Indian Army officer behind mosque bombing

The startling revelation about a senior Indian Army officer’s involvement in September 2008 bomb blasts at a mosque in Malegoan, Maharashtra state has brought to the fore Indian Army’s apolitical role in country’s communal disturbances.

The sensational disclosure came to light after investigations exposed that one Lt Col Purohit had been supplying the deadly RDX explosive material besides imparting training to the Hindu extremists and terrorists. As the story goes Lt Col Purohit used his links established during his tenure in occupied Jammu and Kashmir for procuring explosives and other weapons where he was posted with 41-Rashtriya Rifles. Lt Col Purohit was involved in training the accused in bomb making and it was on his instructions that funds were made available to those involved in the blast.

Investigations by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) also found that he attended secret meetings of the extremist Hindu group ‘Abhinav Bahart’ in different cities. Around 11 people including serving Lt Colonel Purohit have been taken into custody. The ATS has obtained confessional statements of Lt Col Purohit admitting his pivotal role in plotting and executing the act of terrorism on September 29. The ATS further said that it would like to question at least three more men in uniform believed to be one Major General and two colonels. Investigations further revealed that the accused managed to procure weapons and explosives including RDX using fake documents while he was posted in occupied Kashmir in 2004-05. One Sadhvi Pragya Singh has been declared the mastermind behind the attacks in Malegaon and she was arrested with a retired army major Upadhya with another accomplice S Kulkarni. Upadhaya led the investigations to Lt Col Purohit who is believed to have spilled the beans naming three more top army men. This sinister incident established Indian Army officers hobnobbing with Hindu extremist outfits in the country who have been carrying out bombing, arson, torture and other acts of terrorism against hapless minorities particularly the Muslims. After every bombing strike the blame was conveniently placed on some non-existent Muslim organization in order to whip up anti-Muslim hatred. Armies everywhere in the world are known to have maintained a strictly professional and secular outlook but the role being played by the army in the neighborhood defies all descriptions. It is enough to expose India’s claims to be the biggest democracy, which is being used to hide the utmost violations of minorities’ rights and targeting of their places of worships.

(by Ziauddin Butt)

Source: Kashmir Media Service.
Link: http://www.kmsnews.org/articles/indian-army-officer-behind-mosque-bombing.

Strike by over 400,000 employees cripples work in IHK

Srinagar, March 10 (KMS): In occupied Kashmir, work in all the government offices including hospitals and schools remained paralyzed in response to the five-day strike call given by Employees Joint Action Committee (EJAC) and Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) against the anti-people polices of the puppet administration.

Over four lac government employees went on a five-day strike, which began Tuesday morning, completely paralyzing work in all government offices across the occupied territory. Educational institutions that opened here Monday after the three-month winter break also remained closed on the first day of the employees' strike.

Talking to media men, the Chairman of Employees Joint Action Committee (EJAC), Khursheed Alam said that the authorities were in a position to fulfill their long pending demands. “We were forced to call the strike, which evoked total response in Jammu and Kashmir. Some bureaucrats are trying to sabotage our struggle, but we won’t allow them to succeed,” he said.

The EJAC leader said that protests would be held in Srinagar, Jammu and Ladakh regions on March 13, adding, “After that, we will sit and chalk out future strategy.”

In Jammu, employees observed complete strike in Kathua, Udhampur, Rajouri, Poonch, Batote, Ramban, Doda, Bhaderwah and Billawar areas.

Source: Kashmir Media Service.
Link: http://www.kmsnews.org/news/strike-over-400000-employees-cripples-work-ihk.

World urged to take note of Indian state terrorism

Srinagar, March 09 (KMS): In occupied Kashmir, senior leader of All Parties Hurriyet Conference, Agha Syed Hassan Al-Moosvi has appealed the world community to take cognisance of stepped up Indian state terrorism.

Agha Syed Hassan Al-Moosvi in a statement issued in Srinagar said that women had been the direct victims of Indian state terrorism as thousands of women suffered the loss of their sons, husbands and brothers in the occupied territory who got disappeared in custody.

He said that for last 20 years Indian troops had been using the Kashmiri women as a weapon of war in the occupied territory and committing serious crimes against them with impunity besides massacre of Kashmiri people.

