween the two atomic powers.
Whereas war is not an option between two nuclear states and composite
dialogue might have facilitated people-to- people contact, Kashmiris see
few benefits from the confidence building measures between India and
Pakistan. In Kashmiris had also protested against Indian government
efforts to bring about the demographic change by facilitating Hindus to
settle down in large numbers in Jammu and Kashmir. Amarnath land transfer
and taking a large chunk of land by Indian army personnel is a case in
point. International community should ask India to stop killing of the
Kashmiri youth and resolve the issue according to UN resolutions.
(Description of Source: Islamabad Pakistan Observer Online in English --
Website of the pro-military daily with readership of 5,000. Anti-India,
supportive of Saudi policies, strong supporter of Pakistan's nuclear and
missile program. Chief Editor Zahid Malik is the author of books on
nuclear scientist A.Q. Khan ; URL: http://www.pakobserver.net)
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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.
31) Back to Top
Article Hopes Pakistan, India Relations Improve Through Institutional
Efforts
Article by Muhammad Yasir Khan: "India-Pakistan trade" - The News Online
Saturday July 10, 2010 08:03:20 GMT
Dialogue has commenced once again between India and Pakistan, let us all
hope and pray that these talks do not fall victim to any mischief.
International trade is a crucial activity for both countries, which some
people think can be a good starting point in bringing lasting peace to the
region. India is building it self as shining example of open economy with
leapfrogging GDP growth rates and higher levels of investment. Foreign
investors look favorably to Indian markets due to reliable security
situation, consistent policies and ever-growing appetite for consumption
by middle-class Indians.
While the rest of the countries are jumping over one another to get a
piece of the rising and shinning India's profitability , we, the most
natural partners by virtue of our very close proximity (besides many other
factors), are not even in line for sharing the boons of economic
relationships.
Benefits of forging strong economic relationships between the two
countries are not hidden from anyone. A quick Google search opens up
several academic and non-academic studies on the topics of free trade
between India and Pakistan.
A study available on State Bank of Pakistan's website reports that for
year 2004-05 our annual trade with India was only $836 million, just 2 per
cent of our total trade for that year. Quoting another study the report
states that the cost of non-cooperation in the region for Pakistan is $511
million annually (this figure is for region but considering India's size
the bulk of this figure can be attributed to it). We also need to keep in
mind that these figures are at least five years old, think about how much
begging we have to do for a similar tranche from international financial
institutions. This does not end here, the document quotes from a World
Bank study which put the potential gains from trade with India in 2002 at
$1.3 billion or 1.8 per cent of Pakistan's GNP in 2002. This amount in
current dollar terms would definitely be much more than that.
According to a working paper of Indian Council for Research on
International Economics (ICRIE), Pakistan can benefit from India in
strengthening a number of economic sectors. The most important one from
Pakistan's perspective is that of textile design. Textile being the larg
est component of our exports makes it a strategic sector; however, it is
not hidden from anyone that we have made little headway in modernising the
sector. Indians, due to their superior technology background, have made
progress in textile design particularly in computer-aided designing; a
partnership with India can bolster this area of our traditional strength
and will help us improve the share of value-added textile products in our
exports. Then there are areas like energy, India is building hundreds of
dams while we still don't have enough budgetary allocation for building
just one Diamir-Basha dam.
The ICRIE study also highlights that the costs related to trade between
the two countries through indirect routes are nearly three times of the
costs if goods were transferred directly. While in the presence of such
high costs a policy brief published by the Peterson Institute of
International Economics revealed that informal trade between two countries
(mostly via Duba i) amounts to $3 billion per year. This certainly points
to the fact that even under increased transportation costs there is still
huge potential for the two countries.
With so much benefit attached to improving economic relations, we made any
progress in that direction because of inherent mistrust and enmity between
the institutions of the two countries. As individuals we all want peace
but the problem lies at the institutional level. A very interesting
experiment, at improving relations through institutional efforts, is
taking shape in the form of "Aman ki Asha". Let us hope this brings the
two countries together for peace.
The writer is a policy analyst.
(Description of Source: Islamabad The News Online in English -- Website of
a widely read, influential English daily, member of the Jang publishing
group. Neutral editorial policy, good coverage of domestic and
international issues. Usually offers leading news and analysis on issues
related t o war against terrorism. Circulation estimated at 55,000; URL:
http://www.thenews.com.pk/)
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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.
