[news] News, 07.08.2004, 16:00 Uhr UTC
Deutsche Welle English Service News August 7th 2004, 16:00 UTC -- Today's highlight on DW-WORLD: Major German Media Reject Spelling Reform Rejecting a six-year-old spelling reform, several publishing companies have announced they would switch back to the old system. The move comes shortly after leading conservative politicians had proposed a reversal. To read this article on the DW-WORLD website, just click on the internet address below: http://www.dw-world.de/english/0,3367,1432_A_1290470_1_A,00.html -- Third day of fighting in Najaf The United States military says about 300 Iraqi insurgents have been killed in three days of fighting in the Shi'ite holy city of Najaf. Supporters of the radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr say no more than nine of al-Sadr's Mehdi Army militiamen have been killed. The US command says two Marines have been killed in Najaf, and another in western Baghdad. There have also been clashes with Sadr-supporters in the Baghdad slum district of Sadr City. Iraqi police say they had set a deadline for al-Sadr loyalist fighters to surrender. There have been no immediate reports on compliance with the ultimatum, which has just expired. Amid the ongoing violence, United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has said the UN must limit its staff in Iraq. Annan appealed to countries to contribute troops for a special force to guard UN staff, saying he feared the UN would be targeted by insurgents. Iraq announces amnesty Iraqi Interim President Iyad Allawi has issued a limited amnesty for Iraqis guilty of what he considers minor crimes. But Allawi said at a news conference that insurgents who have killed will still be held accountable. The Iraqi President also commented on the fighting in Najaf, saying the rebels in the city were mostly common criminals and Saddam Hussein loyalists. He invited Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr to run for election in January. The Iraqi interim government has announced that it ordered the Qatar-based al-Jazeera satellite television network to close its Baghdad office for one month. Interior Minister Falah al-Naqib said this week that Arabic satellite channels were encouraging abductions by showing militants threatening to kill hostages. American fakes own decapitation A California resident has said he staged a video aired on Saturday that purportedly showed an American being decapitated in Iraq. Benjamin Vanderford told news agencies that he made the film at a friend's house in San Francisco, and that he intended it as a political statement. The video, which had appeared on the Internet, depicts a man being beheaded after telling US troops to stop the occupation of Iraq. Palestinian cabinet ministers resign Two Palestinian cabinet ministers have announced their resignations, citing personal and political reasons. Justice Minister Nahed Arreyes said he was stepping down because he had been stripped of key powers, while Planning Minister Nabil Qassis said he is resigning to accept a job as president of Bir Zeit University in the West Bank. The Palestinian Authority is deeply divided over President Yasser Arafat's failure to implement internal reforms. Brokers in the Middle East peace process have called on Arafat to restructure security forces and hand over more power to Prime Minister Ahmed Qorei. Two election workers killed in Afghanistan A United Nations spokesman in Afghanistan has confirmed that two electoral workers were killed in an ambush in central Uruzgan province on Friday. All four vehicles of the UN-Afghan convoy were destroyed, when they came under attack by fighters with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades. Afghan officials say armed gaurds returned fire and captured one assailant. An alleged Taliban spokesman told news agencies his group carried out the attack. At least 12 people have been killed while preparing for Afghanistan's first direct presidential election, planned for October 9. Taliban loyalists have vowed to disrupt the electoral process. Two killed in Karachi bomb blast Police in Pakistan say a bomb has exploded in the southern city of Karachi, killing two people and wounding four others. A police spokesman said no motive is known for the attack, which occurred outside a car rental office in a wealthy southern neighbourhood. An investigation is underway. A number of attacks have taken place in Karachi since Pakistan joined the US-led campaign against terrorism in 2001. Most have been blamed on Islamic extremists and militants linked to the terrorist group al-Qaeda. India and Pakistan wrap up talks India and Pakistan have ended three
[news] Sloboda urges UN, ICTY and Serbian authorities to stop the Hague crime
