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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.

## STRATFOR India Country Brief - August 23, 2011

Released on 2012-09-03 09:00 GMT

Email-ID | 5469804
Date | 2011-08-23 18:02:11
From | Anya.Alfano@stratfor.com
To | fred.burton@stratfor.com, Declan_O'Donovan@dell.com, John_McClurg@DELL.com, Anders_De_La_Motte@Dell.com

Basic Political Developments
o Then Telecom Minister A. Raja and DMK MP Kanimozhi told a Delhi court
that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and then Finance Minister P
Chidambaram were fully in the loop on the 2G spectrum license
allocation.
o The government today appointed Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee as
its negotiator for talks with Team Anna Hazare over their demand for a
strong Lokpal.
o The steering committee of Congress leaders from Telangana on Monday
appealed to Andhra Pradesh ministers from the region not to attend
their official duties and party MPs to stay away from Parliament.
o The Third Front on Tuesday criticized the Congress-led UPA Government
at the Centre for formulating a Lokpal Bill.
o Anna Hazare's fast for a strong a Jan Lokpal Bill entered the eighth
day today.
o The Opposition and Treasury benches today created ruckus in the Lok
Sabha pressing for discussion on the issue of corruption and state of
Sri Lankan Tamils, which stalled proceedings of the House for the
whole day.
o Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called an all-party meeting tomorrow
to discuss the Lokpal Bill issue in Parliament.
National Economic Trends
Business, Energy or Environmental regulations or discussions
o India's top outsourcing trade body said on Tuesday it still expected
16-18 percent growth in export revenues this year, despite concern
about a downturn in the sector's key overseas markets.
o State Bank of India today said it can manage without a capital
infusion from the government this fiscal.
o MTNL today said it has raised Rs 500 crore from various banks that
will be used to repay debts and meet operational expenses.
Activity in the Oil and Gas sector (including regulatory)
o Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas R P N Singh said today
that Petrol prices in India are costlier than the US but cheaper than
European countries.
o Reliance Industries fears that the official auditor was not taking
into account the reply it submitted to CAG's draft findings on eastern
offshore KG-D6 gas fields.
o Reliance Industries has withdrawn from an offshore oil exploration
block in the Sea of Oman, a news report has said, quoting authorities.
Militant Activity/Terrorism (Particularly in Bangalore, Mumbai, Noida, Chennai,
Coimbatore)
o The coming together of Lashkar-e-Tayiba and southern Somalia-based
Al-Shahbab poses new maritime protection issues for India.
o Mutual trust between the Mamata Banerjee government and the People's
Committee against Police Atrocities (PCPA) is fading fast.
Labor/Social Unrest
Full Text
Basic Political Developments
Manmohan, Chidambaram decided against selling licences: Kanimozhi
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2387908.ece?homepage=true
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and then Finance Minister P Chidambaram were
fully in the loop on the 2G spectrum license allocation and had decided
along with then Telecom Minister A. Raja not to auction them, jailed DMK
MP Kanimozhi told a Delhi court.
"I am showing you (judge) the minutes of the meeting in which the Prime
Minister, the then Finance Minister and the Telecom Minister decided that
the licences for the 2G spectrum was not to be sold/auctioned," senior
advocate Sushil Kumar, appearing for Ms. Kanimozhi, told the Special CBI
Judge O.P. Saini.
Seeking discharge from the case, the counsel for the 43-year-old DMK MP,
said the CBI case is based on the premise that the accused caused huge
loss to the state exchequer by not auctioning the licences for the 2G
spectrum.
"The Prime Minister, the then Finance Minister and the present Telecom
Minister are `good enough' as witnesses to prove that there was no loss.
They are on record in Parliament that the government did not incur any
loss," Mr. Kumar said.
"The moment, the loss factor goes out, the charge of cheating also goes
out," Mr. Kumar said, adding that the basic foundation of the CBI case
cannot sustain the legal process.
The defence counsel also trashed the computation of loss by the CBI and
the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) saying they are "just notional
loss" and cannot be a basis for prosecution of the accused.
"The CAG report (of loss of Rs. 1.76 lakh crore to the state) was laid
before the House on November 16, 2010. It had not been adopted by the
House. It is still in the limbo as the House is yet to adopt the report,"
the counsel said.
