W O R L D

Tests reveal ‘Iraqi’ chemical in anthrax
Washington, October 27
Initial tests on anthrax sent to Senator Majority Leader Tom Daschle found a chemical additive that keeps the spores airborne and is a trademark of Iraq’s biological weapons programme, ABC News has reported.

Haq to be buried in Peshawar today

Islamabad, October 27 The body of executed Afghan resistance hero Abdul Haq will be handed over to his relatives in Kabul, who will take it to the Pakistani city of Peshawar tomorrow for burial, Afghan Islamic Press (AIP) reported today.
Friends and family members of top Afghan opposition military commander Abdul Haq pay their respects at the family's residence in Peshawar, Pakistan, on Saturday.  —  Reuters

Tests reveal ‘Iraqi’ chemical in anthrax

Washington, October 27
Initial tests on anthrax sent to Senator Majority Leader Tom Daschle found a chemical additive that keeps the spores airborne and is a trademark of Iraq’s biological weapons programme, ABC News has reported.

Three well-placed but separate sources told ABC News World News Tonight yesterday that the chemical agent, called bentonite, was discovered during a series of tests on the Daschle letter performed at Fort Detrick, Maryland, and at other sites.

The substance helps keep the tiny anthrax particles in mid-air by preventing them from sticking together.

Bentonite is a trademark of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein’s biological weapons programme, the report said, although ABC noted that it could be used by other countries.

The White House quickly denied that tests on the letter to Daschle had shown the presence of bentonite.

“It’s not true,” spokesman Ari Fleischer said.

ABC reported that government officials were performing several supplemental rounds of tests to verify the initial findings because of the significance of the bentonite discovery.

Meanwhile, experts said it was possible that someone else had produced the bentonite using the Iraqi technique, according to ABC.

The ABC report says that the substance is found in soil around the world, including in the USA and in Iraq.

But officials cautioned that even if Iraq or maverick Iraqi scientists were the source of the anthrax, it remained to be seen who had actually sent the tainted letters.

Fourteen persons have now contracted either inhalation anthrax or the less serious manifestation of the disease, skin anthrax, in the USA but officials have not established who is behind the scare. Three persons have already died.

Meanwhile, trace amounts of anthrax bacteria have been found in the offices of three members of the US House of Representatives in a government building next to the US Capitol, the police said yesterday night.

Lt Dan Nichols of the US Capitol police said the anthrax had been detected on the sixth and seventh floors of Longworth House Office Building, in the offices of Democratic Reps. John Baldacci of Maine and Rush Holt of New Jersey and Republican Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana.

Nichols said authorities were still awaiting the results of tests taken in other parts of Longworth Building, one of three large structures that contain the offices of House members.

US health officials have decided to issue anthrax vaccines for investigators and others at high risk of exposure to the dangerous germ warfare agent, CNN said.

“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is saying today it has decided to administer the anthrax vaccine to certain high-risk workers,’’ said CNN yesterday, citing CDC officials.

It said criminal investigators and decontamination personnel were seen as “high-risk’’ workers best suited for the vaccine.

The vaccine, its use now restricted to certain laboratory workers and members of the US armed forces, could later be extended to some postal workers.

Meanwhile, former UN weapons inspector Timothy Trevan said “It means to me that Iraq becomes the prime suspect as the source of the anthrax used in these letters,”

In the process of destroying much of Iraq’s biological arsenal, UN teams first discovered Iraq was using bentonite.

“That discovery was proof positive of how they were using bentonite to make small particles,” former UN weapons inspector Richard Spertzel told ABC. PTI, AFP, Reuters

Haq to be buried in Peshawar today

Islamabad, October 27
The body of executed Afghan resistance hero Abdul Haq will be handed over to his relatives in Kabul, who will take it to the Pakistani city of Peshawar tomorrow for burial, Afghan Islamic Press (AIP) reported today.

The Pakistan-based news agency said the bodies of the legendary Afghan guerrilla commander and two others killed with him were now in Kabul.

“The bodies of commander Abdul Haq and his associates were shifted to Kabul yesterday and we have decided that they will be handed over to their relatives,” AIP quoted a spokesman for the Taliban consulate in Peshawar as saying.

