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{UnitedHinduFront} Re: Dirty and Mean methods adopted by followers

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 09:31:00 GMT

From: poonam abbi <<a href="mailto:poonam_abbi@yahoo.com">poonam_abbi@yahoo.com</a> How did they succeed in this case when there is nothing like sati pratha or birth based caste system? I live in the USA. And how many times I have seen these groups who go about recruiting to xtianity pass my house, & tell their partners to leave this house alone when some one from this group has pointed toward it. It is so very amusing to see their faces when they are given no as an answer. --- On Sat, 6/14/08, Mohan Gupta <<a href="mailto:mgupta@rogers.com">mgupta@rogers.com</a> wrote: From: Mohan Gupta <<a href="mailto:mgupta@rogers.com">mgupta@rogers.com</a> Date: Saturday, June 14, 2008 Subject: {UnitedHinduFront} Dirty and Mean methods adopted by followers of Semitic religion for conversion of Hindus Dirty and Mean methods adopted by followers of Semitic religion for conversion of Hindus The followers of Semitic religion want to convert the whole world into their respective religions Christianity or Islam. Followers of Christianity had quite success in converting the people of Africa into Christianity but they were not finding it easy to convert Hindus of Bhaarat. For that purpose they started adopting many tricks. One of the tricks was to denigrate Hindu religion in many ways. Christians found it very convient that by distorting Caste System and Sati system of Hindu religion for conversion Hindus into Christianity. See the details in the following article how the Christians took advantage for converting Hindus by distorting the Sati system. <a href="http://indiaview.wordpress.com/2008/05/21/censoring-indian-history/">http://indiaview.wordpress.com/2008/05/21/censoring-indian-history/</a> Sati Pratha and its origins Prabhat Varun Sati Pratha is a favorite topic among Hindu-bashers. As soon as they are questioned about the validity of their own claims, goals and methods they immediately start harping on Sati Pratha. And lo! The trick works. The questioning Hindu becomes defensive. He never tries to probe into the origin of so-called Sati Pratha, or at least about its rumors. So, let us try to do it here, what the typical-Hindu always refrains to. Sati Pratha is nowhere mentioned in Hindu scriptures. Not a hint of it. There is no case of forceful widow burning in any of our scriptures. News about Sati Pratha started surfacing only with the advent of Christian Missionaries in India. They with their mission of converting the wretched idolaters, i.e., Hindus to Christianity started slandering Hinduism. For they quickly perceived that Hindus were an unyielding, staunch lot. They would not yield to the treacherous methods of Christian Missionaries. So they devised a new way for accomplishing their Harvest. They decided to slander Hinduism in front of Hindus, so as to shake their belief in it, and also in front of global community so as to justify their demonic agendas of Conversion. And for that they had a new tool in their hands to which Hindus had no access. This tool was the combined institution of Modern British Education System and the newly born media, i.e., the propaganda machine. (How they developed these mediums in India is another topic, related to Macaulay and many others and too long to be discussed here). So, they started their well-planned campaign against Hinduism. A very good example of this is the English word "Juggernaut", meaning, "a huge and overwhelming force". It is originated form the Rath Yatra of Jagganath. Christian Missionaries said that there goes one evil Yatra among Hindus, in which wretched idolaters take out a procession of three idols. In the Yatra, they take intoxicating drugs, dance nude in front of the chariot, make obscene gestures to each other and then in a fit throw themselves in front of the chariot to commit suicide. Hence, the word with its meaning of an "overwhelming force". Swami Vivekanand also mentions this at one place along with many other calumnies heaped over Hinduism and Hindu civilization by the designing Christian Missionaries. Here is an excerpt of that, "What is meant by those pictures in the school-books for children where the Hindu mother is painted as throwing her children to the crocodiles in the Ganga? The mother is black, but the baby is painted white, to arouse more sympathy, and get more money. What is meant by those pictures, which painted a man burning his wife at a stake with his own hands, so that she may become a ghost and torment the husband's enemy? What is meant by the pictures of huge cars crushing over human beings? I have heard one of these gentlemen preach in Memphis that, in every village of India, there is a pond of the bones of little babies. What have the Hindus done to these disciples of Christ that every Christian child is taught to call the Hindus 'vile' and 'wretched' and the most horrible demons on earth?" Swami Vivekananda, The Complete Works, Vol. IV (1945 ed.) Any person even most slightly acquainted with the Rath Yatra needs no explaining about the truth. Similarly, they harped on Sati, and invented the very term and phenomenon of Sati Pratha, citing some allegedly eye-witness accounts of widow burning on the funeral pyre of their husband. So, what was the truth in those accounts? If, there was any truth in those accounts, then what was their origin? For finding their origin, we have to stretch our memory some centuries back to the Medieval Ages, the era of great unprecedented rape, pillage and looting of India by Muslims and their armies. Among the very first provinces to bear the brunt of Islamic sword were Sindh, Punjab and Rajputana. Sindh being Buddhist in majority and Punjab also having a considerable population of Buddhists, succumbed soon to the unprecedented barbarous Islamic invasions. But Rajputana being completely Hindu held out for centuries. Even now there are only 9% Muslims in Rajasthan. But this resistance cost them a great deal. They had never faced such barbarous invaders and looters. All of the wars which they fought until then, were fought with a moral ethical code. Being synonymous with the Hindu philosophy, wars were fought only between warriors and concerned only them. Civil populace was never even touched, let alone molested. But the new Islamic enemy they were now facing was an unprecedented evil force, which did not rely on valour for victory, but instead on treachery, deceit, malice, crookedness and all other evil means. Those Islamic armies instead of fighting chivalrously with their opponents, chose to decimate the civilian populace, by laying siege to the country side, thus decimating the social, cultural and economic fabric of the nations. They massacred and butchered complete populations of Hindus, broke their idols, desecrated their temples, butchered the Brahmins, converted them forcibly to Islam (by making them eat beef!) destroyed their corps, poisoned their wells, burned their houses, abducted their children and raped their women. They took their inspiration from Quran. Ayats 2:193, 8:39, orders them to break idols. Ayats 8:12, 22: 19-22 exhorts them to massacre the religious leaders of the other religion. Ayats 33:59 and 4:24 encourages them to commit sexual transgr essions without compunction with the non-Muslim women. This, this last atrocity done to the local populace by these Islamic marauders was without precedence in cruelty. (No one in Hindu era even thought of touching another woman, let alone raping her). It was a greater calamity on women than their family men. They did not think of such calamity befalling them in their wildest nightmares. They were free women under Hinduism with an equal say in society as men. They were not used to the sexual, and mental humiliation and torture to which Muslim and non-Muslim women under Islamic rule were subjected to. Chastity for them was everything, the prime value of life. They could not imagine an unchaste life. The very concept was unthinkable to them. And for preserving their chastity they were prepared to do anything, to break every barrier, to sacrifice every tying, even their life. And so they did. Facing these Islamic molesters, the brave Hindu women chose death. They built big cauldron like pots, lit then with fire and jumped into them, to die voluntarily and happily in order to save their honour and chastity. They chose and embraced death themselves and nobody forced them to do so. They with their very feminine bravery defied whole armies of Islamic marauders with all of their evil means and intentions. This phenomenon was called 'johar', meaning giving themselves to fire in order to be saved from disgrace. So, this was 'Johar', later practiced by Hindu women in every part of India in order to save themselves from the dirty hands of Islamic marauders. There was no forced immolation in that process, no malign Brahmins, no cruel priests, thus no 'Sati Pratha.' And for suicide no other person can be blamed, other than those Islamic marauders whose threat forced Hindu women to suicide. 'Sati' is an ancient Sanskrit term, meaning a chaste woman who thinks of no other man than her own husband. The famous examples are Sati Anusuiya, Savitri, Ahilya etc. None of them committed suicide, let alone being forcible burned. So how is that that they are called Sati? The word 'Sati' means a chaste woman, and it has no co-relations with either suicide or murder. The term 'Sati' was never accompanied by 'Pratha'. The phrase, 'Sati Pratha' was a Christian Missionary invention. Sati was taken form the above quoted source and 'Pratha' was taken from the practice of Johar', (by distorting its meaning from 'suicide' to 'murder') and the myth of 'Sati Pratha' was born to haunt Hindus forever. So 'Sati Pratha' (in its modern avatar of forcible widow burning) is not a fault of Hinduism but a crime of Islam. Islam is the perpetrator of crime here, and Hinduism, the victim. It is a joint crime of Islam and Christianity. The crime of Islam was transposed on Hinduism (absolving Islam in the process) by the historical connivance of anti-Hindu forces (Islam, Christianity and Marxism). To insert a spiritual clause here, it is very important to say that in modern times whenever is there a case reported of voluntary immolation of a woman on her husband's pyre, it is never reported that the dying woman shrieked in the unbearable pain of the burning flesh. Sucha case is reported by Mark Tully in his book 'No Full Stops in India'. He tells of a woman Roop Kanwar in the village Deorala, district Sikar of Rajasthan who in Sep 1987 voluntarily died by burning herself with fire, without emitting any cries or shrieks. So what does it signify? No mortal can remain calm when his flesh is being burnt. So what is the reason of this superhuman quality of these women? The answer lies in dharma, Yoga and meditation. There are umpteen stories in Puranas and Vedas in which both men and women voluntarily accept death by immolating their mortal bodies by various means, including fire. The power of Yoga makes them oblivious of the pain of the decay of the morta l body. So women who voluntarily gave up their life in fire were empowered with the power of Yoga. Pain did not touch their chaste bodies. Hindus being oppressed for centuries have developed a mental state called 'Dhimmitude', which means a mental slavery to its long time oppressor Islam. So, now even those Hindus who stand against Islam are timid, defensive and guilty of some hypothetical crimes, imagined for their chagrin, for them by their enemies. They still can't think freely, analyze history objectively and recognize the true nature of Hinduism, i.e., Dharma. But, if they want to re-generate Dharma, Truth and Goodness then they will have to view History in its true light, with Courage, Resolution and with Objectivity. Then only they will be able to re-discover their Dharma and do something for its regeneration. History being 'Dharma' itself hopes them to do so. <a href="http://www.ivarta.com/columns/OL_060328.htm">http://www.ivarta.com/columns/OL_060328.htm</a> One strong Hindu can change the thought-current of the whole world... Hindus should have fearlessness,the first prerequisite of a spiritual life. ================== What you expect from from people who have slavery not in blood but even in their bones. All media of Bhaarat is controlled by Muslims and Christians. There is no pro -Hindu media or press. BJP has taken pledge to start English paper Motherland and Hindi paper Matribhoomi. When indira Gandhi closed down motherland it should have been re - started within six months when the emergency was removed. Hindi paper Martribhoomi was never started. When Hajpayee Atal Bihari was prime minister, he answered to a question that there is no need for BJP paper as present media is doing good job. This the quality of BJP leaders. Mullah lal Krishan Advani is no better who went to grace the wedding of his niece to a Muslim man and praised Jinnah who caused division of Bhaarat. What you think which party or leader is good? BJP is Bteam of congressand fooled Hindus and now on road to appease Muslimsand Christians.While in power for six years did they ever try to form a policy to trace and deport 20 million Bangladeshi Muslims? Why didn't they stop Hajj subsidy? Why DIDN'T THEY BUILD FENCE TO STOP BANGLADESHIS getting in India? Why didn't they take strong action when 19 Indian soldiers were killed by Bangladeshi troops on Indo-Bangladesh border? Hindus are leaderless those who claim to be Hindu leaders are betraying Hindus. We need a ultra militant Hindu organisation to take care of Hindu interests . This is the need of time. The final battle is on and if we donot act now then to morrow will be too late. DR.S.SHARMA =============================

