---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Liberation News Service <[email protected]> Date: Mon, May 16, 2011 at 7:06 PM Subject: Is India preparing for military adventurism in South Asia? To: Liberation News Service <[email protected]>
*South Asia* *KASHMIR IN FOCUS * ** Have no position on Kashmir issue, Arab League said after EU distanced *** PM reviews security threat from Pakistan, China * ** Identified India targets in case of attack: Pak response to India's threat* ** India, Pak troops exchange fire* ** 'China-Pakistan collaboration worrying’: Indian Army* ** Army uses AFSPA to hide war crimes: -Geelani* * ** Have no position on Kashmir issue: Arab League The Indian Express Posted online: Mon May 16 2011, 16:14 hrs *Srinagar : Three days after the European Union delegation distanced itself from the resolution of Kashmir issue, the Arab League said it has "no position" vis-a-vis the issue.* ** *"League of Arab States has no position on the specific question of Jammu and Kashmir...we look forward for peaceful coexistence, tolerance and dialogue among different civilisations," Arab League Ambassador to India Ahmed Salem al Wahishi told reporters on the sidelines of a conference here. Wahishi refused to elaborate on his statement. * ** *The Arab League Ambassador's statement comes three days after a European Union delegation led by the Union's Ambassador to India Danielle Smajda said the Kashmir issue has to be resolved by the people living in the region themselves. * *Wahishi said the Arab League was wanted peace in West Asia and the entire continent. "We want peace to last in West Asia, in South Asia and in whole of the continent," he said. Earlier speaking at the "Peace Conference" organised by the Jammu and Kashmir Peace Foundation, Wahishi called for an end to the Israeli "occupation" of Arab territories and supported the call for Palestinian freedom. "We also took this opportunity to express our thanks to the Indian government for their principled position in efforts for justice and peaceful solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict based on international legitimacy and the Arab peace initiative for Palestinian independence and two-state solution," Wahishi said. * *In his speech, the Ambassador said Kashmir is the "most preferred tourist place in the world." "It is a real paradise," he said adding "the state of Jammu and Kashmir has passed through the violent situation of confusion and hatred for the last 20 years. We follow these sad events." * *-----* ** *Topstory* *PM reviews security threat from Pakistan, China* ** *New Delhi, A day after Pakistan's spy chief threatened reprisal attacks in case New Delhi attempted a special operation against terror suspects on its soil, India Monday carried out a comprehensive review of its security preparedness amidst reports of the presence of Chinese soldiers in Pakistani Kashmir.* *Prime Minister Manmohan Singh chaired the review with the three armed forces chiefs providing their inputs to the assessment of the security situation against the back drop of the killing of Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden by US special forces at Abbottabad in the heart of Pakistan May 2, sources said here.* *Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Ahmed Shuja Pasha had warned India that an Abbottabad-like operation by New Delhi would invite a fitting response, with Pakistani armed forces having "identified" specific targets and carried out "rehearsals" to attack them.* *The 90-minute meeting held at the Prime Minister's house was attended by Defence Minister A.K. Antony, National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon, Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal P.V. Naik, Navy Chief Admiral Nirmal Verma, Army Chief General V.K. Singh and Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar, the sources said.* *At the meeting, the armed forces' preparedness to meet any security challenge that may be posed by terror networks in the region and conventional threats from Pakistan's armed forces came up for review.* *"The prime minister was briefed on the overall security measures and the general preparedness of the defence forces. Issues like changing security situation in Pakistan and the situation along the Sino-Indian border were discussed," defence ministry officials said here.* *This meeting comes less than a week after Antony held a similar two-day review of overall security of the country and coastal security in particular with maritime agencies and two days after the prime minister returned from Kabul, where he had discussed the latest developments with Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai.* *The Indian Army has also raised its alertness level in the wake of reports that Pakistan may try to infiltrate militants into Jammu and Kashmir.* *It has also raised an alarm over Chinese military personnel's presence in Pakistani Kashmir in the guise of engineering workers and the threat posed by the large neighbour to the security of Jammu and Kashmir - ** http://www.dayafterindia.com/demo.php?headline=headline&val_id=6255* ****** *Identified India targets in case of attack: * *ISI **response to India's provocative statement* Press Trust of India : Mon May 16 2011 In an apparent response to statements that India too can carry out strikes inside Pakistan, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Ahmed Shuja Pasha said any attack from the east would invite a befitting response. He said a contingency plan is in place and targets inside "India had already been identified". Pasha told the lawmakers: "We have also carried out rehearsal for it." Pasha's comments, reported by Dawn newspaper, can be seen in light of statements made by Indian Army Chief Gen V K Singh and Air Chief Air Marshal P V Naik that India has the capacity to carry out an operation similar to one US forces carried out to kill Osama bin Laden. Pasha also told an in-camera joint session of the Senate and National Assembly late Friday - details of which are still emerging in the Pakistani media - that he had stressed the need to formalise the relationship through an agreement during a recent meeting with CIA head Leon Panetta. ---- India, Pak troops exchange fire *Rising Kashmir News Srinagar, May 15:* A day after an Indian border guard was killed in cross border firing, Indian and Pakistani troops exchanged sustained cross-border fire in Jammu on Sunday. Official sources said the two sides exchanged small arms fire for 30 minutes early on Sunday at a border post 30 km from Jammu."Pakistani soldiers opened unprovoked firing on our Amravali post in Jammu," said a BSF spokesman. He said the BSF personnel returned