Lankan President attacks Govt for its plan to strip her of powers

COLOMBO, Nov 2: Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga has accused the Government of seeking to strip her of powers relating to national security and instead asking her to head a panel to monitor preventive measures against pollution and the spread of the HIV/AIDS.

The Government was trying to create a new security committee under the Defence Minister to take all decisions relating to national security and waging of war, her office said in a statement here.

There would still be a ‘National Security Committee’ chaired by her and including the Prime Minister, but its functions would be "to monitor the prevention of the spread of the HIV, environmental pollution and disaster preparedness," it said.

The statement said the defence secretary had outlined these functions after kumaratunga had, at a meeting on october 28, sought a clarification on the role of the national security committee, if security issues were to be handled by a separate panel under the defence minister.

She was told that the security committee would communicate its decisions to the one chaired by the president.

The statement, largely a refutation of reports that she was obstructing military reforms, castigated the report of a government-appointed defence committee which had recommended the proposed changes.

It said she had earlier wanted the expert committee to formulate proper procedures for military promotions and streamline military procurements. However, she found at the meeting that its report contained recommendations completely unrelated to these two issues.

"What this report has done is to directly and indirectly remove all powers and functions relating to security from the titular or executive head of state. This is contrary to the practice all over the world," the statement said.

The report had recommended a post of ‘joint chief of staff’ to be appointed by the Defence Minister. It had tried "to remove the powers of the president by having all military operations conducted by the Defence Minister through the Joint Chief of Staff."

"This would alter the organisational structure of the armed forces and have adverse impact on the country’s defence capability. The proposals were against the constitution and would weaken the armed forces and affect the morale of soldiers," the statement said.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s Government has been trying to curtail Kumaratunga’s powers in recent months, but its efforts suffered a setback last month when the Supreme Court shot down a major constitutional amendment.

However, in an apparent sign that it has not given up its attempts, media reports have said the Government has drafted a ‘defence reforms bill’ that will transfer some of the powers that the President wields in her capacity as supreme commander of the armed forces to the Cabinet.

The President’s office said she had raised the issue at the meeting, but the Prime Minister and Defence Minister had responded that they were not quite aware of such a draft bill.

The President had said it was a puzzle if someone was drafting such a bill without the knowledge of the Prime Minister or the Defence Minister, the statement said. (PTI)

UK mothballs helicopters — no pilots

LONDON, Nov 2: Britain has mothballed its new top-of-the-range Apache Helicopters, which cost 70 million dollar each, for at least four years because it doesn’t have enough pilots trained to fly them, a Government watchdog has reported.

The National Audit Office Thursday attributed the delay on the unexpected sophistication of the attack helicopter, a training program for crews that has fallen three years behind schedule and the failure to take into account britain’s often miserable weather, which costs flying time.

The immediate result is that 11 of the first 25 Apaches have been put in storage at a royal air force base, with no pilots to fly them until early 2007. The NAO said the storage bill will be nearly 10 million dollar and it described the move as wasteful.

Eventually, the report said, more than 30 of the 67 helicopters that the Ministry of Defense ordered at a total cost of 4.7 billion dollar may have to be similarly mothballed until the 144 pilots needed for rotation duty aboard the Apache can be trained.

The NAO said the training program, originally scheduled to have put pilots behind the Apache’s controls by April 2004, has now been delayed until February 2007 at the earliest.

At the heart of the troubles, the report said, were technical problems with a high-tech simulator, which delayed delivery by 17 months. The duration of the training course had to be extended to half a year because the Apache is a far more complex aircraft than the British military had expected. The training course was based on the US army’s experience in its own training, mostly in Alabama. What British authorities have found was that weather in Britain is, on average, considerably less benign and that many more days of flight training time are likely to be lost.

It is disappointing that because of problems with the training problem, the helicopters are not expected to provide a brigade-level capability until february 2007, said the NAO’s chief, Comptroller and Auditor General John Bourn.

The Apache itself was to have come online in the British military by December 2003, but the NAO said that has now slipped to 2004 or 2005, thus necessitating storage of yet more of the aircraft until the pilots are ready.

The NAO report poses a major embarrassment for the Ministry of Defense, particularly coming as it does in the wake of well-publicized problems with the British armed forces’ new Sa80 rifle, its challenger II tank and an antiquated military radio system.

The American-made Apaches gained a star reputation during the Gulf war, when they were credited with destroying more than 500 Iraqi tanks, and when Britain placed its order for 67 of the newer models in 1995, it was hailed as the greatest advancement in army effectiveness since the invention of the tank.

Gen Charles Guthrie, chief of staff at the time, described the Apache as the biggest single enhancement to the army’s capability for many years. (UPI)

Powell pushes France to support revised resolution

UNITED NATIONS, Nov 2: Amid reports of UN Weapons Inspectors drawing up a list of Iraqi sites to be initially inspected during their imminent mission with the US help, Washington continued to pursue its telephone diplomacy pushing france to support a revised resolution against Baghdad.