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Many Christians & Muslims used Hindu names to fool Hindus. (yashwini1@aol.com)

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 09:30:00 GMT

From: <a href="mailto:yashwini1@aol.com">yashwini1@aol.com</a> Date: Tue, 17 Jun 2008 Many Hindus are not aware that having a Hindu name does not make one Hindu.Many Christians & Muslims used Hindu names. Film actor Dilip Kumar is Yusuf Khan, similarly actresses Meena Kumari and Madhubala were also Muslims using Hindu names. A lot of Christians also use Hindu names:Sadhu Sunder Singh, Ajit Jogi, Yesudas, Vijay Amritraj, Mala Sinha, Pandita Ramabai etc. all of these people are Christians using Hindu names. Similarly,on internet, you may find many people with Hindu screen IDs bashing Hindu Dharma. Obviously, they are using Hindu IDs to fool Hindus. Now that they have started calling Biblical psalms as Shalokas, and Bishops as Swami, and Jesus as Satguru,more confusion is created. Its responsibility of each Hindu to educate his children & fellow men.

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{UnitedHinduFront} Re: Hindu Family in Panvel,Mah. terrorised by Christians. (psharma@rand.com)

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 09:30:00 GMT

From: Peet Sharma <<a href="mailto:psharma@rand.com">psharma@rand.com</a> Date: Tue, 17 Jun 2008 How can we asist. What can we do? Krishna ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: <a href="mailto:Unitedhindufront@googlegroups.com">Unitedhindufront@googlegroups.com</a> [<a href="mailto:Unitedhindufront@googlegroups.com">mailto:Unitedhindufront@googlegroups.com</a>] On Behalf Of hindu voice Sent: Monday, June 16, 2008 3:51 AM Subject: {UnitedHinduFront} Hindu Family in Panvel, Mah. terrorised by Christians. Hindu Family in Panvel, Mah. terrorised by Christians. P. Deivamuthu, Editor, Hindu Voice, Mumbai. 022-28764418, 28764460, 09324728153 Vishwadeep Co-operative Housing Society Ltd. is a housing complex in Reeswadi, Rasaini, (PO: Mohopada) Tal. Khalapur, Dist. Raigadh, Maharashtra, about 12 KMs from Panvel, sandwiched between old and new Mumbai-Pune Highways. The housing complex consists of 12 buildings, 12 bunglows and an old age home. This is predominantly a Catholic colony, promoted by one Father Anthony Corriea. In 2001, looking at the attractive advertisements released by Father Corriea in newspapers, a Hindu couple, Karunakar and Usha Shetty, booked a flat in the complex. They occupied the flat (A1/102) in 2004, along with their three children - Ramya (17), Sowmya (9) and Kalyani (6). To their utter shock, they did not find any of the facilities promised in the advertisement - school, shopping complex, etc - for which they had to fend for themselves. Probably that is the reason why most of the flats are unoccupied. What is surprising is that at the time of booking, the Shetty family was aware that it is a Christian colony. However, since they were very much in love with Mother Tressa and her activities (in fact they have made donations to her charity), they thought that they can live in a Christian colony peacefully. Father Corriea was also too happy to enrol Hindus as he was sure that they will have no other go except converting to Christianity, which he did in a few other cases. However, since the Shetty couple insisted on their remaining a practising Hindus, troubles started visiting them. Father Corriea and the present secretary of the Society, Mr. Jude Fernendes could not digest that a practising Hindu can reside in their complex. The result was that the Hindu family was harassed and was put to bear untold miseries. They were deprived of all their facilities - stopping of sweeping, cutting of electric supply at odd times, putting off the light facing their terrace, etc. Since the Shetty family (especially the lady) was very bold and stubborn, they started physical terrorism. One day, both Usha and Karunakar, were dragged out of their home and taken to the nearby hamlet. Through out the 300 metres route, they were severely beaten, just to show them that even Hindus will not come to their rescue. One day, Mr. Shetty was pushed away from his scooter and was severely beaten. A bleeding Shetty lodged a police complaint, but with little effect. It seems the Police Dept., the Hindu watchmen of the Society and the Hindus living in the nearby hamlet are in the good books of Father Corriea and Mr. Fernandes. Shettys children are studying in St. Joseph High School which is run by the same management. This school does not celebrate 26th Jan. and 15th Aug. They have stopped the school bus service for the Shettys children, with the result that their children, including the 6-year old Kalyani, have to walk nearly 5 KMs through jungles to reach her school. The little girl told me how she was beaten up by her Teacher. One day, the teacher held me by my hair and beat me, saying do you know why I beat you, because you are Hindus. Tell your parents to become Christians. Then I wont beat you. I along with my friends met the Shettys in their home on 15th June 2008. They just want to get out of this predicament, and lead a peaceful live somewhere else. They wanted to sell off the flat, but again there is a hitch. Since it is a remote place and most of the flat owners are just investors, selling is difficult. Still, when a prospective purchaser comes, Jude Fernandez scares him away. The Christian management wants the Shetty family to just run away from there, so that they can usurp the flat. In fact, they have played this trick with a few others. One lady, Nancy Nazereth of 90+ age, a Christian herself, who owns four flats in the Society was locked inside her flat for 10 days. After 10 days, the management called the police presuming that the lady would have died. But, when the police came, she came out alive. Now she is staying in Borivli (Mumbai). Last year, Father Corriea brought 10 students from North East and got five of them admitted in the nearby Govt. school and the other five in St. Joseph High School, after converting them. Ganesh was renamed Ryan. Then they got the students videographed, so as to claim foreign grants. After two months, some of the boys were found near Pune crying for help. Yes, once their documentation work was over, the boys were just left in the lurch. A few murders too are reported from the complex. Since all Christian managements have a good rapport with the Police Dept., police seldom pursues their case. The Shettys today are a terrorised lot. They have reported the matter to local Hindus and the Shiv Sena, but to no avail. Mrs. Usha Shetty says if the situation is allowed to continue, she may become a lunatic. Alternatively, she threatened us that she, along with her husband and 3 children, may convert to Islam. Here is a challenge for Hindu organisations, to rescue the Hindu family from Christian terrorism and to expose the Christians claim of peace loving religion. Any one interested in helping this family, may contact these numbers - 09820215751/09892468828 - who are trying to provide succor to this battered Hindu family. --~-

