NEW DELHI: Search engine giant Google has featured a doodle on its homepage today to celebrate the birthday of Howard Carter, who was an English archaeologist and Egyptologist. Carter is known for his discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun, a major contribution to his field.
The doodle displays Carter standing amidst the ancient artifacts excavated from the tomb of Tutankhamun and inspecting his work.
Howard (May 9, 1874 - March 2, 1939), born in London, was the son of a skilled artist who encouraged him to follow his footsteps.
In 1891, Howard was made to go to Egypt by the Egypt Exploration Fund to act as an assistant to Percy Newberry in the excavation and recording of Middle Kingdom tombs at Beni Hasan.
From a young age, Howard had an inquisitive mind and was capable of copying the ancient tomb decoration. Because of his interest in the ancient tomb decoration, Howard from 1894 to 1899 worked with Edouard Naville at Deir el-Bahari and recorded the wall reliefs in the temple of Hatshepsut.
His work was recognized and acclaimed, and in 1899 he was appointed as the first chief inspector of the Egyptian Antiquities Service (EAS).
In his career, he has supervised several excavations but it was on November 4, 1922, that he eventually found the trace leading to Tutankhamun's tomb, which is considered to be the best preserved and most intact pharaonic tomb to be found till date in the Valley of the Kings. He then with the support of George Edward Stanhope Molyneux Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon, explored the gold and ebony treasures which are also considered an amazing archaeological discovery.
He spent the next several months in cataloging the contents of the antechamber. And on February 16, 1923, Howard Carter opened the sealed doorway only to find that it led to a burial chamber where he got the first glimpse of the sarcophagus of Tutankhamun.
Howard after this extraordinary discovery retired from archaeology and worked as a part-time agent for museums and collectors.
At 64, Carter died of lymphoma, a type of cancer, in Kensington, London, which was commonly believed to be the "curse of the pharaohs" plaguing the party that violated Tutankhamun's tomb.
Showing posts with label Day To Day World News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Day To Day World News. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Us Will Remain Committed To Afghanistan Even After Pullout: Hillary Clinton
NEW DELHI: US secretary of state Hillary Clinton on Tuesday said that even after the Nato-ISAF withdrawal in 2014 from Afghanistan, US and NATO will maintain a "commitment of security and development support''. She said US will support Afghanistan's security and stability and will contribute to building capacity in their government, and enhancing their economic growth and development.
"That will continue. I think the details of that are being worked out on our side, speaking just for the United States, with the strategic agreement. And now we will negotiate a security agreement,'' she said at a joint press interaction after her meeting with foreign minister SM Krishna.
"There are a couple of milestones up ahead. At the Nato meeting in Chicago in about two weeks, there will be a reaffirmation of our commitment to Afghanistan, both to the transition to Afghan-led security and then after 2014. The Indian government will host a private sector conference to encourage more private sector investment in Afghanistan in June,'' she added.
Clinton said the al-Qaida plot to bomb a US bound airplane in Yemen suggested that terror groups keep trying to devise more and more perverse and terrible ways to kill innocent people. "It is a reminder why we have to remain vigilant," she said.
"The device did not appear to pose a threat to the public air service but the plot itself indicated that the terrorists keep trying to devise more and more perverse and terrible ways to kill innocent people," she added.
"That will continue. I think the details of that are being worked out on our side, speaking just for the United States, with the strategic agreement. And now we will negotiate a security agreement,'' she said at a joint press interaction after her meeting with foreign minister SM Krishna.
"There are a couple of milestones up ahead. At the Nato meeting in Chicago in about two weeks, there will be a reaffirmation of our commitment to Afghanistan, both to the transition to Afghan-led security and then after 2014. The Indian government will host a private sector conference to encourage more private sector investment in Afghanistan in June,'' she added.
Clinton said the al-Qaida plot to bomb a US bound airplane in Yemen suggested that terror groups keep trying to devise more and more perverse and terrible ways to kill innocent people. "It is a reminder why we have to remain vigilant," she said.
"The device did not appear to pose a threat to the public air service but the plot itself indicated that the terrorists keep trying to devise more and more perverse and terrible ways to kill innocent people," she added.
China Begins Drilling In South China Sea
BEIJING: China's first deep-water drilling rig started operation in the South China Sea on Wednesday, marking "a substantial step" by the country's oil industry, a newspaper reported.
The sixth-generation semi-submersible CNOOC 981 began drilling in a sea area 320 km southeast of Hong Kong at a water depth of 1,500 meters, China Daily quoted the China National Offshore Oil Corp as saying.
The sixth-generation semi-submersible CNOOC 981 began drilling in a sea area 320 km southeast of Hong Kong at a water depth of 1,500 meters, China Daily quoted the China National Offshore Oil Corp as saying.
Bomber In Al-Qaida Plot Was Double Agent: Reports
WASHINGTON: The man ordered by al-Qaida's branch in Yemen to blow up a US-bound airliner was a double agent who infiltrated the group and volunteered for the suicide attack, US media reported.
American officials leaked out details of the extraordinary intelligence coup two days after the White House announced a plot by al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) had been successfully thwarted.
The double agent managed to spend weeks with AQAP before handing over information that allowed the US to launch a drone strike on Sunday that killed Fahd al-Quso, a senior figure who was wanted for the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole in Yemen, the New York Times and other media reported, citing unnamed US officials.
A senior US official told the Times that a bomb for the would-be attack was sewn into "custom fit" underwear that would have been difficult to detect even in a careful pat-down at an airport.
Unlike the device used in the failed Christmas Day 2009 plot by AQAP to blow up an airliner en route to Detroit, this explosive could have been detonated in two ways, in case one failed, the unnamed official was quoted as saying.
The main charge was a high-grade military explosive that "undoubtedly would have brought down an aircraft," the official said.
ABC News had reported earlier that the latest plot by AQAP was thwarted by a spy who infiltrated the group and took the explosive to Saudi Arabia.
The CIA and other government agencies declined to comment on the reports when contacted by AFP.
Saudi intelligence likely played a pivotal role in disrupting the conspiracy, possibly providing the double agent, former US officials said.
FBI experts yesterday were analyzing the seized explosive that officials said was an updated version of the "underwear bomb" used in the failed Christmas Day 2009 attack.
Although officials touted the disrupted plot as a success, they acknowledged AQAP remained determined to strike and its master bombmaker, Ibrahim Hassan Taleh Al-Asiri, was apparently hard at work seeking to circumvent airport security.
American officials leaked out details of the extraordinary intelligence coup two days after the White House announced a plot by al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) had been successfully thwarted.
The double agent managed to spend weeks with AQAP before handing over information that allowed the US to launch a drone strike on Sunday that killed Fahd al-Quso, a senior figure who was wanted for the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole in Yemen, the New York Times and other media reported, citing unnamed US officials.
A senior US official told the Times that a bomb for the would-be attack was sewn into "custom fit" underwear that would have been difficult to detect even in a careful pat-down at an airport.
Unlike the device used in the failed Christmas Day 2009 plot by AQAP to blow up an airliner en route to Detroit, this explosive could have been detonated in two ways, in case one failed, the unnamed official was quoted as saying.
The main charge was a high-grade military explosive that "undoubtedly would have brought down an aircraft," the official said.
ABC News had reported earlier that the latest plot by AQAP was thwarted by a spy who infiltrated the group and took the explosive to Saudi Arabia.
The CIA and other government agencies declined to comment on the reports when contacted by AFP.
Saudi intelligence likely played a pivotal role in disrupting the conspiracy, possibly providing the double agent, former US officials said.
FBI experts yesterday were analyzing the seized explosive that officials said was an updated version of the "underwear bomb" used in the failed Christmas Day 2009 attack.
Although officials touted the disrupted plot as a success, they acknowledged AQAP remained determined to strike and its master bombmaker, Ibrahim Hassan Taleh Al-Asiri, was apparently hard at work seeking to circumvent airport security.
North Carolina Approves Gay Marriage Ban
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA: North Carolina voters approved a constitutional amendment on Tuesday defining marriage solely as a union between a man and a woman, becoming the latest US state to effectively slam the door shut on same-sex marriages.
With most of the precincts reporting on Tuesday, unofficial returns showed the amendment passing with about 61 percent of the vote to 39 percent against. North Carolina is the 30th state to adopt such a ban on gay marriage.
Tami Fitzgerald, who heads the pro-amendment group Vote FOR Marriage NC, said she believes the initiative awoke a silent majority of more active voters in the future.
"I think it sends a message to the rest of the country that marriage is between one man and one woman," Fitzgerald said at a celebration Tuesday night. "The whole point is simply that you don't rewrite the nature of God's design based on the demands of a group of adults."
In the final days before the vote, members of President Barack Obama's Cabinet expressed support for gay marriage and former President Bill Clinton recorded phone messages urging voters to oppose the amendment.
Supporters of the amendment responded with marches, television ads and speeches.
North Carolina law already bans gay marriage, but an amendment effectively seals the door on same-sex marriages.
The amendment also goes beyond state law by voiding other types of domestic unions from carrying legal status, which opponents warn could disrupt protection orders for unmarried couples.
The campaign manager for the group that opposed the amendment said America watched North Carolina on Tuesday night, wondering how the anti-forces came through.
"I am happy to say that we are stronger for it; we are better for it; our voices are louder now," said Jeremy Kennedy of Protect All NC Families. "We have courage like we never had before, and we have strength to continue on."
Supporters had run their own ad campaigns and church leaders urged Sunday congregations to vote for the amendment. The Rev. Billy Graham, who at age 93 remains influential even though his last crusade was in 2005, was featured in full-page newspaper ads supporting the amendment.
Both sides spent a combined $3 million on their campaigns.
Six states - all in America's Northeast except Iowa - and the District of Columbia allow same sex marriages. In addition, two other states have laws that are not yet in effect and may be subject to referendums
The North Carolina amendment was placed on the ballot after Republicans took over control of the state Legislature after the 2010 elections, a role the Republican Party hadn't enjoyed for 140 years.
Joe Easterling, who described himself as a devout Christian, voted for the amendment at a polling place in Wake Forest.
"I know that some people may argue that the Bible may not necessarily be applicable, or it should not be applicable, on such policy matters. But even looking at nature itself, procreation is impossible without a man and a woman. And because of those things, I think it is important that the state of North Carolina's laws are compatible with the laws of nature but, more importantly, with the laws of God."
Linda Toanone, who voted against the amendment, said people are born gay and it is not their choice.
"We think everybody should have the same rights as everyone else. If you're gay, lesbian, straight - whatever," she said.
North Carolina is the latest presidential swing state to weigh in on gay marriage. Florida, Virginia and Ohio all have constitutional amendments against gay marriage, and Obama's election-year vagueness on gay marriage has come under fresh scrutiny.
Obama, who supports most gay rights, has stopped short of backing gay marriage. Without clarification, he's said for the past year and a half that his personal views on the matter are "evolving."
Education Secretary Arne Duncan broke ranks with the White House on Monday, stating his unequivocal support for same-sex marriage one day after Vice President Joe Biden said he is "absolutely comfortable" with same-sex married couples getting the same rights at heterosexual married couples.
One fault line that could determine the result is generational. Older voters, who tend to be more reliable voters, were expected to back the amendment.
