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surrender as foes eye Kandahar KABUL/CHAMAN (PAKISTAN), Dec 1: US bombers pounded Taliban targets around the militia’s last . ...more Bush greets Sikhs WASHINGTON, Dec 1: US President George W Bush has extended "warm greetings" to Sikhs across the.....more Japan’s Crown Princess TOKYO, Dec 1: Japan’s Crown Princess Masako gave birth to a girl today, bringing welcome cheer to a ......more |
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Begum Musharraf
maybe shopping for a house in Washington, DC WASHINGTON, Dec 1: The White House has said it has no knowledge about reports that Pakistan ...more Is Bhopal a safe haven BHOPAL, Dec 1: Following the issuing of passports on the basis of falsified documents to gangster Abu ..more Is Bhopal a safe haven BHOPAL, Dec 1: Following the issuing of passports on the basis of falsified documents to gangster Abu .........more |
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Taliban vow no surrender as foes eye Kandahar KABUL/CHAMAN (PAKISTAN), Dec 1: US bombers pounded Taliban targets around the militia’s last stronghold, Kandahar, today as thousands of tribal fighters and hundreds of US marines dug in within striking distance of the ancient walled city. But Taliban supreme leader Mullah Mohammad Omar vowed never to surrender, telling his forces it was better to die with dignity than live with humiliation, the Afghan Islamic Press quoted a Taliban official as saying. "Mullah Omar has advised and instructed everyone to fight to the death and not to bow down in front of brutality and blasphemy," Mullah Abdul Salam Zaeef, former Taliban Ambassador to Pakistan, was quoted as saying. Witnesses arriving at the Pakistani border at Chaman said US B-52 bombers mounted heavy raids through the night around Kandahar and the border smugglers’ town of Spin Boldak. "We have had a sleepless night," said a Pakistani security official at the border. "They have been bombing targets in the area all night." Two US bombers could be seen high overhead, heading towards Kandahar. At a desert airstrip southwest of Kandahar where US forces established a forward base this week, marines said they were waiting for their next order in the war on the Taliban. "Our mission is to seize and hold a forward operating base and that’s exactly what we’ve done," said a marine spokesman. "We await further orders whatever they may be, if there are any. And once our overall mission is complete we will leave Afghanistan." The Taliban say Mullah Omar, is still in Kandahar and in control of his troops, but that Osama bin Laden is no longer in territory under their control. US officials say they are hunting Bin Laden, chief suspect in the September 11 attacks that destroyed the World Trade Center and part of the Pentagon, in the hills of Eastern Afghanistan, where he is rumoured to have an underground fortress. Tribal armies seeking to overthrow the Taliban in their southern Afghan heartland were massing near Kandahar airport to the south of the city, anti-Taliban commanders said. Khalid Pashtoon, a spokesman for former Kandahar Mujahideen Governor Gul Agha, said Agha had 3,000 men six km south of the airport, but had no immediate plans to advance. Pashtoon said Agha’s forces could look down on the airport as US bombs struck. Taliban forces, which he said were likely to include foreign fighters feared for their determination to stand to the last man, were sheltering in bunkers. He said the Northern Alliance troops, which have driven the taliban back to their spiritual capital of Kandahar with the help of devastating US air strikes, should stay away. Pashtun tribes in Southern Afghanistan are suspicious of the predominantly ethnic Tajik and Uzbek Northern Alliance which routed the Taliban in the north and seized control of Kabul this month. The country’s ethnic divisions make the urgent task of building a post-Taliban Government particularly thorny. Rival Afghan factions were set to resume talks on Saturday in a secluded hilltop hotel outside bonn to discuss the transition to a new regime. The Northern Alliance delegation in Bonn, led by Interior Minister Yunus Qanuni, has agreed in principle to share power with three rival factions, including the royalists who want former King Zahir Shah to return as a unifying head of state. But Burhanuddin Rabbani, nominal head of the Alliance, muddied the waters yesterday with comments at a Kabul news conference that cast doubt on the emerging deal in Bonn. Rabbani, ousted as Afghan President by the Taliban in 1996 but still holding the country’s UN seat, said no more than 200 foreign peacekeepers would be needed in Afghanistan and Zahir Shah should return as nothing more than an ordinary citizen. "The monarchy is extinct like the dinosaurs, so why would we have it?" he said. An apparent rift between Rabbani and Qanuni delayed the key step of submitting names for an interim Afghan administration. Delegates said Rabbani had finally agreed late on Friday to forward a list of candidates, raising hopes for progress on Saturday. The Northern Alliance earlier requested a 10-day adjournment to resolve its internal differences, but the United Nations said no, a western diplomat said. Signs of splits in the alliance are a worrying sign for Kabul residents, who well remember the bitter internecine fighting that erupted among many members of the group after they took control of Kabul in the 1990s. Vicious street battles and rocket attacks killed some 50,000 residents in five years. Although Afghans are leading the bonn talks, foreign diplomats are always nearby in the Hilltop Hotel to remind them that billions of aid dollars depend on them agreeing a deal. "Afghanistan will not get any reconstruction assistance until there is a broadly based Government," said James Dobbins, the US Envoy to Afghanistan. (REUTERS) |
