In Kashmir, a major plan to carry out a series of assasinations and surprise attacks have been foiled.
bq. The detained people have been accused by the Kashmir police of plotting to mount daring “terrorist attacks” in several Indian cities as well as the Kashmir Valley. Among those held is a woman. “They were planning some high-profile actions in the city of Srinagar as well as in Mumbai, Pune and New Delhi such as assassinating important political leaders and the police brass,” Director General of Police (DGP), Gopal Sharma, said on Tuesday. In Srinagar, the suspects were preparing to ram an explosives-laden vehicle into a VIP’s motorcade, he said. Other police officers said Kashmir chief minister, Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, was a probable target of the planned attack. [“Al-Jazeera”:http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/CA121A64-2D9E-4B4A-A004-5E737DC28AB7.htm]
I don’t know if any other country will tolerate this. But in India, tax payers money is being used to protect separatists, people who want to split the country into two.
bq. Meanwhile, EXCELSIOR learned from highly placed authoritative sources that “extra-ordinary” security arrangements were being made for five protected separatist leaders in the wake of “very disturbing disclosures” by the slain militants. According to these sources, Government was also going to offer Police protection to the JKLF chief Yasin Malik, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq?s confidante Shahid-ul-Islam, Peoples League supremo Sheikh Abdul Aziz and hijacker-turned-activist Hashim Qureshi. However, it was not immediately clear whether these separatist leaders would accept the Police protection or turn down the same as usual. [“Daily Excelsior”:http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/web1/04june30/news.htm#4 (via “Acorn”:http://www.paifamily.com/opinion/archives/000922.html)]
Author: जयकृष्णः | ജയകൃഷ്ണൻ
Clinton still charms
New York Times gave it a “bad review”:http://www.nirajweb.net/mt/niraj/archives/002576.html. Now the Economist too thinks the same.
bq. Alas, �My Life� is very far from being great, or even particularly good. The book is so long-winded and ill-disciplined that the genuinely good bits get lost in the verbiage. Mr Clinton regales us with tedious lists of conferences, meetings and campaign stops. The editors should be hauled over hot coals for failing to hold their celebrity author to higher standards. If they had devoted a fraction of the energy to editing this text that they did to marketing it, then the turkey might have had a chance to fly; as it is, it is destined to sit on the coffee tables of liberal America, lightly thumbed and quickly discarded. [“Economist”:http://economist.com/books/displayStory.cfm?story_id=2787887]
But that has not prevented thousands of people from “camping overnight”:http://www.dailynews.com/Stories/0,1413,200~20954~2236129,00.html in front of bookstores to get an autographed book from the former President.
bq. Lori Smith, a 46-year-old advertising copywriter from Encino, was the first person in line, having shown up at 10:45 p.m. Thursday to beat the crowd. She was electric with anticipation as she waited for the doors to open. “I’ve never met him before. I’m just dying. I think I’m going to fall over backwards when I see him.” [“LA Daily News”:http://www.dailynews.com/Stories/0,1413,200~20954~2236129,00.html]
The former President still remains a charmer.
Bangladesh exports terrorism too
Terrorism against India now comes from Bangladesh sponsored by some pro Al-Qaeda groups.
bq. Confessions made by one Mohammed Yasin Ali, a district commandant of the militant Muslim United Liberation Tigers of Asom (MULTA), have revealed that pro-Qaeda armed groups in Bangladesh have been “talent-scouting” among Muslim settlers in Assam.
bq. According to the MULTA militant, potential hitmen are lured into Bangladesh and provided a six-month crash course in handling weapons and planning operations, besides a monthly stipend of Rs 2,000. “The recruits are straightaway taken to a training camp at Kurikilam in Jaipur area of Bangladesh,” Ali’s statement said. ?The six-month training is extendable by another six months if recruits fail certain tests. Completion of the course ensures the monthly stipend, which is payable for three years.? [“Hindustan Times”:http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/5922_853538,0015002200000100.htm]
“Islamic militancy has been on a rise”:http://www.nirajweb.net/mt/niraj/archives/001962.html in Bangladesh and the “militants consider it a safe haven”:http://www.nirajweb.net/mt/niraj/archives/002036.html, but as usual the BNP Govt. denies it. Bhutan, a friendly neighbor of India, “launched operations”:https://varnam.org/archives/000285.html against separatist groups based in Bhutan working against India. But you cannot expect any pro-India actions from Bangladesh.
