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Militants Storm Government Buildings in Kabul, Kill 20
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Taliban claims responsibility for attacks in phone calls to VOA and other
reporters in Kabul
Security forces escort a woman from the Justice Ministry in Kabul, 11 Feb
2009Eight Taliban militants have attacked three government buildings in Kabul,
in a brazen daytime assault that killed 20 people and wounded dozens of
others. One group of attackers barricaded themselves in the Afghan Justice
ministry, holding off police for a few hours before they were shot dead.
The attacks began shortly after 10:00 in the morning, when militants launched
near-simultaneous assaults against the Justice Ministry and Education Ministry
in the center of Kabul as well as the Afghanistan Prisons Directorate in the
east of the city. At the Justice Ministry, witnesses said five attackers armed
with automatic weapons and grenades stormed the front gate, overwhelmed
security guards and entered the main lobby, firing on people inside. Ministry
employee Muhammed Azgar was inside at the time of the attack. He says they were
shooting us from four sides - from the hallway, the back of the lobby and the
stairs. He says everyone inside panicked and was running around, trying to
find a way out.The deputy of the Interior Ministry, General Muneer Mangal, said
after the attackers stormed the lobby, they began making their way through
offices on the second floor, shooting people they came across. He says they
then barricaded themselves inside, forcing a standoff with security forces that
lasted three hours. He says with the help of the national police and national
security directorate, security forces killed the attackers and prevented them
from detonating vests packed with explosives.
At the same time militants were storming the Justice Ministry, one kilometer
away officials said guards outside the education ministry identified one
suicide bomber and killed him before he could detonate his explosives.Minutes
later, in eastern Kabul, two militants attacked a government office that
oversees Afghan prisons. Police said one attacker detonated his suicide vest
inside the compound and the other was shot dead by security guards. Shortly
after the attacks began, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujaheed called VOA and
other news outlets, saying suicide bombers were targeting the justice ministry
buildings, trying to kill the justice minister. Officials later said the
justice minister was inside the building at the time of the attack, but he was
unharmed.
During a three-hour-long standoff with the militants in the center of Kabul,
Afghan national army and police barricaded several city blocks as ambulances
ferried the injured to hospitals. Shops, businesses and government offices near
the justice ministry shut down for the day, but for the rest of the Afghan
capital, residents carried on as usual and there was no indication that
terrorists had effectively shut down the heavily-fortified city center. The
series of attacks demonstrated a high degree of coordination and interior
ministry officials said there are indications that some of the militants were
foreigners. Similar gun and bomb attacks took place in Kabul last year,
including separate assaults on the upscale Serena hotel and the Afghan culture
ministry. During a news conference in Kabul, the head of Afghanistan's
National Directorate of Security, Amrullah Saleh, said officials recently
received information warning of what he called "spectacular" attacks involving
multiple suicide bombers, but he said that at the time it was too generic for
security forces to act on. He said intelligence officials are already pursing
leads that some of the militants had links to groups inside Pakistan."As they
were entering the ministry of justice and before starting their indiscriminate
killings, they sent three messages to Pakistan, calling for the blessing of
their mastermind," he said. "And we are working on that angle of it as
well."Richard Holbrooke shakes hands with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah
Mahmood Qureshi, left, Islamabad 10 Feb. 2009The attacks occurred as U.S. envoy
Richard Holbrooke arrived at the governor's house in Peshawar. Holbrooke was
on the third day of a visit to Pakistan to help President Barack Obama chart a
new strategy to beat the insurgencies raging in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Holbrooke is expected in Kabul later this week.Afghan officials have blamed
Pakistani militant groups as well as elements of Pakistan's intelligence agency
for some of the deadliest attacks in Kabul, including the bombing of the Indian
embassy and the attack on the Serena hotel. Pakistani officials flatly deny
the allegations.