AIP said Abdul Haq’s relatives would take his body to Peshawar to be buried, without giving further details.

Abdul Haq was captured by Taliban forces in eastern Afghanistan yesterday, taken to the capital and shot as a US spy, according to Abdul Hanan Hemat, the head of the Taliban’s information agency.

PESHAWAR: Grieving relatives of Abdul Haq gathered at the family’s home in Pakistan on Saturday to await the return of his body.

“We understand that his remains will be returned later today, in the evening”, a relative of Haq said.

As he spoke, groups of relatives and friends gathered at the family home on the outskirts of Peshawar to pay their respects.

Earlier in the day, one of Haq’s other relatives held out hope that the commander was still alive.

“We have no confirmation of his death. Two hours ago we received information from our own sources that he was alive,” said Yousaf, a nephew of the commander.

Abdul Rahim Hashmi, the commander’s secretary, said according to his information, Haq had been taken to the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad after being captured.

“It appears to be a lie that he is dead,” said Hashmi. “The report that he was carrying a large quantity of dollars is rubbish. It shows the Taliban are lying.” AFP, Reuters

USA sent spy plane to help Abdul Haq

Washington, October 27
The USA sent an unmanned Predator spy plane equipped with Hellfire anti-tank missiles to aid Afghan opposition leader Abdul Haq who called for help while fleeing the Taliban, US officials said.

Haq was fleeing from Taliban forces when he used a satellite phone to call a friend in Pakistan. That in turn resulted in phone calls to Washington seeking help for Haq, US sources said.

The Predator, which was in the area but not ideally suited to the task, went to help Haq. It fired missiles at the Taliban, striking some of them, before returning to base safely, US officials added.

The US officials said the impact of Haq’s death on efforts to mobilise the opposition to topple the ruling Taliban and create a new government in Afghanistan was unclear because he belonged to just one of the diverse opposition groups.

In Kabul, Taliban Information Ministry official Abdul Hanan Himat said “The Taliban have killed Abdul Haq along with two other persons.’’

He said Haq was carrying dollars to distribute to tribesmen and was captured alive, taken to the outskirts of Kabul, and shot around 1 pm local time.

“We hope these reports are not true but we’ve seen them and his death would be very sad and regrettable,’’ State Department spokesman Richard Boucher told a media persons.

The USA wants to see a government in Kabul that includes not just the Pashtun majority which dominates the Taliban but also Uzbeks, Tajiks and other ethnic groups.

While Haq’s death would be a loss for that effort, other Afghans in exile were continuing to work on the issue.

Another US official downplayed the significance of Haq’s death on gathering opposition forces against the Taliban. “He is just one of many opposition figures and it is not a major setback,’’ the official said on condition of anonymity. Reuters

Pak says Osama has no N-material

Islamabad, October 27
Pakistan has dismissed as absurd British media reports that Osama bin Laden had obtained nuclear material from Islamabad. The Times newspaper and Channel Four television quoted Western intelligence sources as saying the Saudi-born dissident had obtained the material illegally from Pakistan.

Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Riaz Mohammad Khan said the allegation was absurd. “Our nuclear materials are in very safe hands”. The Times and Channel Four said that Bin Laden and his Al-Qaeda network did not have the technology to make a nuclear bomb. He said Pakistan has a unilateral commitment to the international community and to ourselves, “We will not transfer technology or materials which are of sensitive nature including nuclear materials to any country, entity, group or any one.” Khan said that has been a commitment of long standing and our record in this regard is impeccable considering that these sensitive technologies and materials have been with us for more than 15 years. “These sinister allegations are motivated by prejudice and nothing else,” he stated.

Citing an “informed source”, the Times said Bin Laden appeared to have amassed a “terrifying” range of weapons, although the source said a nuclear attack was still beyond him. The Times said intelligence sources have voiced concerns about the possibility that Bin Laden could use radioactive material for a “dirty bomb”. Rather than being used in an atomic weapon, the paper said, the material would be dispersed in such a way as to seriously contaminate a small area.