UN: H.E. Mr. Kofi ANNAN, Secretary General of the United Nations; H.E. Mr. Andrei DENISOV, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the UN, Presiding the UN Security Council; H.E. Mr. Julian Robert HUNTE, President of the 58th Session of the UN General Assembly; Ms. Louise Arbour, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights ICTY: Mr. Theodor MERON, President; Mr. Patrick ROBINSON, Mr. O-Gon KWON, Mr. Iain BONOMY, Judges of the Trial Chamber III; Mr. Steven KAY, Prof. Timothy L.H. McCORMACK, Amici Curiae Serbia and Montenegro: H.E. Mr. Svetozar MAROVIC, President of the State Community Serbia and Montenegro; Mr. Zoran SAMI, Chairman of the Assembly of Serbia and Montenegro; H.E. Mr. Boris TADIC, President of the Republic of Serbia; H.E. Dr. Vojislav Kostunica, Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia; Mr. Predrag MARKOVIC, Chairman of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia; Heads of the Parliamentary Caucuses in the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia URGENT CALL TO PROTECT INTERNATIONAL LAW, NATIONS' RIGHT FOR TRUTH AND LIFE OF PRESIDENT SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC During the whole lasting of the Hague process against President Slobodan Milosevic the most responsible persons of the ICTY at The Hague have been aware, on the basis of numerous doctors' reports and of numerous communications from our organization, from other organizations and individuals, of the health situation of President Milosevic and of the fact that the process itself puts his life at stake. In spite of this awareness, the tribunal never treated President Milosevic's health situation properly, nor ever properly considered the legitimate demands for his release for medical treatment, recovery and preparation for his case. By that and by the way the process has been conducted, the tribunal only contributed to the deterioration of the health of President Milosevic. Together with other international and national organizations and individuals from different countries, we were several times informing the highest UN organs and highest organs of the Republic of Serbia and FR Yugoslavia (now SC Serbia and Montenegro) about this situation, requesting their action and warning them of their share in responsibility. In the recent weeks, the tribunal has shown the sudden interest in the health situation of President Milosevic, trying to misuse it as an excuse to impose him a counsel against his will and to change other rules of the proceedings on his detriment. These attempts of the tribunal are contrary to the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights, as the principal source of law for the tribunal, to the ICTY's own Statute and to the basic principles of the adversarial system of law and of the democratic judiciary in general, as explained in detail in the petition of 75 distinguished lawyers and law professors, sent these days to the UN and to the ICTY. The proposed measures would only decisively act against the fair character and efficiency of the process and the life and health of President Milosevic, as declared motives for their imposition. Above all, these measures would act against justice and make establishing the truth impossible. By their essence, these attempts cannot be understood otherwise, but as an intention to silence the truth, and by that to secure impunity for the real criminals responsible for the break-up of Yugoslavia, tragedy of its peoples and numerous victims and huge war damages produced by the 1999 NATO aggression against Yugoslavia. The amount of illegality contained in the tribunal's intended decisions testifies about someone's panic. Its legal dimensions cannot characterize the current behavior of the ICTY otherwise, but as a crime in progress. We call upon the highest representatives of the UN, ICTY and Serbia and Montenegro to act immediately to stop the crime. Refusal or avoidance to act in this way would be a complicity in the crime. Reflecting the opinion of the people of Serbia, the Freedom Association is determined to use all legal means to establish the criminal responsibility of all who are or would be involved in this crime. The World Nations require respect of the International Law. They also have right for truth about the tragedy in the Balkans. President Milosevic has right to live and to represent the truth and himself. Freedom for Slobodan Milosevic! Belgrade, 6 August 2004 On behalf of the Freedom Association, Bogoljub Bjelica, president /signed/ * THE INTERNATIONAL LAWYERS' PETITION: "IMPOSITION OF COUNSEL ON SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC THREATENS THE FUTURE OF INTERNATIONAL LAW AND THE LIFE OF THE DEFENDANT" http://www.icdsm.org/Lawappeal.htm GETS NEW SIGNATURES: Mark Littman, QC (UK), Jean-Marie Dermagne (Belgium), Giuseppe Pelazza (Italy)... LAWYERS, JURISTS, PROFESSORS OF LAW ARE INVITED TO JOIN BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE (
[news] Sloboda urges UN, ICTY and Serbian authorities to stop the Hague crime
