EU Nations Calls For Sri Lanka War Crimes Probe

EU Nations Calls For Sri Lanka War Crimes Probe

(NSI News Source Info) BRUSSELS - May 18, 2009: European Union nations called Monday for an independent war crimes investigation into the killing of civilians in Sri Lanka. Czech Foreign Minister Jan Kohout, who chaired EU foreign ministers talks, said the EU wanted alleged violations of international humanitarian and human rights laws investigated. A Tamil supporter protests against the war in Sri Lanka outside the EU Council in Brussels during an EU Foreign Ministers meeting, Monday May 18, 2009. European Union nations have called for an independent war crimes probe into the killing of civilians in Sri Lanka. It remained unclear who the EU wanted to carry out such a probe in Sri Lanka. Its government said Monday it has crushed the 25-year conflict with Tamil Tiger rebels and had killed rebel chief Velupillai Prabhakaran. Kohout suggested "national authorities" in Sri Lanka could conduct such an investigation, but he also mentioned U.N. officials. "Those accountable must be brought to justice," the ministers said in a statement. As the appeal was issued, about 2,000 British Tamils staged an emotional protest outside Britain's houses of parliament in London. The protesters covered themselves in homemade bandages stained with fake blood and re-enacted what they said were attacks by the Sri Lankan army on Tamil civilians. British Tamils had called for a cease-fire, for humanitarian aid to be sent to the island nation's affected areas, and for the U.N. and international media to be allowed into restricted areas to assess the situation. Regarding the EU reaction, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said there have been "very grave allegations" of war crimes on both sides of the conflict and "they should be properly investigated." But others said the priority should be on getting humanitarian aid to civilians caught in the crossfire. "Now we face ... an extremely difficult humanitarian situation," said EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner. "What we are asking is that the United Nations has access to these civilians." She said the European Commission stood ready to provide extra aid. It gave euro3 million ($4 million) in emergency funding for the International Red Cross in April. The ministers urged authorities to seek reconciliation with the country's minority Tamil population. "The future of Sri Lanka is dependent on its ability to build an inclusive society for all of its citizens," said Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt. "The sooner that starts the better." The U.N. said 7,000 civilians were killed in heavy fighting between Jan. 20 and May 7. The U.N.'s human rights office said last week there was evidence the rebels had forced civilians to stay in the conflict zone and had shot at those who tried to flee. EU nations, along with others, had appealed in recent weeks for a cease-fire to safeguard the tens of thousands of civilians trapped in the war zone, but the government refused, denying reports it was shelling the densely populated war zone. The EU reiterated its condemnation of the Tamil rebels for using civilians as shields and forcibly recruiting them into its militias. It urged the rebels to "renounce terrorism and violence once and for all." Separately, former Sri Lanka peace mediator Erik Solheim said Monday in Oslo that the government must follow up its military victory with an effort to build a lasting peace. Solheim, who is now Norway's minister of environment and international aid, said the international community should urge Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa to start a reconciliation process with the Tamil minority. "The Sri Lankan government has won the war, but they have not yet won the peace," Solheim told The Associated Press by phone. "As the victor, the government has the greatest responsibility for peace and reconciliation." Solheim spearheaded a secret quest for peace in Sri Lanka that resulted in a 2002 cease-fire that collapsed three years later. The EU branded the Tamil Tigers a terrorist organization in 2006, trying cut off funding to the group from EU countries. The rebels had fought since 1983 for an independent state for the Tamil minority, which suffered decades of marginalization at the hands of governments dominated by the Sinhalese majority. More than 70,000 people have been killed in the fighting.

DTN News: Sri Lanka TODAY May 18, 2009 - Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa Meeting Chiefs Of Armed Forces On Conclusion Of 25-Year Civil War

DTN News: Sri Lanka TODAY May 18, 2009 - Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa Meeting Chiefs Of Armed Forces On Conclusion Of 25-Year Civil War

(NSI News Source Info) COLOMBO - May 18, 2009: Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa smiles as he talks with his brother, the Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, and his chiefs of the armed forces during a meeting discussing the end of the 25-year civil war at the president's residence in central Colombo May 18, 2009.

Sri Lankan troops won the final battle in the civil war with the Tamil Tiger separatists on Monday, putting the entire nation under government control for the first time since 1983, the military said.