About reported arrest of two nuclear scientists, the spokesman clarified that they have never been detained. “We are looking for every NGO which is working inside Afghanistan and checking their credentials.” It was in that context, he said that these two scientists have been asked some questions as they had established some time ago an NGO for charity purposes for the people of Afghanistan. “This investigation has nothing to do with nuclear technology issue.”

Welcoming Japan’s decision to lift nuclear related sanctions from Pakistan, the spokesman said Pakistan greatly values its relations with Japan. “We are happy that Japan has lifted the sanctions and hope that relations between the two countries will move from strength to strength particularly in the fields of economy and trade,” he said. ANI

USA praises India for passing POTO

Washington, October 27
The USA has commended the anti-terrorism legislations passed in India and other countries in wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks on World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon near Washington.

“The UK already has done so, and other countries, such as Canada, Greece, India and the Philippines, have new counter-terrorism laws or proposed legislation in various stages of consideration. We have met with officials of some of these countries to discuss US anti-terrorism laws like AEDPA and to exchange ideas and suggestions,” Coordinator for Counter-Terrorism in US State Department Francis Taylor said yesterday.

The world has changed after the terrorist attacks on September 11 from our close neighbours Canada and Mexico to countries as far away as Australia, Zimbabwe, India and Pakistan, Mr Taylor told a “National Foreign Policy Conference for Leaders of Non-Governmental Organisations”.

Under its Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (AEDPA), the USA has so far frozen $ 4 million of organisations supporting terrorism.

President George W. Bush yesterday signed another tough anti-terrorism Bill under which it was a criminal offence for the people under the US jurisdiction to knowingly contribute funds or other support material to the Foreign Terrorist Organisations (designated by the State Department), he said.

Using this and other legislations as potential models, the USA has urged other countries to tighten up their laws and regulations to curb terrorist fund-raising and money transfers, Mr Taylor said. PTI

Avoid civilian casualties: Amnesty

London, October 27
Amnesty International has called upon the US military to strengthen measures to ensure that civilians are not killed in the military action in Afghanistan, to investigate thoroughly reports of such incidents and make public their findings.

The organisation also sought a moratorium on the use of cluster bombs, an Amnesty International note said today.

“Every civilian victim of the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan adds to years of killings, repression, displacement and hunger. The human cost of the conflict continues to mount and increasing reports of civilian casualties allegedly arising from US-led military action are a cause for grave concern,” the human rights watchdog said.

“US officials have admitted that a number of civilian targets have been hit as a result of error. However, the lack of public information on such attacks is disturbing,” it said.

Amnesty International said it has already asked the US authorities to investigate a number of attacks, including the air attack on October 12 on the village of Khorum, where a number of civilians were reportedly killed, and the attack on October 16 on Red Cross warehouses in Kabul.

Calling for a moratorium on the use of cluster bombs, the Amnesty International said such a moratorium was necessary pending an international review of their use due to take place in December in Geneva at the Second Review Conference of the UN Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons.

“If cluster bombs continue to be used, civilians will not only suffer now but for years to come,” Amnesty International warned. PTI

War forces women into prostitution

Quetta, October 27
It’s not hard finding customers. Yasmeen simply walks slowly through a stretch of the bazar that’s known as an area where women are bought and sold, just like the goods tacked in market stalls around them.

Yasmeen is an Afghan refugee, a mother of eight children, and knows of no way other than prostitution that she can feed her family. In Pakistan, the number of women like her is growing as the war in Afghanistan sends desperate refugees flooding across the border. AP

Detained Indians in USA stump FBI

New York, October 27
Detained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for their possible but yet unproved role in the US terror attacks, two Indians have raised several curious questions for investigators.

On September 12, Ayub Ali Khan and Mohammed Jaweed Azmath from Jersey City were pulled off a train in Texas and found with two box cutters, black hair dye and $5,600 in cash. Weeks later, while their role in the September 11 attacks remains unresolved, questions are now being raised about a link, however convoluted, to the anthrax scare.

Last week the FBI began testing documents from their apartment in Jersey City for signs of anthrax after reporters spotted two magazines with cover stories on poison gas and biological weapons there.

The Wall Street Journal reported that it had examined the apartment and found 1995 issues of Time and US News & World Report with cover stories on biological weapons and the sarin gas attack in Tokyo.