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Morgan Tsvangirai Sworn In as Zimbabwe PM; Pledges Focus on Economy
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Leader of Movement for Democratic Change sworn in by his political rival
President Robert Mugabe
Morgan Tsvangirai is sworn in as Zimbabwe's prime minister at the State House
in Harare, 11 Feb 2009Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of the Movement for
Democratic Change has been sworn in as Prime Minister of Zimbabwe by his
political rival President Robert Mugabe. Mr. Mugabe said he would cooperate
with the new prime minister under their new unity government and "offer a hand
of friendship." Morgan Tsvangirai, who in the past six years has been
repeatedly detained and assaulted by those in the employ of the Mugabe
government, and who has often been ridiculed and insulted by Mr. Mugabe was
sworn in at State House shortly before noon."Now therefore, I, Robert Gabriel
Mugabe, President of the Republic of Zimbabwe do hereby call upon you Morgan
Richard Tsvangirai to take the oaths, as prescribed by law," said Mr.
Mugabe.Morgan Tsvangirai appeared confident, and took his oath, speaking
clearly and loudly."I, Morgan Richard Tsvangirai do swear that I will well and
truly service Zimbabwe in the office of Prime Minister of the Republic of
Zimbabwe," said Mr. Tsvangirai. "So help me God."At a spirited rally later, Mr.
Tsvangirai said that political violence and human rights abuses must end
immediately. He also promised that by month's end civil service employees,
health care workers, and teachers will begin getting paid in in foreign
currency.Morgan Tsvangirai (l) takes the oath of prime minister, in front of
President Robert Mugabe (r) at the State House in Harare, 11 Feb. 2009Mr.
Mugabe also chimed in with a speech after the swearing-in, saying he would
cooperate with the new prime minister under their new unity government. He said
he would "offer my hand of friendship and cooperation and solidarity in the
service of our great country Zimbabwe."MDC supporters and others burst into
applause as Mr. Tsvangirai took his oath. Watching Mr. Mugabe sign his
appointment into law was, for many a sight they say they never believed
possible.The ceremony at state house started more than half an hour late and
the country's only television channel, controlled by loyalists of Mr. Mugabe's
ZANU-PF party, lost its link just as the national anthem began. Many in
Harare, Mr. Tsvangirai's stronghold, had gathered around television sets to
watch the swearing in ceremony, had to tune in to their radios, or watch the
snippets that intermittently appeared on their screens. The guests at State
House included former South African president Thabo Mbeki who mediated talks
between ZANU-PF and the MDC from early 2007. After many interruptions and
breakdowns, these interventions eventually led to the unity government.Mr.
Tsvangirai hugged many of his former enemies from the hierarchy of ZANU-PF who
congratulated him and his wife Susan, who usually remains in the background.
The two grew up in neighboring villages in a poor, rural southeastern
Zimbabwe.Mr. Tsvangirai began his activism as a trade unionist nearly 25 years
ago and revitalized the moribund Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions. The MDC
was formed in 1999 on the back of the trade-union movement and the growing
number of civil rights activists who had begun to oppose Mr. Mugabe's harsh
policies.Former student leader, and leader of the minority faction of the MDC,
Arthur Mutambara was sworn in as a deputy prime minister. The first from Mr.
Mugabe's own Shona tribe to oppose him, Mutambara was detained under the state
of emergency for several months 20 years ago when he led widespread student
protests against Mr. Mugabe's determination to convert Zimbabwe to a one-party
state. He was not allowed to continue his studies in Zimbabwe and went on to
win a scholarship and completed his doctorate in electrical engineering at
Oxford University. The second deputy, Thoko Khupe, is the deputy president of
Mr. Tsvangirai's faction of the MDC. She is from Bulawayo, heartland of the
minority Ndebele tribe and was warmly applauded by women in the audience at
State House. Several analysts at the official function told VOA few are sure
how this power-sharing government will turn out, and whether Mr. Tsvangirai and
Mr. Mugabe will be able to establish a working relationship. They wonder too,
whether Mr. Tsvangirai will be able to attract western support for the ravaged
economy, a worthless currency, the second-highest inflation in history,
Africa's worst cholera epidemic, and health and education systems that barely
function.Political commentator Ibbo Mandaza said the formation of the unity
government is a start, but blamed ZANU-PF for Zimbabwe's collapse - once the
richest country in central Africa, with education and healthcare considered
among the best on the continent.