The APHC leader said that majority of the Kashmiri women, whose children or other relatives were disappeared in custody, were suffering from multiple psychic problems. He demanded the release of those Kashmiri youth disappeared in custody by Indian troops.

Agha Syed Hassan Al-Moosvi also condemned the illegal detention of Hurriyet leaders and activists, including Shabbir Ahmad Shah, Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai and Nayeem Ahmad Khan and demanded their immediate release.

Source: Kashmir Media Service.
Link: http://www.kmsnews.org/news/world-urged-take-note-indian-state-terrorism.

Passport officer thrashes civilian in Srinagar

Srinagar, March 10 (KMS): In occupied Kashmir, the Regional Passport Officer in Srinagar assaulted with out any rhyme and reason a poor Kashmiri applicant, Abdul Rashid Malik.

Talking to media men in Srinagar Abdul Rashid Malik, said that the Regional Passport Officer thrashed him indiscriminately when he had come all the way from Lawipora, Bandipore to get five passport forms for his family.

“This was my second visit to the Passport Office, but the administration in the occupied territory is in shambles and people are made to wait for months to sort out problems which could be handled in two or three days,” he said. Malik said that the Passport Officer thrashed him mercilessly without any genuine reason.

It is to mention here that one of the biggest problems that concern applicants in the occupied territory is that the Regional Passport Office remains open to public only up to 1:00 pm. Obviously those coming from far-off places are rarely able to make it to the Passport Office which multiplies their visits to the office. Hundreds of applicants could be seen waiting in long queues outside the Office on any working day.

Source: Kashmir Media Service.
Link: http://www.kmsnews.org/news/passport-officer-thrashes-civilian-srinagar.

Uyghur Leader Dead at 85

2010-02-18

Gen. Mehmet Riza Bekin Pasha was renowned as an advocate for the Uyghur people.

ISTANBUL, Turkey—Gen. Mehmet Riza Bekin Pasha, an outspoken advocate for ethnic Uyghurs living under Chinese rule, died in the Turkish capital Ankara this week at the age of 85, after a six-month treatment for lung disease at the Gulhane Military Medical Academy here.

Active in Uyghur politics and education, he also staged Uyghur-related human rights events in Turkey and founded the nonprofit East Turkestan National Freedom Center, which supported Uyghur students in Turkey and around the world.

Rebiya Kadeer, president of the World Uyghur Congress, described him as a forceful leader.

“I am so sad to lose my friend—one of strong alliance to our Uyghur cause. He is a history-maker who brought glory to the Uyghur people and who respectfully dedicated his whole life to their freedom,” Kadeer said.

“He continuously promoted the education of Uyghur youths and tirelessly supported Uyghur refugees in Turkey."

Former Chairman of the World Uyghur Congress Erkin Alptekin flew to Ankara from Germany to attend Pasha’s funeral.

Full honors

“He took on duties as head of the East Turkestan Foundation in Istanbul when Uyghurs were having a most difficult time and worked very hard to raise funds in support of the education of Uyghur youth,” Erkin Alptekin said.

“We will remember him as symbol of unity and cooperation, and as a dedicated educator.”

The general was buried with military honors at a funeral service in the afternoon of Feb. 18 at the Kocatepe Mosque in the Karshi Yaka district of Ankara.

An estimated 1,500 people attended Pasha’s funeral, including members of the Turkish Parliament and the deputy military commander of the Turkish army.

Mehmet Riza Bekin Pasha is survived by his wife and two children.

Soldier and humanitarian

Pasha was born in 1925 in the East Turkestan prefecture of Khotan, in what is now China’s northwestern Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR).

At age nine, he moved with his family to Afghanistan and four years later was sent to study at the Maltepe Military High School in Turkey.

He continued his studies at the Land Warfare School in Turkey in 1946 and joined the Turkish army upon his graduation in 1948 from artillery school.

During the Korean War, Pasha led the First Turkish Brigade Field Artillery Battalion as a ranking lieutenant.

Pasha served as assistant military attaché in Tehran, Iran, and in 1977 retired with the rank of brigadier-general.

After retiring from the military, he announced that he had "done my duty as soldier for the Republic of Turkey” and would spend his remaining days contributing to the Uyghur community through humanitarian work.

Pasha was elected president of the Istanbul-based Foundation for East Turkestan in 1986.

