Indian Capital Sees 50% Turnout In Peaceful Polling

Indian Capital Sees 50% Turnout In Peaceful Polling

(NSI News Source Info) NEW DELHI - May 7, 2009: With a turnout rate at around 50 percent, the voters of Indian capital exercised their franchise in the seven constituencies around the political heart of India Thursday in the fourth phase of the general elections.

A voter leaves a polling station, temporarily made inside a school, after casting her vote, in New Delhi, India, Thursday, May 7, 2009. Thursday's vote is the fourth of five phases in these elections and is spread across the federally administered Indian capital of New Delhi and seven states, including parts of the most populous state of Uttar Pradesh and Indian-controlled Kashmir.

Election officials said 50 percent of some 11 million voters of the capital polled their votes in a peaceful atmosphere and in relatively good weather condition below 40 degrees Celsius in the May summer time here. The issue of development was the key as the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) dominated the wrestlings in this key battleground of the month-long elections, with other political forces playing a minor role here. Even as infrastructure development picks up in the run up to the 2010 Commonwealth Games, Rekha Sharma of north Delhi says she wants hygiene levels raised in the city. "One must not find garbage littered around. Delhi has seen good number of flyovers coming up, yet traffic congestion remains an issue in some parts of Delhi. More road widening or flyovers are necessary," she said. Another Dehlhi resident, Jagpreet Brar, said clearing up graffiti walls, maintenance of heritage sites and general upkeep of all buildings and roads was necessary for the city to prepare for the international sports event next year. For some residents, frequent cutting of electricity in Delhi, especially in summer time, is a big problem as well. For women, safety is a priority issue. Manpreet Kaur, a housewife from Tilak Nagar, said crime control needs to be looked into by the government, as mugging, molestations or related incidents every day are heard of. The youth believed that their vote would matter. They came out in enthusiasm to vote more than justifying issues this time. "I feel everyone should vote as it is our duty," said 24-year-old Akriti, a first time voter. Political parties were concerned about an estimated 15,000 weddings taking place in the capital region on the polling day. Atbooths, however, it did look like that had an adverse impact on voting. Delhi's Chief Minister, Shiela Dixit of the Congress party, told media that Congress would bag at least five of the seven seats. Last time the Congress grasped six seats out of seven in the 2004 general elections.

However, voters do believe that it will be a close call between the BJP and the Congress at most places.

DTN News: Military TODAY May 7, 2009 - Russia's Military Parade Preps WATCH VIDEO

DTN News: Military TODAY May 7, 2009 - Russia's Military Parade Preps WATCH VIDEO (NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW May 7, 2009: Russia showed off its latest heavy weaponry on Thursday (May 7) in a city centre rehearsal for Victory Day parade which takes place in Red Square in Moscow. Missile-transporters and tanks lined Moscow's main shopping street, Tverskaya, waiting for their cue to rumble onto Red Square for the parade rehearsal. Police and special troops lined the route, preventing civilians entering the area. A display of Russia's air power followed, with transport planes, helicopters and jets overflying the Kremlin and St Basil's cathedral.

