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| January 11, 2007 | Thursday | Zilhaj 20, 1427 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
Afghan, NATO forces kill 150 militants KABUL, Jan 11 (AFP) NATO-led and Afghan forces killed up to 150 insurgents overnight, NATO's International Security Assistance Force said Thursday. The men, in two large groups, were monitored and tracked and then hit with air and ground fire in a series of engagements in the eastern province of Paktika, it said. “Initial battle damage estimates indicate as many as 150 insurgents were killed,” the statement said. The Afghan defence ministry said earlier that around 80 suspected militants were killed. (FirstPosted @ 12:55 PST, Updated@ 13:45 PST)
Pakistan army destroys trucks in North Waziristan ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Jan 11 (AP) Pakistan army destroyed several supply trucks used by suspected militants in the North Waziristan tribal region with mortars and artillery late Wednesday, after intelligence provided by the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan said that they were being used for a cross-border raid, a Pakistan military spokesman said Thursday. Spokesman Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan said that Pakistani forces that went to the scene on Thursday morning found heavy weapons including rockets and rocket launchers but no bodies. A U.S. military spokesman in Afghanistan confirmed that NATO forces shared intelligence with the Pakistan military. Sultan said the action was not a violation of the September peace deal with the tribals of the region, and added that the suspects had in fact violated a nighttime curfew enforced within five kilometers of the border. (First Posted @ 21:14 PST Updated @ 22:16 PST)
NATO commander praises Pakistan for halting militants ISLAMABAD, Jan 11 (AFP) The top NATO commander in Afghanistan said Thursday Pakistan's heavy troop deployment along the Pak-Afghan border had helped reduce militant activities in Afghanistan. British General David Richards paid tribute to Pakistan's efforts in stemming the violence in the neighbouring country. “The reduction of incidents in Afghanistan since the autumn, however, has much to do with activities on this (Pakistan) side of the border,” he. The commission meeting was also attended by Afghan army chief General Bismullah Khan, vice chief of Pakistan army, General Ahsan Saleem Hayat and other senior defence officials. (Posted @ 21:10 PST)
President Musharraf underlines resolve to combat extremism ISLAMABAD, Jan 11 (APP) President General Pervez Musharraf on Thursday presided over a high-level meeting to review the overall law and order situation in the country. The president directed the provincial governments to ensure that all places of worship refrained from spreading hatred, sectarianism and extremism. He called for strict implementation of laws to restrict the use of loudspeaker at mosques only for the purpose of ‘Azan’ and 'Khutba'. Musharraf also underscored the need for targeting sources that spread hate material and gave orders to sternly deal with the printers, publishers and the distributors of such material, including CDs, pamphlets, brochures and booklets. The president said that all extremists and sectarian organizations involved in collection of funds must also be checked and the issue of encroachment of public land on the pretext of constructing places of worship should also be dealt with sternly. (Posted @ 22:04 PST)
Pakistan handed over G-77 Chairmanship UNITED NATIONS, Jan 11 (APP) Pakistan on Wednesday was given the Chairmanship of the Group of 77 and China from South Africa. Speaking at the handing over ceremony, Pakistan Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Makhdum Khusro Bakhtyar, called for a mechanism at the U.N. to evaluate the commitments made by the developed countries to provide financial transfers, trade openings and technology access to the developing world. Bakhtyar pledged to safeguard the “fundamental rights and interests” of its members in the U.N. reform process. He also stressed the need to strengthen the South-South Cooperation(SSC). UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed Pakistan’s assumption of the chair for the third time, and said he was looking forward to Pakistani UN Ambassador Munir Akram's leadership. (First Posted @ 10:55 PST Updated @ 23:50 PST)
