DTN News: Pakistan Wants Drones’ Technology And Possession: Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani

DTN News: Pakistan Wants Drones’ Technology And Possession: Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani

(NSI News Source Info) LAHORE - June 6, 2009: Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani has said that government is strongly against drone attacks as the same are against our national sovereignty and counter productive. Talking to newsmen at foundation laying ceremony of Aiwan-e-Quaid-i-Azam here on Saturday, he said, “ We are strongly opposed to attacks by unmanned planes as these run counter to our strategy of segregating peace loving tribal people and militants.” He said government and military are pursuing a strategy of separating tribal people and militants, but attacks by these unmanned flying machines create sympathies for those challenging writ of the government. He said, “ We have asked US to provide technology and possession of drones so that in case of credible intelligence we can ourselves take action.” The Prime Minister said the impression that drone issue was not taken up by Pakistan with US was totally wrong and misleading as during recent visit of US envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Hallbrooke,when he raised the matter of drone attack, he (Mr Hallbrooke) said similar views were expressed by Mian Nawaz Sharif during meeting with him. To a question about civilian nuclear technology offers by France and US he said, “We have talked to France in this regard and US has also made offer. US has already civilian nuclear deal with India and they think that Pakistan should also be given the facility.” To another question, he said “acquisition of peaceful nuclear technology is every country’s right and Iran also has full right in this regard.” Regarding NFC Award, he said , it has been constituted and soon its meeting would be held adding “Resources among the provinces under the NFC award would be distributed as per their satisfaction.” When asked as to when Swat operation would be over, he said it was not a conventional war and government wants its conclusion as soon as possible so that people could go back to their homes. To a question about reaction of India over release of Hafiz Muhammad Saeed on court orders and Indian external affairs minister’s statement regarding terrorism, he said “It is their view point.However, there is some lacunae in laws and legislation has to be carried out to deal more effectively with elements committing crimes in other countries.It is parliament which has to decide whether or not carry out legislation in this regard”.

