Mauritania: Coup Undermines Democratic Progress

Mauritania: Coup Undermines Democratic Progress

(NSI News Source Info) 6 August, 2008: Nouakchott, Mauritania - Troops in Mauritania have overthrown the country's first freely-elected leader and say they have formed a state council to rule the country. President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi was held after he tried to dismiss the military's top commanders. Troops are out on the streets of the capital, Nouakchott, where tear gas was fired at about 50 protesters. President Abdallahi came to power in free and fair polls last year, taking over from a military junta. Troops rounded up the president - along with his Prime Minister Yahia Ould Ahmed El-Ouakef - apparently without needing to use force on Wednesday. Earlier in the day, the president tried to dismiss four senior army officers, including the head of the presidential guard, Gen Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz, who responded by launching the coup. The country has been in the grip of a political crisis since a vote of no confidence in the cabinet two weeks ago. They arrested [President Abdallahi] and took him to the battalion base. It's a textbook coup d'etat. On Monday, 48 MPs walked out of the ruling party. Reports suggest some of the generals orchestrated the mass resignation, our correspondent James Copnall says. Nouakchott airport has been closed, security sources told the AFP news agency on Wednesday. A journalist based in Nouakchott, Hamdi Ould Mohamed el-Hacen, told the BBC people had gathered on street corners to discuss the coup - in particular the fate of the president and prime minister. Culture Minister Abdellahi Salem Ould El-Mouallah read a statement on TV on behalf of the coup leaders announcing the presidential decree sacking the top army officers had been "annulled legally and practically". An army statement said the president was no longer in charge. The first indications of a military coup came as state radio and television were taken off the air amid reports of unusual troop movements in Nouakchott. The president's daughter, Amal Mint Cheikh Abdallahi, said soldiers seized her father at his house at 0920 local time (0920 GMT). She raised the alarm in a phone call to a French radio station. "They came here to find him," she told Radio France International. "They arrested him here and took him to the battalion base. It's a textbook coup d'etat." Political instability The African Union condemned the coup, demanded a return to constitutional government and said it was sending an envoy to Nouakchott immediately. The governments of South Africa and Nigeria - both major players in the African Union - also criticised the military takeover. The US state department and the European Commission also decried the coup, with the commission warning it would suspend aid to Mauritania. Mauritania has a long history of coups, with the military involved in nearly every government since its independence from France in 1960. Presidential elections held in 2007 ended a two-year period of military rule - the product of a military coup in 2005. The elections were deemed to have been free and fair and appeared to herald a new era of democracy. Earlier this year, however, the president dismissed the government amid protests over soaring food prices. The cabinet that replaced it has been dogged by instability, lacking the support of a moderate Islamist party and a major opposition group that were in the former government. Mauritania is one of the world's poorest nations as well as its newest oil producer. The desert nation, a former French colony of more than three million people, has been looking to oil revenues to boost its economy.

Mauritantia's President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdellahi was deposed early Wednesday in what appears to be a bloodless military coup, local sources said. Cheikh Abdallahi, 70, was the first democratically-elected president of the country. According to Nouakchott Info, a local daily, there is relative calm in Nouakchott, the capital, although access to the presidential palace has been blocked by security forces. Prime Minister Yahya Ould Ahmed Waghf is also said to have been arrested. Wednesday's coup came about 18 months after a presidential election in 2007, which was hailed as a democratic model for the continent and the Arab world, and three years after the military coup which overthrew then-president Maaouiya Ould Taya in August 2005. The country has experienced political instability over recent months, fueled in part by protests over rising food prices which led to a no-confidence vote in the government.

