Executive Summary
Terrorist Activities in Pakistan
Suicide Bombings
Dr. Shamsher All Khan, the Awami National Party legislator in the NWFP Assembly from Swat, was killed and 13 persons were injured on December 1 in a suicide attack in his house in the Dherai area of Kabal sub-division. According to reports a man with explosives strapped to his body walked into the legislator’s guest house with other people to greet the legislator and blew himself up, killing the legislator.
An official of the Pakistan Navy foiled a suicide attack on the Naval Headquarters at Zafar Chowk on the Margalla Road in Islamabad on December 2, The News reported. However, two Navy personnel were killed in the attack, while 13 persons were injured. Eyewitnesses said a 16- year-old suicide bomber blew himself up at 1:30 pm during his body search. A Navy spokesman claimed students of Bahria College located on the prem¬ises of the complex were the target of the terrorist. Police said a naval intelli¬gence official, deployed in plainclothes around the main entrance gate of the Naval Complex in E-8 Sector of Islamabad and a naval guard, spotted a suspicious teenager following infor¬mation provided by a passer-by. He called the boy and started searching him. As he was engaged in the body search, the boy blew himself up.
40 persons, including 17 chil¬dren besides serving and retired Army officers and personnel, were killed and over 86 others injured, when the Friday (Dec 4) congrega¬tion at the Parade Lanes mosque in Rawalpindi was attacked by a group of terrorists, The News reported. The high number of casualties was caused by hurling of grenades and indiscriminate targeted firing by the terrorists, reportedly numbering between six to eight. According to lat¬est reports, two of the terrorists blew themselves up while two others were shot dead in an exchange of fire with the Security Forces. Exhaustive combing of the densely-populated locality was also being carried out by the Security Forces to flush out the other terrorists, who reportedly man¬aged to escape from the spot and took refuge in the vicinity.
-A suicide bomber blew himself up outside a court in Peshawar on December 7 and killed nine people, including two Policemen, and injured 50 others. This was the second sui¬cide attack on a court in the city in three weeks. The explosion damaged the court building and windows of the nearby MPA hostel, petrol station and some other buildings and also destroyed about half a dozen vehicles and motorcycles. According to reports the bomber had tried to enter the ses-sion’s court building in an auto rick¬shaw but when the Policeman on duty stopped him for a search, he blew himself up. The death toll rose to 13 as more people died on December 8 in hospital because of their injuries.
At least 33 people were killed and nearly 60 were injured on December 15 when a_suicide car bomb exploded in a market outside the home of the Punjab Chief Minister’s senior adviser, Zulfiqar Khosa in Dera Ghazi Khan District in the Punjab. The explosive-laden car was detonated outside the house of Zulfiqar Khosa, who was not at home at the time of explosion. Most of the dead and injured were people either shopping or working at the market which completely col¬lapsed. It was unclear whether the bomber meant to target the market or the politician’s home. The house and several nearby shops and buildings, including a mosque and bank were damaged by the blast.
A teenage suicide bomber blew himself up at a gathering in Essakhel village in Bannu (NWFP) on December 17 but guests at the ceremony escaped unhurt. According to reports the young boy blew himself up in the middle of guests who were visiting the house of a local political leader to congrat¬ulate him on his return from Haj.
12 persons, mostly worship¬pers, were killed and 32 others sus¬tained injuries when a suicide bomber blew up his explosives-laden van near a mosque in the Police Lines in Dir Lower District on December 18, according to The News. “The worshipers were com¬ing out after offering the Friday prayers from the Civil Colony mosque in the Police Lines when the suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden vehicle into the wall,” an eyewitness said. “Eleven persons were killed and 32 others injured in the explosion, which occurred at 1:30 PM (PST),” a Police official said. It was the first incident of its kind in Dir Lower, where Security Forces (SFs) in the summer crushed a Taliban-led insurgency concentrated in Maidan and Adinzai tehsil (revenue division) of the Dir Lower District.
Bomb/Missile Attacks
A Police official was injured in an explosion at a Police check-post in the Regi area of capital Peshawar on December 3, Daily Times reported. Around seven kilograms of explosives were used in the attack while the remote- controlled device was planted at some distance from the check-post.
Three Taliban militants launched a gun, rocket and suicide attack on the office of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in Multan and killed at least 12 people and injuring sev¬eral others on December 8. The explosion destroyed several build-ings in a part of the city largely reserved for Government and Security Agencies. The apparent tar¬get of the blast was a building hous¬ing an office of the ISI which was also damaged. According to reports one assailant first fired a rocket and an automatic weapon at a police checkpoint, and then drove to the intelligence agency where they blew it up. Two attackers were stopped at the check-post but they tried to flee at which the security personnel fired at them. The attackers fired back, launched two rockets and later exploded their vehicle. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.
Four persons were reported killed and 27 others injured on December when 16 grenades were thrown at the participants of a music concert at Shah Kas area in Jamrud tehsil of Khyber Agency (FATA). The same day 25 persons were arrested by the security forces dur¬ing a search operation in Shalober, Qamberkhel and Akakhel area of Bara sub-division in Khyber Agency.
Several rockets were fired at Peshawar city on December 16 but caused no loss of life or property as these landed in an uninhabited area in Afridi Goth on Chamkani Road.
Attacks/Ambushes
Mattani Station House Officer Riaz Khan and Constable Shamshad were seriously injured on November 30 when armed men attacked their vehicle on the Indus Highway.
In Bajaur Agency, militants are reported to have attacked security checkpoints on the outskirts of the main town of Khar, according to Daily Times. Troops effectively repulsed it and five militants were killed in the retaliatory fire,” said Fazal Rabbi, deputy commander of the local tribal police force.
On Dec 1 unidentified armed men killed three tribal leaders in Orakzai Agency when their vehicle was ambushed in the Oblan area.
In Quetta the Saryab Station House Officer and two other Policemen were injured on December 8 in a hand-grenade attack on a Police convoy on the Sabzal Road. The Police were on routine patrol in the area when attacked.
Militant arrests
According to reports the law- enforcement agencies arrested 60 suspected persons from Islamabad and Rawalpindi during a search operation on December 6 following the Parade Lane mosque attack in Rawalpindi city on December 4. .
The security forces arrested 30 suspects from Koza Bandai, 10 from Galouch area of Kabal tehsil, two from Tahirabad, four from Sarsenai and one from Minqora but later released some after interrogation.
Miscellaneous
On December 13, the religious leaders from various schools of thought in Punjab declared suicide attacks as haram (prohibited) and promised to cooperate with the Punjab Government in the fight against terror¬ism. They passed a unanimous reso¬lution after a meeting at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat in Lahore. The resolution, presented by Muttahida Ulema Board Chairman Sahibzada Fazle Karim, stated that suicide bomb¬ings had no place in Islam and that the board wanted to see the country on the road to development and peace.
