From: "Stasi" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Peoples War" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [Peoples War] Xinhua: Reports - August 24 2001 =========================== XINHUA - Peoples Republic Of China =========================== August 24-25 2001 1) China-Palestine Economic Cooperation Agreement Signed 2) Israeli Army Threatens to Re-enter Palestinian Areas in Hebron 3) Arafat Leaves China after Working Visit 4) Chinese Top Lawmaker Meets Arafat 5) Chinese President Stresses Public Security Work 6) Jiang: Peaceful Solution to Mideast Issue Best Policy 7) Militants Shoot Dead Seven Indian Policemen in Kashmir 8) China Holds National Meeting on Public Security 9) Senior CPC Official Meets Japanese Guests 10) Israeli Arab Woman Wounded in Bomb Explosion in Haifa Mosque 11) Car Bombs Explode in Colombia 12) Peruvian, U.S. Pilots Missing After Plane Crash 13) Six Suspected ETA Members Captured in Spain 14) 43 Injured in Colombia Broadcasting Station Explosion 15) Serbia Offers Reward for Helping Solve Major Murder Cases 16) Vietnam Supports Palestine's Just Struggle: PM 17) Three Israeli Soldiers, Two Palestinians Killed in Gaza Strip 18) Gusmao to Run for East Timor President 19) Philippine General Denies Alleged Connivance With Kidnappers 20) Angolan Govt. Wants to Take Rebel Leader to Court 21) Angolan President's Decision Not to Stand for Reelection to Be Discussed 22) Senior CPC Official on Public Security Work 1) China-Palestine Economic Cooperation Agreement Signed ========================================= BEIJING, August 24 (Xinhua) -- China and Palestine signed an agreement on economic and technological cooperation here Friday. Chinese Vice Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Sun Guangxiang and Palestinian Minister of Local Government Saeb Erekat signed the agreement on behalf of their respective governments. Erekat came to China accompanying Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, who arrived here early Friday as guest of Chinese President Jiang Zemin. Enditem 2) Israeli Army Threatens to Re-enter Palestinian Areas in Hebron ============================================ JERUSALEM, August 24 (Xinhua) -- Israeli troops would re-enter areas under the Palestinian control in the West Bank city of Hebron if needed, Moshe Ya'alon, Israeli deputy army chief of staff, threatened on Friday. The Israeli army re-occupied the Abu Sneina neighborhood, an area under Palestinian control in Hebron, Thursday night and destroyed two Palestinian buildings before leaving Friday morning. "The mission of the unit was to climb up to the neighborhood, and blow up two abandoned buildings that had become posts for snipers." Ya'alon said. One Israeli soldier and 12 Palestinians were injured during the incursion. Israel claimed that the operation was in response to a shooting incident Thursday evening, in which two Jewish settlers, including an 11-year-old child, were wounded by Palestinian gunmen shooting from Abu Sneina overlooking the Jewish settlements in the city. About 400 Jewish settlers live, under Israeli military protection, among 120,000 Palestinians in the divided city, most part of which has been transferred to the Palestinian rule under interim accords between the two sides. Earlier, Shaul Mofaz, Israeli army chief of staff, also threatened that the Israeli army was ready to carry out numerous operations against the Palestinians should the shooting from Abu Sneina resume. The violence between the two sides has lasted 11 months, during which over 700 people, most of them Palestinians, have been killed. In the past months, Israel repeatedly re-entered Palestinian- controlled areas to show its military strength. Enditem 3) Arafat Leaves China after Working Visit ============================= BEIJING, August 24 (Xinhua) -- President of the State of Palestine and Chairman of the Palestinian National Authority Yasser Arafat left Beijing Friday evening after a one-day working visit to China. Enditem 4) Chinese Top Lawmaker Meets Arafat ============================ EDS-Details Added BEIJING, August 24 (Xinhua) -- Li Peng, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, told Palestinian President Yasser Arafat here Friday that three generations of Chinese leadership have consistently supported the righteous causes of the Palestinian people in the Middle East issue. "We expressed our indignation over Israel's recent abuse of armed forces against Palestinian civilians," Li told Arafat, who is also chairman of the Palestinian National Authority. Political negotiation between the two sides is the only correct solution to the Middle East problem, and the related United Nations resolutions and the principle of "land for peace" are the basis for the peace process, Li said Arab countries and Israel should faithfully implement the agreements and understandings already reached, and "the most important of all is to realize ceasefire," he said. China believes that the Palestinian leaders, under the