Pakistan: Musharraf to attend Beijing Games

Musharraf to attend Beijing Games (NSI News Source Info) August 6, 2008: Mr Musharraf's critics say he is no longer acceptable to Pakistan's people. Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf will attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics as planned, the foreign ministry has said. A statement made clear he would leave for China on Thursday. Earlier, the foreign ministry said Mr Musharraf had cancelled the trip but gave no reason. Pakistan's ruling alliance has been discussing his possible impeachment. The president's allies were defeated in elections in February. He has so far resisted pressure to quit. China is one of Pakistan's closest allies, and it would have been highly unusual for a Pakistani leader to call off a visit at such short notice. The foreign ministry said: "In view of our special relations with China, the president has decided to attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics. The president will now leave for China tomorrow." The BBC's Syed Shoaib Hasan in Islamabad says the question of whether or not to impeach President Musharraf has threatened to divide the governing coalition. Early in what was a dramatic day, the threat of a new opposition onslaught appeared sufficient to force him to cancel his Beijing trip. Yet by evening a spokesman said he would travel as planned. That Mr Musharraf now feels confident enough to fly to China will suggest to many Pakistanis that for now at least he feels more secure in his position, our correspondent says. President Musharraf was originally due to leave for China on Wednesday along with the head of the governing Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Asif Zardari, officials said. It is not clear whether Mr Zardari plans to proceed with the trip. He has been holding more consultations with alliance partners. The two sides have agreed to draw up a joint charge sheet against the president... and ask him to defend himself before parliament Khwaja Asif, PML-N. By Wednesday evening, those talks appeared deadlocked. At one point, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif stormed out following the announcement that President Musharraf had issued orders to reinstate some of Pakistan's top judges. Mr Sharif argues that the president is attempting to divide the governing coalition. Pakistan's governing coalition leaders are split on how to restore the judges the president sacked during a state of emergency in November. A day earlier, the PPP and Mr Sharif's PML-N had indicated they were close to an agreement to impeach Mr Musharraf. "The two sides have agreed to draw up a joint charge sheet against the president on the basis of available evidence, and ask him to defend himself before the parliament," Khwaja Asif of the PML-N told Geo TV. PPP spokesman Farhatullah Babar told reporters there was a growing feeling among the alliance leaders that Mr Musharraf was "no longer acceptable to the people of Pakistan". Mr Musharraf's political allies were defeated in February elections, from which the PPP emerged as the largest party. Mr Zardari and Mr Sharif met on Wednesday. In second place was the PML-N of Mr Sharif, whom President Musharraf ousted in a 1999 coup. The two parties formed an alliance in March, but have since been split over the issues of presidential impeachment and the reinstatement of the sacked judges. The PML-N pulled out of the federal cabinet in May when the PPP refused to move immediately on these issues. The rift has caused a sense of paralysis in the government, which is under huge US pressure to curb attacks by Taleban and al-Qaeda militants based near the Afghan border.

Pentagon Issues New Tanker Bid Parameters

Pentagon Issues New Tanker Bid Parameters

(NSI News Source Info) August 6, 2008: The Pentagon plans to take extra capabilities - including added fuel offload capacity - into account as it scores revised proposals from Boeing and Northrop Grumman/EADS that could lead to $35 billion in work replacing aging KC-135 tankers. The Defense Department will consider "value over threshold" when reviewing the revised offers, said Shay Assad, director of defense procurement and acquisitions policy, during an Aug. 6 briefing at the Pentagon. This could put Boeing's 767-200LRF-based proposal at a disadvantage as its cargo, passenger and fuel offload abilities are hampered by its size compared to the larger Airbus A330-200 design proposed by Northrop. Today, a revised draft request for proposals (RFP) for the KC-X refueling tanker was provided to both teams, kicking off the recompetition of the controversial program. The new draft RFP is intended to provide "clear and unambiguous insight into the relative order of importance" of various capabilities, including fuel offload, cargo and passenger capacity and survivability, among other aspects. Assad did not identify the capabilities in order of importance, and DOD officials did not publicly release the draft RFP, breaking with typical protocol, which calls for solicitations to be posted publicly online. The draft was, however, sent to Congress and is already drawing criticism because it may favor the larger A330 offering. (Click here (6.1-meg pdf) and here (1.2-meg pdf) for the documents). For instance, an aide to Rep. Norm Dicks (D-Wash.) argued there is an obvious change inserted into the system requirements document in the revised tanker RFP that "clearly" favors the larger Airbus aircraft "even though it is not necessarily connected to any real-world use of tanker." The congressional Government Accountability Office found that in the earlier competition the Air Force did not clearly articulate how it would score attributes that surpassed the threshold requirements for the system. This, among other irregularities, called into question the Northrop Grumman/EADS North America win of a $1.5 billion development contract for the new refueler Feb. 29. Both teams will have about one week to discuss the draft RFP with the Office of the Secretary of Defense. By mid-month, a final RFP will be released and contractors will have about 45 days to submit their revised proposals. Source selection should be finished by the end of the year with a final winner announced by New Year's Eve, Assad said. The existing contract with Northrop Grumman will remain in stop-work status until a winner is selected. If Northrop Grumman again prevails, its contract will be revised and restarted. If, however, Boeing wins this new competition, Northrop's contract will be terminated, he said. The Pentagon does plan to shift the life-cycle cost estimates from an expected useful life of 25 years to 40 years on the aircraft, Assad says. And, it will take into consideration the cost of fuel and anticipated fuel burn rates of each aircraft throughout those years.