32) Back to Top
New Delhi's Proposed Economic Package for Maoist-Hit Areas To Bolster
Development
Unattributed report: "Special Package for Naxal-Affected Areas" - The
Asian Age Online
Saturday July 10, 2010 08:35:36 GMT
The Planning Commission on Friday (9 July) held video conferencing with
chief secretaries of nine Naxal-hit states to discuss the financial outlay
for SDP.The meeting comes ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's meeting
with chief ministers of Naxal-hit States on July 14.Against the demands
raised by state governments for increased financial assistance, sources in
the home ministry said that the Centre is wary of the fact that the money
being pumped into states should be utilised effectively for developmental
schemes and results should show within a set time frame.The package is
intended to bolster the government's flagship programmes, such as the
Bharat Nirman and Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Scheme in the
Naxal-affected districts. The package is expected to be for a three-year
period. The lack of infrastructure like roads, drinking water and
electrification in these districts was noted during the visits of
inter-ministerial groups, headed by joint secretaries of the ministries
concerned to the districts.Their findings were reported to the Planning
Commission which is monitoring the central schemes in close coordination
with the state authorities.
(Description of Source: New Delhi The Asian Age Online in English --
Website of the independent daily with good coverage of security issues.
Harshly critical of US policies, run by T. Venkattram Reddy. Circulation
estimated at 244,317, with an elite audience; URL:
http://www.asianage.com)
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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.
33) Back to Top
Famous Journalist Says US, India, Israel Afraid of Pakistans Ideological
Base
Report by: Iftikhar Alam: US, Israel, India frightened of Pak ideological
base, says Nizami - The Nation Online
Saturday July 10, 2010 08:14:25 GMT
LAHORE - Chairman Nawa-i-Waqt Group and Chairman Nazria Pakistan Trust (
NPT) Majid Nizami has warned the nation of the conspiracies of America,
Israel and India and pointed out the three (US, Israel, India) frightened
from the ideological base of Pakistan - Two-nation Theory. He said the
Two-nation Theory was the foundation of entity and establishment of the
country.
He was addressing to a gathering at Aiwan-e-Karkunan Tehrik-e-Pakistan on
Friday on the occasion of 43rd death anniversary of Madar-i-Millat
Mohtarama Fatima Jinnah. The ceremony was jointly organised by NPT and
Tehrik-e-Pakistan Workers Trust. The people from all walks of life besides
the students of Nazriati Summer School attended the ceremony and held
Quran Khawani for the mother of the nation.
Vice Chairman NPT Dr Rafique Ahmad, wife of secretary of Quaid-e-Azam KH
Khurished, Begum Surraya KH Khurished, Prof Dr Parveen Khan, MPA Begum
Aamina Ulfat, Col (r) Ikramullah, Miss Khursheed Niazi, Prof Rashida
Qurashi, Allama Ahmad Ali Quasari and the students of NSS also spoke on
the occasion.
Majid Nizami said Mohtarama Fatima Jinnah was among the leaders who
created Pakistan and she also played a vital role to turn her brother
Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah into a great leader. He said the youth
should follow her footsteps in making Pakistan an Islamic, democratic and
welfare state. He said the people should make Quaid-e-Azam and
Madra-i-Millat their role model and struggle to make the country
economically strong.
Majid Nizami said the US, Israel and India were the bitter enemies of
Pakistan and friends of each other. He said the young generation should
defend the country by keeping these facts strictly in their mind.
Dr Rafique Ahmad said it was the Nawa-i-Waqt group that titled Mohtarama
Fatima Jinnah, the Madra-i-Millat. He said Mohtarama Fatima Jinnah had
told us that Pakistan couldn't make progress without free parliament, free
media and free judiciary.
Begum Surraya KH Khurished memorised the moments, wh ich she spend with
Mohtarama Fatima Jinnah and said that those memories were asset for her.
She said after the creation of Pakistan the control on Muslim League by
some ineligible people created a long way hurdle in the way of development
of the country.
Dr Parveen Khan said had Mohtarama Fatima Jinnah won elections, the
dictators would never have ruled over the country. She prayed for the
leaders who followed the footsteps of Quaid-e-Azam, Allam Iqbal and
Mohtarama Fatima Jinnah.
