Extracts. International Community Urged to Respect Zimbabwe's Sovereignty. Olivia Muchena, secretary of Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) for the commissariat in the League of Women, Saturday called on the international community to respect sovereignty of Zimbabwe and not interfere in its internal affairs. PRINT IT DISCUSS IT CHINESE SEND TO FRIENDS Olivia Muchena, secretary of Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) for the commissariat in the League of Women, Saturday called on the international community to respect sovereignty of Zimbabwe and not interfere in its internal affairs. There was also a call to have the ambassadors vetted before their credentials are accepted because some of them were art of the problem, according to the Herald on Sunday. Speaking at a quarterly meeting of women's wing of the ruling party held in Mash central on Saturday, Muchena reminded the international community that their meddling caused suffering for women and children more than anyone else. "The women are very aware of the political environment, the tensions and the manipulation and the women are also very aware of the happenings and the motives behind these happenings," she said. The League of Women was also concerned about the use of youths in the country in dirty work as witnessed in political disturbances in Bulawayo in the southwest of Harare recently. "The women are concerned as mothers at the rate of violence. When they speak, they speak with intense feelings as mothers," she said. Women were responsible for the upbringing of the youths and therefore had an obligation to engage them in political dialogue that will make them understand their history, including the land issue, which the international community wants to punish Zimbabwe. The other area of concern was the activities of some non- governmental organizations (NGOs). Women at the meeting agreed that some NGOs needed to be closely monitored. Accreditation of diplomats in the country was also an area of concern to the women, who called for a vetting exercise. The ZANU-PF league of Women is aware that some officials of the embassies of countries like Australia and the United Kingdom, who were stationed in Yugoslavia and Ghana, were partly responsible for manipulating processes and political environment, leading to the ousting of the sitting governments, said Muchena. ***** Social Democratic Party Created in Russia. The Social Democratic Party of Russia (SDPR) was formed Saturday, and former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev was elected its head. PRINT IT DISCUSS IT CHINESE SEND TO FRIENDS The Social Democratic Party of Russia (SDPR) was formed Saturday, and former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev was elected its head. The new party unites 18 social democratic parties and organizations. Samara governor Konstantin Titov was elected chairman of its central committee at Saturday's inaugural conference in Moscow. At the stage of registration, the SDPR will have more than 30, 000 members. The party was created under the new federal law "On Political Parties" and intends to take part in regional and general elections, said Gorbachev. The party program adopted by the SDPR founding congress calls for "social partnership and a historic compromise between labor and capital, society and the state, the individual and society," which will "lead Russia to social and spiritual progress." The program also calls for Russia's transformation from a presidential republic into a presidential-parliamentary republic. **** Iraq Foils "Terrorist Action" Against Baghdad District. Iraq's security forces have caught "Iranian agents" trying to "commit a sabotage and terrorist action" against one of the most populous districts in Baghdad, the official INA news agency reported on Saturday. Iraq 's security forces have caught "Iranian agents" trying to "commit a sabotage and terrorist action" against one of the most populous districts in Baghdad, the official INA news agency reported on Saturday. "The criminals have admitted their crimes and identified agent and terrorist sides which pushed them to fulfill their hostile goals schemed by the vice circles in the Iranian regime," INA said, quoting a statement from a security official. However, the report did not say how many people have been detained or when they were captured. Iraq said on November 1 that it defused a car bomb in Baghdad's Al-Karkh residential area, adding that "some criminal elements tried to commit a criminal and treacherous act" by leaving an 11- kilogram bomb in a car in the area "to kill innocent people and destroy their property." Iraq has often blamed Iran for explosions in and mortar shelling to Baghdad, and held "Iranian agents" accountable for an explosion in the capital in February, which left two people dead. Iraq and Iran, which fought a war in 1980-88, have been unable to normalize ties because of thorny issues including prisoners of war and support for each other's rebel groups. **** Indonesian Govt to Seek Clarification Volunteers' Fate in Afghanistan. The Indonesian government will seek clarification about reports saying that hundreds of Indonesian volunteers are trapped in Afghanistan, Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono told reporters in Surabaya, capital of East Java province, on Saturday. The Indonesian government will seek clarification about reports saying that hundreds of Indonesian volunteers are trapped in Afghanistan, Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono told reporters in Surabaya, capital of East Java province, on Saturday. The minister said the clarification was needed before the government could decide on how to help them. "We have just contacted our ambassador in Pakistan to clarify whether it is true that some (Indonesian) volunteers were trapped and have been jailed in Afghanistan," Susilo said. If the report could be confirmed, the government would take necessary moves to help them. "But if they are involved in crimes, we can only ask (the authorities in Afghanistan) to treat the Indonesian citizens fairly," the minister was quoted by the Antara News Agency as saying. "Our policy is clear, namely, not to get involved in physical solidarity with Afghanistan. Besides breaching the government's policy, the volunteers did not report their whereabouts to the Indonesian embassy in Pakistan," he added. Indonesia's Islamic Youth Movement (GPI) sent at least 300 volunteers to Afghanistan to fight on the Taliban's side. GPI Chairman Dudi Suaib said all of the volunteers were safe. Out of the 300, 150 were on their way to Pakistan and the rest were in Kandahar. **** Afghan Alliance Holds 50 Pro-Taliban Foreign Mercenaries. The Afghan Northern Alliance has so far held some 50 pro-Taliban foreign mercenaries since the alliance's victory in the battlefield, Iran's official IRNA news agency reported on Saturday. The Afghan Northern Alliance has so far held some 50 pro-Taliban foreign mercenaries since the alliance's victory in the battlefield, Iran's official IRNA news agency reported on Saturday. "Some 50 foreigners fighting for the Taliban have been so far arrested and imprisoned in Kabul," which is now under the control of the alliance, said Mohammad Abolfazl, military leader of Afghanistan's Islamic Movement Party (IMP) , who represents the IMP at the present Kabul Security Commission under the alliance. He told the IRNA that "the detainees are kept in prison for further investigation and trial. They will be subject to the court's verdict." Kabul has so far been calm following the collapse of the Taliban and the people there have welcomed the present security arrangement, Abolfazl said. The U.S. has been pounding the ruling Afghan Taliban militia since October 7 for harboring Saudi-born Osama bin Laden, the prime suspect of the September 11 terror attacks on Washington and New York. Taking the advantage of the U.S. military strikes, the Northern Alliance forces under the ousted President Burhanuddin Rabbani have been increasing their military actions on the Taliban and seized the capital of Kabul and most areas that were controlled by the Taliban, who seized the power in 1996. Iran has welcomed the victory of the Northern Alliance and recognizes the government of Rabbani, ousted by the Taliban militia in 1996, as the sole legitimate government. _________________________________________________ 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] __________________________________________________