current deteriorating Middle East situation, will persist in their efforts until they are successful, the Chinese leader said. Arafat briefed Li on the latest developments in Middle East. He said that the Palestinian people are grateful to the Chinese people and government for their long-time sympathy for the righteous cause of the Palestinian people, and for their steadfast support for the Middle East peace process. The Palestinian people dearly cherish the friendship of the Chinese people and will never forget the strong support of China in the most difficult times, Arafat said. Arafat arrived here early Friday morning as guest of Chinese President Jiang Zemin. Enditem 5) Chinese President Stresses Public Security Work =================================== BEIJING, August 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Jiang Zemin met Friday with participants of a working meeting on comprehensive management of public security. Also attending the meeting at the Great Hall of the People were national outstanding groups and individuals involved in comprehensive management of public security work between 1997 and 2000. Jiang, also general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and chairman of the Central Military Commission, stressed the importance of the comprehensive management of public security work and asked all related departments and individuals to contribute even more to the reform, development and stability of the country. Top state leaders Zhu Rongji, Hu Jintao and Wei Jianxing also were present at the meeting. Enditem 6) Jiang: Peaceful Solution to Mideast Issue Best Policy ====================================== BEIJING, August 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Jiang Zemin said here Friday that China has always believed that a peaceful solution to the Mideast issue is the best policy. Jiang made the remark in his meeting with Yasser Arafat, president of the State of Palestine and chairman of the Palestinian National Authority. The Chinese government and Jiang himself has always been concerned with the development in Mideast, Jiang said. He paid a visit to the region last year. "I can thus thoroughly understand the difficult situation of the Palestinian people and feel sympathy for their suffering and economic losses," he said. He told Arafat that the Chinese people remain sincere friends of the Arab people, the Palestinian people in particular, and take a firm, consistent stance on the just cause of the Palestinian people for resuming their legal national rights. "We appreciate the efforts made by the Palestinian people for adhering to peace," he said. The Chinese people have always stood on the side of the Palestinian people and supported the efforts made by the international community for quelling conflict, he said. China has supported, and will continue to support, the sending of international observers to the region of the conflict between Israel and Palestine. Arafat extended gratitude for the support given by the Chinese leaders, government and people to the just cause of the Palestinian people. He briefed Jiang on the random use of force by Israel and consequently the damage of the peace process in the region. He also explained the efforts made by Palestine to halt the conflict. Arafat praised China's steady support for the peace process in the region and its tireless efforts to calm the conflict made in the United Nations and other international organizations. China's support has encouraged the Palestinian people and Palestine will continue to strive for peace, he said. Arafat was here for a working visit as guest of Jiang. Enditem 7) Militants Shoot Dead Seven Indian Policemen in Kashmir ======================================== NEW DELHI, August 24 (Xinhua) -- Militants in combat dress hoodwinked their way into a police station and shot dead seven of the policemen in the India-controlled Kashmir early Friday morning, the Press Trust of India (PTI) reported. A group of heavily armed ultras attired in combat dress came to the police station in a heavily guarded locality of Poonch at around 0045 am local time on Friday morning, the PTI said, quoting official sources. They told the policemen that they had come to launch an operation in an area where militants were hiding and needed the assistance of the police, the sources. As soon as the policemen came together for the operation, the militants opened fire, killing six of them and critically injuring two others, one of whom died later. A massive combing operation was launched to track down the militants, the sources said, adding that an alert had been sounded and security tightened around vital installations in the area. In another incident, militants ambushed an Indian army patrol team, killing three soldiers in south Kashmir on Thursday. Enditem 8) China Holds National Meeting on Public Security =================================== BEIJING, August 24 (Xinhua) -- China on Friday held a national meeting on comprehensive management of public