Defending 47-year-old Raja against corruption charges in 2G scam, Kumar
had told the court that there was nothing wrong in his decision of not
auctioning 2G spectrum and that he was merely following the policies
pursued by his predecessors and the NDA government.
"I (Raja) have implemented only what I (Raja) have inherited," Mr. Raja's
counsel had said.
Mr. Kumar had said when Home Minister Chidambaram was the Finance Minister
he had told the Prime Minister that dilution of shares by the accused
licencees to attract FDI did not amount to sale of licence.
Arguing that the sale of equity was not the sale of licence, Mr. Raja's
counsel had said he cannot be accused of corruption in the controversial
2G spectrum allocation.
"The matter (about sale of equity by spectrum licencees) was discussed
between the Prime Minister and the then Finance Minister.
"The then Finance Minister had said in front of the Prime Minister that
dilution of shares does not amount to sale of 2G licence as per the
corporate law," Mr. Raja's counsel had asserted, even adding "Let the
Prime Minister deny this."
He had further said, "When sale of equity does not amount to sale of
licence, there in no question of earning profit. How can there be
corruption in this regard?"
The CBI, in its second Charge sheet, had alleged that Ms. Kanimozhi, who
holds 20 percent stake in the DMK-run Kalaignar TV, accepted Rs 200 crore
from various firms promoted by Shahid Usman Balwa, another key accused in
the scam.
PM Writes to Anna to End Fast, Names Pranab for Talks
http://news.outlookindia.com/item.aspx?732211
In the first major breakthrough in the week-long standoff, the government
today appointed Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee as its negotiator for
talks with Team Anna Hazare over their demand for a strong Lokpal.
Announcing the government's initiative, Hazare's close aide Arvind
Kejriwal said the Gandhian will decide as to who will represent his team
in the talks with Mukherjee.
The ice-breaking development came during the first direct contact between
the two sides at the residence of Congress MP Sandeep Dikshit when Law
Minister Salman Khurshid met Kejriwal and discussed how to go about the
issue.
"Just now Salman Khurshid has invited us for discussions. He has said that
Pranab Mukherjee has been appointed by the government to talk to us.
"Anna is sleeping now. Once he gets up, he will decide as to who all will
represent our team," Kejriwal told Hazare's supporters at Ramlila Maidan,
where Hazare is fasting.
He also asked the crowd whether "we should go ahead with talks" and it
responded with cheers.
The Prime Minister, who held discussions with Mukherjee and senior
ministers A K Antony and P Chidambaram, also wrote a letter to Hazare
informing him of the initiative and appealed to him to end his fast, which
entered the second week today.
He also told him that the government was concerned about his health.
Telangana Cong leaders to keep the heat on AP govt
http://www.rediff.com/news/report/telangana-cong-leaders-to-keep-the-heat-on-ap-govt/20110823.htm
The steering committee of Congress leaders from Telangana [ Images ] on
Monday appealed to Andhra Pradesh ministers from the region not to attend
their official duties and party MPs to stay away from Parliament.
The appeal came in the wake of several Telangana ministers resuming their
official duties following the deletion of Clause 14 (f) of 1975 Hyderabad
Presidential Order that made Hyderabad a free zone for employment earlier
this month.
"We appeal to the ministers (from Telangana) not to attend official
duties, not to go to secretariat. Second, the MPs would continue the
present policy (of staying away from Parliament). We will go to Parliament
only if there is a division, uncomfortable situation. Then only, we will
vote for the government," Congress Lok Sabha member G Sukhender Reddy told
PTI in Hyderabad.
The steering committee of Telangana Congress leaders had earlier decided
to continue their boycott of official duties.
The ministers from Telangana region would meet in a couple of days to
discuss the matter, he said.
Congress MPs and ministers from Telangana region have been staying away
from their official work since July 4 when they had resigned over separate
statehood issue.
Their resignations were, however, rejected by the Andhra Pradesh Assembly
Speaker on the ground that they were made on emotional basis, following
which the ministers and MPs continued to attend their official duty.
Alleging that illegal cases are being filed against students in Telangana,
Reddy said the Telangana Congress leaders wanted such cases to be removed.
He said that some Telangana leaders had met Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar
Reddy in this regard.
