US agrees to Clinton-era arms talks with Russia

CAIRO, Feb 25: The United States has accepted a Russian request that arms control experts resume talks in the framework developed under Russian President Vladimir Putin and former US President Bill Clinton.

A senior US official yesterday said Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov told US Secretary of State Colin Powell at their first meeting in Cairo that Russia liked the old framework for talks and wanted to know if the Bush administration would continue it.

"Powell said: ‘Yes, good idea.’ They agreed that our experts group...Would meet again soon," the official added.

The group dealt with the full range of arms talks, including offensive weapons such as ballistic missiles, the proliferation of nuclear weapons, and defensive systems such as the proposed US missile defence, he said.

It would cover start talks on reducing strategic arms and talks on the US request that Russia modify the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) treaty to accommodate the missiles defence system it wants to build.

Powell and Ivanov did not set a date for resuming the talks and the Bush administration, which took office on January 20, has yet to decide what position it will take.

President George W Bush has advocated deeper cuts than Clinton in the nuclear arsenals of the two former superpowers but his administration is also determined to build the missile defence system, despite opposition from Russia, China and even some of Washington’s European allies.

The meeting in Cairo between Powell and Ivanov was the first between the former cold war foes since the election of Bush, but a US official said they were soon on first-name terms.

"They agreed to call each other Igor and Colin. They agreed to deal with issues in a frank and straightforward manner. They were looking to be constructive and to solve problems together," the US official said.

Rival US and Russian missile defence schemes had been expected to top the agenda at the long-awaited talks.

Russia made NATO a counterproposal last week but Powell told reporters on his plane that it did not seem to meet the security needs of the United States.

"My first reading of it is there isn’t a lot there yet that we can get our teeth into. It really talks about a different kind of system, more oriented toward weapon systems that might provide theatre defence," he said.

Theatre defence is military jargon for protecting relatively small areas, especially military forces. The US missile defence system would be designed to protect all the territory of the United States from long-range missiles fired by so-called "rogue states".

Powell brought up the conduct of Russian troops in the rebellious province of Chechnya and said there should be accountability — a reference to allegations of human rights abuses against the civilian population, the US official said.

He also brought up complaints that the Russian authorities have been harassing media-most as part of a crackdown on the independent media in Russia, the official said. Media-most is owned by tycoon Vladimir Gusinsky, now awaiting extradition hearings in Spain in a Russian fraud case which he says is politically motivated.

Ivanov, an urbane career diplomat, met Powell, a Vietnam veteran from New York’s tough South Bronx neighbourhood, in a Cairo hotel. Both said they were pleased with their encounter.

"I am...Satisfied with our meeting. We had a very frank and constructive dialogue. We exchanged views on the main questions of our relationship and a number of urgent international matters," Ivanov told reporters.

"The main thing was that we found mutual understanding and are ready to build constructive dialogue in the interest of our states and the international community," he said.

Powell said: "I think it was a very fine first meeting and I look forward to many such meetings in the future as we pursue our common agenda," he added.

The Russian "pilot scheme" for missile defence would leave intact the ABM treaty, which bans the sort of nationwide missile defence proposed by Washington, and would be open to the United States.

Russia says the US plan would spark a new arms race that would pull in China and is calling for a three-step alternative approach relying on threat assessment, political measures and deployment of a mobile anti-rocket force as a last resort.

The Russian system would be built around Russia’s S-300 interceptor, which some US military experts say is better than the US patriot missiles deployed during the 1990-91 gulf crisis.

Although the gap between the two sides remains large, some security analysts say they believe Bush can cut a deal with Putin by offering deep cuts in the US nuclear arsenal and giving its European allies the green light to take part in a "euro-NMD" with Russia.

Passions on the issue have been stoked by US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who said Russia only had itself to blame for nmd because as an "active proliferator" it had spread nuclear and missile know-how.

That drew a curt response from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who told Washington to drop the "evil empire" rhetoric of the cold war era. (REUTERS)

Israel’s Sharon says talks depend on end to violence

JERUSALEM, Feb 25: Prime Minister-elect Ariel Sharon today set an end to violence as a condition for peace talks with the Palestinians and demanded President Yasser Arafat take unspecified "steps" before Israel eases economic sanctions.

After meeting US Secretary of State Colin Powell, Sharon told a joint news conference: "I stressed the point that the Palestinian authority must take immediate action to stop acts of terror and violence."

"As the Prime Minister, I will conduct negotiations with the Palestinian authority following the cessation of hostilities."

Powell, on his first diplomatic mission since taking office last month, said he was convinced that Sharon, elected Prime Minister this month, was committed ultimately to negotiating with Palestinians.