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Israel in Political Limbo As Livni, Netanyahu Each Claim Victory
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With 99 percent of vote counted, centrist Tzipi Livni's Kadima party is leading
hardliner Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party by one seat in parliament
Election campaign posters for Likud Party leader Benjamin Netanyahu, and FM and
Kadima Party leader Tzipi Livni are seen in Jerusalem, 09 Feb 2009Israel has
been plunged into political uncertainty following Tuesday's national elections
in which hardliner Benjamin Netanyahu and centrist Tzipi Livni are each
claiming victory for their parties. With 99 percent of the vote counted,
Livni's Kadima party is leading Mr. Netanyahu's Likud party by one seat in the
Israeli parliament. Final official results may not come until Thursday or
Friday, after thousands of ballots cast by soldiers and diplomats abroad are
counted. Even with all votes counted, no party could have an outright
majority.It will then be up to President Shimon Peres to decide who should form
a coalition government, a process that could take weeks of political
wrangling.What is clear in these elections is that Israeli voters, whose top
concern in these elections was security, have largely swung to the right.
Avigdor Lieberman speaks during a meeting of his party in Jerusalem, 11 Feb
2009The smaller, right wing Yisrael Beiteinu party led by Avigdor Lieberman - a
former nightclub bouncer who ran on an anti-Arab platform - won a significant
number of new seats in the parliament. His party's new clout could make him
influential in the decision of who emerges as the new prime minister.
Lieberman says he has been in contact with both Benjamin Netanyahu and Tzipi
Livni, whose parties received the most votes. Speaking to his supporters early
Wednesday, Lieberman called for a tough new approach to terrorism.Lieberman
said his party's priorities are clear. First and foremost, he said Israel must
find a way to deal decisively with terror, and he said it must not be through
negotiation, direct or indirect. The measures he proposes include re-drawing
Israel's borders to exclude Arab Israeli communities and put them under the
control of the Palestinian Authority. He also wants to force Israeli Arabs who
reside within Israel's borders to pledge loyalty to the Jewish State. About
1.4 million Arabs live in Israel. Analysts say Lieberman's message could
resonate with the Netanyahu camp, which does not generally favor negotiations
with the Palestinians and wants to topple the Islamist Hamas leadership in the
Gaza Strip.Hebrew University Politics Professor Abraham Diskin says Mr.
Netanyahu will likely be able to tap support among the smaller right-wing and
centrist parties and secure enough parliament seats to form a government. But
Diskin tells VOA Mr. Netanyahu will have to be cautious in pursuing a
partnership with Lieberman if he wants to build a lasting coalition. "These two
personalities did cooperate before," he said. "Lieberman was the right hand of
Netanyahu within the Likud but I think that a right-wing government is not to
the like of Netanyahu because he will have six different partners and almost
every partner has some extreme views and may endanger the stability of the
government." Those partners would include ultra-orthodox religious parties
that are at odds with Lieberman's secular platform, which is viewed by some as
anti-religious. Observers say that with the losses suffered by the
left-of-center factions in these elections, Tzipi Livni - who portrayed herself
as a peacemaker - could have a tougher time bringing together a coalition.
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US Economic Measure Now Goes to House-Senate Negotiations
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House-Senate conference committee is to begin work on resolving differences
between slightly different versions of economic recovery legislation
With Tuesday's Senate vote approving its version of economic recovery
legislation, the focus has shifted to a House-Senate conference committee
beginning work on resolving differences between slightly different versions of
the measure. Tough bargaining is ahead as Congress and President Barack Obama
work to get the bill to his desk.
With the stakes high for the recession-battered U.S. economy and Americans who
have lost jobs, the pressure is enormous as lawmakers begin reconciliation
talks.
Democrats and the president want to get a bill on his desk before Congress's
next break scheduled to begin on February 16.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer provided an indication of tough bargaining
ahead, referring to what he called different priorities in the House and Senate
measures requiring thorough debate.
Referring to three moderate Republican senators who backed a Senate
compromise, he said the House should not be in what he called a position where
three people decide what should be done.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, 10 Feb 2009Emerging from a Democratic
meeting, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi referred to concerns her members have as
negotiations begin.
"Our colleagues are excited about the prospect, concerned about some of the
differences between the House and the Senate, and we promised that because our
bill, the House-passed bill, produced more jobs, we will go to conference to
fight for those jobs," she said.
Majority Leader Hoyer suggested that negotiations could extend through next
week. Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid say they hope for quicker
progress.