Third Front slams Govt.'s version of Lokpal Bill
http://www.newkerala.com/news/2011/worldnews-53115.html
New Delhi, Aug 23 : The Third Front on Tuesday criticized the Congress-led
UPA Government at the Centre for formulating a Lokpal Bill, which was
ineffective and weak and would fail to curb the rising corruption in the
country.
The leaders of the Thirds Front, which include the Communist Party of
India (CPI), Communist Party of India (Marxist), Forward Bloc and the
Revolutionary Socialist Party, the regional Telugu Desam, Janata Dal
(Secular), Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and the All
India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), staged a protest outside
the Parliament and demanded an effective Lokpal Bill.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Sitaram Yechury said they want
the Prime Minister to be brought under the ambit of the Lokpal Bill.
"We want the Prime Minister and the government to say what they have in
mind on the floor of the House, so that these issues can be discussed by
the Parliament. Things should not be said outside and some agreements
arrived at while the Parliament is in session. We think that is
undermining the supremacy of the Parliament," said Yechury.
He also said that the Third Front would take all the issues in the
Parliament, as the public outcry for an effective Lokpal Bill increased
all over the country.
Meanwhile, both Houses of the Parliament were adjourned for the day with
the opposition demanding a discussion on the anti-corruption campaign led
by Anna Hazare.
Hazare's supporters and the government have earlier said during the
weekend they are open to talks, with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh saying
there was a `lot of scope for give and take'.
Moves to open talks come as the Bharatiya Janata Party is organising a
nationwide protest against the government on Thursday.
Anna's fast on Jan Lokpal Bill enters Day 8
http://www.uniindia.com/
New Delhi, Aug 23 (UNI) Veteran Gandhian Anna Hazare's fast for a strong a
Jan Lokpal Bill entered the eighth day today.
Sources said the Government was making efforts for a possible negotiation
with team Anna as health of the 74-year-old social activist has been
deteriorating due to the fast.
Spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravishankar who met Mr Hazare on Sunday, had a
meeting with senior Congress leaders yesterday, the sources added. He has
also met senior BJP leaders and emerging as a possible negotiator between
the Government and team Anna.
Mr Hazare and his team have already announced that they will not step
back till the Government passes the Jan Lokpal Bill. Team Anna said no
concrete proposal had been received from the Government yet. The Ramlila
Maidan has been witnessing massive turnout as thousands of people from
across the country were gathering at the venue to express their support
in the fight against corruption.
Mr Hazare is on fast from August 16 after the Delhi police had arrested
the veteran Gandhian along with his associates ahead of their fast at JP
Park.
Oppn, treasury bencehs stall LS proceedings for the day
http://www.uniindia.com/
New Delhi, Aug 23 (UNI) The Opposition and Treasury benches today created
ruckus in the Lok Sabha pressing for discussion on the issue of
corruption and state of Sri Lankan Tamils, which stalled proceedings of
the House for the whole day. The House saw two adjournments before being
declared adjourned till tomorrow shortly after 1400 hrs. As soon as the
House reassembled at 1400 hrs, ruling UPA ally DMK's leader in the House
TR Balu rose up to speak on the state of Sri Lankan Tamils, but the BJP
members protested and demanded that their leader Murli Manohar Joshi be
allowed to initiate discussion on corruption. But Mr Balu refused to budge
from his position. Speaker Karia
Munda tried to pacify the Opposition sayig that Mr Balu had been permitted
by the Speaker to speak on the subject but the BJP members refused to
listen to him and trooped into the well of the House trying to shout down
DMK MPs who had by this time advanced up to Mr Balu's seat in his support.
Finding the scene not conducive for carrying on with the bsuiness, the
Deputy Speaker announced adjournment of the House for the day.
PM calls all-party meet on Lokpal Bill issue tomorrow
http://www.uniindia.com/
New Delhi, Aug 23 (UNI) With the situation, arising out of Gandhian Anna
Hazare's fast against corruption, threatening to create further
difficulties for his Government, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called
an all-party meeting tomorrow to discuss the Lokpal Bill issue in
Parliament.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal today said the meeting
would be held at 1530 hrs tomorrow.
Earlier, the Prime Minister was expected to make a statement on the issue
in Parliament today.
Mr Hazare has been on fast since August 16 to press his demand for a
strong Lokpal Bill, and his appeal for a movement against corruption has
evoked countrywide response.