Meanwhile, addressing a press conference, Qazi Hussain Ahmed, the former chief of the Jamaat-e-Islami, also called suicide bombings un¬Islamic, saying that United States drone strikes were an assault on the country’s sovereignty and cannot be tolerated anymore. He also said Islam did not allow killing of Muslim brothers by launching suicide attacks and bomb blasts on ordinary citizens, adding that suicide attacks are not allowed in Islam. Moreover, he said, Islam does not allow the killing of innocent people and the murder of a Muslim is in fact the killing of all humanity.
Responding to the above declara¬tion, a spokesman for the Tehreek-e¬Taliban Pakistan on December 14 urged clerics to refrain from issuing fatwas (edicts) against suicide bomb¬ing without lending an ear to the jihadi point of view. TTP spokesman Azam Tariq said the UP expected that the clerics would not issue fatwas against suicide bombing without first listening to the point of view of the jihadi forces and if the clerics were forced by the Government to issue decrees against us, they should visit areas where the security forces were carrying out oper-ations to know who is doing what.
Pakistan
Political
Implications of the new Afghan strategy
Reacting to the new Afghan strat¬egy unfolded by President Obama, the Pakistan Foreign Office has expressed hopes that it would have no adverse fallout on the country. A statement by a Foreign Office spokesman also emphasizes the need for the two countries to closely coordinate their efforts to achieve shared objectives, adding that there is certainly the need for clarity and -coordination on all aspects of the implementation of the strategy.
An analysis of the new strategy reveals that the United States was totally counting on Pakistan for its envi¬sioned successes in Afghanistan. This is what we have so far seen and the emerging scenario leaves US and VATO’forces vulnerable to threats and failures if Pakistan is not involved in the campaign wholeheartedly. However, despite all this, the Foreign Office statement confirms the widely held belief that the United States did not care to consult Pakistan during review of the strategy and is now banking upon its support to be secured through a carrot and stick policy. Though the new policy is being called as ‘Afghan strategy’ yet in essence it is mostly focused on Pakistan. It is in this back-drop that a report published in the New York Times has asserted that there would be increased CIA covert opera¬tions in Pakistan and drone attacks might be carried out in Balochistan as well. Apart from the backlash of these covert operations, the dispatch and deployment of additional US and other coalition partners troops along borders with Pakistan would mean influx of more militants and refugees to Pakistan. This would obviously compli¬cate things for the Pakistan Army. There is no reason for complacency as after Gordon Brown and Hilary Clinton, the US Ambassador in Pakistan has openly claimed that Al-Qaeda’s top leadership present in Pakistan and that Islamabad will have to do more.
If indeed the US has any intelli¬gence about al-Qaeda leaders in Quetta, why does it not just direct drone attacks to take them out? It obviously does not need Pakistan’s approval to do so as is being seen in our northern tribal areas where drone attacks go on despite Pakistan’s opposition. This strongly suggests that the US has no evidence in hand. Moreover, had these leaders been present in Quetta or elsewhere in Pakistan, as is being implied, our security agencies would have gotten a whiff and the problem would have been taken care of. The mantra of ‘al Qaeda presence in Quetta’ is a ploy to keep Pakistan under continuous pressure and is also intended to quell the growing public disapproval about the war in Afghanistan in US and other Western nations.
The way things are moving, and in the wrong direction one might add, will require Pakistani strate¬gists to exercise utmost caution and vigilance to safeguard national interests in the face of intensive international pressure being unfairly exerted upon Pakistan.
Healing Balochistan
Prime Minister Yousuf Gilani made some more gestures towards Balochistan that should be more than welcome. He announced a troop pull out from Kohlu and Dera Bugti with control of Sui to be handed over to the FC. The focus on troop withdrawals indicates that the government is aware that this is one of the core reasons for the disquiet in Balochistan. The PM also said that that he is willing to talk to veteran Baloch leaders, an apparent reference to nationalist leaders like Ataullah Mengal and others. The gov¬ernment now seems to be on the right track. Successive governments in the sensitive Balochistan issue in a cos¬metic manner that gave further fuel to simmering tensions; the PM’s bold ini¬tiative is a deviation from the past.
Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Wasim Sajjad made a very pertinent suggestion that the good offices of three non-controversial per¬sonalities having necessary clout with the Baloch leadership should be uti¬lized to make the dialogue process meaningful and result-oriented. One hopes that that the Government would assign this responsibility of opening up channels with local elders as well as members of the exiled leadership as soon as possible. Though a signifi¬cant ,pumber of cases have already been dropped, more are in the offing and there are bright prospects of progress on the issue of missing per¬sons but it would be more appropriate if a general amnesty is announced, which would have a soothing effect on the overall bitter environment.
The government must also recog¬nize ,that the process will need a great deal of time; there are no quick answers to the problem. The distrust and suspicion that has accumulated because of decades of continuous neglect will not evaporate soon and suspicions will remain. The govern¬ment must be patient and keep up the effort without. The Baloch nation¬alists too, must show greater flexibil¬ity and allow the government to prove its commitment to bettering the welfare of the people of Balochistan and removing grievances.
Operation in Orakzai?
During an interaction with the media in Lahore, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani hinted that a drive against militants could be launched in Orakzai agency if efforts to restore order through political means failed. The Prime Minister also said that operation in South Waziristan is over, later while in Karachi he said the operation in SWA, the strong hold of banned TTP, would continue.
One feels it is time to wrap up the operation in South Waziristan Agency before the harsh winter sets in. Troops have continued to stay in operational readiness in Malakand after rooting out the militants, there¬fore it would be logical to assume that they would also be retained in SWA after the operation. In this scenario, the initiating of an operation in Orakzai Agency would mean with¬drawal of forces from the eastern bor¬der which would not be advisable. Furthermore, another operation could convey the message that it was being done at the behest of the United States considering the repeated demands from Washington that Pakistan must go after the Taliban in other tribal areas instead of restricting the operation to a few selected ones.
With the additional deployment of about 35,000 American and NATO troops in Helmand and Kandahar provinces in Afghanistan, fighting between Taliban and foreign forces would be bound to escalate, the consequences of which would be a spill over in Pakistan. To pre¬empt that, Pakistan would need additional deployment on its side of the border to ensure that fleeing mil¬itants or foreign forces in hot pursuit do not cross over into Pakistan.
