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Leading News
200 Shibir activists rounded up in
countrywide crackdown
UNB, Dhaka
More than 200 Islami Chhatra Shibir activists and suspects
were rounded up during the ongoing crackdown against the
Shibir activists across the country, police said Friday.
The crackdown began following the violent clashes between
the supporters of Shibir and Bangladesh Chhatra League at
the Rajshahi University where a Chhatra League worker was
killed and many wounded on Monday night. More than 60
Shibir activists were arrested in Rajshahi after the
bloody clashes.
In Chittagong, police arrested 95 Shibir activists from a
demonstration in front of the Press Club Friday afternoon.
In capital Dhaka, Shahbagh thana police arrested 31 Shibir
activists from a house at Habibullah Sarak in Paribagh at
3am Friday. Shahbagh thana O/C Rezaul Karim told UNB that
the arrested persons were having a secret meeting. The
arrested were sent to court, he said.
Nine Shibir activists were arrested from Purana Paltan
area while they were trying to stage demonstration after
Jum'a prayer.
In Sylhet city, 12 Shibir activists were arrested
following a clash between Chhatra Shibir and police Friday
afternoon, which left 27 people, including eight
journalists, injured.
Police arrested 95 leaders and activists of
Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Shibir Friday afternoon
when they were demonstrating for the body of the deceased
Chittagong University student in front of the Press Club
in Jamalkhan area of the port city. The arrested includes
Nayeb-e-Ameer of city unit of Jamaat Prof Ahsanullah.
Police and witnesses said the activists of Jamaat and its
student wing, Chhatra Shibir, locked into clash with the
law enforcers while demonstrating after failing to get the
body of AAM Mohiuddin alias Masum from Chittagong Medical
College Hospital (CMCH) morgue.
Masum's body was recovered from a rail-line at Sholashahar
on Thursday night. Claiming him as their party activist,
Shibir wanted to receive the body from the morgue.
Earlier, several hundred Jamaat-Shibir activists took
position in front of the CMCH for receiving the body of CU
student Masum.
They held a meeting there blocking the road and later
brought out a procession demanding the body.
The Jamaat-Shibir acti-vists clashed with police when the
hospital authorities handed over the body of Masum to the
members of his family.
"The whole area turned into a battle field during chase
and counter-chase between the law enforcers and the Shibir
activists," said a spot account.
Ten policemen, including CMP assistant commissioner
(intelligence) Jahangir Alam and officer-in-charge of
Kotwali thana Mohiuddin Ahmed, were also injured in attack
by the Shibir activists.
The Shibir men also vandalized the local PDB office and
several business establishments, and damaged a number of
vehicles.
Police lobbed tear gas shells and most of the shops and
gas filling stations in the area were shut down during the
melee that also created panic among the people of the
area.
Police arrested 21 activists of Jamaat-Shibir from the
spot and 74 others from the nearby buildings where they
took shelter following a chase by the law-enforcers. The
CU unit of Bangladesh Chhatra League claimed that Masum
was its worker.
Relatives, who came to see Masum's body at the hospital,
also said that he was involved in BCL politics. However,
CU Islami Chhatra Shibir president Saifuddin claimed that
Masum was an active member of Shah Jalal Hall unit Chhatra
Shibir.
At least 27 people, including cops and journalists, were
injured in clashes between the activists of Jamaat-Shibir
and law-enforcers in the city's Court Point and Chouhatta
areas Friday.
Local sources said Jamaat and Shibir brought out a
procession from Court point after Jum'a prayers as part of
their central programme in protest against the killings of
Shibir activists in Chapai-nawabganj and Chittagong, and
the arrest of Rajshahi city Jamaat Ameer Ataur Rahman.
They locked into a clash with police at about 2pm as the
law-enforcers tried to disperse the procession.
A chase and counter chase took place during the melee,
leaving five people injured.
Abdullah
Gul-Zillur bileteral meeting
Turkey to increase trade volume with Bangladesh
UNB, Dhaka
Visiting Turkish President Abdullah Gul Friday said his
country would take initiatives to increase the existing
trade volume with Bangladesh from around 600 million US
dollars to over 1 billion dollars.
"We want to see an increased trade volume with
Bangladesh," the Turkish President said while speaking at
a joint press briefing with Bangladesh President Zillur
Rahman after holding a 45-minute bilateral meeting at
Bangabhaban.
Gul said he would give directives to Turkish airlines as
soon as possible after his return to Turkey to link Dhaka
with Turkey with direct flights.
"A delegation of 100 investors is accompanying me and
they'll see what and where they can invest here in," he
said through his interpreter. Appreciating the hospitality
of the President, Gul said the friendship and brotherly
relations between the two countries would be further
strengthened. "My delegation is happy visiting the
country," he said.
Describing the relations with Bangladesh as historic
having the same values and culture, Abdullah Gul recalled
that many people in Bangladesh know the names of Mostafa
Kamal.
Welcoming the Turkish President and his delegation to
Bangladesh, Zillur mentioned that the bilateral relations
between the two countries are excellent and it would be
further strengthened and deepened through this visit.
"We share common history, values, traditions, faith and
culture. Both of our people are freedom-loving and have
deep commitment towards democracy and other liberal
ethos."
Describing Turkey as a trusted friend of Bangladesh since
its independence, he said the Heads of State and Heads of
Government of the two countries visited each other's
country several times which have undoubtedly increased
depth and dimension of our bilateral relations.
"We've some agreements with Turkey, including on culture
and education and training for members of the Armed
Forces," Zillur said.
During the bilateral talks, the President emphasized trade
and commerce and investment, saying that Turkish
entrepreneurs and investors would find textile and
apparels, energy, ship-building, heavy machinery,
telecommunications, petrochemical, tourism, infrastructure
and agro-based industries sectors particularly relevant.
The President said Turkish investors could also explore
other sectors such as infrastructure development,
pharmaceuticals, ICT, real estate, gas and energy.
Zillur said the total trade volume between Bangladesh and
Turkey has now reached almost US$ 517 million (as of
August 2009) and he believes that this might be increased
by removing tariff and non-tariff barriers to Bangladeshi
products in Turkey.
Meanwhile, President Zillur Rahman sought Turkey's
cooperation and assistance in areas of river dredging,
energy and ICT to help materialize Bangla-desh's
development programmes.
"We welcome Turkey's cooperation and assistance in the
areas of river dredging, energy and ICT to help
materialize our development programmes," the President
said at a banquet at Bangabhaban, which he hosted in honor
of the visiting Turkish President Abdullah Gul and his
spouse.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, cabinet members, political
leaders, ambassadors, businessmen, and high civil and
military officials attended the banquet.
PPP
initiative for agriculture in next fiscal: Muhith
UNB, Dhaka
Finance Minister AMA Muhith on Friday said that the
government would include the agriculture sector in its
Public-Private Partnership (PPP) initiative in the next
fiscal year.
"There are five months left in the current fiscal…it is
not possible to include any PPP project in agriculture. In
the next year, surely there will be something for
agriculture through PPP," he said at a seminar in the
city.
The Finance Minister was speaking as chief guest at the
seminar on 'PPP for Agriculture' held at Krishibid
Institute at city's Farmgate area.
Economic Affairs adviser to the Prime Minister Dr. Mashiur
Rahman and chairman of the Parliamentary Standing
Committee on Agriculture Ministry Sha-wkat Momen Shahjahan
MP addressed the function as special guests. Bangla-desh
Agricultural University (BAU) Vice Chancellor Dr. MA
Sattar Mondal chaired the seminar.
Dr. Uttam Kumar Dev of Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD)
presented the keynote, titled 'Public-Private Partnership
for Development: A New Way to Forward Bangladesh
Agriculture.'
Addressing the seminar, Muhith said there is a need for an
institution like Bangladesh Agriculture Development
Corporation (BADC) to promote PPP in agriculture.
He noted that IDCOL (Infrastructure Develop-ment Company
Ltd, IIFC (Infrastructure Investment Facilitation Center)
and IPFF (Investment Promo-tion and Financing Facility)
are working to promote PPP in other sectors. Muhith said
the BADC could initiate PPP in irrigation, could bring in
new ideas and provide technical assistance.
He underscored increasing the public expenditure to 20
percent from the existing 16 percent, saying that the
government gets only around one lakh crore taka annually
against its annual national income of six lakh crore taka.
The Finance Minister also emphasized on increasing
investment. "The investment percentage of our national
income is 23 and that needs to be increased to 30-35
percent," he said.
On the issue of launching Crop Insurance, he said that the
government is planning to introduce crop insurance but
could not specify any time frame. "In such case, I think
we won't be able to move forward without PPP."
Dr Mashiur Rahman said the PPP initiative could be more
effective where there is need for more capital, new
technology and involves more risk. "The government could
take initiative in such matters as the private sector
can't take as much risk as the government can."
He, however, said that PPP is not possible individually
for the small farmers, but the government could come
forward if the farmers team up in large groups or
cooperatives.
Executive Director of BRAC Dr Mahbub Hossain said no
project for agriculture was included in the PPP out of the
27 projects in current fiscal where some Tk 2500 crore has
been allocated.
Director General of Department of Agriculture Extension
Sayeed Ali said that the PPP initiative could be taken on
supplement irrigation, surface water management and in
tomato processing industry.
Dr Shamsul Alam, General Economic Division (GED) member of
Planning Commission, suggested forming a strong PPP Cell
under the supervision of Finance Minister with
representatives from the Finance Ministry, Planning
Commi-ssion and private sector.
JS Bhola-3 seat
Hafiz urges EC for re-election among 3 candidates
TBT Report
BNP leader Major Hafiz Uddin Ahmed (retd) urged the
Election Commission (EC) to arrange re-election in free,
fair and impartial manner of Bhola constituency no-3 among
the valid candidates who took part in the 9th
parliamentary election on December 29, 2008.
He made this plea at a press briefing held at his Banani
residence in the capital on Friday.
Hafiz Uddin Ahmed said the parliament membership of Awami
League leader Maj (retd) Jashim was cancelled by the
Supreme Court verdict as he took part in the 9th
parliament election before passing a certain period of his
retirement from government job. As per rules and
procedures, the election of the constituency will be held
within three months.
"I expected that the re-election of the constituency would
have to be held among rest of three valid candidates who
took part on December 29, parliament election. To make the
election a success, I urge the EC to play its impartial
role," Hafiz Uddin said.
After the court verdict, the EC has published a gazette
notification vacating Bhola-3 JS seat. Despite this,
Jashim had taken part in the parliament session which was
violation of the verdict of country's apex court, he
alleged.
Hafiz Uddin Ahmed said the people of the area are facing
intolerable situation. Exortion and terrorist activities
are being committed in and around the area as Jashim has
become involved in several sorts of unwarranted
activities.
Under these circumstances 'I am anxious over the election
of the constituency whether it will be held in free, fair
manner or not. But I am hopeful that the EC will play its
impartial role instead of earlier one which had created an
adverse impact during the last election period.
32 Shibir activists remanded
UNB, Dhaka
A court here Friday placed 32 Shibir activists on a
three-day remand while sent 25 others to jail hajat, all
arrested from the different parts of the city on Thursday
night.
Police arrested 32 ICS activists from Uttara while 21 from
Shahbag and five from Matijheel following the killing of
Chhatra League activist Faruqe Hossain on Monday night's
clashes between the activists
of Shibir and the BCL on Rajshahi
University campus. Police produced the 52 ICS activists
before the court of Metropolitan Magistrate M Abdur Rahim
seeking seven days' remand. After hearing, the court
granted three-day remand for the 31 while sent another 21
to jail hajat.
Another court granted a three-day remand for an ICS
activist and sent four others to jail hajat as Matijheel
thana police produced the five before the court.
Back Page
Tailback to make Dhaka a dysfunctional city
UNB, Dhaka
With an increasing number of new vehicles hitting the city
streets everyday, officials concerned fear that capital
Dhaka may turn into a dysfunctional city within a couple
of years.
According to statistics, nearly 524,000 vehicles now ply
the city streets everyday against 3.03 lakh in 2003,
creating vexing tailbacks.
The vehicles include nearly 1,47,000 private cars, 59,000
microbuses and jeeps, 29,000 lorries, 8,300 passenger
buses, 8,320 minibuses, 6,272 taxicabs, CNG-run
auto-rickshaws and auto-tempos 19,591. Besides, the number
of motorbikes is 217,800. BRTA officials said 125 motor
vehicles are getting registered on average everyday. Based
on this figure, the officials said, 3,750 vehicles are
hitting the city streets on average every month. They said
if this trend of registering new vehicles continues for
the next two years, the already overcrowded city streets
would simply be exhausted turning the capital into a
stalled city.
Dhaka City with 250-300 kilometres of roads has space for
around 1.5 lakh vehicles. "So, the number of vehicles is
around four times the capacity of the streets in the
capital," said an official. Talking to UNB, DMP Joint
Commissioner (Traffic) Shafiqur Rahman said Dhaka city has
only 8 percent of roads against the ideal situation of 25
percent.
Out of these 8 percent roads, he said, 30 percent are
occupied with unauthorized car parking. "Since it is
difficult to construct new roads at this point of time,
there is no alternative to building underground roads or
elevated highways to tackle the traffic congestion.
In 2007-08, nearly 87,500 new vehicles were registered in
Dhaka City while innumerable non-mechanized vehicles like
rickshaws, pushcarts and rickshaw vans came on to the
streets. But only one kilometre new road was constructed
in the last three years.
DMP sources said there is no adequate number of traffic
police to deal with the situation as only 730 people have
been recruited to DMP (traffic) in the last six years.
Presently, the number of manpower in the traffic
department is 2,726 against the sanctioned posts of 2,995.
Officials concerned pointed out lack of coordination among
different government and semiautonomous bodies responsible
for managing vehicles.
Besides, though Dhaka City Corporation issues licence for
rickshaws, but it does not take action against illegal
rickshaws. Similarly, any serious action is absent against
unfit vehicles.
Shafiqur Rahman said the number of rickshaws was with
valid license is 79,750, but there are about five lakh
rickshaws plying the city streets without valid licenses.
He said the traffic jam may be eased up if the illegal
rickshaws are seized but it needs political decision as
livelihood of many families depends on it.
Officials concerned think that adequate number of
footbridges and underpasses will have to be built at all
level crossings and inter-sections in the city as
short-term measures. As part of mid-term solution, they
said flyover needs to be built at important intersections,
including Sha-hbagh, Bangla Motor, Moghbazar, Sonargaon
and Bijoy Sharani.
Footbridges will also have to be constructed at six
important level-crossings of the city. Besides, an
immediate plan for the construction of monorail or
underground rail should be there.
Police disperse
Shibir rally in city
7 Shibir men, 5 police
injured in chase, counter-chase
UNB, Dhaka
Police on Friday afternoon dispersed a rally of Islami
Chhatra Shibir in city's Paltan area and arrested nine
Shibir activists following a brief chase and counter
chase.
Seven Shibir men and five cops were injured during the
half-hour melee.
Witnesses said police cordoned off the area near Bijoy
Nagar water tank where Chhatra Shibir, the student wing of
Jamaat-e-Islami, was holding a rally at about 2pm
protesting the Thursday's killing of a student of
Chittagong University whom it claimed to be its activist.
At one stage, the law enforcers chased the Shibir men to
disperse the rally.
A brief chase and counter chase took place between police
and Shibir activists who again tried to hold a rally near
Fakirerpool water tank.
Police used water canon and charged batons on the
protesters who pelted brickbats towards the law enforcers,
leaving some 12 people, including five policemen, injured.
Later, police reinforcement from Paltan thana appeared on
the scene and arrested nine Shibir men.
