Deutsche Welle
English Service News
January, 14th, 2001, 16:00 UTC
Pakistan detains hundreds of Islamic militant suspects
Police in Pakistan said on Monday they had detained hundreds of
people in a nationwide weekend crackdown that coincided with
President Pervez Musharraf's pledge to stop Islamic militants
attacking India. The sweep extended a crackdown ,following the
December 13th suicide attack on India's parliament and a military
standoff between the neighbours and nuclear rivals. Mr.Musharraf, in
a landmark address to the nation , promised to stop Islamic militants
operating from Pakistan to attack Indian rule in Kashmir, India's
only Muslim majority state. Indian External Affairs Minister Singh,
responding to Mr. Musharraf's speech, told a news conference that
India's troops would stay on high allert for the time being.
More Al Qaeda and Taliban detainees flown to Cuba
Thirty more Taliban and al Qaeda detainees have left Afghanistan
under heavy U.S. military guard bound for the American base prison in
Cuba. This will bring the number held there to fifty. A U.S.
official said the first groups sent to Cuba represented the most
dangerous of the more than 400 prisoners held by U.S. troops. On
Friday, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said the United States
did not consider the detainees to be prisoners of war, but unlawful
combatants, making them ineligible for prisoner-of-war rights under
the Geneva convention. Meanwhile, human rights and trial
organisations have criticized the cage-cells in Cuba and fear that
prisoners will be denied a fair trial. U.S. warplanes on Monday
continued air strikes on suspected al Qaeda and Taliban hideouts in
eastern Afghanistan.
Israeli bulldozers demolish nine Palestinian homes
Israeli troops tore down nine Palestinian houses in East Jerusalem on
Monday, four days after its demolition of over 60 homes in a Gaza
Strip refugee camp provoked international criticism and dissent in
the government. Scuffles broke out between police and protesters who
tried to prevent bulldozers demolishing the partly built houses.
Israeli city authorities ordered the houses to be demolished because
the owners did not have construction permits, but the Palestinians
say such permits are almost impossible to obtain for Palestinians.
Israel captured Arab East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war and
later annexed it in a move not recognised internationally.The
Palestinians, who are waging an uprising against Israeli occupation
in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, want East Jerusalem as the capital
of an independent Palestinian state.
Souther African summit appeals to Zimbabwe to ensure free and fair
elections
Southern African leaders opened a summit on Monday with an appeal for
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe to ensure free and fair elections
in the presidential poll set for March 9th-10th. Malawi President
Bakili Muluzi began the one-day meeting of 14 African states grouped
in the Southern African Development Community SADC, which is under
pressure to condemn Mugabe and even consider imposing sanctions on
Zimbabwe. The head of Zimbabwe's Defence Forces, General Zvinavashe,
said last week that the country's security services would not accept
a president, who had not fought in the 1970's liberation war against
white rule. That was seen as a blow to the hopes of opposition leader
Morgan Tsvangirai of the Movement for Democratic Change. Diplomatic
observers said that the announcement amounted to pre-notice of a
possible military coup.
Amnesty warns of 'civil war' in Zimbabwe
Amnesty International warned on Monday of civil war in Zimbabwe if
opposition to President Robert Mugabe is repressed. Mr.Mugabe faces
re-election in March. The British-based human rights pressure group
appealed to Zimbabwe's neighbours, whose leaders are attending a
regional summit in Malawi today, to take a tough stand against what
it said were state-sponsored killings. Last year, Amnesty said at
least 50 politically motivated killings were reported since early
2000, some of them during parliamentary by-elections in 2001. Last
week, Zimbabwe's parliament passed draconian legislation granting Mr.
Mugabe sweeping powers ahead of the March 9-10 voting.
Sudan rebels meet government for truce talks
Sudanese rebels and government officials arrived in Switzerland on
Monday to negotiate a lasting ceasefire in an 18-year-old war that
has claimed two million lives in the northeast African country.
Switzerland's Foreign Ministry said delegates from the Sudanese
Islamist government and the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement
were starting a week of talks at a secret location. The talks,
co-sponsored by the United States, are part of increased diplomatic
activity to end the civil war in Sudan,which is seen as a hotbed for
Islamist militants. Saudi-born dissident Osama bin Laden, accused of
masterminding the Sept.11th attacks in the USA , lived there from
1991 to 1996.The People's Liberation Movement has been fighting since
1983 for autonomy in Sudan's mainly Christian or animist south from
the Islamic government in the north.
Megawati approves judges for E.Timor rights trials
Indonesia's president has given the go ahead for judges to sit on a
special court that will try suspects including generals accused of
major human rights abuses in East Timor in 1999. Indonesia has been
under strong pressure from foreign donors and human rights
organisations to put on trial those responsible for the bloodshed in
East Timor, which occurred before and after the territory voted for
independence on August 30, 1999. The United Nations estimates more
than 1,000 people were killed, but no military officers or militia
leaders have ever been brought to trial in Indonesia over the wave of
violence.
Colombian FARC Rebels Declare Peace Process Dead
In Colombia, rebels from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia,
or FARC, on Sunday refused to fulfil all the terms of an ultimatum
from President Andres Pastrana, thus ending a three-year-old peace
process. However, the group said it would comply with the demand to
pull out of the main towns of its demilitarised enclave by a Monday
night deadline. Pastrana had demanded the rebels call a ceasefire and
end kidnappings before talks restarted. He rejected last-ditch peace
proposals put forward by rebel commanders on Saturday. Thousands of
troops, tanks and jets are ready to move into the enclave, which was
set up as a safe haven for the rebels when the peace process began.
The rebels have said they still hope to return to negotiations aimed
at ending a 38-year-old war that has claimed 40,000 lives in the past
decade.
George Harrison hit 'My Sweet Lord' re-released
The 1971 George Harrison hit "My Sweet Lord" was re-issued on Monday
in aid of charity. The single by the former Beatle, who died in
November after a long battle with cancer, was released following huge
public demand. All proceeds from the single will go to the Material
World Foundation, set up in 1973 by Harrison to support agencies
worldwide that assist poverty-stricken children.
Serbian News Network - SNN
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