"What I think we all agreed on in our earlier meetings is that once calm is restored, once there is economic activity again, once security coordination has begun again, he is committed to negotiation," Powell told reporters.

Powell was due to meet Palestinian President Yasser Arafat in the west bank city of Ramallah later in the day, after visiting Israel’s Yad Vashem National Memorial to the six million Jews killed in the nazi holocaust during World War two.

Powell said he was disturbed by the report of escalating violence he received on Saturday night from Israel’s Army Chief of Staff. He said he and Sharon had discussed steps for creating a better environment and he would do the same with Arafat.

Sharon viewed as war criminal

Sharon, a former general like Powell, is viewed as a war criminal by many Arabs.

The leader of the right-wing likud party who ousted Prime Minister Ehud Barak in a February 6 election, he is accused by Palestinians of triggering five months of violence with his visit to a Jerusalem site holy to both Jews and Muslims. Palestinians are enraged by a closure Israel has imposed on their movements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, home to three million Palestinians. Israel says it was prompted by security concerns but Palestinians brand it collective punishment.

"It’s completely clear that in order for there to be an easing, there are steps which Chairman Arafat must take. These steps came up in my discussion with General Powell, the Secretary of State, and I imagine they will be passed also to the Palestinian authority," Sharon said.

The 72-year-old Sharon said that while he would have no negotiations with Arafat or the Palestinians, he was already forging lines of communication and would keep them open once he forms a Government and assumes power.

"There are channels of communication. It’s important that there be channels of communication because in the end messages must be conveyed that will explain to the other side, clearly, that in order to make progress, there must first of all be action against terror and violence."

Future negotiations

Sharon, who has yet to shake hands with Arafat despite having negotiated with him in a previous right-wing Government, said: "In the future I will conduct negotiations with Yasser Arafat when the violence will disappear and end. In order for there to be a meeting before that, there must be steps taken by Yasser Arafat. These steps are known to him."

Powell said the United States under new President George W Bush was committed to its close relationship with Israel, the recipient of about 3 billion a year in aid.

"I want the people of israel to know that the relationship between the United States and israel is unbreakable and has been for so many years. America’s commitment to the security of Israel is rock solid and will remain so under the Bush administration."

He said the administration was committed to negotiations based on land-for-peace resolutions of the United Nations Security Council.

"Of course the United States cannot want peace more than the parties themselves and we cannot make for them the hard decisions that peace will require. But we will be there to help, we will be engaged, President Bush intends to play a leadership role, and that is one reason why I’ve made this the first trip as Secretary of State to this part of the world. (REUTERS)

Indo-Kuwait ties set to receive a push forward

KUWAIT CITY, Feb 25: As Kuwait celebrates its 10th anniversary of liberation from Iraq, Indo-Kuwait ties are set to look up in the coming days with "high level" engas on the cards.

Kuwait’s reservations over New Delhi’s engagement with Iraq, especially in the wake of a recent ministerial visit to Baghdad, are now now a thing of the past and bilateral ties, especially on the economic front, are expected get a push forward.

An irritant in the relations between the two countries —treatment of Indian maids — is also likely to be removed shortly with the two Governments discussing an arrangement to eliminate the problem.

Right now Kuwait is in a celebratory mood with festivities over the 10th anniversary of liberation from the occupation by Iraq and the 40th anniversary of its independence.

But over the celebrations hang the question of a little over 600 Prisoners of War (PoWs) taken by Iraq during its short-lived invasion of the oil-rich tiny country in the Arabian Gulf.

Kuwait is not leaving any stone unturned in its efforts to get back the pows that include aged men and young girls. Giving an overview of the bilateral relations, Indian Ambassador to Kuwait Prabhu Dayal says two sides share a good mutual understanding on various international issues of mutual interests and there were no political problems between them.

The two countries have stepped up political contacts in the last nine months and signed a memorandum based on political consultations.

The visit of V K Rajan, Secretary in the External Affairs Ministry, recently helped clear certain misunderstandings over New Delhi’s ties with Baghdad.

"We are very hopeful that a very high level visit from the Kuwaiti side is in the offing in the near future," Dayal said adding this would be in fulfillment of a shared wish of a joint commission.

He indicated that the visit of Kuwait Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmed Al Sabah or his minister of state would be the first significant high level visit in years to India. This would be a follow-up of the visits from India.

The problem of ill-treatment of Indian maids in Kuwait had led New Delhi to clamp a ban on their going to the Gulf country.

Now the two countries were discussing measures to ensure protection of maids so that the Government of India could lift the ban.

Dayal said India wanted the procedures to be streamlined for protection of the maids in the wake of complaints of their ill-treatment by their employers in the past. Now India is keen that protection measures could be enforced in Kuwait.