State House Speaker Thom Tillis, a Republican from a Charlotte suburb, said earlier in the year that even if the amendment passed, it would be reversed as today's young adults age - within 20 years. "It's a generational issue," Tillis told a student group at North Carolina State University in March about the amendment he supports.
"Also, that amendment is against women, I believe, because also underneath the amendment, other laws are saying that people who aren't married at all, they can't file for domestic abuse cases, if they're living with their significant other. Which is wrong," Toanone said.
With most of the precincts reporting on Tuesday, unofficial returns showed the amendment passing with about 61 percent of the vote to 39 percent against. North Carolina is the 30th state to adopt such a ban on gay marriage.
Tami Fitzgerald, who heads the pro-amendment group Vote FOR Marriage NC, said she believes the initiative awoke a silent majority of more active voters in the future.
"I think it sends a message to the rest of the country that marriage is between one man and one woman," Fitzgerald said at a celebration Tuesday night. "The whole point is simply that you don't rewrite the nature of God's design based on the demands of a group of adults."
In the final days before the vote, members of President Barack Obama's Cabinet expressed support for gay marriage and former President Bill Clinton recorded phone messages urging voters to oppose the amendment.
Supporters of the amendment responded with marches, television ads and speeches.
North Carolina law already bans gay marriage, but an amendment effectively seals the door on same-sex marriages.
The amendment also goes beyond state law by voiding other types of domestic unions from carrying legal status, which opponents warn could disrupt protection orders for unmarried couples.
The campaign manager for the group that opposed the amendment said America watched North Carolina on Tuesday night, wondering how the anti-forces came through.
"I am happy to say that we are stronger for it; we are better for it; our voices are louder now," said Jeremy Kennedy of Protect All NC Families. "We have courage like we never had before, and we have strength to continue on."
Supporters had run their own ad campaigns and church leaders urged Sunday congregations to vote for the amendment. The Rev. Billy Graham, who at age 93 remains influential even though his last crusade was in 2005, was featured in full-page newspaper ads supporting the amendment.
Both sides spent a combined $3 million on their campaigns.
Six states - all in America's Northeast except Iowa - and the District of Columbia allow same sex marriages. In addition, two other states have laws that are not yet in effect and may be subject to referendums
The North Carolina amendment was placed on the ballot after Republicans took over control of the state Legislature after the 2010 elections, a role the Republican Party hadn't enjoyed for 140 years.
Joe Easterling, who described himself as a devout Christian, voted for the amendment at a polling place in Wake Forest.
"I know that some people may argue that the Bible may not necessarily be applicable, or it should not be applicable, on such policy matters. But even looking at nature itself, procreation is impossible without a man and a woman. And because of those things, I think it is important that the state of North Carolina's laws are compatible with the laws of nature but, more importantly, with the laws of God."
Linda Toanone, who voted against the amendment, said people are born gay and it is not their choice.
"We think everybody should have the same rights as everyone else. If you're gay, lesbian, straight - whatever," she said.
North Carolina is the latest presidential swing state to weigh in on gay marriage. Florida, Virginia and Ohio all have constitutional amendments against gay marriage, and Obama's election-year vagueness on gay marriage has come under fresh scrutiny.
Obama, who supports most gay rights, has stopped short of backing gay marriage. Without clarification, he's said for the past year and a half that his personal views on the matter are "evolving."
Education Secretary Arne Duncan broke ranks with the White House on Monday, stating his unequivocal support for same-sex marriage one day after Vice President Joe Biden said he is "absolutely comfortable" with same-sex married couples getting the same rights at heterosexual married couples.
One fault line that could determine the result is generational. Older voters, who tend to be more reliable voters, were expected to back the amendment.
State House Speaker Thom Tillis, a Republican from a Charlotte suburb, said earlier in the year that even if the amendment passed, it would be reversed as today's young adults age - within 20 years. "It's a generational issue," Tillis told a student group at North Carolina State University in March about the amendment he supports.
"Also, that amendment is against women, I believe, because also underneath the amendment, other laws are saying that people who aren't married at all, they can't file for domestic abuse cases, if they're living with their significant other. Which is wrong," Toanone said.
Blast Hits Un Observer's Convoy In Syria
DARAA, SYRIA: A roadside bomb wounded six soldiers as they escorted a convoy of UN peace observers, including the general who heads the mission, in southern Syria on Wednesday, an AFP photographer said.
The explosive device, which appeared to have been planted underground, detonated as the convoy of four vehicles was about to enter the town of Daraa, cradle of a 14-month uprising against President Bashar al-Assad's regime.
Major General Robert Mood of Norway, the head of the UN mission, was in the convoy but escaped unharmed along with 11 other observers and his spokesman Neeraj Singh, said the photographer who was travelling in the convoy.
The bomb attack was the latest breach of a month-old ceasefire agreement that international envoy Kofi Annan said could be the last chance to avert a civil war in Syria.
Troops elsewhere pounded a rebel hideout near the capital Damascus, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The shelling of Douma, about 13 kilometres (eight miles) northeast of the capital, came as violence across Syria killed at least three people, said the Britain-based watchdog.
Forces loyal to Assad lost two of their own men in clashes with rebel fighters in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor, said the Observatory.
On Tuesday, Annan told the UN Security Council the priority in Syria was "to stop the killing," and expressed concern that torture, mass arrests and other human rights violations were intensifying.
Regime forces "continue to press against the population," despite a putative truce that started on April 12, but attacks are more discreet because of the presence of the UN military observers, diplomats quoted him as saying.
"The biggest priority, first of all we need to stop the killing," Annan told reporters in Geneva, adding that his six-point peace plan is "the only remaining chance to stabilise the country."
Annan briefed the council on his efforts to get Assad to implement the plan, which he said was possibly "the last chance to avoid civil war."
He stressed, however, that the peace bid was not an "open-ended" opportunity for Assad, the diplomats who attended the briefing said.
Annan plans to return to Damascus in the coming weeks, his spokesman said on Tuesday, though this depended on events on the ground there. It would be only his second visit since his mission began earlier this year.
US ambassador to the UN Susan Rice said Washington's goal was still the removal of Assad.
"The United States remains focused on increasing the pressure on the Assad regime and on Assad himself to step down," Rice said.
"The situation in Syria remains dire, especially for the millions who continue to endure daily attacks and are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance," she told reporters after Annan's briefing.
Top US officials are to meet delegates from the Syrian Kurdish National Council (KNC) in Washington this week to try to build a "more cohesive opposition" to Assad, a State Department spokesman said.
Annan updated the UN body on the status of his six-point plan, which includes a UN military observer mission, a day after UN chief Ban Ki-moon warned world powers were racing against time to prevent all-out civil war in Syria.
The current 60 or so observers on the ground "have had a calming effect" and the deployment by the end of the month of a 300-strong team would see a "much greater impact," Annan said.
While there had been a decrease in military activities however, there had been "serious violations" of the agreed ceasefire, which included attacks on government troops and facilities, he added.
"The need for human rights abuses to come to an end cannot be underestimated," he stressed.
"This is what the plan is all about."
UN Middle East envoy Terje Roed-Larsen told the Security Council that arms were being smuggled in both directions between Lebanon and Syria.
"What we see across the region is a dance of death at the brink of the abyss of war," he told reporters later.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said almost 12,000 people, most of them civilians, had died since the revolt broke out in March 2011.
Of that number, about 800 had died since the truce was supposed to have taken effect, said the Britain-based watchdog -- and at least six civilians had been killed on Tuesday.
The unrest has persisted despite the presence of UN observers monitoring the truce and parliamentary elections on Monday.
The opposition boycotted the vote, denouncing it as a sham. The United States said the exercise was "bordering on ludicrous."
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged the UN to bolster its observer mission well past the 300 authorised under a Security Council resolution.
The United Nations has accused both the Syrian regime and rebels of violating the truce.
The explosive device, which appeared to have been planted underground, detonated as the convoy of four vehicles was about to enter the town of Daraa, cradle of a 14-month uprising against President Bashar al-Assad's regime.
Major General Robert Mood of Norway, the head of the UN mission, was in the convoy but escaped unharmed along with 11 other observers and his spokesman Neeraj Singh, said the photographer who was travelling in the convoy.
The bomb attack was the latest breach of a month-old ceasefire agreement that international envoy Kofi Annan said could be the last chance to avert a civil war in Syria.
Troops elsewhere pounded a rebel hideout near the capital Damascus, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The shelling of Douma, about 13 kilometres (eight miles) northeast of the capital, came as violence across Syria killed at least three people, said the Britain-based watchdog.
Forces loyal to Assad lost two of their own men in clashes with rebel fighters in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor, said the Observatory.
On Tuesday, Annan told the UN Security Council the priority in Syria was "to stop the killing," and expressed concern that torture, mass arrests and other human rights violations were intensifying.
Regime forces "continue to press against the population," despite a putative truce that started on April 12, but attacks are more discreet because of the presence of the UN military observers, diplomats quoted him as saying.
"The biggest priority, first of all we need to stop the killing," Annan told reporters in Geneva, adding that his six-point peace plan is "the only remaining chance to stabilise the country."
Annan briefed the council on his efforts to get Assad to implement the plan, which he said was possibly "the last chance to avoid civil war."
He stressed, however, that the peace bid was not an "open-ended" opportunity for Assad, the diplomats who attended the briefing said.
Annan plans to return to Damascus in the coming weeks, his spokesman said on Tuesday, though this depended on events on the ground there. It would be only his second visit since his mission began earlier this year.
US ambassador to the UN Susan Rice said Washington's goal was still the removal of Assad.
"The United States remains focused on increasing the pressure on the Assad regime and on Assad himself to step down," Rice said.
"The situation in Syria remains dire, especially for the millions who continue to endure daily attacks and are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance," she told reporters after Annan's briefing.
Top US officials are to meet delegates from the Syrian Kurdish National Council (KNC) in Washington this week to try to build a "more cohesive opposition" to Assad, a State Department spokesman said.
Annan updated the UN body on the status of his six-point plan, which includes a UN military observer mission, a day after UN chief Ban Ki-moon warned world powers were racing against time to prevent all-out civil war in Syria.
The current 60 or so observers on the ground "have had a calming effect" and the deployment by the end of the month of a 300-strong team would see a "much greater impact," Annan said.
While there had been a decrease in military activities however, there had been "serious violations" of the agreed ceasefire, which included attacks on government troops and facilities, he added.
"The need for human rights abuses to come to an end cannot be underestimated," he stressed.
"This is what the plan is all about."
UN Middle East envoy Terje Roed-Larsen told the Security Council that arms were being smuggled in both directions between Lebanon and Syria.
"What we see across the region is a dance of death at the brink of the abyss of war," he told reporters later.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said almost 12,000 people, most of them civilians, had died since the revolt broke out in March 2011.
Of that number, about 800 had died since the truce was supposed to have taken effect, said the Britain-based watchdog -- and at least six civilians had been killed on Tuesday.
The unrest has persisted despite the presence of UN observers monitoring the truce and parliamentary elections on Monday.
The opposition boycotted the vote, denouncing it as a sham. The United States said the exercise was "bordering on ludicrous."
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged the UN to bolster its observer mission well past the 300 authorised under a Security Council resolution.
The United Nations has accused both the Syrian regime and rebels of violating the truce.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
'Uprising Day' Plans Muted By China Clampdown
TAERSI, CHINA: As the anniversary of the Dalai Lama's flight into exile, March 10 has traditionally been a flashpoint for unrest in China's vast Tibetan-inhabited regions.