security work, which a senior Chinese leader called an important component of China's reform, development and stability. Hu Jintao, Vice president and member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, addressed the meeting, asking Party committees and governments at all levels to follow President Jiang Zemin's July 1 speech and his instructions on public security work. He noted that Jiang's concept of the "three represent's" thought should be well carried out in all aspects of the comprehensive management of public security work. Under the "three represent's" thought, the CPC represents the development trends of advanced productive forces, the orientation of advanced culture, and the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the Chinese people. China's top leadership made a decision to enhance the comprehensive management of public security work, and since then significant achievements have been made in this regard, Hu said. However, he added, the current public security situation is still grave, and all the related departments need to do a better job of fighting various crimes. Wei Jianxing, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, presided over the meeting. At the meeting, a number of outstanding groups and individuals for comprehensive management of public security work were commended. Enditem 9) Senior CPC Official Meets Japanese Guests ================================ BEIJING, August 24 (Xinhua) -- China values its relations with Japan, and has been working to expand the bilateral ties of friendship and cooperation, a senior official of the Communist Party of China said here Friday. Wei Jianxing, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, met with Ishii Ryoichi, president of Japanese Hyogo Teachers' Union, and his party. Wei, who is also a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, said that nearly 30 years have passed since China and Japan normalized their diplomatic ties, and that thanks to efforts made by several generations, bilateral friendly relations have developed in all fields. Recalling the history of Sino-Japanese relations, he said, we should never forget the damage wrought by the Japanese militarists towards both Chinese and Japanese peoples during the Japanese war of aggression against China. Wei expressed his respect for Ishii Ryoichi and the Japanese Hyogo Teachers' Union for their opposition to the Japanese right- wing's attempt to distort the war history. Ishii Ryoichi said that they should have a correct attitude towards history, and make unremitted efforts to enhance the long- term friendship between the two peoples. Enditem 10) Israeli Arab Woman Wounded in Bomb Explosion in Haifa Mosque ================================================ JERUSALEM, August 24 (Xinhua) -- A small incendiary bomb exploded Friday afternoon in a mosque in northern Israeli coastal city of Haifa, wounding a 57-year-old Israeli Arab woman, police sources confirmed. The bomb was reportedly linked by a cord to a door to the women's section in the mosque and was triggered by the woman opening the door to enter the section. "We had just begun our prayers when we heard a loud explosion. The electrician thought it might have been caused by an electrical fault...We found my wife lying on the floor, with smoke coming from her dress and burns all over her body," Israel's Ha'aretz daily's website quoted the woman's husband as saying. Israeli police did not believe that the explosion was an attack against Israeli Arabs in retaliation for Palestinians' suicide bombings in the past months. They suspected that the motive behind the incident was criminal. However, local Arab leader Yusef Kamal argued, "I'm not religious and I don't go to the mosque, but there is no logic to the theory that it was criminal given that it was in the women's section. This is a racist-nationalist attack." Issa Mahaja, the imam of the mosque, also blamed Jewish extremists for the incident, saying that it was an attack aiming at turning Haifa's Jews and Arabs against each other. More than 30,000 Israeli Arabs, about 10 percent of the city's population, coexist with Jews and other nationals in Haifa. Over the 11 months of violence between Israelis and Palestinians, Jewish extremists have launched several shooting attacks against Palestinians. Friday's bombing attack was the first of its kind against Israeli Arabs. Enditem 11) Car Bombs Explode in Colombia ========================= BOGOTA, August 24 (Xinhua) -- A car bomb jolted a street in the city of Cucuta, in northeastern Colombian Norte de Santander state on Friday, causing material damage, Police sources said. Luis Estupinan said the bomb went off around 04:15 hours local time (0915GMT) near departmental government offices and several businesses, which were damaged by the blast. "Fortunately there were no deaths or injuries" reported, Estupinan said. Police said a Renault sedan packed with 27 kilograms of dynamite exploded on the street in front of the State house, destroying