Afghan warlord says he helped bin Laden escape ISLAMABAD, Jan 11 (Reuters) An Afghan rebel leader wanted by the United States claimed credit for helping Osama bin Laden and his deputy Ayman al-Zawahri escape a massive U.S.-led hunt from the Tora Bora region in late 2001. Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, a former Afghan prime minister in early 1990s, also said in an interview aired on a Pakistani private channel on Thursday that his Hizb-e-Islami group had no organisational link with al Qaeda or Taliban though he had tried to ally with the Taliban. (Posted @ 22:54 PST)
Cricket: Boucher claims world catching record CENTURION, South Africa, Jan 11 (AFP) South African wicketkeeper Mark Boucher claimed a world record for Test catches on the first day of the first Test against Pakistan at Centurion Park Thursday. Playing in his 100th Test, Boucher took his 367th catch when he held a simple chance from Faisal Iqbal, his second victim in Pakistan's innings. Boucher moved ahead of Australia's Ian Healy, who took 366 catches in 119 matches. (Posted @ 21:04 PST)
Cricket-Pakistan 242-5 in first innings against South Africa CENTURION, South Africa, Jan 11 (AP) Scores at stumps after bad light stopped play Thursday at Centurion Park on day one of the first of three tests between South Africa and Pakistan: Pakistan, 1st Innings 242-5 (Yasir 65, Younis 68, Inzamam 35 n.o., Kamran 18 n.o.; Ntini 18-2-52-2, Nel 20-3-66-1, Pollock 18-5-38-1, Kallis 15-3-55-1) (Posted @ 21:02 PST)
Paksitan Rangers meet Indian BSF officials KARACHI, Jan 11 (APP) A high-level delegation of Pakistan Rangers on Thursday met Indian Border Security Force officials at Monabao, India. The four-hour meeting discussed matters related to the joint patrolling of the border, defence construction, adjustment of security lights, issues related to inadvertent border crossings and counter measures to tackle smuggling of drugs and contraband items. (Posted @ 20:54 PST)
Pakistan, UAE agree to enhance bilateral ties RAHIM YAR KHAN, Jan 11 (APP) Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz met the United Arab Emirates (UAE) President, Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, in Rahim Yar Khan on Thursday, who was in the country on a private visit. Both leaders held wide-ranging discussions on regional and international issues, and agreed to expand their bilateral cooperation in the fields of energy, trade, manpower, defence and security sectors. Aziz later bid farewell to the UAE president at the airport. (Posted @ 20:50 PST)
Bangladesh declares state of emergency DHAKA, Jan 11 (Reuters) Bangladesh on Thursday declared a state of emergency and imposed a daily curfew from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m., state television said. “The president will address the nation over television and radio tonight,” Bangladesh television added. The United Nations on Thursday said it had suspended all technical support for the elections, while the European Commission said it had also decided to suspend its poll observation mission. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged the army to stay neutral. Awami League leader Shiekh Hasina brushed off the curfew. “We are not afraid. We will declare a new action programme after assessing the situation,” she told her party members at her Dhaka residence on Thursday evening. (Posted @ 20:16 PST)
Former Indian cricketer Sidhu jailed CHANDIGARH, India, Jan 11 (Reuters) Former Indian cricketer and politician Navjot Singh Sidhu was jailed on Thursday after he surrendered before a court following his conviction for a 1988 road-rage killing, his lawyer said. Sidhu will remain in judicial custody in Patiala jail for 14 days. His appeal against his conviction comes up for hearing in the Supreme Court on Friday. (Posted @ 20:10 PST)
U.S. forces raid Iranian consulate in Iraq ARBIL, Iraq, Jan 11(Reuters) U.S. forces stormed an Iranian consular office in the northern city of Arbil early on Thursday and arrested five people, including diplomats and staff, Iranian officials said. The U.S. military made no direct mention of Iranians but in answer to a query issued a statement saying six “individuals” were arrested during “routine” operations in the area. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini condemned the raid. (First Posted @ 14:20 PST Updated @ 20:08 PST)
Russia says its embassy in Iraq raked with gunfire MOSCOW, Jan 11(Reuters) Gunmen fired on the Russian embassy in Baghdad late on Wednesday, Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Thursday, but no casualties or injuries were reported. Russia called in Iraq's ambassador to Moscow and a high-ranking American official to complain about the attack. (Posted @ 20:06 PST)
