Pakistan: ISI representative to visit India instead of Pasha

Pakistan: ISI representative to visit India instead of Pasha ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has backtracked on a decision to send the chief of its spy agency to India to help with the Mumbai attack investigation, Dawn reported. The prime minister's office said on Saturday a representative of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency would go to India instead of its director general Ahmed Shuja Pasha, as the government had earlier stated.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani addressing a press conference upon his recent arrival at the Lahore airport

CRISIS TALKS

An ongoing special cabinet meeting has been convened to discuss Pakistan's response to the slaughter in Mumbai, and allegations by Indian foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee that 'elements' in Pakistan were involved. 'The special session of the cabinet will take stock of the situation arising out of the allegations by India and the change in level of ISI participation into the probe', a government official told AFP. Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari - while speaking to an Indian television channel - has vowed to take the 'swiftest of action' if evidence is found linking the Mumbai attacks to Pakistani militants. India has blamed Pakistan-based militants for the coordinated assault on its financial capital, Mumbai, raising the prospect of a breakdown in peace efforts between the nuclear-armed rivals. The attacks on two luxury hotels and other sites around Mumbai came after Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has made bold moves to improve ties with India. Pakistan condemned the Mumbai attacks and denied any involvement. In an unprecedented step, it agreed to let the head of its military's ISI go to India to share information at the request of the Indian prime minister. ‘Since we had nothing to hide, we thought there was no harm in calling the Indian bluff by agreeing to the request to send the ISI chief to Delhi,’ a senior official privy to the developments told Dawn earlier. However, opposition politicians criticised what was called a hasty decision to send the spy agency's chief. The opposition Pakistan Muslim League-N’s spokesman Ahsan Iqbal said the government had not taken their party into confidence before taking the decision. ‘Although we are committed to extending full cooperation in the investigations, it should be done through established diplomatic channels and norms,’ he said. LEAVING EARLY Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi was in India on a scheduled visit aimed at boosting ties when the assault in Mumbai began. He said on Friday anti-terrorism cooperation had to be strengthened and called on India not to play a blame game. According to Reuters, an official at the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi said Qureshi was cutting short his visit.

Qureshi had been due to meet an Indian opposition leader and some other politicians on Saturday, before returning home after his four-day visit, but those meetings had been cancelled, the official said. 'He is at the airport and about to leave on a special plane sent from Pakistan,' said the High Commission official.

Pakistan had for years supported militants battling Indian forces in the disputed Kashmir region but was forced rein them in after the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States.

But analysts say security agents still have links with some Kashmiri militants.

The use of heavily armed 'fedayeen' or suicide attackers in Mumbai bears the hallmarks of Pakistan-based militant groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba or Jaish-e-Mohammed, blamed for the 2001 attack on India's parliament.

Lashkar-e-Taiba denied any role in the Mumbai attacks, and said it had no links with any Indian group. Instead, the little-known Deccan Mujahideen have claimed responsibility.

Terror in Mumbai is OVER: Taj Mahal hotel freed, three-day Mumbai siege over

Terror in Mumbai is OVER: Taj Mahal hotel freed, three-day Mumbai siege over (NSI News Source Info) NEW DELHI - November 29, 2008: Indian commandos killed the last terrorists holed up in the landmark Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai on Saturday, the third day of battles with militants across India's commercial capital.

An Indian army officer (left) congratulates an Indian National Security Guard (NSG) commando after their successful operation at The Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai, on November 29. Commandos killed three holdout gunmen in Taj Hotel, bringing an end of a two-day Islamic militant assault on India's financial capital that left at least 155 dead, including foreigners