its gates and damaging nearby businesses. The city on the border with Venezuela has long been a stronghold of the rebel organization National Liberation Army (ELN). Nevertheless in the last hours there have been three explosions in the South American country that killed at least one person and injured 63 others. One of the devises went off in the night of Thursday in the headquarters of the broadcasting network Caracol in the city of Medellin, where authorities reported Friday the number of wounded rose to 43. Also in Medellin, Colombia's third-largest city, a bomb set off in a residential neighborhood injured 10 people including children late on Thursday. Earlier on Thursday, a car bomb planted in Marinilla, Antioquia state (northwest) killed one person and injured more than 20 others while destroying a police station, a girls high school, government offices and a funeral home, police said. At least twenty suspected ELN members died, too, on Thursday when explosives they were transporting in a truck went off in Santander state, officials said. The army said the rebels were laying bombs along the highway when the explosion occurred. Although the ELN, the second largest rebel army in Colombia, has been blamed for all of these explosions, the 4,500-strong guerrilla group has not claimed responsibility. This wave of violence also came ahead of a visit next week of a high-level U.S. delegation to review American policy toward the troubled South American country. Colombia has undergone almost four decades of civil war in which government forces have fought a two-front confrontation against FARC and ELN. Enditem 12) Peruvian, U.S. Pilots Missing After Plane Crash =================================== LIMA, August 24 (Xinhua) -- The Peruvian and U.S. pilots are missing after their plane crashed Thursday into the sea off the northern coast near Ecuador, the Peruvian Air Force said Friday. The Peruvian Air Force aircraft was on mission within the framework of U.S.-Peru joint training operations for anti-drugs surveillance. An Air Force spokesman said that the military authorities are looking for the two pilots. The A-37B plane crashed around 14:30 local time (1930 GMT) on Thursday during a training mission. Last April, a Peruvian Air force jet shot down an American missionary plane by mistake, killing a Baptist missionary and her 7-month-old baby. Since then, Washington has suspended such operations, but training for the drugs surveillance program over Peru and Colombia has continued. The White House has not yet announced whether or when it will resume the anti-drug interdiction flights. Colombia and Peru are the two biggest cocaine producers of the world. Enditem 12) Colombian Troops Capture Irish Citizen Outside Neutral Area ============================================= BOGOTA, August 24 (Xinhua) -- Colombian troops captured another Irish citizen on Friday in the neutral area of the southwestern province of Huila, said the commander of the 9th Army Brigade, Gen. Gilberto Rocha. The identity of the Irish remains undisclosed and he is being investigated to determine whether or not he is related to the three IRA members arrested on August 12, the commander said. The arrest was made when the Irish came out of the rebel- controlled demilitarized zone in south-central Colombia, which was established for peace talks between the government of President Andres Pastrana and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia ( FARC), the largest rebel group in Colombia. In his first statement to Colombian authorities, the arrested Irishman said he was teaching English in some rural villages in the neutral area which extends over 42,000 square kilometers and is controlled by 16,500-strong FARC since 1998. Mora said that the military does not have evidence indicating any tie between the man and the three IRA members, who are charged with using false passports and training FRAC members. "He was simply captured and turned in to DAS (secret police) for investigations," said. Enditem 13) Six Suspected ETA Members Captured in Spain ==================================== MADRID, August 24 (Xinhua) -- Spanish police arrested six people and seized large quantities of arms and explosives on Friday in an operation against the Basque separatist group ETA in the city of Barcelona, northeast Spain. The new arrests brought the number of the arrested ETA suspects to 14 so far this week. On Tuesday, eight persons linked to ETA were captured in three towns of the Basque Country -- four in Zaldibia, two in Zizurkil and two in Lasarte. Spanish authorities intensified their action against the terrorist group after a booby-trapped toy car bomb killed a 62- year-old woman and blinded her 16-month-old grandson on Monday in the country's northern city of San Sebastian. ETA, a Basque-language acronym for "Basque Homeland and Freedom, " did not claim responsibility for the attack and attributed it to unknown forces that pretend to generate popular hate against it. ETA, the only guerrilla