Red carpet reception
to Turkish President
BSS, Dhaka
A red carpet reception was accorded to Turkish Pres-ident
Abdullah Gul when he arrived here on Friday on a two-day
state visit to Bangladesh.
President Zillur Rahman and his daughter Tanima Rahman
welcomed the Turkish Presi-dent and his spouse Hayru-nnisa
Gul when they alighted from a special aircraft of Turkish
Airlines at the Zia International Airport at 2.34 pm. The
two presidents shook hands and greeted each other, while
two tiny tots presented bouquets to the Turkish Presi-dent
and his spouse.
A smartly turned out contingent comprising army, navy and
air force gave a guard of honour to the Turkish President.
Abdullah Gul visited the guards and took salute.
Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, Agriculture
Minister Begum Matia Chowdhury, Foreign Minister Dr Dipu
Moni, Commerce Minister Muhammad Faruq Khan, chiefs of the
three services, Turkish Ambassador to Bangladesh Zakir
Ozkan Torunlar as well as high civil and military
officials were present at the airport to receive the
Turkish President.
The Turkish President is visiting Dhaka at the invitation
of his Bangladesh counterpart Zillur Rahman which is
marked as the first trip of any head of states to
Bangladesh since the Awami League-led present government
assumed power in January last year.
Huge weekend crowds
at Ekushey Book Fair
BSS, Dhaka
Weekend crowds thronged the Ekushey Book Fair as the
annual event drew 214 new titles on the 12th day of the
month-long fair on Friday.
Sales of books were, however, higher at the second weekend
of the fair after its opening, publishers of different
publishing houses said.
The fair drew a huge crowd who were seen buying books at
different stalls since the morning as the fair opened at
11:00 am for weekly holiday.
The queues tailed back from the Bangladesh Atomic Energy
Commission and Doyel Chattar (square) to Bangla Academy
gates at 3:00 pm. The security men were in a relaxed mood
and visitors were not frisked in the evening. The visitors
did not find any space in the fair venue. At 5 pm, the
queue touched the central mosque gate of Dhaka University
and Mokarram Bhaban.
Salespersons at almost all the stalls were found busy
selling and displaying books from the morning.
Tareq Mahmud and Dulary Mahmud, a newly married couple
from Mirpur, was found carrying four packets of books.
"We have come early in the morning to avoid evening rush
and spend some time on the fair ground after buying
books," Tareq said.
The fair venue turned into a human sea after the evening.
There was hardly any room for the visitors to mover around
the fair ground. Many stalls that were set up outside the
Bangla Academy premises continued to flout fair rules.
They were selling books that are not published by their
own publishing houses and the books published abroad.
A large number of visitors were found carrying packets of
new books they bought from different stalls of the fair.
Many moved around the fair venue after buying books.
At the Bangla Academy sales centre, demand of dictionary
was high.
Of the 214 new titles on the day, 52 are collections of
novels, 25 collections of stories, 43 collections of poems
and five collections are of essays. The Bangla Academy, as
part of its regular programmes, held a discussion on
`Language Movement'.
Teesta River
drys up causing adverse impact on agriculture, employment
BSS, Gaibandha
The Teesta, 2nd mighty river in the district, has dried up
fully due to drastical fall of its water level this
current dry season causing adverse impact on agriculture,
fishery, communication and employment.
BWDB sources said the water level of the river started to
decrease sharply in September last. Later the river dried
up fully this year causing a large number of dunes and
chars emerged on the beds of the river.
Miles and miles on the riverbed are turning into desert
and the environment of adjacent region of the river is
also facing threat of desertification. People living
beside the river Teesta said during the last five months
they had seen an abnormal full in the water level of the
river but they could not think that the river would dried
up very fast. Now, anyone can cross the river on foot
easily but few years ago it was fully unreal and
imaginative.
The abnormal fall in water level of the Teesta River has
been attributed to the unilateral withdrawal of water by
India through the Farraka Barrage in the upstream of
Teesta Irrigation Project at Dalia of Lalmonirhat district
side by side with negative impact of climate change.
The plying of water vessels has been suspended in all the
routes of the river due to drastic fall in water level and
drying up the river.
The suspension of the playing of water vessels has caused
undue sufferings to 50 people living the char villages
under Sundarganj upazila in the district regarding their
communication with the mainland.
Two hundred boatmen of 50 boat routes in Teesta river with
four upazilas under Kurigram and Gaibandha district search
option to livelihood as the boat routes have already been
closed due to drying up the river Teesta.
The fishermen living on the river basins are passing their
days ideally as they can not catch fishes there for want
of water in the river.
Vast tracts of land remain uncultivated on the beds of the
river and they can not be brought under crops cultivation
programme for want of water in the river. Hundreds of
people living in the chars have become totally jobless, as
they have no work in their hands due to drying up in
river.
US may abandon
civilian 9/11 trial
AP, Washington
Attorney General Eric Holder is leaving open the
possibility of trying professed Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid
Sheikh Mohammed before a military commission instead of
the civilian trial originally planned for New York City.
"At the end of the day, wherever this case is tried, in
whatever forum, what we have to ensure is that it's done
as transparently as possible and with adherence to all the
rules," Holder told The Washington Post in an interview
published in Friday's editions. "If we do that, I'm not
sure the location or even the forum is as important as
what the world sees in that proceeding."
Opposition from New York officials has forced the Obama
administration to reconsider plans to put Mohammed on
trial in federal court in lower Manhattan, near where the
World Trade Center was felled.
City and state officials and many congressional Rep-ublicans
argue that the high-security trial would put New Yorkers
at risk of further attacks, cost taxpayers hundreds of
millions of dollars in security expenses and take a
staggering toll on nearby businesses.
Holder still maintains that a civilian trial would be the
best option for the case and "best for our overall fight
against al-Qaida."
President Barack Obama said in a CBS interview that he
hasn't ruled out holding the trial in New York federal
court but was taking into account the objections of Mayor
Michael Bloomberg and the city's police.
11 Shibir
workers remanded in Rajshahi
BSS, Rajshahi
A magistrate court here today granted a five-day
police-remand against 11 Shibir workers, including
Rajshahi City Amir of Jamaat-e-Islami Ataur Rahman.
Police produced them before the court of Additional Chief
Metropolitan Magistrate at around 4 pm amid tight security
seeking a 10-day remand.
After hearing both the sides, Magistrate Ruhul Amin
granted the five-day remand against each of them for
squeezing them.
They are Jamaat leader Ataur Rahman and Shibir workers
Abdul Haque, Saminul Haque, Mam-unur Rashid, Khairul
Islam, Shahin Alam, Mokbul Hossain, Israfil Hossain,
Israfil Haque, Abdul Khaleque and Mamunur Rashid.
Earlier on Thursday morning, Boalia police arrested Ataur
Rahman while Paba police arrested the 10 others from
Parila area on charge of their involvement in the Rajshahi
University's violent incident, killing a BCL worker and
injuring scores others.
Advocates Shamsul Alam, Mijanul Islam, Abu Muhammad Selim,
Nazim Uddin and Sadrul Alam appeared for the Jamaat-Shibir
leaders during the hearing.
Earlier on Wednesday, 28 other Shibir leaders and workers
were granted a 10-day police remand.
Editorial
Law and order situation
There
has been a spate of incidents of crime and violence across the
country in recent days much to the disappointment of the
public. Home Minister Sahara Khatun has claimed that the law
and order situation is now better than that prevailed in the
country anytime before. But the real situation does not
substantiate this statement.
In fact, the law and order situation continued to deteriorate
over the recent days and reached an alarming stage. The
situation on the campuses of the educational institutions and
elsewhere is causing major concerns to the people. In the
recent days, a number of students including Abu Bakar of Dhaka
University, Faruque of Rajshahi University, Sunny of Rashahi
polytechnic college, Mohaimunul Islam of Chittagong University
as well as DCC ward councillor Ahmed Hossain and some others
have been killed. These brutal killings are enough to indicate
that the law and order situation is deteriorating instead of
improving.
The deterioration in the law and order situation is being
caused in more than one way- by violence on the campuses in
the name of student politics and by criminal activities of the
hardened criminals. In most of the incidents of crimes,
however, illegal firearms are being used. Although some of the
illegal arms are being recovered by police in their routine
and special drives, new arms are reaching the hands of the
criminals as the smuggling of illegal arms into the country
continues unabated.
DMP Commissioner AKM Shahidul Haq on Thursday said a good
number of illegal small firearms have made their way into the
country from across the border and those are being used in
criminal acts in the city. "Police have already arrested a
number of criminals and they revealed that many illegal
firearms have been smuggled into the country and those are
being used in various criminal acts," he told reporters at a
monthly 'crime conference'. Shahidul Haq said police have
already launched a crackdown on illegal firearms and the drive
will be intensified further.
It goes without saying that uninterrupted influx of illegal
firearms into the country from across the borders has been
posing a serious threat to the country's law and order
situation since long. Although the law enforcers are
continuing their drives and recovering illegal arms on a
regular basis, the situation is not improving as huge illegal
arms, specially small firearms are entering the country
everyday. According to press reports illegal firearms are
being smuggled into the country through nine points on the
border. Three rebel groups of Myanmar are selling arms to the
terrorists of Bangladesh in the border areas of Cox's Bazar
and Bandarban.
The report is alarming as the vast coastline in the Bay and
the border points between Bangladesh and Myanmar have become a
sanctuary for the arms smugglers who are bringing
sophisticated firearms including AK-47, M-16 rifles,
long-range pistols, revolvers, grenades etc to Bangladesh.
Huge arms, ammunition and explosives are coming to the country
from across not only Bangladesh-Myanmar borders but also from
India and the continued inflow of illegal firearms and
ammunition has been contributing largely to the deterioration
of the country's law and order situation.
Whatever may be written in the law book, student politics is,
in fact, politics of string and being guided by political
parties directly or indirectly. Besides, a section of
politicians and corrupt police officials are reportedly
harbouring and patronizing criminals. This nexus has to be
broken. Everyone will expect the government to deal with the
law and order situation seriously and ensure security, peace
and harmony. Improving the worsening law and order situation
and ensuring peace on the campuses and security of the life of
the citizens are the prime needs of the hour.
Price of rice
The
skyrocketing of the price of rice is the most burning issue at
present as the people are facing unbearable sufferings. The
price has increased by as much as Tk. 6-8 per kg of rice over
the last few weeks plunging the people of fixed income groups
into untold miseries. Ironically, this alarming price hike has
resulted not from shortfall of production but from syndication
of traders and hoarding by them.
According to press reports invisible hands are active behind
making the rice market restive. Black money holders are
allegedly building huge stock of rice to maximise profit. Even
a new section of profit mongers are taking loans from banks
and hoarding rice in huge quantity. Millers and traders are
blaming each others for the price hike of rice. The situation
has reached such a critical stage that even the government
decision to introduce OMS of rice in Dhaka and the divisional
cities is failing to ease the crisis. Against this backdrop it
has become urgently needed to introduce OMS all over the
country to bring down rice price immediately and thus provide
respite for the poor people. The main reason of the
unfortunate situation is the hoarding of rice and manipulation
by business syndicates which must be broken at any cost. The
government should act resolutely in this regard.
Analysis
Defining areas of cooperation in Pak-Iran relations
The presence of NATO and United States in the
region contiguous to Pakistan and Iran is not only keeping
both countries under watch but is pressuring them on various
pretexts.
Dr. Raja Muhammad Khan
Even
during the period of less camaraderie of 1990s, there has
never been a diplomatic impasse in the bilateral relationship
between Iran and Pakistan. In order to perk up the old warmth
in bilateral relationship, President General Pervaiz Musharraf
visited Iran in December 1999. On that occasion, Iranian
President, Mohammad Khatami, declared the relationship between
the countries as, "profound and unbreakable, noting the two
countries' common cultural and Islamic foundations, -
undoubtedly, the two countries' national interests are linked
to one another and together we must strive to safeguard these
interests". President Khatami further said that both countries
should be able to "neutralize divisive conspiracies" against
them. Earlier in May 1998, Iran showed its concern on Indian
nuclear tests by Issuing a statement of President Khatami
that, 'we regret what has happened and are concerned about
India's nuclear tests". He fully shared the Pakistani concerns
and said that "we regard your security seriously and
understand your position and the position of our brother,
Pakistani nation. The security of Pakistan, as a brother,
friendly and neighboring state, is crucial to us. We consider
their issue to be extremely important and will stand by you".
However once Pakistan conducted its nuclear tests, Iranian
Foreign Minister Mr. Kamal Khamazi was the first foreign envoy
who visited and congratulated Pakistan on successful conduct
of its nuclear tests on June 1, 1998. He said that "now, they
(Muslims) feel confident, because a fellow Islamic nation
possesses the know-how to build nuclear weapons". Mutual
visits of the heads of state and high officials of both
countries continued thereafter. In December 2002, Iranian
President visited Pakistan and later Pakistani Premier
Zafarullah Khan Jamali visited Iran in October 2003. More
recently President Zardari has also visited Iran and both
countries have signed a number of agreements of mutual
understandings.
Apart from Afghnistan, both countries have been pursuing their
strategic interest in Central Asian region. By virtue of their
membership of ECO and Islamic in character, these countries
have to be supported by their nearest neighbours and they have
to decide their future course of action accordingly. Indeed,
"within this new environment, it suits both Pakistan and Iran
to build a closer, strategic relationship. Given the manner in
which the strategic map is currently unfolding in Afghanistan
and Central Asia, there are now common issues of concern for
Pakistan and Iran. The major issue is the military presence of
the US and its Western allies not only in Afghanistan but also
in Central Asia. It is clear that the US bases in the latter
are going to be of a permanent nature - at least for the
foreseeable future. At the same time, the external presence of
naval forces has also increased tremendously in the Persian
Gulf region".
Indeed the presence of NATO and United States in the region
contiguous to Pakistan and Iran is not only keeping both
countries under watch but is pressuring them on various
pretexts. Iran is being pressurized to give up the development
of its nuclear weapons programme and anti-Israeli policy,
whereas, Pakistan is being prossurised for the safety and safe
custody of its nuclear weapons.
Through a number of misleasing electronic and print media
reports, a lot of qualms are being formed against Pakistani
nuclear programme on daily basis. Both countries are being
surrounded by the extra regional forces from ground as well as
through US naval armada. "Given the military links between the
US and India, as well as the Indo-Israeli military nexus, the
threat is multiplied for both Pakistan and Iran. Also, along
with the military buildup, one can assume that the US - which
had effectively been left out of this region - will also try
to re-assert its economic interests in the region, especially
in the energy sector. This will also impact both Pakistan and
Iran". There is a perception why IRGC is the main target of
the Jundullah attacks? In fact over the years, because of the
continuous disturbances in the province, Iranian Government
has handed over the security of the province to IRGC who in
turn has imposed strict security measures there. In some cases
there are reports that the operatives of the group have been
pushed up to the borders of Pakistan and Afghanistan, from
where they then carryout their terrorist activities all along
the border and inside Iran, especially on IRGC. As far as this
militant outfit is concerned, in an online telephonic
conversation Abdolmalock Ragi, the head of the infamous
Jundullah militant organization told Rooz News agency of Iran
that; "he considered himself an Iranian and the Baloch
grievances must be settled within the present day Iran".