Powell yesterday telephoned French Foreign Minister Dominique De Villepin to press France to agree to a text that retains a tough us-british approach against Iraq.

Besides, powell spoke to mexican foreign minister jorge castaneda and prince saud of saudi arabia on the issue.

Washington, in a slight change of strategy, was quoting 1991 ceasefire resolution which had suspended the Gulf war in return for assurances by Iraq that it would allow weapons inspectors full access to sites suspected to be producing or storing weapons of mass destruction including nuclear, biological and chemical, and long range missiles.

Some experts are now raising the possibility that the war in effect never ended and hence new authorization is not necessary if Iraq is found to be in "material breach" of that resolution.

But then the resolution also provides that Kuwait must be a party to any action. So far Kuwait had been advocating giving Iraq one more chance.

The sticking point between powerful five permanent members continues to be as what constitutes authorization of war.

Another issue to be decided is who decides Iraq is in "material breach" of the resolution which is still being debated. Washington has agreed to wait till the inspectors report that iraq is obstructing them. After that, the United States says it would be free to take whatever action it wants irrespective of the council.

But France and Russia would like to the UN Security Council to decide on the basis of inspectors’ report whether Iraq is in "material breach" which could trigger military action. That could mean another lengthy debate before a decision is taken one way or the other.

Diplomats said the US could perhaps get nine votes for its tough resolution but abstention by three permanent members - Russia, France and China - would send a wrong signal.

Diplomats said the sites chosen for initial inspections would those dealing with dual use items which could be used for both civilian and military purposes. These include oil related industries and some medical facilities.

Such sites, experts said, could provide civilian cover for items being manufactured for military use.

On the time to be given to Iraq to declare its weapons programme and related facilities and materials, the US is prepared to give baghdad 50 days to declare dual use items that is chemicals used in oil related industry and biological related materials used in medicine. But it insists Iraq make full and complete declaration of all its weapons of mass destruction and related facilities and materials within 30 days from the day of the adoption of the resolution.

Timing of vote is still not clear though us would like its closure late this week. Once US formally seeks a vote, it will have to take place within 24 hours - time given to diplomats to get final instructions from their Governments. (PTI)

Musharraf summons national assembly to meet on Nov 8

ISLAMABAD, Nov 2: Amid continued deadlock over the formation of the Government, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf today summoned the newly elected National Assembly to meet on November 8 for its members to take oath.

Musharraf has summoned the National Assembly to meet on Friday (Nov 8). The newly elected Members of the Parliament would take oath in the first session of the Assembly, an official announcement said.

The announcement followed criticism from the mainstream parties that the Government deliberately delayed the convening of the National Assembly, where the pro-Musharraf Pakistan Muslim League-Qaide Azam (PML-Q) has failed to secure majority.

However, undeterred by its failure to secure support from other parties, the PML-Q elected a political lightweight from North West Baluchistan Province, Zafarullah Khan Jamali, as its Prime Ministerial candidate and staked its claim to form the Government.

The party which claims to have 122 members in the 342-member house needed the support of 172 members to secure simple majority. It claims to have the support of the National Alliance consisting of leaders of small parties, which has won 16 seats taking to the total of 138 seats. It hopes to make up for the rest of the seats with the support of other independents and regional parties, including the Sindh based Muthahida Quami Movement (MQM).

Jamali, who was the caretaker Chief Minister of Baluchistan in the past has been chosen on the grounds to provide representation to the country’s smallest province, while the bulk of the party members were elected from the majority Punjab province.

Jamali’s name was proposed last night by the party’s senior leader, Chodhary Sujat Hussain, who was nominated by the major parties to work out a compromise formula with Musharraf over his constitutional amendments.

The main parties, Pakistan People Party Parliamentarians, (PPPP) which has 81 seats and the religious party alliance Muthahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) with 59 seats have made it clear that they would not support PML-Q to its pro-Musharraf stand.

The MMA also said that it would not support the constitutional amendments brought in by the Musharraf regime and would function in the Parliament only under the 1973 Constitution.

As the Government announced the convening of the Assembly, PML-Q leader Sujat Hussain who was authorised by the MMA and PPPP to negotiate with Musharraf over their objections to his constitutional amendments submitted a report to the MMA leader, Qazi Hussain Ahmed this evening.

Ahmad later told the newsmen that PML(Q) leader had brought a preliminary report on his efforts to bridge the gap between the viewpoints of the Government and others.

He said he would consult his other colleagues the alliance for restoration democracy and the national alliance leaders in this context.

Ahmad however, pointed out that their stand on the lfo is very clear that they do not recognise any onesided constitutional amendments.

Shujat Hussain said the need to find a middle course on the legal framework order and said the restoration of democracy was not possible without adopting the middle path.

He said that he had stressed this point during discussion with the MMA leader and would also urge the Government to find a way out of the impasse. (PTI)

Indian Railways keen to help improve
Railways in Bangladesh

DHAKA, Nov 2: Indian Railways is ready to extend its technical support to Bangladesh’s efforts at improving internal railway services, specially with regard to the Dhaka-Chittagong Express or the electric train.