Preliminary death toll estimates vary from at least 155 to 195, the vast majority being Indian nationals, officials said adding the toll could rise considerably. About 400 people were reported injured. The bodies of three militants, Kalashnikov assault rifles, scores of grenades and other ammunition were found in the luxury Taj hotel when the siege was over. Fierce gunfire and explosions were heard at the hotel earlier this morning. Nearby Trident-Oberoi hotel and Jewish center were freed on Friday. Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee has said citing evidence that Pakistan-linked "elements" were responsible for the deadly attacks. And Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the use of neighboring states' territory for launching attacks on India "will not be tolerated." India has in the past frequently accused arch-rival Pakistan of backing Islamic militants active in India. Pakistan asked India not to play politics over the issue and cooperate as terrorism was the two countries' common enemy. One of the arrested militants was a Pakistani citizen. He was reported to have said that some of the militants had come ashore on small speedboats, and that they had earlier hijacked a fish boat near India's Gujarat state bordering on Pakistan. The boat and the bodies of the boat crew were later found by the Indian military near Mumbai. The head of Pakistan's military intelligence agency, Ahmed Shuja Pasha, was to travel to India to discuss the situation with Indian colleagues, but will now send his representative instead, media reports say. Indian authorities said 18 foreigners were among the dead, including Germans, Americans, one Australian, a Briton, one Canadian, two French, an Israeli, an Italian, a Japanese, a Singaporean and a Thai. India's security forces lost 15 officers, including the chief of Mumbai Police Antiterrorism Squad, Hemant Karkare, and at least two commandos. The battles began late on Wednesday when gunmen armed with automatic weapons and grenades opened fire on crowds at a railway station, the two hotels, the Jewish centre, a hospital and a cafe frequented by foreigners.

More Lightweight MRAPs for Spanish Troops

More Lightweight MRAPs for Spanish Troops

(NSI News Source Info) November 29, 2008: Deployed Spanish troops in Afghanistan, part of the NATO’s ISAF mission, can already count on 28 new “Lince” armored vehicles in-country, after the arrival yesterday of other 11 units delivered to the PRT of Qala-i-Naw.

These vehicles are additional to the 17 that they had been shipped by the Ministry of Defense in October.

The 28 armored “Lince” LMVs sent to Afghanistan are equipped with the most advanced security systems available, including inhibitors, radios, antiriot armament and equipment, and so will improve the operational security and safety of the Spanish contingent.

These vehicles, in addition, are fitted with advanced that turns to them into one of safest of all vehicles deployed worldwide, and offer a high level of protection against terrorist and explosive attacks.

The version of the LMV that has been sent to Qala-i-Naw can carry five soldiers with their complete combat equipment, and its multi-layer armor protects the crew against rifle fire, explosion of IEDs or explosive mines, and direct hits by grenades.

The PRT of Qala i Naw is integrated by a military component and a civilian component from the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation and Development (AECID), that work in co-ordination.

The military component of the PRT guarantees the security to the members of AECID and develops fast-impact civil projects in the province, such as the school construction, water purification, wells, public lighting systems etc.

Kaman Demonstrates K-MAX to US Marines

Kaman Demonstrates K-MAX to US Marines

(NSI News Source Info) MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. - November 29, 2008: Military helicopters over Quantico, are a common sight, yet many individuals watching do not automatically assume there is no one inside. Kaman Aerospace Group demonstrated the K-MAX Unmanned Multi-Mission Helicopter at the Marine Corps Air Facility here Nov. 20 to highlight its potential benefits to future battlefield operations.

‘‘It is the best aircraft made for lifting,” said Bill Hart, the safety pilot aboard the aircraft during demonstration. ‘‘It’s not the fastest, but we are trying to increase the speed and weight capability, which requires more testing.”

The K-MAX exhibited the ability to support the weight of 6,000 pounds of cargo with its multi-hook capacity and auto landing and drop off capabilities, essentially unmanned. The craft is contractor-supported, managed by a ground controller using a hand-held tablet computer system with electric actuators inside the craft and standard helicopter controls for easy alternating from unmanned to manned.

“There are switches inside that allow me to take over fast and easy, if I need to,” said Hart.

The Unmanned Aircraft Systems Requirements Officer of the Combat Development Directorate⁄Fires and Maneuver Integration Division, Maj. Thomas Heffern, explained that the Marine Corps is more interested in the capabilities and vision than the actual aircraft.

“The vision for the K-MAX is to deliver cargo to Marines and move logistics around the battlefield without excessive manpower,” said Cliff Gunsallus, the vice president of engineering for Kaman.

As demonstrated and explained during the air show, the K-MAX also has the ability to quickly change its route when it is alerted of a threat.

‘‘We are looking at this as a potential capability to mitigate against threats,” said Heffern. ‘‘In the next five years or so this could potentially save man for more important jobs.”

Selling for around $7 million, the K-MAX, which has one engine and can hold 228 gallons of fuel, adding 1,550 pounds to the already 12,000 pound helicopter, is currently limited in quantity with only 22 operating worldwide in seven countries to date.