Analysis: China To Build Aircraft Carrier

Analysis: China To Build Aircraft Carrier *Source: Andrei Chang

(NSI News Source Info) HONG KONG - June 6, 2009: Shipbuilding experts from Eastern Europe have confirmed that the People's Republic of China will start to build its own aircraft carrier this year, as preparations for the project are complete. The experts had visited the No. 3 military dock of the Changxing Island Shipyard -- the new location of the Jiangnan Shipyard, known as the cradle of China's defense industry -- based in Shanghai, where they acquired exclusive photos of the interior of the shipyard. From these it can be deduced that China is ready to commence building the aircraft carrier at this dock. The US Defense Department reported in early 2009 that "Analysts in and out of government project that China will not have an operational, domestically-produced carrier and associated ships before 2015. However, changes in China’s shipbuilding capability and degree of foreign assistance to the program could alter those projections. The PLA Navy is considering building multiple carriers by 2020." China's navy will develop a new generation of warships and aircraft to give it much longer-range capabilities, its commander-in-chief said in comments published Thursday April 16 2009. Admiral Wu Shengli told the state-run China Daily newspaper the Chinese navy wanted to develop hardware such as large combat warships, stealth submarines with abilities to travel further and supersonic cruise aircraft. More accurate long-range missiles, deep-sea torpedoes and a general upgrade of information technology were also in the pipeline, according to Wu. “The navy will establish a maritime defense system that corresponds with the need to protect China's maritime security and economic development," Wu said. The English-language China Daily, which the government uses to deliver messages to a foreign audience, printed his comments on its front page and said it had obtained a rare interview with such a high-ranking military figure. It quoted other Chinese military figures as saying that Wu's reference to building large warships referred to highly-publicized plans to build an aircraft carrier, but also other unspecified vessels. Chinese armed police have dramatically strengthened their watch on Dock No. 3. All the entrances to and exits from this dock are under armed police guard, with plainclothes police on patrol. In contrast, the entrances to Dock No. 1, where civilian ships are built, are guarded only by shipyard security staff. Dock No. 3 is 580 meters long, 120 meters wide, and completely encircled by a wall at least 2.5 meters high. A giant gantry crane has been built, with a capacity to lift at least 600 tons. The dock is large enough to build a medium-sized conventional aircraft carrier similar to the Russian Admiral Kuznetsov class with a light load displacement of about 50,000 tons. The outfitting quay for No. 3 Dock has been finished and includes a large gantry crane. According to the Eastern European sailors who visited the shipyard, the quay is 8 kilometers long and was finished in the fall of 2008. A number of large containers have been shipped to the area near the dock. Among senior shipbuilding experts from Germany, France and Italy who examined the shipyard photos, one suggested the containers might be loaded with oxygen supplies and power-generating equipment, as huge amounts of oxygen and power would be required for welding engineering. An Eastern European source familiar with the aircraft carrier project told United Press International that China had invested $5.1 billion in the facilities at Changxing Island, including three gigantic joint-structured indoor assembly workshops in which the separate sections of the carrier would be built. The expert from the French shipbuilding industry said these facilities could be used for processing steel plates and section materials, or the preliminary treatment or assembly of separate sections of the carrier. Sources have informed United Press International that the shipyard and all its facilities were built at a very fast pace. A separate road network was finished around January 2007 to provide safety and security for the project. Despite attempts at secrecy, many residents of the nearby Changxing township knew that the shipyard was being readied to make China's first aircraft carrier. The facilities include numerous five-story buildings -- accommodations for nearly 60,000 peasant laborers hired to build the aircraft carrier facilities -- that have been in use since early this year. A correspondent for Kanwa Defense Review visited the area to interview peasant workers recruited for this project. The workers said they were paid from $440 to $585 per month, which is three or four times what an ordinary laborer in Shanghai can earn, and that their living conditions were very good. The round-shaped headquarters building was to be finished this spring. Free-standing residential buildings in red and gray have been constructed for the shipbuilding experts. Satellite photos show that these houses are quite luxurious. Judging from the size of the three gigantic joint-structured indoor assembly workshops affiliated to Dock No. 3, it is fully possible that the separate modules of the ship will be built in these workshops and finally assembled at the dock. Sources told United Press International that China intends to build, equip and launch its first aircraft carrier -- internally named "Beijing" -- between 2009 and 2015. It is possible that the process could take longer, however. The first steps will include the processing and cutting of steel plates and section materials as well as the assembly of sectional parts. When the keel is laid down it will be difficult to keep it secret, as the keel of the aircraft carrier must be towed to the dock in one piece. June 3 was the Jiangnan Shipyard's 144th anniversary. (Andrei Chang is editor in chief of Kanwa Defense Review Monthly, registered in Toronto.)

DTN News: Airbus Holds Slight Edge Over Boeing In Jet Deliveries, Net Orders

DTN News: Airbus Holds Slight Edge Over Boeing In Jet Deliveries, Net Orders

(NSI News Source Info) PARIS, France - June 6, 2009: Airbus remains ahead of rival the Boeing Co. in aircraft deliveries through the first five months of the year, according to the European company’s Web site.

Through May, Airbus handed over 205 jets to customers, compared to Boeing’s 201 airplane deliveries.

While Airbus leads Boeing in net orders through May, it trails in gross jet orders.

Airbus has 11 net orders, Boeing has zero.

Boeing has received an equal number of cancellations and gross orders: 65. (See Boeing’s Orders and Deliveries page).

Airbus has accumulated 32 gross orders, with 21 cancellations.

Airbus SAS recorded 11 net orders in the first five months of the year, beating U.S. rival Boeing Co., BA which recorded none, reports from both companies showed yesterday.

Airbus said it had received 32 orders overall from Jan. 1 to May 31, offset by 21 cancellations, leaving a net total of 11.

Boeing said that from Jan. 1 to June 2 it had recorded 65 orders and 65 cancellations. Meanwhile, Airbus parent EADS NV expects no change in the number of deliveries this year despite global economic woes, chief executive officer Louis Gallois said yesterday in Hanoi.

The CEO was in Vietnam for talks with local authorities and Vietnam Airlines about building "a long-term partnership." EAD (Paris) rose 4 euro cents to €11.695 ($18.26). BA (NYSE) rose $2.08 (U.S.) to $52.65.