”Chemical Ali” says he ordered Kurd villages cleared BAGHDAD, Jan 11(Reuters) Saddam Hussein's cousin, Hassan al-Majeed, known as “Chemical Ali”, told a court trying him for genocide on Thursday that he ordered troops to “execute” all those who ignored government orders to leave villages during a military operation against Kurds in 1988. Majeed and five former senior Baath party official are being tried for their roles in the 1988 Anfal military campaign in which prosecutors say up to 180,000 people were killed, many of them gassed. (Posted @ 20:02 PST)
Israel's Olmert meets China's Hu BEIJING, Jan 11(Reuters) Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert urged Chinese President Hu Jintao in talks on Thursday to stand firm on preventing Iran from attaining nuclear arms, one of Olmert’s aide said. Hu's office had no immediate comment on the talks. (Posted @ 20:00 PST)
Rice offers to meet Iran if it gives up enrichment WASHINGTON, Jan 11(Reuters) U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Thursday she was ready to meet “any time, anywhere” with Iran's leadership if it suspended its enrichment of uranium. Rice told a news conference that if such a meeting took place, both sides could discuss “every facet” of their relationship. (Posted @ 19:58 PST)
Pakistan turns to contraceptives to slow birth rate ISLAMABAD, Jan 11 (Reuters) Pakistan on Thursday launched a project to promote contraception in urban and industrial areas. Population and Welfare Minister Chaudhry Shahbaz Hussain told reporters in Islamabad that the project will involve not only the provision of contraceptives and sex education material, but also the appointment of trained medical staff at factories. The ministry has also begun educating 12,000 clerics use their pulpits to spread the message on the benefits of having smaller families, the minister added. (Posted @ 19:56 PST)
Police kill four gunmen in southern Russia MAKHACHKALA, Russia, Jan 11 (Reuters) Russian special forces battled a group of gunmen on Thursday and killed four fighters hiding in a residential tower block in the capital of the southern republic of Dagestan which borders Chechnya, television footage showed. Officials declined to confirm the death toll as reports of gunfire continued to pour in from the area. (Posted @ 19:52 PST)
Three al Qaeda suspects survive U.S. strike in Somalia NAIROBI, Jan 11(Reuters) A U.S. air strike on Somalia three days ago killed up to ten al Qaeda-affiliated “terrorists”, but three of the most wanted suspects survived, a senior U.S. official said on Thursday. (Posted @ 19:42 PST)
Gates to urge boosting US military by 92,000 WASHINGTON, Jan 11(Reuters) U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Thursday he would recommend to President George W. Bush to increase the Army and Marine Corps by 92,000 troops over the next five years for the long-term fight against terrorism. At a White House news conference to detail Bush's plan for changing course in the Iraq war, he proposed increasing the Army by 65,000 soldiers and Marines by 27,000. (Posted @ 19:38 PST)
Twenty children die of pneumonia in northwestern Pakistan ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Jan 11 (AP) Twenty children from families displaced by a massive earthquake have died of pneumonia and dysentery during a burst of cold weather in the mountains of northwestern Pakistan, an official said Thursday. The victims, aged from 2 months to 7 years, died in the past week, suffering coughing, chest congestion and dysentery, in eight villages in the district of Mansehra, said an official in the affected area. (Posted @ 18:48 PST)
Ex Guantanamo inmates accuse Britain of abandoning them TOKYO, Jan 11 (AFP) Two British former Guantanamo Bay inmates accused their government Thursday of abandoning them “to rot in cages” in the US detention camp where they suffered repeated abuse. Shafiq Rasul, 29, told a press conference to mark five years of Guantanamo Bay, that at the prison he was chained to the floor with his hands between his legs and left for hours to endure loud music. Strobe lights would flash for hours, they said. “Eventually you start imagining things and you would start hallucinating,” said Ruhal Ahmed, 25. The two British nationals of Pakistani descent said they were mistaken for terrorists after crossing over the border before the war began from Pakistan where they were attending a friend's wedding. (Posted @ 18:10 PST)