Meanwhile, the BJP forced adjournment of both houses of Parliament over
its demand for suspension of the Question Hour to discuss the issue of
corruption.
National Economic Trends
Business, Energy or Environmental regulations or discussions
India outsourcing sees up to 18% revenue growth
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/foreign-trade/india-outsourcing-sees-up-to-18-revenue-growth/articleshow/9708930.cms
NEW DELHI: India's top outsourcing trade body said on Tuesday it still
expected 16-18 percent growth in export revenues this year, despite
concern about a downturn in the sector's key overseas markets.
The National Association of Software and Services Companies, or Nasscom,
earlier this year forecast that India's flagship sector would notch export
revenues of $68-$70 billion in the financial year that began April 1.
"Our conversations with companies make us believe that 16 to 18 percent
(year-on-year) revenue growth is still achievable," Nasscom president Som
Mittal told AFP on the sidelines of an outsourcing event.
Indian software companies' breakneck growth has been an important driver
of the country's economic modernisation.
US and other foreign firms, drawn by India's vast, educated
English-speaking workforce and low labour costs, have made a beeline for
the country, farming out everything from answering banks' client calls to
processing insurance claims and equity analysis.
The sector accounts for five percent of India's gross domestic product and
employs some 2.3 million workers.
India to get Swiss bank info from Apr 1
August 23, 2011 17:09 IST
http://www.rediff.com/business/report/india-to-get-swiss-bank-info-from-apr-1/20110823.htm
The government said on Tuesday that Switzerland [ Images ] is 'committed'
to completing the procedure for implementation of the revised tax treaty
and once it becomes operational, India [ Images ] would start getting
banking information from April 1, 2011.
"Switzerland has . . . informed that they are committed to completing the
remaining procedure," Minister of State for Finance S S Palanimanickam [
Images ] informed the Rajya Sabha in a written reply.
India and Switzerland, on August 30, 2010, signed a protocol amending the
Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement.
It will enter into force on completion of internal procedure by
Switzerland, the minister said.
The European nation has informed India that the amending protocol was
approved by its Parliament in June this year.
"Upon entry into force, the revised DTAA will allow India to obtain
banking information (as well as information without domestic information)
from Switzerland in specific cases for a period starting April 1, 2011,"
Palanimanickam said.
Quoting website of Swiss National Bank, the minister said the total
'liabilities' of Swiss banks towards Indians were about Rs 9,295 crore (Rs
92.95 billion) as on December 31, 2010.
Can manage without capital infusion from govt this fiscal: SBI
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/banking/finance/banking/can-manage-without-capital-infusion-from-govt-this-fiscal-sbi/articleshow/9705891.cms
MUMBAI: Even as its long-standing demand for a rights issue is pending,
the country's largest lender State Bank of India today said it can manage
without a capital infusion from the government this fiscal.
"We cannot sustain without capital infusion from the government in the
long-term. So it's a crisis situation if we don't get capital, but we have
'Plan B' to sustain this year, we will be able to manage in FY'12," SBI
Chief Financial Officer Diwakar Gupta told reporters on the sidelines of a
Ficci-IBA event here.
The state-owned lender has been contemplating a Rs 20,000 crore rights
issue for nearly a year now, but is yet to get a go-ahead from the
government, which owns a 59.40 per cent stake in the bank.
In the event of capital infusion not happening this fiscal, Gupta said
SBI's 'Plan B' entails tapping other instruments, like retail bonds, to
augment its capital base.
"Plan B is other instruments for raising quasi capital like Tier-I or
Tier-II. We may look at retail bond issue if demand picks up, but we don't
have liquidity issues now," he said.
Gupta, however, said that the bank will "definitely" need capital next
fiscal. "We cannot sustain without a capital infusion from the government
in the long-term," Gupta said.
The bank's credit growth guidance for the current fiscal is 16-18 per
cent, Gupta said, adding that there is no point in being aggressive on
this front and compromising on asset quality.
Gupta said small and medium enterprises are the most affected by the
current scenario, as they are pinched by both demand for goods going down
and interest rates going up.
