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7 July 2002 NATO hopefuls quietly confident
Representatives of Eastern European states hoping to join NATO have expressed optimism that an invitation could be on the way. The upbeat mood was in evidence at the close of a two day conference in the Latvian capital, Riga. Candidate countries will not know for sure if they have been accepted, however, until NATO's decision is announced at a summit in Prague in November. And via video link, Czech President Vaclav Havel extended an early welcome to those hoping to hear good news. With Latvia's Eurovision Song Contest winner on hand to provide the entertainment, delegates relaxed after hours of tough talking on how best to live up to NATO entry conditions. Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia are among the front-runners expected to fit the bill, alongside Slovenia, Bulgaria and Romania. |
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Afghan vice president gunned down
One of Afghanistan's three vice presidents is dead after being assassinated by unknown gunmen. It is a major hurdle for the country's fledgling administration to over come. Haji Abdul Qadir's car was riddled with 36 bullets. Both he and his driver died instantly. Two passengers in the back were injured. Ten guards, who had been appointed by Qadir's predecessor, have been arrested. There was speculation the killing could have been carried out by remnants of the Taliban, who viewed Qadir as a betrayer of their Pashtune ethnic group. The veteran warlord from eastern Afghanistan, played a leading role in the downfall of the regime last year. The assassination follows an attempt on the life of the country's interim defence minister in April. While last February, the civil aviation minister was killed in controversial circumstances in which other government ministers were implicated. The deaths illustrate the problems facing president Hamid Kazai- just weeks after the appointment of a cabinet to lead the country out of twenty-three years of war and prepare for elections in 18 months time. |
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US promises formal probe into Afghan deaths
The United States says its policy is not to target civilians, nevertheless, over forty-eight dead and 117 injured, when American bombers hit a wedding party in Afghanistan on Monday. US general Dan McNeil's promised a full inquiry. A joint US Afghan team has already paid a visit to the site, however their findings over the number of casualties were inconclusive, as the dead had already been buried. The compound was reportedly targeted when American planes came under anti-aircraft fire. However villagers in the rugged central province said they were merely firing rifles into the air to celebrate a wedding party, in line with local traditions. A full investigation has been promised to determine exactly what went wrong. The incident has become a public relations disaster for the United States in its continuing effort to flush out al-Qaeda and Taliban forces. However it has also put the Afghan president Hamid Kazai under pressure. Keen to stand side by side with the United States, he needs to convince sceptical Afghans for the continued need of an American military presence. |
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Palestinian Security Chiefs oppose Arafat appointment
Over a hundred Palestinian commanders on Saturday protested against Palestinian President Yasser Arafat's appointment of a new West Bank Preventive Security Chief. Zuhair Manasra has been chosen to replace Jibril Rajoub. At a meeting in Ramallah, officials rejected the move calling on Rajoub to remain, or for someone already in the West Bank Security ranks to take his place. Rajoub, who's is regarded as a possible successor to Arafat, confirmed his dismissal yesterday. The head of Preventive Security in the Gaza Strip, Mohammed Dahlan, has also been removed from his post. Arafat reportedly intends to streamline the Palestinian Authority's nine Security services into just four forces under a new Interior Ministry. However the fierce opposition will add to pressure on Arafat who already faces intense calls for reform the United States. |
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Two-year-old baby becomes latest victim of the Middle East conflict
Hundreds of mourners have attended the funerals of a two-year-old Palestinian girl and her mother in the Gaza Strip. Both are thought to have been shot dead by Israeli forces near the Jewish settlement of Netzarim. Israel has not confirmed its soldiers were involved. But that has not stopped a war of words breaking out between the two sides. The Palestinian Information Minister described the deaths as "proof" that Israeli forces have been given permission to shoot and kill. As tension rises across the region, the military is continuing its clampdown in seven Palestinian cities. In Jenin troops and tanks have surrounded a hospital where two militants are said to be hiding. In a raid on the building, doctors were ordered onto the streets where their identification papers were checked. In a further blow to any hopes for peace in the near future the Israeli Army chief told an newspaper his forces were likely to remain in the territories for several more months. |
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Skyguide telephones cut before crash
Swiss Air Traffic Controllers are coming under increasing pressure as investigators reveal more details about a mid-air crash over Germany. The controller's agency, Skyguide, has admitted that their anti-collision alarm was turned off at the time of the accident and it now seems their telephone lines were also cut. The controller in Zürich was apparently trying to make a call to the German airport of Friedrichshafen where a third plane was landing and may not have been aware that the Bashkirian Airlines flight and the cargo craft where on the same flight path. His colleague is said to have been taking a coffee break. The investigators also suggest the pilot of the Tupolev jet was warned just 44 seconds before the disaster. It is thought he reacted after a second warning from Zürich 14 seconds later but by then the Boeing had also begun to dive. The accident killed 71 people, most of them Russian children. In the fields where the planes came down recovery teams are still looking for bodies. |
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"Chupinazo" opens San Fermin festival
Tens of thousands of revellers packed the central square of Pamplona in Spain Saturday for the "chupinazo" or the firing of a rocket, which marks the beginning of the San Fermin festival. This year's nine day event however got off to a controversial start. A member of the Socialist party lit the fuse instead of a representative of Batasuna, the political wing of the Basque seperatists ETA. Each year local parties take it in turn to open the celebrations but today Batasuna was kept away. In Madrid the government is attempting to outlaw it for alleged links to terrorism. Political scandals seemed to be the last thing on anybody's mind as the whole city enjoyed the festivities and looked forward to the famous bull runs, which begin tomorrow |