Talks on Kashmir
Two days of talks between foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan have concluded without any major breakthroughs. According to the Amy Waldman of NYT,
bq. While Kashmir did figure in the talks, there were no specific proposals put on the table regarding a solution, according to spokesmen for both nations. They did commit themselves to a “peaceful, negotiated final settlement” on Kashmir. [“NYT”:http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/29/international/asia/29indi.html (regn reqd)]
“According to the Asian Age”:http://www.asianage.com/printarticle.asp?newsid=108112, India has committed itself to a _peaceful negotiated settlement_ of Jammu and Kashmir in a formal acceptance of its _disputed_ nature while Pakistan has accepted the _bilateral_ nature of the dialogue and dropped the insistence on plebiscite. So what are the possible solutions in the table ?
bq. Analysts from both India and Pakistan have been offering solutions through well-researched articles with the thrust driving towards more autonomy for the two Kashmirs, a soft border and administrative control of their respective sides by India and Pakistan. The extreme positions of plebiscite and accession of Jammu and Kashmir has not been voiced by Pakistan in recent months with senior academics, journalists and retired generals close to the Establishment advocating a solution on the lines of soft border and autonomy. In fact, arguments for independence are now advanced only by the extremist groups in Pakistan and hardline Kashmiri separatists who have not heeded President Pervez Musharraf?s advise to move out of the “status quo.” The Pakistan spokesperson admitted that an understanding was “very rapidly emerging” on both sides that “if there is a dispute it cannot be resolved to the satisfaction of one party alone, it has to satisfy all sides.” [“Asian Age”:http://www.asianage.com/printarticle.asp?newsid=108112]
The Sins Of Jamali
Few days back, Musharraf “kicked out”:http://www.nirajweb.net/mt/niraj/archives/002584.html the Prime Minister Jamali in what is known as a democratic process in Pakistan. Now B. Raman has a detailed explanation of why the first Prime Minister from Balochistan was sent packing.
bq. An aggravating factor was Jamali’s failure (in the eyes of Musharraf) to vigorously explain to the people and to support in public the operations launched by the Army in the South Waziristan area of the Federally-Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) in its hunt, under US pressure, for the dregs of Al Qaeda and the Taliban. The operations have caused considerable resentment not only among the tribals, but also in the lower and middle ranks of the Army and have been bitterly opposed by the religious parties.
bq. Since the middle of last year, Jamali himself was showing signs of unhappiness over what he perceived as his increasing marginalisation by Musharraf and by the prominence given to Shaukat Aziz. Before Musharraf’s visit to Camp David in the US in June last year for talks with President Bush, there were indications of growing US concerns over the rogue proliferation activities of Abdul Qadir Khan, the so-called father of the Pakistani atomic bomb, and his cronies in Pakistan’s nucear and missile establishment and the Army.
bq. In order to divert suspicion from himself and the Army, Musharraf ordered Shaukat Aziz to inspect the security and accounting procedures in the Kahuta uranium enrichment plant and took Aziz along with him to the US to reassure the US that everything was in order in the nuclear establishment.
bq. Before this, no civilian political leader of Pakistan had ever been allowed by the Army to visit any of the nuclear and missile establishments. Jamali was put in a highly embarrassing position when questions were raised as to why this task of seeming civilian supervision over the nuclear and missile establishment was given to Aziz and not to him (Jamali) and why Aziz reported his findings directly to Musharraf and not through Jamali. [“SAAG”:http://www.saag.org/papers11/paper1038.html]
NATO and Afghanistan
While President Bush is meeting with NATO members, all editorial writers are expecting NATO to contribute troops to Iraq so that the pressure on American troops is reduced.
bq. Fifty years after its founding, NATO fought its first war in 1999 against Serbia over its abuse of ethnic Muslims in Kosovo. Since then, it has moved beyond its historic arena – Europe – by sending troops to lead a security force in Afghanistan. Now, Iraq could be a catalyst either for repairing damage and helping to redefine NATO’s mission or for eroding its common purpose. In the latter event, the mutual disenchantment that began even before the Iraq war could have far-reaching impact – in Iraq, throughout the Middle East and wherever the post-Cold War international order comes under attack. [“Sacramento Bee”:http://www.sacbee.com/content/opinion/story/9789565p-10712165c.html]
Having NATO troops in Afghanistan has not made the country very secure. They are providing security to the embassies of western nations, while warlords and militia are still very active in rest of the country. This makes the September elections very risky as people may not come to vote in many parts of the country.