DTN News: Philippine Troops Seize Muslim Rebel Camp, Kill 30

DTN News: Philippine Troops Seize Muslim Rebel Camp, Kill 30 (NSI News Source Info) MANILA, Philippines - June 6, 2009: Government troops seized a Muslim separatist rebel camp Saturday following three days of fighting that left 30 guerrillas dead, a Philippine military spokesman said. A rebel spokesman denied any of its camps had been overrun. Armed separatist Muslim guerrillas of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) raise their rifles after they declared red alert status around Camp Darapanan, the rebels' base in Maguindanao province, southern Philippines seen recently. Government has suspended talks with the MILF after they attacked several towns across the southern island of Mindanao in August, killing dozens of civilians and burning more than 100 homes. More than half a million have been affected by the fighting, either indirectly or directly, government said. The Moro Islamic Liberation Front camp that was taken in southern Maguindanao province housed 20 bunkers that could accomodate about 200 fighters, said Lt. Col. Jonathan Ponce, spokesman for the army's 6th Infantry Division. Troops recovered ammunition and four improvised explosive devices fashioned from 60-mm mortars, he said. "This was also a bomb factory," Ponce told reporters in Manila by telephone from the division headquarters about 31 miles (50 kilometers) from the fighting. The camp was in a remote village in Guindulungan township and was ringed by four outposts with a big hall in the center, Ponce said. It also had foxholes linked to each other by trenches. He said the rebels were "well-entrenched" and the army had to pound the camp with artillery, bombs and rockets before troops moved in for the final assault early Saturday. Ponce said at least nine guerrillas were killed Thursday after fighting erupted and five soldiers were wounded. In all, 30 guerrillas were killed and more than 20 others were wounded, he said. Rebel spokesman Eid Kabalu denied that a rebel camp had been seized, saying the area actually was a Muslim village. He also denied 30 guerrillas were killed in the fighting, saying only nine rebels had been wounded. He said the 2003 cease-fire between the government and the 11,500-strong rebel group has been undermined. "In principle, it is still there, but the actual situation on the ground — it is no longer existent. This is a state of war," he said. The rebels have been fighting the Philippine government since the early 1970s. They had appeared on the verge of signing a formal peace deal with the government last year, until the Supreme Court blocked the agreement and rebel forces attacked civilian villages in response. Ponce said the guerrillas they had fought with this weeks were believed led by one of the rebels commanders who ordered those attacks, which killed dozens of civilians last year. Malaysian-brokered peace talks between the government and the rebels broke down last August following the attacks. The preliminary agreement rejected by the Supreme Court would have expanded a Muslim autonomous region and was to have been part of a settlement of the decades-long struggle for Muslim self-rule.

DTN News: Pakistani Taliban Retaliated Against Army In Swat Valley

DTN News: Pakistani Taliban Retaliated Against Army In Swat Valley

(NSI News Source Info) ISLAMABAD - June 6, 2009: Pakistani police officers examine a damaged army vehicle after a militant attacked near Dargai town in the northwest Pakistan on Saturday, June 6, 2009.

Militants ambushed a military convoy carrying prisoners in Pakistan's volatile northwest on Saturday, killing two detained aides of a senior Islamist cleric from the Swat Valley, the army said.

DTN News: U.S. President Barack Obama With British Royalty And World Leaders At 65th Anniversary Ceremony Of D-Day In Normandy

DTN News: U.S. President Barack Obama With British Royalty And World Leaders At 65th Anniversary Ceremony Of D-Day In Normandy

(NSI News Source Info) NORMANDY, France - June 6, 2009: U.S. President Barack Obama arrives with British Prince Charles, Canadian Prime Minster Stephen Harper, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown for the 65th anniversary ceremony of D-Day at Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville sur Mer, France, Saturday, June 6, 2009.

DTN News: President Barack Obama With French President Nicolas Sarkozy In France

DTN News: President Barack Obama With French President Nicolas Sarkozy In France

(NSI News Source Info) PARIS, France - June 6, 2009: U.S. President Barack Obama and French President Nicolas Sarkozy shake hands as they participate in a bilateral meeting at the Prefecture in Caen, France Saturday, June 6, 2009.

Obama and his French counterpart stood united Saturday in efforts to thwart Iran's disputed nuclear ambitions and bring about a Mideast peace that provides for separate Israeli and Palestinian states.