China Concentrating R&D On Military Technology

China Concentrating R&D On Military Technology (NSI News Source Info) November 29, 2008: China appears to be developing an over-the-horizon (OTH) radar that can spot large ships (like American aircraft carriers) as far as 3,000 kilometers away, and use this information to guide ballistic missiles to the area,. Such radars have long been used to detect ballistic missile launches, and approaching heavy bombers. Some OTH radars have been modified to take advantage of the flat surface of an ocean, to pick up large objects, like ships. Cheaper and more powerful computers enable such OTH radars to more accurately identify ships thousands of kilometers away.

An Over-The-Horizon (OTH) Radar

China's principal weapon would be their DF-21 ballistic missile, equipped with a high-explosive warhead and a guidance system that can home in and hit a aircraft carrier at sea. The DF-21 has a range of 1800 kilometers and normally hauls a 300 kiloton nuclear warhead. It's a two stage, 15 ton, solid fuel rocket that could carry a half ton penetrating, high-explosive warhead, along with the special guidance system (a radar and image recognition system). It is believed that the Chinese have reverse engineered, reinvented or stolen the 1970s technology that went into the U.S. Pershing ballistic missile. This 7.5 ton U.S. Army missile also had an 1,800 kilometers range, and could put its nuclear warhead within 30 meters of its aim point. This was possible because the guidance system had its own radar. This kind of accuracy made the Russians very uncomfortable, as it made their command bunkers vulnerable. The Russians eventually agreed to a lot of nuclear and missile disarmament deals in order to get the Pershings decommissioned in the 1980s. The Chinese have long been rumored to have a system like this, but there have been no tests. If the Chinese do succeed in creating a "carrier killer" version of the DF-21, the U.S. Navy can modify its Aegis anti-missile system to protect carriers against such attacks. There are also electronic warfare options, to blind the DF-21 radar. Another problem the Chinese will have is getting a general idea of where the target carrier is before they launch the DF-21. This is not impossible, but can be difficult. China is developing the technologies, and it's only a matter of time before they can actually do it, or at least try to.

Ka-52 Alligator helicopter production launched

Ka-52 Alligator helicopter production launched

(NSI News Source Info) November 29, 2008: A new-generation Ka-52 Alligator combat helicopter making a demonstration flight over the airfield at the Progress Aviation Plant in Arsenyev. The multi-role Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopter is an improved derivative of the two-seat mass-produced Ka-50 Black Shark attack helicopter.

Deliveries of the Ka-52 Hokum-B to the Russian Air Force will start in 2009. The Kamov design bureau has said it plans to supply Ka-50 and Ka-52 helicopters to foreign customers in the future.

Uganda: Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) - War Without End

Uganda: Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) - War Without End (NSI News Source Info) November 28, 2008: Uganda's internationally-directed mediation team issued a statement designed to put pressure on the LRA's Joseph Kony. Negotiators said that Kony "must" sign the peace agreement by the end of November 2008.

However, the mediation team did not say what would happen if Kony does not sign the agreement.

Congo and Uganda have indicated they would take combined military action against the LRA. Of course, the LRA appears to have anticipated this.

LRA cadres are now operating in the Central African Republic. Will the demand motivate Kony? He still faces arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court. An LRA spokesman said on November 27 that Kony would sign it. Several thousand more civilians have fled the Congo violence, and crossed into Uganda. So far, about 15,000 refugees have arrived. November 14, 2008: While the Congo has numerous troubles already in eastern Congo, LRA raids in Congo in September (which killed at least 200 people) have led to new regional security talks between Uganda and the Congolese government. The Government of South Sudan may also be involved. The Government of South Sudan knows that the Sudan government (in Khartoum) has used the LRA as a "tool" against Uganda. If trouble erupts between north and south Sudan the LRA could be a "north Sudanese tool" for use against the south. A UN report described the LRA attacks in Congo were "systematic." The LRA guerrillas abducted approximately a hundred Congolese children. They also abducted children in a series of attacks in Sudan. This is an old LRA tactic. The children was used to carry supplies. Over time they may become "LRA recruits." November 13, 2008: Since the Museveni government came to power in 1986 it has confronted Uganda's traditional "north-south" divide. The war with the LRA in some ways reflects this division. The LRA largely comes from the Acholi tribe in northeastern Uganda. Museveni is a southerner. Museveni has, in the view of northerners, favored southern tribal groups. This is one reason the government's "recovery and reconciliation program" (part of the peace process with the LRA) has focused on "reconstruction" efforts in northern Uganda. However, the northerners aren't "sold" on the government's sincerity. The Ugandan press makes that evident. This is one reason LRA die-hards refuse to surrender. They think if they can hang on long enough, government reconciliation programs will fail and the north will be ready to rebel again. This is why LRA senior commander Joseph Kony still claims the LRA is fighting "against the marginalization of the north" (ie, northern Uganda).