"We expect to have something done within the next 24 hours that will at least
head us in the right direction," he said.
Reid and Pelosi met with President Obama early Tuesday before the president
used a town hall meeting in Florida to maintain pressure on Republicans.
"We can't afford to posture and bicker and resort to the same failed ideas that
got us into this mess in the first place. That's what the election was about.
You rejected many of those ideas because you know they didn't work," Mr. Obama
said.
Even with reductions made in the Senate bill, Congressional Budget Office
estimates raised the cost of that legislation to $838 billion, about $18
billion more than a House version passed last month without Republican support.
House Democrats assert their version would cost less in deficit spending in
the long-run than the Senate measure.
Republicans continued to assail both bills as wasteful, asserting they
constitute a permanent expansion of government spending.
Republican conference chairman, Representative Mike Pence asserted that more
Americans support Republican counter-proposals rather than current House and
Senate versions he described this way.
"A [Republican] stimulus bill that actually is not a long, laundry list of worn
out liberal spending priorities but actually is at its center a bill that will
give working families and small business more of their hard-earned dollars to
spend," he said.
House Democratic appropriations chairman David Obey countered Republican
arguments about the size of the package, saying that while not perfect it
should provide a strong enough boost to stimulate the economy.
"If we have a large and serious economic crisis coming at us, that response
needs to be large, bold and aggressive," he said.
Obey said there are substantial, but hopefully not overpowering, differences
between the House and Senate measures, but expressed hope lawmakers can focus
on the need for action.
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World Markets Depressed Despite US Stimulus and Banking Moves
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Traders point to lack of detail in US plan, question whether it will be enough
to absorb bad assets saddling bank balance sheets and free up frozen credit
markets for consumers and businesses
Despite Senate passage of its massive stimulus package and the U.S. banking
bailout plan announced by Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, overseas markets
did not react with enthusiasm. A screen showing stock prices at a local bank
in Hong Kong, 11 Feb 2009 In Asia, investors reacted with skepticism to the
latest revamped U.S. bank bailout plan that could cost about $2
trillion.Traders pointed to a lack of detail in the plan for the downturn.
They also questioned whether the plan would be enough to absorb the bad assets
saddling bank balance sheets and free up frozen credit markets for consumers
and businesses.Also not helping, the U.S. trade deficit falling to a six-year
low in December on a sharp drop in imports. The recession has cut demand for
oil, autos and other foreign-made products.In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng dropped
2.5 percent. Australia and India indexes fell by about 0.5 percent. Japanese
markets were closed for a national holiday.Also impacting the markets were new
figures showing China's exports plunged 17.5 percent in January - the sharpest
drop in more than a decade. In Europe, trade was flat at best with bank stocks
dragging down most indexes. Worse than expected fourth-quarter losses at
Credit Suisse added to the downward pressure.Here in Britain, new figures show
that nearly two million are unemployed in the country and Prime Minister Gordon
Brown came in for a grilling in his weekly parliamentary question session."It
is right to say that for every person who is made unemployed, there is a
sadness and sorrow and we will do what we can to help people back to work as
quickly as possible," he said. "Our determination is to give people help; help
to stay in jobs where possible, help to get new jobs and help for people who
are existing unemployed people to get work as quickly as possible."Although his
government has aggressively launched a number of programs to help people
through this difficult downturn, it is too early to see any positive results.
Mr. Brown is also down in the public opinion polls and he came under strong
criticism from opposition politicians in the House of Commons for not doing
enough."We are now bringing through the banking bill which is in the House of
Commons this week," he said. "The measures that will enable us to go further
and provide a better insurance scheme for people who have problems with their
mortgages, I tell him, we have taken the action that is necessary. We will
continue to take whatever action is necessary. He should be supporting us and
not criticizing us."Some projections point to unemployment peaking at about
three million by the end of the year. That would mean an unemployment rate of
around 10 percent.
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Obama Could Order More Troops to Afghanistan This Week
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US defense secretary says decision on additional deployments to be made before
strategy review completed, but says orders may not involve all troops US
commander in Afghanistan wants, at least not immediately
US Defense Secretary Robert Gates (file)U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates
says President Obama will make a decision on additional U.S. troop deployments
to Afghanistan in the "next few days," before a strategy review is completed.