(Description of Source: Islamabad The Nation Online in English -- Website
of a conservative daily, part of the Nawa-i-Waqt publishing group.
Circulation around 20,000; URL: http://www.nation.com.pk)
Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.
34) Back to Top
Top US official to visit India 14 Jul to lay 'groundwork' for Obama's Nov
trip - PTI News Agency
Saturday July 10, 2010 07:47:11 GMT
Text of report published by Indian news agency PTIWashington: US National
Security Adviser Gen (Retd) James Jones will travel to India next week to
lay the groundwork for President Barack Obama's successful visit in
November, the White House has said.During his three-day trip following the
invitation of his Indian counterpart Shivshankar Menon, Jones will have
discussions on a full range of strategic partnership being developed
between the two countries.Jones will be visiting New Delhi from 14-16 July
after travelling to Paris and Brussels during his trip that begins
tomorrow."During his visit to New Delhi, the General will meet with
National Security Adviser Menon and other senior India n officials to
discuss a full range of subjects key to the strategic partnership we are
developing with India, including counter-terrorism cooperation, regional
security, defence cooperation and export controls," National Security
Council spokesman Mike Hammer said."General Jones will also have an
opportunity begin laying the groundwork for a successful visit by
President Obama to India in November," Hammer said in a statement issued
Friday.Obama is scheduled to visit India from 7-10 November, a senior US
administration official said, adding that the First Lady would also travel
with the President to New Delhi."I look forward to advancing our
partnership, to experiencing all that India and its people and its
incredible ancient culture have to offer," Obama had said on 3 June at a
reception hosted by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in honour of
India's External Affairs Minister S M Krishna.In an interview to the Press
Trust of India (PTI) in June, General Jones had said the Indo-US strategic
dialogue is taking the relationship to unprecedented levels of cooperation
between the two countries."India is on a path of ascendancy. It is
destined to be a nation of global influence. It is extremely important
that in the globe that countries like India and United States when they
can have a national affinity for one another as expressed by the strong
friendship that exists between in respect that exists between the two
heads of State that this relationship can grow," Jones had said.Obama and
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh have laid out a strategic approach that is
based on long term commitment and not just short term self-interest, in
America's case the presence in the region, he had said."We have worked
very hard to be mutually transparent in how we see things and there is a
certain honesty and vibrancy about the relationship - it is frankly very
pleasurable, it is open, it is honest, we have tried very hard to keep our
Indian colleagues fully appraised of our strategy in Afghanistan, why we
are there, what we hope to achieve, how we achieve," the senior official
had said.(Description of Source: New Delhi PTI News Agency in English )
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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.
35) Back to Top
International Campaign Started to Promote Peace in Pakistan, India
Report by staff correspondent: "Signature campaign launched to promote
peace" - The News Online
Saturday July 10, 2010 07:42:07 GMT
TOBA TEK SINGH: An international signature campaign 'Make it easier for
people from India and Pakistan to t ravel and meet each other' has been
launched to promote peace in the region.
Talking to journalists here on Friday, senior member of ACHA from Pakistan
Ashfaq Fateh said that the drive had been launched under the auspices of
the Association for Communal Harmony in Asia, a USA based organisation,
established by the Asian and other people from other continents to promote
peace in the region. He said that the campaign had been launched
internationally to sign online and on printable version while giving
message to the India and Pakistan prime ministers. The signed petition
would be handed over to the foreign ministers of Indo-Pak during their
forthcoming meeting, he added. He said that over the past few months, it
had been observed by the peace building organisations and groups around
the world that visa restrictions and demeaning travel had engulfed the
people of two countries. He said that millions of people on both sides
want to meet each other but complicated visa po licy and travel was a big
hurdle for the people to meet. He maintained that peace between the two
countries was possible not through wars or arms race but letting people of
the two countries to meet. The ACHA was determined to create peace between
the two countries involving people of various sections of life, he
continued. The campaign had been widely welcomed by the peace lovers
around the globe particularly in India and Pakistan, he added.