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Arabs aren't our friends (www.dailypioneer.com)

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 09:29:00 GMT

Date: 18.6.08 Second opinion: Priyadarsi Dutta It would be ludicrous to believe the statement of visiting Syrian President Bashar Al Assad that India shares much in common with the Arab world. His statement is nothing more than a clever snub at growing Indo-Israeli ties. No President of Egypt or Syria, two important countries of the Arab world, has visited India since 1980. Our technological, business and cultural ties with Israel, on the other hand, have been blooming since 1992. Even the UPA Government, in the grip of Israel-baiting Left parties, has not been able to find an alternative to this beneficial mutual relationship that the two nations share. Paradoxically, Israel is a major investor in the social sector in Communist-ruled West Bengal. In October 1999, I was working with the Press Bureau of the Egyptian Embassy in New Delhi when a super cyclone struck Orissa. Our Press Counsellor Mohammed Saber Antar got a list made of all the international help India received. However, there was no help from Egypt, which was supposed to be our "old friend" and "ally". A few months earlier during the Kargil war we were expecting a favourable statement from Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, as Jawaharlal Nehru had stood by Gamel Abdel Nasser during the Anglo-French invasion of the Arab country in 1956. However, Mr Mubarak's silence belied our expectations. Again our Arab friends did precious little when an earthquake struck Gujarat in 2000. On the other hand, a medical team of Israeli marines set up a relief camp before other international agencies could get their act together. Mr Bashar continues to back Hamas and Hizbullah who are wedded to the agenda of "wiping Israel off from the face of the earth". He is selective towards Israel's occupation of the West Bank, whereas Syria's occupation of Lebanon until a few years ago is forgotten. Syria still continues to have its sway in Lebanon through the Hizbullah, which was raised for destroying Christian Lebanon in the late-1970s. History bears testimony to the fact that Arabs turned hostile towards India once they adopted Islam. Arabs had tried to conquer India in the eighth century, but were repulsed by the Gujjar-Pratihar dynasty. Since then the relation between the two people hasn't really warmed up.

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Liberty abridged - Ahmadiyas are Indians, too (www.dailypioneer.com) (G. C. Asnani: In a liberal country like India, Ahmadiyas should be encouraged. What the Congress Govt. has done to Ahmadiya in Andhra Pradesh is to yield before anti-Ahmediayas fanatical Islamists and harass Ahmadiya Muslims. This is a component of Central UPA Govt. of India to encourage and support fundamentalist and terrorist Islamism throughout India. To what consequences?)

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 09:29:00 GMT

Date: 18.6.08 The Pioneer Edit Desk The cancellation of a conference of the Ahmadiya community by the Andhra Pradesh Government last Sunday is a gross infringement of the secular principles on which the country is founded. The State Government cancelled this conference, which was to be held at the open air Lalitha Kala Thornam in Hyderabad, by citing a patently spurious 'technical' reason -- that there was a "major breakdown" in the electricity supply line. This would have held more water had it not been that several fundamentalist Muslim organisations, which are not particularly representative but claim to be so, had threatened to besiege the place if the Ahmadiyas were allowed to hold the proposed meeting. Clearly the Congress Government in the State was eager to oblige these organisations and thus appease mullahs as part of the party's minority appeasement policy that subverts India's secular polity and divides its society along communal lines. This abject capitulation is in keeping with the manner in which the Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre has been pandering to Muslim fanatics under the cover of 'secular' politics. Such capitulation flies in the face of constitutional guarantees and is unacceptable. Followers of every religion, faith and sect are free to practice and preach their beliefs in India; by disallowing the Ahmadiya conference, the Government of Andhra Pradesh, which has sworn to uphold the Constitution of India, has abridged this fundamental right and thus harmed the cause of liberty. Indeed, what the Congress has done is to legitimise the persecution of Ahmadiyas by fundamentalist Muslims -- what is widespread in Islamic countries where theocracy prevails over democracy, has now been given official recognition in India. Coming as it does in the wake of Bangladeshi dissident writer Taslima Nasreen being hounded out of this country simply because some mullahs and their cohorts wedded to intolerant Islam and given to violence in the name of Islam willed it so, the cancellation of the Ahmadiya meeting only serves to confirm, if at all confirmation was needed, that the Prime Minister's "Muslims first" policy is in reality "Muslim fanatics first" policy. In the process, India has been shamed, though not for the first time on account of the Congress's perverse notions of 'secularism'. The Ahmadiyas are as Islamic as those Muslims who deny them the right to practice Islam and thus denude them of their religious identity. In any event, it is not for a secular state to decide who is or is not a Muslim -- or, for that matter, a Hindu, a Christian or a Sikh -- nor is it incumbent on a secular state to accept the primacy of one sect over another. What the Andhra Pradesh Government has done, and knowingly so, is to set an extremely dangerous and sinister precedent. Its decision will embolden fanatics to force their warped perception on both the state and society. To prevent this from happening and to dampen the spirit of those who are celebrating the suppression of the rights of Ahmadiyas in free India, everybody who cherishes liberty and pluralism must protest against the Andhra Pradesh Government's decision. It would be nice to see our self-righteous human rights activists speak up in support of the Ahmadiyas. It would also be in order for the Opposition to ral ly support for this persecuted community, unless it is as desperate as the Congress to stoop to any extent for a fistful of votes.

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Amid Bol Bum chant, first batch leaves on Amarnath pilgrimage (www.dailypioneer.com)

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 09:28:00 GMT

Date: 18.6.08 Pioneer News Service | Jammu Dancing to the tunes of drum beats and chanting Bol Bum, the first batch of Amarnath-bound pilgrims was flagged off amid tight security arrangements by Education Minister GS Charak from Jammu base camp on Tuesday morning. This year the pilgrims are happy as the naturally formed ice lingam is about 12 feet high. The first darshan would be performed on June 18 subject to fair weather, marking the opening of two- month-long annual pilgrimage to the holy cave shrine of Lord Shiva, situated at a height of 13500 ft in South Kashmir. The pilgrims, singing chants of Lord Shiva and his consort Mata Parvati, climbed atop tourist buses to begin their holy trek from Jammu early Tuesday morning. Before the yatra was flagged off by the Congress Minister Gulchain Singh Charak, large number of devotees were seen making calls to their relatives informing them about the start of their yatra schedule. Shyam Lal was standing tall in front of the tourist bus guiding his fellow passengers to climb the bus.Shyam Lal is undertaking the pilgrimage for the last one decade and is the guiding force behind the group of elderly couples from Himanchal Pradesh. Unprecendented security arrangments were made by the State Government at the base camp to prevent any militant strike. Official sources said at least 50 companies of paramilitary forces were deployed along the route of the yatra and on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway to ensure incident free yatra. The Army jawans were positioned along the highway to sanitise the road in the form of road opening parties.Besides this, separate security check points and nakas have been raised in and around the Jammu base camp to prevent entry of any anti national close to t he base camp. On day one around 2800 pilgrims were flagged off in over 70 light and heavy motor vehicles under tight security arrnagments, GS Charak said after the flagging off ceremony. He said the Amarnath shrine board is assisted by the state government in extending all facilities to the pilgrims. He said security is the biggest concern of the Government and adequate number of security personnel have been deployed to ensure incident free yatra.