One cannot deny that there are groups of militants in Orakzai and Khyber agencies having allegiance with those in SWA and are involved in acts of terrorism in the settled areas, yet they could be dealt with by strengthening F.C. and other civilian law enforcement agencies rather than sending in troops.
A new turn for Pakistan
Now that the all-pervasive judge¬ment on the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) has been given by the Supreme Court of Pakistan, it will take the legal experts and analysts some time to explain its fuller implica¬tions. But one thing is quite certain -Pakistan has taken a new turn and the verdict has served as a beacon of light in the otherwise dark environment.
The historic verdict of the 17-member full court, headed by Chief Justice lftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has helped transform the image of the country which was badly disfig¬ured by the stigma of corruption and unholy alliance among some ele¬ments to give it the legal protection.
Barring those who benefited from the NRO, there was almost universal consensus in the country that the black law needed to be struck down as there was no consti¬tutional, legal or moral justification to patronize and legalize unbridled loot and plunder of the resources of this poor State. Therefore, the judgement of the apex court meets expectations of the masses and ful¬fils their aspirations for rule of law and across the board accountability.
The judgement effectively means that cases against all the beneficiar¬ies, including President Asif Ali Zardari would be reopened and all of them will have to prove their inno¬cence before the courts of law. Having taken the first step, a mech¬anism must now be evolved for the speedy disposal of these cases fail¬ing which the cases can go on for years on end (as is routine in Pakistan) and the ends of justice will not be served. As far as President Asif Ali Zardari is concerned, he was obviously the focus of discussions on the NRO for the last few weeks but his spokesman has pointed out that the President enjoys constitu¬tional immunity. That might be true, but the president has lost moral ground and it is because of this that former Amir of Jamaat-e-lslami Qazi Hussain Ahmad and PML(N) leader Khawaja Asif demanded of him to quit. While it remains to be seen if the beneficiaries would demonstrate the moral courage to resign, the landmark verdict will serve as a deterrent against the wholesale loot and plunder that has been going on.
New Year’s gift to Pakistanis
Already groaning under the bur¬den of spiraling prices of almost every commodity under the sun as well shortages of essential items, the people of Pakistan were dealt yet another rude jolt by the govern¬ment’s decision to significantly hike up the rates of electricity from the first day of the New Year. According to reports, a decision has been taken to jack up the prices by 13.5% for all types of consumers. Even as the government went about tighten¬ing the screws on the common man, it said it had no other option.
Power tariff in Pakistan is among the highest in the world despite what the government says or rather, wants the people to believe. Consumers are now unable to digest the frequent increases in the rates of the electric¬ity. There is hardly any economic or technical justification for frequent and quantum rise in power rates and one feels these decisions are made to cover up wrong decisions, com¬missions and kickbacks, rampant corruption in WAPDA and KESC, broad daylight thefts, thefts in collu¬sion with officials of the distribution companies, unacceptable line losses and the worn out distribution system. Experts agree that the front-loaded power purchase agreements between WAPDA and the IPPs, high per kilowatt rates for power actually supplied a guaranteed internal rate of return of 18% for each IPP and skewing ratio of thermal to hydro¬electric power plants have played havoc with the power sector of the country. This shows that the trouble in the power sector is the making of the successive Governments. High tariffs have increased manufacturing and farming costs across the board.
It is obvious that the Government is obliged to increase the power tar¬iff despite negative consequences because of its commitments with the IMF. The IMF is notorious for pres¬surizing the recipient countries to make such highly unpopular and unjustified decisions and that is why its clientele has shrunk. It is also regrettable that the increase is being made at a time when the curse of load-shedding has again resumed after a break of a few weeks, making it all the more difficult for the con¬sumers to digest the increase.
There is a limit to what the peo¬ple can endure after being continu¬ously pushed into a corner.
Miscellaneous
Policy of nuclear deterrence to remain intact: FO
Pakistan on Thursday. Dec 10 ruled out any chances of a compro¬mise on its policy of nuclear deter¬rence and cautioned major powers in the region to refrain from creating instability by helping India to further its nuclear ambitions.
“We have legitimate interest in ensuring a strategic balance in South Asia under all circumstances. This is all the more important due to the jin¬goistic statements coming from New Delhi about waging a limited war based on its dangerous and naive policy of a cold start strategy,” the spokesman at the Foreign Office said during the weekly media briefing.
He was responding to a query about the recent defence agreements between New Delhi and Moscow. “There will be no compromise in maintaining a credible nuclear deter¬rence for peaceful uses,” he added.
About statements from several officials on India’s alleged interfer¬ence inside Pakistan, the spokesman said that such issues would not be discussed through the media. “We do not believe in blame game or in point scoring. Enough has been said on this issue and we do not want to conduct this through the media,” he replied.
Magsi supports demand for autonomy
Governor Balochistan Nawab Zulfiqar Ali Magsi, while stressing the need for addressing the prob¬lems of the provinces, has said that provincial autonomy in line with the 1973 Constitution was a genuine demand of the federating units.
Talking to the newsmen soon after the inaugural ceremony of the HEC center at the Law College Quetta on Wednesday, Dec 16 he said that it was the job of the government to address the basic problems of the people.
He rejected the word ‘package’ saying that it was Aghaz-e-Haqooq Balochistan instead of a package as the federal government admitted that the province had been deprived of its basic rights for the last 62 years.
Magsi hoped that the federal government would fulfill what he announced for healing the wounds of the downtrodden people of the province. Replying to a question, he said that everyone in a demo¬cratic state had the right to express his opinion.
No Taliban shura in Quetta: ISPR
Director General Inter Services Public Relations, Major General Athar Abbas has said that news about the presence of Taliban Shura in Quetta is totally baseless and fabricated. In an exclusive interview with Private TV Channel, Major General Athar Abbas said that infiltration of Taliban elements across the Pak-Afghan bor¬der can’t be ruled out. He also said that presence of Afghan Refugees Camp is the major problem for the Pakistan as there is infiltration of Taliban elements in these Camps. Some of these ele¬ments also visit Quetta. But to say that there is an organized Shura of Taliban in Quetta is totally impossible.
He said that Pakistan has also taken action in this connection but no clues were found about the existence of Taliban Shura. He said that if some¬one has information in this regard they must share it with the Pakistan army.
Desist from abductions, crime in NW, asks TTP chief Hakeemullah Mehsud
The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ‘chief’ Hakeemullah Mehsud on December 23 asked his ‘com¬manders’ not to interfere in the mat¬ters of North Waziristan Agency of Federally Administered Tribal Areas, according to Daily Times. Warning of strict action against those who violat¬ed the order, Hakeemullah asked his group to desist from abductions and other criminal activities and interfer¬ence in the governance of Political Administration of North Waziristan. He said those violating the order would be held accountable.