DTN News: Russia - No Nuclear Cuts If US Unclear On Missile Defence

DTN News: Russia - No Nuclear Cuts If US Unclear On Missile Defence (NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW - June 6, 2009: Russia's military on Friday warned the US that it would not reduce its nuclear arsenal until Washington made clear whether or not it would go ahead with a controversial missile shield in Central Europe. The comments by the country's top general exposed a potential hitch as the two sides hold talks on replacing a key Cold War-era nuclear arms reduction treaty by the end of the year. "While the situation in the world is unclear, including concerning the missile defence system, we will not touch our nuclear potential," Russian news agencies quoted the army's chief of staff Nikolai Makarov as saying. Makarov was referring to the US plan to install missile defence facilities in the Czech Republic and Poland, which Moscow insists is a threat to its security even though Washington says it is directed against Iran. The plan was initiated by the previous US administration of George W. Bush but President Barack Obama has pledged to press ahead with the missile shield but indicated he could drop the project if Iran is no longer deemed a nuclear threat. "We will be making practically no changes to the Russian strategic missile forces," added Makarov. "Strategic nuclear forces are a sacred question for us and we will give them as many resources as required to preserve stability in the world and keep it at an appropriate level," he added. The announcement from Makarov comes as Russia and the United States hold talks aimed at cutting their nuclear arsenals and finding a successor a 1991 treaty due to expire at the end of the year. The Interfax news agency quoted a source in the Russian foreign ministry as saying the latest talks on replacing the treaty had been "constructive". The confidential negotiations are meant to feed in to a summit between Obama and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev in Moscow on July 6-8 that is expected to push forward improving ties. The 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), signed just before the break-up of the Soviet Union, commits both sides to deep cuts in their nuclear arsenals. It expires on December 5. The United States and Russia also have the more recent Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty signed in 2002, which went further than START with lower caps on the total deployment of warheads. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Friday that "unchecked proliferation of nuclear weapons threatens all mankind" and that both Russia and the United States were aware of their responsibility to other nations as nuclear powers. A senior Russian diplomat said this week that Moscow was still awaiting a "concretisation" of signals from the US on the missile shield, which he said Russia still deemed "an unnecessary complication in bilateral relations." Ties between Russia and the United States plunged to a post-Cold War low in the last months of the Bush presidency after Moscow's war with Georgia but the tone has improved drastically since Obama came to power. Makarov also complained that the Georgian armed forces were now better equipped with weapons and military hardware than they were in the August war. He added that Russia would also carry out large-scale military exercises in its neighbour Belarus in September.

DTN News: Pakistan - The Battle Within - Pakistan Diary: Taliban Tactics

DTN News: Pakistan - The Battle Within - Pakistan Diary: Taliban Tactics (NSI News Source Info) ISLAMABAD - June 6, 2009: Twisted hunks of metal lay strewn across the road. It's the result of a brazen raid by the Taliban on a convoy ferrying prisoners into the North West Frontier Province's main city of Peshawar. Hit-and-run raids are more cost-effective than mass attacks on security forces. Imran Khan, Al Jazeera's reporter in Pakistan, is filing regular dispatches from the country as the army battles Taliban fighters in the North West Frontier Province. This high profile raid suggests there has been a subtle shift in the Pakistani Taliban's tactics. When this war began the Taliban stood their ground and the army had to fight them house-to-house, street-to-street. Now though, it seems the Taliban have renewed an old tactic: hit-and-run raids. These raids are incredibly difficult to deal with. They aim to wear down troops' morale as constant vigil has to maintained. The raids often hit low-level target, remote checkposts, supply lines, mobile patrols. In the case of the Talib's raid on a prisoner convoy details are still emerging. But it fits a pattern that has worked so successfully in Iraq, Afghanistan and here in Pakistan. The raids are, to use a business term, cost-effective. All it takes is a few armed men and some fire power. Once you have mounted the raids you simply disappear into the background, leaving behind destruction and mayhem. Because the groups that mount the raids are so small, intelligence on them is difficult to come by. But the security apparatus can fight back. In Iraq and Afghanistan, US military humvees have been uparmoured to protect against roadside bombs. In Pakistan, the army must now decide how they will deal this renewed tactic. But the army has the technology to protect itself. Other institutions, however, like the police, are less well protected and are likely to be the Taliban's targets as this conflict drags on.