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Maharashtra Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) nabs 2 more for Thane blasts (http://www.dailypioneer.com)

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 09:28:00 GMT

Date: 18.6.08 ATS nabs 2 more for Thane blasts TN Raghunatha | Mumbai Maharashtra Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) sleuths on Tuesday arrested two more hard-core activists of Sanatan Sanstha and Hindu Jan Jagruti Samiti in connection with the June 4 explosion at Thane's Gadkari Rangyatan, taking the total number of arrests to four. Sleuths booked Ramesh Hanumant Gadkari (50) and Mangesh Dinakar Nikam (34) for their alleged involvement in Thane's blast and two other earlier incidents. The ATS officials picked up Vikram Vinay Bhave and Santosh Angre, both aged 26 years, from Sanatan Sanstha's Panvel ashram. Bhave and Angre have been charged with having colluded with Gadkari and Nikam in executing the blast in the parking lot of "Gadkari Rangayatan", in which seven persons were injured. Among other things, the low-intensity bomb used in Thane blast - composed of ammonium nitrate and gelatin sticks - was assembled at Bhave's residence. Nikam assembled the bombs used in Thane blast and two incidents - one of which exploded on February 20 this year at a Panvel cinema hall Ashutosh Gowariker's film, Jodha Akbar, and the one which was recovered and defused at a Vashi drama theatre on May 31, while Gadkari transported the explosives and planted them at the three locations. In a related development, the Panvel-based Sanatan Sanstha (SS) and the Hindu Janjagruti Samiti (HJS) have distanced themselves from the three incidents and disowned Gadkari and Nikam. In a statement issued here, Sanstha's Mumbai convenor Abhay Varatk denied either his organization or HJS had anything to do with the three incidents. "We are not involved in any anti-social activities. The Sansta and HJS believe in scientific spirituality. We are committed to evolving solutions to problems through dialogues, not acts of terrorism." "We have condemned the Thane blast and two other incidents. We are fully cooperating with the ATS in their investigations," Vartak said. Vartak's statement should be seen in the light of an admission made by Gadkari and Nikam to the police that they had chosen to register their protest against the producers of Marathi play "Amhi Pachpute" and Ashutosh Gowariker's film, Jodha Akbar, by engineering incidents at Thane, Vashi and Panvel, as they had felt that the Hindu gods and goddesses had been projected as "caricatures" in both the play and film. However, what has really complicated the matters for the two right wing organizations is the fact that both Gadkari and Nikam have told the police they were active members of SS and HJS and the fact that Gadkari had been living at the SS ashram at Panvel for five years with his family; while his wife works in the publicity and advertising department of a newspaper run by SS in the city.

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ULFA on back foot, Assam agog with truce rumours (www.dailypioneer.com) (G. C. Asnani: Weak and fumbling attitude of Govt. only encourages Terrorist Groups. If Govt. is serious, hit the Terrorists hard; they should have no time to breathe and plan the next attack. Hit them and hit them hard; Then the Terrorists will come to their senses and talk of peace. After weakening them, be prepared for pence.)

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 09:27:00 GMT

Date: 18.6.08 Syed Zarir Hussain | Guwahati The United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) is facing severe reverses at the hands of security forces in recent months triggering speculation that the group's key strike force, that has its headquarters in Myanmar, is considering a ceasefire with authorities. "In the past 10 days alone, 17 militants have been killed in gunfights with security forces. The group's morale is certainly down," said an Assam Police intelligence official. Early on Tuesday, two ULFA rebels were killed in a shootout with soldiers of the 11 Sikh Regiment at Banderkhati Khamti village in Lohit district of Arunachal Pradesh, a security official said. Ten kgs of explosives, besides a pistol and a revolver, were recovered from the slain militants. ULFA rebels use the adjoining Arunachal Pradesh both as staging areas and stopovers during transit to its bases in Myanmar. The group's key strike unit called the 28th battallion or the 'Kashmir Camp', is based in Myanmar. Since Monday, the State has been agog with rumours that the potent 28th battalion of the ULFA, active in the eastern Tinsukia, Dibrugarh and Sivasagar districts, was considering a truce with the State authorities. Throughout the day on Monday, journalists were in touch with Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, who heads the Unified Command of the Army, police and the paramilitary in the State, on news of the truce. "We cannot say anything now. Talks about a truce were held in the past too," Gogoi told mediapersons. However, Jiten Dutta, the self-styled commander of the ULFA's 28th battalion, denied plans to enter into a ceasefire with the Government. "This is nothing but a malicious propaganda to defame the outfit and create confusion," Dutta told a local TV channel over telephone. The Assam Government, meanwhile, has sought a detailed report on the circumstances leading to the shooting down of four ULFA militants on Sunday in the eastern Sivasagar district. Rights groups and locals have alleged that Army troopers have shot the rebels after they were captured. A temporary ceasefire between the ULFA and the Government was called off in September 2006 after authorities said the rebels utilised the truce to regroup. There has been no progress in the failed attempt since then to bring the. The United Liberation Front of Asom and the Government for peace talks.

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Baghdad insists on right to veto US operations� Intensive talks on future status of American forces (http://www.guardian.co.uk/)

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 09:27:00 GMT

Date: 18.6.08 Iraq is insisting on the right to veto any US military operations throughout its territory under a "status of forces" agreement currently being negotiated between Baghdad and Washington, according to a senior member of the Iraqi government. The agreement will last for a maximum of two years and can be terminated by either side with six months' notice, Hussain al-Shahristani, Iraq's oil minister, told the Guardian yesterday. His remarks come amid intensive closed-door negotiations between the Iraqi and US governments which have led to complaints in the US Congress as well as Iraq that the Bush administration is tying the next US president's hands by seeking to maintain long-term bases in Iraq for possible attacks on Iran and other neighbouring states. But Shahristani insisted yesterday: "Neither the constitution nor our people will allow any violation of our sovereignty. Obviously foreign troops on Iraqi soil carrying out operations without the prior consent and approval of the elected government is a violation. "Any arrests, any operations internally or externally against our neighbours without prior agreement of the Iraqi government will be considered a violation ... Land and sea movements and air space is all part of Iraq's sovereignty." The status of forces agreement, known as Sofa, will flesh out a more general "strategic framework" pact on all aspects of the US-Iraqi relationship that is also being worked out secretly. The two agreements are seen as "legacy issues" allowing Bush to claim success and a legitimation of the US occupation when the UN mandate runs out at the end of this year. Before the talks started this spring, Robert Gates, the US defence secretary, sought to remove nationalist suspicions in Iraq by saying the US had "no interest in permanent bases". Shahristani's disclosure that Iraq wants the Sofa to be "only short, for one or two years" is designed to put a time limit on the US presence and remove ambiguity about what constitutes a temporary or a permanent base. US commanders have warned repeatedly that the relative peace which has prevailed in Baghdad is fragile because extremists, including al-Qaida in Iraq and Shia militant groups, remain capable of high-profile attacks, the latest of which took place yesterday afternoon on a busy street in a Shia area in west Baghdad when a car bomb exploded, killing at least 51 people. The blast shattered the relative calm experienced in Baghdad since a ceasefire on May 11 ended fighting between US and Iraqi forces and Shia militants. The Sofa has aroused fierce controversy in Iraq. No drafts have been published and only a handful of MPs have seen it. The Iraqi government has been forced to give parliament a vote on the final text, although Washington says it need not go to the US Senate as it is not a treaty. A letter denouncing various leaked provisions, signed by more than 100 of the 275 Iraqi MPs was handed to US senators recently. Since the talks began in March, Washington has reduced its demands. "The first US draft wasn't even remotely acceptable," said Shahristani, who is a member of the United Iraqi Alliance, the Shia movement that is the largest bloc in parliament. The prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki, was given full control over negotiations by Iraq's political council for national security last weekend. Recent US concessions will allow Iraqi courts to have jurisdiction over thousands of private contractors in Iraq, currently immune from prosecution. They will also transfer the 21,000 detainees in US jails to Iraqi custody. But with Iraqi prisons already overcrowded, this may involve a paper transaction. Iraq is still insisting US troops be chargeable in Iraqi courts. The US is unlikely to concede this. The Bush administration is putting the Iraqi government under intense pressure to agree to the security pacts by July 31. But Shahristani said: "There is no way for the Sofa to be presented to parliament before its summer recess." The oil minister also disclosed that the Iraqi government expects to sign its first contracts with western oil companies within the next two weeks. These will be for technical support and repair. Bidding for developing new fields is under way but "it will be open to competitive tendering". Shahristani denied this was backdoor privatisation, since the Iraqi National Oil Corporation would retain control of 80% of Iraq's discovered reserves. He criticised the Kurdistan regional government for signing agreements with small oil firms for developing fields in northern Iraq without Baghdad's consent. Backstory The US wants to cover its military presence in Iraq with a bilateral pact with Baghdad once the annually renewed UN resolution runs out on December 31. This requires the Iraqi parliament's approval, and has aroused suspicion and opposition. Moqtada al-Sadr's nationalist movement is holding weekly protests calling for an end to the occupation. Other parties are uncertain whether to accept a deal. Major issues are whether the roughly 50 US bases would be permanent, and under whose control. Disputes also centre on whether the US could use them freely, and for what operations - inside Iraq, or against other countries. The Iraqi government wants US crimes to be tried in Iraqi courts. The US says yes for US contractors, no for US troops. Bush wants a deal by July 31 before the US party conventions. The Iraqi parliament is unlikely to review the text until the autumn.