But the monks at Taersi Buddhist Monastery in the northwestern province of Qinghai have no plans to mark the day their revered spiritual leader fled Tibet following a failed uprising against China's rule in 1959.
"No, no, we have no activities planned to commemorate this day," said one monk at Taersi, home to more than 3,000 monks and one of the most influential institutions in the Dalai Lama's Gelugpa school of Tibetan Buddhism.
"Right now our monastery is under strict supervision, it is not proper to speak of such things at this time," the monk told AFP, refusing to give his name out of fear for his safety.
Chinese authorities launched a huge security clampdown ahead of the sensitive anniversary, known in Tibetan areas as " uprising day".
It comes after a year in which more than 20 Tibetans, most of them monks, have set fire to themselves to protest Beijing's rule, sparking international condemnation of what critics call religious and cultural repression.
Beijing has heaped blame for the incidents on the Dalai Lama, who lives in exile in India, accusing the 76-year-old Buddhist leader and his followers of plotting to create "turmoil" in China's Tibetan-inhabited areas.
Tibetan Buddhist clergy are under particularly close scrutiny -- the government closely monitors their activities, stationing its representatives in monasteries and nunneries in the region and organising "political re-education" classes.
Nonetheless, photographs of the Dalai Lama, often banned in China's Tibetan-inhabited regions, are on open display in some of the vast halls at Taersi, also known by its Tibetan name of Kumbum monastery.
Visitors are shown locked rooms where monks bow and pray before even more photographs of the spiritual leader.
Monks in Taersi said security surrounding the monastery has been heavy since March 2008, when deadly riots erupted in Tibet's capital, Lhasa, and spread to other areas.
But while there have been a number of self-immolations in neighbouring Sichuan province, only one has been reported in Qinghai, which has a relatively large population of other ethnic groups including the dominant Han Chinese.
"What is particularly significant I think is that there haven't been any self-immolations in the Tibetan autonomous region, which is after all an area where half of Tibetans live," said Barry Sautman, an expert on Tibetan issues.
He said there was a difference between "those areas that are multi-ethnic or urban, or quasi-urban", where most of the self-immolations had occurred, and the sparsely populated countryside where very few Han people live.
Beijing insists that Tibetans enjoy religious freedom and have benefited from improved living standards brought on by China's economic expansion.
At the Taersi monastery, there is little evidence of any ethnic tensions, and the Tibetan monks say they coexist peacefully with their Han Chinese and ethnic Mongolian counterparts.
But they are also highly aware of the debate surrounding their revered spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, in Beijing.
"We are awaiting his return to Tibet," said one.
"The government accuses him of wanting Tibetan independence, but the Dalai Lama has always said he wants more autonomy for Tibet, he wants something like the 'one country, two systems' China gave Hong Kong."
But the monks at Taersi Buddhist Monastery in the northwestern province of Qinghai have no plans to mark the day their revered spiritual leader fled Tibet following a failed uprising against China's rule in 1959.
"No, no, we have no activities planned to commemorate this day," said one monk at Taersi, home to more than 3,000 monks and one of the most influential institutions in the Dalai Lama's Gelugpa school of Tibetan Buddhism.
"Right now our monastery is under strict supervision, it is not proper to speak of such things at this time," the monk told AFP, refusing to give his name out of fear for his safety.
Chinese authorities launched a huge security clampdown ahead of the sensitive anniversary, known in Tibetan areas as " uprising day".
It comes after a year in which more than 20 Tibetans, most of them monks, have set fire to themselves to protest Beijing's rule, sparking international condemnation of what critics call religious and cultural repression.
Beijing has heaped blame for the incidents on the Dalai Lama, who lives in exile in India, accusing the 76-year-old Buddhist leader and his followers of plotting to create "turmoil" in China's Tibetan-inhabited areas.
Tibetan Buddhist clergy are under particularly close scrutiny -- the government closely monitors their activities, stationing its representatives in monasteries and nunneries in the region and organising "political re-education" classes.
Nonetheless, photographs of the Dalai Lama, often banned in China's Tibetan-inhabited regions, are on open display in some of the vast halls at Taersi, also known by its Tibetan name of Kumbum monastery.
Visitors are shown locked rooms where monks bow and pray before even more photographs of the spiritual leader.
Monks in Taersi said security surrounding the monastery has been heavy since March 2008, when deadly riots erupted in Tibet's capital, Lhasa, and spread to other areas.
But while there have been a number of self-immolations in neighbouring Sichuan province, only one has been reported in Qinghai, which has a relatively large population of other ethnic groups including the dominant Han Chinese.
"What is particularly significant I think is that there haven't been any self-immolations in the Tibetan autonomous region, which is after all an area where half of Tibetans live," said Barry Sautman, an expert on Tibetan issues.
He said there was a difference between "those areas that are multi-ethnic or urban, or quasi-urban", where most of the self-immolations had occurred, and the sparsely populated countryside where very few Han people live.
Beijing insists that Tibetans enjoy religious freedom and have benefited from improved living standards brought on by China's economic expansion.
At the Taersi monastery, there is little evidence of any ethnic tensions, and the Tibetan monks say they coexist peacefully with their Han Chinese and ethnic Mongolian counterparts.
But they are also highly aware of the debate surrounding their revered spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, in Beijing.
"We are awaiting his return to Tibet," said one.
"The government accuses him of wanting Tibetan independence, but the Dalai Lama has always said he wants more autonomy for Tibet, he wants something like the 'one country, two systems' China gave Hong Kong."
Pakistan's SC Targets Army
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's powerful military establishment is under rare scrutiny from the country's top court, which after a gap of 16 years has opened an investigation into allegations the army funneled money to politicians to influence elections.
The case has showcased the emerging power of the Supreme Court, which is also hearing a contempt case against the prime minister that could see him imprisoned. The court's activism has led to some uncomfortable headlines for politicians and pierced the perception of the generals' invulnerability.
But it's unclear who, if anyone, will be held accountable.
Indeed, some critics say by moving against the generals now, the court is just seeking to deflect criticism that it focuses solely on the alleged misdeeds of the elected civilian government and wants to dislodge President Ali Zardari, with the supposed nod from the military itself.
The court is also demanding answers from the army and spy agencies over the fate of hundreds of "missing" Pakistanis: suspected militants or separatists picked up and held by military authorities for months and years in secret detentions.
Analysts say the developments are part of jostling between the army, the court and the government, with each wanting to stake a claim on its sphere of influence. There seems to be a balance among them so far, with no side willing or strong enough to strike a decisive blow against another. Speculation of a military coup or the imminent ousting of the government, frequently raised in the media just a few months ago, has receded.
The court is acting on a petition filed in 1996 by former Air Vice Marshal Asghar Khan, demanding it investigate what he claimed were payments to right-wing politicians made by the army-run Inter-Services Intelligence spy agency, known as the ISI. The money was to be used to ensure that the Pakistan People's Party - currently in power - would not win the 1990 general elections.
Without explaining why, the court began hearing the case last month. Testimony this week has shone a light on longtime allegations that the ISI has tried to influence elections.
On Thursday, Yunus Habib, a 90-year-old banker from the state-owned Mehran Bank, testified that he doled out the equivalent of $1.5 million in bank funds to politicians and ISI officers on the orders of then army chief Gen. Aslam Beg and President Ghulam Ishaq Khan, who was considered close to the army.
Some of the politicians who allegedly took the funds remain powerful political players, including opposition leader and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. He has denied taking any money.
On Friday, former ISI chief Lt. Gen. Asad Durrani testified that he was directed by Beg to distribute the money among politicians from the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad, a right-wing political alliance allegedly set up by the military establishment to counter the PPP. He said Beg told him the money had been collected from the business community in Karachi.
The alleged bribes didn't give the alliance victory, however. It won 53 seats in the National Assembly, 49 less than the PPP that went on to form the government.
What happens next is uncertain.
Khan's lawyer Salman Raja said he wanted criminal cases brought against all those who distributed and received the money. That would roil the political scene and likely be opposed by the army. Moreover, the nature of the evidence against them is unclear.
Retired justice Tariq Mahmood said the case was a "morale booster" for the current government, but that it was unlikely anyone would be put on trial. "The government now has a chance to bring the intelligence agencies ... under its control," he said.
Political analyst Moeed Pirzada said the case put both the military and Nawaz Sharif on the defensive, which benefits the current PPP government, but would likely remain inconclusive. He said the court saw the case as "an opportunity to assert itself" following criticism by some over its pursuit of President Asif Ali Zardari.
Supreme Court justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudry has been accused of pursuing a vendetta against Zardari's PPP government. Zardari opposed Chaudry's reinstatement to the job in March 2009. The court has ordered Prime Minister Yusaf Raza Gilani to reopen a corruption probe against Zardari.
Gilani has refused, arguing that Zardari has immunity from prosecution so long as he remains president. If found guilty of contempt for ignoring the order, Gilani could be imprisoned for six months and lose his job.
The case has showcased the emerging power of the Supreme Court, which is also hearing a contempt case against the prime minister that could see him imprisoned. The court's activism has led to some uncomfortable headlines for politicians and pierced the perception of the generals' invulnerability.
But it's unclear who, if anyone, will be held accountable.
Indeed, some critics say by moving against the generals now, the court is just seeking to deflect criticism that it focuses solely on the alleged misdeeds of the elected civilian government and wants to dislodge President Ali Zardari, with the supposed nod from the military itself.
The court is also demanding answers from the army and spy agencies over the fate of hundreds of "missing" Pakistanis: suspected militants or separatists picked up and held by military authorities for months and years in secret detentions.
Analysts say the developments are part of jostling between the army, the court and the government, with each wanting to stake a claim on its sphere of influence. There seems to be a balance among them so far, with no side willing or strong enough to strike a decisive blow against another. Speculation of a military coup or the imminent ousting of the government, frequently raised in the media just a few months ago, has receded.
The court is acting on a petition filed in 1996 by former Air Vice Marshal Asghar Khan, demanding it investigate what he claimed were payments to right-wing politicians made by the army-run Inter-Services Intelligence spy agency, known as the ISI. The money was to be used to ensure that the Pakistan People's Party - currently in power - would not win the 1990 general elections.
Without explaining why, the court began hearing the case last month. Testimony this week has shone a light on longtime allegations that the ISI has tried to influence elections.
On Thursday, Yunus Habib, a 90-year-old banker from the state-owned Mehran Bank, testified that he doled out the equivalent of $1.5 million in bank funds to politicians and ISI officers on the orders of then army chief Gen. Aslam Beg and President Ghulam Ishaq Khan, who was considered close to the army.
Some of the politicians who allegedly took the funds remain powerful political players, including opposition leader and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. He has denied taking any money.
On Friday, former ISI chief Lt. Gen. Asad Durrani testified that he was directed by Beg to distribute the money among politicians from the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad, a right-wing political alliance allegedly set up by the military establishment to counter the PPP. He said Beg told him the money had been collected from the business community in Karachi.
The alleged bribes didn't give the alliance victory, however. It won 53 seats in the National Assembly, 49 less than the PPP that went on to form the government.
What happens next is uncertain.
Khan's lawyer Salman Raja said he wanted criminal cases brought against all those who distributed and received the money. That would roil the political scene and likely be opposed by the army. Moreover, the nature of the evidence against them is unclear.