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Bush greets Sikhs on Guru Nanak’s birthday WASHINGTON, Dec 1: US President George W Bush has extended "warm greetings" to Sikhs across the country on the occasion on the 532nd birth anniversary of Guru Nanak. "I am pleased to send warm greetings to the Sikh community across the US as you celebrate the anniversary of the birth of the founder of the Sikh religion, Guru Nanak", Bush said in a message sent to the Sikh Council on Religion and Education (SCORE) - a Washington-based think-tank and representative body of Sikhs. "America’s religious diversity has always been a strength of our country. Across our nation, members of the Sikh community are proud of their cultural heritage, their ancestry, and their religious beliefs. American Sikhs serve in every walk of life, including our armed forces", Bush said. "I commend all of you for the dedicated role you play in your community and for sharing the traditions of your faith with your neighbours", he added. President of the Sikh Council Rajwant Singh thanked President Bush for extending best wishes to the Sikh community. (PTI) |
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Japan’s Crown Princess Masako gives birth to girl TOKYO, Dec 1: Japan’s Crown Princess Masako gave birth to a girl today, bringing welcome cheer to a country mired in economic gloom but raising questions over whether a female should be allowed to ascend the chrysanthemum throne. The birth of a female will intensify debate on whether to change a law mandating that only males can inherit the world’s oldest hereditary monarchy. No boys have been born into the imperial family since 1965. Still, the long-awaited birth was a rare bit of happy news for Japan in a year which has seen unemployment rise to record levels as the economy heads into its fourth recession in a decade. Both Masako, 37, and the baby — the first born to the Princess and Crown Prince Naruhito in more than eight years of marriage — were doing well, court officials said. The Princess miscarried in late 1999 after a media circus of coverage which some blamed for the unhappy outcome of her first pregnancy. "It is good that the birth went well," a court official quoted Emperor Akihito, the baby’s grandfather, as saying upon hearing the news. Empress Michiko grew a bit teary-eyed when told of the birth of her eldest son’s first child, her third grandchild. "I would like to offer words of congratulations," the court official quoted the empress as saying. Others immediately echoed the happy sentiment. "Along with other Japanese people, I would like to offer heartfelt congratulations," Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said in a statement. Said Takashi Imai, Chairman of Business Lobby Keidanren: "I have long been awaiting this day." "This news gives the people of Japan peace of mind and hope in the middle of a world made dismal by the domestic economic slump and the situation in Afghanistan," he added in a statement. Senzoku, the exclusive Tokyo neighbourhood where Masako, a former career diplomat, lived before her marriage to Crown Prince Naruhito, 41, and where her parents still reside, was festooned with banners proclaiming "celebration" and traditional red paper festival lanterns were lit when the birth was announced. Stores along "Princess Street", as the main shopping area is called, began selling commemorative goods, including a special brewing of rice wine sold in bottles emblazoned with sweet-brier flowers, Masako’s imperial crest. Traditionalists had been hoping for a boy to end the shortage of males in the imperial family, into which no boys have been born since the birth of the crown prince’s younger brother, Prince Akishino, 36 years ago. Prince Akishino’s two children are girls. The dearth of male offspring had prompted politicians to ponder the possibility of changing Japan’s strict males-only succession laws. The roots of Japan’s imperial family lie in ancient myths, reaching back through 125 generations in a purported direct line from the sun goddess Amaterasu. Though Japan has been ruled by female monarchs in the ancient past, the mere thought of a modern version is anathema to some conservatives in a land where the emperor was once viewed as divine. But a recent public opinion poll found that 55.2 per cent of Japanese were in favour of an empress, up by 22.9 per centage points from the last survey in 1999. Some 25 percent, however, said they were undecided. Now that the baby is safely born, tradition dictates a steady procession of ancient rituals. On the day of her birth, or the day after, the emperor will present her with a ceremonial samurai sword and a Hakama, a ceremonial skirt that was once part of traditional court dress for women. A week from now, she will be ritually bathed while auspicious texts, written in classic Chinese literary style and wishing her good health and fortune, are read aloud. On the same day, her name, chosen by the emperor, will be formally announced. The baby will be given a name composed of two Chinese characters which — in line with a centuries-old tradition —will almost certainly end with the character "Ko", meaning a noble woman. (REUTERS) |