Incidentally, the FBI had not seized the magazines during its September 15 search of the apartment.

According to the Times, while the FBI doubts that the men did actually play a role in the anthrax attacks, their roommate in Jersey City, Mohammad Aslam Pervez, who has also been detained in the terrorism investigation, once worked at a newsstand in Trenton, New Jersey and lived near the post office where the letters carrying anthrax were processed.

The first anthrax letter mailed from Trenton was postmarked September 18. This, however, was several days after the three men were already in custody.

Investigations have revealed that Khan, (34) and Azmath, in his early 30s, helped manage five news stands at a Newark train station, with Pervez, (37) a naturalized American citizen from Pakistan.

Pervez has been charged with lying to federal agents when they questioned him about more than $110,000 in checks and money orders. IANS

Don’t harass Sikhs, US airports told
K.S. Chawla

THE Department of Transport (DOT), USA, has directed the security staff at the airports in America to ensure that no harassment is caused to the American Sikhs while they are travelling by air. The DOT issued instructions in this regard to the staff on October 12 in the wake of reports of discrimination against the American Sikhs at the airports.

The Sikhs were asked to remove their turbans for security checks and their hair were also checked. This caused harassment and resentment among the Sikhs living in the USA.

Mr Jagmohan Singh, General Secretary, Akali Dal (Amritsar), while giving this information here today called upon the Bush administration in the USA, to take positive and effective steps to stop the discrimination against the Sikhs.

Mr Jagmohan Singh also revealed some incidents wherein Sikhs were asked to take off their turbans by domestic airlines.

According to him, Mr Inderpal Singh Gumer, travelling on October 18 by a US flight from Hartfold to Philadelphia en route to Houston, had to remove his turban to board the flight despite showing the necessary documents.

Similarly, Mr Narinder Singh travelling from Boston Logan to Washington Dulles on October 3, said he had flown on about eight flights since the attack and had been stopped five times. “Random searches” at US airports continue to plague “foreigners” especially Sikhs, he has reported.

Mr Satpaul Kohli who travelled on October 22 from Albuquerque to Los Angeles was checked by Southwest Airlines security staff and made to take off his turban despite repeated pleas that this was not desirable.

Mr Kohli writes, ‘My turban was removed in full view of the passengers and the airport staff. In my whole life, I have never been humiliated like this. After checking my turban and hair, they allowed me to board the flight.’

The department of Transport has in its circular to the airports stated, “Discrimination on the basis of national origin or religion includes discrimination again someone based solely on appearance or dress that is associated with a particular national origin or religion. Selecting a man for an inspection solely because he is wearing a turban, as some Sikh men do, is unlawful discrimination. Beware of inspection/search practices that might be offensive. During an inspection asking a woman to remove her veil or hair covering may be offensive and could violate her religious tenets and asking a Sikh man to remove his turban could violate his religious tenets.”

According to Mr Jagmohan Singh The British House of Lords ruled on March 24, 1983, that Sikhs are “ethnic group, almost a race and almost a nation” and, therefore, entitled to protection under the 1976 Race Relations Act. The five-man Bench of the highest court in the land consisted of Lord Fraser of Tullybelton, Lord Edmonf-Davis, Lord Roskill Lord Brandon of Oakbrook and Lord Templeman. It allowed the appeal of the Commission of Racial Equality and of Sardar Sea Singh Mandla whose son, Gurinder Singh, was refused admission to a school by a Birmingham headmaster unless he gave up the turban and cut his hair short to confirm with school uniform regulations.

Meanwhile, SMART (the Sikh Media Watch and Resource Task Force), a national Sikh advocacy in the USA, has started sensitivity training at airports in America. The SMART conducted the first such sensitivity training at Albany Airport on October 25 in response to one of the first incidents of racial profiling of a sikh traveller that occurred at Albany Airport on October 8. The training covers the topics of Sikh history and beliefs, the five articles of Sikh faith and reasonable protocol for performing security checks on Sikh passengers. SMART believes that the most effective way to prevent further incidents of harassment is by educating the airport staff about the Sikh faith.

