Author Archives: Gunjan Priya

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Kucinich institutes suit against U.S. over Libya

A member of the US congress Dennis Kucinich has instituted a case at federal court against the US government over its involvement in Libya war. The antiwar rep said that the US has breached the law by engaging in the operations without the approval of the congress. He described the actions of the US government as unconstitutional and pleads with the court to stop the military action.

The law maker was supported in the suit by another anti war law maker Walter Jones who represents North Carolina. He is a long time war critic; he is criticizing the government for sending American soldiers to war in Libya without seeking the approval of the congress. The law makers asked the court to stop the soldiers from engaging in the war saying that the law was violated.

Since the NATO engagement in Libya the congress was critical of the involvement of US without congressional approval and they have been increasingly unease over the involvements.

Congress has passed a resolution asking the white house to furnish them with a report about the war they are waging in Libya. The House speaker had reminded white house the 90 days allowed by law for US soldiers to be in operation without congressional approval was over.

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Syrians flee fearing military tanks shifting

As Syrian government continued to roll its military tanks to many parts of the country some residents of Maarat al-Numan have fled their country. The citizens moved as tanks moved to Maarat al-Numan; they are fleeing the homes for the fear that the military will massacre them in their country. The government has also planned to carry out some military operations in the northern part of the country.

Their fear was confirmed when the head of the military political department confirmed that they have planned for an operation in some parts of the country adding that soldiers have surrounded some towns in the northern part of the country.

Major General Riad Haddad confirmed that the action of the military is aimed at flushing out the gunmen who were terrorizing people in the communities. It is not yet clear whether the military had entered the communities but observers said that there is an imminent humanitarian crisis in the area as thousands of people are pouring out from all directions of the city to escape the expected military assault.

People are moving out with all types of household items such as beds, blankets, bed sheet, cooking materials among other things. The Syrian government has been using extreme forces against protesters who are demanding for regime change in the country.

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U.S. diplomat to protect Bahrain Detainees

A US envoy had made case for the protection of Bahrain detainees. This appeal is coming on the background of reported abuse of rights of Shiite led protesters who were asking for extensive reforms in the country. The protest led to heavy crackdown in the country. The US government was disturbed over the crackdown and is asking the government to be mindful of human rights of the detainees.

US state department is optimistic that the proposed talk next month between the Sunni led government and the opposition will yield the expected result. The numbers of people who have lost their lives since the crackdown of the protesters started in February were put to about 31 people. Many pro democrats in the country were surprised that the US government is not punishing the Bahrain Monarch for the harsh crackdown of the opposition.

The silence of the US and other Arab nations over the crackdown of the Shiite protesters is for the fact that they are afraid of the role the Shiite regime in Iran is playing in the Arab world. They are afraid the success of Shiites may empower the Shiites in Iran to have more influence in the Arab world. But the Shiites in Bahrain constitute more than 70 percent of the Bahrain population. They claimed that they are being marginalized in all aspects of governance and development of the country.

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Indonesia support French minister Lagarge for top IMF job

The finance minister of France who is one of the leading contestants for the IMF top job has received the endorsement of Indonesia for the job. This has further stretched the lead of Mrs. Christine Lagarde. Indonesia is the first country in the developing economy that has backed her bid publicly.

The entrance into the race in the 11th hour of a former central bank governor in Israel Stanley Fischer may not whittle down the lead of Lagarge in the race. Lagarge had already received the backing of the European Union for the top IMF job. She also had the support of other smaller countries but had needed the support of the bigger emerging economies to back her candidacy.

The development in Jakarta is very interesting because the region had resolved to present a candidate for the top IMF job. Other smaller countries who are members of IMF have always being critical of the European domination of IMF when it comes to the position of the top job.

The entrance of Fischer into the race has made the emerging economies to reconsider backing the central bank of Mexico as they see Fischer as a credible candidate. The French finance minister has intensified her campaign by moving to different capitals in the world.

 

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Clinton pledges justice for victims in Tanzania

The United States Secretary of State Mrs. Hillary Rodham Clinton has visited Tanzania as he visited on the memorial of the US embassy bombings in Tanzania. She pledged justice for the victims of the attack.

Mrs. Clinton was visiting a day after the death of the Fazul Mohammed an al Qaeda member and one other who were wanted by the US government in connection with the embassy bombing in Tanzania and Kenya. 224 people were killed in the incident that happened way back in 2004.

Fazul and his colleagues were killed in the Somali capital Mogadishu in fire exchange with security forces. The president of Somalia has said that the security forces in the country are winning the war against al Qaeda militants in his country. President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed said the security forces in Somalia are defeated the al Qaeda and al-shabab militant groups in the country. The president was referring to the militant groups which are in control of the greater part of southern Somalia.

The president descried the death of Mohammed as a big achievement adding that he was the most wanted man in Africa. Mr. Mohammed was said to be running the al Qaeda organization in east Africa from South Somalia. He has hidden in the country for over a decade as a fugitive after being declared wanted by the US government in connection with the embassy bombings in the east Africa.