The organization indeed comprises locals of the
Sistan-o-Balochistan who considered that they have been
ignored by the Iranian Government in almost all field Coloured
in the Sunni sectarian group, the organization indeed has
elements that are professional criminals and are part of drug
barons besides their strong linkage with foreign intelligence
agencies. As per an Iranian intelligence officer, the people
of the drug baron had even offered Iran with $1billion
annually if unhindered flow of the drug and narcotics is
allowed from Iranian borders. With regards to overcoming the
domestic problems in Sistan-o-Balochistan, the province "poses
a set of historical and strategic challenges that the IRGC
despite its best efforts-is unlikely to be able to overcome on
its own. The province has been a headache for the modern
Iranian nation-state for the past century and any multi-facated
strategic response must take stock of this troubled historical
heritage. Moreover, the border stretch of 1,000 kilometres
between Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan is a rough terrain,
making patrolling extremely difficult.
This stretch is quite rottenly being used by drugs and weapons
smugglers. In spite of differing point of views of the two
countries, there have been confidence building measures (CBMs),
both at the state and people's leavel, which did not let the
derailment of the Pak-Iran relationship. Otherwise owing to
factors like religious affinity, cultural linkages and
economic compulsions, both nations cannot afford detachment
from each other. In the changed strategic environment emerging
from the concentration of global players in the region,
Pakistan and Iran must come closer to each other for taking a
common stance on issues of strategic significance like
security which impinge both in different faces. There is a
requirement that both countries should adopt steps for deeper
cooperation in economy and security. With regards to
Afghanistan, the root cause of the differences, both countries
are maintaining good relations with the elected government of
Mr. Hamid Karzai.
They also accept that people of Afghanistan should have right
to decide their future as per their own wishes. Dealing with
sectarianism in Iran and Pakistan may be left at the
discretion of both governments as their domestic matter.
Otherwise people of both countries have never considered
inconsequential differenece of opinions in religious matters
as a hurdle in their bilateral relations. Otherwise, had
wisdom prevailed, the anti-Muslim lobby should not have been
allowed to play among the Muslims of various schools of
thought (sects). Had Muslims ever interfered in the affairs of
Protestant and Catholic Christian Schools of thought? The
first and most crucial phase in the Pak-Iran relations is the
restoration of trust, which somehow or the other has been a
missing link since 1988. For the restoration of the trust,
there is a requirement of tangible measures like respecting
each other's sovereignty in true sense. The recently-concluded
agreement on joint monitoring of the border should be
implemented in true letter and spirit. To avoid the chances of
illegal trade and smuggling by criminal gangs, there is a need
to promote the legal and formal trade between both countries.
The enhanced volume of trade would increase the stakes and
bring interdependency between both states. Cooperation in the
field of defence production is yet another area which can
jointly be undertaken by both countries and would address the
security concerns of each. This cooperation can later on be
extended to the Gulf countries, which would bring them closer
to Iran, thus the existing gulf between Iran and Gulf
countries, which would bring them closer to Iran, thus the
existing gulf between Iran and Gulf region would be abridged
amicably. Depending upon the level of cooperation, the
existing dependency on Western weapon system would be reduced
in the days to come. For the provision of technical expertise,
China could also be incorporated in the joint venture of
defence production as a partner. Afghan Government and people
should be taken into confidence by redressing their years old
grievances against Iran and Pakistan. Through their
cooperation, Iran and Pakistan must contribute in the
re-construction of that war-ridden country. This step would
help in bringing the overall stability of the region and
minimize the chances of sporadic violence of each other's
territorial limits. Moreover, this would also keep the extra
regional countries away from the region in the recondition
process each state must respect the national interests of
other without compromising the Afghani's interest. The net
result should be that, 'diplomacy must get priority over the
rhetoric and poses over the conflict'. Think tanks, academia
and media are scme of the apparatus which can play a very
positive role in bringing Iran and Pakistan closer to each
other. Scholars must visit each other's country more
frequently.
The existing level of people to people contact must be
enhanced for the development of confidence among the masses.
The platform of the ECO should be mobilised for the regional
interaction, economic harmony and overall prosperity of the
region. Over and above, the existing low profiled security and
confidence building measures need to be set off on war
footings. Over the years, Afghanistan has been considered as a
"strategic rear", both by Iran and Pakistan, which perhaps
misled both in 1990s, once both were endeavouring to secure
their respective interests. Now once that phase is over, there
is need to isarn from the past for a positive move forward
through consensus building. Under the changed global
environment, there is a need that both countries forget past
annoyances and "forge a new long-term common vision reflecting
their common security and economic interests." The long and
arduous route to defeat organised criminals, armed
secessionists, political and religious extremists along
Pak-Iran and Pak-Afghan, border lie in actively lobbing for
the exit of foreign forces from the region and enhanced level
of understanding among the Southwest.
Where war
goes, propaganda follows
US troop reinforcements, which are now going into action,
will only ensure "an indefinite, large-scale US military
role in Afghanistan".
Patrick Cockburn
American
and Afghan forces are poised to attack the town of Marjah,
the largest Taleban stronghold in Afghanistan, in the
first major US military offensive since the President
Barack Obama announced that he was sending 30,000
reinforcements.
The US strategy is to expel, kill or capture the Taleban,
prevent their return, and then provide aid and services to
a grateful populace. Described as a sophisticated attempt
"to win the hearts and minds of Afghans", its covert and
more realistic aim is to win the hearts and minds of the
American media, particularly those back in the US who
direct the efforts of reporters on the ground. The message
the US military wants to send is that in Afghanistan it is
fighting a winnable war and not blundering deeper into a
quagmire.
The media like short wars. Its audience is never so eager
for news as during an armed conflict. The first newspapers
date from the wars of the late 16th and early 17th
centuries. Television likes the melodrama of exploding
shells and blazing tanks. And it is this very eagerness to
report the fighting that makes it so easy to manipulate.
The US Army successfully sold the "surge" in Iraq as a
military victory so that the American public scarcely
noticed US troops were withdrawing, leaving Iraq in the
hands of a government closely allied to Iran.
Television is surprisingly ill adapted to covering wars.
It needs pictures, but on a modern battlefield there is
very little to see. Ever since soldiers started using
long-range rifles everybody has very sensibly kept their
heads down. Films are wholly misleading about what warfare
today looks like, giving the impression that D-Day was
fought at close range, much like the battles of Hastings
or Agincourt. Saving Private Ryan was praised for its
gritty realism, presumably because it showed blood and
guts. In reality, the film understandably enough goes
along with the fiction that highly visible soldiers blaze
away suicidally at each other at point blank range.
A frustrating lack of anything to see during real fighting
explains why so many of the iconic photographs or films
showing 20th-century wars, such as a soldier at the moment
of death in the Spanish civil war, or the raising of the
Soviet flag over the Reichstag in Berlin 1945, turn out to
have been staged after the event. Misleading images of war
go beyond faking striking or heroic scenes.
CRUCIAL events are omitted or exaggerated. In 2001-02, I
covered the war in Afghanistan, and I was struck by how
little fighting actually took place. The Taleban fighters
were ordered by their commanders to go home to fight
another day because the warlords had been bribed by the
CIA, the Taleban leaders had been so advised by Pakistani
military intelligence, and because it was the sensible
thing to do. Cities like Ghazni and Kandahar fell without
a fight. Well-armed Taleban disappeared back to their
villages or crossed the border into Pakistan and bands of
bewildered anti-Taleban guerrillas took over. But people
watching TV or reading newspapers outside Afghanistan at
the time were given the entirely misleading impression
that the Taleban had been militarily defeated, never to
fight again.
DURING the invasion of Iraq in 2003 and afterward the news
reporting from the mostly American news organizations was
often very good, but was continually undercut by the
dreadful talking heads back in Washington and New York.
Ignorant and partisan former government officials, who had
taken refuge in think tanks, were wheeled on as
independent experts to pontificate night after night about
a war they had never seen, except possibly during a brief
visit to the Green Zone.
Government manipulation of news about wars in Chechnya,
Afghanistan and Iraq has become easier since insurgents
started targeting journalists. In Northern Ireland and
Lebanon up to 1984 it was safer to be a journalist than
anybody else. All sides, however bloodthirsty, cultivated
the press and every gang of gunmen had a press officer.
This changed in Lebanon when the precursors of Hezbollah
started kidnapping journalists and since then religious
fundamentalists have viewed foreign journalists as people
to be captured and killed rather than cultivated.
These dangers encourage reporters to embed with American
or British troops. Much criticized, there is nothing
intrinsically wrong with this so long as it is admitted
that the embedded journalist's view of the war is partial.
The practical effects of this are serious. In November
2004, for instance, the US Marines stormed the
insurgent-held city of Fallujah, west of Baghdad. The
battle was heavily reported by embedded reporters and
television crews as an American victory and an insurgent
defeat. But as this battle was raging, insurgents overran
the larger city of Mosul in northern Iraq, seizing some 30
police stations and $40m worth of arms. So few American
troops, and hence no embedded journalists, were there that
this significant defeat was barely reported.
Wars are so genuinely confusing that even the identity of
the victor may be obscure. The new US strategy and 30,000
US reinforcements sent to Iraq in 2007 are believed by
many Americans, including generals, to have turned the
tide of battle there. But the decisive military event in
Iraq in 2006-07 was that the Sunni Arabs, who dominated
the anti-American insurgency, were decisively defeated in
a savage sectarian civil war with the Shiites. Many of the
Sunni in the capital were killed or fled to Jordan and
Syria and Sunni leaders had to strike a deal with the
Americans. As US military casualties fell, newspapers and
television stations happily reported, often brushing aside
the objections of their own correspondents in Iraq, that
what had happened was a triumph for American strategy.
The largely mythical US success in Iraq is now to be
replicated in Afghan towns like Marjah and skirmishes
there will be heavily reported. A NATO spokesman says the
people of the town will soon "feel the benefits of better
governance, of economic opportunities and of operating
under the legitimate authorities of Afghanistan". But
according to a leaked cable from the US ambassador in
Kabul, Karl Eikenberry, to President Obama three months
ago, no such Afghan authority exists at any level. Instead
he warned that US troop reinforcements, which are now
going into action, will only ensure "an indefinite,
large-scale US military role in Afghanistan".
Viewpoints
The US presence in Afghanistan
The US
presence in Afghanistan only lends the Taliban cause a
legitimacy and righteousness that it does not deserve.
Zafar Hilaly
General
Kayani was being polite when he said that Pakistan and the US
have different perceptions when it comes to Afghanistan.
Actually, their respective perceptions are not merely
different, but antithetical. In brief, Pakistan's main
concerns are: the danger posed to its security by an
unfriendly Afghanistan in the west allied to a hostile India
in the east; the threat of extremism emanating from
Afghanistan to our way of life and irredentist Afghan claims
to Pakistan's territories. The US, on the other hand, is least
troubled by India obtaining a strategic advantage over
Pakistan by allying with an inimical Afghanistan. In fact,
Washington has quietly promoted an enhanced Indian stake in
Afghanistan. Meanwhile, the Indian intelligence agencies
operating out of the four Indian consulates in Afghanistan and
other sub-offices, including the newly opened consulate in
Zahidan, Iran, are busy reportedly funding terrorist
operations against Pakistan. So much so that, as a former
Indian diplomat remarked, even the Americans seemed peeved
with the Pentagon spokesman going so far as to demand
'transparency' regarding Indian actions. Apart from this
isolated expression of concern, the US remains by and large
undisturbed about the threat such activities may pose to
Pakistan's security. Furthermore, if the US is worked up over
the inroads that extremism has made in Pakistani society, its
concern arises from the fear that al Qaeda may find a
hospitable environment in Pakistan rather than worry about the
lethal impact of Talibanisation on our mores, religion and
democracy.
In view of the deep cleavages between Pakistan and American
perceptions and interests in the region, including the
adoption by the US of Delhi as its strategic partner, why is
it that many here, including the establishment, are so opposed
to an American withdrawal and make no secret of their
preference that America remain in Afghanistan for the
foreseeable future?
The reason most frequently advanced is the fear that if the
Americans depart, without ensuring that an effective and
acceptable Afghan government is in place to manage matters,
another civil war would ensue and Pakistan may once again be
saddled with millions of Afghan refugees. Indeed, a struggle
for the control of Afghanistan will occur until power, like
water, finds its natural equilibrium.
The belief that an Afghan 'national' army would emerge in due
course, after appropriate American or Indian training, to take
on the Taliban and ensure stability is the height of naivety.
To begin with, the Afghan army would hardly be truly
'national' if it is composed, as it is today, of only one or
two of the several ethnic groups in the country, and the
officer corps is overwhelmingly Tajik. The chances are that
such an army would be regarded as as much a foreign force by
Afghans of the opposing ethnic group as the Americans are
today.
However, the underlying reason for our wanting the Americans
to stay in Afghanistan is somewhat different from those
identified above. Nor is it merely that Pakistan desperately
needs the US to fund an expensive war that has virtually
knocked the bottom out of the economy at a time when global
recession has played havoc with our textile exports.
The reason why we feel reassured by the presence of big
brother US around the corner in Afghanistan is the fear that
the Taliban may actually prevail if succour in the form of
someone with an open cheque book and appropriate weaponry was
not available to compensate for the destabilisation caused to
society and the economy.
This sense of foreboding and a lack of confidence is the
result of years of bad governance, corruption, injustice and
just about every other failing is it possible to imagine on
the part of successive governments. Extremists would not have
stood a chance had those who have led this country been able
to live up to the very modest expectations of a hapless
population. Resultantly, our leaders have lost the trust of
the nation and now whatever they say or promise is considered
another vow that will inevitably be broken.
In addition, there is the tendency in man "to believe those
who they do not know because they have not been deceived by
them". Hence the Taliban, who are a novelty, offered to the
disgruntled masses rough but ready justice and a way out of
the current morass. The fact that the Taliban made out a more
plausible case for having God on their side than our unfeeling
but very worldly Prado-loving leaders is another reason why
they were able to sell their ideological wares to an angry
populace.
But much of all this concerns the past and, more precisely,
before the Taliban showed their true face in Swat. Hence, the
establishment should learn to outlive the past. Admittedly,
instead of a secular Turk who, when confronted by a similar
challenge by the Ottoman counterparts of the Taliban, rose to
scatter them, we only have a turkey as a leader, but we have
learnt to adjust. The army has done wonders. The people are
behind them. The nation is energised and by the looks of it
primed for battle.
We seem ready and more than able, therefore, to defeat the
extremists by dint of our own efforts. A victory with the help
of outsiders would not be as satisfying or well received.
Besides, there is no surer way of bringing out the best in the
people than by only accepting the best as being true of them.
And if our people have not as yet discovered what they can die
for then, frankly, they will forever live in fear and
trepidation of the next weird cult that emerges and seeks to
impose on them its pernicious doctrines in the name of Islam.
In the circumstances, pleading with American leaders and
shouting from the rooftops that the US should continue its
occupation of Afghanistan for our sake is not merely
unbecoming, it is demeaning. The American presence in
Afghanistan is of little positive value to the battle that we
are waging against extremism, indeed to the contrary. Besides,
of what use is an army, be it the strongest in the world, when
confronted by the invasion of an idea?
As for self-detonating proselytisers, who wish to inflict
their perverse creed on an unwilling people, well trained
anti-terror squads assisted by good intelligence should
suffice in the urban areas while the army sorts out their
leaders in the hills and valleys of the Hindu Kush. The US
presence in Afghanistan only lends the Taliban cause a
legitimacy and righteousness that it does not deserve but
which, unfortunately, resonates with the people of not only
the region of their provenance but also other areas of
Pakistan. If there is any doubt on that score, anyone who has
travelled unescorted to these areas will vouch for it.
The writer is a former ambassador of Pakistan. He can be
reached at charles123it@hotmail.com
Useless
Anniversaries
Alas, the
Obama administration faltered on its demand of a complete
Israeli freeze, and is now harassing the ineffective
leadership of Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank to return to
the negotiation table without conditions.