India, Germany to focus on terrorism

Berlin, October 27
India and Germany are set to formulate a common strategy in their fight against terrorism as a part of the ongoing global effort during the three-day visit of German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder to New Delhi beginning tomorrow.

Besides cementing the bilateral ties, the talks between Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and the German Chancellor are expected to focus on regional and international issues, particularly the evolving security scenario in Afghanistan and measures to jointly combat the growing menace of global terrorism.

“Both countries will have to concentrate on the situation in Afghanistan. While Germany has endorsed the US-led alliance against terrorism, India is already a strong partner in the anti-terrorism campaign,” Director-General for International Affairs in the Press and Information Office of Germany, Hans Henning Horstmann told a group of visiting Indian newsmen here today.

A key member of the European Union and NATO, Germany is a leading player in the global coalition against terrorism and has already pledged military support to the US campaign. PTI

UN convention on terrorism postponed

United Nations, October 27
Adoption of an India-initiated comprehensive convention against terrorism by the United Nations has been put on the back burner as a General Assembly panel failed to meet the deadline to produce a consensus draft mainly due to sharp differences between most Muslim nations and the rest over the definition of terrorism.

After two weeks of intensive discussion to hammer out differences, diplomats dispersed yesterday admitting failure after it became clear that it was not possible to reach a consensus in the current deliberations, which dashed hopes of a quickly negotiated convention raised in the wake of September 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington.

The panel will submit its report to the General Assembly and it is not clear whether it would hold discussion during the intervening period and exactly what would it tell the General Assembly.

The negotiations got bogged down as some countries sought to differentiate between terrorism and what they called “national liberation movements.” Kashmir and the Middle East were the sticking points.

While most of the countries expressed strong views that terrorism is not justified under any circumstance, some countries, including Pakistan, wanted to change the language in a way that it would justify terrorist actions in Kashmir and suicide bombings in the Middle East.

The Assembly usually strives to achieve consensus on such matters and avoid voting, which shows the split among the member states. PTI

Hindus will be protected, Khaleda assures Mishra

Dhaka, October 27
Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia tonight assured Indian Premier Atal Behari Vajpayee’s special envoy that her government would protect the minority Hindus who came under attacks in that country in recent weeks and raise bilateral cooperation to a higher level.

The assurances were given by Ms Zia to the envoy, Mr Brajesh Mishra, during a 45-minute meeting at her residence in Dhaka cantonment here in the first high-level contact between the two countries since the change of guard in Bangladesh effected by the October 1 General Election.

Emerging from the meeting, Mr Mishra said he handed over to Ms Zia a letter from Mr Vajpayee. He did not divulge its contents.

During the meeting, the Indian special envoy articulated New Delhi’s concerns over the spate of attacks on minorities in Bangladesh soon after the elections.

Responding to the concerns, Ms Zia said her government would safeguard the minorities and prevent recurrence of the attacks.

Mr Mishra said the possibility of export of natural gas from Bangladesh to India came up during wide-ranging discussion with Ms Zia but did not give out details on an issue politically sensitive in Bangladesh.

Ms Zia said she would move Bangladesh’s relationship and collaboration with India to a higher level.

The Zia-Mishra meeting rounded off Mr Mishra’s day-long visit to Bangladesh during which he also held talks with Foreign Minister A.Q.M. Baddrudoza Choudhury and Leader of the Opposition and Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina.

The economic cooperation formed the main component of Mr Mishra’s talks with Ms Zia.

The Bangladesh Prime Minister is learnt to have hinted at the possibility of exporting gas to India but said government was mulling over the quantum.

Mr Mishra, on his part, is understood to have conveyed to Ms Zia that India would be keen to know the Bangladesh Government’s decision as early as possible.

The issue of attacks on Hindus is understood to have come up for discussion between Mr Mishra and Baddrudoza Choudhury also in the afternoon and with Hasina late in the evening.

The Bangladesh Foreign Minister condemned the attacks on minorities and assured the government would do everything to prevent their recurrence.

However, Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Shamsher Mobin Choudhury told reporters that the issue of attacks on minorities did not figure at the talks. PTI

Patent rights: WTO round in doldrums

Washington, October 27
Joined by India and dozens of developing countries, Brazil is seeking a declaration at the WTO meeting at Doha next month that “nothing in the intellectual property agreement shall prevent governments from taking measures to protect public health.”