Nigeria: War In Niger Delta - Another African Country In Chaos And Niger Delta Governed By Militants / Mend Threatens Northerners in Oil Industry

Nigeria: War In Niger Delta - Another African Country In Chaos And Niger Delta Governed By Militants / Mend Threatens Northerners in Oil Industry

(NSI News Source Info) Port Harcourt/Akure - May 18, 2009: Umbrella body of the militants in the Niger Delta, Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), has sent out a chilling signal, threatening an impending attack on the Federal Government, and particularly, Northerners who occupy prominent positions in the oil industry. A fighter of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), holds his weapons at the militia's creek camp in the Niger Delta. Armed Nigerian militants who have declared an "oil war", in response to what it said was an unprovoked attack by the army, claimed to have blown up a major pipeline in their latest attack on oil installations in the region. MEND, the most prominent of the groups operating in the creeks and swamps of the Niger Delta, said it blew up a pipeline it believes is operated by Royal Dutch Shell and Italy's Agip. The rebels moved in with speed boats, dynamite and hand grenades in their attack on the Orubiri flow station, the army said. MEND says it is fighting for local people to get a greater share of the huge oil revenues. Since MEND took up arms in early 2006, Nigeria's oil output has been cut by at least one quarter due to kidnappings and sabotage in the Delta. Hurricane Barbarossa is the code name MEND has given to its new offensive against foreign majors. "Our message to the Northern Sultans and Emirs is this: The period of exploiting the Niger Delta is coming to an end. It is not the birth right of your people to rule the Federal Republic of Nigeria. "The war is just beginning and by the time it ends, Nigeria will practice true federalism such as fiscal federalism which will benefit the entire populace. Let your people brace themselves to develop their resources and such a bold change will be remembered," Jomo Gbomo, MEND's spokesman said in an electronic mail on Sunday. The threat came a few hours after the Special Adviser to the Rivers State Governor on Budget, Austin Ngor, was kidnapped and moved to an unknown destination. It was not clear what the demands of the kidnappers are, but the governor's Chief Press Secretary, Blessing Wikinaka, has warned them to free the man immediately as there was no just reason for his abduction. Meanwhile, MEND two of the hostages in their custody killed "in the course of the war". It said the remaining one has been relocated to an unnamed camp in Delta State. MEND dared the security outfit, Joint Task Force (JTF), to destroy all its (MEND's) camps, which it said, were spread in many places across Niger Delta region. The MEND's spokesman said, "The British hostage, Mr Matthew Maguire, has been relocated to Delta State and will be a guest of one of the camps there". He added: "Nigerians should now brace up for the worst from the decisions of an incompetent leadership. "The Niger Delta people who have endured injustice and genocide for over 50 years must be ready to fight for change as our destiny should not be in the hands of others but ourselves. The group said it was embarrassed at the "performance of the Nigerian Armed Forces who performed like poorly trained amateurs by bombing indiscriminately into civilian communities using helicopter gunships and fighter jet planes. "Civilians should have been allowed to leave the area before the attack. This simply has shown that the government is insensitive to the Niger Delta people. "If the Army's mission was to also rescue the hostages, then that again was a botched and ridiculous attempt because the hostages were not at any immediate risk except for their temporary freedom. "We regret to announce that two hostages have been killed by the indiscriminate shelling and two more are still in our custody. "We are happy that all of them were not killed by the Army. The bodies of the dead men will be handed over to the Red Cross. MEND deeply regrets the avoidable deaths". It denied claims that the Army captured a plane from one of its camps. "If my memory serves me right, the plane in question is a toy remote controlled plane which can be purchased from any toy shop. It is rather shameful that they cannot distinguish the difference between a toy plane and a drone. "As promised, we have begun nibbling again at the oil infrastructure. Already, two major trunk pipe and gas lines, which were recently repaired, have been blown up. This is just the tip of the series of attacks we plan to carry out. "For the Nigerian government to declare victory, troops must be able to secure every inch of pipelines and eliminate the over 500 camps stretching from Ondo to Akwa Ibom. "What the government has been successful in doing is committing genocide against the Ijaw communities whose offence, it seems, is discovering oil in their backyards," the group said.