the fire effectively. A wire news agency Reuters quoted a Pakistani border security official as having confirmed the clash. He, however, denied starting it. “Three Pakistani paramilitary soldiers were wounded in the cross-border firing,” he said.It is in pertinent to mention here that a BSF man was killed in Pakistani troops firing on Saturday. “Pakistani snipers fired on a patrol party of BSF along the international border in Budhwar area of Suchetgarh sub-sector, 45 km from Jammu yesterday. The BSF personnel guarding the border retaliated, triggering an exchange of fire for about 15 minutes in which one BSF troper identified as Jai Kishan of 193 batallion was killed,” a BSF official said. He said there have already been over four incidents of firing by Pakistani troops along the Indo-Pak border in less than a month. “On May 5, there was a ceasefire violation when Pakistani troops had fired rockets on Indian position and opened indiscriminate firing along the Line of Control in Poonch district,” he said adding two more such incidents took place along the LOC in Poonch.India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) and international border in Jammu and Kashmir in 2003. 'China-Pakistan collaboration worrying’: Indian Army Saturday, 14 May 2011 22:07 KDNN *Srinagar: Against the recent clamour in mainstream political circles in Jammu and Kashmir, army on Saturday reiterated that it wants continuation of controversial Armed Forces Special Forces Act in the state.* “As far as the Army’s stand on revocation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act, we have recommended its continuation in view of the situation in the State and the special requirements it entails,” Lieutenant General KT Parnaik, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) of Army's northern command, told reporters on the sidelines of a function here. He was responding to the query on about recommendations by army to the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. “After giving recommendations (to the Chief Minister), we have not heard anything about this issue as yet.” In the backdrop of last year’s summer unrest, the government had formed two committees to review the applicability of AFSPA in the state. The committees were headed by General Officer Commanding of the Srinagar based 15 Corps and General Officer Commanding of Nagorta-based 16 Corps. China-Pakistan Collaboration Terming the China-Pakistan collaboration as “worrying”, he said, "There are people in Pakistan (administered) Kashmir and Northern Areas who they claim to be engineers and other such workforce. Whether they are People’s Liberation Army we cannot comment. It is widely known that China is helping Pakistan like building road from Khunjerab Pass to Gwadar Port or infrastructure projects like dams very close to the Line of Control. The two countries also have a deep collaboration in weapon delivery and development.” To a query about China’s infrastructure development and reported intrusions along the Line of Actual Control, he said, “The use of the word intrusion is erroneous. They come to the area that they perceive as their own and we also do the same. These should be termed transgressions and not intrusions. However, regular border meetings are conducted to ensure that no mishaps take place. As far as infrastructure is concerned, we are also making concerted efforts to improve our own as their infrastructure development does give them a certain military capability”. On the situation in Pakistan post the killing of Osama Bin Laden, the Army Commander said that Pakistan, “in order to divert media and world attention after the killing may push infiltrators.” Rehabilitation Police for Youth in Pak Welcoming the Government’s policy to rehabilitate youth wanting to return from Pakistan, Lt Gen Parnaik said that that “this would expose Pakistan’s complicity in sponsoring militancy and call its bluff of providing only moral and diplomatic support.” About the situation in the state, he said that it has improved over the last few years. “There are now approximately 450 to 500 residual militants in the State. However this number is fluctuating and putting an exact figure is difficult. With the late melting of snow, there are unverified reports of infiltration along the traditional routes. It is expected that in the coming weeks, efforts at infiltration would increase, but we are prepared,” he said. The Army commander was speaking on sidelines of the two-day "Army Mela" being held at the Regimental Centre of Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry which was presided over the Governor N N Vohra - http://www.kashmirdispatch.com/headlines/14053306-china-pak-collaboration-worrying-army.htm Army uses AFSPA to hide war crimes: Geelani *Rising Kashmir News Srinagar, May 15:* Hurriyat (G) chairman, Syed Ali Geelani Sunday said the army needs Armed Forces Special Powers Act to hide its involvement in “war crimes” in Kashmir. Reacting to Army’s northern command chief, Lt Gen K T Parnaik’s statement that time was not ripe for removing AFSPA from the state, Geelani said, “Army is involved in war crimes in Kashmir and to hide them, they need black laws like AFSPA.” This is the reason why Army generals always support AFSPA, he added. Geelani alleged that Kashmir had become a “profitable venture” for Army. “They (Army) are looting our resources with both hands. Army doesn’t want peace in Kashmir as that will harm their interests. They want chaos and confusion as that suits their interests.” He appealed the international community to put pressure on New Delhi for withdrawal of AFSPA from J&K. Terming the state government as puppet in the hands of New Delhi, Geelani said, “It has no role in the affairs of Jammu and Kashmir and is being used by New Delhi to show the world community that there is an elected government in place.” Stating that no decision is taken in the state without the permission from Army, he said, “Chief Minister Omar Abdullah can’t even transfer a police officer on his own. He has to take permission for that from New Delhi first.” Referring to the recent Dogra Certificate row, Geelani said, “When the order had to be revoked, Omar had to beg before New Delhi to revoke the order. State rulers have mortgaged their honor with New Delhi to stay in power.” (KNS) END -- You cannot build anything on the foundations of caste. You cannot build up a nation, you cannot build up a morality. Anything that you will build on the foundations of caste will crack and will never be a whole. -AMBEDKAR http://venukm.blogspot.com http://www.shelfari.com/kmvenuannur http://kmvenuannur.livejournal.com -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB.