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Faulty formula, fake figures for inflation in India. (http://www.organiser.org)

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 09:26:00 GMT

Date: 18.6.08 By K.L. Pathela Rise in rate of inflation makes the Government shiver in sleeves. The Finance Minister, nay even the Prime Minister, comes out with statements justifying the rise on the ground that it was the world phenomena and India could not be an exception in an age of globalisation. The Finance Minister P. Chidambaram speaking on rising inflation said on April 20 that the prevailing general price rise could be attributed to imported inflation. We can control prices of some goods but no Prime Minister or Finance Minister can ever roll back prices of essential imported goods. Some of them in order to cover up failure of the UPA Government even held the NDA (that was voted out in early 2004) responsible for price rise in 2008. But it bewilders one when the Government that is run by a clean man, uses dirty tricks to befool aam aadmi, he swears by with every breath. The rate of inflation announced for the week ending March 8, was 5.92 per cent whereas the final figure now made out for the same period is 7.78 per cent i.e., 1.9 points higher. If the same trend continues, inflation at 7.83 per cent for the week ending May 3 will end up over 9 per cent in the final figures. Again the Government attitude on inflation based on wholesale price index that forms the basis of Government policies has been casual. There is no regular machinery to verify the data provided by producers or traders on a voluntary basis. Sometimes the samples included in the survey are not updated according to the price rise. Again the weight given to different sectors does not take care of aam aadmi who has to spend 70 per cent of its earnings on food and fuel. WPI gives just around 22 per cent for Agro goods (wheat, rice, pulses, edible oil, etc.) whereas over 63 per cent weight is stated to have been allotted for manufactured goods, which are mostly beyond the reach of aam aadmi or it is once a while that he has to go in for them. It seems that Inflation Index that attracts headlines is related to the rich that is why a minor stir in WPI becomes a big news where as Consumer Price Indexes which are mostly related to the labour/farmer are lost sight of or put in a forlorn corner of the newspaper. It is perhaps for the same reason whenever people have raised their voice against price-rise of essential commodities like wheat, rice, edible oil or the like, the Finance Minister makes an appeal to the manufacturers of steel and cement to bring down prices and assures the people that price would come down in four or five months. Like P. Chidambaram, the Prime Minister also follows an economists escape route and asks the people to wait till September. Both of them perhaps forget or tend to forget that for those who are not sure of getting another meal of the day, September is too far and who knows how many more farmers would have committed suicide by then. (The writer is former secretary general of Bharatiya Posts and Telegraphs Employees Federation and can be contacted at A-5-B/60-B Janak Puri, New Delhi-110058.)

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Stop the constitutional use of the word dharmanirpeksh (http://www.organiser.org/)

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 09:25:00 GMT

Date: 18.6.08 Rajnath Singh This time the party president Shri Rajnath Singh coined a theme slogan: SankalpVijay and Lakshya Rashtra Nirman (Target victory and Goal-Nation building). This message was written on colourful hoardings erected in the streets of national capital. Shri L.K. Advani borrowed a slogan from the last Gujarat assembly electionIn the BJP victory, India will win (Jitega Bhajapa, Jitega Bharat). BJP national president Shri Rajnath Singh disqualifying the Congress claim of number one party said: The Congress partys longstanding claim of being the largest party of the country both politically and organisationally has weakened and the BJP has emerged as the largest party of the country both in political and organisational terms. Now we are the obvious frontrunner for the Lok Sabha elections. Attacking the UPA for working against the interest of the common man, party president Shri Rajnath Singh said, It appears that the current administrators of the nation are completely oblivious of the extent to which the common man has been burdened by the unending price rise. Todays price rise is multi-dimensional. I would like to ask not only the learned Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission but also our learned economist Finance Minister and Prime Minister: Is development possible only by crushing the common man under the burden of inflation? Cant these experts see an alternate model of development? Didnt development take place in the tenure of the NDA? Was not inflation under control? Is this the same hand of the Congress party, which came to power on the claim of being with the common man and today it is willing to sacrifice all the requirements of the common man for the sake of building a so-called palace of development? And that too such development is not refl ected anywhere. The BJP will never accept a policy that seeks to build a palace by sacrificing a hut. The BJP president charged the UPA for neglecting the agriculture and rural India and stated: If life is not possible without food then a nation without land is not possible either. The pledge of nation building is a farce without it encompassing agriculture and the villages, the perpetual symbol of our great nations life and vibrancy. This is what the present UPA government is doing with the villages, the poor and the farmers. If we get an opportunity to form a government at the Centre, then we will revive and re-establish both agriculture and the villages. Shri Rajnath Singh said that in the decade of the 1970s through the 42nd constitutional amendment, the words Secular and Socialist were added to the Preamble of the Constitution. And after this change, the Preamble of Indias Constitution became Sovereign, Secular, Socialist, Democratic, Republic. It is only after this change that widespread politics began over the word secular, which was interpreted as dharmanirpeksh. However, neither technically nor politically, the true meaning of the word secular can ever be dharmanirpeksh. In the official Hindi translation of the Preamble of the Constitution published by the Law & Justice Ministry of Government of India, which is also a public document, the meaning of the word secular is written as panthnirpeksh. The BJP national president explaining the issue in detail said that there is a big difference in being dharmanirpeksh and panthnirpeksh. Panth or sect symbolises devotion towards any specific belief, specific way of prayer and specific form of God but dharma symbolises absolute and eternal values, which can never change like laws of nature. For example, one can say dharma is like the earth or land while panth is like different paths built over it. Our mind can chose any path, change from one path to another, we can hold different views about the various paths but how can we ever get separated from the earth? Dharmapran nation means a nation whose actual consciousness is imbibed in dharma. India is a dharmapran nation and this is evident from Amarnath in the extreme north to Sabarimala Temple in the extreme south, and in Haridwar, Nasik, Ujjain and Prayag, where one can see Kumbh Melas in perpetual occurrence. Indias national emblem has three lions and carries the eternal message of Satyamev Jayate (Truth Always Triumphs) of the Mundakopanishad. Truth signifies dharma and not a sect. Indias National Flag has the Ashoka Chakra in it. This Chakra found in Sarnath is dharmachakra and basically symbolises the cycle of dharma. In Indias Parliament behind the seat of the Speaker of the Lok Sabha Dharmachakra Pravartanay (For the propagation of the eternal cycle of dharma) is inscribed. Therefore, if dharma is present in the National Emblem, National Flag, and in the supreme seat of Parliament then how can the entire establishment of India be neutral to dharma or be dharmanirpeksh? The confusion created by dharmanirpeksh and panthnirpeksh cannot be removed only through an explanation. The only solution is to stop the use of the word dharmanirpeksh. That is why I am announcing that in future we will never use the word dharmanirpeksh and the Government of India should also issue a direc tive prohibiting the constitutional use of the word dharmanirpeksh so that from the Prime Minister to the common public no one constitutionally uses this term and this will prevent confusion and damage from taking place through its usage, Shri Rajnath Singh said. Describing the partys agenda before the nation party president said: We also want the nation to experience an environment of value-based politics. Along with cultural nationalism, Article 370, Uniform Civil Code and true secularism, we are committed to preserve the national unity and integrity. We always maintain that power is a means and not an end for us. I have great hope that our party workers in every village will constitute their teams at every booth and while they will ensure the BJPs geographical, social, political and cultural expansion, they will also ensure that our ideology spread among our supporters in their respective areas. If we succeed on this front, which I am confident that we will achieve, then that day is not far when on the ramparts of the Red Fort, our prime ministerial candidate Shri Lal Krishna Advani will address the entire nation.