Retired justice Tariq Mahmood said the case was a "morale booster" for the current government, but that it was unlikely anyone would be put on trial. "The government now has a chance to bring the intelligence agencies ... under its control," he said.
Political analyst Moeed Pirzada said the case put both the military and Nawaz Sharif on the defensive, which benefits the current PPP government, but would likely remain inconclusive. He said the court saw the case as "an opportunity to assert itself" following criticism by some over its pursuit of President Asif Ali Zardari.
Supreme Court justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudry has been accused of pursuing a vendetta against Zardari's PPP government. Zardari opposed Chaudry's reinstatement to the job in March 2009. The court has ordered Prime Minister Yusaf Raza Gilani to reopen a corruption probe against Zardari.
Gilani has refused, arguing that Zardari has immunity from prosecution so long as he remains president. If found guilty of contempt for ignoring the order, Gilani could be imprisoned for six months and lose his job.
US Wants Relations With Pakistan On Upward Trajectory: State Dept
WASHINGTON: As Pakistan conducts a Parliamentary review of its bilateral ties with US, a State Department official said Washington wants to have its relationship with Pakistan always on an upward trajectory.
"We obviously always want our relationship with Pakistan to be on an upward trajectory," the State Department spokesperson, Victoria Nuland told reporters at her daily news conference yesterday.
US, she said, wants to improve its relationship with Pakistan.
However, Nuland refused to answer questions related to the announcement of appointment of a new ISI chief.
Pakistan-US relations have been buffeted by several crises since last year, including the gunning down of two Pakistani men by a CIA contractor in Lahore, the killing of Osama bin Laden by American commandos in Abbottabad and a cross-border NATO air strike that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers in November.
Gilani ordered a Parliamentary review of bilateral relations and new "terms of engagement" for the US will be unveiled after a joint session of the two houses of Parliament that is likely to be held later this month.
"We obviously always want our relationship with Pakistan to be on an upward trajectory," the State Department spokesperson, Victoria Nuland told reporters at her daily news conference yesterday.
US, she said, wants to improve its relationship with Pakistan.
However, Nuland refused to answer questions related to the announcement of appointment of a new ISI chief.
Pakistan-US relations have been buffeted by several crises since last year, including the gunning down of two Pakistani men by a CIA contractor in Lahore, the killing of Osama bin Laden by American commandos in Abbottabad and a cross-border NATO air strike that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers in November.
Gilani ordered a Parliamentary review of bilateral relations and new "terms of engagement" for the US will be unveiled after a joint session of the two houses of Parliament that is likely to be held later this month.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Canadian Bishop Gets 15 Months In Jail In Child Porn Case
TORONTO: A Canadian Roman Catholic bishop who admitted he was addicted to looking at child pornography left court Wednesday a free man after being credited for time served in his 15 month sentence.
Bishop Raymond Lahey was arrested at the Ottawa airport in 2009 after customs authorities found almost 600 pornographic photos of young teen boys on his laptop and a handheld device.
Some of the porn involved adolescent boys engaged in sex acts while wearing a crucifix and rosary beads.
The case was especially shocking to Canadians because Lahey had overseen a multimillion-dollar settlement for clerical sexual abuse victims in his diocese before he was charged.
Lahey, 71, pleaded guilty last May to one count of importing child pornography and voluntarily went to jail to begin serving time before his formal sentencing.
Ontario Court Justice Kent Kirkland on Wednesday gave Lahey two-for-one credit for the time he served and two years probation. Double credit is not unusual. The federal government got rid of the provision in 2010 but Lahey qualified for it because he was charged in 2009 before the legislation was enacted.
Lahey will have to submit a DNA sample and register as a sex offender. He also will have to allow searches of his personal and office computers when required by the authorities. He has also been ordered to keep away from swimming pools, daycare centers and schools.
Lahey said nothing as he left the Ottawa courthouse on Wednesday.
Defense lawyer Michael Edelson called it ``exactly the right sentence.'' Edelson said Lahey's career in the church is over. He said Lahey wrote a letter to the Vatican last year asking to be defrocked but hasn't heard back yet.
Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi said Wednesday that the Vatican had said that once the criminal court case was concluded, church authorities would consider which church law measures to take. Lombardi said it wasn't known when that decision would be taken but that he expected it would be made public.
After Lahey pleaded guilty, the Vatican said the church would impose its own disciplinary measures against him but did not elaborate.
Prelates who sexually abuse minors can be defrocked. Lesser punishments include being forbidden from celebrating Mass publicly.
Edelson said Lahey has been in solitary confinement and the conditions have been dismal.
"He's lost about 30 pounds (13 kilograms). He has a very severe skin condition now that he didn't have when he went in. It's been a very difficult period, and that's one of the reasons there is a two-for-one credit,'' Edelson said.
At a sentencing hearing last month, Lahey offered an apology to his church and to victims of child pornography. He said his addiction to internet porn went against his moral principles.
Lahey resigned as head of the Catholic diocese of Antigonish in Nova Scotia just before the charges became public.
"This entire matter has caused a great deal of hurt, disappointment and anger within and outside of our diocese,'' new Antigonish Bishop Brian Dunn said in a statement. ``Church leaders are called to provide good example and to show moral integrity in their lives. When they commit serious moral failures, this can have a significant impact on the faith community. This is especially so when it involves the crime of child pornograhy.''
Bishop Raymond Lahey was arrested at the Ottawa airport in 2009 after customs authorities found almost 600 pornographic photos of young teen boys on his laptop and a handheld device.
Some of the porn involved adolescent boys engaged in sex acts while wearing a crucifix and rosary beads.
The case was especially shocking to Canadians because Lahey had overseen a multimillion-dollar settlement for clerical sexual abuse victims in his diocese before he was charged.
Lahey, 71, pleaded guilty last May to one count of importing child pornography and voluntarily went to jail to begin serving time before his formal sentencing.
Ontario Court Justice Kent Kirkland on Wednesday gave Lahey two-for-one credit for the time he served and two years probation. Double credit is not unusual. The federal government got rid of the provision in 2010 but Lahey qualified for it because he was charged in 2009 before the legislation was enacted.
Lahey will have to submit a DNA sample and register as a sex offender. He also will have to allow searches of his personal and office computers when required by the authorities. He has also been ordered to keep away from swimming pools, daycare centers and schools.
Lahey said nothing as he left the Ottawa courthouse on Wednesday.
Defense lawyer Michael Edelson called it ``exactly the right sentence.'' Edelson said Lahey's career in the church is over. He said Lahey wrote a letter to the Vatican last year asking to be defrocked but hasn't heard back yet.
Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi said Wednesday that the Vatican had said that once the criminal court case was concluded, church authorities would consider which church law measures to take. Lombardi said it wasn't known when that decision would be taken but that he expected it would be made public.
After Lahey pleaded guilty, the Vatican said the church would impose its own disciplinary measures against him but did not elaborate.
Prelates who sexually abuse minors can be defrocked. Lesser punishments include being forbidden from celebrating Mass publicly.
Edelson said Lahey has been in solitary confinement and the conditions have been dismal.
"He's lost about 30 pounds (13 kilograms). He has a very severe skin condition now that he didn't have when he went in. It's been a very difficult period, and that's one of the reasons there is a two-for-one credit,'' Edelson said.
At a sentencing hearing last month, Lahey offered an apology to his church and to victims of child pornography. He said his addiction to internet porn went against his moral principles.
Lahey resigned as head of the Catholic diocese of Antigonish in Nova Scotia just before the charges became public.
"This entire matter has caused a great deal of hurt, disappointment and anger within and outside of our diocese,'' new Antigonish Bishop Brian Dunn said in a statement. ``Church leaders are called to provide good example and to show moral integrity in their lives. When they commit serious moral failures, this can have a significant impact on the faith community. This is especially so when it involves the crime of child pornograhy.''
Us Police Kill School Student Carrying Pellet Gun
BROWNSVILLE: The parents of a teenage student who was fatally shot by US police inside his South Texas school are demanding to know why officers took lethal action, but police said the boy was brandishing _ and refused to drop _ what appeared to be a handgun.
The weapon turned out to be a pellet gun that closely resembled the real thing, police said late Wednesday, several hours after 15-year-old Jamie Gonzalez was repeatedly shot in a hallway at Cummings Middle School. No one else was injured.
"Why was so much excess force used on a minor?" the boy's father, Jaime Gonzalez Sr., told The Associated Press outside the family's home Wednesday night. "Three shots. Why not one that would bring him down?"
His mother, Noralva Gonzalez, showed off a photo on her phone of a beaming Jaime in his drum major uniform standing with his band instructors. Then she flipped through three close-up photos she took of bullet wounds in her son's body _ including one in the back of the head.
"What happened was an injustice," she said angrily. "I know that my son wasn't perfect, but he was a great kid."
Interim Police Chief Orlando Rodriguez said the teen was pointing the weapon at officers and "had plenty of opportunities to lower the gun and listen to the officers' orders, and he didn't want to."
The chief said his officers had every right to do what they did to protect themselves and other students even though there weren't many others in the hallway at the time. Two officers fired three shots, hitting Gonzalez at least twice, police said.
Shortly before the confrontation, Jaime had walked into a classroom and punched a boy in the nose for no apparent reason, Rodriguez said. Police did not know why he pulled out the weapon, but "we think it looks like this was a way to bring attention to himself," Rodriguez said.
About 20 minutes elapsed between police receiving a call about an armed student and shots being fired, according to police and student accounts. Authorities declined to share what the boy said before he was shot.
The shooting happened during first period at the school in Brownsville, a city at Texas' southern tip just across the Mexican border. Teachers locked classroom doors and turned off lights, and some frightened students dove under their desks. They could hear police charge down the hallway and shout for Gonzalez to drop the weapon, followed by several shots.
David A. Dusenbury, a retired deputy police chief in Long Beach, California, who now consults on police tactics, said the officers were probably justified.
If the boy was raising the gun as if to fire at someone, "then it's unfortunate, but the officer certainly would have the right under the law to use deadly force."
A recording of police radio traffic posted on KGBT-TV's website indicates that officers responding to the school believed the teen had a handgun. An officer is heard describing the teen's appearance, saying he's "holding a handgun, black in color."
Less than two minutes later, someone yells over the radio, "Shots fired," and emergency crews are asked to respond. About two minutes later, someone asks where the boy was shot, with the responses that he was shot in the chest and "from the back of the head."
Superintendent Carl Montoya remembered Gonzalez as "a very positive young man."
"He did music. He worked well with everybody. Just something unfortunately happened today that caused his behavior to go the way it went. So I don't know," he said Wednesday.
Gonzalez Sr. said he had no idea where his son got the gun or why he brought it to school, adding: "We wouldn't give him a gift like that."
He said he last saw his son around 6:30 a.m. Wednesday, when the boy said goodbye before leaving to catch the bus to school. And he said nothing seemed amiss the night before when he, his wife and their son went out for nachos then went home and watched a movie.
Gonzalez Sr. was struggling to reconcile the day's events, saying his son seemed to be doing better in school and was always helpful around the neighborhood mowing neighbors' lawns, washing dogs and carrying his toolbox off to fix other kids' bikes.
Two dozen of his son's friends and classmates gathered in the dark street outside the family's home Wednesday night. Jaime's best friend, 16-year-old Star Rodriguez, said her favorite memory was when Jaime came to her party Dec. 29 and they danced and sang together.