MTNL raises Rs 500 cr from banks to repay debts
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/telecom/mtnl-raises-rs-500-cr-from-banks-to-repay-debts/articleshow/9708069.cms
NEW DELHI: State-owned telecom major MTNL today said it has raised Rs 500
crore from various banks that will be used to repay debts and meet
operational expenses.
"Out of the total loan amount of Rs 1,500 crore, we have raised Rs 500
crore from various banks and for the rest of the amount, we are still in
talks with the them (banks)," MTNL Chairman and Managing Director Kuldip
Singh said on the sidelines of an event.
In July, MTNL had invited expression of interest (EoI) from banks for
providing long-term loans of Rs 1,500 crore with a floating interest rate
for a tenure of seven years. It wanted to raise the funds to repay its
debts and meet operational expenses.
The loan might be used to repay the loan MTNL had taken for buying 3G and
BWA spectrum last year.
The company is already in the process to restructure its Rs 7,000 crore
loan taken for buying 3G and BWA spectrum last year. The PSU plans to
convert Rs 3,000 crore loan into a long-term debt.
The company had already restructured Rs 3,500 crore of debt, by repaying
Rs 500 crore and tying up with two state-run banks for the remaining Rs
3,000 crore.
Delhi and Mumbai were the most expensive circles for 3G, with the bid for
Delhi costing Rs 3,316.93 crore and Mumbai Rs 3,247.07 crore, against the
reserve price of Rs 320 crore each for both the metros.
Similarly for BWA, Delhi and Mumbai saw the highest bids at Rs 2,241.02
crore and 2,292.95 crore, respectively. MTNL has already launched 3G
mobile services.
Besides in an another event, MTNL today joined hands with Shemaroo
Entertainment to launch 2G and 3G value added services across Delhi and
Mumbai.
MTNL users will now be able to enjoy Live Prayers and will also now be
able to watch their favourite movie on Movie Talkies, the company said.
Activity in the Oil and Gas sector (including regulatory)
Petrol in India costlier than US, Pakistan: R P N Singh
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/energy/oil-gas/petrol-in-india-costlier-than-us-pakistan-r-p-n-singh/articleshow/9707708.cms
NEW DELHI: Petrol prices in India are costlier than the US but cheaper
than European countries, Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas R
P N Singh said today.
Petrol in Delhi is priced at Rs 63.70 a litre, while the same in USA is
priced at Rs 42.82 per litre. The price in India is more than any of its
neighbours -- Pakistan (Rs 41.81 a litre), Sri Lanka (Rs 50.30 per litre),
Bangladesh (Rs 44.80 a litre) and Nepal (Rs 63.24 per litre).
But the rate in Delhi is cheaper than France (Rs 94.97 per litre), Germany
(Rs 95.99 a litre), the United Kingdom (Rs 96.39 per litre) and Italy (Rs
96.79 a litre), he said in a written reply to a question in the Rajya
Sabha here.
Higher rates for petrol in India are due to higher incidence of taxes.
Without taxes, petrol would cost Rs 23.37 per litre in Delhi.
The diesel price in Delhi, at Rs 41.29 per litre, is cheaper than in the
US and European nations, but costlier than Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
Without taxes, diesel would cost Rs 24.90 a litre.
The current price of diesel in Delhi is Rs 4.97 a litre below its actual
cost.
In the US, diesel is priced at Rs 45.84 a litre, while in France, it costs
Rs 69.87 per litre. In Germany, diesel costs Rs 72.54 a litre, while it is
priced at Rs 82.93 a litre in the UK and Rs 74 per litre in Italy.
In the neighbourhood, diesel is priced at Rs 46.70 a litre in Pakistan, Rs
45.38 a litre in Nepal, Rs 34.37 a litre in Sri Lanka and Rs 27.32 per
litre in Bangladesh.
Singh said the PDS kerosene price of Rs 14.83 a litre in Delhi was the
lowest in the region, with the cooking fuel priced at Rs 44.06 per litre
in Pakistan, Rs 24.67 in Sri Lanka, Rs 27.32 in Bangladesh and Rs 45.38 a
litre in Nepal.
Similarly, the domestic LPG rate of Rs 399 per 14.2-kg cylinder is lower
than the price tag of Rs 757.04 in Pakistan, Rs 863.40 in Sri Lanka, Rs
469.24 in Bangladesh and Rs 819.60 in Nepal.