Meanwhile, the Tehreek-e¬Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ‘deputy chief’ Waliur Rehman said he has sent thousands of fighters to neigh¬bouring Afghanistan to rebuff incom¬ing US troops. Waliur Rehman said the TTP remains committed to bat¬tling the Army in South Waziristan, but they are essentially waging a guerrilla war. While the military esti¬mated it had killed around 600 Taliban militants, Rehman claimed that he had lost fewer than 20.
Regional
Bangladesh — Internal Dynamics
Two PBCP-ML cadres shot dead in Chuadanga
Two top cadres of the Purbo Banglar Communist Party (PBCP-ML) were shot dead in an encounter with the Police at Kedarganj in Chuadanga District in the early morning of December 3, according to Daily Star. The slain cadres were identified as ‘general secretary’ of the outfit Jamal alias Robi alias Nuruzzaman Sumon and ‘second-in-command’ Sunnat Ali.
PBCP-Janajuddha cadre killed in Bagerhat District
A cadre of the Janajuddha faction of the Purba Banglar Communist Party (PBCP), identified as Sheikh Murad, was killed in an encounter with the Police at Brahmandia village of Fakirhat Sub-District in Bagerhat District on December 8, reports Daily Star. Assistant Sub Inspector Abdul Aziz, Constable Waziar Rahman and Constable Fazlul Huq sustained bul¬let injuries during the encounter. Two shutter guns, 21 bullets and seven bullet caps were recovered from the incident site. Murad, who was on the run, was sentenced to death in con¬nection with the murder of eminent shrimp exporter and Fakirhat upazi¬la (Sub-District) Awami League leader S. M. Farhad Hossain. He was also accused in seven other cases including three for murders.
Gono Bahini cadre arrested in Pabna District
Personnel of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested a cadre of the Gono Bahini outfit, identified as Ashraf Ali alias “Koshai” Ashraf, from Peerpur village under Ataikula Police Station in Pabna District in the night of December 14, according to Daily Times. While other militants managed to escape, a shutter gun was recovered from his possession.
Now JMB has no suicide squad, says RAB source
Rapid Action Battalion on December 20 claimed that Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) now has no suicide squad, reports Daily Star. “Information we’re gathering through our intelligence says that now JMB has no suicide,” RAB Additional Director General (ADG) Col Mizanur Rahman Khan told a press conference at its headquarters. He briefed the media persons about the arrest of five militants of JMB who made a number of attacks that left 71 people dead and 582 others injured since the JMB’s clandestine activities began in the country. The RAB ADG also adds JMB activities have almost come to a halt as its command system has been almost broken down and limited to only invitational programmes. He also said that JMB’s capability to carry out any subversive activity has been diminished to a great extent.
PBCP-Red flag cadre killed in Chuadanga District
The dead body of a regional leader of the Red flag faction of the Purba Banglar Communist Party (PBCP-Red flag), identified as Saiful Islam Saban alias Sabai, was found on a railway track in Alamganga sub district of Chuadanga District on December 18, reports Daily Star. Police sent the body to Chuadanga Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy. The body of Saban was bisected from the waist, Police said.
PBCP cadres threaten to kill five persons in Sirajganj District
Purba Banglar Communist Party (PBCP) cadres threatening to kill five people if they stand against their “movement”, pasted posters and dis¬tributed leaflets at Katagari Bazaar in Tarash sub district of Sirajganj District in the night of December 20, reports Daily Star. Many cadres, who had ear¬lier went into hiding following opera¬tions by law enforcers, are now back to the scene and they are engaged in different crimes including abduction, robbery, murder and extortion. During the last few months, PBCP has set up safe havens in different remote chars (small islands) of Jamuna River and greater Chalon Beel region under Sirajganj, Bogra, Pabna and Natore Districts as law enforcers’ vigilance is rather lax due to poor communication facilities. At daytime, the criminals remain unnoticed in the guise of gener¬al people or travellers and at night they come out in groups for organisational and anti-social activities, locals said. The criminals go into hiding when law enforcers take tough action but return to the area and become active again when there is laxity in vigilance, they added.
India — Internal Dynamics
Over 170 Security Force killed fighting Naxals in six months
Over 170 Security Force person¬nel have lost their lives fighting Naxalites (left wing extremists) in six different States over the past six months, PTI reported. “A total of 176 Security Forces had to lose their lives in Naxalite attack during the last six months,” Ajay Maken, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs said in a writ¬ten reply on in Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Parliament) on December 2. While 74 SF personnel were killed in Chhattisgarh, 34 died in Maharashtra, followed by 32 in Jharkhand, 20 in Orissa, nine in West Bengal and seven in Bihar. Giving details about the deaths, he said this data was of Naxalite attacks that happened between May 15 to November 23.
Maoists spying on Security Forces
The Communist Party of India-Maoist is having its own well organ¬ized secret service, according to Times Now. They call it PSS – the ‘Peoples Security Service’. The spies are a new and critical tool in the Maoist network, said Chhattisgarh Director General of Police (DGP) Vishwa Ranjan. “Any underground movement will have to establish an intelligence unit for its own survival,” he explained.
Accordingly the PSS’s mission is to penetrate Government intelligence. One line of the confidential handbook reads: “That you cannot know yourself completely without knowing about your enemy is a reality” The DGP said that Maoists have been using their spies “very successfully”. “I think what they have been using very successful¬ly is their scanners which catches the frequency of police wireless,” he added. The documents reveal among other things infiltration guidelines to penetrate and extract information from the Army, the Police forces and other central agencies. The Police officer admitted that the Indian Government forces have never been able to appre¬hend so far, “someone who is at a higher echelon of their intelligence service.” Recently, however, police arrested three alleged Maoist spies. There could be many more and spies and at higher levels, spread through various Government bodies, plotting the next Maoist assault.
Maoists kill two BSF personnel in Jharkhand
PTI reports that two Border Security Force (BSF) personnel were killed by the Communist Party of India-Maoist cadres in the third phase of Jharkhand Assembly elections on December 8. Maoists, who had given a call for poll boycott, fired at a BSF patrol party near the Sarasdangal for¬est in Dumka District, killing head con¬stable Dharamvir Singh and constable Dinesh Sharma, Inspector-General of Police V. H. Desmukh said.
Naga groups reject “conditional political package” from Union Government
Assam Tribune reports that the Joint Working Group (JWG) formed by the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM), National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K) and Naga National Council on December 9 said it would not accept any “con¬ditional political package” from the Union Government. The report adds that the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had earlier said it would offer a set of political propos¬als to the Naga groups by the end of December to form the basis of future peace talks for an acceptable and honourable settlement to the vexed political conflict. “To clarify doubts arising out of recent statements made by the Government of India, the JWG hereby recommit ourselves to uphold, respect and honour the principles of a joint declaration signed on September 28 in which we jointly reject any form of conditional package offered to the Nagas by the Centre,” a JWG statement said.