"He was like a brother to me," she said.
The weapon turned out to be a pellet gun that closely resembled the real thing, police said late Wednesday, several hours after 15-year-old Jamie Gonzalez was repeatedly shot in a hallway at Cummings Middle School. No one else was injured.
"Why was so much excess force used on a minor?" the boy's father, Jaime Gonzalez Sr., told The Associated Press outside the family's home Wednesday night. "Three shots. Why not one that would bring him down?"
His mother, Noralva Gonzalez, showed off a photo on her phone of a beaming Jaime in his drum major uniform standing with his band instructors. Then she flipped through three close-up photos she took of bullet wounds in her son's body _ including one in the back of the head.
"What happened was an injustice," she said angrily. "I know that my son wasn't perfect, but he was a great kid."
Interim Police Chief Orlando Rodriguez said the teen was pointing the weapon at officers and "had plenty of opportunities to lower the gun and listen to the officers' orders, and he didn't want to."
The chief said his officers had every right to do what they did to protect themselves and other students even though there weren't many others in the hallway at the time. Two officers fired three shots, hitting Gonzalez at least twice, police said.
Shortly before the confrontation, Jaime had walked into a classroom and punched a boy in the nose for no apparent reason, Rodriguez said. Police did not know why he pulled out the weapon, but "we think it looks like this was a way to bring attention to himself," Rodriguez said.
About 20 minutes elapsed between police receiving a call about an armed student and shots being fired, according to police and student accounts. Authorities declined to share what the boy said before he was shot.
The shooting happened during first period at the school in Brownsville, a city at Texas' southern tip just across the Mexican border. Teachers locked classroom doors and turned off lights, and some frightened students dove under their desks. They could hear police charge down the hallway and shout for Gonzalez to drop the weapon, followed by several shots.
David A. Dusenbury, a retired deputy police chief in Long Beach, California, who now consults on police tactics, said the officers were probably justified.
If the boy was raising the gun as if to fire at someone, "then it's unfortunate, but the officer certainly would have the right under the law to use deadly force."
A recording of police radio traffic posted on KGBT-TV's website indicates that officers responding to the school believed the teen had a handgun. An officer is heard describing the teen's appearance, saying he's "holding a handgun, black in color."
Less than two minutes later, someone yells over the radio, "Shots fired," and emergency crews are asked to respond. About two minutes later, someone asks where the boy was shot, with the responses that he was shot in the chest and "from the back of the head."
Superintendent Carl Montoya remembered Gonzalez as "a very positive young man."
"He did music. He worked well with everybody. Just something unfortunately happened today that caused his behavior to go the way it went. So I don't know," he said Wednesday.
Gonzalez Sr. said he had no idea where his son got the gun or why he brought it to school, adding: "We wouldn't give him a gift like that."
He said he last saw his son around 6:30 a.m. Wednesday, when the boy said goodbye before leaving to catch the bus to school. And he said nothing seemed amiss the night before when he, his wife and their son went out for nachos then went home and watched a movie.
Gonzalez Sr. was struggling to reconcile the day's events, saying his son seemed to be doing better in school and was always helpful around the neighborhood mowing neighbors' lawns, washing dogs and carrying his toolbox off to fix other kids' bikes.
Two dozen of his son's friends and classmates gathered in the dark street outside the family's home Wednesday night. Jaime's best friend, 16-year-old Star Rodriguez, said her favorite memory was when Jaime came to her party Dec. 29 and they danced and sang together.
"He was like a brother to me," she said.
Pakistan To Get New F-16s From Us
ISLAMABAD: The US today said the last batch of new F-16 jets purchased by Pakistan is scheduled to start arriving in the country later this month and contended that there had been no stoppage in its programme to supply the combat aircraft to Islamabad.
A statement issued by the US Embassy described reports in a section of the media about a stoppage in the US-Pakistan F-16 programme as "not accurate".
"Neither Pakistan nor the United States has cancelled the F-16 programme," the statement said.
The last of a batch of new F-16 jets purchased by Pakistan is scheduled to arrive in the country in late January, the statement said.
Several other F-16s purchased by Pakistan from the US are undergoing mid-life upgrades and will arrive in the country "beginning in late January", it said.
Deliveries of the aircraft will continue "throughout this year and next", it added.
The US has almost completely halted all military aid for Pakistan in the wake of string of crises in bilateral relations.
A statement issued by the US Embassy described reports in a section of the media about a stoppage in the US-Pakistan F-16 programme as "not accurate".
"Neither Pakistan nor the United States has cancelled the F-16 programme," the statement said.
The last of a batch of new F-16 jets purchased by Pakistan is scheduled to arrive in the country in late January, the statement said.
Several other F-16s purchased by Pakistan from the US are undergoing mid-life upgrades and will arrive in the country "beginning in late January", it said.
Deliveries of the aircraft will continue "throughout this year and next", it added.
The US has almost completely halted all military aid for Pakistan in the wake of string of crises in bilateral relations.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
126 Iraqi Civilians Win Legal Bid In Uk For Torture Inquiry
LONDON: Over 120 Iraqi civilians today won a major legal battle in their bid to force a new public inquiry into allegations of torture and inhuman treatment by British soldiers.
The UK high court had previously backed government claims that an inquiry into whether abuse was systematic was not needed as a team had already been set up to look into the allegations.
But three judges of the UK Court of Appeal ordered the ministry of defence (MoD) to reconsider its decision.
The MoD said it would examine the judgment "very carefully", the BBC reported.
Some 128 Iraqis have complained of torture and inhuman and degrading treatment by British soldiers and interrogators in Iraq between March 2003 and December 2008.
Lead claimant Ali Zaki Mousa, from Basra, alleges he endured months of beatings and other abuse in the custody of British soldiers between 2006-07.
Last December the high court ruled a fresh inquiry was unnecessary as the government had set up the Iraq Historic Allegations Team (IHAT) to investigate.
But appeal judges ruled that the IHAT lacked "practical independence" because it included members of the military police, who might themselves be accused of wrongdoing.
They also found that other inquiries had failed to fully meet Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects against inhuman and degrading treatment.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "We will examine the judgment very carefully and consider next steps."
Defence Secretary Philip Hammond has until 30 November to decide whether to challenge the ruling in the Supreme Court.
Phil Shiner, lawyer for Iraqi claimants, said the MoD was "deploying every dirty trick in the book" to avoid accountability.
"There must now be a judicial inquiry into the UK's detention policy in south-east Iraq. It is something we have been calling for since 2004.
Two public inquiries have already been launched into similar claims. The first inquiry, into the death of 26-year-old hotel worker Baha Mousa in UK military custody in 2003, reported in September and blamed "corporate failure" at the ministry of defence for the use of banned interrogation methods in Iraq.
In November, 2010, the MoD announced details of a second public hearing into allegations that 19-year-old Hamid Al- Sweady and up to 19 other Iraqis were unlawfully killed and others ill-treated at a British base in May 2004.
The UK high court had previously backed government claims that an inquiry into whether abuse was systematic was not needed as a team had already been set up to look into the allegations.
But three judges of the UK Court of Appeal ordered the ministry of defence (MoD) to reconsider its decision.
The MoD said it would examine the judgment "very carefully", the BBC reported.
Some 128 Iraqis have complained of torture and inhuman and degrading treatment by British soldiers and interrogators in Iraq between March 2003 and December 2008.
Lead claimant Ali Zaki Mousa, from Basra, alleges he endured months of beatings and other abuse in the custody of British soldiers between 2006-07.
Last December the high court ruled a fresh inquiry was unnecessary as the government had set up the Iraq Historic Allegations Team (IHAT) to investigate.
But appeal judges ruled that the IHAT lacked "practical independence" because it included members of the military police, who might themselves be accused of wrongdoing.
They also found that other inquiries had failed to fully meet Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects against inhuman and degrading treatment.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "We will examine the judgment very carefully and consider next steps."
Defence Secretary Philip Hammond has until 30 November to decide whether to challenge the ruling in the Supreme Court.
Phil Shiner, lawyer for Iraqi claimants, said the MoD was "deploying every dirty trick in the book" to avoid accountability.
"There must now be a judicial inquiry into the UK's detention policy in south-east Iraq. It is something we have been calling for since 2004.
Two public inquiries have already been launched into similar claims. The first inquiry, into the death of 26-year-old hotel worker Baha Mousa in UK military custody in 2003, reported in September and blamed "corporate failure" at the ministry of defence for the use of banned interrogation methods in Iraq.
In November, 2010, the MoD announced details of a second public hearing into allegations that 19-year-old Hamid Al- Sweady and up to 19 other Iraqis were unlawfully killed and others ill-treated at a British base in May 2004.
Pakistan Amongst Most Violent, Unstable Nations: Republican Presidential Candidates
WASHINGTON: Republican presidential candidates have criticised Pakistan, calling it one of the most violent and unstable nations but remained sharply divided over whether the US should continue to provide aid to Islamabad.
While Texas governor vowed to cut down US aid to Pakistan to zero till it helped US meet its national security interests against terrorists, two other Republican candidates Jon Huntsman and Newt Gingrich argued in favour of more drone attacks against terrorists inside Pakistan.
Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, however, argued in favour of continued engagement with Pakistan given that it was a nuclear weapon state.
"Pakistan is a concern. That's the country that ought to keep everybody up at night. You have not (Pak) President (Asif Ali) Zardari in charge but (its Army Chief) General (Ashfaq Pervez) Kayani, over the military, which also is responsible for the ISI.
"You've got the youngest demographic of 160 million people in Pakistan. You've got a madrassa movement," Huntsman said.
"You've got over 100 nuclear weapons. You've got trouble on the border. You've got a nation-state that is a candidate for failure. I say it's a haven for bad behaviour, it's a haven for training the people who seek to do us harm," Huntsman said adding that he was in favour of expanding drone program which would serve US national interests.
Acknowledging that Pakistan has been "the epicentre of dealing with terrorism" Congresswoman Bachmann said that the country has training centres for terrorist outfits.
"They also are one of the most violent, unstable nations that there is," she said.
A member of the intelligence committee in the House of Representatives, she said 15 of the nuclear sites in Pakistan are available or are potentially penetrable by jihadists.
"Six attempts have already been made on nuclear sites. This is more than an existential threat," Bachmann said.
"We have to take this very seriously. The US has to be engaged. It is complicated. We have to recognise that the Chinese are doing everything that they can to be an influential party in Pakistan. We don't want to lose influence," she said.
"...A nation that lies, that does everything possibly that you could imagine wrong -- at the same time, they do share intelligence data with us regarding al-Qaida," she said.
"We need to demand more. The money that we are spending right now is primarily intelligence money to Pakistan. It is helping the US," Bachmann said thus arguing that it was not in the national security interest to snap ties with Pakistan.
"At this point I would continue that aid, but I do think that the Obama policy of keeping your fingers crossed is not working in Pakistan," she said.
However, Texas governor Rick Perry advocated against any aid to Pakistan.
"Until Pakistan clearly shows that they have America's best interests in mind, I would not send them one penny," he vowed.
But Bachmann still argued in favour of engaging Pakistan as the consequences otherwise would be very dangerous for the US.
"We have to recognise what's happening on the ground. There are nuclear weapons all across this nation, and potentially al-Qaida could get a hold of these weapons," she said.
Perry said that US needs to engage in India and Afghanistan.