Ramzy Baroud
The
media's habit of revisiting certain issues at set
intervals can be strange and even illogical at times. For
example, many news outlets commented on President Barack
Obama's first 100 days in office, as well as on the
anniversary of his election win, and then again one year
after his inauguration day.
With every new round number, more commentators joined in
and discussions heated up between proponents and
detractors of his government's performance.
I am not exactly sure why we like round numbers. Is it
because they make valuations easy, even when the
particular number is irrelevant? Some philosophers, Plato
included, believed that order and symmetry are innate
values in the human psyche. Perhaps. Or, perhaps, in the
case of the media, numbers give us the sense, deceptively,
that we have a grasp over certain truths. We determine the
order in which legacies such as Obama's should be
dissected. After a decided date, the subject can be
ignored until the next round number arrives, bringing with
it more useless chatter.
Of course, this is a delusion. Like much of the media's
behaviour, it has no connection to reality. It's all a
mind game. A lie, even.
For victims of US policies in Afghanistan, Iraq,
Palestine, and elsewhere, the attention given to round
numbers is wholly illogical. The drones flying over
Afghanistan and Pakistan, loaded with killing technology,
care little for numbers, including the number of lives
they destroy daily.
Did Gazans starve less when we 'examined' Obama's
(pro-Israel) legacy after 100 days of his presidency?
Where they better off one year from his election victory
or one year from his inauguration?
How about 273 days from his ascendancy to the White House?
Was that a particularly chaotic day in Baghdad's streets?
Do soldiers take a break from killing on even days, and
resume the slaughter on odd ones? Why should this
discussion matter at all? It matters because we often buy
into this folly, allowing the media to determine what is
important and when a discussion is pertinent. Those
involved in this charade express their views, agreeing
politely and disagreeing loudly.
The next day, the media returns to a state of complacency,
as if the detrimental policies of Obama's government
ceased to exist; as if war was eradicated, and there was
nothing left to talk about.
But truly, do Palestinians in Gaza care much for round
numbers? I doubt it. Nor do Iraqis, Afghanis, and, now,
Yemenis. Misery is misery, any day, every day; and war is
an inferno. The smell of death, the scenes of blood in
Kabul and Baghdad and Gaza, will remain the same on a
Friday, or a Tuesday, 100 days into Obama's presidency or
514 days later. Every minute in a victim's or potential
victim's life counts. Those who have lived in war zones
can comprehend this truth.
That's why Gaza wants to see the end of its misery now,
instead of waiting for CNN's next roundtable discussion
assessing the next round number in Obama's presidency.
Iraqis and Afghanis similarly listen to words and judge
deeds, caring little for numbers.
Remember, when Obama spoke to the 'Muslim world' from
Cairo on June 4? That's the date that Muslims - many still
victimised, directly or otherwise, by the Obama
administration's policies - remember and recount. On that
day, Obama made promises, speaking with 'audacity', and
much hubris. Muslims listened.
Some clapped and even cheered; others hesitated or
expressed cynicism, but still hoped for change. Alas, none
of those hopes have been fulfilled, as instead of change,
there is only a continuation of the policies of his
predecessor.
"I have come here to seek a new beginning between the
United States and Muslims around the world; one based upon
mutual interest and mutual respect," said Obama in Cairo.
His deeds since then have reaped the opposite results:
mistrust and disrespect. "Make no mistake: we do not want
to keep our troops in Afghanistan," he said. Since then,
he has ordered the surge of 30,000 additional soldiers to
that already distraught country.
The US, its allies and their drones have killed and maimed
hundreds of innocent civilians since that statement was
made.
"Today, America has a dual responsibility: to help Iraq
forge a better future - and to leave Iraq to Iraqis," he
said. One fails to see evidence of a better future based
on his administration's conduct in Iraq in the last year
or so. Little progress has been made in leaving Iraq to
the Iraqis.
Even in Cairo, he had the audacity to lecture
Palestinians, the very victims of Israel's brutal
occupation, which is armed and funded by US money.
"Palestinians must abandon violence. Resistance through
violence and killing is wrong and does not succeed. Now is
the time for Palestinians to focus on what they can
build."
We must note that the US government continues to make
these demands of Palestinians, ignoring the fact that
Israel's reign of terror has never ceased, including
Israeli violence against Palestinian non-violent
resistance in the West Bank.
Still, Obama did state that "The United States does not
accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements.
Israel must also live up to its obligations to ensure that
Palestinians can live, and work, and develop their
society."
Alas, the Obama administration faltered on its demand of a
complete Israeli freeze, and is now harassing the
ineffective leadership of Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank
to return to the negotiation table without conditions.
In addition, the hope of ensuring that 'Palestinians can
live, and work and develop their society,' is nothing but
a pipedream, considering that Palestinians in Gaza teeter
between chronic malnutrition and starvation. We cannot
forget the fact that the siege on Gaza would not have been
possible without US support.
So before we giddily gather to discuss Obama's legacy the
next time, and another round number is celebrated on our
television screens, let's remember that for an Iraqi
father frantically searching for his son's remains in a
Baghdad street, numbers matter little, whether even, odd,
round or in any combination. A massacre is a massacre, and
a war of choice is a crime, any day, any time.
Ramzy Baroud (www.ramzybaroud.net) is a distinguished
Arab American journalist and author. His latest book is My
Father Was a Freedom Fighter: Gaza's Untold Story, (Pluto
Press, London)
Extremism in Europe
A recent proposal by a French parliamentary commission to
adopt a law banning women from wearing veil is a clear
manifestation of this growing Islamophobia in Europe.
Rizwan Asghar
Extremism is described as the attitude of forcibly
imposing a way of life on other fellow beings in complete
disregard to their beliefs. Such attitude is antithetic to
democracy and pluralism irrespective of whether it is
actuated by religious, political or some other
considerations. A kind of liberal extremism can be
witnessed nowadays in various European countries. A recent
proposal by a French parliamentary commission to adopt a
law banning women from wearing veil is a clear
manifestation of this growing Islamophobia in Europe.
The commission's report states, "The wearing of the full
veil is a challenge to our republic. This is unacceptable.
We must condemn this excess." It also talks of barring
women, who wear full veil, from using public services
including hospitals, schools and public transportation. It
means that the French government is depriving a woman from
enjoying state benefits and her right to live with dignity
in case of non-compliance with the state-prescribed
dress-code.
France has the largest Muslim population in Western
Europe, estimated at five million, but only fewer than
2,000 women wear veil. It seems quite ridiculous that such
a small number of women of a total French population of 65
million can pose any threat to French cultural values. By
denying women the right to observe their religious duties,
the French government is preparing to undermine the
country's rich cultural legacy.
The proponents of the ban claim to be acting for the
freedom of women. Freedom in a society allows its members
to fashion their lives in their own way unless necessary
to be regulated in a large genuine public interest. The
women wearing veil may be asked to remove it if necessary
for security considerations, but to compel a woman not to
wear veil under any circumstances is tantamount to make a
mockery of the real concept of liberalism.
The French Catholic Church has condemned the proposed ban
and has stated that it would be perceived as a direct
attack on the Muslim community living in France and would
make it absurd to demand that Muslim countries respect the
rights and religious freedom of minorities. A major
left-wing political party of France is also opposing the
legal ban. Pierre Rousset, a member of the executive
committee of the Fourth International, expressing his
concerns about this decision said, "Using legal force to
ban an action considered as religious will only make rigid
the followers of that religion instead of producing any
positive result." All the legal specialists consulted by
the parliamentary commission have also opined that there
seems no legal foundation for such kind of law in light of
the constitutional protections of individual liberty.
A 2004 French law had already banned Muslim headscarves
from primary and secondary school classrooms. The new
proposal to ban veil is preceded by Switzerland's vote to
outlaw minarets in November 2009. These may be marginal
problems, but behind them are the visible signs of growing
Islamophobia in European society. These Islamophobias are
also urging the Canadian government to ban veils in public
places.
French President Sarkozy has stated that veil is 'a sign
of subservience'. Mr Sarkozy's statement makes his
ignorance of Islamic culture and values crystal clear.
Wearing veil is considered a sign of modesty and not that
of subservience; among majority of the Muslims, wearing
veil is a woman's own choice, not that of her husband or
brother.
We are living in a world in which the interests of all
nations lie with establishing peace. In such a situation,
extremist attitudes will strain the inter-religious
harmony and give rise to mutual mistrust.
The writer is a freelance contributor. Email:
rizwanasghar7 @yahoo.com
International
Pak CJ hints at
ordering NAB chief's arrest
Dawn Online, Islamabad
Pakistan Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry appeared
annoyed on Thursday when it was reported that National
Accountability Bureau Chairman Nawid Ahsan, who had been
declared undesirable by the Supreme Court in its judgment
on the NRO, was still in office.
"It seems our judgments are not being acted upon," the
chief justice observed while hearing the Rs9 billion Bank
of Punjab loan scam case. "How about sending him behind
bars," the CJ observed.
The observation was made when the court was informed that
a plea bargain deal had been struck between the NAB and
the family accused of being involved in the loan scam
without informing it.
A three-judge bench comprising the chief justice, Justice
Chaudhry Ijaz Ahmed and Justice Ghulam Rabbani is hearing
a petition of the Bank of Punjab against the Haris Steel
Industry.
In its Dec 16, 2009, judgment against the NRO, a 17-judge
bench had expressed displeasure over the conduct and lack
of proper and honest assistance and cooperation to the
court by the NAB chairman, its prosecutor general and
additional prosecutor general and suggested to the
government to replace them with persons possessing "high
degree of competence and impeccable integrity".
On Thursday, Advocate Dr Basit, the counsel for Seth
Yaqoob, one of the accused in the scam, complained that
his two sons had not been released by NAB despite earlier
understanding that they would be set free after the
payment of first instalment of Rs510 million of the total
settlement amount of Rs1.5 billion. The rest of the money
has to be paid in monthly instalments of Rs100 million.
Afghan elders plea for
quick attack on Marjah
AP, Kandahar, Afghanistan
Tribal elders in southern Afghanistan pleaded Friday for
NATO forces to wage their imminent offensive on the
Taliban stronghold of Marjah quickly and carefully to
protect civilians in and around the town.
The group of 34 elders said in a letter to provincial
officials that their people are frightened and worried
they won't be watched after, according to Abdul Hai Agha,
an elder from Nad Ali district, which abuts Marjah.
"We said in this letter that if you are doing this
operation in Marjah, do it quickly," Agha told The
Associated Press by phone. They also urged the troops to
do their best to avoid civilian casualties during the
assault and have food and shelter ready in nearby towns
for refugees.
U.S. and Afghan forces have ringed Marjah, sealing off
escape routes. On Thursday, Taliban defenders repeatedly
fired rockets and mortars at units poised in foxholes
along the edge of the town, apparently trying to lure NATO
forces into skirmishes before the big attack.
The offensive in Helmand province - the largest in the
nine-year Afghan war - has been telegraphed for weeks.
Military officials have said they hope advertising the
assault would give civilians more time to get to safety
but many of the elders say they're now stuck in a
terrifying limbo - unsure how soon the attack will start
but certain it will be devastating when it does.
NATO forces have estimated 125,000 people live in the
fighting zone.
Provincial spokesman Daoud Ahmadi said the governor's
office had received the letter and that many of the
requested measures were in place.
"We have arranged space for 7,000 families" in nearby
towns, along with food and items like blankets and dishes,
Ahmadi said. He said about 450 families - an estimated
2,700 people - have already sought refuge in the
provincial capital of Lashkar Gah, about 20 miles (30
kilometers) northeast of Marjah. Many of them took up with
relatives but more than 100 were being sheltered by the
government, he said.
Pakistan to press India for
resumption of Composite Dialogue
APP, Islamabad
Pakistan on Friday said it would raise the core issues
with India and press for resumption of the stalled peace
process, through the Composite Dialogue, as it despatches
its Foreign Secretary to New Delhi on Feb 25 for talks.
The decision to send Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir was
taken here at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Syed
Yusaf Raza Gilani at a meeting with Foreign Minster Shah
Mahmood Qureshi and Chairman Kashmir Parliamentary
Committee, Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman, a press release from
the Prime Minister House said.
Following a meeting between Prime Minister Syed Yousuf
Raza Gilani and his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh at
Sharm-el-Sheikh July 2009 it was decided that the Foreign
Secretaries of the two countries would meet and discuss
how both the countries could move forward to resume
composite dialogue.
The meeting at the PM House discussed the whole gamut of
Pakistan-India relations particularly Kashmir and water
disputes between the two countries.
"During the meeting, it was decided that Foreign
Secretary-level talks between the two countries would be
held on February 25 in New Delhi in which Pakistan side
should raise all the core issues and press upon India for
expeditious resolution through resumption of composite
dialogue."
The Prime Minister directed the Foreign Secretary Salman
Bashir, who was also present in the meeting, that his
talks with his Indian counterpart should be result
oriented and meaningful.
Pakistan has always favoured talks with India to resolve
the outstanding issues and believes it the only way
forward.
Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit earlier at a briefing
urged India not to attach any conditionalities and said
"Without engagements we cannot resolve our disputes and
unless we resolve disputes, there cannot be viable peace
and prosperity in the region." The Composite Dialogue
ground to a halt following the terrorist attacks in Mumbai
in November 2008 back.
Sri Lanka Supreme Court
hears Fonseka arrest challenge
BBC Online
Security is tight in Sri Lanka's capital as the Supreme
Court prepares to hear a challenge to the arrest of the
losing presidential candidate.
Gen Sarath Fonseka was arrested on conspiracy charges on
Monday, provoking clashes between his supporters and
re-elected President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
The general has denied the allegations against him. The
US, EU and the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon have all
urged the president to respect the legal process. Gen
Fonseka is appealing for calm, his wife announced on
Thursday.
Term extension
He made the plea through Anoma Fonseka after more violent
clashes over his arrest.
The government has not detailed what charges Gen Fonseka
will face, but Mr Rajapakse has alleged that he had
"clearly been plotting a military coup".
Human rights groups have expressed disquiet at the
general's arrest.
On Thursday the Hong Kong-based Asian Human Rights
Commission warned that Gen Fonseka was being deprived of
"due process" because his case was being handled in a
military rather than a civilian court.
The opposition has said that the appointment of President
Rajapaksa as the new minister for information is another
worrying expansion of presidential power. The president
already doubles up as defence minister and finance
minister.
Last week the Supreme Court ruled that Mr Rajapaksa's new
term would begin in November, giving him almost another
year in power.
Malaysia court upholds ban
on book on racial clash
AP, Kuala Lumpur
A court upheld Malaysia's ban on a book about 2001 racial
clashes, ruling Friday that its publication could upset
ethnic sensitivities already strained by recent attacks on
places of worship.
The Kuala Lumpur High Court ruled that the Home Ministry
was correct to issue the ban three years ago on "March 8,"
written by Malaysian author K. Arumugam, which recounts
clashes between ethnic Malay Muslims and ethnic Indians.
The strife killed six people on the outskirts of Kuala
Lumpur in 2001.
Nearly two-thirds of Malaysia's 28 million people are
Malays. The government carefully manages ethnic relations
between Malays and the large Chinese and Indian
minorities, while promoting the country as a model of
racial harmony.
High Court Judge Mohamad Ariff Mohamad Yusof said the book
ban was justified "based on public order grounds,"
according to Edmund Bon, a lawyer representing Arumugam,
who sued to overturn the ban.
The lawyer said the judge did not elaborate on his
misgivings about the book. "March 8" is based on
eyewitness accounts and academic research. Some 3,000
copies were sold within six months of its publication
before it was banned in late 2006, Bon said.
The verdict sends a wrong message "that Malaysian society
is still incapable of discussing important issues of race
and religion deemed explosive," Bon said Friday, adding
that his team had not decided whether to appeal the
decision.