The price of kerosene is subsidised by Rs 23.74 a litre and LPG by Rs 247
per cylinder in India.
Singh said oil marketing companies pay a Trade Parity Price (TPP) for the
purchase of petrol/diesel and Import Parity Price (IPP) for the purchase
of PDS kerosene and domestic LPG.
"The IPP/TPP are determined based on prices prevailing in the
international market," he said. "Further, the retail selling prices of
sensitive petroleum products for the consumers is calculated by adding the
inland freight, marketing margins and duties and taxes to the price paid
to refinery."
The government controls prices of diesel, PDS kerosene and domestic LPG to
insulate the common man from the impact of rising oil prices in
international markets, he added.
Comptroller and Auditor General not taking our response in finalising
report: Reliance Industries
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/energy/oil-gas/comptroller-and-auditor-general-not-taking-our-response-in-finalising-report-reliance-industries/articleshow/9708012.cms
NEW DELHI: Days before CAG presents its final audit report to Parliament,
Reliance Industries fears that the official auditor was not taking into
account the reply it submitted to CAG's draft findings on eastern offshore
KG-D6 gas fields.
RIL Senior Vice President (Commercial) B Ganguly in a August 11, nine-page
letter to the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) and the oil ministry
said the company's voluminous response and the presentations made to the
auditor do not find a mention in the minutes of a meeting CAG held last
month to finalise audit of KG-D6 fields.
"What is surprising is that in spite of many issues having been clarified
by RIL during the Exit Conference (held on July 12) as well as in its
written responses, the record of the Exit Conference as minuted appears to
take no cognizance of the reasons put forward by the operator," he wrote.
CAG's June 7 draft report said the oil ministry and its technical arm DGH
favoured RIL by turning a blind eye to the Mukesh Ambani firm increasing
capital expenditure on its KG-D6 gas fields and allowed it to retain
entire exploration acreage in violation of the Production Sharing
Contracts (PSCs).
It said the increase in capex from initial $ 2.4 billion to $ 8.8 billion
would lower profit for government.
Asking CAG to take on record RIL's response to the draft audit findings,
Ganguly said "in case the CAG disagrees with out reasons, our technical
observations, or our interpretation of the PSC, the reasons for such
disagreement may also be made known".
He said during the July 12 Exit Conference, the CAG team neither raised
any issue or sought any clarification or information from RIL on any of
its audit findings.
RIL said the actual expenditure on KG-D6 till March 31, 2011 was about $
5.7 billion only as against $ 8.8 billion estimated in 2006.
Reliance Industries withdraws from Oman oil exploration block
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/energy/oil-gas/reliance-industries-withdraws-from-oman-oil-exploration-block/articleshow/9707311.cms
DUBAI: Reliance Industries has withdrawn from an offshore oil exploration
block in the Sea of Oman, a news report has said, quoting authorities.
Block 18, a 21,140 sq km concession located off the Batinah coast, was
relinquished by the conglomerate's wholly-owned Dubai-based subsidiary,
Reliance Exploration and Production DMCC.
The decision follows an exploratory drilling campaign that failed to
unearth any significant prospects, the Oman Daily Observer report said.
The move comes six years after Reliance inked a deepwater Exploration and
Production Sharing Agreement with the Oman government for Block 18 in the
Sohar Basin in June, 2005.
While withdrawing from the concession, Reliance stated that the results of
its drilling campaign targeting Block 18 had "not been encouraging".
It estimated the total expenditure incurred on Block 18, as well as
another block in East Timor, at USD 177 million, the report said.
State-owned Oman Oil Company Exploration and Production (OOCEP), which had
acquired a 30 per cent interest in Block 18 under a farm-out agreement
signed in October, 2009, is unlikely to take over the concession and the
Ministry of Oil and Gas is expected to remarket the block.
In conjunction with the farm-out agreement, OOCEP also signed a Joint
Operating Agreement with Reliance, which provided the basis for setting up
a joint operating company to be managed by the two companies upon a
commercial discovery being established in Block 18.
Meanwhile, Reliance is currently focused on the development of its sole
existing concession in Oman, Offshore Block 41, which covers an area of
around 23,800 sq km off the Sharqiya coast.
The company is awaiting the results of 2D seismic surveys before it
pursues the next phase of its exploratory plan in Block 41, it said.