"We've got Afghanistan and India working in concert right now to leverage Pakistan," he said.
"I think if we would create a trade zone in that part of the world, where you have all of those countries working together, that may be the answer to getting Pakistan to understand that they have to work with all of the countries in that region," the texas governor said.
Gingrich, the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, took a tough approach against Pakistan.
"You tell the Pakistanis: Help us, or get out of the way, but don't complain if we kill people you're not willing to go after on your territory where you have been protecting them," he said.
While Texas governor vowed to cut down US aid to Pakistan to zero till it helped US meet its national security interests against terrorists, two other Republican candidates Jon Huntsman and Newt Gingrich argued in favour of more drone attacks against terrorists inside Pakistan.
Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, however, argued in favour of continued engagement with Pakistan given that it was a nuclear weapon state.
"Pakistan is a concern. That's the country that ought to keep everybody up at night. You have not (Pak) President (Asif Ali) Zardari in charge but (its Army Chief) General (Ashfaq Pervez) Kayani, over the military, which also is responsible for the ISI.
"You've got the youngest demographic of 160 million people in Pakistan. You've got a madrassa movement," Huntsman said.
"You've got over 100 nuclear weapons. You've got trouble on the border. You've got a nation-state that is a candidate for failure. I say it's a haven for bad behaviour, it's a haven for training the people who seek to do us harm," Huntsman said adding that he was in favour of expanding drone program which would serve US national interests.
Acknowledging that Pakistan has been "the epicentre of dealing with terrorism" Congresswoman Bachmann said that the country has training centres for terrorist outfits.
"They also are one of the most violent, unstable nations that there is," she said.
A member of the intelligence committee in the House of Representatives, she said 15 of the nuclear sites in Pakistan are available or are potentially penetrable by jihadists.
"Six attempts have already been made on nuclear sites. This is more than an existential threat," Bachmann said.
"We have to take this very seriously. The US has to be engaged. It is complicated. We have to recognise that the Chinese are doing everything that they can to be an influential party in Pakistan. We don't want to lose influence," she said.
"...A nation that lies, that does everything possibly that you could imagine wrong -- at the same time, they do share intelligence data with us regarding al-Qaida," she said.
"We need to demand more. The money that we are spending right now is primarily intelligence money to Pakistan. It is helping the US," Bachmann said thus arguing that it was not in the national security interest to snap ties with Pakistan.
"At this point I would continue that aid, but I do think that the Obama policy of keeping your fingers crossed is not working in Pakistan," she said.
However, Texas governor Rick Perry advocated against any aid to Pakistan.
"Until Pakistan clearly shows that they have America's best interests in mind, I would not send them one penny," he vowed.
But Bachmann still argued in favour of engaging Pakistan as the consequences otherwise would be very dangerous for the US.
"We have to recognise what's happening on the ground. There are nuclear weapons all across this nation, and potentially al-Qaida could get a hold of these weapons," she said.
Perry said that US needs to engage in India and Afghanistan.
"We've got Afghanistan and India working in concert right now to leverage Pakistan," he said.
"I think if we would create a trade zone in that part of the world, where you have all of those countries working together, that may be the answer to getting Pakistan to understand that they have to work with all of the countries in that region," the texas governor said.
Gingrich, the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, took a tough approach against Pakistan.
"You tell the Pakistanis: Help us, or get out of the way, but don't complain if we kill people you're not willing to go after on your territory where you have been protecting them," he said.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Indian Americans Grow To 3.2m, Top In Income
WASHINGTON: Some 3.2 million Indian Americans, including Asian Indians of mixed race, lived in the United States in 2010 as South Asians led all Asian groups in population growth in the last decade. They led all Asian American households with highest media household income.
At 3,183,063, Indian American made up 18 percent of the Asian American population in 2010, up from 16 percent in 2000, according to a new compilation of 2010 census data.
According to 2007 to 2009 data, Indian Americans led all Asian American groups in the country in median household income at $86,660. The next highest total was $77,596 for Taiwanese households.
Taiwanese and Indians also led in per capita income among Asian American groups, with $38,312 and $36,533, respectively, followed by Malaysians ($33,264) and Sri Lankans ($32,480).
Bangladeshi Americans had the biggest percentage increase over the decade, skyrocketing 157 percent, according to the study, "A Community of Contrasts: Asian Americans in the United States, 2011," by the Asian Pacific American Legal Centre and the Asian American Justice Centre.
The Pakistani population had the second highest population bump with a 100 percent rise. The Sri Lankan and Indian American populations increased 85 percent and 68 percent, respectively.
Among the South Asian groups, Pakistanis had the highest rate of naturalization at 57 percent, while just 50 percent of Bangladeshi Americans, 47 percent of Indian Americans and 43 percent of Sri Lankan Americans were naturalised.
About 200,000 Indian legal permanent residents were eligible to become citizens in 2008.
The leading six Asian countries for immigrant visas issued from 2001-2010 were: Philippines, 350,694; China, 286,008; India, 267,403; Vietnam, 193,049; Bangladesh, 84,643; Pakistan, 69,202.
The report estimated that in 2010 there were about one million undocumented immigrants from Asia in the US About 280,000 were from the Philippines, 200,000 from India, 170,000 from Korea and 130,000 from China. India's total was down from an estimate of over 275,000 in 2005.
From 2005-09, Hindi speakers in the US were estimated at 527,481. Numbers of speakers of other South Asian languages were: Urdu, 326,310; Gujarati, 304,102; Punjabi, 209,835; Bengali, 188,452; Telugu, 171,015; Tamil, 132,573; Malayalam, 116,486; Marathi, 53,436; Kannada, 37,377; Nepali, 37,240; and Sinhalese, 22,336.
Only 22 percent of Indian Americans five years of age and older from 2007-09 were limited English proficient, compared to 46 percent for Bangladeshis and 28 percent for Pakistanis.
Taiwanese and Indian Americans led all Asian groups in higher educational attainment, with 73 percent to 68 percent, respectively, having a bachelor's degree or higher.
The percentage of Indian Americans living in poverty was 8 percent in the 2007-09 time period.
Both Indians and Pakistanis in the US had 9 percent of the seniors ages 64 or above living in poverty. In the Bangladeshi community that figure was 16 percent.
At 3,183,063, Indian American made up 18 percent of the Asian American population in 2010, up from 16 percent in 2000, according to a new compilation of 2010 census data.
According to 2007 to 2009 data, Indian Americans led all Asian American groups in the country in median household income at $86,660. The next highest total was $77,596 for Taiwanese households.
Taiwanese and Indians also led in per capita income among Asian American groups, with $38,312 and $36,533, respectively, followed by Malaysians ($33,264) and Sri Lankans ($32,480).
Bangladeshi Americans had the biggest percentage increase over the decade, skyrocketing 157 percent, according to the study, "A Community of Contrasts: Asian Americans in the United States, 2011," by the Asian Pacific American Legal Centre and the Asian American Justice Centre.
The Pakistani population had the second highest population bump with a 100 percent rise. The Sri Lankan and Indian American populations increased 85 percent and 68 percent, respectively.
Among the South Asian groups, Pakistanis had the highest rate of naturalization at 57 percent, while just 50 percent of Bangladeshi Americans, 47 percent of Indian Americans and 43 percent of Sri Lankan Americans were naturalised.
About 200,000 Indian legal permanent residents were eligible to become citizens in 2008.
The leading six Asian countries for immigrant visas issued from 2001-2010 were: Philippines, 350,694; China, 286,008; India, 267,403; Vietnam, 193,049; Bangladesh, 84,643; Pakistan, 69,202.
The report estimated that in 2010 there were about one million undocumented immigrants from Asia in the US About 280,000 were from the Philippines, 200,000 from India, 170,000 from Korea and 130,000 from China. India's total was down from an estimate of over 275,000 in 2005.
From 2005-09, Hindi speakers in the US were estimated at 527,481. Numbers of speakers of other South Asian languages were: Urdu, 326,310; Gujarati, 304,102; Punjabi, 209,835; Bengali, 188,452; Telugu, 171,015; Tamil, 132,573; Malayalam, 116,486; Marathi, 53,436; Kannada, 37,377; Nepali, 37,240; and Sinhalese, 22,336.
Only 22 percent of Indian Americans five years of age and older from 2007-09 were limited English proficient, compared to 46 percent for Bangladeshis and 28 percent for Pakistanis.
Taiwanese and Indian Americans led all Asian groups in higher educational attainment, with 73 percent to 68 percent, respectively, having a bachelor's degree or higher.
The percentage of Indian Americans living in poverty was 8 percent in the 2007-09 time period.
Both Indians and Pakistanis in the US had 9 percent of the seniors ages 64 or above living in poverty. In the Bangladeshi community that figure was 16 percent.
Us-China Tensions Spill Over Into Asia Summit
NUSA DUA, Indonesia: Tensions between the United States and China spilled over into meetings of Asia-Pacific leaders on Friday as the two countries jostled over how to handle competing claims to the South China Sea.
Chinese premier Wen Jiabao demanded that "outside forces" had no excuse to get involved in the complex maritime dispute, a veiled warning to the United States and other countries to keep out of the sensitive issue.
"It ought to be resolved through friendly consultations and discussions by countries directly involved. Outside forces should not, under any pretext, get involved," Wen told a meeting with Southeast Asian leaders, several of whose countries claim sovereignty to parts of the South China Sea.
The comments were carried on the Chinese foreign ministry's website.
The remark is the latest barb between the two countries in recent weeks when President Barack Obama has sought to reassert US presence in the Asia-Pacific region to counter the growing influence of China, its biggest economic rival.
Obama said in Australia on Thursday, on his last stop before jetting to the Asia meetings in neighbouring Indonesia, that the US military would expand its Asia-Pacific role despite budget cuts, declaring America was "here to stay" as a Pacific power.
Days earlier, as host of the Asia Pacific Economic Co-Operation forum in Hawaii, Obama had voiced growing frustration at China's trade practices and he pushed for a new Asia-Pacific trade deal with some of Beijing's neighbours.
The moves are seen as an attempt to reassert US leadership to counter China's growing influence around the Pacific Rim and reassure allies such as South Korea and Japan that it would remain a strong counterweight.
The United States wants the dispute over the South China Sea discussed on the Indonesian resort island of Bali at meetings of the 10-member Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and eight regional powers, including the United States, China, Russia and Japan.
Bilateral meetings are being held on Friday before a full East Asia summit on Saturday.
Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei are the other claimants to parts of the South China Sea, a major route for some $5 trillion in trade each year and potentially rich in resources.
The Southeast Asian countries along with the United States and Japan, are pressuring Beijing to try and seek some way forward on the knotty issue of sovereignty, which has flared up again this year with often tense maritime stand-offs.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged claimants earlier this week not to resort to intimidation to push their cause, itself an indirect reference to China, which lays claim to large swathes of the sea.
In bilateral meetings on Friday, Obama said the dispute should be discussed by the regional leaders at the talks, known as the East Asia Summit, which could embolden some Southeast Asian countries with claims.
Japan added its voice to the call, saying those with claims should "seek a peaceful resolution in a transparent matter based on international law."
China though is adamant it does not want such talks to take place and that the issue should be resolved via bilateral negotiations. Raising the issue in multilateral summit talks would not help foster East Asian co-operation, it argues.