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Honor killing in Canada: Father Mr. Muhammad Parvez gets first-degree murder charge for killing his daughter after she refused to wear hijab. ((http://www.jihadwatch.org/)

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 09:25:00 GMT

Date: 18.6.08 Aqsa, in life Given the political and social climate today, Canadian authorities could easily have opted for a lesser charge, and mumbled about respecting the cultures of immigrants. Instead, to their credit, they have charged Muhammad Parvez with first-degree murder for killing his daughter after she refused to wear hijab. May this be just the beginning of a general awakening to stealth jihad initiatives in the West, and a toughening of legal sanctions against Sharia norms and Islamic cultural practices that are at odds with our societies and laws. Aqsa Parvez deserves no less. Aqsa Parvez Update: "First-degree murder charge in Aqsa Parvez death," by Bob Mitchell in the Toronto Star, June 17 (thanks to all who sent this in): The father of a Mississauga teen killed last year has been charged today with first-degree murder in connection with her death. Muhammad Parvez, 57, appeared in a Brampton courtroom today where he was officially charged. The charge is an indication investigators believe the girls killing was pre-meditated. Parvez was arrested in early December after his daughter Aqsa, 16, was found strangled in the family's Mississauga home. Paramedics revived her, but she died later in hospital.... The death drew international attention after her friends said she had argued with her father over her desire to shun the hijab, a traditional Muslim scarf that covers the head and shoulders....

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Canada: Muslim arrested at airport with handgun in carry-on luggage (http://www.jihadwatch.org/)

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 09:24:00 GMT

Date: 18.6.08 A test of screening procedures? "Gun, ammunition confiscated from air passenger," from CBC News, June 17 (thanks to APA): A man was arrested at the Calgary International Airport Tuesday after a handgun was detected in his carry-on luggage. Security officers in a pre-boarding screening area at concourse D noticed the gun inside the luggage and alerted police just after noon Tuesday. Police arrested the man without incident and seized an unloaded, small calibre handgun and several rounds of ammunition from the bag, said Calgary police. They believe the man was flying to Saskatoon. Ziad Mohamad Jeha, 30, of Calgary, has been charged with possession of a weapon dangerous to the public peace, possession of a concealed weapon, possession of a weapon without a permit and possession of a restricted weapon with readily accessible ammunition. Calgary police said the suspect is known to them.

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Pentagon to Consult Academics on Security (www.nytimes.com)

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 09:10:00 GMT

Date: 18.6.08 By PATRICIA COHEN Published: June 18, 2008 Eager to embrace eggheads and ideas, the Pentagon has started an ambitious and unusual program to recruit social scientists and direct the nations brainpower to combating security threats like the Chinese military, Iraq, terrorism and religious fundamentalism. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has compared the initiative named Minerva, after the Roman goddess of wisdom (and warriors) to the governments effort to pump up its intellectual capital during the cold war after the Soviet Union launched Sputnik in 1957. Although the Pentagon regularly finances science and engineering research, systematic support for the social sciences and humanities has been rare. Minerva is the first systematic effort in this area since the Vietnam War, said Thomas G. Mahnken, deputy assistant secretary of defense for policy planning, whose office will be overseeing the project. But if the uncustomary push to engage the nations evolutionary psychologists, demographers, sociologists, historians and anthropologists in security research as well as the prospect of new financial support in lean times has generated excitement among some scholars, it has also aroused opposition from others, who worry that the Defense Department and the academy are getting too cozy. The Pentagon put out its first requests for proposals last week. Minerva will award $50 million over five years. Another set of grants administered by the National Science Foundation is expected to be announced by the end of this month. Mr. Gates, a former university president with a degree in Soviet and Russian history, has a particularly personal stake in the program, Mr. Mahnken said. He was a beneficiary of the investment made by the government during the cold war, he said, adding that Mr. Gates was determined to repair the bridges that used to exist between academics and the government that have fallen into the river. Cooperation between universities and the Pentagon has long been a contentious issue, and the recent death of Michael V. Bhatia, the first death of a civilian scholar working with combat troops in Afghanistan, has raised academics sensitivities on the issue. Mr. Bhatia, a 31-year-old graduate student in political science, was working on a completely different project when he was killed by a roadside bomb last month. I am all in favor of having lots of researchers trying to figure out why terrorists want to kill Americans, said Hugh Gusterson, an anthropologist at George Mason University. But how can you make sure you get a broad spectrum of opinion and find the best people? On both counts, I dont think the Pentagon is the way to go. Mr. Gusterson is a founder of the Network of Concerned Anthropologists, which was created because of a growing unease among scholars about cooperating with the Defense Department. The American Anthropological Association, an 11,000-member organization, has also told administration officials that while research on these issues is essential, Defense Department money could compromise quality and independence because of the departments inexperience with social science. There was pretty general agreement that this was an issue we should weigh in on, said Setha M. Low, the organizations president, who contacted dozens of anthropologists about it. In its written call for proposals, the department said Minerva was seeking scholars who can, for example, translate original documents, including those captured in Iraq; study changes in the Peoples Liberation Army as China shifts to a more open political system; and explain the resurgence of the Taliban. The department is also looking for computational models that could illuminate how groups make what seem to be irrational decisions, and decipher the way the brain processes social and cultural norms. Mr. Gates has stressed the importance of devoting resources to what he calls soft power, the elements of national power beyond the guns and steel of the military. Toward that end, he contacted Robert M. Berdahl, the president of the Association of American Universities which represents 60 of the top research universities in the country in December to help design Minerva. A former chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley, and a past president of the University of Texas at Austin, Mr. Berdahl knew Mr. Gates from when the defense secretary served on the associations board. In January Mr. Berdahl and a small group of senior scholars and university administrators met in Washington with Defense Department officials. Also there was Graham Spanier, the president of Penn State University and the associations chairman. He said the scholars helped refine the guidelines, advising that the research be open and unclassified. As for the issue of Pentagon financing, Mr. Spanier said, Peer review is a good idea, but there are many different ways to do that. He added, We have pledged to go back and recommend individuals who could help in that process. The beauty of Minerva, Mr. Spanier said, is that it provides a lot of opportunity for people in the social sciences and humanities to solve national-security-related questions. Mr. Berdahl said some participants favored having the National Science Foundation or a similar nonmilitary federal organization, rather than the Pentagon, distribute Minerva money. It would be a good way to proceed, because theyve had a lot of experience with social science, he said. In a speech to the Association of American Universities in April, Mr. Gates said, The key principle of all components of the Minerva Consortia will be complete openness and rigid adherence to academic freedom and integrity. At a time when political campaigns have treated the word elitist as an epithet, he quoted the historian Arthur Schlesinger Jr.s statement that the United States must return to the acceptance of eggheads and ideas to meet national security threats. We are interested in furthering our knowledge of these issues and in soliciting diverse points of view, regardless of whether those views are critical of the departments efforts, Mr. Gates added. In response to Mr. Gatess speech, the American Anthropological Association sent a letter to administration officials saying that it is of paramount importance that anthropologists study the roots of terrorism and violence, but adding, We are deeply concerned that funding such research through the Pentagon may pose a potential conflict of interest and undermine the practices of peer review. Mr. Gusterson, who says he is worried that the Pentagon will end up scaring off some voices and limiting the full range of opinion on a subject, said the project was assigning the recruitment task to the agency that doesnt know how to do this and ignoring the ones that do. One reason the State Department misread Vietnam so badly in the early 1960s is that the liberal experts on East Asia were purged under McCarthyism, he said. I fear that a conversation about the sources of violence and terrorism run under the auspices of the Pentagon might be similarly misshapen. John D. Kelly, chairman of the anthropology department at the University of Chicago, said the research subjects were good. But he cautioned that by focusing, for example, on military technology, we might simultaneously misunderstand whats happening in China and cause the Chinese to feel that we have identified them as a threat. Anthropologists have been especially outspoken about the Pentagons Human Terrain Teams, a two-year-old program that pairs anthropologists and other social scientists with combat units in Afghanistan and Iraq, and in which Mr. Bhatia was participating at the time of his death. As for Minerva, many scholars said routing the money through the National Science Foundation or a similar institution would go a long way toward easing most of their concerns. To Mr. Spanier of Penn State, the answer to scholars who oppose Pentagon financing is simple: Those who dont want to do their research in the context of Department of Defense funding shouldnt apply.