But the secretary says the orders may not involve all the troops the U.S.
commander in Afghanistan wants, at least not immediately. Secretary Gates told
a news conference the president has "several options in front of him," and if
he wants to send even one more combat brigade to Afghanistan he will have to
make the decision soon, before the conclusion of the strategic review, which
could take two more months. "I think that there is a realization that some
decisions have to be made before the strategic review is completed, if only
because if he does decide to send at least an additional brigade combat team,
just one, the next one to go would need to be notified pretty quickly," he
said.A U.S. Army combat brigade is about 3,500 soldiers, but could require
nearly as many support troops. Secretary Gates has said he wants to get at
least some additional troops to Afghanistan by early summer, when fighting
usually increases.On Tuesday, the White House announced the formation of a
high-level team to conduct an inter-agency review of U.S. policy toward
Afghanistan. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said the team will look
not just at how many troops the United States should have in Afghanistan, but
also try to determine "what is possible and what needs to happen in order to
change the direction" in the country, where security and public support for the
government have been deteriorating. Gibbs indicated the review will take about
two months.There have already been several such strategy reviews, including two
by the U.S. military and one by the Bush White House.US soldier with NATO-led
International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) patrols in Farah province
(file)Some analysts say it does not make sense to send more troops to
Afghanistan before the president decides on his strategy. But Pentagon
officials say any strategy will include improving security, and that will
require more troops. Secretary Gates has endorsed the request by his commander
in Afghanistan (General David McKiernan0 for about 30,000 more U.S. troops.
But on Tuesday he indicated the strategy review might settle on a plan that
would require fewer troops."I give great deference to the commander in the
field as to what he needs, and it's my job try and satisfy those needs," he
said. "If his mission changes then the number of troops or the capabilities
that he would need would change, one way or the other, as well. So I think we
just have to wait until the conclusion of the strategic review."Secretary Gates
would not say what mission or strategy would require fewer troops, saying that
will be for the review to figure out. But he did say he advocates an approach
that involves more engagement with local and provincial governments, although
not to the exclusion of the central government. On Monday, President Obama
called the government of Afghan President Hamid Karzai "detached" from what is
going on in the country.About 5,000 additional U.S. troops have already arrived
in Afghanistan, bringing the total to 37,000, but no further deployments have
yet been approved. Secretary Gates defended what some officials say is a delay
in the deployment orders, saying this would be President Obama's first such
decision, and it makes sense for him to follow a careful process before making
it.
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Ethiopian Police Arrest Suspect in Death of US Diplomat
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Junior US diplomat Brian Adkins found dead in his home earlier this month;
details of his death still sketchy
Police in Ethiopia say they have arrested a suspect in connection with the
apparent murder of a junior U.S. diplomat earlier this month in Addis Ababa.
Details of the man's death are still sketchy, more than a week after he was
found dead in his home.Ethiopian police are revealing few details of their
investigation into the death of 25-year-old U.S. diplomat Brian Adkins. Police
spokesman Demsash Hailu says they have one suspect, an Ethiopian man, in
custody."He is arrested from the northern part of Ethiopia. And he came [has
been brought] to Addis, and after we conclude the investigation, we release to
the press, and at this stage it is too early to say something, but it is true,
we caught the suspect," the spokesman said.The suspect was not identified. He
was taken into custody in a remote village in the Wollo region, hundreds of
kilometers from the scene of the crime. A U.S. embassy spokesman says police
found items belonging to Adkins in the suspect's possession. Local media
reported those items included a laptop computer, cellphone and camera. Adkins
was a consular officer at the U.S. embassy in Addis Ababa. He was found dead in
his residence, February 2, after he failed to show up for work. The discovery
came two days before Adkins was to have celebrated his 26th birthday.Police and
diplomatic sources at the time confirmed that the death was the result of foul
play. Adkins, a graduate of George Washington University in Washington, was a
popular member of the embassy staff, and one senior member of the American
community Wednesday said nine days after his body was discovered, the embassy
remains in mourning.U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia Donald Yamamoto said the
embassy staff is routinely advised to exercise caution in their personal lives.
Yamamoto said the advisory includes cautions against walking at night and
bringing strangers home. He said there has been no heightened alert in the wake
of Adkins' death.