bq. THE NATO SUMMIT President Bush attends Monday in Istanbul cannot focus exclusively on debates about the training of Iraqi security forces. NATO will also be asked to do more to provide security for parliamentary elections scheduled for September in Afghanistan. On this topic there should be no unbridgeable differences, since NATO members, including France and Germany, have already committed themselves to helping Afghanistan achieve stability.
bq. If the NATO allies ignore a request for help from Afghan President Hamid Karzai and warnings from Human Rights Watch and other independent human rights organizations, their shirking of responsibility will cast a dark shadow not only over Afghanistan but also over the Atlantic alliance. [“Boston Globe”:http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2004/06/26/secure_afghan_elections/]
Afghan Elections
September is a big month for Afghanistan when the first elections will take place. The elections are important for women since last time they voted was in 1965. The Communists and the Mullahs had one thing in common when it comes to a woman’s rights. “16 men were murdererd”:http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20040627.wafgh0627_2/BNStory/International/ after the Taliban learned that they had registered to vote. “Even women”:http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/LondonFreePress/News/2004/06/27/515956.html were not spared. But despite this, the LA Times reports that Afghan women are reponding to voter registration drives.
bq. Badrai was determined that the Taliban loyalists wouldn’t stop her from voting. So she stiffened her resolve, walked into the mud-walled room behind the local hospital and asked the woman behind the desk if she could have a registration card. “Yes, I am a little scared, because some people say the Taliban will threaten us,” she said. “But God is kind. I think the elections will change our lives.” [“LA Times”:http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-women27jun27,1,4175128.story]
Putting Pressure
The previous NDA administration had started a negotiation process with Pakistan. Now that they are no longer in power and a new Govt. is in place, how do you bring them to the negotiating table ? First “some murders”:http://www.abc.net.au/ra/newstories/RANewsStories_1141246.htm, “some throat slitting”:http://www.paifamily.com/opinion/archives/2004_06.html#000901, “murder of security forces”:https://varnam.org/archives/000394.html, and some taking of “women as hostages”:http://news.newkerala.com/india-news/?action=fullnews&id=25453. As “Kuldeep Nayar”:https://varnam.org/archives/000199.html of “I-forgot-to-buy-the-candle”:https://varnam.org/archives/000199.html fame writes
bq. The army on the Indian side of Kashmir says that infiltration from Pakistan has increased. The home ministry reports in a 30-page document that training camps have been reopened on the Pakistani side of Kashmir and some 500 militants are undergoing training. This is nothing unusual. Militants’ camps have never been completely wound up and infiltration takes place after the melting of snow at the passes straddling over the mountains.
bq. The quantum of infiltration is still small. One cannot say for certain whether it would reach the proportion which it had in the past decade. Nor can one be sure about how far Pakistan was behind it. There are some jihadis who, even Musharraf admits, cannot be checked since they are like a loose gun beyond anybody’s control. But if infiltration is beginning in the same old way, it is an unfortunate development.
It will be a clear message from Islamabad that it is not happy over the content of talks. The Pakistan spokesman in his last week’s briefing dropped a hint: “There are some differences. Pakistan has its own position and India its own. We have been talking about it for quite some time without reaching any conclusion.”[“Dawn”:http://www.dawn.com/2004/06/26/op.htm#2, (via “Acorn”:http://www.paifamily.com/opinion/archives/2004_06.html#000901)]
Connect the dots
bq. “We don’t see any reason – there has been no cause at all for us to have second thoughts about providing any assistance to Pakistan,” Christina Rocca, assistant secretary of state for South Asian affairs, told a congressional hearing in Washington. [“BBC”:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3832037.stm]
At the same time in “Los Angeles Times”:http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-062404nukes_lat,1,3092028.story
bq. International investigators are examining whether Syria acquired nuclear technology and expertise through the black market network operated by rogue Pakistani scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan, according to a U.S. official and Western diplomats. Intelligence reports found that Khan and some associates visited Syria in the late 1990s and later held clandestine meetings with Syrian nuclear officials in Iran, said Western diplomats from a U.S. ally. Concerns were heightened after an experimental U.S. electronic eavesdropping device recently picked up signals indicating that Syria was operating centrifuges, which enrich uranium for possible use in nuclear weapons. [“LA Times”:http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-062404nukes_lat,1,3092028.story]
Need a newsreader
Till recently I was using “newsmonster”:http://newsmonster.org/ as my newsreader. It worked ok on Firefox 0.8. But now that I have upgraded to “Firefox 0.9”:http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/, the newsreader has stopped working.
I tried “RSS Reader”:http://www.rssreader.com/, but it brings up old articles again and again as if they are new. What newsreader do you use ?