"On the contrary, this could open up a Pandora's Box and inflame regional tensions," the overseas edition of the People's Daily, the official paper of the ruling Communist Party, said on Friday in a front page commentary.
The People's Daily generally reflects official thinking, and the small-circulation overseas edition often states views more bluntly than the bigger domestic edition.
VITAL ECONOMIC INTEREST
Obama has said the increased focus on the Asia-Pacific region was essential for America's economic future, a point he emphasized on Friday as executives from Boeing Co and Indonesia's Lion Air signed an agreement for the low cost carrier to buy $21.7 billion worth of US planes.
"This is a remarkable example of the trade, investment and commercial opportunities that exist in the Asia-Pacific region," he said of Boeing's biggest commercial order.
"This is an example of a win-win situation where people in the region are going to be able to benefit from outstanding airlines, and our workers back home are going to be able to have job security."
A first step in extending the US military reach into Southeast Asia will see US Marines, naval ships and aircraft deployed to northern Australia from 2012.
That deployment to Australia, which by 2016 will reach a taskforce of 2,500 US troops, is small compared with the 28,000 troops stationed in South Korea and 50,000 in Japan.
But the de facto base in Darwin, only 820 km (500 miles) from Indonesia, expands the direct US military presence in Asia beyond South Korea and Japan and into Southeast Asia, an area where China has growing economic and strategic interests.
It will also put more US troops, ships and aircraft much closer to the South China Sea and will allow the United States to quickly reach into Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean.
Obama on Thursday acknowledged China's unease at what it sees as attempts by Washington to encircle it, pledging to seek greater cooperation with Beijing.
China has questioned the new US deployment, with a foreign ministry spokesman raising doubts about whether strengthening such alliances helped the region pull together at a time of economic gloom.
From the APEC meeting last week to the president's sweep through Asia, Obama has used some of his strongest language against China, which some analysts suggest is largely focused on the US domestic audience ahead of elections next year.
Last week in Hawaii, he demanded that China stop "gaming" the international system. He said China, which often presents itself as a developing country, is now "grown up" and should act that way in internatonal affairs.
China's official reaction has been restrained, with an impending leadership succession preoccupying the Communist Party and leaving Beijing anxious to avoid diplomatic fireworks.
Chinese premier Wen Jiabao demanded that "outside forces" had no excuse to get involved in the complex maritime dispute, a veiled warning to the United States and other countries to keep out of the sensitive issue.
"It ought to be resolved through friendly consultations and discussions by countries directly involved. Outside forces should not, under any pretext, get involved," Wen told a meeting with Southeast Asian leaders, several of whose countries claim sovereignty to parts of the South China Sea.
The comments were carried on the Chinese foreign ministry's website.
The remark is the latest barb between the two countries in recent weeks when President Barack Obama has sought to reassert US presence in the Asia-Pacific region to counter the growing influence of China, its biggest economic rival.
Obama said in Australia on Thursday, on his last stop before jetting to the Asia meetings in neighbouring Indonesia, that the US military would expand its Asia-Pacific role despite budget cuts, declaring America was "here to stay" as a Pacific power.
Days earlier, as host of the Asia Pacific Economic Co-Operation forum in Hawaii, Obama had voiced growing frustration at China's trade practices and he pushed for a new Asia-Pacific trade deal with some of Beijing's neighbours.
The moves are seen as an attempt to reassert US leadership to counter China's growing influence around the Pacific Rim and reassure allies such as South Korea and Japan that it would remain a strong counterweight.
The United States wants the dispute over the South China Sea discussed on the Indonesian resort island of Bali at meetings of the 10-member Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and eight regional powers, including the United States, China, Russia and Japan.
Bilateral meetings are being held on Friday before a full East Asia summit on Saturday.
Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei are the other claimants to parts of the South China Sea, a major route for some $5 trillion in trade each year and potentially rich in resources.
The Southeast Asian countries along with the United States and Japan, are pressuring Beijing to try and seek some way forward on the knotty issue of sovereignty, which has flared up again this year with often tense maritime stand-offs.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged claimants earlier this week not to resort to intimidation to push their cause, itself an indirect reference to China, which lays claim to large swathes of the sea.
In bilateral meetings on Friday, Obama said the dispute should be discussed by the regional leaders at the talks, known as the East Asia Summit, which could embolden some Southeast Asian countries with claims.
Japan added its voice to the call, saying those with claims should "seek a peaceful resolution in a transparent matter based on international law."
China though is adamant it does not want such talks to take place and that the issue should be resolved via bilateral negotiations. Raising the issue in multilateral summit talks would not help foster East Asian co-operation, it argues.
"On the contrary, this could open up a Pandora's Box and inflame regional tensions," the overseas edition of the People's Daily, the official paper of the ruling Communist Party, said on Friday in a front page commentary.
The People's Daily generally reflects official thinking, and the small-circulation overseas edition often states views more bluntly than the bigger domestic edition.
VITAL ECONOMIC INTEREST
Obama has said the increased focus on the Asia-Pacific region was essential for America's economic future, a point he emphasized on Friday as executives from Boeing Co and Indonesia's Lion Air signed an agreement for the low cost carrier to buy $21.7 billion worth of US planes.
"This is a remarkable example of the trade, investment and commercial opportunities that exist in the Asia-Pacific region," he said of Boeing's biggest commercial order.
"This is an example of a win-win situation where people in the region are going to be able to benefit from outstanding airlines, and our workers back home are going to be able to have job security."
A first step in extending the US military reach into Southeast Asia will see US Marines, naval ships and aircraft deployed to northern Australia from 2012.
That deployment to Australia, which by 2016 will reach a taskforce of 2,500 US troops, is small compared with the 28,000 troops stationed in South Korea and 50,000 in Japan.
But the de facto base in Darwin, only 820 km (500 miles) from Indonesia, expands the direct US military presence in Asia beyond South Korea and Japan and into Southeast Asia, an area where China has growing economic and strategic interests.
It will also put more US troops, ships and aircraft much closer to the South China Sea and will allow the United States to quickly reach into Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean.
Obama on Thursday acknowledged China's unease at what it sees as attempts by Washington to encircle it, pledging to seek greater cooperation with Beijing.
China has questioned the new US deployment, with a foreign ministry spokesman raising doubts about whether strengthening such alliances helped the region pull together at a time of economic gloom.
From the APEC meeting last week to the president's sweep through Asia, Obama has used some of his strongest language against China, which some analysts suggest is largely focused on the US domestic audience ahead of elections next year.
Last week in Hawaii, he demanded that China stop "gaming" the international system. He said China, which often presents itself as a developing country, is now "grown up" and should act that way in internatonal affairs.
China's official reaction has been restrained, with an impending leadership succession preoccupying the Communist Party and leaving Beijing anxious to avoid diplomatic fireworks.
Uk Police Charge Four With Terrorism Offences
LONDON: British police charged four men from the central English city of Birmingham on Friday with terrorism offences linked to Pakistan.
The men were arrested on Tuesday as part of a police counter-terrorism investigation in which eight others have also been charged.
West Midlands Police said in a statement the four men would appear in court in London on Saturday.
They face charges of fundraising for the purposes of terrorism, travelling to Pakistan for training and travelling abroad to commit acts of terrorism.
Police named the four as Khobaib Hussain, Ishaaq Hussain and Shahid Kasam Khan, all 19 years old, and Naweed Mahmood Ali, aged 24.
Their arrests were pre-planned and not made in response to any immediate threat to public safety, police said on Tuesday.
The men were arrested on Tuesday as part of a police counter-terrorism investigation in which eight others have also been charged.
West Midlands Police said in a statement the four men would appear in court in London on Saturday.
They face charges of fundraising for the purposes of terrorism, travelling to Pakistan for training and travelling abroad to commit acts of terrorism.
Police named the four as Khobaib Hussain, Ishaaq Hussain and Shahid Kasam Khan, all 19 years old, and Naweed Mahmood Ali, aged 24.
Their arrests were pre-planned and not made in response to any immediate threat to public safety, police said on Tuesday.
New Dawn: Suu Kyi To Run In Myanmar Polls
BALI: Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar's most prominent democracy campaigner, announced on Friday she would rejoin the political system of the military-backed government that persecuted her for more than two decades.
Her announcement came shortly after president Obama disclosed that he was sending secretary of state Hillary Rodham Clinton on a visit there in December, the first by a secretary of state in more than 50 years.
The twin events underscored the remarkable and sudden pace of change in Myanmar, which has stunned observers inside and outside the country.
The reentry of Suu Kyi and her party into formal politics was seen as a milestone in reconciliation efforts between military leadership and the country's democracy movement. The party's decision was unanimous.
"For decades Americans have been deeply concerned about the denial of basic human rights for the Burmese people," Obama said. "The persecution of democratic reformers, the brutality shown toward ethnic minorities and the concentration of power in the hands of a few military leaders has challenged our conscience and isolated Burma from the United States and much of the world."
But he added that "after years of darkness, we've seen flickers of progress in these last several weeks" as the president and parliament in Myanmar have taken steps toward reform. "Of course there's far more to be done," Obama said.
Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy in Yangon, Myanmar's largest city, her announcement on Friday was greeted by cheers.
"Mother Suu, we support you!" the crowd chanted, using the party leader's nickname , according to a witness. Others depicted her decision as portentous.
"The pace of political change in Burma has exceeded all expectations," Thant Myint-U , a historian and former United Nations official. "We're on the verge of a historic compromise."
Obama will see president U Thein Sein of Myanmar at Friday's broader meeting of Pacific Rim leaders but will not have a one-on-one encounter.
Her announcement came shortly after president Obama disclosed that he was sending secretary of state Hillary Rodham Clinton on a visit there in December, the first by a secretary of state in more than 50 years.
The twin events underscored the remarkable and sudden pace of change in Myanmar, which has stunned observers inside and outside the country.
The reentry of Suu Kyi and her party into formal politics was seen as a milestone in reconciliation efforts between military leadership and the country's democracy movement. The party's decision was unanimous.
"For decades Americans have been deeply concerned about the denial of basic human rights for the Burmese people," Obama said. "The persecution of democratic reformers, the brutality shown toward ethnic minorities and the concentration of power in the hands of a few military leaders has challenged our conscience and isolated Burma from the United States and much of the world."
But he added that "after years of darkness, we've seen flickers of progress in these last several weeks" as the president and parliament in Myanmar have taken steps toward reform. "Of course there's far more to be done," Obama said.
Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy in Yangon, Myanmar's largest city, her announcement on Friday was greeted by cheers.
"Mother Suu, we support you!" the crowd chanted, using the party leader's nickname , according to a witness. Others depicted her decision as portentous.
"The pace of political change in Burma has exceeded all expectations," Thant Myint-U , a historian and former United Nations official. "We're on the verge of a historic compromise."
Obama will see president U Thein Sein of Myanmar at Friday's broader meeting of Pacific Rim leaders but will not have a one-on-one encounter.
Obama Opens Door To New Us Ties With Myanmar
President Barack Obama said on Friday he saw "flickers of progress" in Myanmar, dispatching Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for a historic visit that could draw the country out of half a century of global isolation.
Obama, in Indonesia for a summit of Asia-Pacific leaders, said he had spoken for the first time with Myanmar democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi who told him she supported more US engagement with the country also known as Burma.