Boeing Unveils US Navy Paint Scheme For P-8A Poseidon

Boeing Unveils US Navy Paint Scheme For P-8A Poseidon

(NSI News Source Info) SEATTLE - May 7, 2009: The first painted P-8A Poseidon aircraft rolls out of the paint hangar at Boeing's Renton, Wash., facility, displaying its new U.S. Navy livery. The aircraft, designated T-2, is the third of five test aircraft being assembled and tested as part of the System Development and Demonstration contract that Boeing received in 2004. The U.S. Department of Defense wants to follow a program template similar to that of the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program, with international cooperation from prospective MMA users. This would include many of the fifteen nations that currently use the P-3. The MMA project should avoid one of the major problems of the JSF, that of technology transfer. The MMA, while incorporating much high technology, would not include such proprietary and sensitive characteristics as stealth technology. The Australian Minister for Defence announced on 20 July 2007 that the P-8A MMA had been selected as the preferred aircraft to replace the Royal Australian Air Force's fleet of AP-3C Orions in conjunction with a yet-to-be-selected unmanned aerial vehicle. The last RAAF AP-3C is scheduled to be retired in 2018, after nearly 30 years of service. An MOU will be signed that will help Australia to gain access to classified data and help to input specific requirements. In March 2009, Australia's Chief of Air Force stated that subject to anticipated government approval, the RAAF will begin to add the P-8A to their fleet in 2016. Italy indicated interest for a purchase of a total of 14 Wedgetail and MMA aircraft, with fleet support provided by Alitalia in 2004. However, in December 2008 Italy announced the purchase of four ATR-72 turboprop aircraft to replace its aging Atlantic Maritime Patrol Aircraft, which "likely means the Italy's ambitions to join the U.S. Navy's MPA program are dead." Canada and Australia may each pay up to $300 million in order to have first-tier participation in the MMA project. In January 2008, Boeing proposed P-8I Poseidon, a customized export variant of the P-8A, to the Indian Navy. On January 4, 2009, the Ministry of Defence of India signed an agreement with Boeing for the supply of eight P-8I Poseidons at a total cost of US$2.1 billion. These aircraft would replace Indian Navy's aging Tupolev Tu-142M maritime surveillance turboprops. Each aircraft will cost about US$220 million. The deal not only made India the first international customer of the P-8 Poseidon, but also marked Boeing's first military sale to India. The first test aircraft, T-1, which successfully completed the program's first flight on April 25, will be painted in the same gray paint scheme later this summer.

T-2 was painted in late April. The Navy plans to purchase 108 P-8A anti-submarine warfare aircraft to replace its fleet of P-3Cs. Initial operational capability is planned for 2013.

The P-8A is built by a Boeing-led industry team that includes CFM International, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Spirit AeroSystems and GE Aviation.

U.S. Forces Handed Over Hundreds Of Humvees To Iraqi Counterpart

U.S. Forces Handed Over Hundreds Of Humvees To Iraqi Counterpart

(NSI News Source Info) May 7, 2009: Joint expeditionary tasking Airmen and Soldiers here are currently working to arm Iraqi forces with more protective means of transportation. As U.S. forces change over to the M1151 Humvee, they turn in the older M1114 vehicles to the Taji Redistribution Property Assistance Team here as a means of salvaging the vehicles.

The High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV or Humvee) is a military 4WD motor vehicle created by AM General. It has largely supplanted the roles formerly served by the M151 1/4 ton MUTT, the M561 "Gama Goat", their M718A1 and M792 ambulance versions, the CUCV, and other light trucks with the United States military, as well as being used by a number of other countries and organizations.

Overall, the team processes M1114 up-armored Humvees prior to distribution to Iraqi army and police. "We receive M1114s from all over Iraq," said 1st Lt. Victoria Smith, assigned to the 732nd Air Expeditionary Group and the RPAT officer in charge.

"We are the central hub or depot point for the receiving and transferring of M114s over to the Iraqis." The team then accounts for each vehicle turned in and performs an initial safety inspection, storing them until they are ready to be picked up for processing to the next staging point.

"We take these vehicles in from various companies, various battalions, and whoever is in need of turning them in," said Tech. Sgt. Joseph Dietz, the RPAT yard boss. "Instead of scrapping these vehicles, we use kind of like a recycling program. "In turn, we continue to improve our relationship with the Iraqi government by selling these vehicles to the Iraqi government for a much lower price than they are standard," added the sergeant deployed from Moody Air Force Base, Ga.

"Then, the Iraqi government takes (the Humvees), does a little work to them and puts them out in their army and police force for better protection (of their forces) against (improvised explosive devices), insurgents, things of that nature."

Once the M1114s are accounted for and have passed their initial inspection, U.S. Soldiers assist in turning the vehicles over to the Iraqis for the next step in the redistribution process. During a typical pick-up, 150 Humvees are taken to the next stage in the process.

"The Iraqi army along with U.S. Soldiers come over to pick up the vehicles to take them to their next staging point," said Sergeant Dietz, a native of East Islip, N.Y. "We will transfer the M114 to (Multinational Security Transition Command-Iraq). They will, in-turn, sell it to the Iraqi (government)."

MNSTC-I is a command that is responsible for helping Iraq organize, train and equip its military and police forces and develop Iraqi security institutions capable of sustaining security with reduced coalition involvement.