Reliance Exploration and Production DMCC's portfolio currently consists of
12 blocks spread across Oman, Yemen, Kurdistan, East Timor, Peru,
Australia and Colombia, the report said.
Militant Activity/Terrorism (Particularly in Bangalore, Mumbai, Noida, Chennai,
Coimbatore)
Somali pirate-LeT tie-up is BIG threat for India
http://www.rediff.com/news/slide-show/slide-show-1-somali-pirate-laskar-tie-up-threat-for-india-waters/20110823.htm
The coming together of Lashkar-e-Tayiba and southern Somalia-based
Al-Shahbab poses new maritime protection issues for India.
The interrogation of several pirates who have been nabbed in Indian waters
has revealed that the Somalis have been sponsored directly by the deadly
Islamic terrorist group Al-Shahbab.
Intelligence sources told rediff.com that the Al-Shahbab group has links
with the Al Qaeda and carries out the latter's operations. The cadres of
this group specialise more on sea and have been using the pirates for
their operations.
The IB says that every one out of ten attacks is attributed to some
terrorist group.
Maoists turn up heat on TMC
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata-/Maoists-turn-up-heat-on-TMC/articleshow/9706155.cms
KOLKATA: Mutual trust between the Mamata Banerjee government and the
People's Committee against Police Atrocities (PCPA) is fading fast,
putting a question mark on the apparent peace prevailing in the region.
Maoists have threatened a counter attack against the Trinamool if the
government does not stop police operation and 'shadow fight' against the
tribals with the help of armed Tinamool gangs, just like the CPM.
Following the high pitched warning of the 'mentor' Maoists, their mass
outfit PCPA also raised their voice a few steps up, announcing a 24-hour
strike in Jangalmahal on August 24 (first Maoist or PCPA strike after the
new government came to power), to protest Trinamool-sponsored terror
tactics in Jangalmahal. PCPA activists burnt effigies of chief minister
Mamata Banerjee in different parts of the forest land on Monday. PCPA
leader Chhatradhar Mahato has also started a hunger strike at Midnapore
jail, demanding unconditional release of political prisoners and
withdrawal of security forces.
On Monday morning, the bullet-ridden body of Tapan Deshwal, a 26-year-old
CPM worker of Tongveda village, was found lying on the road. Maoist
posters were also found in which the rebel outfit claimed that Tapan was a
"police agent" and was punished for "spying". This is the second murder in
Jangalmahal since the formation of the new government. "Pistols and
automatic rifles were used to kill Tapan. It's a Maoist handiwork," said
Jhargram SP Gaurav Sharma.
The rebel outfit CPI(Maoist) has alleged in a written statement that the
Trinamool-led government was following in predecessor CPM's footsteps.
"Soon after Mamata Banerjee's Jangalmahal tour, Trinamool leaders formed
armed teams like the CPM to squash the tribal movement. They have formed
the Jana Jagaran Mancha to gag the people's voice at gun-point. They are
threatening and beating up the members and supporters of PCPA and the
Democratic Forum against Corruption, imperialist aggression and terror
(DFCIAT) that except Trinamool, none will be allowed to form any other
organization," alleged PCPA spokesperson Joydeb Mahato. Maoist
spokesperson in West Midnapore, Baha Tudu, also endorsed the allegation in
their letter. "Trinamool is now turning into green harmads," said Tudu.
The Maoist outfit has also questioned the honesty of the Mamata Banerjee
government about Jangalmahal. "Do they really want to solve the
Jangalmahal problem? The government did not consider releasing Chhatradhar
Mahato and even opposed his plea to grant him political prisoner status,"
pointed out Tudu.
The Maoist leader also condemned the role of the government-appointed
interlocutors. "They met Chhatradhar and told him that he has to resign
from PCPA before he is released. Mahato was also asked to announce that he
would not participate in any movement. They openly threatened Mahato that
if he didn't accept the proposal, his wife Niyoti would also be put behind
bars," alleged the Maoist leader. "Mamata Banerjee is trying to bring us
to the talks table by pointing a gun at our head," said Mahato, ruling out
any chance of talks in this situation.
Senior police officers also admitted that the situation was turning
volatile and Maoists are gaining more strength as no political bloc is
present in this land to resist the Maoist expansion.
Labor/Social Unrest