"If any international tender is floated, Indian Railways will be glad to take part in it," a senior official of Indian Railways (IR) said yesterday.

Additional Member (Traffic) of Indian Railways K K Gupta, who led a five-member delegation here, said IR has a lot of expertise in the running electric trains and passenger trains which travel at the speed of 230-km per hour.

"We run 20,000 km in electric train. We’ve a lot of expertise and we’re cheaper also," he said.

Indian Railway Construction (IRCON), a sister concern of Indian Railways, is now engaged in a TK 274-crore project for conversion of existing broad-gauge line into mixed-gauge from the western end of Jamuna bridge up to Parbatipur in the northern region.

The work on the 245-km railway track is expected to complete by June next year.

Mr Gupta and the members of his delegation held meetings with their Bangladeshi counterparts here for three days to discuss the existing railway freight services between the two countries.

"The two railways have a long history of cooperation. Our meeting was fruitful," Mr Gupta said.

Assistant Director General (Finance) of Bangladesh Railways A K Nasim Haider led the home side in the talks that ended on Thursday.

During the meeting, officials of Bangladesh and India agreed to introduce container freight services in place of traditional wagon carriages to facilitate carrying more goods by Railways and boost bilateral trade.

They also discussed the possibility of having a container terminal for handling containers.

In their three-day parleys, Railway officials of both sides discussed how to better the existing freight system to use it for mutual benefits.

Indian goods trains currently enter Bangladesh through three border points - Benapole, Darshana and Rohanpur. On an average, three trains run daily and unload food grains and other major import items. However, the wagons return empty on most occasions as there is no major exports from Bangladesh, Railway officials said.

Officials of Bangladesh and Indian Railways routinely meet once in every two years either, in Dhaka or New Delhi, to discuss the freight interchange and resolve small issues regarding it.

The last meeting was held in the Indian capital in the year 2000.

"We’ve discussed whether more goods trains can run and more goods can be carried. We’ve also explored the possibility of container service and container terminal," Mr Gupta said.

"We have also agreed on the movement of container, because wagon is no longer in use in external trade in most parts of the world," said an official of Bangladesh Railway.

Although it was not in the agenda, the issue of Dhaka-Kolkata passenger train service also came up in general discussion since the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed by two Governments in 2001, is still alive.

They also discussed the progress on the proposed Agartala-Akhaura railway link. The home side agreed to start the survey while the Indian side said they have already completed the survey on their part.

The two railways have not yet restored passenger services since they were snapped due to India-Pakistan war in 1965.

At present there is direct bus service between Dhaka and Kolkata. Similar service was launched between Dhaka and Agartala last year, but it has not yet become regular. (UNI)

US carrier group departs west coast for Persian Gulf

SAN DIEGO, Nov 2: A carrier group consisting of seven ships and the aircraft carrier constellation left the west coast today bound for the Persian Gulf and a six-month deployment, US authorities announced.

American media reported the departure, following weeks of manoeuvres off the coast of California, had been pushed forward. The group had been scheduled to depart early next year, according to media reports that speculated the possibility of conflict with Iraq prompted early deployment.

Aboard the carrier are 75 aircraft and a complement of 5,500 navy personnel. Two cruisers, two destroyers, a frigate, submarine and supply ship comprise the constellation escort. Two aircraft carriers currently are on station in the Persian Gulf and Mediterranean Sea. (DPA)

Pak quake, landslide kill one, injure 3

ISLAMABAD, Nov 2: At least one traveller was killed and three injured early today when a landslide triggered by the aftershocks from a major earthquake struck them on the Karakoram Highway in Northern Pakistan, state media said.

The first quake, measuring 5.6 on the richter scale, damaged a two km stretch of the highway near Tatu, about 100 km east of Gilgit, a popular summer resort district, late yesterday, the Associated Press of Pakistan said.

A landslide caused by an aftershock early today swept a man to his death and injured three other people who had got off a bus forced to stop on the blocked road. Another person was missing, it said.

APP said no other casualties had been reported. (AGENCIES)

Pak burns 17 tonnes of drugs, hails progress

QUETTA, PAKISTAN, Nov 2: Pakistan burned more than 17 tonnes of illicit drugs today and the head of its anti-narcotics force said it was making progress in preventing traffickers from using the country as a smuggling route.

The 17.2 tonnes of drugs burned in the southern town of Turbat at a ceremony attended by foreign diplomats included 13 tonnes of hashish, 829 kg of heroin and 2.7 tonnes of morphine, ANF officials said.

The drugs were all seized in the past year in Pakistan’s Baluchistan province.

ANF chief Major-General Zafar Abbas said Pakistan was now a opium poppy-free country and not a single refinery was operating in the country to convert opium into heroin.

He blamed the drug trade on the presence of large number of refugees from neighbouring Afghanistan, but said it was now under control in Pakistan. (AGENCIES)

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