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S. Korea Arranging Japanese Meeting With Ex-N. Korean Terrorist
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Japanese family and a former North Korean spy, convicted of blowing up an
airliner more than 22 years ago, to meet in S. Korea
South Korean officials say they are arranging a meeting between a Japanese
family and a former North Korean spy, convicted of blowing up an airliner more
than 22 years ago. The announcement came as the two countries' foreign
ministers met in the South Korean capital.South Korean Foreign Minister Yu
Myung-hwan told reporters Wednesday his government will bring family members of
a Japanese woman believed to have been abducted by North Korea in contact with
a convicted North Korean terrorist.South Korean visitors pass by portraits of
Kim Hyon-hui, convicted of planting a bomb on a South Korean airliner in 1987
that killed all 115 people aboard, 11 Feb 2009Former North Korean spy Kim Hyun
Hee admitted planting a bomb that blew up a South Korean airliner in 1987,
killing 115 people. She was sentenced to death, but later pardoned, and lives
in South Korea.Yu says she will meet relatives of Yaeko Taguchi, a Japanese
national believed to have been abducted by the North in the late 1970's.He says
the meeting will take place sometime soon and details are still being worked
out.North Korea has admitted abducting at least 13 Japanese citizens in the
1970's and 80's, mainly to train spies in Japanese language and culture. Tokyo
demands more cooperation from Pyongyang in accounting for those people and for
what it believes are even more abductions.The ex-spy says she took Japanese
lessons from Yaeko Taguchi and believes North Korea lied about her death in a
1986 car crash.The planned meeting could be seen as a provocation by Pyongyang,
at a time when North-South tensions are already high. Last month, Pyongyang
announced it was scrapping past peace accords with the South.Japanese FM
Hirofumi Nakasone, left, listens to S. Korean counterpart Yu Myung-hwan during
joint press conference at Foreign Ministry in Seoul, 11 Feb 2009Foreign
Minister Yu's meeting Wednesday in Seoul with his Japanese counterpart,
Hirofumi Nakasone, took place amid warnings the North may be preparing a test
launch of a long-range ballistic missile.He says the two ministers share
concerns about North Korea's recent hardline stance. They call on North Korea
to act responsibly and contribute to regional stability.Nakasone says peace and
stability require dealing with a number of problems, not just related to
security.He says it is necessary to devise a comprehensive solution to the
issue of North Korea's nuclear weapons and missiles, as well as human rights
problems, including the abduction issue.Both ministers are expecting to meet
next week with new U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton when she visits the
region.
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Groups Urge Caution in Bringing ICC to Kenya
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But legal and civil society organizations are warning that the international
court may not be as effective a solution as some have argued
Consideration of a bill to create a tribunal to try the alleged perpetrators of
post-election violence in Kenya has been put off for another week, amid growing
discussion of the possibility of sending the suspects to the International
Criminal Court in the Hague. But legal and civil society organizations are
warning that the international court may not be as effective a solution as some
have argued. Tuesday, Kenya's parliament again failed to consider legislation
that would create a special tribunal to try those suspected of organizing the
ethnic and political violence that followed the country's 2007 elections. The
strife left more than 1,000 people dead and hundreds of thousands
displaced.President Mwai Kibaki (File)President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister
Raila Odinga met lawmakers from their parties Tuesday to try to rally support
for the bill, but without success. When parliament met, not enough lawmakers
turned up to consider the bill.Many of its opponents argue that the proposed
tribunal would be vulnerable to political manipulation, particularly given that
many of those suspected of involvement in the clashes are cabinet ministers and
other influential political figures. There is a fear that, as with numerous
previous commissions and investigations launched by the government, the
tribunal would end up accomplishing little.Kenyan media has been abuzz, in
recent days, about the possibility of sending the suspects to the International
Criminal Court. The commission that proposed the tribunal says it would pass
the names of suspects to the international body, if the Kenyan government
failed to meet a series of deadlines in setting up a local tribunal. The
deadline to pass legislation passed at the end of January and hearings are
supposed to begin by March First. But a number of legal and civil society
organizations, generally some of the most vocal critics of government
investigations, have been trying to pour cold water on the enthusiasm for
involving the ICC.Florence Jaoko, head of the Kenya National Commission on