ST Aero to Retrofit Indonesian C-130Bs

ST Aero to Retrofit Indonesian C-130Bs (NSI News Source Info) SINGAPORE - November 28, 2008: Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd (ST Engineering) today announced that its aerospace arm, Singapore Technologies Aerospace Ltd (ST Aerospace), has been awarded a US$51 million (about S$75m) contract to perform maintenance and modification on four C-130B aircraft for the Indonesian Air Force (IAF). The programme commences immediately and is expected to be completed over 30 months. The work will be performed by ST Aerospace's subsidiary, ST Aerospace Engineering Pte Ltd (STA Engineering). This contract is not expected to have any material impact on the consolidated net tangible assets per share and earnings per share of ST Engineering for the current financial year. "We are pleased that the Indonesian Air Force has selected us for this programme. We have previously provided services to IAF, and the continued endorsement through this new contract demonstrates its satisfaction with our quality proposition. With our extensive experience on the C-130 and our performances in serving leading air forces and airlines around the world, we look forward to bring value to the IAF and meet its expectations," said Tay Kok Khiang, President, ST Aerospace. ST Aerospace is the aerospace arm of ST Engineering. Operating a global MRO network with facilities in the Americas, Asia Pacific and Europe, it is the world's largest aircraft MRO provider with a global customer base that includes many of the world's leading airlines, airfreight operators and military operators. Its services include airframe, engine and component maintenance, repair and overhaul; engineering design and technical services; and aviation materials and management services, including Total Aviation Support. ST Aerospace has a global staff strength of more than 7,000 engineers and technical specialists.

Iran Says Navy Can Strike Well Beyond Its Coast

Iran Says Navy Can Strike Well Beyond Its Coast

(NSI News Source Info) TEHRAN, Source; War News Updates - November 28, 2008: Iran's navy can strike an enemy well beyond its shores and as far away as Bab al-Mandab, the southern entrance to the Red Sea that leads to the Suez Canal, an Iranian naval commander said on Thursday.

Naval Commander Mahmoud Mousavi also repeated Iran's assertion that it could control the Strait of Hormuz, the entrance to the strategic Gulf waterway that is on Iran's coast, Fars News Agency reported.

The United States, Iran's arch-foe which has a naval base in Bahrain on the Arab side of the Gulf, has not ruled out military action if diplomacy fails to end a row over Iran's nuclear plans which Washington says is to make bombs. Tehran denies this.

"We have now attained the capacity to take our defence capability to the depth of the seas, oceans and the Red Sea and face the enemy at the Bab al-Mandab strait if the enemy should have an evil intention," Mousavi said.

Indian Commandos abseil into Mumbai Jewish centre

Indian Commandos abseil into Mumbai Jewish centre

Video: Commandos storm Jewish centre (ABC News) VIDEO ON LINE Video: Mumbai stand-off continues (ABC News) VIDEO ON LINE (NSI News Source Info) November 28, 2008: Commandos have launched a helicopter-borne assault on the Mumbai Jewish centre where suspected Islamist militants are holding at least 10 Israelis, live television pictures showed. Witnesses said the first group of seven armed men crouched on the roof of the building as the helicopter returned to drop at least 10 more military personnel. Intermittent loud explosions were heard. The black-clad soldiers cautiously took up positions on stairs and balconies around the outside of the building as equipment was dropped from the helicopter hovering above. It was not clear if the commandos involved in the assault were Indian or Israeli. Hundreds of witnesses gathered on nearby rooftops to observe the operation. A witness said security forces fired into the building, apparently to provide cover, as commandos rappelled down a rope from the helicopter. Indian authorities said they were still "mopping up" at the Oberoi-Trident hotel, where terrorists are believed to have held people hostage. A number of Australians, including Hunter Valley winery manager Garrick Harvison, are still in the Oberoi waiting for the all clear from Indian security forces. At least 125 people have been killed and more than 300 injured after terrorists armed with automatic weapons and hand grenades carried out attacks across India's financial capital late on Wednesday night (local time). Police said at least five gunmen had been shot dead and one captured. The Jewish cultural centre is run by the orthodox Chabad movement. Seven people escaped from the site earlier this morning. Earlier, the chairman of the Indian Jewish Federation, Jonathan Solomon, said that he believed a number of Israeli nationals were being held at gunpoint. "There is an Israeli rabbi and his wife and a kid has been staying in the house," he said. "The kid is now safely out of the house and with the Israeli consulate. But two Israeli couples are inside the house and we are anxious about them." Additional Info:

Commandos storm Mumbai Jewish centre (NSI News Source Info) MUMBAI, INDIA - Nov 28 2008 05:09

Heavy gunfire erupted on Friday after Indian commandos were dropped by helicopter on to the roof of a Jewish centre in Mumbai, where suspected Islamist militants are holding at least 10 Israelis, a Reuters witness said. Television reports said it was the start of an assault by the paramilitary National Security Guard to flush out the militants.

The Jewish centre was one of three pockets in the country's financial capital where Indian forces were battling die-hard militants, more than 24 hours after the band of heavily armed fighters killed at least 121 people in coordinated attacks.

The Reuters witness said troops fired into the Jewish centre, apparently to provide cover, as commandos rappeled down ropes from helicopters that made at least three sorties. Television showed the commandos taking up positions on the roof.

The building is in a crowded part of the city, making a frontal assault difficult.Police said militants were still holed up as well at the Taj Mahal hotel and the nearby Oberoi-Trident hotel along with an unknown number of hostages.

There are seven South African Airways crew members still trapped in the Oberoi-Trident hotel, the Foreign Affairs Department said on Friday.

"Foreign affairs minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma telephoned them on Thursday. The crew indicated that despite their ordeal, they remain in good health," said spokesperson Ronnie Mamoepa.

A Reuters witness said commandos also entered the Oberoi-Trident on Friday morning, although there were no immediate signs of fighting.

Mumbai, a city of 18-million, is the nerve-centre of India's growing economic might and home to the Bollywood film industry. Hindu-dominated India, which has a sizeable Muslim minority, has been hit by militant attacks for decades. But this strike seemed aimed at crippling its ability to draw foreign investment.Its markets closed on Thursday because of the attacks but India's market regulator said he had asked stock exchanges to be ready to trade on Friday, with a final decision to be made later.

Pinning blame

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh pinned blame for the attacks on militant groups based in India's neighbours, usually an allusion to Pakistan, raising prospects of renewed tension between the nuclear-armed rivals.He warned of "a cost" if these nations did not take action to stop their territory being used to launch such attacks.

An estimated 25 men armed with assault rifles and grenades -- at least some of whom arrived by sea -- had fanned out across Mumbai on Wednesday night to attack sites popular with tourists and businessmen, including the city's top two luxury hotels.

Police said at least seven of the attackers were killed and nine suspects had been taken into custody. They said 12 policemen were killed, including Hemant Karkare, chief of the police anti-terrorist squad in Mumbai.

At least six foreigners, including one Australian, a Briton, an Italian and a Japanese national, were killed. Scores of others were trapped in the fighting or were being held hostage.Police said 279 people were wounded.

Pakistan group

The Hindu newspaper said at least three of the attackers taken into custody were members of the Lashkar-e-Taiba group, based in Pakistan.

The group made its name fighting Indian rule in disputed Kashmir, and has been closely linked in the past to the Pakistani military's Inter Services Intelligence agency, the ISI.

Lashkar-e-Taiba has denied any role in the attacks.

"It is evident that the group which carried out these attacks, based outside the country, had come with single-minded determination to create havoc in the commercial capital of the country," Prime Minister Singh said on Thursday.

"We will take up strongly with our neighbours that the use of their territory for launching attacks on us will not be tolerated, and that there would be a cost if suitable measures are not taken by them," he said in a televised address.

Pakistan, condemning the assault, promised full cooperation.

The militants appeared to specifically target Britons, Americans and Israelis, witnesses said.

World leaders including United States president-elect Barack Obama condemned the incident.

The attacks brought the biggest chaos to the city since serial bombings in 1993, blamed on the city's Muslim crime syndicates, killed 260 people and injured hundreds. - Reuters