US territory offers to host
troops from Japan
AFP, Tokyo
A US-administered Pacific island territory has offered to
take some of the US troops relocating from Japan amid a
row between Washington and Tokyo over a military base,
reports said Thursday.
The governor of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands made the offer when he met a Japanese delegation
in the US territory of Guam Wednesday, Jiji Press and
other news reports said.
The United States and Japan in 2006 reached an agreement
to shift thousands of US troops to Guam from Okinawa,
where the heavy presence of US forces has long led to
frictions with the local community.
But Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama launched a review of a
key part of the deal-the status of Futenma air base, which
was to be moved from a busy urban area to reclaimed land
off a quiet Okinawan village. Some allies of Hatoyama want
the air base removed entirely.
"I asked if both Saipan and Tinian can shoulder the burden
of Okinawa, and the governor told us he welcomes it," said
Mikio Shimoji, a senior politician from the People's New
Party-one of the two junior partners of the ruling
coalition, according to Jiji.
Saipan and Tinian are two of the commonwealth's islands.
Benigno Fitial, the commonwealth's governor, was also
quoted by Japanese news agency Kyodo News as telling
reporters: "We welcome anything that will benefit the
commonwealth."
Tinian Mayor Ramon M. Dela Cruz separately told Kyodo that
the island can accept the Marine units, but that it needed
full backing from Washington on the issue. On Thursday,
the Japanese delegation inspected Andersen Air Force Base
and other US military facilities in Guam.
The United States opposes revisions to the deal, saying
Futenma's facilities are a military necessity. The United
States stations some 47,000 troops under a security
alliance with Japan.
Release of new Bollywood
film scaled back over row
AFP, Mumbai
Cinemas in the Indian city of Mumbai scaled back the
release Friday of top actor Shah Rukh Khan's new film, in
the face of violent threats from right-wing Hindus locked
in a row with the Bollywood star.
A number of single-screen theatres decided not to show "My
Name Is Khan" at all, while some multiplexes cancelled
morning shows, after the ultra-nationalist Shiv Sena party
said they would disrupt the film's release.
The Shiv Sena, which pushes a regionalist, often
anti-Muslim, anti-Pakistan agenda, has been outraged at
Khan's comments regretting the absence of Pakistani
cricketers from next month's Indian Premier League
tournament.
The 44-year-old Muslim actor, born in New Delhi to parents
from what is now Pakistan, part-owns IPL outfit the
Kolkata Knight Riders.
One single-screen owner, Manoj Desai, said one of his
cinemas was vandalised by Shiv Sena activists even before
the release of the film, which in part tackles US
attitudes to Muslims after the September 11, 2001 attacks.
"Why should I take the risk?" Desai said of his decision
to pull the movie.
Film posters and images of Khan were defaced or burnt by
protesters in New Delhi and the eastern city of Kolkata,
as well as in the Gujarat state capital Ahmedabad. There
were also sporadic scuffles in Mumbai. Shiv Sena leaders
said the decision to initially scale back screenings
vindicated their stance.
"We are happy and this is certainly a success of the
party's protest," said lawmaker Sanjay Raut. "In fact, the
decision should have been taken by the government
earlier."
But industry analysts suggested the cancellations would
have only a limited impact on the film's box office
takings, as more cinemas began showing the film by Friday
afternoon amid reports of full houses.
Iran
supreme leader lauds state rally, warns West
AP, Tehran
Iran's supreme leader praised the mass turnout at the
government-backed rally marking the 1979 Islamic
Revolution and warned the West to stop putting obstacles
in his country's path, state Press TV reported Friday.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei thanked the "tens of millions"
across the country who celebrated Thursday's anniversary,
saying the turnout at rallies reflected the nation's
strength.
During Thursday's anniversary celebration, security forces
clamped down hard on scattered anti-government
demonstrations in the Iranian capital.
Police clashed with opposition activists, firing tear gas
to disperse them and paintballs to mark them for arrest.
Groups of hard-liners also attacked senior opposition
figures - including the wife of the head of the reform
movement.
The massive government rally in central Tehran dwarfed the
opposition gatherings, which were far smaller than other
outpourings of dissent in recent months. Still, Thursday's
events showed authorities must rely on full-scale
pressures to keep a lid on demonstrations.
Khamenei said Thursday's rally should be a wake-up call
for the "domestic enemies and deceived groups who claim to
represent the people." He blasted the West, saying it was
time for "foreign enemies to abandon futile efforts to
subjugate" Iran.
"The past 31 years are not enough to awaken a few arrogant
and bullying states to their futile efforts to dominate
this Islamic nation," said Khamenei, who has final say on
all state matters.
The authorities had worried ahead of the anniversary that
any significant protests or clashes would be seen as a
major embarrassment on a day intended to showcase national
achievements and unity.
Iraq election campaign
begins
AFP, Baghdad
Official campaigning for Iraq's March 7 general election
started on Friday in a tense political atmosphere
underscored by the angry reaction of a leading Sunni MP
who has been banned from the vote.
Party activists pasted up posters across Baghdad, adding
to those that had been placed illegally at prominent
billboard sites across the capital in recent weeks in an
attempt to steal a march on their rivals. The run-up to
the campaign has been dominated by the legacy of executed
dictator Saddam Hussein and his Sunni Arab former elite
which continues to loom large, almost seven years after he
was ousted in a US-led invasion.
A row over election candidates accused of ties to Saddam's
outlawed Baath party has left key members of the country's
dominant Shiite majority anxious to extinguish every trace
of his influence, fanning tension among Sunnis.
An integrity and accountability committee announced late
on Thursday that 28 of 177 candidates banned from the vote
for alleged Baathist links would be allowed to stand after
all, a small proportion of more than 500 originally
blacklisted.
Two Sunni parliamentary stalwarts, Saleh al-Mutlak and
Dhafer al-Ani from the secular Iraqiya list of former
prime minister Iyad Allawi, are among those who have been
excluded.
"This is the coup de grace of the political process and
the suicide of democracy in Iraq," Mutlak said in a
television interview.
"I don't think this measure will help the turnout but they
will not succeed in splitting us from our people," he
added.
Allawi and fellow secular list leader Jawad Bolani,
currently the war-torn country's interior minister, who
are both trying to unseat Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, a
Shiite, were the worst affected by the ban.
Gaza war fallout sharpens
Israeli political divide
Reuters, Jerusalem
The damage done to Israel's image by allegations of Gaza
war crimes in a United Nations report has ignited a battle
between right and left-wing advocacy groups over freedom
of expression in the Jewish state.
An Israeli civil rights group is accused of aiding South
African jurist Richard Goldstone's inquiry into the war
last year, and there are calls for an investigation by
parliament.
Naomi Chazan, president of the New Israel Fund which backs
civil rights groups, has been vilified by rightists who
accuse her of aiding Goldstone, a Jew who has been called
a "traitor".
In an interview with Reuters, Chazan said she saw a "very,
very dangerous process" under way in Israel, where human
rights groups such as hers were increasingly targeted for
criticism.
"The very pillars of democratic society are being assailed
and we have to be very concerned about that," said the
former left-wing Meretz party legislator.
Goldstone's report found evidence of war crimes by both
Israel and Hamas Islamists in the three-week Israeli
offensive in Gaza, in which over 1,300 Palestinians and 13
Israelis were killed.
But it put most of the blame on Israel, stoking worldwide
criticism of the Jewish state's behaviour in the war.
Israel has dismissed the report as biased and supporters
are lashing out at left-wing groups who had a role in
Goldstone's work.
The right-wing group Im Tirtzu (the name means If You Will
It in Hebrew-a Zionist motto) said in newspaper and
billboard ads that 90 percent of negative references to
Israel in the U.N. report were from groups funded by
Chazan's organisation.
US successfully tests
airborne laser on missile
Reuters, Washington
A U.S. high-powered airborne laser weapon shot down a
ballistic missile in the first successful test of a
futuristic directed energy weapon, the U.S. Missile
Defense Agency said on Friday.
The agency said in a statement the test took place at 8:44
p.m. PST (11:44 p.m. EST) on Thursday /0444 GMT on Friday)
at Point Mugu's Naval Air Warfare Center-Weapons Division
Sea Range off Ventura in central California.
"The Missile Defense Agency demonstrated the potential use
of directed energy to defend against ballistic missiles
when the Airborne Laser Testbed (ALTB) successfully
destroyed a boosting ballistic missile" the agency said.
The high-powered Airborne Laser system is being developed
by Boeing Co., the prime contractor, and the U.S. Missile
Defense Agency.
Boeing produces the airframe, a modified 747 jumbo jet,
while Northrop Grumman supplies the higher-energy laser
and Lockheed Martin is developing the beam and fire
control systems.
"This was the first directed energy lethal intercept
demonstration against a liquid-fuel boosting ballistic
missile target from an airborne platform," the agency
added.
The airborne laser weapon successfully underwent its first
in-flight test against a target missile back in August.
During that test, Boeing said the modified 747-400F
aircraft took off from Edwards Air Force Base and used its
infrared sensors to find a target missile launched from
San Nicolas Island, California.
The plane's battle management system issued engagement and
target location instructions to the laser's fire control
system, which tracked the target and fired a test laser at
the missile. Instruments on the missile verified the
system had hit its mark, Boeing said.
Congressman Kennedy says he
will not seek re-election marking end of era
AFP, Washington
Representative Patrick Kennedy, son of the late senator
Edward Kennedy, said Friday that he will not seek
re-election to Congress, ending decades of Kennedy family
presence in elected office.
Kennedy said he was deeply affected by the death of his
father-a Democratic icon of the US senate-in August, but
news reports suggest he was also set to face a bruising
re-election campaign against a Republican opponent.
"Having spent two decades in politics, my life has taken a
new direction, and I will not be a candidate for
re-election this year," the 42-year-old Kennedy said in a
video message, posted on the YouTube website.
The two-minute message will be broadcast in his district
over the weekend, US media reported.
Kennedy, who has represented a district in the
northeastern state of Rhode Island since 1995, thanked
supporters, singling some out by name.
"We all know how difficult the past few years have been,"
he said, referring to the economy.
"Illness took the life of my most cherished mentor and
confidant, my ultimate source of spirit and strength," he
said, speaking about his father "Ted" Kennedy, who died on
August 25, 2009 of brain cancer at the age of 77.
"My father taught me that politics at its very core is
about serving others. For two decades I've been humbled
and honored to represent people of my state," he said.
"He instilled in me a deep commitment for public service,
whether through elected office ... or non-profit advocacy.
"Going forward I will continue many of the fights we waged
together, particularly on behalf of those suffering from
depression, addiction, autism and post-traumatic stress
disorder," he said.
China decries Barack
Obama’s plan to meet Dalai Lama
BBC Online
China has again urged the United States to cancel a
planned meeting between President Barack Obama and the
Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.
The two men will meet at the White House on 18 February,
US spokesman Robert Gibbs has confirmed.
He said the Sino-US relationship was mature enough to
disagree while finding common ground on international
issues.
China had already said that such a meeting would seriously
undermine relations with the United States.
Mr Gibbs said the Dalai Lama was "an internationally
respected religious leader".
"He's a spokesman for Tibetan rights. The president looks
forward to an engaging and constructive meeting," he said.
"We think we have a mature enough relationship with the
Chinese that we can agree on mutual interests, but also
have a mature enough relationship that we know the two
countries are not always going to agree on everything."
China reacted quickly to the announcement through its
Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu.
"We firmly oppose the Dalai Lama visiting the United
States and US leaders having contact with him," Mr Ma
said.
"We urge the US side to fully understand the high
sensitivity of Tibet-related issues, and honour its
commitment to recognise Tibet as part of China and to
oppose 'Tibet independence'," he added.
"China urges the US... to immediately call off the wrong
decision of arranging for President Obama to meet with the
Dalai Lama... to avoid any more damage to Sino-US
relations."
Haiti holds day of mourning
for earthquake victims
BBC Online
Haiti marked a national day of mourning on Friday for the
victims of the earthquake that devastated their country
exactly one month ago.
Up to 230,000 people were killed in the 12 January quake,
300,000 were injured and one million made homeless.
Masses are being celebrated nationwide, and a ceremony
will be held at the ruined National Palace in the capital.
And at 1653 local time (2153 GMT), Haitians at home and
abroad will be asked to kneel and pray.
Television screens
The BBC's Christian Fraser in the capital, Port-au-Prince,
says that services have been ongoing since 0600 local
time, with many people dressed in white as a mark of
respect.
President Rene Preval is expected to lead a Mass at Notre
Dame University at about 0930 local time. The main
ceremony will be in the capital's centre, amid the ruins
of the National Palace.
The government plans to set up large screens at some of
the tented relief camps to allow people to follow the
ceremony. Haitians have been urged to wear either black or
white to show their respect for the victims.
The BBC's Mike Wooldridge in Port-au-Prince says the act
of national reflection comes as one of the largest
humanitarian operations ever mounted grapples with
challenges on many fronts.
He says a heavy downpour on the eve of the anniversary
provided a foretaste of the misery that lies ahead for the
many people who still have only the flimsiest shelter in
impromptu camps, if the pace of getting out more tents and
stronger shelter materials is not stepped up before the
start of the rainy season.
Business/Economy
BGMEA to
provide training for unemployed youths
BSS, Dhaka
BGMEA Institute of Fashion and Technology (BIFT) will
provide three months long training to the 600 unemployed
youths and girls to create job opportunities in the
garment industrial units of the country.
The jobless-300 youths and 300 girls-will get opportunity
at a time under 'Tungipara and Kutalipara projects' of
human resources development of BGMEA, a release said here
on Friday.
To this effect, a memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was
signed here on Thursday between President of Bangladesh
Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA)
Abdus Salam Murshidi and President of BIFT Muzzafar Uddin
Siddiq and Director General of Medium and Higher Secondary
Education Department Prof.Mohammad Noman Ur Rasheed.
Home Minister Advocate Sahara Khatun was present on the
occasion as chief guest.
In her short speech, she thanked the BGMEA for the human
resources development project of the organization.
The Home minister assured the BGMEA of providing all
necessary help and cooperation for taking such type of
initiative.
She also said her ministry is working to form an
'Industrial Police Force.'
Salam Murshidi expressed the hope that the BGMEA will take
such project In cooperation from the government for
development of human resources across the country in the
future.
Developing
world suffering in financial slump: UNDP
AFP, Sydney
The global downturn has had a serious impact on poor
nations and risks reversing improvements made in some
countries, the head of the United Nations Development
Programme Helen Clark said Friday.
Clark, who was New Zealand's prime minister from 1999 to
2008, said the world was already struggling to reduce
poverty and hunger and raise living conditions for those
in the developing world. "The economic crisis does not
make it easier," she said in a speech to Sydney's Lowy
Institute, a foreign policy think-tank. "It does raise the
prospect of going backwards on some of the progress that
had been made."
Clark said prior to the global recession the number of
chronically hungry people was estimated at 800 million
people but had since risen to about one billion.
In the Pacific alone, thousands had fallen back into
poverty since the financial downturn rattled world markets
in the later half of 2008. "Last year we estimated that
five Pacific island countries saw an outright contraction
in the economy because the recession had eroded the
limited income that they had from exports, eroded their
tourism and eroded their remittances," Clark said.
"We estimate that across the Pacific Islands, countless
thousands of people and families have fallen back into
poverty."
Clark said as the world dealt with massive humanitarian
crises, such as the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti,
it needed to "build back better" so the developing world
could better withstand future shocks.
"In the past two years alone the world has experienced
major food and fuel crises, a global recession and
climatic and other natural disasters," she said.