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Begum Musharraf maybe shopping
for WASHINGTON, Dec 1: The White House has said it has no knowledge about reports that Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf ‘s wife was shopping for a house in Washington, DC. Asked about reports that Mrs Musharraf, who had visited Washington twice last week, was helped by senior US Government officials to scout for a house, spokesman Ari Fleischer yesterday said, "I have not heard anything about that, to confirm that, or shed any light on that." He said he had not heard anything about Mrs Musharraf s reported plans to move to the US either. Incidentally, some of Musharraf s family members, including his son, are living in the US. (UNI) |
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Is Bhopal a safe haven for criminals? BHOPAL, Dec 1: Following the issuing of passports on the basis of falsified documents to gangster Abu Salem and his two wives here, the question of Bhopal being a ‘safe haven’ for criminals has once again come to the fore. Recently, the passports were issued to the Mumbai blast accused and his two wives, Rubia and Monica Bedi alias Fauzia, from the passport office here. Several cases during the last decade give impetus to the apprehension that the place, in the heart of the country, has been a safe refuge even for those underworld members who have links with the Pakistan-based Inter Services Intelligence (ISI). The case has also exposed the flaws in the process of issuing passports. However, Passport Officer T D Sharma said the document, in the name of Danish Baig, was issued only after police verification. The State Government has directed Director General of Police S C Tripathi to conduct a high-level inquiry into the passport case. Bhopal Municipal Corporation Commissioner has also been asked to submit a report after investigation as to how these people secured a ration card and birth certificates. A senior police officer told UNI that criminals had been taking advantage of the lack of coordination between the police and other the central agencies. It was therefore essential for the State Police, the Central Bureau of Investigation and Intelligence Bureau to launch a joint campaign against the expanding underworld network, he said. One Aqib, who was arrested here by New Delhi’s CBI sleuths recently, reportedly had links with the ISI. Surprisingly, the Bhopal Police came to know of his existence in the city only after the CBI team’s arrival. Earlier, Bhopal Police had nabbed Yaseen and his aide Gurunarayan. The former was associated with the Salem Gang and had fled from the custody of Mumbai Police. Uttar Pradesh’ notorious criminal Jatin Sirohi and his friends, who frequented Bhopal and nearby places, were also nabbed here recently. Police sources said the criminals were invited by locals, luring them by marriage offers. Aqib, an accused in the Red Fort shoot out, was arrested by the CBI when he reportedly visited the city to tie the nuptial knot. (UNI) |
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Is Bhopal a safe haven for criminals? BHOPAL, Dec 1: Following the issuing of passports on the basis of falsified documents to gangster Abu Salem and his two wives here, the question of Bhopal being a ‘safe haven’ for criminals has once again come to the fore. Recently, the passports were issued to the Mumbai blast accused and his two wives, Rubia and Monica Bedi alias Fauzia, from the passport office here. Several cases during the last decade give impetus to the apprehension that the place, in the heart of the country, has been a safe refuge even for those underworld members who have links with the Pakistan-based Inter Services Intelligence (ISI). The case has also exposed the flaws in the process of issuing passports. However, Passport Officer T D Sharma said the document, in the name of Danish Baig, was issued only after police verification. The State Government has directed Director General of Police S C Tripathi to conduct a high-level inquiry into the passport case. Bhopal Municipal Corporation Commissioner has also been asked to submit a report after investigation as to how these people secured a ration card and birth certificates. A senior police officer told UNI that criminals had been taking advantage of the lack of coordination between the police and other the central agencies. It was therefore essential for the State Police, the Central Bureau of Investigation and Intelligence Bureau to launch a joint campaign against the expanding underworld network, he said. One Aqib, who was arrested here by New Delhi’s CBI sleuths recently, reportedly had links with the ISI. Surprisingly, the Bhopal Police came to know of his existence in the city only after the CBI team’s arrival. Earlier, Bhopal Police had nabbed Yaseen and his aide Gurunarayan. The former was associated with the Salem Gang and had fled from the custody of Mumbai Police. Uttar Pradesh’ notorious criminal Jatin Sirohi and his friends, who frequented Bhopal and nearby places, were also nabbed here recently. Police sources said the criminals were invited by locals, luring them by marriage offers. Aqib, an accused in the Red Fort shoot out, was arrested by the CBI when he reportedly visited the city to tie the nuptial knot. (UNI) |