(Description of Source: Islamabad The News Online in English -- Website of
a widely read, influential English daily, member of the Jang publishing
group. Neutral editorial policy, good coverage of domestic and
international issues. Usually offers leading news and analysis on issues
related to war against terrorism. Circulation estimated at 55,000; URL:
http://www.thenews.com.pk/)
Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder . Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.
36) Back to Top
Iran, India Sign Cooperation Accord - Voice of the Islamic Republic of
Iran Radio 1
Saturday July 10, 2010 07:37:06 GMT
their economic cooperation.
The agreement was signed following the 16th Indo-Iran Joint Commission
Meeting in New Delhi by Iran's Economic Affairs and Finance Minister
(Shamseddin Hoseyni), and the Indian ministers of external affairs (S. M
Krishna) and new and renewable energy (Dr Abdullah Farooq).Under the
agreement, the two countries will boost their cooperation in the spheres
like air services, new and renewable energy, paper industry, small
business, and industrial zones.Iran is a great country with the ancient
history and civilization which has an undeniable impor tance for us, said
India's Minister of External Affairs Krishna after the signing
ceremony.Referring to when India can join a gas pipeline to export Iranian
gas to Pakistan and India, which is known as the Peace Pipeline, Krishna
added that this issue was also discussed by the commission and it was
decided a committee to be established to implement a such important
project.(Description of Source: Tehran Voice of the Islamic Republic of
Iran Radio 1 in Persian -- Iranian state-run radio, officially controlled
by the office of the supreme leader)
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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
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37) Back to Top
Pakistan Daily for Representation of OIC, African Union in UN Security
Council
Editoria l: Reforms in UNSC - Pakistan Observer Online
Saturday July 10, 2010 07:25:59 GMT
REFORMS in the UN Security Council are under consideration for several
years yet no consensus is in sight in the near future. Pakistan's
Permanent Representative at the UN Abdullah Hussain Haroon at a closed
door session of the General Assembly Thursday called for increasing the
number of non permanent members in an effort to balance the power of five
veto wielding countries.
The UNSC shoulders the important mission of maintaining world peace and
security. Even though the geopolitical realities have changed drastically
since 1945, when the set-up of the current Council was decided, the
Security Council changed very little during this long period. Pakistan and
the Unity for Consensus (UFC) group in their proposal have sought 10
non-permanent seats saying new corridors of powers should not be create d.
Pakistan from the very beginning has been stressing that a negotiated
settlement of the issue with broadest possible support was the only way to
achieve progress on the issue of the Security Council. India, Japan,
Germany and Brazil have been aspiring to become permanent members of the
Council but there has been strong opposition from Italy, South Korea,
Pakistan and the African countries. We think one thing should be clear
that those countries which have violated the UN resolutions should not be
considered for any permanent role in the Security Council. India is one of
those countries, which has shown no respect to the UN Resolutions on
Kashmir. Also we believe that the Council representation must be broad
based to make it more acceptable to 192 members of the General Assembly.
Though permanent members were not selected on regional or religious basis
when the Council was formed but African and Islamic countries, which have
almost half of the world population, and facing the issues of peace and
security would be denied representation at the world body if one goes by
the present thinking. We strongly believe that there must be
representation of OIC and African Union in the UNSC and the two blocks may
be asked to nominate members for this purpose. We hope that the
international community would reach a consensus through earnest and
serious negotiations and eventually work out a solution that is acceptable
to all countries. If so, the Security Council would be able to better
fulfill its sacred responsibilities of maintaining world peace and
security bestowed onto it by the Charter of the United Nations.
(Description of Source: Islamabad Pakistan Observer Online in English --
Website of the pro-military daily with readership of 5,000. Anti-India,
supportive of Saudi policies, strong supporter of Pakistan's nuclear and
missile program. Chief Editor Zahid Malik is the author of books on
nuclear scientist A.Q. Khan; URL: http://www.pakobserve r.net)
Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.
38) Back to Top
California Top Recipient of Clean Tech Investments in North America
Xinhua: "California Top Recipient of Clean Tech Investments in North
America" - Xinhua
Saturday July 10, 2010 07:04:45 GMT
LOS ANGELES, July 9 (Xinhua) -- California was the top recipient of clean
tech investments in North America during the second quarter this year, a
research firm said Friday.