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Somalis security kills 2 for threatening to bomb U.S. embassy

It has been confirmed that the two men killed by the security officials in Mogadishu on Saturday were the two men who were wanted for the US embassy bombings in Tanzania and Kenya. The two suspects Fazul Abdullah Mohammed and one other were killed at a checkpoint in Mogadishu when they tried to resist police search and attempted to open fire on the police.

The death of Mohammed and his colleague was described as a major blow to the al Qaeda. This is another loss to the organization which is yet to come to terms with the death of Osama Bin Laden last month in Pakistan.

Already the Americans are rejoicing over the death of Mohammed but there are still worries whether the dead person was actually Mohammed. Mrs. Clinton seemed to be convinced that the terrorists were the people killed at the checkpoint.

Until his death Mr. Mohammed was the most wanted man in Africa by the American security officials. The Americans have placed a $5m tag on his head.

The Somali security were said to have fired at the vehicle when it refused to stop for security check and the men had to fire back. The firing power of the security overwhelmed them and Mohammed was killed. The US authority knew that it was Mohammed through the DNA that was carried out.

 

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US Supreme Court confirms ethics laws

The Supreme Court in the United States of America has upheld the Ethic laws. It has reversed the ruling of Nevada High Court ruling on the same matter. The ruling by the Supreme Court means that the members of legislative houses in the country do not have the free right to vote on matters that are having a conflict of interest. In a unanimous decision the court uphold that the first amendment does not cover the legislator that is charged on ethic violation.

The court had ruled in the past that the constitution empowered the legislators with the power to speak freely but excluded the right to vote on matters that have conflict of interest. The court maintained that the right to vote in the legislative houses is a right the legislators are exercise for the people they are representing and not their private right.

This matter arose in the state of Nevada when Michael Carrigan who is a local legislator from Sparks was censored by the Ethics Commission of Nevada for casting a vote in the legislature in favor of hotel and casino project that is said to be owned by his campaign manager. The angle which the commission charged Carrigan is that he violated the state ethic laws adding that the law has required him from voting on the matter because he has a very close relationship with his campaign manager.

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US not to support Indian involvement in Afghanistan in future

The plan by Indian government to help in the training of the new Afghan security may not be a welcomed development. This was contained in a security report that was released in Washington. Even though the Indian government discussed with the Americans on that possibility and was preparing for that, she was told categorically that such action will undermine the security of the region.

According to a release by cable network on February 23, 2010, Y K Singh the joint secretary who was handling Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran issues for foreign ministry told the Americans that it would be a sensitive issue for America but New Delhi is offering to help on her own accord. The Americans believe the cost of having the Indian security to train the Afghanistan security will outweigh the benefits.

The Indian diplomat in the meeting told the US official not to be dragged to the Pakistani game of driving India out of Afghanistan. He told the Americans that while the Pakistani government is more interested in seeing the Indians out of Afghanistan that India will not leave Afghanistan because of its strategic interest to India. The hatred of the Pakistani government against the Indian involvement in Afghanistan was evident in an interview which Pervez Musharaf granted to journalists where he accused Indian of sidelining the Pakistani military.

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Fazul’s death shocks extremist al-Qaeda

American secretary of state Mrs. Hillary Rodham Clinton has described the killing of Fazul Abdullah Mohammed as a deadly blow to al Qaeda. Mr. Mohammed was killed along with other during a shoot out with the police in a s check point in the Somali capital Mogadishu.

Before his death he was the African most wanted man. The sum of $5m bounty was placed on his head by the American government. He was among the people suspected of playing a major role in the bombing of US embassy in the East Africa in the year 1998. That incident led to the death of more than 224 people.

The crime he was accused of participating includes the attack on Israeli interests in 2002. He was also believed to be an active member of an Islamic terror group al-shabab the group is said to be in control of many areas in the southern part of Somalia.

The terror leader was killed in the hand of the transitional federal government in Somalia in Mogadishu the capital of Somalia. This was confirmed by police officials on Saturday. The police report said that the security forces fired at two men who refused to stop for a checkpoint search in the capital.

The official said that a search conducted on their bodies indicated that one of them had a foreign passport. The other items discovered to be in their possession before they were killed include medicine, laptops as well as mobile phones.

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Japanese protests over nuclear power

People of Japan took to the streets with drums and flowers protesting the use of nuclear power plants by the country. The protests took place in Tokyo and the other major streets of Japan on Saturday. The protests came almost three months after devastating nuclear disaster in the country which was triggered off by tsunami.

There has been tension in the country for some weeks now after the authorities revealed that the damages and leakages of the radioactive elements in the nuclear power stations were worse than revealed. Everybody in the country became worried especially the mothers who were worried over their children. Other professionals were worried they would be affected in one way or the other. The citizens of the country were not happy with the prime minister over the government handling of the nuclear crisis.

The nuclear disaster has opened debate in the country whether they actually need to depend on nuclear power plants giving the country topography which made it prone to earthquakes and other natural disasters. Recently the prime minister has directed that a nuclear power plant in central Japan should be shut down until they are able to provide the facilities that would ensure the protection against tsunami.