From 1989-90, he served as a specialist for the Turkish prime minister in charge of a United Nations humanitarian aid program to Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Pasha was also an organizer of the first East Turkestan Congress, in Istanbul in 1992, and founded the East Turkestan Cultural Solidarity Association in 1994. He also founded the East Turkestan National Freedom Center in 1998. He was also the first Uyghur general in the Turkic world to serve under NATO.

Oppression under Chinese rule

Uyghurs, a distinct and mostly Muslim ethnic group indigenous to Xinjiang and scattered through Central Asia and Turkey, have long complained of religious, political, and cultural oppression under Chinese rule, and tensions have simmered there for years.

Uyghurs declared a short-lived East Turkestan Republic in Xinjiang in the late 1930s and 40s but have been ruled by Beijing, which many bitterly oppose, since 1949.

Beijing blames Uyghur separatists for sporadic bombings and other violence in the Xinjiang region.

But international rights groups have accused Beijing of using the U.S. “war on terror” as a pretext to crack down on nonviolent supporters of Uyghur independence.

After deadly ethnic riots killed nearly 200 people in the regional capital of Urumqi last July, authorities announced a continuing security crackdown on supporters of independence for the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and its Uyghur population.

The ethnic violence began July 5 after police suppressed a peaceful demonstration of Uyghurs and left at least 197 mostly Han Chinese residents dead, according to official media.

Exiled Uyghurs have accused Chinese police of firing on unarmed demonstrators who were calling for government action following attacks on Uyghur migrant workers at a factory in southern China.

At least 26 people have since been sentenced to death in connection with the violence, which prompted a regionwide shutdown of Internet and international phone services, with at least 700 people detained by the authorities.

Original reporting by Erkin Tarim and Maidinayi Bawudun for RFA’s Uyghur service. Uyghur service director: Dolkun Kamberi. Translated by Dolkun Kamberi. Written for the Web in English by Joshua Lipes.

Copyright © 1998-2010 Radio Free Asia. All rights reserved.

Source: Radio Free Asia (RFA).
Link: http://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/leader-02182010160741.html.

Oran forum targets academic freedom at African universities

2010-03-09

An international conference on achieving academic freedom in African universities opened in Oran on Tuesday (March 9th), El Moudjahid reported. Information technology and the impact of social and political changes in Africa will also be discussed at the 3-day event. Academics and researchers from host nation Algeria are joined at the symposium by colleagues from Morocco, Senegal, Ethiopia, Cote d'Ivoire, Nigeria, Cameroon, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Egypt, the US, England and Canada.

Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://magharebia.com/en_GB/articles/awi/newsbriefs/general/2010/03/09/newsbrief-05.

Algeria, US discuss co-operation goals

2010-03-09

Algerian Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci and US Presidential Envoy for Science and Technology Elias Zerhouni met in Algiers on Monday (March 8th) to discuss new science, technology and economic development partnerships. "President Obama has sent me to say very clearly that he intends to extend relations between Algeria and the US and step up co-operation between the institutions and researchers of both countries, in order to make it more diversified and constructive," APS quoted Zerhouni as saying following the meeting. The US official also met with Health Minister Said Barakat to discuss bilateral co-operation in the health sector.

Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://magharebia.com/en_GB/articles/awi/newsbriefs/general/2010/03/09/newsbrief-03.

Spanish FM meets Kadhafi in Tripoli

2010-03-09

Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi and Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos met in Tripoli on Monday (March 8th). The purpose of the surprise visit was to discuss Libya's current diplomatic dispute with Switzerland, AFP quoted a Western diplomatic source as saying on condition of anonymity. Libyan state news agency JANA reported, however, that Moratinos was in Libya to give Kadhafi a message from King Juan Carlos of Spain commending the nations' "fruitful co-operation and relations".

Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://magharebia.com/en_GB/articles/awi/newsbriefs/general/2010/03/09/newsbrief-01.

Iran sanctions will not yield results: Erdogan

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan says that imposing additional sanctions on Iran over its uranium enrichment program will not yield any results.

"I don't believe that any further sanctions will yield results," Erdogan told journalists in Riyadh on Tuesday, adding that earlier rounds of sanctions "have never yielded results."

The Turkish prime minister insisted that Iran's nuclear rights should be respected.