Human Rights warned this week that sending the names of suspects to the ICC
does not mean that the court would agree to investigate them."There is no
guarantee that all cases referred to the ICC will be dealt with. From
experience we know that over 3,000 cases have been referred to the ICC since
its inception over the past five years, and most of them have ended up being
dismissed," said Jaoko.She called for the government to make improvements to
the proposed local tribunal, including heightened protection for witnesses and
a more independent mechanism for picking the tribunal's judges.Legal groups,
including the Law Society of Kenya, have advocated making changes to the
current legislation. The head of the Kenya chapter of the International
Commission of Jurists, Wilfred Nderitu, says that, even if the ICC took up the
case, its investigation would take longer than many in Kenya would like. He
predicts it would have achieved little before the next elections in 2012. He
also argues that Kenyan leaders would likely try to shield themselves from
international prosecution, citing the example of Sudan's President Omar
al-Bashir, who has been backed by the African Union in opposing a potential
arrest warrant from the ICC."You have seen the approach that African leaders
have taken with regard to the warrant of arrest against al-Bashir," said
Jaoko. "Do you expect the Kenyan government or the powers-that be, whoever
might be implicated in this, will not be using the same approaches to get the
rest of the African continent to come to their side?"The government appears to
have registered these appeals and now says it will consider amendments to the
current legislation before reintroducing the bill next Tuesday.But others are
less optimistic. Lawmaker Gitobu Imanyara, who has spearheaded the efforts to
derail the legislation in parliament, suggests that the government will instead
use the extra time to buy the votes of lawmakers.
------------------------------------------------------
India's Broadcasters Adopt New Reporting Guidelines
http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=22395FA:2DA063D257D43931E04160F2AF86B6375C6F54A6CF9DC2CA&;
Stung by criticism their coverage of the Mumbai terror attacks was
sensationalistic and endangered rescue operations, India's broadcasters have
implemented voluntary guidelines to steer coverage of any future such events
Stung by criticism that their coverage of the Mumbai terror attacks was
sensationalistic and endangered rescue operations, India's broadcasters have
implemented voluntary guidelines to steer coverage of any future such
events.India's broadcasters have adopted sweeping guidelines covering
reporting. The regulations, agreed to by the Indian National Broadcasters
Association, cover the gamut from accuracy to sting operations. But the
section receiving the most attention deals with coverage of national security
operations. Although the association was already working on new guidelines
before November's terrorist attack on Mumbai, criticism of the live broadcast
coverage of the 60-hour siege added pressure for India's commercial television
news outlets to tone things down. Retired Indian Chief Justice Jagdish Saran
Verma is chairman of the association's ethics and standards authority, which
drafted the regulations. He tells VOA News the strict guidelines should
forestall calls by Indian politicians and others to impose stricter official
regulations on news coverage. "There should not be any need for any further
regulation," he said. "Self-regulation by the broadcasters, based on these
guidelines, will be sufficient." The new broadcasters' code says live
interviews with terror suspects should not be aired and broadcasters should not
disclose details of ongoing operations involving national security. During the
Mumbai attack, blamed on Pakistani terrorists, Indian government officials
severely criticized broadcasters here for live coverage allegedly revealing
commando positions to the gunmen inside seized luxury hotels. One channel
aired a telephone interview with a hostage taker. Retired Judge Verma - a
champion of judicial self-regulation during his career - says he only agreed to
work with the broadcasters after becoming convinced they were serious about
enacting and enforcing self-regulation. "I thought they really were sincere
about it. It's only then that I gave my consent," said Verma. "The authority
which I head has the power to impose punishment if there's any violation, even
to the extent of recommending canceling of [broadcasting] license."Following
the terror siege in India's commercial capital, critics in the media and
government here widely condemned the around-the-clock coverage for airing
unconfirmed rumors that nearly provoked panic - showing gory scenes, as well as
sensationalistic rhetoric and military music.That prompted India's Parliament
to begin considering establishment of a regulatory agency for the mushrooming
number of private news channels. Some TV journalists have defended their
coverage, saying the government provided little real-time information and that
they face too much competitive pressure in a 24-hour working environment.
------------------------------------------------------
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