In another indication of change in Myanmar, Suu Kyi's party, the National League for Democracy, re-registered on Friday to contest a series of by-elections for vacant parliamentary seats. This follows amendments to electoral laws and brings Suu Kyi a step closer to returning to politics.
Obama said the release of political prisoners, relaxing of media restrictions and signs of legislative change in recent weeks were "the most important steps toward reform in Burma that we've seen in years."
Clinton's two-day visit from December 1 would be the first by a US Secretary of State since a 1962 military coup ushered in 50 years of unbroken military rule that ended in March when a nominally civilian parliament was established.
Since then, the new government has called for peace with ethnic minority groups, displayed some tolerance of criticism, suspended an unpopular Chinese-funded dam project, freed about 230 political prisoners and reached out to Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate freed last year from 15 years of detention.
"We want to seize what could be a historic opportunity for progress and make it clear that if Burma continues to travel down the road of democratic reform, it can forge a new relationship with the United States of America," Obama said.
However, he cited stubborn US concerns over Myanmar's stance with North Korea, human rights, treatment of ethnic minorities and the continued detention of political prisoners. US officials have said these issues must be addressed before Washington can consider ending economic sanctions.
"If Burma fails to move down the path of reform, it will continue to face sanctions and isolation. But if it seizes this moment, then reconciliation can prevail," Obama said.
HUMAN RIGHTS
Many Western governments have expressed caution that more must be done for Myanmar's reforms to be considered credible. As early as October 17, for instance, Derek Mitchell, special US envoy for Myanmar, said there were "credible reports" of continuing human rights abuses against women and children.
Clinton is scheduled to meet Suu Kyi and visit Yangon and the capital Naypyitaw. She will "explore whether the United States can empower a positive transition in Burma and begin a new chapter between our countries," Obama said.
Myanmar welcomed the visit.
"It's a very good sign," Ko Ko Hlaing, chief political adviser to Myanmar's president, told Reuters. "I think it is a significant turn in US policy toward Myanmar ... people in Myanmar will welcome, cheer Hillary Clinton because for a time in history, they have never seen a secretary of state."
With sanctions blocking Western investments, China has emerged as Myanmar's biggest ally, investing in infrastructure, hydropower dams and twin oil-and-gas pipelines to help feed southern China's growing energy needs.
Bilateral trade rose more than half last year to $4.4 billion, and China's investment in Myanmar reached $12.3 billion in 2010, according to Chinese figures, with a strong focus on natural resources and energy.
But the relationship has been strained, with a long history of resentment of China among the Burmese population and fierce public opposition to a Chinese-built dam at Myitsone that prompted Myanmar President Thein Sein to shelve the project last month, a move that stunned Beijing.
A US official said the Obama administration "fully expects" China to welcome US engagement with Myanmar and the United States would consult China closely on its engagement with the Southeast Asian country.
China is wary of greater US influence in the region, especially in countries on its border, as Myanmar is, but the US decision to engage with Myanmar should not be seen as an attempt to contain China, the US official said, adding that a stable Myanmar was in China's interests.
"It's about Burma, not about China," the official said.
When Obama took office in 2009, he made reaching out to American adversaries a signature part of his foreign policy approach. That included an effort early to engage with Iran.
But the administration took a cautious approach on Myanmar because of its human rights record. Obama requested a policy review on Myanmar, paving the way for the recent diplomacy.
US officials said that Obama spoke to Suu Kyi during his flight on Thursday from Australia to Bali.
The 20-minute call was the first time they had talked and he told her he had long admired her democratic struggle. They described it as a meaningful but friendly conversation in which Suu Kyi also asked about Obama's family dog.
He asked for her ideas on how to approach her country.
"She encouraged the president to make clear to Burma's leaders that the US will be willing to work with them if they are in fact demonstrating that they are willing to work with the world and her," one US official said.
Obama is not scheduled to have a bilateral meeting with Thein Sein but will see him in Bali at a East Asia Summit.
Southeast Asian nations endorsed Myanmar on Thursday for the chairmanship of its regional grouping in 2014, gambling that the
country can stick to reforms begun this year. The United States respected that decision, a US official said.
Obama, in Indonesia for a summit of Asia-Pacific leaders, said he had spoken for the first time with Myanmar democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi who told him she supported more US engagement with the country also known as Burma.
In another indication of change in Myanmar, Suu Kyi's party, the National League for Democracy, re-registered on Friday to contest a series of by-elections for vacant parliamentary seats. This follows amendments to electoral laws and brings Suu Kyi a step closer to returning to politics.
Obama said the release of political prisoners, relaxing of media restrictions and signs of legislative change in recent weeks were "the most important steps toward reform in Burma that we've seen in years."
Clinton's two-day visit from December 1 would be the first by a US Secretary of State since a 1962 military coup ushered in 50 years of unbroken military rule that ended in March when a nominally civilian parliament was established.
Since then, the new government has called for peace with ethnic minority groups, displayed some tolerance of criticism, suspended an unpopular Chinese-funded dam project, freed about 230 political prisoners and reached out to Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate freed last year from 15 years of detention.
"We want to seize what could be a historic opportunity for progress and make it clear that if Burma continues to travel down the road of democratic reform, it can forge a new relationship with the United States of America," Obama said.
However, he cited stubborn US concerns over Myanmar's stance with North Korea, human rights, treatment of ethnic minorities and the continued detention of political prisoners. US officials have said these issues must be addressed before Washington can consider ending economic sanctions.
"If Burma fails to move down the path of reform, it will continue to face sanctions and isolation. But if it seizes this moment, then reconciliation can prevail," Obama said.
HUMAN RIGHTS
Many Western governments have expressed caution that more must be done for Myanmar's reforms to be considered credible. As early as October 17, for instance, Derek Mitchell, special US envoy for Myanmar, said there were "credible reports" of continuing human rights abuses against women and children.
Clinton is scheduled to meet Suu Kyi and visit Yangon and the capital Naypyitaw. She will "explore whether the United States can empower a positive transition in Burma and begin a new chapter between our countries," Obama said.
Myanmar welcomed the visit.
"It's a very good sign," Ko Ko Hlaing, chief political adviser to Myanmar's president, told Reuters. "I think it is a significant turn in US policy toward Myanmar ... people in Myanmar will welcome, cheer Hillary Clinton because for a time in history, they have never seen a secretary of state."
With sanctions blocking Western investments, China has emerged as Myanmar's biggest ally, investing in infrastructure, hydropower dams and twin oil-and-gas pipelines to help feed southern China's growing energy needs.
Bilateral trade rose more than half last year to $4.4 billion, and China's investment in Myanmar reached $12.3 billion in 2010, according to Chinese figures, with a strong focus on natural resources and energy.
But the relationship has been strained, with a long history of resentment of China among the Burmese population and fierce public opposition to a Chinese-built dam at Myitsone that prompted Myanmar President Thein Sein to shelve the project last month, a move that stunned Beijing.
A US official said the Obama administration "fully expects" China to welcome US engagement with Myanmar and the United States would consult China closely on its engagement with the Southeast Asian country.
China is wary of greater US influence in the region, especially in countries on its border, as Myanmar is, but the US decision to engage with Myanmar should not be seen as an attempt to contain China, the US official said, adding that a stable Myanmar was in China's interests.
"It's about Burma, not about China," the official said.
When Obama took office in 2009, he made reaching out to American adversaries a signature part of his foreign policy approach. That included an effort early to engage with Iran.
But the administration took a cautious approach on Myanmar because of its human rights record. Obama requested a policy review on Myanmar, paving the way for the recent diplomacy.
US officials said that Obama spoke to Suu Kyi during his flight on Thursday from Australia to Bali.
The 20-minute call was the first time they had talked and he told her he had long admired her democratic struggle. They described it as a meaningful but friendly conversation in which Suu Kyi also asked about Obama's family dog.
He asked for her ideas on how to approach her country.
"She encouraged the president to make clear to Burma's leaders that the US will be willing to work with them if they are in fact demonstrating that they are willing to work with the world and her," one US official said.
Obama is not scheduled to have a bilateral meeting with Thein Sein but will see him in Bali at a East Asia Summit.
Southeast Asian nations endorsed Myanmar on Thursday for the chairmanship of its regional grouping in 2014, gambling that the
country can stick to reforms begun this year. The United States respected that decision, a US official said.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
China Questions Us-Australia Military Cooperation
BEIJING: China questioned on Wednesday a plan by the United States to deepen military cooperation with Australia, saying it was open to discussion on whether strengthening military alliances was beneficial to the international community.
US President Barack Obama on Wednesday said US troop deployments in Australia would help maintain the security architecture in Asia and help with the response to humanitarian and security issues in the region.
The move, however, may be seen by Beijing as further evidence of Washington's attempt to encircle China, with US bases in Japan and Korea and now troops in Australia.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin, asked about the proposed deepening of military cooperation, said China stood for "peaceful development and cooperation".
"We also believe that the external policies of countries in the region should develop along these lines," Liu told a regular news briefing.
Liu added that "whether strengthening and expanding a military alliance is in the common interests of the region's countries and the international community is worthy of discussion", especially amid a gloomy international economic situation and with each country seeking cooperation.
Liu sidestepped a question on whether China objected to the US-Australia agreement, saying Beijing, like Australia and the United States, valued improved cooperation.
"We believe that there should be real actions to further strengthen cooperation with the two sides," Liu said.
"As for using the form of a military alliance, China has its own concepts of friendly cooperation with all countries. Put simply, the path of peaceful development to achieve the shared aspirations of the international community. China never engages in military alliances."
Liu noted that Obama has said he welcomed a strong and prosperous and stable China, adding: "We also hope that the United States' words and actions will be consistent."
The winding down of wars in Afghanistan and Iraq has opened the door to greater US attention to simmering tension over the South China Sea, a shipping lane for more than $5 trillion in annual trade that the United States wants to keep open.
China claims the whole of the South China Sea although Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei hold rivals claims to at least parts of it. Tension occasionally flares up into maritime stand-offs.
US President Barack Obama on Wednesday said US troop deployments in Australia would help maintain the security architecture in Asia and help with the response to humanitarian and security issues in the region.
The move, however, may be seen by Beijing as further evidence of Washington's attempt to encircle China, with US bases in Japan and Korea and now troops in Australia.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin, asked about the proposed deepening of military cooperation, said China stood for "peaceful development and cooperation".
"We also believe that the external policies of countries in the region should develop along these lines," Liu told a regular news briefing.
Liu added that "whether strengthening and expanding a military alliance is in the common interests of the region's countries and the international community is worthy of discussion", especially amid a gloomy international economic situation and with each country seeking cooperation.
Liu sidestepped a question on whether China objected to the US-Australia agreement, saying Beijing, like Australia and the United States, valued improved cooperation.
"We believe that there should be real actions to further strengthen cooperation with the two sides," Liu said.
"As for using the form of a military alliance, China has its own concepts of friendly cooperation with all countries. Put simply, the path of peaceful development to achieve the shared aspirations of the international community. China never engages in military alliances."
Liu noted that Obama has said he welcomed a strong and prosperous and stable China, adding: "We also hope that the United States' words and actions will be consistent."
The winding down of wars in Afghanistan and Iraq has opened the door to greater US attention to simmering tension over the South China Sea, a shipping lane for more than $5 trillion in annual trade that the United States wants to keep open.
China claims the whole of the South China Sea although Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei hold rivals claims to at least parts of it. Tension occasionally flares up into maritime stand-offs.
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