"We believe there should be cooperation, not polarization, in the region. We support dialogue and diplomacy for solving the problem about Iran's nuclear program,” Today's Zaman quoted Erdogan as saying.

“During the solution process, Iran should be given the right to have civilian nuclear energy meant for peaceful purposes. On the other hand, we want the Middle East to be turned into a nuclear weapons-free zone," the Turkish premier added.

Tehran has repeatedly declared that it will not relinquish the legitimate nuclear rights of the Iranian nation, no matter how much pressure the West imposes.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120470§ionid=351020101.

Iran sanctions could lead to war, Lula says

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has warned that imposing new sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program would be a very dangerous step.

Sanctions could isolate Iran so much that tensions would spiral out of control, Lula told AP in an interview on Tuesday.

He suggested that new Iran sanctions might even lead to war.

"We don't want to repeat in Iran what happened in Iraq," Lula said, a week after rebuffing US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's appeal for Brazilian support for a new round of tough sanctions.

Lula said that Brazil will not support the calls for sanctions, but added that during his visit to Tehran in May, he will try to convince President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to restart negotiations to allay concerns about the Islamic Republic's nuclear program.

"I have already told them (Iranian officials) that a war must be avoided at all costs," Lula said. "In whose interest is a war?"

Lula said Brazil is uniquely qualified to be an intermediary in negotiations with Iran because Brazil has a peaceful nuclear program and its growing economic clout allows it to play a more prominent role on the international stage.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120469§ionid=351020101.

France seals deal for 14 Soyuz carrier rockets

France has ordered 14 Soyuz carrier rockets from Russia costing some $1 billion.

Speaking at the Russian-French business forum in Paris on Tuesday, French satellite launch firm Arianespace's CEO, Jean-Yves Le Gall, confirmed rumors of that France would be purchasing Soyuz booster rockets from Russia.

"We have ordered 14 Soyuzes from the Russian Federation; the contract's cost is about $1 billion. These are ambitious plans," Le Gall said.

The Russian-French cooperation deal calls for the construction of state-of-the-art booster rockets and a launch system for Soyuz rockets at the Kourou space center in French Guiana.

Meanwhile, according to officials from Russia and France's space agencies, the equipment is 90 percent ready with the Russian side — Roskosmos — saying that it is ready to perform the first launch of the Russian rockets from the northeast of South America during the second half of 2010.

NASA officials have described the Soyuz-TC as the best booster in the world.

Earlier on Monday, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Russia and France had begun "exclusive talks" on the purchase of four French Mistral-class amphibious-assault ships, two of which could be built in Russia.

The deal for the assault ships is believed to be the largest arms sale from a NATO member to Russia so far.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120479§ionid=351020603.

Iran's navy successfully test-fires Nour missile

The Iranian Navy has successfully test-fired a new missile from its first indigenously-built Jamaran destroyer in the waters of the Persian Gulf.

The surface-to-surface Nour missile successfully hit its target at a distance of 100 kilometers in the test-fire on Tuesday.

However, military officials announced plans to build an upgraded version of the missile with a range of 300 kilometers.

Jamaran, a multi-mission and guided-missile destroyer, has been launched by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, in February.

The Mowdge Class vessel has a displacement of around 1,420 tons and is equipped with modern radars and electronic warfare capabilities.

It can carry 120-140 personnel on board and is armed with a variety of anti-ship and surface-to-air missiles.

The Iranian Navy plans to add a second home-built destroyer to its fleet within the next two years.

The Iranian Navy also announced that with the successful testing of the Nour missile, the Jamaran destroyer is all ready to engage in peaceful missions in international waters.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120430§ionid=351020101.

Hamas appoints female minister

The democratically-elected Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh is planning to appoint a female minister to head a Women's Affairs Ministry in the besieged Gaza Strip.

"The government is planning to appoint a number of female ministers to better include them in the decision-making process,” the Ma'an new agency quoted Haniyeh as saying at an event held on Tuesday to honor working women in Gaza City.

“We are a national government, based on Islamic principles, and we call on women to be more involved in the parliament, municipalities, and ministries. We are proud of this for this is a woman's right,” he added.

Haniyeh said the Gaza government will attach more significance to women's issues in the future.