"Thinking also needs to be given now on the focus of
building back better so the world has greater resilience
to withstand shocks in the future. Shocks in many forms
will keep coming, whether natural disasters or
human-induced disasters."
India-BD JGC meeting ends
BSS, New Delhi
The sixth meeting of the India-Bangladesh Joint Group of
Customs (JGC) ended here on Friday with the signing of
agreed minutes.
Hussein Ahmed, member, National Board of Revenue (NBR) and
leader of the 9-member Bangladesh team and S K Goel,
member of Central Board of Excise and Customs and leader
of the Indian delegation, signed the agreed minutes on
behalf of their respective sides.
"The meeting was successful and all issues were discussed
at the meeting," Ahmed told BSS at the end of the two-day
meet at Hotel Lalit here Friday afternoon.
He said the seventh meeting of the JGC would be held in
Dhaka in December.
"We have discussed all issues during the meeting and I
believe it was a very successful and fruitful meeting," a
member of the Indian delegation told BSS.
The Bangladesh side will take up the matter relating to
delay for customs clearance for railway passengers at the
Gede customs in India with the Indian railway authorities,
a delegation member from Bangladesh said.
Bangladesh delegation members include Mehedi Hasan, Firoz
Shah Alam, Abdul Mannan Shikdar, Mushtak Al-Hossain, Syed
Mustafizur Rahman, Md Hafizur Rahman and Shah Asif Rahman.
The Bangladesh team leaves here for home Saturday morning.
India food inflation nears 18 pc
AFP, New Delhi
India's food inflation climbed again to hit nearly 18
percent, official figures showed Thursday, days after
Premier Manmohan Singh declared the worst of the problem
was over.
New figures released by the commerce ministry showed
annual food inflation jumped to 17.94 percent for the
final week of January, up from 17.56 percent the previous
week.
Wrestling down food inflation, running at decade highs, is
a key priority for the Congress-led government, whose main
electoral backing comes from India's teeming poor-those
most vulnerable to rising food prices.
"Until winter crop supplies come into the market,
especially for cereals and pulses, we will have
inflationary pressures, but by March we should see some
(food price) pressures ease," Shubhada Rao, chief
economist at India's Yes Bank, told AFP.
High food inflation, driven by soaring prices for pulses,
vegetables and sugar, has given a political boost to
opposition parties, which have accused the government of
incompetence.
EU pledge on Greece sparks Asian
market caution
AFP, Hong Kong
A lack of specific measures from European leaders to prop
up fiscally strapped Greece prompted caution in Asian
markets today as the euro slid against the dollar, but
stocks offered more optimism.
Shares across the region were mostly higher in quiet trade
ahead of Sunday's Lunar New Year and the start of a
week-long holiday in China, with resources and commodity
stocks shining, but gains were held by the eurozone
uncertainty.
Investors absorbed Europe's pledge of solidarity on
Thursday with debt- stricken Greece, which promised
"determined and coordinated action if needed" but stopped
short of offering an immediate injection of hard cash.
The European Union statement therefore came "as a
disappointment. Markets had nothing concrete to digest
aside from a general agreement to provide assistance if
needed", said Credit Agricole analyst Mitul Kotecha.
The euro continued to slide in Asian trade Friday, with
the single currency dropping to 1.3669 dollars in Tokyo
from 1.3695 in New York late Thursday and to 122.59 yen
from 122.86. The dollar eased to 89.64 yen from 89.70.
The prospect of default has stalked markets for weeks,
with Greece's public debt running at 12.7 percent of gross
domestic product, more than four times the permitted
eurozone limit.
The euro has been rocked by concerns that other European
countries such as Portugal, Ireland, Italy and Spain could
suffer similar fiscal problems.
However, banking giant DBS Group said that despite the
lack of details, the move to stand by Greece at least
signalled "eurozone leaders and policymakers are prepared
to do whatever it takes to contain Greece's problem".
Asian shares were mostly higher on such hopes. Tokyo
returned from a public holiday to end 1.29 percent higher,
with the Nikkei adding 128.20 points to 10,092.19.
Greece must resolve crisis itself:
ECB chief economist
AFP, Frankfurt
Greece must take further austerity measures and resolve
its financial crisis by itself, the European Central
Bank's chief economist said in an interview released
Friday.
The Greek government must "put its own house in order,"
Juergen Stark told the magazine Der Spiegel in comments
released on Friday, a day after European Union leaders
expressed support for Greece at an emergency summit in
Brussels.
Austerity measures unveiled by Athens until now "are a
strict minimum, which must now be put into practice, and
more will be needed given the clear deterioration of the
situation," Stark added in an interview to appear on
Monday.
EU heads of state and government pledged to prevent
heavily indebted Greece from default and to defend the
16-nation eurozone from possible fall-out from the crisis
but announced no concrete measures. Those are expected
following a meeting of eurozone finance ministers on
Monday.
Stark rejected the idea of bilateral aid from countries
like Germany for Greece, deeming it "counter productive or
very difficult to reconcile with the principles of
monetary union."
He also slammed a proposal for a pan-eurozone bond issue
to help Athens roll over debt when it comes due this year,
saying it would do nothing to resolve the country's
structural problems.
Greek debt currently amounts to around 113 percent of its
total annual output, and its public deficit is about 12.7
percent of gross domestic product, nearly four times the
normally accepted eurozone limit.
On Thursday, ECB president Jean-Claude Trichet raised the
question of coordinated loans to Greece, while diplomatic
sources said other possible measures were guarantees for
Greek bonds or the purchase of Greek debt.
Trichet in a statement also welcomed an EU decision "to
take determined and coordinated action, if needed, to
safeguard financial stability in the euro area."
Global rice prices to hold steady
AFP, Manila
World rice prices should hold steady at around 600 dollars
a tonne in the near term despite an Indian drought that
ravaged key growing areas, according to a leading grain
economist.
Global rice stocks, which rose 22 percent over two years
to the end of 2009, would be drawn down to ease the
production disruptions, said Samarendu Mohanty, an
economist with the Philippines-based International Rice
Research Institute. However neither will prices fall
dramatically, he wrote in the institute's quarterly
publication Rice Today.
"It is safe to say that the rice price is not going back
to 300 dollars per tonne any time soon and is likely to
remain around 600 dollars per tonne in the near term,"
Mohanty wrote. Rice prices tripled to about 1,000 dollars
during the last surge between November 2007 and May 2008.
Mohanty said the Philippines, the world's top rice
importer, and India "rattled the market" again last year
with large tenders to import the grain. However India,
which was in the grip of a devastating drought last year,
later cancelled its tenders.
And India, along with China, Indonesia and Thailand
accounted mostly for the earlier increased global rice
stocks, according to Mohanty. "(Therefore) Indians do not
have to turn to imports, at least in the near term,
because they have enough at their disposal," he wrote.
Mohanty said that the extent of rice price rises would
ultimately depend on how countries responded to the market
hype about a perceived shortfall. "In the larger interest
of global food security, rice- importing countries should
refrain from making large purchases at one time and should
import in smaller volumes as need arises," he wrote.
EU wants to step up economic
surveillance
AFP, Brussels
The European Commission said Friday it was preparing new
measures to boost coordination among eurozone member
countries and supervise their economic policies in light
of the Greek debt crisis.
"The critical lesson from this crisis is that we urgently
need deeper and broader surveillance of economic policies,
including earlier detection and tackling of imbalances, in
order to better safeguard the macro-financial stability of
the euro area," EU Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn
said.
"The commission will soon come forward with proposals to
further strengthen the coordination and the surveillance
of national economic policies within the euro area," he
said in a statement.
The measures could form part of a broader package of
proposals being drawn up by the EU's executive arm on the
27-nation bloc's mid- and long-term economic strategy.
Eurogroup chairman Jean-Claude Juncker is also working
along similar lines.
He wants to toughen surveillance over national economies
and in particular to oblige countries to consult their
partners before making important economic decisions.
Greece's failure to rein in its debt has sparked the
European rethink.
"I will not accept any more failure to respect the
obligations that go with being a member of the Eurogroup,"
the Luxembourg premier told France's Liberation newspaper
Friday.
"We will have to be more severe with each other" in the
eurozone, he said.
Nepal to amend foreign employment rules
BSS/Xinhua, Kathmandu
Nepali government is all set to amend the Foreign
Employment Regulation 2008, local media The Kathmandu Post
reported on Friday.
Under the new regulation, foreign employment agencies will
be able to set up branches and appoint agents by
depositing 200,000 Nepali rupees (some 2,700 U.S.
dollars), the report said.
According to the existing regulation, the agencies are
required to deposit the sum only to appoint an agent.
"There are thousands of agents working for agencies and
they are reaching every village working illegally," said
Purna Chandra Bhattarai, joint secretary at the Ministry
of Labor and Transport Management.
"This new provision is being introduced to legalize the
mismanagement of agents, which has also increased cases of
fraud."
The regulation, which is expected to come into effect
within two months, is also bringing a provision to take
strong action against agencies who fail to send workers
for overseas jobs on time. And such agencies will also be
liable to refund the collected money with interest.
Toyota starts repairs in Europe after auto recalls
AFP, Brussels
Japanese automaker Toyota has started repairs at its
European dealerships of cars recalled due to faulty
accelerator pedals, a company spokesman told AFP Friday.
"We started an information campaign on Tuesday and
contacted clients to invite them to get in touch with the
dealerships in order to get the fix done," said Etienne
Plas, Brussels-based spokesman for Toyota Motors Europe.
"The procedures are different in each country. In some
Toyota alerts the client, in others Toyota alerts the
authorities who take charge of communication," he said.
Owners of the potentially faulty vehicles should contact a
participating dealership and make an appointment for the
work to be done, he added.
"The work takes half an hour, and all our dealerships will
be working flat out to respond to the demand," the Toyota
spokesman said.
Toyota, the world's biggest carmaker, has had its
reputation for reliability tarnished by having to announce
a series of recalls for accelerator and brake problems on
a whole range of their cars. Altogether over eight million
cars have been recalled worldwide.
In the latest instance this week Toyota called in more
than 50,000 of its best-selling Prius hybrid models in
Europe to fix a brake problem.
Almost two million cars have been recalled in Europe
including also AYGO, iQ, Yaris, Auris, Corolla, Verso,
Avensis and RAV4 models, covering various periods going
back to February 2005.
The main problem, jamming accelerator pedals, first
appeared in Europe back in 2008 but "the problem has
caused no accidents in Europe," Plas assured.
Toyota Europe is telling drivers there is no urgency in
getting the modification done on the car pedal if no
problem has presented itself, but owners are advised to
get it done.
Europe’s economic recovery stalls
AFP, Frankfurt
Europe's economic recovery has stalled, new data out on
Friday showed, with the heavyweight German economy slowing
to a halt in the fourth quarter of 2009 and Italy
switching back to contraction.
Elsewhere in Europe, growth slowed to 0.3 percent in the
Netherlands and to 0.4 percent in Austria but the recovery
sped up in France, where growth was at 0.6 percent for the
fourth quarter compared to 0.3 percent in the third.
There was a mixed picture in Central and Eastern Europe
too. The Czech Republic fell back into contraction
following two quarters of growth, while Hungary's
prospects were brighter as the contraction slowed to 0.4
percent.
Europe in general has begun to emerge from what is in most
cases record recessions, but the recovery process is
expected to be slow and bumpy because business investment
and consumer consumption are still weak in many cases.
Full year figures showed that Germany, the biggest
European economy, contracted by 5.0 percent in 2009,
France by 2.2 percent, the Netherlands by 4.0 percent,
Austria by 3.6 percent and the Czech Republic by 4.3
percent.
The latest German data showed that "the recovery of the
German economy lost momentum at the end of 2009," the
Destatis office said in a statement.
The German economy is heavily dependent on exports and
once again they made the only positive contribution in the
final three months of the year, since consumption and
business investment were both down, Destatis said.
On Tuesday, the International Monetary Fund nonetheless
forecast German growth of 1.5 percent this year, slightly
higher than the government's forecast of 1.4 percent.
"Today's numbers are a setback but no disillusion," ING
senior economist Carsten Brzeski stressed in reference to
the German figures.
"The eurozone growth engine has taken a break in the
fourth quarter but it should return soon," he added, while
noting that the numbers were "a good reminder that
recoveries can not only be bumpy but also capricious."
UniCredit economist Andreas Rees said that "the situation
of the German economy is fundamentally far better than it
looks like from a statistical viewpoint."
But "with the recent return of risk aversion in financial
markets, doubts about the strength of the recovery have
again emerged." Brzeski warned.
IMF welcomes EU support of debt-riddled Greece
AFP, Washington
The International Monetary Fund on Thursday welcomed
European Union pledges of support of Greece to help the
member country weather a debt crisis at an economic summit
in Brussels.
"We welcome the support for Greece from its EU partners,
which, together with policy actions undertaken by the
Greek authorities, are important new steps in response to
the challenges the country faces," IMF spokeswoman
Caroline Atkinson said in a statement.
"The fund, as noted by the EU leaders, is prepared to
offer expertise and support as necessary," she said.
European leaders pledged solidarity Thursday with
debt-stricken Greece and "determined" measures to defend
the eurozone but stopped short of offering an immediate
injection of hard cash.
"Euro area member states will take determined and
coordinated action if needed to safeguard the financial
stability in the euro area as a whole," the 27 European
Union heads of state and government said in the agreed
text.
Automakers must act ‘decisively’ on complaints
AFP, Washington
Automakers must act "quickly and decisively" to respond to
safety complaints, US President Barack Obama said in an
interview with Bloomberg Businessweek Magazine, his first
comments on the Toytoa recall.
"Every automaker has an obligation when public safety is a
concern to come forward quickly and decisively when
problems are identified," Obama told the magazine. The
interview runs in the Friday issue.
"We don't yet know whether that happened with Toyota.
That's going to be investigated," he said.
"My hope is that, moving forward, all automakers recognize
that their brands are at stake when it comes to safety
issues," Obama said.
Toyota, the world's biggest carmaker, has been accused in
the United States of being too slow to act on the
accelerator and brake problems behind the recalls of more
than eight million vehicles worldwide.
The company faces a host of class action lawsuits in the
United States, where Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood
vowed Wednesday to hold the company's "feet to the fire."
Obama however held his opinion on whether US regulators or
Toyota moved too slowly to recall the defective vehicles.
"We don't yet know all the facts, so I don't want to offer
an opinion just off the top of my head," Obama said.
Nevertheless the US president was confident that the
Japanese auto giant would make a comeback.
"Obviously, Toyota has been an extraordinary automaker for
a very long time, and I suspect that they will continue to
be, despite this recent glitch," he told the magazine.
US videogame sales dip 13 pc in January: NPD
AFP, San Francisco
US videogame sales in
January slipped to 1.17 billion dollars, a 13 percent drop
from the same month last year, according to figures
released Thursday by market-tracker NPD Group.
The inauspicious start to 2010 came after the prior year
finished with videogame sales in the three leading
markets-Britain, Japan and the United States-down eight
percent to 379.3 million units.
Still, analysts are optimistic the industry will gain
momentum as the economy improves and hotly-anticipated new
titles hit the market. Top-rated "Mass Effect 2" made its
US debut in late January. A sequel to a blockbuster "BioShock"
videogame and a "Dante's Inferno" title based on the
classic literary work were released this week. The latest
entry in the popular "God of War" franchise is due out in
March.
US videogame software sales in January tallied 597.9
million dollars, down 12 percent from the 682.6 million
dollars brought in the same month last year, according to
NPD.
"New Super Mario Brothers" for Nintendo Wii consoles was
the top selling game in January, followed by science
fiction shooter game "Mass Effect 2" published by
Electronic Arts.