Somalia: A Country In Chaos And Governed By Warlords / Rebels Threaten Somali Government

Somalia: A Country In Chaos And Governed By Warlords / Rebels Threaten Somali Government

(NSI News Source Info) NAIROBI/MOGADISHU - May 18, 2009: A major offensive by Somalia's Islamist rebels is posing the most serious challenge yet to the country's latest central government, reviving long-standing concerns that the chaotic Horn of Africa nation could fall entirely to militants with alleged ties to al-Qaeda. An Islamist fighter poses with his weapon as he mans a position in the streets of Mogadishu, Somalia, on May 16, 2009. Pro-government forces scrambled to thwart an insurgent onslaught that has left more than 100 dead and displaced tens of thousands over the past week. The UN Security Council slammed a bid by extremists to seize power by force in Somalia amid escalating fighting in Mogadishu and voiced concern about reported Eritrean arms supplies to the Islamists. Ten days of heavy fighting across the bombed-out capital of Mogadishu and other areas has pitted the Islamist rebels -- now operating openly with hundreds of fighters from the United States, Britain, Pakistan, Chechnya and other places -- against the fragile government of President Sharif Ahmed, a widely respected moderate Islamist once vilified by U.S. officials but now regarded by Washington as Somalia's last, best hope. Momentum has been swinging back and forth between the government and rebels for days, but on Sunday it seemed to be with the rebels, who include several leaders who U.S. officials have said maintain ties to al-Qaeda. In a major blow, they took a key government stronghold, Ahmed's home town of Jowhar, about 50 miles north of the capital, giving them control of major routes to the north. The rebels have for the past year controlled virtually all of southern Somalia, where local leaders -- some Somalis call them Islamist warlords -- have imposed a harsh version of sharia law, publicly flogging people who don't attend Friday prayers and chopping off the hands of alleged thieves. Ahmed's government, while popular with many Somalis, directly controls only Mogadishu's airport, its seaport and a small corner of the ruined city where the presidential palace is fortified by 4,000 African Union peacekeepers in something akin to Baghdad's Green Zone. Ahmed has remained sequestered there for most of the past week. "Things look bad for the government," said one Somali analyst in Mogadishu, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of being targeted by rebels, who are quick to assassinate critics. He said it would be a "disaster" if the rebels took over. For many war-weary Somalis, the battle underway has an air of finality -- a fight that will determine whether an internationally recognized central government survives or the historically moderate Muslim nation becomes al-Qaeda's official African headquarters. At the grass-roots level, the battle is in many ways about identity, a struggle between the sense of purpose and power that militant Islam is offering thousands of young, jobless Somali men who have known only anarchy, and the almost gravitational pull of the country's entrenched clan system and a more moderate Islamic tradition. "The elders, the traditional leaders, the businesspeople, the moderate religious leaders -- they are trying to mobilize their people to support Sharif, saying that our identity is at stake," said Ali Said, director of the Center for Peace and Democracy, a Somali think tank operating in exile in Nairobi. "They are saying, 'We have to fight back.' " More than 100 people have died since the fighting began, and thousands are again fleeing the capital, where young Islamist fighters roam freely. With alliances among various leaders and militias fluid, however, the fight is hardly over. For a while, the momentum had seemed to be with Ahmed, who was elected in January and recently adopted a moderate version of sharia law in a bid to win back young Somalis who had joined the main rebel group, al-Shabab, Arabic for "youth." But last week, favor swung back to the rebels. With their advance on Mogadishu underway, hundreds of Islamist militiamen who had been persuaded to join Ahmed went back to al-Shabab. The Somali government and the United States accused Eritrea of supporting the group by flying cargo planes full of AK-47 assault rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and other weapons to a sandy airstrip outside the capital just before the rebel advance began. Eritrea has denied the allegations.

