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Iran Slashes Continued U.S. Bombing of Afghanistan. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi on Sunday strongly condemned the U.S. for continued bombing on Afghanistan which claims civilian lives every day, the official IRNA news agency reported. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi on Sunday strongly condemned the U.S. for continued bombing on Afghanistan which claims civilian lives every day, the official IRNA news agency reported. Commenting on the U.S. targeting the residential areas, the spokesman said that "continued air raids and repeated targeting of civilians in Afghanistan show that the U.S. ignores the Afghans' right to live and does not differentiate between the military and civilian targets." "The casualties the U.S. air raids claim in Afghanistan every day justify Iran's concern about continued presence of foreign forces in the country," Asefi said. The spokesman noted that the Afghan people have expressed their resolve to establish peace, security and stability in their own country. Afghan interim leader Hamid Karzai was sworn in Saturday with a pledge to guarantee peace and better life for the war-weary Afghan people. Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi who attended the swearing-in ceremony said in Kabul that Iran will help restore peace, security and reconstruction of its neighbor in the same way it has extended humanitarian aids to the Afghan people over the past 23 years. **** Afghan's New Leader Karzai Meets Chinese Representative. Chairman of the Afghan interim government Hamid Karzai Sunday met Zhang Min, chief of the working team of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Afghanistan. Zhang congratulated Karzai on his assumption of office and said China will participate in Afghanistan's reconstruction, adding China will give Afghanistan 30 million RMB (3.6 million U.S. dollars) in emergency aid. Karzai Meets Chinese Representative Chairman of the Afghan interim government Hamid Karzai Sunday met Zhang Min, chief of the working team of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Afghanistan. During the meeting, Zhang congratulated Karzai on his assumption of office and said China will participate in Afghanistan's reconstruction, adding China will give Afghanistan 30 million RMB (3.6 million U.S. dollars) in emergency aid. Karzai, who was inaugurated as the leader of Afghanistan Friday, thanked Zhang for the assistance and spoke highly of the friendship between Afghanistan and China. "China is a great friend and neighbor of Afghanistan," said Karzai, adding his new government wants to keep the friendship with China. The leader asked China to resume its embassy operation as soon as possible. When learning China's embassy has no supply of electricity and water, Karzai asked the corresponding ministries to give support immediately. Zhang, who arrived in Kabul last Wednesday, attended Karzai's inauguration Friday and conveyed him a congratulatory message from Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji **** Former Taliban Ambassador Seeks Asylum in Pakistan. Abdul Salam Zaeef, the Taliban ambassador to Pakistan, said Sunday that he has applied for asylum out of fear of persecution in Afghanistan. Abdul Salam Zaeef, the Taliban ambassador to Pakistan, said Sunday that he has applied for asylum out of fear of persecution in Afghanistan. Pakistan has not yet responded to the application, submitted two weeks ago, Zaeef told The Associated Press. "I'll go back to Afghanistan when the situation improves, but it is dangerous from me to go there now," he said. No immediate comment was available from Pakistan, which has said it provided a reasonable time for Zaeef and his staff to pack up and leave. >From Islamabad, Zaeef fought the Taliban's media war against the U.S.-led coalition until Pakistan ordered him not to use its soil against a third country. Pakistan shut the Taliban embassy in November after the repressive militia was routed by the U.S.-led coalition and anti-Taliban Afghan forces. Pakistan, once a close ally of the Taliban, deserted them after they refused to turn over Osama bin Laden, the prime suspect of September's terrorist attacks in the United States. Pakistan has recognized the new interim Afghan government and is trying to improve relations with its neighbor. **** Pakistan Condemns India Over Illegal Diplomat Detention. Pakistani government Sunday vehemently condemned the illegal detention and torture of Mohammad Sharif Khan, a staff member of the High Commission of Pakistan in New Delhi by the Indian intelligence operatives on December 22, and asked for a thorough investigation of the "provocative" incident. Pakistani government Sunday vehemently condemned the illegal detention and torture of Mohammad Sharif Khan, a staff member of the High Commission of Pakistan in New Delhi by the Indian intelligence operatives on December 22, and asked for a thorough investigation of the "provocative" incident. According to a statement issued by the Office of the Pakistani Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Sharif Khan was kidnapped at 5:30 p.m. while shopping in a local market. During the 5-hour interrogation thereafter, he was "stripped naked and severely beaten and tortured" resulting in visible and internal injuries which was confirmed by a later medical report. He was released after acknowledging "under duress" his involvement in espionage. Describing as a "reprehensible, provocative and unacceptable action" of the Indian government, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry had lodged a strong protest with the Indian High Commission in Islamabad and requested a thorough investigation into the incident as well as appropriate measures against the culprits. "The government of Pakistan would like to remind the Indian government of its obligations under the Vienna convention on diplomatic relations and the bilateral code of conduct for the treatment of Diplomatic/Consular personnel agreed between Pakistan and India in 1992," concluded the statement. **** Libyan Leader Ghaddafi Meets Senior CPC Official. Head of State of Libya Omar Muammar al-Ghaddafi met Sunday with Wei Jianxing and the two exchanged views on bilateral relations and international issues of common concern. Wei conveyed to Ghaddafi greetings and good wishes of CPC General Secretary and President of China Jiang Zemin, and expressed thanks for the significant contributions the Libyan leader has made in developing Sino-Libyan friendly relations and promoting cooperation between China and African countries. Libyan Leader Ghaddafi Meets Senior CPC Official Head of State of Libya Omar Muammar al-Ghaddafi met Sunday with Wei Jianxing, member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee. During the meeting, the two exchanged views on bilateral relations and international issues of common concern. Wei conveyed to Ghaddafi greetings and good wishes of CPC General Secretary and President of China Jiang Zemin, and expressed thanks for the significant contributions the Libyan