group still active in West Europe, fights to establish an independent state in northeastern Spain and southwestern France. During raids on houses used by ETA in Barcelona, Civil Guard agents seized 250 kilograms of explosives that would be used to prepare bombs. ETA warned tourists not to travel to Spain to prevent the country from receiving foreign currencies. Spain receives the second largest number of tourists in Europe every year, after France. Authorities attributed to ETA the explosion of a car-bomb last weekend outside a hotel in the Mediterranean coast resort of Salou. Nobody was seriously injured in the blast. Meanwhile, Spanish authorities said one of the people arrested on Friday is linked to the murder of the socialist Minister Ernest Lluch last November. Enditem 14) 43 Injured in Colombia Broadcasting Station Explosion ======================================== BOGOTA, August 24 (Xinhua) -- An explosion Thursday at a branch of the Colombian Broadcasting Network in the city of Medellin injured 43 persons, Colombian authorities said Friday. The 40-kilogram bomb, which exploded at 9 p.m. local time (0200 GMT Friday), incurred more than 200,00 U.S. dollars in damage to the branch office and other nearby buildings. Colombian Interior Minister Armando Estrada said the incident made it clear that these escalating threats are directed against the freedom of the press. No group, however, has yet claimed responsibility for the explosion. Early Friday a car bomb jolted the city of Cucuta, northeastern Colombian Norte de Santander state, causing material damage, police said. Also in Medellin Thursday, a bomb exploded in a residential neighborhood and injured 10 people, including children. Earlier on Thursday, the explosion of a car bomb planted in Marinilla, in the northwestern state of Antioquia state, killed one person and injured more than 20 others. Although the National Liberation Army (ELN), the second largest rebel group in Colombia with 4,500 guerrillas, is suspected of planning the bombings, it has not claimed responsibility. The wave of violence comes in advance of a visit next week of a high-level U.S. delegation to review American policy toward the troubled South American country. Colombia has undergone four decades of civil war in which government forces have fought a two-front confrontation against the rebel groups FARC and ELN. Enditem 15) Serbia Offers Reward for Helping Solve Major Murder Cases ============================================= BELGRADE, August 24 (Xinhua) -- Serbian Interior Minister Dusan Mihajlovic offered 300,000 German marks (140,000 U.S. dollars) on Friday for information that would help clear the 22 unsolved cases related to the murder and abduction of senior government officials and business leaders in the past five years. The information office of the Serbian Interior Ministry gave a list of the names of senior government officials and business leaders murdered from February 1, 1996 to August 3, 2001 and of the missing former Serbian president Ivan Stambolic. The list includes former Serbian deputy interior minister Radovan Stojicic, who was killed in April 1997, former Yugoslav defense minister Pavle Bulatovic, murdered in February 2000 and prominent journalist Slavko Curuvija, shot dead by unknown gunmen during NATO's air campaign against Belgrade in 1999. The reward is offered to anyone who gives information leading to bringing to justice perpetrators involved in the cases, the ministry said in a statement. It also said that Mihajlovic "guarantees secrecy of data and protection of people" who offered information. At a news conference earlier in the day, Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica accused the Serbian Interior Ministry of being incompetent in solving a single high-profile case of murder or abduction. Enditem 16) Vietnam Supports Palestine's Just Struggle: PM =================================== HANOI, August 25 (Xinhua) -- Supporting the just struggle of the Palestinian people is the consistent stance of the party, state and people of Vietnam, Prime Minister Phan Van Khai affirmed. Khai made the affirmation here Friday while meeting with visiting Yasser Arafat, president of the State of Palestine and chairman of the Palestinian National Authority. During the meeting, Arafat briefed the Vietnamese prime minister on the current situation in the Middle East, especially the escalation of the tense situation in the Israel-occupied Palestinian territories, which was caused by Israeli attacks on Palestinian targets by heavy weapons, causing heavy losses of life and property. The situation, Arafat told Khai, has been seriously threatening the peace process in the Middle East. Khai expressed his warm welcome to Arafat and thanked him for the briefing on the Middle East situation. He reiterated that Vietnamese party, state and people consistently support Palestinian people's just struggle under the leadership of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which is striving