Videogame hardware sales plunged 21 percent to 353.7
million dollars as compared to 446.8 million dollars in
January of last year. Wii continued to be the best-selling
console, with 465,800 bought. Microsoft sold 332,800 of
its Xbox 360 consoles and Sony sold 276,900 of its
latest-generation PlayStation 3 consoles.
India industrial output posts best growth in 20 years
AFP, New Delhi
India's industrial output climbed at its strongest pace in
almost 20 years in December, official data showed Friday,
as economic recovery picked up steam thanks to hefty
stimulus measures.
Production by the country's mines, factories and utilities
rose 16.8 percent in December from a year earlier, the
best increase since March 1990 and easily outstripping
analysts' forecasts of 12 percent.The strong numbers were
expected to boost arguments for the government to start
rolling back the stimulus measures that helped shield the
economy from the worst of the global downturn in the
budget due at the end of the month.
HSBC economist Robert Prior-Wandesforde said the surge was
"impressive to say the least" and would strengthen the
hand of the fiscal and monetary hawks in the Reserve Bank
and government. Pressure is growing on both the government
and central bank to start unwinding stimulus measures with
inflation riding at 7.31 percent, the highest level in 13
months, driven by soaring food prices. Concern is also
mounting about India's fiscal deficit which is at a
16-year high. The data showed manufacturing rose 18.5
percent in December from a year earlier while consumer
durables production, including cars and appliances, soared
by 46 percent.
The industrial output figure marked a sharp contrast to
the same month a year earlier when output shrank by 0.2
percent, as Asia's third-largest economy was buffeted by
the global financial crisis. "Most of the sectors which
had demonstrated their resilience and capacity to grow
have further improved," Commerce Minister Anand Sharma
said. Mining grew by 9.5 percent while electricity
generation climbed by 5.4 percent.
Although the industrial sector represents little more than
20 percent of the economy, the data bodes well for overall
economic growth, economists said.
It raises chances that the preliminary 7.2 percent growth
estimate given by the statistics office for preparing the
budget "will be revised higher," Prior-Wandesforde said.
Earlier in the week, India's Finance Minister Pranab
Mukherjee said growth could be around 7.75 percent for the
year to March 2010. India's economy expanded by 6.7
percent in the previous financial year,
Government officials say India could log at least eight
percent growth in the financial year starting April 1 as
it heads back towards the boom levels of nine percent it
enjoyed before the global slump. To help India weather the
financial crisis, the central bank cut benchmark borrowing
costs to record lows while the government pitched in with
tax and duty cuts, higher spending and other measures. The
Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry
voiced "satisfaction over the strong growth of industrial
production" but repeated calls for caution.
"The stimulus packages need to be continued for some more
months to sustain this industrial growth," said federation
secretary general Amit Mitra.
Motorola to split into two publicly traded companies in
2011
AFP, New York
Motorola, the biggest US cellphone maker, said Thursday it
will split into two companies next year, one focusing on
handsets and TV set-top boxes and the other on
professional safety equipment.
The Schaumburg, Illinois-based company, which has been
struggling to keep up with other cellphone manufacturers,
said it was targeting the first quarter of 2011 for the
separation into two publicly traded companies.
Motorola said one company would be made up of its Mobile
Devices and Home businesses, which include cellphones and
home digital entertainment devices such as the TV set-top
boxes.
The other would comprise its Enterprise Mobility Solutions
and Networks businesses, which include two-way radios,
mobile computers, secure public safety systems, scanners
and wireless network infrastructure. Both companies will
retain the Motorola brand.
Motorola said that effective immediately, Sanjay Jha,
Motorola's co-chief executive, will serve as CEO of
Motorola's Mobile Devices and Home businesses unit.
Greg Brown, Motorola's other co-chief executive, will head
the Enterprise Mobility Solutions and Networks businesses,
the company said.
Jha was hired by Motorola in 2008 to turn around and spin
off its cellphone division from the rest of the company
but the move was repeatedly delayed.
"The combination of Mobile Devices and our Home business
brings together two highly complementary and innovative
organizations," Jha said in a statement. "Together we will
be best positioned to lead in the convergence of mobility,
media, and the Internet.
"Our expanding portfolio of smartphones and end-to-end
video content delivery capabilities will enable us to
provide advanced mobile media solutions and multi-screen
experiences for our customers," he said.
Motorola chairman David Dorman said the separation
"provides significant operational and strategic
flexibility for both companies, positions them for future
success, and enhances long-term shareholder value."
Motorola enjoyed success with its popular Razr phone
launched in 2005 but has been losing ground since then to
Apple and Research in Motion, maker of the Blackberry, as
well as to other major cellphone manufacturers such as
Nokia, Samsung and Sony Ericsson.
Motorola has been betting on Google's open-source Android
mobile phone operating system to try to revive the company
and has released a series of Android-powered handsets
recently including the "Droid" smartphone.
Motorola released another Android-powered smartphone, the
Cliq, in September.
Motorola's decision to split into two companies was
welcomed by the market with Motorola shares up 3.76
percent at 6.90 dollars in after-hours electronic trading.
Mobile industry gears up for big show after tough times
AFP, Paris
The mobile phone industry has begun to emerge from the
economic crisis as it heads into its biggest annual
gathering next week with the sector's newest big gun,
Google, making its presence felt.
The four-day Mobile World Congress opens in Barcelona,
Spain, on Monday with the usual guessing game about
potential announcements on the latest innovations that
promise to revolutionise the way people communicate.
Attendance is expected to be about the same as last year
but lower than the 55,000 people who attended the event in
February 2008, prior to the crisis, according to GSMA, the
industry group that organises the congress.
More than 47,000 people and 1,300 exhibitors are expected
to attend the congress this year, it said.
The World Mobile Congress comes as the industry begins to
navigate away from a difficult period for the sector.
Global shipments of handsets had been falling every
quarter since the third quarter of 2008, when the global
financial crisis erupted, according to market research
firm Strategy Analytics.
But shipments surged by 10 percent in the last three
months of 2009, "signaling an end to the industry's
year-long recession," Strategy Analytics said in a January
29 report.
While handsets have grabbed the headlines in Barcelona in
the past, analysts say this year's event might focus more
on operating systems such as Google's Android and
applications that can be downloaded into smartphones.
"I think it's probably going to be a slightly different
show in terms of the focus, as far as historically it has
been a lot about hardware," said Carolina Milanesi, an
analyst at information technology research firm Gartner.
"In the last couple of years you started to see more
around services and definitely this year applications will
have a huge part in the theme," she said.
National
Call for consensus to address bad
impacts of climate change
BSS, Dhaka
Environmental experts at a discussion here on Friday
called for reaching a national consensus to address
adverse impacts of climate change side by side raising
negotiation in the forthcoming Cancun climate summit.
Bangladesh, they said, can access global resources as well
as ensure the interests of least developed and most
vulnerable countries, if the nation is united and do good
home work. Bangladesh should voice the least developed
countries concerns at Cancun like she did at Copenhagen
and asks for deep cut in greenhouse gases of developed
industrialized countries and go for legally binding
treaties in Mexico, they said.
Eminent environmentalist and professor of Harvard
University Dr K F Jalal, who made the 13 th Biennial
Conference address of FEJB, asked for making investment in
education and research to improve natural resource
management and face adverse impacts of impending climate
change.
Other speakers asked for ensuring a seat for Bangla-desh
in the governing board of climate funding under the United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) as
the country is considered as one of the most vulnerable
nations.
Forum of Environment Journalists of Bangla-desh (FEJB)
organized it titled 'Climate Change: Copenhagen to Cancun'
to mark the 13rh biennial conference of FEJB at Jatiya
Press Club here with FEJB chairman Quamrul Islam Chowdhury
in the chair.
Senior journalists of different media organizations shared
their views at the biennial conference, joined, among
others, by professionals and development activists. Dr KF
Jalal who was also director for environment division of
both UN ESCAP and Asian Development Bank for a quarter of
a century said, media people must raise their expertise on
climate change reporting by equipping them with rigorous
training on the particular issue. He also advocated that
environmental management programmes in educational
institutions should not only focused theoretical part but
also practical aspects should also be given adequate
importance.
For climate change education and research it is essential,
he added. Dr Jalal, noted with appreciation the role of
FEJB in tackling the climate change issueS saying the
media network could be an effective tool to bring about a
positive change in Bangla-desh.
‘Fugitive killers of Bangabandhu to be brought back home
at any cost’
BSS, Sherpur
Land Minister Rezaul Karim Hira said here on Friday that
the fugitive condemned killers of Bangabandhu would be
brought back home at any cost.
The present government must build a Golden Bangladesh as
dreamt by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman, he said speaking as the chief guest at a
commemorative meeting.
The Nizam Uddin Foundation organised the meeting marking
the third death anniversary of Sherpur Sangram Parishad
Convener Nizam Uddin Ahmed at the Shilpakala Academy here.
Sherpur Mayor and the foundation convener Golam Mohammad
Kibria Liton presided over the meeting. Atiur Rahman Atik,
MP, Sherpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry President M
Masud Mian and District Awami League General Secretary
Advocate Chandan Kumar Paul also addressed the meeting,
among others.
Later, prizes were distributed among 65 winners of
a literary and cultural competition.
Campus unrest
CU classes, exams postponed
UNB, Chittagong
The Chittagong University authorities Thursday night
postponed all classes and examinations till February 18
(Thursday) in the wake of tension heightening on the
campus over the killing of a student.
The varsity authorities urged the students to remain calm
and not to create any untoward trouble on the campus. They
also called upon the law enforcement agencies to arrest
the killers of the varsity student Mohiuddin. The
authorities also sought cooperation from the teachers and
students to maintain peaceful atmosphere on the campus.
AMA Mohiuddin alias Masum, a student of Political Science
Department, was hacked to death by unknown assailants and
later they left the body on the rail-line at Sholashahar
in the port city on Thursday night amid a spate of unrest
on major campuses.
The CU authorities expressed profound shock at the death
of Mohiuddin. They also prayed for salvation of the
departed soul and conveyed sympathy to the bereaved family
members.
Birds
fair at JU
Call to raise awareness about bio-diversity of Bangladesh
UNB, JU
Thousands of bird lovers from across the country thronged
Jahangirnagar University Friday to join a day-long bird
fair, held to raise awareness about birds and the
bio-diversity of Bangladesh.
In the morning, JU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Shariff Enamul
Kabir inaugurated the fair, organized by the Department of
Zoology in association with WRC.
Chairman of the organizing committee Prof Mofizul Kabir,
Chairman of the Department Prof Abdus Salam spoke the
inaugural session.
Students of different public and private universities,
school-goers, teenagers and their parents watched birds on
the campus.
Several telescopes and binoculars were set up at different
spots on the campus to provide bird lovers the opportunity
to identify and know about different species.
Students of different educational institutions, including
JU, Dhaka University, Jagannath University and BUET
participated in the bird watching competition.
Several other competitions like quiz and debate over birds
and a painting competition for the kids were held.
Around 31 species of migratory birds, including 28 local
species usually visit the campus every winter. They join
around 100 other species that live in the JU bushes and
lakes, which have proved to be a sanctuary for the birds.
An exhibition of photographs of endangered species of
birds, journals and stamps was also organized on the
occasion.
Dinajpur road crash kills
Mother, daughter
UNB, Dinajpur
A woman and her daughter were killed as a speeding Indian
fruits-laden truck ran over them in Hili land port area
here Thursday evening.
The victims were identified as Fatema Begum, 35, wife of
Rafiqul Islam of Khatta Uchana village in Hakimpur upazila,
and their daughter Rosy, 8.
Witnesses said the truck hit a van carrying Fatema and her
daughter and ran over them in front of gate-1 of Panama
port, leaving them dead on the spot.
The accident occurred at about 6pm when the Indian truck
was entering the port, locals said. The driver and helper
of the truck managed to flee the scene soon after the
accident.
Police recovered the bodies and sent those to Dinajpur
Medical College Hospital morgue or autopsy.
Students involved in campus
violence will be brought to justice: Sahara
She visists two injured
BCL workers of RU
UNB, Dhaka
Home Minister Sahara Khatun on Friday said whoever has
incited the deadly incidents at university campuses will
be arrested and brought to justice after investigation.
The Minister, who visited Pangu Hospital in the afternoon
to see two injured Chhatra League workers of Rajshahi
University, made the remark when reporters wanted to know
whether Jamaat Ameer Matiur Rahman Nizami would be
arrested for his "provocative" public speeches.
"We're investigating into the matter. If it (provocative
speech) is proved through investigation, they will be
arrested and brought to justice," she said.
Sahara said combing operation continued across the
country. Those who committed the deadly incident at
Rajshahi University fled away from Rajshahi. Police would
track down and arrest them wherever they are hiding, she
said.
Asked about sudden deterioration of law and order
situation, the Home Minister said the law and order was
stable in the last one year. Recently, the incidents
occurred in Dhaka and Rajshahi Universities and a Ward
Commissioner was killed in the capital.
Capsule, lotion offered to manage
arsenic
BSS, Dhaka
A Bangladesh-born scientist on Friday claimed that he was
ready to offer low-cost and highly effective arsenic drug
for internal consumption as well as a lotion for external
uses of arsenicosis patients for all over the world.
Dr Abdul Kader said when pharmaceutical companies were
reluctant to invest on medicines to treat arsenic affected
people his 'innovative' system has been proved successful
in small scale to address the problem in some parts of the
world.
The young scientist, now based in Sweden, said his
nutraceuticals has developed an ointment to treat external
symptoms, especially black marks on skin, and a de-tox
capsule that would neutralize the accumulated arsenic
inside the body.
The drugs have not, however, tested on human bodies, said
Dr Kader, but insisted that the US food and drug
administration (FDA) has already approved those as 'safe'
for human consumption. The local scientists were not
available for immediate comments to either validate or
reject the claim.
"Our ointment, Arsenicure, will be able to remove black
marks from arsenic affected patients while the capsule
Ars-detox will help improve nutritional status of a
patient and neutralize arsenic in body," Kader said on the
sidelines of a press conference in Jatiya Press Club in
the city.
Vice Chancellor of Gano Bishwabiddalaya Prof Mesbahuddin
Ahmed, Prof Sirajul Islam and Prof Amir Hossain Khan of
Dhaka University and general secretary of Bangladesh
Academy of Sciences (BAS) Prof Dr Nayyum Choudhury, also
spoke on the occasion.
Dr Kader said if things were in favour, he would be able
to offer per capsule at Taka 5 and ointment at Taka 80 in
Bangladesh, a country where one third of its 150 million
population are exposed to groundwater arsenic
contamination.
He said an arsenic patient of primary and secondary levels
would be required to consume four to five capsules in a
day up to six months to recover from arsenicosis. However,
he reminded that the preventive measures, which ban
drinking of arsenic-contaminated water, must go together
with drug consumptions.
"Getting free from arsenic must be total solution," he
said adding the people have to stop consuming contaminated
water from red-marked tubewells together with consuming
capsules and uses of ointment. He said his capsules, which
are fortified with high level of vitamins, will not only
help remove arsenic from patients' body but also
complement vitamin supplementation for poor people who
have low intake of food and minerals.
According to a joint study of the government and Japan
International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the country has
around 38,000 arsenicosis patients in 268 affected
upazilas across the country. But the real number would
cross even more than 100,000 if the areas are surveyed
again and doctors confirm the patients.
The government's Bang-ladesh Arsenic Mitigation and Water
Supply Programme (BAMWSP) identified 1.44 million arsenic
contaminated tube-wells
out of 4.95 million in 270 upazilas.