While in the hands of MNSTC-I personnel, the vehicles are repainted and any necessary maintenance is performed before they are turned over to Iraqi soldiers and police. Assisting in the redistribution process, Iraqi soldiers take the vehicles to MNSTC-I for processing, and help bring the Humvees one step closer to being distributed for use on their daily patrols.

"I am so thankful for these vehicles," said Hakem, an Iraqi army private stationed here. "I'm proud to be a part of the process to get them to our Iraqi soldiers and police. These Humvees will help keep them safe." "This process is really important," said Lieutenant Smith, a native of Colorado Springs, Colo., deployed here from Holloman AFB, N.M.

"It is important what we are doing in this country as far as helping rebuild the infrastructure. (This will) help get Iraq back on its feet and get them to the point where they can provide everyday security on their own streets." "We are helping the nation stand on its own," Sergeant Dietz said. "It feels good."

DTN News: Military TODAY May 7, 2009

DTN News: Military TODAY May 7, 2009

(NSI News Source Info) TBILISI, Georgia - May 7, 2009: A Georgian and Turkish serviceman interact during joint NATO training activities, 30 km (18.6 miles) outside Tbilisi, at the Vaziani military base May 6, 2009.

NATO began military exercises in Georgia on Wednesday in a move Russia said threatened stability in the region just nine months after a war between the former Soviet neighbours.

U.K. Shuffles Ships, Submarines, Work Around Naval Bases

U.K. Shuffles Ships, Submarines, Work Around Naval Bases

(NSI News Source Info) LONDON - May 7, 2009: Britain will shake up its Royal Navy base structure, swapping around the nuclear submarine fleet, the surface fleet and maintenance work among Faslane, Devonport and Portsmouth. By 2017, Faslane Naval Base will become the only dedicated nuclear submarine base in Britain. (MAURICE MCDONALD / AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE) The decision marks the end of a lengthy review undertaken by the Ministry of Defence to optimize base requirements as the size of the Royal Navy declines. In the biggest restructuring of Britain's naval bases for years, Devonport will be stripped of its nuclear attack submarine fleet and possibly its Type 23 frigates. Instead, Western Europe's largest naval facility of its kind will handle most surface ship refits and, subject to final approval, welcome a force of Royal Marine landing craft. The base will retain its position as the home for the Royal Navy's amphibious warships such as HMS Bulwark, HMS Ocean and survey vessels. Subject to commercial negotiations, the switch to Devonport of most of the surface ship refit work will get under way once work on two new aircraft carriers ramps up in the next couple of years. Refit work is currently split between Babcock Marine operations in Devonport and Rosyth in Scotland and BVT Surface Fleet in Portsmouth. Rosyth and Portsmouth will both be engaged in aircraft carrier construction work. In a statement May 6, Armed Forces Minister Bob Ainsworth said no decision had been made on the location of a nuclear submarine dismantling facility. That could end up in Devonport, where contractor Babcock Marine operates a nuclear submarine update and refueling facility. By 2017, Faslane will become Britain's only dedicated nuclear submarine base. The Scotland base is already home to the Navy's four Vanguard nuclear ballistic missile boats and several aging Swiftsure attack submarines. The three newest Trafalgar-class boats will move incrementally from Devonport to Faslane, while their remaining four sister subs will remain in the west of England until they are retired. Britain's attack submarines are being replaced by the seven Astute-class subs to be built by BAE Systems. The MoD announcement said that the third base, Portsmouth, in southern England, will be home to the first and most complex variant of the Royal Navy's next generation of frigates, the Future Surface Combatant. The FSC fleet, which is likely to include more than one type of warship, will replace Type 23s presently based at Portsmouth and Devonport-based Type 22s. Subject to MoD decisions, FSC deliveries are likely starting around 2018. Six new Type 45 destroyers and two new 65,000-ton aircraft carriers will also be based at Portsmouth. Some major refit work will occasionally be done at Portsmouth to retain skill levels, said the MoD. The MoD statement said it will look carefully at less complex variants of the FSC and consider the optimal base porting for these vessels, taking into account similarities with existing classes. "This work will inform the decision about whether there is any case to change the base porting of the Type 23 frigates," it said. Ainsworth said that the results of the review meant that "Each of our naval bases has a strong future under the plans we have laid out today. We have undertaken an extensive review to ensure that we match the infrastructure in place at the naval bases to the needs of the Royal Navy of the future. The review has identified changes that will align the way in which we provide that support, reducing overhead and excess infrastructure by developing the specializations at each of the bases - and we're confident these changes will lead to savings of several hundreds of millions of pounds," he said. No base porting changes will take place for five years, said the Armed Forces minister.