UN: H.E. Mr. Kofi ANNAN, Secretary General of the United Nations; H.E. Mr. Andrei DENISOV, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the UN, Presiding the UN Security Council; H.E. Mr. Julian Robert HUNTE, President of the 58th Session of the UN General Assembly; Ms. Louise Arbour, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights ICTY: Mr. Theodor MERON, President; Mr. Patrick ROBINSON, Mr. O-Gon KWON, Mr. Iain BONOMY, Judges of the Trial Chamber III; Mr. Steven KAY, Prof. Timothy L.H. McCORMACK, Amici Curiae Serbia and Montenegro: H.E. Mr. Svetozar MAROVIC, President of the State Community Serbia and Montenegro; Mr. Zoran SAMI, Chairman of the Assembly of Serbia and Montenegro; H.E. Mr. Boris TADIC, President of the Republic of Serbia; H.E. Dr. Vojislav Kostunica, Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia; Mr. Predrag MARKOVIC, Chairman of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia; Heads of the Parliamentary Caucuses in the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia URGENT CALL TO PROTECT INTERNATIONAL LAW, NATIONS' RIGHT FOR TRUTH AND LIFE OF PRESIDENT SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC During the whole lasting of the Hague process against President Slobodan Milosevic the most responsible persons of the ICTY at The Hague have been aware, on the basis of numerous doctors' reports and of numerous communications from our organization, from other organizations and individuals, of the health situation of President Milosevic and of the fact that the process itself puts his life at stake. In spite of this awareness, the tribunal never treated President Milosevic's health situation properly, nor ever properly considered the legitimate demands for his release for medical treatment, recovery and preparation for his case. By that and by the way the process has been conducted, the tribunal only contributed to the deterioration of the health of President Milosevic. Together with other international and national organizations and individuals from different countries, we were several times informing the highest UN organs and highest organs of the Republic of Serbia and FR Yugoslavia (now SC Serbia and Montenegro) about this situation, requesting their action and warning them of their share in responsibility. In the recent weeks, the tribunal has shown the sudden interest in the health situation of President Milosevic, trying to misuse it as an excuse to impose him a counsel against his will and to change other rules of the proceedings on his detriment. These attempts of the tribunal are contrary to the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights, as the principal source of law for the tribunal, to the ICTY's own Statute and to the basic principles of the adversarial system of law and of the democratic judiciary in general, as explained in detail in the petition of 75 distinguished lawyers and law professors, sent these days to the UN and to the ICTY. The proposed measures would only decisively act against the fair character and efficiency of the process and the life and health of President Milosevic, as declared motives for their imposition. Above all, these measures would act against justice and make establishing the truth impossible. By their essence, these attempts cannot be understood otherwise, but as an intention to silence the truth, and by that to secure impunity for the real criminals responsible for the break-up of Yugoslavia, tragedy of its peoples and numerous victims and huge war damages produced by the 1999 NATO aggression against Yugoslavia. The amount of illegality contained in the tribunal's intended decisions testifies about someone's panic. Its legal dimensions cannot characterize the current behavior of the ICTY otherwise, but as a crime in progress. We call upon the highest representatives of the UN, ICTY and Serbia and Montenegro to act immediately to stop the crime. Refusal or avoidance to act in this way would be a complicity in the crime. Reflecting the opinion of the people of Serbia, the Freedom Association is determined to use all legal means to establish the criminal responsibility of all who are or would be involved in this crime. The World Nations require respect of the International Law. They also have right for truth about the tragedy in the Balkans. President Milosevic has right to live and to represent the truth and himself. Freedom for Slobodan Milosevic! Belgrade, 6 August 2004 On behalf of the Freedom Association, Bogoljub Bjelica, president /signed/ * THE INTERNATIONAL LAWYERS' PETITION: "IMPOSITION OF COUNSEL ON SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC THREATENS THE FUTURE OF INTERNATIONAL LAW AND THE LIFE OF THE DEFENDANT" http://www.icdsm.org/Lawappeal.htm GETS NEW SIGNATURES: Mark Littman, QC (UK), Jean-Marie Dermagne (Belgium), Giuseppe Pelazza (Italy)... LAWYERS, JURISTS, PROFESSORS OF LAW ARE INVITED TO JOIN BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE (TH