for Palestinian people's inalienable national rights, including the right of self determination, the right of returning Palestinian territories and the right to establish an independent Palestinian State. Khai also expressed his concern about the escalation of the violence in the Middle East and affirmed that Vietnam supports all efforts for a fair and sustainable solution for conflicts on the basis of the United Nations' resolutions No. 242 and 338 and the principle of "land for peace". Arafat, who arrived here on Friday evening, left here late Friday night after concluding his brief working visit to Vietnam. Enditem 17) Three Israeli Soldiers, Two Palestinians Killed in Gaza Strip =========================================== GAZA, August 25 (Xinhua) -- Three Israeli soldiers were killed and seven others wounded early Saturday by two Palestinians who infiltrated their army base near the Jewish settlement of Neve Dekalim in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army and a Palestinian group said. Three Israeli soldiers were killed in the Gaza Strip Saturday morning by two Palestinians who went into their base and opened fire and threw several grenades, an Israeli army spokeswoman said. One of the Palestinians was killed, and the second escaped and was later killed by Israeli troops, she added. The radical Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), based in Damascus, Syria, has claimed responsibility for the attack. DFLP said in a statement that the attack took place around 3:15 am (0015 GMT) and confirmed that its two members had been killed. It identified them as Amin Abu Khatab, 26, and Hisham Abu Jamus, 24. More than 700 people, most of them Palestinians, have been killed since the violence broke out 11 months ago between Israel and the Palestinians. Enditem 18) Gusmao to Run for East Timor President ============================== JAKARTA, August 25 (Xinhua) -- East Timorese leader Alexandre Jose "Xanana" Gusmao Saturday said he would run for president of the territory. "I declare here (Dili) and now that I will accept to be nominated by the parties to the office of the president of the republic of Timor Lorasae (East Timor)," he was quoted by the Detikcom online news service as saying. Speaking at a sports stadium in Dili, capital of East Timor, Gusmao said: "I wish to put an end to speculation on this subject. (But) I am conscious that I am not the best person for the job." Gusmao, East Timor independence leader, had repeatedly said he doesn't want to be the territory's first president. He would rather be a photographer. East Timor is scheduled to hold an election on August 30, where 16 political parties will take part. It is organized to elect 88 members of the East Timor Constitutional Assembly, which has the mission to make the necessary preparation to form an independent state of East Timor. East Timor voted overwhelmingly in 1999 to break away from Indonesia. The territory is currently under the administration of the United Nations. Enditem 19) Philippine General Denies Alleged Connivance With Kidnappers ============================================= MANILA, August 25 (Xinhua) -- A Philippine military officer denied Saturday that he connived with the Abu Sayyaf bandits to allow them escape a tight military cordon in the southern Philippines. Brigadier General Romeo Dominguez read his testimony during the second day hearing held by the National Defense Committee of the House of Representatives in Isabela, capital of the southern province of Basilan, the Philippine Daily Inquirer online news reported. "I did not order my men to let the Abu Sayyaf group escape. I did not receive money," Dominguez told the House hearing. Dominguez is one of five military officers accused by a Roman Catholic priest of pulling out troops who had encircled a band of Abu Sayyaf bandits holed up with their hostages in a hospital in Lamitan town in Basilan on June 2 to help them escape in exchange for a share of ransom they collect for the hostages. On Friday, the members of the House committee met Father Cirilo Nacorda, who narrowly escaped an Abu Sayyaf raid on Lamitan on June 2, and held a closed-door session with about 20 witnesses presented by him who provided accounts of the alleged collusion. Dominguez said the priest has "no personal knowledge of the incident" as he was "nowhere in the scene of the incident" where the alleged payment of ransom money took place. He implied that Nacorda might have colluded with the bandits at the height of the Lamitan raid, saying a companion of the priest " candidly related" that when the bandits saw him inside the overran hospital "they immediately asked 'where is the money'?" Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesman Brigadier General Edilberto Adan earlier has also suggested that Nacorda might be colluding with the kidnappers, who are still holding at least 18 hostages, including an American couple. The Senate and the Defense Department are also conducting their own separate investigations into the allegations. The Abu Sayyaf bandits first kidnapped 20 hostages, including three Americans, at a resort in the western province of Palawan on May 27 and later seized more than 50 others in different places in Basilan while on the run from pursuing government forces. Fourteen Filipino hostages have been killed by the bandits, while some others have managed to escape or been rescued or released allegedly after ransom was paid by their families. American hostage Guillermo Sobero was also presumed killed, but his body has not been found yet. The military, which has deployed some 5,000 soldiers in Basilan to pursue the Abu Sayyaf bandits, said earlier that they would solve the hostage crisis by November. Enditem 20) Angolan Govt. Wants to Take Rebel Leader to Court ======================================== LUANDA, August 25 (Xinhua) -- The Angolan government has reiterated its wish to see Jonas Savimbi, leader of the rebel National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), at the International Penal Court, due to the massacre of civilians in the rebel attack on a passengers and freight train on August 10. Addressing a gathering of diplomatic corps here on Friday, Angolan Deputy Foreign Minister Toko Serao said "the massacre at Zenza do Itombe is a murder of civilians, a real genocide and, like this, it is a crime against humanity that affects the international community." The gathering was aimed to thank the international community's solidarity with the Angolan government and people in the condemning of the UNITA attack and brief the diplomatic representatives who intended to visit the site of the massacre. The visit was scheduled for Saturday or next Wednesday, Serao said. In a memorandum on the issue delivered to the diplomatic corps, the Angolan Foreign Ministry related, with details, the happening and regretted the death of over 250 people and the injury of 150 others. According to the document, "the massive violations of the international humanitarian regulations, based on the massacre of civilians and the attack on the train at Zenza do Itombe, are sufficient to prosecute their authors criminally." Serao underlined that the Angolan government was analyzing the steps to be given to take the authors of the massacre into a law court. The passenger and freight train met the attack when it was leaving Luanda for the central western city of Dondo in the railway stretch between Maria Tereza and Zenza do Itombe en Kwanza- North Province. Enditem 21) Angolan President's Decision Not to Stand for Reelection to Be Discussed ==================================================== LUANDA, August 25 (Xinhua) -- The Central Committee of Angola's ruling Popular Movement for Liberation of Angola (MPLA) party will soon gather in a special session to discuss President Jose Eduardo dos Santos' decision not to be a candidate in the election now planned for 2002 or 2003. Preparations for the special session have been under way, since the president has informed the party leadership of his decision, said MPLA Secretary General Norberto dos Santos on Friday. But the date has not yet been determined, he was quoted as saying by the Portuguese news agency Lusa. Dos Santos has been the country's president since 1979, four years after the country achieved independence. His decision not to stand for the presidency in the next election was publicly announced on Thursday. However, Angolan National Radio Friday reported that MPLA member of parliament Adelino Marques de Almeida has said that it was "too early to draw conclusions" about the withdrawal of dos Santos. "He personally said he wasn't interested, but he will certainly be confronted by the wishes of the party leadership and the party members," Almeida explained. Enditem 22) Senior CPC Official on Public Security Work ================================== BEIJING, August 25 (Xinhua) -- A senior official of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on Saturday stressed that Chinese President Jiang Zemin's concept of the "Three Represents" should be earnestly followed in the management of public security work. Luo Gan, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the Central Committee for Comprehensive Management of Public Security, made this remark at a national meeting on comprehensive management of public security work which closed Saturday. Under "Three Represents" thought, the CPC represents the development trends of advanced productive forces, the orientation of advanced culture, and the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the Chinese people. Luo said that all the departments concerned should closely follow the current public security situation and strive to do a better job in fighting various crimes. He asked law enforcement departments at various levels to step up crackdown on criminal offences and gangs, and sternly punish according to law those committing major crimes. :::: Enditem ::::: _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________