leader has made in developing Sino-Libyan friendly relations and promoting cooperation between China and African countries. Wei said that over the past 32 years since its revolution, Libya has made great achievements in protecting national independence and sovereignty, developing national economy and other aspects. As an important country in Africa and the Arab world, Libya plays an important role in regional and international affairs, and has made active contribution to establishing the African Union and reinforcing the solidarity of African countries, the Chinese official said. He added that since China and Libya set up diplomatic relations 23 years ago, the friendly cooperation of the two countries on the basis of mutual belief, equality and mutual benefit has had all- round development. China is willing to consolidate and develop bilateral cooperation in political, economic, cultural and other fields, reinforce bilateral negotiation and coordination in regional and international affairs. On the international situation, Wei said that in the new century, China is willing to work together with the international community, including Libya, to make concerted efforts in securing world peace and stability, and promoting the establishment of a just and rational new order of international politics and economy. For his part, Ghaddafi expressed welcome to Wei Jianxing and his accompanying delegation, asking Wei to convey his warm greetings to Jiang Zemin and other leaders of the CPC and the Chinese government. Ghaddafi said that both Libya and China are third world countries, and the two peoples have always supported each other and set up deep-set traditional friendship in the process of fighting against imperialism and hegemonism and seeking to establish a fair and rational new order for international politics and economy. He said that Libya appreciates China's adherence to the socialist road with Chinese characteristics, and congratulates the Chinese people on their great achievements in building their own country. The Libyan people are proud to have China as their friend and expect China to play an even greater role in international affairs, he added. Ghaddafi also said that the world is experiencing dramatic changes. Developing countries including Libya and China are facing common tasks of protecting national security and sovereignty, seeking economic developing and social progress, and fighting against hegemonism. They should further reinforce mutual friendly exchanges and cooperation. The mutually beneficial cooperation between Libya and other African countries and China is quite prospective, the Libyan leader noted. **** Sweden to Remain Nonaligned After Baltic Nations Join NATO: PM. Future NATO membership of the three Baltic nations -- Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania -- will not change Sweden's military policy of non-alignment, a Finnish paper quoted Swedish Prime Minister Goran Persson as saying. Future NATO membership of the three Baltic nations -- Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania -- will not change Sweden's military policy of non-alignment, a Finnish paper quoted Swedish Prime Minister Goran Persson as saying. In an interview with the Turun Sanomat paper on Sunday, Persson said that his country will continue to stay nonaligned militarily though the joining of the three Baltic nations in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) will bring some effect on Sweden's security arrangement. If the three states are accepted as NATO members some day in the future, Sweden will hold discussions with neighboring nations on the issue, Persson noted. On December 14, the defense committee of the Finnish parliament stressed in a memorandum that future NATO membership of the three Baltic nations will not lead to the change of Finland 's military non-alignment policy. Noting the importance of Finland's current military policy, the committee said that the country will develop cooperation with the military bloc within the framework of the non-alignment policy. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, former Soviet republics, have been seeking NATO membership while Sweden and Finland, which are also Baltic nations, have vowed to stay nonaligned. **** China to Grant Cambodia Interest-Free Loan. The Chinese Government and Cambodian Government Monday have signed an Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation between the two governments in Phnom Penh. The Chinese Government and Cambodian Government Monday have signed an Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation between the two governments in Phnom Penh. Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Ning Fukui and Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong inked the agreement Monday morning at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. Under the agreement, China will provide the Royal government with an interest-free loan of RMB Eighty Million Yuan (9.67 million US dollars) over a period of five years from January 1,2002 to December 31, 2006. **** Boeing Hands out 1,737 More Layoff Notices. U.S. aerospace giant Boeing Company handed out 1,737 more layoff notices on Friday as part of its broad plan to cut 30 percent of its commercial airplanes workforce due to weakened aircraft demand. U.S. aerospace giant Boeing Company handed out 1,737 more layoff notices on Friday as part of its broad plan to cut 30 percent of its commercial airplanes workforce due to weakened aircraft demand. Among the layoffs on 60-day notice, 1,287 employees are workingin the Seattle area and another 450 outside Seattle, Boeing said in a statement. Boeing's Commercial Airplanes unit remains in Seattle, Washington, although the company headquarters were movedto Chicago in September. This is the third round of layoffs announced by Boeing's Commercial Airplanes unit, which planned to cut 30,000 jobs by themiddle of next year. So far a total of 16,637 layoff notices have been handed out since the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. The company expected a sharp decline in aircraft demand due to the heavy blow to the airlines industry from the terrorist attacks.The next round of layoffs are expected to be announced in January,the company said. Boeing's Machinists union, which represents Boeing production workers, filed two grievances saying that some workers should haveretained their jobs if work that should have remained in-house wasnot given to contractors. The union argued that its contract bars layoffs of union members whose work is shifted to outside contractors. It has askedBoeing to reduce the number of layoffs by bringing back in-house work that has been given out to contractors. Boeing Commercial Airplanes unit chief Alan Mulally cautioned last week that, as many suppliers were forced to close their doorsdue to Boeing actions, Boeing would not be able to get enough components once the business improves. _________________________________________________ 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] __________________________________________________