The decision came a day after International Women's Day, which was celebrated across the globe on March 8. World leaders and international organizations are calling for women's rights to be recognized and for women to be given more opportunities in order to help resolve global problems.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120477§ionid=351020202.

Iranian destroyer test fires surface-to-surface missile

Tehran - An Iranian's destroyer on Tuesday successfully test fired a surface-to-surface missile in the Persian Gulf, the official Iranian news agency IRNA reported. The missile Nour (Light) reportedly flies at a very low attitude making it effectively untraceable by radar.

The missile's technology is that of the Chinese C-802 model but its range has been increased by Iranian experts to 170 kilometers.

In February Iran inaugurated its first Iranian-made destroyer, the Jamaran, which fired Tuesday's missile.

The 1500 ton warship is equipped with missile and torpedo systems and already sent to international waters for patrolling.

Both Israel and the United States do not rule out military actions against Iran's nuclear sites if diplomacy fails to make Tehran suspend its controversial uranium enrichment process.

Iran stresses that its nuclear programs are peaceful and solely for power generation and therefore rejects any form of suspension.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/313248,iranian-destroyer-test-fires-surface-to-surface-missile.html.

NATO chief seeks Jordan, Bahrain cooperation in maritime missions

Brussels - NATO's top official said Tuesday that he has asked Jordan and Bahrain to contribute to alliance naval operations fighting terrorism and piracy in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Gulf of Aden, as he ended a visit to the two countries. NATO is keen to improve cooperation with Arab and Muslim states, seeing them as important allies for a number of missions, including the all-important deployment in Afghanistan.

"I think it is essential for security and stability in our part of the world that NATO cooperates with countries in North Africa, the Middle East and the Gulf region," Anders Fogh Rasmussen said in an online video posted at the end of his visit.

"I have invited our partners to participate in our maritime operations," Rasmussen said.

NATO currently has two major naval deployments: Operation Active Endeavour, which focuses on counter-terrorism in the Eastern Mediterranean, and Operation Ocean Shield, fighting piracy off the coast of Somalia.

"We would very much like to strengthen cooperation (with Bahrain and Jordan) within these operations," Rasmussen said.

Contributions could take a number of forms, such as cooperation on intelligence-gathering or logistical support.

Rasmussen also repeated an earlier call for Muslim countries to contribute to the alliance's Afghan mission.

"Active participation of soldiers with a Muslim background would clearly demonstrate the fact that our operation in Afghanistan is not about religion. It's a determined fight against extremism and terrorism," he said.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/313252,nato-chief-seeks-jordanbahrain-cooperation-in-maritime-missions.html.

Devolved parliament in Northern Ireland adopts power transfer

London - The devolved parliament of Northern Ireland Tuesday voted to adopt legislation allowing the transfer of crucial police and judicial powers to the province from London, despite opposition from one of the smaller Protestant parties in the assembly. The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), led by veteran Northern Ireland politician Reg Empey, said it could not support the move, which will lead to the creation of a Department of Justice for Northern Ireland after the powers are devolved on April 12.

In London, Prime Minister Gordon Brown hailed the vote as the "final end of the decades of strife" in Northern Ireland where democracy and tolerance would now prevail.

"Progress finally replaced the politics of division in Northern Ireland," said Brown.

After an acrimonious debate, Northern Ireland's First Minister, Peter Robinson, said: "I believe it is time for us all to move forward. There must be no going back to the bad old days of the past."

"Throughout history there are times of challenge and defining moments. This is such a time. This is such a moment," said Robinson, who is also the leader of the biggest Protestant Party, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).

The rebellion by the smaller UUP prompted an intervention over the weekend by Hillary Rodham Clinton, the US Secretary of State, who urged Empey and all other major party leaders to adopt the deal, hammered out after marathon negotiations last month.

Former US President George W Bush also intervened, asking British Conservative leader David Cameron to urge the UUP to pass the deal. The opposition Conservatives in London are in an electoral alliance with the UUP.

But in the end, despite the UUP voting against, the legislation was passed by a comfortable majority. Out of the 105 votes cast, a total of 88 were in support of the transfer of powers.

The move is seen as the final step in the implementation of the 1998 Northern Ireland Peace Agreement.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/313256,devolved-parliament-in-northern-ireland-adopts-power-transfer.html.