Ahmed has strong international backing and widespread public support among Somalis sick of al-Shabab and its harsh version of Islam. While presenting himself as a devout Muslim, Ahmed has also cobbled together an alliance of clan militias and warlords eager to crush al-Shabab if only to preserve their business interests. On Sunday, militiamen loyal to the important but infamous warlord Yusuf Indahaadde, long considered an Eritrean proxy, joined with the government, which analysts and observers considered a significant defection. Somali Islamist fighters take their positions during clashes with Somali government in Mogadishu, May 16, 2009. The U.N. Security Council does not think conditions are yet right to send a peacekeeping force to Somalia but will step up support for African Union (AU) troops there, a senior Western envoy said on Saturday. "I think Ahmed will survive this," Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, the top U.N. envoy to Somalia, said in a telephone interview. "And if by some miracle the rebels win, they will not last." Ould-Abdallah and other analysts say the rebels are suffering from internal divisions as leaders jockey for power and clan divisions surface. The foreign contingent, for instance, has been disillusioned to find weapons, food and money being doled out along clan lines, Ould-Abdallah said. The foreigners -- who fight under their own flag -- have in recent days withdrawn from their positions in Mogadishu. "They are demoralized," Ould-Abdallah said. "They came to wage an ideological war, and they are caught in the middle of a tribal fight." The pull of clan is beginning to trump Islamist ideology, which so far provided a common cause for fighters from an array of clans, a feat once unheard of in Somali society. According to one Somali analyst familiar with the situation, several top rebel leaders are angry with Hassan Dahir Aweys, one of Somalia's oldest militant Islamist leaders, who comes from the militarily powerful Ayr clan. Aweys, a player in Somali politics for decades, is poised to become president if the rebels take over. But rebel leaders from less-powerful clans are suspicious that he is trying to pry his clansmen from al-Shabab in his bid for power. And it is unlikely that al-Shabab's members, who have developed a keen sense of entitlement after fighting for three years against Ethiopian occupiers who installed Somalia's last government, would accept any leadership other than their own, some analysts said. "Now the Shabab and other Islamists need each other, but I don't think they'll be able to continue this alliance," Said said. "Their goal is to topple the government, but after that, what?" Special correspondents Mohamed Ibrahim in Nairobi and Yusuf Hagi Husein in Mogadishu contributed to this report.

Boeing Awarded Contract To Develop Counter-Electronics HPM Aerial Demonstrator

Boeing Awarded Contract To Develop Counter-Electronics HPM Aerial Demonstrator

(NSI News Source Info) ST. LOUIS - May 18, 2009: The Boeing Company was awarded a $38 million contract April 27 to develop and test a nonlethal, high power microwave (HPM) airborne demonstrator for the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) Counter-electronics High power microwave Advanced Missile Project (CHAMP). The CHAMP Joint Capability Technology Demonstration (JCTD) program will be the first to demonstrate a counter-electronics HPM aerial demonstrator. “This demonstrator will provide a revolutionary, nonlethal system, allowing the military to neutralize specific targets while minimizing or eliminating collateral damage,” said Keith Coleman, CHAMP program manager for Boeing Phantom Works. “Integrating AFRL’s compact microwave technology with Boeing’s proven air vehicle design and manufacturing expertise could lead the way to a new breed of nonlethal but highly effective systems. HPM is truly a game-changing technology and we are proud to play a role in its transition to the warfighter.” The three-year program includes ground and flight demonstrations that will focus on technology integration and military utility. Boeing, as the prime contractor, will provide the airborne platform and serve as the system integrator. Albuquerque, N.M.-based Ktech Corp., the primary subcontractor, will supply the HPM source. Sandia National Laboratories will provide the pulse power system. A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $32 billion business with 70,000 employees worldwide.

First Made-In-China Airbus Makes Maiden Flight / First A320 Assembled In China Passes Maiden Flight

First Made-In-China Airbus Makes Maiden Flight / First A320 Assembled In China Passes Maiden Flight