Pakistan border crossing closed after Afghan protest CHAMAN, Pakistan, Jan 11 (AFP) A main border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan was closed Thursday after protests by thousands of Afghans against controls on cross-frontier movement, officials said. Thousands of Afghan tribesmen gathered in Spin Boldak, close to the border in southern Afghanistan and opposite Pakistani town Chaman, and threw stones at the gates, forcing authorities to close the border, witnesses said. The commander of Pakistani border troops confirmed the closure. (Posted @ 17:55 PST)
Somali elders say 100 killed in US air strikes MOGADISHU, Jan 11 (AFP) Clan elders and residents in southern Somalia said Thursday that about 100 civilians were killed this week in US and Ethiopian air strikes on suspected Al-Qaeda targets in the region. Sheikh Abdullahi Ali Malabon, an elder in the Afmadow area, said 100 bodies,most of them civilians, had been counted. “Many others were wounded but we don't have an exact umber,” he said. (Posted @ 17:20 PST)
US media skeptical of Bush's Iraq plan WASHINGTON, Jan 11 (AFP) President Bush’s new Iraq plan is “very risky” and “likely to cause a spike in US casualties, while the chances that it will stabilize Iraq are far lower,” the Washington Post wrote in its main editorial. The plan “is likely to touch off a more dangerous phase of the war, featuring months of fighting” in the streets of Baghdad that “could put US military commanders in exactly the sort of tough urban fight” that war planners tried to avoid during the 2003 invasion, a Post analysis piece said. The main New York Times analysis piece said that Bush was taking a “calculated gamble” that the US public will give him more time to turn the war around. The Maliki government fears more US troops, especially in Baghdad, will conflict with the government's desire to run the war as they want, according to the Times article. (Posted @ 17:18 PST)
Pakistan's commitment to fighting terrorism genuine: US KABUL, Afghanistan, Jan 10 (AP) Pakistan's commitment to fighting terrorism is genuine and the country remains an important ally of the United States, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia said Thursday. Richard Boucher told reporters in Kabul that Pakistan “is committed to this not just because we are all concerned about terrorism, but because of the commitment that they have ... of orienting Pakistan in a different direction”. Boucher said “the issue to us is the control of the border and control of the border areas…Pakistan does not want to see al-Qaida, Taliban operating in Pakistan and they are taking a series of steps ... to try to control those areas better and we are supporting that,” he said. (Posted @ 16:28 PST)
Six Iraqis killed in Baghdad attacks BAGHDAD, Jan 11 (AFP) Six Iraqis were shot dead, including five police officers, in Baghdad attacks Thursday. The five policemen were killed when gunmen ambushed them in al-Khadra neighbourhood in western Baghdad, said a security source and a medical official at the Yarmuk hospital. Another man was killed and two others wounded when armed men barged into a money changer's outlet in downtown Baghdad, a security source said.(Posted @ 15:00 PST)
Three blasts jolt southern Iran TEHRAN, Jan 11 (Reuters) Three strong explosions jolted southern Iran Thursday, the Fars news agency reported, but gave no information about possible casualties. “Three explosions were so strong that they shook windows of houses,” the agency said, adding that the explosions happened in Khorramshahr in the border province of Khuzestan.(Posted @ 14:30 PST)
Military overruns Tiger base in eastern Sri Lanka, killing four rebels COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, Jan 11 (AP) The Sri Lankan military said Thursday its anti-terrorist commandoes captured a Tamil Tiger base in eastern Ampara, killing at least four rebels, a military spokesman, said.(Posted @ 12:55 PST)
Bush admits mistakes, sends 20,000 more troops to Iraq WASHINGTON, Jan 11 (AFP) US President George W. Bush Wednesday ordered more than 20,000 more troops into Iraq, as he admitted to mistakes there and warned Iraqi leaders they would lose US support if they failed to quell the violence. In a televised address, the US leader said the Iraqi government planned to take control of security nationwide by November and pledged to hit hard at Iranian and Syrian elements he blamed for destabilizing Iraq. “I have committed more than 20,000 additional American troops to Iraq,” Bush said in the address live from the White House on the war which has now killed more than 3,000 US troops. “The violence in Iraq