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Pakistani scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan denies fresh nuclear claim (http://www.cnn.com/)

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 09:10:00 GMT

Date: 18.6.08 ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) -- The architect of Pakistan's nuclear program on Tuesday rejected a report alleging that his network may have shared blueprints for an advanced nuclear weapon with countries such as Iran and North Korea. Abdul Qadeer Khan, under house arrest since 2004, is revered as a hero by many in Pakistan. Speaking to The Associated Press by telephone, Abdul Qadeer Khan described the report issued Monday as a "pack of lies" and lashed out at its author, former top U.N. arms inspector David Albright. "It is all concoction, it is a pack of lies, and this is a campaign. Whenever they see Pakistan can be pressured, they pressure it," Khan said from the Islamabad villa where he is under house arrest. "The previous government has been succumbing to such pressure." The 72-year-old Khan is a hero in the eyes of many Pakistanis for his pivotal role in developing the Islamic nation's nuclear bomb. He was detained in December 2003, however, and admitted in early 2004 that he operated a network that spread nuclear weapons technology to Iran, North Korea and Libya. Khan has opened up to the media since Pakistan's new civilian government took power this year, eclipsing the dominance of President Pervez Musharraf. The scientist has been strongly critical of Musharraf, a former general who pardoned Khan but ordered his detention after the U.S. and the U.N. nuclear watchdog presented Pakistan with evidence of his proliferation activities. The government, however, has refused to let outsiders such as the International Atomic Energy Agency directly question him. Khan made a rare trip out of his home in May, when he was allowed to visit the Academy of Sciences in the capital, Islamabad, to express condolences over the death of a former colleague. Unanswered questions remain about the technology that Khan's network shared with nations such as North Korea and Iran, and whether Pakistani authorities knew what he was doing or profited from sales. Khan's network was largely dismantled in 2004 and in the investigation of its operations Swiss officials seized computers and files from three brothers accused of smuggling for the network. By 2006 the files had been deciphered and among them was a detailed design for an advanced but small nuclear warhead. Albright told The Associated Press on Monday that the design goes far beyond the schematics and information about nuclear weapons available on the Internet. "It's a very different category of information, and it's very dangerous," he said. "There are no other designs out there. There is very little information of this quality out there outside of the nuclear weapons states." The drawings were recently destroyed by the Swiss government under the supervision of the IAEA to keep them out of terrorists' hands. But U.N. officials said they could not rule out that the material already had been shared. Khan, who gave the interview in Urdu, claimed Albright's report was funded by the CIA and was an attempt by the United States to spread negative propaganda about Pakistan. "He (Albright) has been writing against Pakistan for years since we started our program," Khan said. "This is all lies. We never made any compact (device). In the beginning, we made a simple weapon in 1983, and we never made it again or changed it," he said. However, in Vienna, a senior diplomat said the IAEA had knowledge of the existence of a sophisticated nuclear weapons design being peddled electronically by the black-market ring as far back as 2005. The diplomat, who is familiar with the investigations into the Khan network, spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly on the issue. In his recent interviews, Khan has denied doing anything unauthorized, but has declined to discuss whether other Pakistani government and military officials knew of his activities. "Right now I only want to say that I did nothing wrong," he told the AP.

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Car bomb kills at least 51 Iraqis, official says (http://www.cnn.com)

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 09:09:00 GMT

Date: 18.6.08 NEW: Dozens injured in bombing near bus stop in Shiite area of capital, official says Another bomb kills police chief and another officer south of Baghdad, police say BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- In one of the deadliest attacks in Baghdad in months, at least 51 Iraqis were killed and 75 were wounded Tuesday in a car bombing, an Iraqi Interior Ministry official said. U.S.-allied fighters collect the body of a comrade who was killed in a suicide bombing Tuesday in Baghdad. The bomb ripped through a garage and a bus stop, hitting an outdoor market and apartments, the official said. The blast in Hurriya, a predominantly Shiite neighborhood in northwestern Baghdad, was one of the deadliest to hit the Iraqi capital in months. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki blamed it on "the defeated remnants of terrorism" and called it an attempt to revive the sectarian warfare that wracked the country for more than a year. In a statement issued by his office, al-Maliki said "terrorists" and Islamic militants "returned to their old failing bet in trying to incite the sectarian strife" after defeats in Baghdad and other cities. "This crime will not affect our determination and our commitment to fully defeat the terrorists and preserve the security triumphs achieved by the armed and security forces," the prime minister said. "This will add to our determination to rid the capital and the provinces from the remnants of the terrorists, murderers and criminals." And U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon offered his "heartfelt condolences," his office said. "The secretary-general condemns, in the strongest of terms, the terrorist bombing in northern Baghdad today which has reportedly killed over 50 people and left scores more injured," a U.N. statement said. The blast came as officials tried to tamp down violence in Shiite areas, where U.S. and Iraqi forces have battled militias. Earlier Tuesday, four civilians were killed in a suicide attack in northern Baghdad targeting a predominantly Sunni group opposed to al Qaeda in Iraq, an Interior Ministry official said. The suicide attack is the latest in a flurry of strikes targeting the groups of predominantly U.S.-allied Sunni fighters known as the Awakening Councils or Sons of Iraq. Al Qaeda in Iraq is believed to be responsible for many of these assaults. The suicide bomber was driving a motorcycle that struck a checkpoint in the predominantly Sunni Suliekh neighborhood. The four victims were Awakening members manning the checkpoint. Two others were wounded. In other violence Tuesday, gunmen killed an employee of the Council of Ministers and wounded his father in western Baghdad, the Interior Ministry said. The man was driving and his father was in the passenger seat when gunmen in another vehicle shot them. Also Tuesday, a bomb killed a municipal police chief in a volatile Shiite region south of Baghdad, police said. Col. Saleh Mehdi Kuneihar, the chief of Aziziya, and another police officer were killed and two others were wounded when a roadside bomb struck their car on a road between Wasit and Diyala provinces. Iraq's government battled Shiite militants in the southern city of Basra and Baghdad's Sadr City this spring. The government is in the first stages of an operation in the southern province of Maysan, where Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki announced a Wednesday deadline for "outlaws" to turn in in their weapons. The move is al-Maliki's latest effort to stamp out militants and establish central governmental authority in the oil-rich southern region. Iraqi security forces also are fighting al Qaeda in Iraq militants in the northern city of Mosul. Much of the fighting in Baghdad and Basra has been between Iraq security forces and members of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's Mehdi Army militia. Maysan province and its capital of Amara are believed to house Mehdi Army members who fled Basra and Baghdad after the earlier push. Other developments Gunmen killed an Iraqi journalist Tuesday in Mosul, police said. Muhieddin Abdul Hamid, an anchor for state TV's Nineveh channel, was slain by gunmen in a drive-by shooting outside his house. An American-led coalition raid aimed at an al Qaeda in Iraq bombing network killed four "suspected terrorists" Tuesday in Mosul, the U.S. military said. Coalition troops approached a building and ordered people there to surrender; four militants were killed when they refused, according to the military. At least 18 people were wounded Tuesday when a parked car bomb detonated near a police checkpoint in Baquba in Diyala province. A U.N. refugee agency survey issued Tuesday said the Iraqi and Afghan conflicts have spurred an increase in refugees and the number of Iraqis internally displaced has grown. "After a five-year decline in the number of refugees between 2001 and 2005, we have now seen two years of increases, and that's a concern," said U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres. The number of refugees under the responsibility of the UNHCR rose to 11.4 million by the end of 2007, up from 9.9 million at the end of 2006, according to the annual report issued Tuesday. "Much of the increase in refugees in 2007 was a result of the volatile situation in Iraq," the agency said