DTN News: Russia To Deploy 2 Armies In Belarus For Zapad Military Drills

DTN News: Russia To Deploy 2 Armies In Belarus For Zapad Military Drills

(NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW - June 6, 2009: Russia will deploy two full-sized armies in Belarus during large-scale joint military exercises in September, the Russian chief of General Staff said on Friday. "This year we will start a series of large-scale drills in line with current military reforms. During the Zapad [West] large-scale exercises on September 8-29, we will deploy two full-sized armies in Belarus," Gen. Nikolai Makarov said. The exercises will, among other things, rehearse interoperability within the framework of the Belarusian-Russian integrated air defense system, which the two countries agreed to establish recently. Makarov also said that in addition to the Zapad exercises, Russia will conduct two large-scale drills and a brigade-level exercise on its own territory, which will involve units from three military districts and three fleets. "On June 29 - July 10, we will conduct a large-scale exercise involving all brigades of the North Caucasus military district, the Black Sea Fleet and the Caspian Flotilla," he said. "From August 10 to September 28, all units of the Leningrad military district, and several units of the Siberian military district, the Northern Fleet and the Baltic Fleet will take part in the Ladoga exercises," the general added. According to Makarov, over 60,000 military personnel will participate in the exercises. Russia's Ground Forces are deployed in six military districts: Moscow, Leningrad, North Caucasus, Urals, Siberian, and Far Eastern. The central focus of the current reforms is the reorganization of the military command and control system from a four-tier (military district - army - division - regiment) to a three-tier structure (military district - operational command - brigade).

DTN News: Pakistan Wants US To Write Off $1.35 Billion Loan

DTN News: Pakistan Wants US To Write Off $1.35 Billion Loan

(NSI News Source Info) ISLAMABAD - June 6, 2009: Pakistan formally requested the United States on Friday to write off its debt to help it overcome the economic crisis caused by the war against terrorists, displacement of people from the Malakand region and global recession. PM Gilani, in his meeting with Richard Holbrooke, also asked for a substantial increase in aid and to put on a fast track military supplies for Pakistan’s campaign against terrorism. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani made the request during a meeting with the US envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke who is reported to have said that the US would look into the matter. Minister of State for Finance and Economic Affairs Hina Khar told Dawn that Pakistan owed $1.35 billion to the US. The US envoy said measures were being taken to accelerate military supplies to Pakistan. The prime minister urged the US administration to initiate action in the Congress for a substantial increase in aid and to put on a fast track military supplies for Pakistan’s campaign against terrorism. Mr Gilani acknowledged that the US had helped Pakistan in providing relief to the displaced people through an aid package of more than $300 million. He expressed the hope that major European and Muslim countries would follow the US lead and come up with timely assistance. The prime minister said the nation was united on the vital issue of army operation against Taliban and the government had taken all national institutions on board in fighting terror. He said there was national cohesion and a spirit of reconciliation on national issues among all political forces. Ambassador Holbrook praised the overall condition in the camps for displaced people. He praised the tradition of Pukhtunwali and the hospitality of the people of the country in accommodating the displaced people in their homes and catering to their needs despite their own meagre resources.

DTN News: D-Day Celebrations At The German Military Cemetery Of La Cambe, Normandy

DTN News: D-Day Celebrations At The German Military Cemetery Of La Cambe, Normandy

(NSI News Source Info) NORMANDY, France - June 6, 2009: German and US soldiers stand side by side during a commemoration ceremony on June 5, 2009 at the German Military Cemetery of La Cambe, Normandy. Preparations are underway for the upcoming D-Day celebrations to mark the 65th anniversary of the June 6, 1944 allied landings in France, then occupied by Nazi Germany.

US President Barack Obama is to lead commemorations attended by thousands of Americans on June 6 at the ceremony above Omaha Beach, where more than 9,000 US troops fought and died in June 1944.

DTN News: US President Barack Obama Arrives At US military Airbase In Southern German City Of Ramstein

DTN News: US President Barack Obama Arrives At US military Airbase In Southern German City Of Ramstein

(NSI News Source Info) DRESDEN, Germany - June 6, 2009: US President Barack Obama arrives at the US military airbase in the southern German city of Ramstein on June 5, 2009.

U.S. President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel tour the Buchenwald Concentration Camp with the Crematorium in the background in Germany June 5, 2009. Pictured are concentration camp survivor Bertrand Herz, Merkel, Obama, and survivor Elie Weisel.

After policy talks and a news conference in Dresden, Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel travelled to Buchenwald, the former Nazi concentration camp where more than 56,000 prisoners died in horrendous conditions.