Clean tech venture investments in North America, Europe, China and India
totaled 2.02 billion dollars over the period, said a statement from the
Cleantech Grou p, a provider of market research and advisory services for
the clean tech industry.Of that, California received 980 million dollars,
more than two-thirds of North America's total, it said."In spite of the
persistence of wider concerns about the strength and sustainability of the
global recovery, the strong flow of investment dollars to clean tech
growth companies has continued in the second quarter of 2010, with clean
tech venture investment in the first half of 2010 edging slightly ahead of
the record total recorded during the first half of 2008 (4.04 billion
dollars versus 4.02 billion dollars)," said Richard Youngman, head of
global research at the Cleantech Group.In North America, Europe, China and
India as a whole, the leading segment of the clean tech sector over the
second quarter in terms of investment received was solar (811 million
dollars), followed by biofuels (302 million dollars) and smart grid (256
million dollars), the statement said.Energy efficien cy was the top
segment measured by number of deals, with 31 funding rounds, ahead of
solar (26 deals) and biofuels (13 deals).In response to the statement,
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said the state "has led the
world in enacting policies that harness the private sector to create the
clean and renewable technologies needed to combat climate change and
reduce our dependency on oil."(Description of Source: Beijing Xinhua in
English -- China's official news service for English-language audiences
(New China News Agency))
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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
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39) Back to Top
Iran, India sign six pacts - PTI News Agency
Saturday July 10, 2010 05:54:14 GMT
Text of report by Indian news agency PTINew Delhi, 9 July: Inking of six
pacts, including transfer of sentenced persons and extensive review of
India-Iran ties in strategic areas such as counterterrorism, economic and
joint projects in the region, were highlights of the Iranian economic
affairs and finance minister's visit here during which he co-chaired the
16th Joint Commission Meeting.With a focus on instilling fresh momentum in
the ties, particularly in strategic areas, both countries discussed issues
of direct benefit to their people during the two-day session of the joint
commission which ended Friday (9 July) and was co-chaired on the Iranian
side by Seyed Shamseddin Hosseini and on the Indian side by External
Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna."The meeting of the joint commission
provided an opportunity to review bilateral economic and cultural
cooperation. It was agreed that the next sessio n of the joint commission
would be held in Tehran," an official release said here.During his visit,
Hosseini called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and also met Finance
Minister Pranab Mukherjee and National Security Adviser Shivshankar
Menon.Issues of bilateral, regional and international importance were
discussed during the meetings between the two sides. Joint cooperation
projects such as Chabahar Port, energy cooperation, economic ties and
counterterrorism were also deliberated upon with an aim to find ways to
enhance and carry forward the joint efforts in these strategic areas.India
is also understood to have stressed for structured, systematic and regular
consultations with Iran on the Afghanistan situation and reiterated its
position that all efforts should be made to avoid the return of
fundamentalist and extremist groups there.The six pacts which were signed
during the meeting were - Air Services Agreement, Transfer of Sentenced
Persons Agreement, MoU on Coope ration in New and Renewable Energy and MoU
on Cooperation in Small-Scale Industry between National Small Industries
Corporation (NSIC) and Iranian Small Industries and Industrial Parks
Organization (ISIPO).The two others were Programme of Cooperation on
Science and Technology and MoU on Cooperation between Central Pulp and
Paper Research Institute of India (CPPRI) and Gorgan University of
Agricultural Science and Natural Resources (GUASNR).Under the Air Services
Agreement signed by Krishna and Hosseini, the number of flights between
the two nations will be enhanced from 23 to 31 every week, and the two
sides also agreed to allow each other's airlines to operate to two
additional destinations.The new Air Services Agreement (ASA) will be based
on the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) template and the
revised ASA will supersede the ASA initialled between the two countries on
30 April 1980."It has the potential to spur greater trade investment,
tourism and st rengthening the cultural exchange between the two countries
besides bringing it in tune with the developments in the international
civil aviation scenario," the official release said.Apart from increased
cultural and economic cooperation, the pacts aimed at exchange of
expertise in renewable energy and small-scale industries between the two
countries. During his stay, the Iranian minister also inaugurated a
business seminar organized by FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of
Commerce and Industry) on "Investment opportunities in Iran" and a
business delegation accompanying him also held meetings with Assocham
(Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry) and CII (Confederation of
Indian Industry).(Description of Source: New Delhi PTI News Agency in
English )
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