Sports
Bangladesh plays positive hockey in
SAG
TBT Report
The General Secretary of Bangladesh Hockey Federation (BHF)
Khondoker Jamil Uddin finds lots of positives in the
third-place finish of the Bangladesh national hockey team in
the 11th South Asian Games (SAG).
"I am Satisfied with the players' performance. They lived up
to our expectations and showed signs of improvements in the
South Asian Games," Jamil told 'The Bangladesh Today' on
Friday.
"Traditionally our players are talented. We have to take
proper care of them. But things will not change overnight. One
or two years' preparations are not enough to shine at the
international level. We have to take long-term preparations,"
he added.
Bangladesh regained the SAG bronze defeating Sri Lanka 2-1 in
the third-place play-off. But its performances against the two
Asian superpowers - India and Pakistan - drew admirations from
all quarters.
"Our players showed tremendous improvements against India.
They also played well against Pakistan. Though we lost to
Pakistan 3-0, we earned seven penalty corners. It clearly
showed our improvements in hockey," the General Secretary
added.
Jamil is of the opinion that the Bangladesh team needs to play
more international matches. "We found lack of big match
temperaments among the players.
They were overawed by the big occasions and made some silly
mistakes. It happened because of the lack of experience. So we
have to play more international matches to improve our
temperaments."
Asked on the coaching staffs, he said the Head Coach Gerhard
Peter Rach worked hard with his two colleagues and the team
got the reward of their contributions. "I talked to the
players and team management. They want Peter as the national
coach for a long time. Peter did as much as possible during
the last 10 months," Jamil said.
Replying to a query, the General Secretary said it is the time
of power hockey and they have to follow the European style to
fare good results at the international level. "I think Peter
is the perfect man to give us an introduction of power play
but he should be given more times to apply his coaching
methods. We have to go forward in a planned way," Jamil said.
Bangladesh defeated Nepal 24-0 and Sri Lanka twice - 3-1 in a
league stage match and 2-1 in the third-place play-off match.
Bangladesh lost to Pakistan 3-0 and shared a 3-3 draw with
India in the recently concluded SAG in Dhaka. Pakistan won
gold defeating India 4-3 in tie-breakers in the final.n
India,
South Africa set for absorbing finale
AFP, Kolkata
A desperate India will look to hit back at South Africa in the
decisive second and final Test starting on Sunday after
suffering a humiliating defeat in the opening tie.
India's reputation as the number one Test side in the world
took a massive blow after they lost the first Test in Nagpur
by an innings and six runs to the second-ranked Proteas.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men need a series-levelling win at the
Eden Gardens in Kolkata to stop South Africa from snatching
the coveted ranking.
India's hopes received a timely boost when key middle-order
batsman Venkatsai Laxman was cleared to play after having
recovered from a finger injury.
With star batsmen Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh ruled out at
the start of the series with injuries, Laxman was sorely
missed in Nagpur as India crashed for 233 and 319 in reply to
South Africa's 558-6 declared.
Laxman, 35, has scored 6,993 runs in 109 Tests at an average
of 45.70 with 14 centuries. India were forced to play rookie
wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha as a specialist batsman in
Nagpur after Rohit Sharma, the first-choice replacement for
Laxman, got injured just before the toss.
"We definitely missed some important players due to injuries,"
said Dhoni after suffering his first Test defeat since taking
over as captain in 2008.
"That pushed us to the back foot. Injuries can cause a bit of
panic in the dressing room.
"It was a test of our bench strength. So I won't complain,
I'll only say that we were completely outplayed by South
Africa."
India's bowling attack also lacked firepower, with pace
spearhead Zaheer Khan and frontline off-spinner Harbhajan
Singh paling in comparison to their South African rivals, Dale
Steyn and Paul Harris.
Steyn, with a match haul of 10-108, underlined his reputation
as the leading fast bowler in the world, while left-arm
spinner Harris proved effective with three vital wickets in
the second innings.
During their last series in India in 2008, South Africa won
the second Test in Ahmedabad by an innings and 90 runs to take
the lead in the three-match series after the first match was
drawn.
India drew the series on an under-prepared wicket in Kanpur,
raising fears that a similar ploy may be used at the Eden
Gardens.
South Africa's coach Corrie van Zyl, however, said his team
will not be intimidated, whatever the nature of the wicket.
"Mentally, the South African team is better prepared than they
were in 2008," said van Zyl, who took over as interim coach
from Mickey Arthur just before the start of the India tour.
"I won't say it will be a minefield, but I do expect something
that will help the Indian team. We know that if the first Test
was a challenge, then the second Test is going to be a bigger
challenge."
The Kolkata Test will be followed by three one-day
internationals in Jaipur (February 21), Gwalior (February 24)
and Ahmedabad (February 27).
Nasim Hamid made
‘ambassador’
AFP, Islamabad
President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday appointed
gold-winning Pakistan women athletes Naseem Hamid and Sara
Nasir sports ambassadors to honour their extraordinary
success. The 22-year-old Hamid became South Asia's fastest
woman by winning the 100-metre in the South Asian
Federation Games (SAF) in Dhaka, while Nasir returned with
a gold medal in Karate.
"President Zardari has appointed Naseem and Sara as
'ambassadors of sports' in recognition of their successes
at the SAF Games and gave them one million rupees (11,777
dollars) each," Sports Minister Ijaz Jakhrani told
reporters.
Zardari received the athletes in Islamabad and praised
their hard work which brought laurels to the country, said
the minister.
Hamid told reporters: "I am overwhelmed by the president's
encouragement and it's a matter of great happiness for me
that he promised to send us for training abroad for future
competitions."
On Sunday, Hamid clocked 11.81 seconds to clinch gold in
the 100-metre sprint in the SAF Games, becoming Pakistan's
first female athlete to win the race in the competition's
26-year history.
Hamid, who comes from an impoverished slum in Pakistan's
biggest city of Karachi, has already been given a hero's
return and numerous cash prizes.
IPL in talks to stage games in USA
AFP, Dubai
The Indian Premier League (IPL) is exploring the
possibility of broadening its horizons by staging games
like the Champions League Twenty20 in the United States as
early as next year.
IPL chairman Lalit Modi held talks here Thursday with the
CEO of USA Cricket, Donald Lockerbie, to discuss bringing
the IPL to North America and also to look at allowing top
American cricketers to play in the IPL.
The IPL wants the league's franchisee teams to begin
playing in America as early as 2011.
Modi, in an interview on the IPL's official website, said:
"The IPL has established itself as a truly global sporting
league with its fans spanning the globe.
"The North American continent has emerged as the second
largest market in terms of revenue and viewership for
Indian cricket. Our meeting with the team from USA Cricket
was very encouraging and we are confident of taking the
IPL to the USA in the near future.
"I have no doubt that....cricket will soon become a
popular sport in the USA."
Lockerbie commented: "The IPL is a powerful new product in
the sports industry and we will work hard to see USA
Cricket and the IPL succeed together and energize the
growth of cricket in our country."
Petkovic into Paris last eight
AFP, Paris
Germany's Andrea Petkovic ended French interest in the WTA
Paris Indoor Open on Thursday by beating fifth-seeded
Rezai to set up a quarter-final clash with top seed Elena
Dementieva of Russia.
World number 49 Petkovic, who wants to sety up her own
political party when she retires from tennis, took the
first set 6-3 before Rezai snatched the second set by the
same scoreline.
But it was the 22-year-old Bosnian-born German who
prevailed by winning the third set 6-3. "It was a very
emotional match, a very good match...I'm very happy to
win," she said after her victory.
Petkovic will now face Dementieva in the next round. "She
was a great player in Sydney (where the world number seven
beat Serena Williams to defend her Sydney International
title). I'm excited to play against her as I haven't been
on the tour for so long," she said. Petkovic meanwhile is
already making plans for life after tennis.
"I want to engage myself politically," she said.
"I want to start my own political party because I feel the
youth in Germany is not really being heard - the two main
parties in Germany are focusing on older people."
Dementieva booked her place in the last eight on Wednesday
when she knocked out fellow Russian Anastasia
Pavlyuchenkova.
In Thursday's other games, Hungary's Agnes Szavay brushed
aside Croatian challenger Petra Martic in straight sets,
winning 6-2 6-4.
Israel's Shahar Peer, the sixth seed, piled on the agony
for Croatian tennis fans when she took out qualifier
Karolina Sprem in straight sets 6-4, 6-3.
The Israeli number one and world number 22 will now play
the Czech Republic's Lucie Safarova.
Safarova made heavy work of her first set against fourth
seed Francesca Schiavone, eventually winning 7-5. But
there was no such repeat in the second set as the
23-year-old routed the Italian 6-2 to advance to the
quarter finals.
Frdiay's programme includes an all-Italian quarter-final
between second seed Flavia Pennetta and Tathiana Garbin.
Djokovic gets free ride in Rotterdam
AFP, Rotterdam
Novak Djokovic earned a free trip into the semifinals of
the Rotterdam Open on Thursday, benefitting as his second
opponent in three matches this week proved unable to take
to the court.
Only 48 hours after Sergiy Stakhovsky was unable to
complete his first-round contest with Djokovic, German
Florian Meyer withdrew with a hamstring tear a day before
his Friday quarter-final match with the Serb top seed.
"Of course you never want to get a win this way, but I'll
take it the way it is," said the world number two after
moving into the quarter-finals with a 6-4, 6-2 win against
Swiss Marco Chiudinelli. "Today's win was a convenient
match for me from the start. I felt confident on my
service games and took enough of my opportunities on his.
I did what I needed to win and that's what matters."
The top seed paved the way for a sweep of the leading
players into the last eight, with third seed Gael Monfils
joining in with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Holland's Thiemo de
Bakker.
Second seed Nikolay Davydenko completed the winning trio
with a 6-3, 6-2 defeat of crowd-pleaser Marcos Baghdatis
in their second-round clash.
Djokovic met up with world number 54 Chiudinelli three
weeks ago, emerging with an Australian Open second round
victory. "I've known him for five or six years," said the
Serb. "He beat me in a Challenger in my hometown of
Belgrade (2004). He's a tough player but has been bothered
by injuries. "He seems to be healthy now and doing
better." Djokovic dominated in 90 minutes, never facing a
break point while breaking three times against Roger
Federer's best friend in the game.
Russian sixth seed Mikhail Youzhny, the 2007 winner, also
advanced easily over Turkish qualifier Marsel Ilhan 6-4,
6-4. Julien Benneteau earned another victory for France
through his defeat of German Michael Berrer 6-4, 6-4.
For 13th-ranked Monfils his defeat of de Bakker was
revenge for his loss to the world number 82 in his Davis
Cup debut five months ago at home.
"First off, I wanted to win the match," said the
23-year-old Monfils.
"What happened in Davis Cup happened. The revenge came as
a bonus.
"I have hopes of winning this tournament, but my next job
is to beat Youzhny.
"I had confidence and played much better than the first
round here. I played well and it felt good. I just want to
keep improving my game. I played solid and was able to run
him around a lot, that was my game plan."
The winner kept de Bakker under constant pressure over 76
minutes forcing the home player to save 10 of 13 break
points.
Monfils has played two semi-finals this season, at
Brisbane and last week in Johannesbourg.
Despite being picked for the French Davis Cup side which
face Germany in Tolouse in the March 5-7 first round,
Monfils won't be cutting back on a travel schedule which
will quickly clock up a reported 75,000 kilometres in the
early part of 2010. After this week in Rotterdam, he will
play from February 22 in Acapulco on clay before returning
to France for the Davis date indoors.
Afghanistan suffers defeat to Netherlands
Cricinfo Online
Afghanistan's dream of a place at the World Twenty20 was
placed on standby after its defeat to Netherlands at Dubai
International Stadium on Friday.
Put in to bat in an electric atmosphere with a crowd of
well over 2,500, Afghanistan was restricted to 128 for 9,
with several batsmen making starts but none able to push
on for a big score.
Alexei Kervezee and Eric Szwarczynski got the chase off to
a flier, and Netherlands weathered a late fightback from
Mohammad Nabi and Hamid Hassan to register a tense
four-wicket win.
Afghanistan had to be on top of its game in the field
after posting such a modest total, but they let themselves
down with several fielding and bowling lapses to allow
Netherlands to take control. Mohammad Shahzad, the
wicketkeeper, put down a chance in the first over of
Netherlands' chase, and the 18 extras given away did
nothing to help Afghanistan's attempts to restrict the
scoring. In the tense closing moments of the game, Shapoor
Zadran's casual attempt at a catch let Ryan ten Doeschate,
the last recognised batsman at the crease, off the hook
and he lofted Hassan over mid on three balls later to seal
the win. Zadran's economical opening spells have been one
of the vital ingredients in Afghanistan's success in this
tournament so far. He leaked runs against Ireland, but
gave away just 21 runs in eight overs against Scotland and
USA.
Admittedly, he would have been frustrated by the missed
chance off his third ball today, but he was unforgivably
wayward thereafter, giving away four boundaries in his
opening spell.
Kervezee provided most of the momentum as Netherlands
raced to 64 in under nine overs, but when he was bowled
around his legs sweeping at Nabi, Afghanistan sniffed a
chance for an unlikely comeback.
Nabi held on to a stinging return catch to get rid of
Szwarczynski in his next over, and when Bas Zuiderent was
trapped in front by Samiullah Shenwari for two,
Netherlands had slipped to 74 for 3. Daan van Bunge eased
the pressure with a towering six over long off, but when
he was dismissed attempting to repeat the shot, the nerves
set in.
Johnson leads at Pebble Beach
AFP, Pebble Beach
Defending champion Dustin Johnson birdied his last five
holes for an eight-under par 64 Thursday to seize the
first-round lead in the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.
In all Johnson had 10 birdies on the par-72 Pebble Beach
layout, one of three courses in use for the tournament
along with the par-72 Spyglass Hill and the par-70 Shore
Course at Monterey Peninsula.
South Korea's KJ Choi and American JB Holmes both posted
seven-under 65s at Pebble Beach, which will host the US
Open in June. Charley Hoffman also posted a 64, but his
came at the Shore Course to put him at six-under.
Australians Matt Jones and John Senden and David Duval
produced 67s at Spyglass Hill to join a dozen players at
five-under, a group that also included Canada's Mike Weir,
German Alex Cejka, Fiji's Vijay Singh.
Weir posted a 67 at Pebble Beach and Cejka and Singh both
shot 65 at Monterey Peninsula, which is new to the
three-course rotation this year. Duval said the variety of
courses - and scores in relation to par - made it tough to
judge just who had the advantage after one round.
"No one," he said with a laugh. "All the courses are so
different. It's hard to tell until after the third day."
But Johnson certainly gave himself a leg up with his
record-setting day. His 30 for the back nine at Pebble
Beach was a tournament record.
Johnson, who claimed the title here last year after 54
holes when rain washed out the last round, said it was a
joy to play the most celebrated course in the rotation in
calm, sunny weather.
"It's one of the best places you want to be when it's good
weather," Johnson said. "It's so pretty, too. It's a fun
place to be."
Johnson's closing surge started at the par-five 14th,
where he was just off the front of the green in two and
chipped to four feet.
At the next he fired a sand wedge from 120 yards in the
left rough to five feet and at 16 he knocked a seven-iron
to six feet.
At the par-three 17th he landed another seven-iron within
seven feet, and at 18 he two-putted for birdie from 22
feet.
Phil Mickelson played at Monterey Peninsula, where half of
the holes hug the Pacific coast. "We caught it on a pretty
calm day, and I thought that there were some low rounds to
be had out there," said Mickelson who carded a 68. "But
you've got to make some putts. That was the one area that
I didn't quite do."
Hoffman's 64 there was highlighted by an eagle at the
par-five sixth.
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