Maoists infiltrating ongoing Telangana stir, say Police
The Andhra Pradesh Police on December 9 expressed apprehension that the Communist Party of India-Maoist cadres were infiltrating the ongoing agitation for a separate province of Telangana, according to The Hindu. They were seizing the opportunity of the ‘possible huge gath¬ering’ in the State capital on December 10 in response to the Chalo Assembly (Go to Assembly) call given by the Joint Action Committee of students. The Inspector-General of Police A. R. Anuradha, spokesperson of the State Police said “We have received Intelligence reports that the movement has gone out of the students” hands and that Maoists and other profession¬al agitators are moving in. Given such a situation, we do not wish to take any chance with law and order problem. The Maoists already are believed to be in Dandakaranya.”
Maoists behead civilian in Uttar Pradesh
The Communist Party of India-Maoist cadres beheaded a 25-year¬old man after branding him a Police informer in the Sonbhadra District, Police said on December 11, according to TANS. A group of near¬ly 10 armed Maoists on December 10 beheaded Shiv Prakash, a resi¬dent of Pannuganj village in Sonbhadra, after holding a pan¬chayat (village level local self Government institution) meeting in the village, they added.
ANVC for separate State of Garoland
The Achik National Volunteer Council (AVNC) outfit on December 11 stated that its fight for a separate Garoland would gain momentum with the Centre initiating the process for the cre¬ation of Telangana, according to Telegraph. The outfit’s ‘publicity secretary’, Arist Sangma, said with the Centre taking steps to create a Telangana State, the out¬fit’s demand would also be justi¬fied in the days to come. “Our demand is very much genuine and we are not asking for the sun or moon, but a separate state within India unlike other militant groups, which are demanding sovereignty,” Sangma said.
Maoists demand autonomy
On December 12, a demand for autonomy for three tribal-dominat¬ed Districts of West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia in West Bengal was made by a top Maoist leader, who also justified the Gorkhaland statehood issue. The Maoist politburo .member Kishen told PT/ from an undisclosed loca¬tion, “We demand autonomy for the three districts on the lines of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council.”
He alleged that the West Bengal Government had denied the legiti¬mate rights of the people of the Districts, adding, “We demand auton¬omy to protect the language, culture and religious beliefs of tribals.” Asked if he meant statehood, he replied, “the people of the three districts are not yet prepared for statehood.” Queried if it was part of the demand for a ‘greater Jharkhand’, Kishen said, “That demand is no longer rele¬vant. The scenario has changed. Moreover the formation of Jharkhand has not solved any problem.”
Two Policemen killed in Maoist-triggered landmine blast in Jharkhand
Two Policemen were killed in a landmine blast triggered by the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres in the Lohardaga District on December 14, Times of India reports. It was followed by another similar explosion that ripped through a bus some seven hours later in the same District, injuring its driver and his deputy. While the first blast occurred at the Jharnapani turning point in Kekrang valley under Kisko Police Station, the second one took place near Chandalgo village, about three kilometers away. The bus was returning empty after the Security Forces were airlifted following the Kekrang valley blast but the Maoists targeted it near Chandalgo village. Police recovered wire, blankets and camera flash used to explode the mine. The explosion followed an encounter when 105 rounds of fire were exchanged by either side. No casualty was reported.
Three CPI-Marxist workers killed in West Bengal
Three Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-Marxist) party workers were found dead in the Junglemahal area of West Midnapore District on December 23, Indian Express report¬ed. Habul Patra, a cable operator and CPI-Marxist worker, was dragged out of his home at Bamal village in Lalgarh by the Communist Party of India-Maoist in the night of December 22. His dead body was found near his residence. Separately, a CPI-Marxist zonal committee member of Gopiballabhpur in Lalgarh was allegedly killed by Maoists in the night of December 23. Prabir Dandaput was returning to his home when Maoists fired at him. In addition, the bullet-ridden dead body of Sadhan Mahato, another CPI-Marxist mem¬ber, was found at Damakata village in Salboni earlier in the day.
Woman Maoist killed in Orissa
PTI reports that a woman Communist Party of India-Maoist was killed and three security force personnel injured in an exchange of fire between the two sides at Pallur in the Koraput District in the morning of December 24. The exchange of fire took place when personnel of the Special Operation Group. the State’s elite anti-Maoist force, were going on a combing operation in the Pallur area under Narayanpatna Police Station.
Maoists put condition for talks with Government
The Communist Party of India-Maoist on December 23 said it will positively respond to the Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram’s call for talks if he withdraws Security Forces from States like Chhattisgarh and West Bengal. “If the Government is serious, then let it wind up the airbas¬es-28 and dissolve the para-military command in Chhattisgarh,” the Maoist politburo member Koteshwar Rao alias Kishan told PTI over phone from an undisclosed location. For a settlement in West Bengal, he also demanded autonomy to three tribal-dominated districts. “If the govern¬ment is eager to solve the problem of the tribals, let it give autonomy to the three districts and allow the tribals to plan out their own welfare,” he said. Reacting to Chidambaram’s proposal for an alternative administrative struc¬ture within the sixth schedule, he said sixth schedule had lost its viability. The Bhuria Committee report had provision for empowering tribals, but that had not been implemented.
Nepal — Internal Dynamics
JTMM split and Jwala Singh expelled from the party
Kantipuronline reports that Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha (JTMM), an armed outfit active in the Terai belts, split up after a mere seven months of its merger with the Madheshi Mukti Tigers (MMT) party, leading to the formation of a single party- Janatantrik Madhesh Mukti Tigers Terai (JMMTT) with an aim to launch armed revolution on mid April. According to one of the under-ground party leaders, the party has expelled party chairman Jwala Singh for his failed leadership and individualistic activities.
Nepal King to pay taxes
Nepal’s cabinet decided on Dec 9 that former king Gyanendra is to be made to pay tax for the first time, a year and a half after the world’s last Hindu monarch stepped down from the throne. Gyanendra has been liv¬ing as a commoner since May last year when the then Maoist govern¬ment abolished Nepal’s monarchy, ending a 240-year-old royal dynasty and turning the Himalayan nation into a secular republic.