"A mutually agreed formulation will be evolved," he said adding at the Indian end the maids would not leave the country without proper documentation to avoid their ill-treatment by employers.

He said "we want to see that Kuwait Government does not not give a visa without proper documentation."

On economic ties, he said a proposal for Kuwaiti investment in Paradip refinery has fallen through but Kuwaitis have now shown interest in acquiring some stakes in Mangalore refineries and petro checmicals.

Kuwait has also evinced interest in investing in infrastructure projects like hydro-electric, roads in north east and in financial areas.

Kuwait has asked India to identify five of any ten projects in which it could invest.

Commercial counsellor in the Embassy R S Sodhi says India’s exports to Kuwait have registered an increase of 22.5 per cent in the first half of last year.

The increase in export of goods like basmati rice and marine products has been impressive with 102 and 161 per cent respectively. While coffee registered a dip of 20 per cent and exports of cotton yarn also did not do well recording a fall of 43 per cent, tera expo 21 per cent.

Other areas of exports to Kuwait doing well include handicrafts, gems and jewellery, engineering goods and transport and equipment.

On the other hand, imports from Kuwait comprised mainly oil and petroleum products, urea and fertilisers, sulphur and metal scrap.

In the participation by Indian corporate sector, Telecommunication Consultants India Ltd (TCIL) tops the list bagging projects worth US dollar 71.6 million (Rs. 255 crore) in the last ten years.

Southern Petro Chemical Industries Corporation (SPIC) has bagged a mechanical maintenance contract for a refinery contract for a refinery work for around US dollar 40 million against stiff international competition.

Indian labour also constitutes a significant portion of expatriate manpower in Kuwait. Indians account for about 300,000 including those in Government, private, business and domestic areas. (PTI)

Human rights situation in Pak comes under attack

ISLAMABAD, Feb 25: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has severely criticised the country’s military regime for stifling democracy and violating human rights and warned that the vacuum created by "extinction" of political activity was being filled by conservative militants.

In its latest report on the human rights situation in Pakistan, the HRCP, while stressing the need for immediate return to democracy, said the "unwelcome consequences of deviation from the democratic course" had over the last year negated the basic rights of people and institutionalised evil practices, including torture in custody and frequent harassment of people.

The report says that general elections promised by the military regime seemed a long way off and the issue of provincial autonomy, and mass boycott of polling by minorities added to the sense of doubt.

"The vacuum created by the military regime’s strategy of discrediting and sidelining political parties and their leaders was ideally suited to the orthodox clergy, and its militant formations took little time to move into the space left behind as political parties were pushed away."

The Parliament rarely debated any legislative measures. Important legislation was often enforced by Presidential ordinances. Even cabinet meetings were infrequent and their deliberations barely reported, the report pointed out.

Following a law introduced early in the year barring public gatherings, the right to assembly remained fiercely suppressed throughout the year. Political activists were repeatedly taken into detention and the condition in which many detainees were held, were found to be inhumane and brutal.

Members of the judiciary were required to take a new oath and those who refused, were retired. Other members of the judiciary faced increased threat with judges and lawyers falling victim to attacks. Situation of labourers, including the 3.3 million child workers, remained dismal. Many were held in bondage, both on agricultural lands in Sindh and brick klins across Punjab, in direct violation of law.

Registered rape victims in Punjab province alone were a little under 2000. Punjab press reported 303 victims of ‘honour killings’ while Sindh press reported 271. More than 300 burn cases were reported. While 69 deaths were attributed to sectarian violence, 98 people died in tribal feuds, the report found out.

Honour killings were on the rise. Most frequent killers were brothers and husbands. More than 15 per cent victims in Punjab were minor. A rape occurred every two hours and nearly 500 women committed suicide last year. There were 885 women in Punjab jails.

A total of 561 people died at the hands of law enforcing agencies, including 527 in ‘encounters’, while the rest inside lock-ups, the report pointed out.

According to the report, there are about 80,000 prisoners in the country’s jails and 3728 people are on death row, including 107 juveniles.

Jails in Punjab had 1600 children who were under the age of 18. Of those convicted, 38 faced death and a number of others were undergoing sentences of 14 to 50 years. Bulk of child prisoners, including 33 girls, were under trial. At least 53 people died in jails in 1999.

According to the report, the social and economic realities facing people as a consequence of illiteracy, lack of health cover or any means of meeting their most pressing needs threatened not only their rights as citizens but their very ability to survive in a hostile environment.

"Institutions have suffered grave setbacks and the credibility of the judiciary is perhaps lower than any other time in the past decade. Remedial measures such as calling of the supreme judicial council, have yet to be taken. For ordinary citizens, redressal of grievances at times remains almost impossible," the report said.

All this was reflected by the increasing cases of suicide reported from many parts of the country. (UNI)

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