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Space cameras to monitor forests (http://news.bbc.co.uk/)

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 09:09:00 GMT

Date: 18.6.08 Deforestation threatens the long-term future of the Congo rainforest Plans to use a state-of-the-art camera onboard a satellite to monitor deforestation levels in Africa's Congo Basin have been unveiled. The high resolution RALCam3 camera, designed and built by UK scientists, will provide the first detailed view of the area's rate of forest cover loss. The project is part of the Congo Basin Forest Fund, a £108m joint-initiative by the UK and Norwegian governments. The fund aims to curb climate change by preventing deforestation in the region. Speaking at the launch of the scheme, UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown said: "We are pledging to work together to secure the future of one of the world's last remaining ancient forests. "Preserving our forests is vital if we are going to reduce global emissions and tackle climate change." Ecological hotspot The Congo rainforest is the second largest in the world, containing more than a quarter of the planet's remaining tropical rainforest. The UN warns that two-thirds of the Congo rainforest will be gone by 2040 It is also home to more than 50m people, and supports an estimated 10,000 plant species, 1,000 types of birds and 400 different kinds of mammals. A UN study warned that unless action was taken to tackle deforestation in the region, more than 66% of the rainforest would be lost by 2040. The high definition camera will be made by a team at the UK's Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL). "We're delighted to be involved in this very important and timely project," said Nick Waltham, head of RAL's Imaging Systems Division. "RALCam3 will provide 10-metre per pixel ground sampling from an orbit of 650 km (400 miles) altitude," he told BBC News. "The image [width] is 88km (55 miles) thereby enabling large areas of the terrain to be imaged in one satellite pass." Dr Waltham said the system would also have other applications, including surveillance of environmental change and offshore pollution. The camera is one of the first projects to be supported by the fund, which is headed by former Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin and Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai. "The Congo Basin Forest Fund is a joint response to a global problem whereby an innovative and consensual mechanism has been embraced," Professor Maathai explained. "It involves various partners committed to preserve and protect one of the most unique ecosystems in the world." The fund, which has received an initial £58m (73m euros) from the UK government and £50m (63m euros) from the Norweigan goverment, will support anti-logging projects in the region until 2012.

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Israel and Hamas 'agree truce' (http://news.bbc.co.uk/)

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 08:58:00 GMT

Date: 18.6.08 Israel carries out regular raids into Gaza to counter Hamas rocket fire Israel and militant group Hamas have agreed to end months of bitter clashes with a six-month truce starting on Thursday, Palestinian officials say. A Hamas official said he was confident all militant groups in Gaza would abide by the agreement, brokered by Egypt. Israeli officials said they were "looking to see if this is serious". Earlier at least six Palestinians were reportedly killed in Israeli air strikes in southern Gaza. Israel said it had targeted "terror operatives". Islamic Jihad said a missile struck a car carrying five of its members near Khan Younis. A sixth man died in a separate strike nearby. Two-stage deal Hamas took over Gaza in June 2007, driving out forces loyal to Fatah, the political faction led by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Since then, Israel, the Palestinian Authority and the international community have sought to isolate Hamas. HAMAS 'TRUCE' TIMETABLE 0600 (0300 GMT) Thursday ceasefire begins after 24 hours Israel eases crossing restrictions after five days Israel opens commercial crossings after two weeks Egypt starts talks with all sides to seek reopening of Rafah crossing ceasefire applies in Gaza Strip only What chance of lasting peace? Israel declared the territory a "hostile entity" and has blockaded it in an attempt to pressure Hamas into stopping rocket fire from the strip into Israel. Over the past seven days, more than 20 people have died in Gaza as a result of Israeli military action. In the same period, the Israeli army says that Palestinian militants have fired more than 90 rockets and mortars into Israel. Egypt, which has worked for months to clinch a deal between Israel and Hamas, urged both sides to "exert all efforts to bring the calm to a success", senior officials were quoted as saying. The BBC's Tim Franks in Jerusalem says a ceasefire should lead to an improvement in people's everyday lives in southern Israel and Gaza, but any talk of political upheaval or breakthrough is premature. Palestinian and Egyptian officials say the truce is to come into effect at 0600 (0300 GMT) on Thursday. As well as a halt to all hostilities, this stage of the deal also envisages a partial reopening of Gaza's borders, they add. A second stage would focus on the return of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit and on a deal to reopen the main Rafah crossing into Egypt, they say. In the talks process until now, Israeli concerns have centred on whether all militant groups would adhere to a truce, and what Egypt would do to stop arms smuggling into Gaza, says our correspondent. 'New situation' Israeli officials stress that phone lines to Cairo are "still running hot". "It is still too soon to talk of that period of calm and when it comes into force, supposing it does come into force, it is difficult to know how long it will last." A Hamas leader in Gaza, Mahmoud Zahar, confirmed at a news conference that militant groups had agreed a truce. Hamas official Ahmed Yousef told the BBC: "I am confident that everybody will abide by what we've agreed. All the groups which went to Cairo gave their okay to the ceasefire. "If anybody does anything, they will be doing it on their own." According to a detailed breakdown released by Hamas, Israel will ease its restrictions on Gaza crossings with Israel on Friday morning, followed by the bigger commercial crossings next week. After two weeks, talks will start involving Israel, Hamas, the Palestinian Authority and the European Union on finding agreement on reopening the Rafah crossing into Egypt, Hamas says. The truce will apply only in Gaza, Hamas says, and it will not be allowed to respond from Gaza to any Israeli action in the West Bank. Next steps Egyptian officials say they will continue efforts to broker a similar ceasefire in the West Bank. The last ceasefire between Hamas and Israel ended in April last year, shortly before the Islamist movement took control of the Gaza Strip. Mr Yousef said that the aim now was to push ahead talks on a prisoner exchange, as well as a new round of talks in Cairo between the rival factions of Fatah and Hamas. A delegation from Fatah has already travelled to the Gaza Strip from the West Bank for talks with other party members. The group is the first representing Mr Abbas to go to Gaza since Hamas seized control. Hamas has said it is prepared to hold talks with the Fatah officials, but there has been no word from Fatah on whether such a meeting will take place.

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Holy Bible - Gospel of Jesus: - New Testament, Luke 12; 51-53: Jesus said, "Do you suppose that I came to bring peace to the World? No, not peace, but division. From now on a family of five will be divided, three against two and two against three. Fathers will be against their sons, and sons against their fathers; mothers will be against their daughters and daughters against their mothers; mothers-in-law will be against their daughters-in-law, and daughters-in-law against their mothers-in-law."

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 08:28:00 GMT

Holy Bible - Gospel of Jesus: - New Testament, Luke 12; 51-53: Jesus said, "Do you suppose that I came to bring peace to the World? No, not peace, but division. From now on a family of five will be divided, three against two and two against three. Fathers will be against their sons, and sons against their fathers; mothers will be against their daughters and daughters against their mothers; mothers-in-law will be against their daughters-in-law, and daughters-in-law against their mothers-in-law."

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