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Top Al Qaeda official captured: US official WASHINGTON, Nov 30: A top leader of Osama bin Laden’s Al Qaeda guerrilla network has been captured, a senior US official said, and the Pentagon claimed taliban control over their troops has been fractured. About 1,000 US marines were based at a desert airstrip outside the Taliban stronghold of Kandahar in southern Afghanistan, while dozens of troops from the US Army’s 10th Mountain Division were on the ground in the north, preparing air bases for humanitarian and possibly military missions. A US soldier based in Uzbekistan died yesterday, becoming the sixth known death of an American in Afghanistan and the surrounding region since the war on terrorism began on October seven. The Pentagon withheld the soldier’s name but said the death was not due to enemy action. A senior US official speaking on condition of anonymity confirmed reports that the Northern Alliance has captured Ahmed Omar Abdel Rahman, who has been described as a charismatic guerrilla training leader for Bin Laden, the Saudi fugitive Washington blames for fatal Sept. 11 attacks at New York’s World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The 35-year-old Rahman is the son of Muslim cleric sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman, who with nine other militant Muslims was convicted on charges stemming from a deadly 1993 car bombing of the World Trade Center. "We are confident that the reports are true, and very senior people (in the US Government) are working on what to do about it," the official told Reuters of the capture. The Los Angeles Times reported that Rahman was being held by Northern Alliance forces in Afghanistan. President George W Bush has vowed to punish those responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks and has said that US military courts might be used to put Al Qaeda guerrillas on trial. "Very senior officials (in Washington) are deciding what to do" about Rahman, the official said. The official did not say whether there had been direct communication between the Northern Alliance and the United States on Rahman. At a Pentagon briefing, US Navy Rear Adm. John Stufflebeem told reporters that Taliban leaders’ control over their troops in Afghanistan had been "in a word — fractured." But Stufflebeem and Pentagon spokeswoman Victoria Clarke said they had no evidence to support claims that opposition forces were moving against Kandahar. "What you are asking for is an assessment of something that may not yet have happened," Stufflebeem said, cautioning that forces of the Taliban supreme leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar, could still heed his call to fight to the death in Kandahar. Clarke denied the United States had advised Northern Alliance or other forces against entering Kandahar, adding: "To say that we can control or dictate what the opposition groups might do is just an overstatement. We can’t." Despite the fall of Mazar-i-Sharif, Kunduz and other cities in Afghanistan to opposition control, Mullah Omar has urged his forces to continue to fight in Kandahar. But Stufflebeem, a senior official on the US military’s joint staff, suggested Omar and others could rapidly lose control of their troops. Clarke also denied reports that 160 Taliban prisoners were massacred by opposition forces in Southern Afghanistan last week over protests from US troops. "We have worked really hard to run this one to ground and (the) reports are just not believable," she said. A senior Afghan commander said on Wednesday that scores of captured Taliban fighters who refused to surrender last week in Southern Afghanistan were executed despite protests by US forces at the scene. As part of the continuing push to cut off escape for Bin Laden and his top leaders, American warships were patrolling the Indian Ocean off Somalia’s coast, another US official said yesterday. The official, who declined to be identified, told Reuters the ships were looking for signs of the Saudi-born fugitive who is believed to be in Afghanistan. Clarke turned aside most questions about reports that US, German and British ships were near Somalia, but told reporters, "we are focused hard to make sure that Osama bin Laden and others can’t go fleeing to other places." Meanwhile, the US military on Thursday suspended parachute drops of large containers of humanitarian supplies into Afghanistan a day after a package crashed into a house and killed an Afghan woman. Officials stressed that drops of thousands of small individual daily food packages would continue while big container deliveries of other supplies were halted and investigated. "Obviously it was very unfortunate and we deeply regret the loss of life," Clarke told reporters of Wednesday night’s accident involving a drop of wheat, blankets and cold weather equipment northeast of the city of Mazar-i-Sharif. "Central command for the time being has stopped these particular deliveries while they look into whether there is something wrong that they can and should address," she said. (REUTERS) |
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