Maoists declare Limbuwan and Kochila autonomous States
Kantipuronline reports that notwithstanding the extensive national and international concerns, the Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (Unified CPN-Maoist) declared autonomous Kochila and Laimbuwan States on December 11. The Unified CPN-Maoist made the announcement as part of its third phase protest. The Maoists declared Kochila State by lighting candles amid a function organised at Birtamod in Jhapa District where the party central leaders Netra Bikram Chand and Haribol Gajurel were also present. The Kochila state includes Jhapa, Morang and Sunsari Districts.
Likewise, it also declared Limbuwan autonomous State at Myaglung of Terhathum District under the leadership of party cen¬tral leader Suresh Ale Magar on the first day of its autonomous States declaration. Leader Magar said border of the Limbuwan State, however, has not been delineated. He said the border of the State would be finalised later after border discussion within the party. He warned that the Maoists would declare parallel Government if the Government failed to address their demands by December 22
22 persons including Tarun Dal’s general secretary injured in Maoist attack
Kantipuronline reports that at least 22 activists of Tarun Dal, youth wing of the Nepali Congress party, were injured when the uni¬fied Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist cadres attacked them at Harmatari Chowk in Gorkha District in the night December 23. The • injured activists included Tarun Dal’s general secretary Krishna Parajuli. The Maoist cadres attacked the microbus in which the Tarun Dal activists were riding on the way for Gorkha from the capital at Harmatari Chowk. The vehicle was totally damaged.
Meanwhile, a media mission team formed by the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) con¬cluded on December 23 that Rukum-based journalist Tika Bista was attacked by the Maoist cadres. The mission team made public its findings in the capital December 23 after conducting field study on the case of Bista’s attack. Journalist Bista was seriously injured in an attack by an unidentified gang in Rukum District on December 8.
Sri Lanka — nternal Dynamics
Three seized LTTE ships are being brought to Sri Lanka, says report
The Government of Sri Lanka seized three Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam ships overseas and is in the process of bringing them to the coun¬try, a news report revealed, according to Colombo Page. The ships are expected to arrive in Colombo soon, The Island said in a report on December 2. All information with regard to the ships had been dis¬ closed to the Security Forces (SFs) by the recently arrested LTTE’s chief arms procurer Kumaran Pathmanathan alias KP. Interpol has helped the SFs to act on information provided by KP, sources said. The ships were known to have been uti¬lized for transportation of arms, ammunition, and human smuggling in the past by the overseas LTTE outfit.
Sri Lanka Navy has taken charge of the three vessels and they are expected to reach Sri Lankan waters under tight security during the next couple of weeks, the report said, quoting highly placed Government officials. Sources have refused to divulge further informa¬tion. Information about local con¬tacts of the LTTE, provided by KP, was being verified, sources added. The seizure is considered as the first step in the Government’s endeavour to confiscate LTTE’s overseas assets. Sri Lanka Navy managed to destroy 10 LTTE ves¬sels during war time which had been engaged in arms smuggling.
New Tamil group People’s Liberation Army vows to start a fresh war
A Marxist group of Tamil mili¬tants with connections to the Palestinian Liberation Organisation and Cuba is preparing to mount a new insurgency in Sri Lanka. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) was founded in eastern Sri Lanka in August and has vowed to launch attacks against Government and military targets unless its demands for a separate Tamil homeland are met. “This war isn’t over yet,” Commander Kones, head of the PLA’s Eastern District military com¬mand, told The Times during a night meeting in a safe house in the east of the country last week.
Kones, a nom de guerre, claimed that the PLA had 300 active members and expected to recruit 5,000 volunteers from the 280,000 Tamil civilians recently freed from detention camps. He said that the PLA, commanded by a 10-man committee, was an entirely separate organisation from the LTTE, but said that former LTTE cadres would be able to join the organisation provid¬ed that they swore their allegiance to the PLA’s political aims.
The PLA includes in its ranks sev¬eral experienced insurgents. Commander Kones, now in his for¬ties, had himself been given guerrilla training at a camp in Uttar Pradesh, India, in 1983, where his trainers included fighters from the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO).
Kones said that he had no inten¬tion of trying to emulate the LTTE’s style of warfare, but suggested a more asymmetric strategy involving attacks by widely dispersed PLA cells. However, he added that his targets would include economic and administrative centres, as well as military forces. Other PLA insiders said that one of their likely first fights would be with groups of former LTTE cadres led by ‘Colonel’ Karuna [Karuna split from the LTTE ranks in 2004 and later joined the Government, but still holds influ¬ence in eastern Sri Lanka.]
Palestine denies any connection to PLA
The Palestinian Ambassador in Sri Lanka, Anwar Al-Agha, on December 7 denied reports that a link exists between the People’s Liberation Organization (PLO) in Palestine and a new Tamil armed group called the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in the East of Sri Lanka, according to Daily Mirror. Agha said that he was not even aware of the existence of such a group, and that it is not possible for such ties to exist. His observations follow a report which appeared in The Times hinting that an organization called the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) in the East of Sri Lanka had the support of the well known PLO, who are active in Palestine, as well as another country.
Fonseka’s allegations lead to UN probe
The interview given by Sarath Fonseka to the Sunday Leader on December 13, 2009 wherein he alleges that three Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam leaders who came to surrender with white flags during the final stages of the battle were shot dead by ground troops has opened an United Nations (UN) probe into possible war crimes charges against the Heroic Forces, reports Daily News. The UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions Philip Alston in a letter to President Mahinda Rajapakse has demanded an explanation regarding the alle¬gations made by Fonseka that the Defense Secretary has instructed the Commander of the 58th Brigade of the Sri Lanka Army to shoot those surrendering.
The UN is inquiring particularly the circumstances of the death of three representatives of the LTTE Balasingham Nadeshan, Seevaratnam Pulidevan and Ramesh, as well as members of their families, in the night of 17 to 18 May, 2009.” In his letter, Alston says that the information that he has received are based on the allegations made by Sarath Fonseka in the above men¬tioned interview. He also says “accounts of journalists embedded with the SLA 58th Brigade confirm some of the alleged circumstances of the deaths of Nadeshan, Pulidevan and Ramesh and their families.” Referring to “fundamental legal rules applicable to all armed conflicts under international humanitarian law and human rights law”, particularly Article 5 of the Geneva Conventions of 1949, the Special Rapporteur has inquired about the accuracy of the allegations and demanded informa¬tion and documentary proof in the event that the accusations are inac¬curate. The letter also seeks informa¬tion on the family members of Nadeshan, Pulidevan and Ramesh.
Meanwhile, the Presidential Secretariat in a release said the Government is making a careful study of the UN Rapporteur’s letter, prior to a formal response, and any action that may be necessary.