is unacceptable to the American people and it is unacceptable to me,” Bush said. “Where mistakes have been made, the responsibility rests with me,” he added. “To step back now would force a collapse of the Iraqi government, tear that country apart, and result in mass killings on an unimaginable scale.” While standing fast by his refusal to set a timetable for a US withdrawal, Bush also warned Iraq's leaders that “America's commitment is not open-ended” and that they must act on pledges to crack down on violence. “Our past efforts to secure Baghdad failed for two principal reasons,” Bush said. “There were not enough Iraqi and American troops to secure neighbourhoods that had been cleared of terrorists and insurgents. And there were too many restrictions on the troops we did have,” Bush said.(Posted @ 09:00 PST)
Nine suspected Taliban killed in clash with NATO troops in southern Afghanistan KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, Jan 11 (AP) NATO and Afghan troops clashed with suspected Taliban guerrillas in the village of Gereshk in Afghanistan’s Helmand province, killing nine militants Wednesday, officials said Thursday. The coalition forces also called in airstrikes on Taliban positions during the clash, police said, adding that among those killed was a local Taliban group commander identified as Mullah Faqir Mohammad. One Afghan soldier was wounded in the incident.(Posted @ 11:45 PST)
US soldier killed in Iraq BAGHDAD, Jan 11 (AFP) Insurgents killed a US soldier outside the town of Fallujah in western Iraq, the military said Thursday. The soldier was killed Wednesday during combat operations, it said.(Posted @ 11:30 PST)
Congressional Democratic reaction to Bush’s Iraq speech WASHINGTON, Jan 11 (Reuters) In response to U.S. President George W. Bush’s announcement Wednesday that he was sending about 21,500 extra troops to Iraq, and that he would also put more pressure on Iraqis to restore order, the new congressional democratic leaders, House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate majority leader Harry Reid, House majority leader Steny Hoyer and Senate Assistant Democratic leader Richard Durbin, said in a joint statement: “In the days ahead, Congress will exercise its Constitutional responsibilities by giving the President's latest proposal the scrutiny our troops and the American people expect. We will demand answers to the tough questions that have not been asked or answered to date. The American people want a change of course in Iraq. We intend to keep pressing President Bush to provide it.”(Posted @ 10:00 PST)
US to deploy Patriot missiles in Mideast: Bush WASHINGTON, Jan 11 (AFP) The United States will deploy Patriot anti-missile systems in the Middle East as part of its efforts to stabilize the region, US President George W. Bush said Wednesday. In a speech announcing his latest strategy to tame Iraq, Bush said he had recently ordered the deployment of an additional carrier strike group to the Middle East. “We will expand intelligence sharing - and deploy Patriot air defence systems to reassure our friends and allies,” the president said, without giving any details. The United States will also name a reconstruction coordinator in Iraq as part of its latest plan to quell violence there, Bush said: “Secretary (of State Condoleezza) Rice will soon appoint a reconstruction coordinator in Baghdad to ensure better results for economic assistance being spent in Iraq.”(Posted @ 10:00 PST)
Britain to pull out 2,700 troops from Iraq by end of May LONDON, Jan 11 (AFP) Britain will pull out around 2,700 of its troops from southern Iraq by the end of May, The Daily Telegraph reported Thursday. Citing a timetable for British withdrawal from Iraq that had been disclosed to it, the newspaper said that the number of British soldiers in Iraq will drop to 4,500 by May 31, compared to the current level of around 7,200. However, a spokesman for the Ministry of Defence declined to comment on the specifics of the report. According to the Telegraph, British Prime Minister Tony Blair will announce the decision within the next two weeks.(Posted @ 09:10 PST)
Karachi Stocks down 15.72 points: KARACHI, Jan 11: At close of trading the KSE-100 index was at 10358.64 , down 15.72 points. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:20 PST)
Forex update: KARACHI, Jan 11: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at Rs 61 to the US Dollar in the open market. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 14:20 PST)
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