(NSI News Source Info) BEIJING - May 18, 2009: The first Airbus plane built outside Europe made a successful four-hour maiden flight on Monday in China, European consortium EADS (EAD.PA) said. Airbus began assembling some A320 jets in Tianjin near Beijing in September from fuselage parts shipped from Europe, increasing its presence in the world's fastest growing markets for large aircraft. An Airbus A320 is assembled at the workshop in north China's Tianjin municipality, on Dec. 23, 2008, with three other Airbus A320 also in the process of assembling at the same time. "This A320 assembled in China unquestionably demonstrated the same quality and performance as those assembled and delivered in Hamburg or Toulouse," Fernando Alonso, senior vice president at Airbus, said in a statement. Airbus aims to reach output of four A320s a month in China by the end of 2011. Airbus has estimated that China would need more than 3,000 large aircraft between 2006 and 2025, including 180 super jumbo passenger planes. The first aircraft will be delivered to Dragon Aviation Leasing in June and be operated by China's Sichuan Airlines. Chinese firms have ordered more than 700 aircraft from Airbus, the majority of which are from the A320 family of planes, it said. Airbus and U.S. rival Boeing (BA.N) have been turning to Asian markets, led by China, for growth as demand weakens at home. The jet is to be delivered to Dragon Aviation Leasing in June for operation by Sichuan Airlines, a regional carrier based in central China's Sichuan province. Airbus holds a 51 percent stake in FALC, a joint venture between Airbus and a consortium that includes China Aviation Industry Corp., the country's biggest aircraft maker, and the Tianjin Free Trade Zone. But Airbus faces criticism from European unions who say the move adds to outsourcing fears amid the recession and could result in the loss of European technology to a potential jet-making rival. Beijing may need an estimated $30 billion to realise an ambitious goal to manufacture passenger jets with more than 150 seats and freighters capable of handling more than 100 tonnes of cargo to take on Boeing and Airbus by 2014. ($=6.83 yuan) (Reporting by Kirby Chien; Editing by Nick Macfie)

Sri Lanka To Buy Military Helicopters From Russia

Sri Lanka To Buy Military Helicopters From Russia

(NSI News Source Info) COLOMBO - May 18, 2009: Sri Lanka has ordered a number of military transport helicopters and other weaponry from Russia, the country's defense secretary said in an exclusive interview with RIA Novosti. "I have managed to reach an agreement with Russia on a loan to purchase military equipment, primarily helicopters for the air force, and other weaponry," Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said, adding that the helicopters had been already ordered. Rajapaksa did not specify the amount of the deal or the number of helicopters, but said they were needed in the first place "to transport military personnel." "We will need them in the future. We are already using [Russian-made] Mi-17 and Mi-24 helicopters, and we need more," the official said. He added that Sri Lanka was willing to develop stronger military ties with Russia. "We would like to bring our relations to the level where we could share [combat] experience," Rajapaksa said. One of the areas of military cooperation could be Russia's help in mine clearing in the north of the country. Shi Lanka's government has long been involved in fighting against Tamil Tigers, a militant group based in northern Sri Lanka. Founded in 1976, the group has actively waged a secessionist campaign that seeks to create an independent Tamil state in the north and east of Sri Lanka. More than 80,000 people have died in the conflict since 1983. Government forces are currently involved in an offensive to wipe out the remaining Tamil Tiger rebels. Sri Lanka has rejected international calls for a ceasefire, and the UN says over 6,000 civilians have died in fighting since January. Thousand of civilians, some estimates say up to 50,000, have also been cut off by the fighting and are trapped in jungle areas with little access to food or water.

Indonesia May Have Role In India's Regional Plan

Indonesia May Have Role In India's Regional Plan

(NSI News Source Info) NEW DELHI - May 18, 2009: The Defence Ministry may redraw India's defense strategy in the southeast, giving extra importance to relations with Indonesia. Some active-duty and retired Indian military officials have suggested more diplomacy with Jakarta and joint exercises with Indonesian troops, ministry sources here said. Efforts also should be made to check the growing Chinese military buildup in the Indian Ocean region, a senior Defence Ministry official said, noting that China already has a base in the Coco Islands, leased from Myanmar, from which it monitors India's ballistic missile testing range. Indian defense planners have been told that India's Sunda-Banka, Lombok-Makassar and Ombai-Wetar straits are becoming strategic sea passages much like the Strait of Malacca, Defence Ministry sources said. A senior ministry official said India and Indonesia have been strengthening their defense ties for some time, and the two countries have even explored the possibility of joint production of weapons and military equipment. The two countries have also discussed joint patrols by Indian and Indonesian warships in the Strait of Malacca, the region's favored sea route for large ships, including oil tankers from the Arabian Gulf. An Indonesian diplomat said that Jakarta is interested in buying the BrahMos supersonic anti-ship missile, jointly developed by India and Russia. Indonesia also is interested in the co-production with India of radars, electronic equipment and artillery weapons, the diplomat said.