Taliban Trap Civilians In Pakistani War Zone

Taliban Trap Civilians In Pakistani War Zone

(NSI News Source Info) MINGORA, Pakistan - May 7, 2009: Taliban militants blocked roads with rocks and trees, preventing terrified civilians from fleeing a Pakistani valley Thursday as the army stepped up a ground and air assault on the guerrillas that has been applauded by the U.S., witnesses said. Buner refugees travel by road as they flee fighting on May 6, 2009 near Swabi, Pakistan. Hundreds of thousands of Pakistani people have fled their homes due to fighting between the Pakistan army and Taliban forces in the Northwest Frontier Province. Destabilizing violence is flaring in Pakistan just as its embattled president is appealing in Washington for more help to reverse the extension of Taliban-held territory to within 60 miles (100 kilometers) of the capital. The U.S. is particularly concerned by the unrest because its troops are fighting an increasingly virulent insurgency in Afghanistan fed from militant havens in Pakistan's lawless border area. Officials are bracing for a mass exodus from the Swat Valley, a former tourist destination where fighting has resumed after the breakdown of a controversial peace deal earlier this week. The military claimed to have killed more than 80 militants in the region on Wednesday. There has been no official word on civilian casualties. More than 500,000 Pakistanis driven out by fighting in other regions of the northwest are already living in makeshift camps or with relatives, adding a growing humanitarian crisis to the country's daunting security, economic and political problems. With Taliban militants roaming the streets of Mingora, Swat's main town, on Thursday and troops launching artillery and airstrikes on militant targets from helicopter, many residents hunkered down in their homes. The army announced it was relaxing its blanket curfew in the area, but some of those who tried to make a swift exit said militants blocked their way. Ayaz Khan, a 39-year-old from the Kanju area of Swat, said he loaded his family into his car early Thursday but that rocks, boulders and tree trunks has been laid across the roads, forcing him to turn back. "I am helpless, frustrated and worried for my family," he told an Associated Press reporter by telephone from his home. He appealed to authorities to clear the barriers and let people move to safety. A health worker living in Mingora said militants had warned her to stay in her home. "During the whole of last night, I heard firing, and again this morning," said the woman, who would only give her first name, Maryam, for fear she could be targeted for speaking with a reporter. "I don't know when some weapon will hit our home and kill us," she said. Washington has said it wants to see a sustained operation in Swat and surrounding districts, mindful of earlier, inconclusive offensives elsewhere in the Afghan border region. Eight years after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the area remains a haven for al-Qaida and Taliban fighters blamed for spiraling violence in Pakistan and Afghanistan. But uprooting the insurgents from the valley will mean civilian casualties, property damage and massive disruption which could sap the resolve of the government, which is struggling to convince the nuclear-armed Muslim nation that fighting the militants is in its interests as well as those of the U.S. President Barack Obama and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari met Wednesday in Washington to explore ways to boost the country's antiterror fight, seen by many as the most pressing foreign policy issue facing the U.S. administration. "Pakistan's democracy will deliver," Zardari said in Washington. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the military offensive against the Taliban was a positive sign. "I'm actually quite impressed by the actions the Pakistani government is now taking," she said. "I think that action was called for, and action has been forthcoming." The Swat accord began unraveling last month when Taliban fighters moved from the valley into the nearby district of Buner, even closer to Islamabad, prompting an operation that the military says has killed more than 150 militants but has yet to drive them out. The Swat Taliban are estimated to have up to 7,000 fighters — many with training and battle experience — equipped with rocket-propelled grenades, explosives and automatic weapons. They are up against some 15,000 troops who until recent days had been confined to their barracks under the peace deal.