Three Sri Lankan Tamils in Australia plead guilty to charges of funding LTTE
Three Sri Lankan Tamils in Melbourne in Australia are to plead guilty to charges of provid¬ing money to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, according to Colombo Page. Aruran Vinayagamoorthy, Sivarajah Yathavan and Arumugam Rajeevan of New South Wales are to plead guilty to a single charge of providing money to the LTTE, their lawyers informed the Australian Supreme Court on December 21. In addition, Vinayagamoorthy would plead guilty to providing radio transmitters to the terrorists. The three men were arrested in a raid in May 2007 and charged of being members of a banned organiza¬tion and providing financial sup¬port to the organization.
Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan Government said that it has identi¬fied up to three former LTTE mili¬tants seeking asylum in Australia on a boat intercepted after a personal request from Kevin Rudd to Indonesia’s President. In allegations that will further complicate the pro¬cessing of the 255 Tamils on a boat moored at the Indonesian port of Merak, Colombo’s high commission¬er to Australia, Senaka Walgampaya, said Sri Lankan embassy officials in Jakarta had identified the individuals.
Arms and ammunition recovered in Wanni
Troops conducted search and clear operations in the Karaweddi, Periyapandiparichchan, Sinnapandiparichchan, Nandankandal, Piramanakulam, Mannar, Mundampiddi, Akkarayankulam, Adampan, Murusamodai, Punagari, Andankulam and Wellamullivaikkal areas of Wanni and recovered one clay¬more mine, five meters long detonator code, 192 anti-personnel mines, four 120-mm mortar bombs, four 81-mm mortar bombs, two 60-mm mortar bombs, four hand grenades, one 130-mm artillery shell, eight Rangan 99 bombs, two micro pistols, one CN 100 pistol, one MP22 pistol, nine pistol mag¬azines, 30 rounds of pistol ammunition, one pistol holster, two “Yesu” radio com¬munication sets, one pressure mine and 2525 rounds of T-56 ammunition on December 21, reports Sri Lanka Army.
International
S. Korea says N. Korea seeks to buy time to make nukes
On Wednesday, Dec 2 S. Korea questioned North Korea’s calls for a peace treaty with the United States, declaring its real aim is to buy time to make more nuclear weapons. The comments by Foreign Minister Yu Myung-Hwan came six days before a US envoy is sched¬uled to visit the communist state to try to persuade it to return to six-party nuclear disarmament talks.
“North Korea’s talk of a peace pact is aimed at buying time and con¬tinuing developing nuclear weapons so that it may be recognised as a nuclear state,” Yu told a forum.
The minister also said any bilater¬al US-NOrth Korea peace treaty directly linked to the settlement of the nuclear issue would not be proper.
The North’s position is that it has already resolved all inter-Korean issues through the 1992 Basic Agreement signed with Seoul and that a peace treaty should be signed with Washington, Yu said.
Yu noted that security guaran¬tees for North Korea are already included in a joint communiqué signed between Washington and Pyongyang in 2000, in the final months of the Clinton administration.
Stephen Bosworth, US special representative for North Korean pol¬icy, is scheduled to visit Pyongyang on December 8 but Seoul officials have been downbeat about hopes for progress.
Europe reluctant to make firm Afghan troop pledges
European leaders were quick to offer verbal support on Wednesday, Dec 2 for U.S. President Barack Obama’s Afghanistan strategy, but in less of a hurry to commit new troops to an uncertain and deadly military campaign. Faithful U.S. ally Britain was first off the mark, prom¬ising to send 500 extra soldiers even before Obama made his long-awaited policy speech on Tuesday in which he said he would send 30,000 more American troops. Obama said the reinforcements were necessary to speed up the battle against Taliban insurgents, secure key towns and train Afghan security forces so they could take over and clear the way for the United States to begin to reduce forces in 18 months.
The new deployment will take the number of American troops in the war zone to 98,000, while Britain, the number two contributor, will boost its contingent to about 10,000. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown urged other coalition members on Wednesday to unite behind Obama. But despite the drumbeat from London, the response from continen¬tal Europe was cautious as leaders sought to give Obama positive sig¬nals while placating their own voters, who are increasingly skeptical of the Afghan war. Germany, the third-biggest contributor with 4,400 troops in Afghanistan, signaled that it stood ready to do more police training but could not commit more troops before a strategy review early next year.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy called Obama’s speech “courageous, determined and lucid” and said France would “look at its contribution to international strategy, giving priority to the training of Afghan security forces.” France, the fourth-biggest contributor with 3,750 soldiers in the region, had said days earlier it would not dispatch any more forces, so Sarkozy’s statement marked a change of tone. He said he would review his position after a meeting of NATO countries this week and a U.N.-sponsored conference in London on January 28, offering Obama the hope that even if Paris did not send more combat troops, it might offer extra military trainers.
US declared Iraq win too soon
A former British military chief said on Friday, Dec 4 the United States decided it had won the war in Iraq too soon. Lt. Gen. Anthony Pigott, a former deputy chief of the defence staff, said the US was too triumphant in the immediate aftermath of the invasion. “Nobody had won anything when the statue came down,” Pigott said, referring to the incident when US Marines tore down a statue of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad in 2003 in what became one of the iconic images of the US-led invasion.
He added that the reconstruction of Iraq after the invasion had not been handled correctly. Pigott was giving evidence at an inquiry into the period leading up to and after the Iraq war.
The war was deeply unpopular in Britain, left 179 British soldiers dead and triggered huge protests.
The inquiry, which is in its sec¬ond week, is not set up to appor¬tion blame or hold anyone liable for the conflict, but it does have the potential to embarrass offi¬cials in the US and Britain who argued wrongly that the war was justified because Saddam was developing weapons of mass destruction and building close links with al-Qaeda. Pigott also told the inquiry Britain wanted to play a major role in Iraq to gain influence with the US.
“You buy that on your contribu¬tion and your willingness to put not just boots on the ground but people in danger,” he said. “They know you are a serious player.” The inquiry is expected to publish its findings late next year.
Saudi Arabia deplores Iran scientist kidnap claim
Saudi Arabia said it “deplored” Tehran’s charge that an Iranian nuclear scientist was kidnapped on a pilgrimage to Mecca and hauled off to the United States, a Saudi newspaper reported Wednesday, Dec 9. Foreign Ministry spokesman Osama Nugali told Asharq Alawsat that he was “stunned by the declarations and allegations. from Tehran, which he “deplored.”
Nugali said that nuclear scientist Shahram Amiri’s disappearance had sparked an extensive investigation by the Saudi government. “After having been informed of his disappearance by the Iranian delegation (in Mecca), Saudi authorities undertook an inten¬sive search in Medina as well as in all the hospitals in the region of Mecca,” Nugali told the newspaper.