In the present anthrax crisis, Canada used its constitutional powers to override patent rights of the German multinational Bayer and the USA forced the company to cut its already discounted price of $ 1.77 for the government against $ 4 to $ 5 for the public to 95 cents.

Earlier, over the AIDS crisis, South Africa imported generics from India and Brazil at 1/50 of the price charged by multinationals.

However, the Washington Post daily said the USA held that if Brazil, India and others succeed in Doha over patent rights, it would prevent chances of another trade round. That is because the right to override patent rights is only for a limited period under the Uruguay round where developing countries were persuaded easily to go against their interests either due to lack of experience or inability.

The Bush administration, according to the Post is prepared to extend for 10 years the present exemption under the national interest clause. However, many developing countries are unwilling to mortgage their future after 2016.

A US trade official said the language proposed by Brazil and its allies “is much broader and would really undo” the rules protecting patents. The language proposed by Brazil with the backing of India and other countries is strongly opposed by the USA, Switzerland, Japan and Australia among others.

“In part,” said the Post, “the Brazilian language reflects the unhappiness within the developing world with the intellectual property rules.

Many officials in developing countries, along with some western trade experts, contend that the intellectual property part of the pact bestows enormous economic benefits on advanced countries where sophisticated products are developed, while imposing great costs on poor nations.”

The paper said it was not clear how far Brazil and its allies were prepared to go. “Brazil is eager to secure concessions on agricultural trade from the USA and the European Union, so it may accept a compromise that would allow a new round to be launched.” “We hope that we can find common ground,” said Rubens Barbosa, Brazil’s Ambassador to the USA. “But this is a very important issue to us, the relationship between health and patents.”

Developing countries point out that the pharmaceutical giants and their government backers forget that much of their fortune is built on plant and other wealth of the developing countries for which they did not pay a penny. PTI

Anti-globalisation groups protest in Hong Kong

Hong Kong, October 27
Anti-globalisation activists meeting in Hong Kong on Saturday ahead of the World Economic Forum said the agenda of big business was increasing the problems of unemployment and poverty for many developing countries.

“The corporate free market (agenda) means for us a disaster to the agricultural sector,” Rafael Mariano, chair of the Peasant Movement of the Philippines, told the alternative forum to next week’s WEF East Asia summit.

“The Philippines is drowning in cheap imports,” he said to around 100 activists from Hong Kong and Southeast Asia who met on Saturday at a local university for the forum organised by local alliance Solidarity and Resistance to Globalisation (SRG).

The SRG also plans a march against the October 29-31 summit.

Mariano said the powerful countries demanded further economic and market liberalisation in underdeveloped countries but maintained quantitative restrictions on their own imports, and others said the power of businesses was growing.

“I think essentially we can look at globalisation as another wave of colonialism in the old fashioned sense, to exploit people and make a profit,” Aziz Choudry, of the New Zealand-based GATT Watchdog, told the conference.

“People are increasingly living with governments deeply influenced by the whims of a small handful of business inputs.”

He cited a report by the US-based Institute for Policy Studies which found that by 1999, the top 200 companies accounted for over a quarter of the world’s total economic activity but provided jobs for only 0.75 per cent of the world’s workforce. Reuters

Quakes jolt NY, Australia, China

New York, October 27
New York City was rattled early today by a mild earthquake measuring 2.6 on the Richter scale, US seismologists reported.

The United States Geological Survey, which tracks seismic activity, said the temblor was centred in midtown Manhattan not far from Central Park. While the quake was considered mild, it was one of the most powerful temblors ever to strike Manhattan.

SYDNEY: A strong earthquake struck eastern Australia on Saturday, toppling chimneys and causing temporary power outages. There were no reports of injuries.

Kevin McCue of the Australian Seismology Centre in Canberra said the magnitude-5 temblor hit the border region between New South Wales and Victoria states.

BEIJING: Scores of houses were destroyed when a strong earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale jolted Yongsheng county in south-west China’s Yunnan province on Saturday, an official report said. Agencies