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki on Tuesday accused the United States of abducting nuclear scientist Shahram Amiri, who went missing while on an umrah (minor pilgrimage) in Saudi Arabia earlier this year.
“He disappeared in Saudi Arabia and naturally we ask the Saudi gov¬ernment to look into the case…. Saudi Arabia must be held account¬able in this regard,” he said. —AFP
Taliban warn Korea against sending troops
The Taliban in Afghanistan accused the South Korean govern¬ment of breaching the ‘clandestine agreement’ by sending 500 troops to the war-battered country and warned to start attacks on Koreans and their installations.
Taliban said the South Korean government had agreed to pull out its troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2007 in exchange for safe release of their 19 nationals and had promised not to send more troops to the country in future.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid. who called The News from an undisclosed location on Wednesday, De- 9 said Taliban had freed the 19 Korean nationals in September 2007 after the South Korean government promised to withdraw troops from Afghanistan and would never send more in future. “It’s a sheer violation of the agreement they had made with us. Now under pressure from the United States, the South Korean government has announced to send 500 additional troops to Afghanistan. This means they backtracked on their commitment and will fight against us,” explained the Taliban spokesman.
Hamas to aid Iran if attacked
The exiled leader of Hamas gave warning on Tuesday, Dec 15 that the Palestinian Islamist move¬ment would support Iran if Israel were to launch a military strike against its nuclear facilities. Hamas controls the Gaza Strip and has used the territory to fire thousands of rockets and mortar bombs into Israel. The frequency of these attacks has reduced since the war in Gaza in January but for an Israeli strike on Khaled Meshaal, the movement’s leader, who is based in Damascus, said during a visit to Tehran: “Hamas has limited means, but will surely support Iran if there will be such a war.
“If Israel attacks, it will be a threat for Iran, Syria, Lebanon and Palestine but the nations in the region know how to confront it.” Tensions have risen since Iran reject¬ed a proposed deal under which most of its enriched uranium would have been sent abroad for further processing. This has increased sus¬picions that Israel might resort to a military strike to halt the programme.
`No’ to US base in Okinawa
The leader of one of Japan’s ruling coalition parties said on Wednesday, Dec 16 she wants a US Marine base moved off the southern island of Okinawa. deep¬ening a dispute with Washington over the future of the airfield.
Mizuho Fukushima, head of the left-leaning Social Democratic Party, said that as a member of the Cabinet she supports the closure and removal of the base.
The future of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma has become a heated dispute between the two allies. Washington wants Tokyo to stick to an agreement forged with Japan’s previous government in 2006 to move the base to a differ¬ent part of the Japanese island. but Tokyo’s new leaders have suggested it be moved elsewhere.
Under intense pressure from his political base, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said Japan needs sever¬al more months to decide, prompt¬ing the US Marine Corps comman¬dant, Gen. James Conway, to warn that the base’s status is “absolutely vital to the defense that we provide for the entire region.”
Fukushima, the leader of the smallest group in Japan’s three-party ruling coalition, has hinted her party would withdraw from the government if the base is not moved off Okinawa. Her staunch opposition to the previous plan is seen as a primary factor behind Hatoyama’s reluctance to decide on a relocation site.
The US had hoped for a resolution by the end of the year, but Hatoyama said a hasty decision would be irre¬sponsible. Okinawa residents com¬plain about base-related noise, pollu¬tion and crime, and many want the airfield closed and its functions moved off the island. Hatoyama has promised that Tokyo will adopt a less subservient relation¬ship with Washington, but has also stressed the US security alliance is the cornerstone of Japan’s diplomacy.
US bombing villages in Yemen
Rebels on Wednesday. Dec 16 accused the US air force of bombing villages in northern Yemen amid their conflict with government forces. The Sanaa government swiftly dismissed the charge as a sign of the rebels’ desperation, while Washington has already ruled out any direct involvement in the conflict
“The American air force committed massacres … and used all types of military weapons to destroy villages and houses and schools and public facilities and to kill civilians,” the rebels said in a statement.
“Direct American intervention began early last week, and bombing of various areas of north Yemen continues until now,” it said. The rebels, also known as Huthis, have been fighting the Yemeni government on and off since 2004. In August, government forces launched an all-out offensive code-named “Operation Scorched Earth” aimed at wiping out the revolt.
‘Saudi Arabia joined the fray on November 4, a day after the Huthi rebels killed a Saudi border guard and occupied two villages inside the Gulf state’s territory. The Huthis’ statement on Wednesday was not their first such allegation against the United States.
Scotland Yard warns of 26/11 type of attack on London
In the “bluntest” warning issued by British police, Scotland Yard has said that businesses in the city of London could face a Mumbai-style terror attack early next year. “Mumbai is coming to London,” said a senior detective from S015, the count¬er-terrorism command of the Metropolitan police. The detective said companies should anticipate a shoot¬ing and hostage-taking raid “involving a small number of gunmen with hand¬guns and improvised explosive devices,” The Sunday Times reported.
The warning — the bluntest issued by police — has underlined an assessment that a terrorist cell may be preparing an attack on London early next year, it said. Patrick Mercer, chairman of the Commons counter¬terrorism sub-committee, said the threat was “very real”. The warning was issued by the police through its network of “security forums”.
| Current Threat Levels : | ||
| City/Region | Threat Level | |
| Islamabad | Level 2 | ** |
| Karachi | Level 2 | ** |
| Lahore | Level 2 | ** |
| Punjab | Level 2 | ** |
| Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | Level 3 | *** |
| Peshawar | Level 2 | ** |
| Quetta | Level 2 | ** |
| Upper Balochistan | Level 3 | *** |
| Lower Balochistan | Level 2 | ** |
| Upper/ Rural Sindh | Level 2 | ** |
| Gilgit and Northern areas | Level 3 | *** |
| Tribal Areas, Close to Afghan border | Level 3 | *** |
| Index to Threat Level Perceptions | |
| Threat Level 1 No threat to foreigners although there may be isolated incidents involving petty crime. No security precautions are required. | * |
| Threat Level 2 No specific threat to foreigners, however because of the overall general law & order situation, some security precautions are advised, especially if traveling. | ** |
| Threat Level 3 Indicates that law and order situation is cause for concern and travel should be avoided unless absolutely necessary. Foreigners should rehearse plans for evacuation. | *** |
| Threat Level 4 Indicates complete breakdown of civil administration and law and order leading to possible anarchy. All foreigners remain indoors and confined to their own city. Families and staff not required to be evacuated retaining only a skeleton staff. | **** |
| Threat Level 5 Indicates complete breakdown of law and order, enemy action/hostilities, invasion/ occupation by enemy | ***** |