Russia says Iran Six will continue dialogue with Tehran

Russia says Iran Six will continue dialogue with Tehran MOSCOW, August 6, 2008 (NSI News Source Info) - The six countries trying to persuade Iran to halt its uranium enrichment will continue attempts to resolve the dispute over Tehran's nuclear program by diplomatic means, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Wednesday. At talks with Iran in Geneva on July 19, the six nations - China, Russia, the U.S., France, Britain and Germany - put forward a package of trade and nuclear technology incentives, demanding a response from Tehran within two weeks. European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana received Tuesday a letter from Tehran, which did not contain a clear response to the proposals. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko described Iran's lack of a definitive answer as unfortunate, but said the six world powers would continue their diplomacy. "The Iran Six remains open to any possible actions in the framework of our coordinated dual-track strategy," he said. "We will pursue all possibilities to continue contacts with the Iranian side to clarify its position and find a diplomatic solution." The Iran Six diplomats held telephone talks earlier Wednesday to agree how to respond to Tehran's unclear response to their offer to end the dispute. "We haven't set any deadlines ourselves for their response and there is ongoing dialogue," Russian Ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin told a news conference in New York. He said the Iran Six would hold a ministerial meeting on the Iranian nuclear program in September. Meanwhile, the United States and Britain said the six had agreed to consider a new resolution at the U.N. Security Council on a fourth set of sanctions against Iran. "While informal contact between Javier Solana and [Iran's chief nuclear negotiator] Saeed Jalili will continue, we have no choice but to pursue further sanctions against Iran," a spokesman for Britain's Foreign Office said. Iran is currently under three sets of relatively mild UN Security Council sanctions for defying demands to halt uranium enrichment, which it says it needs purely for electricity generation. The U.S. and Israel have refused to rule out military action against Iran, the world's fourth largest oil producer, if diplomacy fails to end the dispute.

India successfully tests domestically built anti-tank missile

India successfully tests domestically built anti-tank missile NEW DELHI, August 6, 2008 (NSI News Source Info) - India has completed the development of an anti-tank missile that has been in the works for 18 years, and will put it into service after field test trials in September, the Defense Ministry said. The Nag is a third-generation anti-tank missile system with "fire and forget" and "top attack" capabilities. The missile uses Imaging Infra-Red (IIR) guidance and has both day and night capability. "Flight trials of the Nag [missile] with a strike range of 4 km (2.5 miles) at stationary and mobile targets have been conducted at Pokhran testing site in the presence of top military commanders," the ministry said in a statement. "The Nag destroyed all targets, which confirms its parameters," the statement said. The Indian army has reportedly ordered 443 Nag missiles and 13 Namicas (Nag missile tracked carriers) to be put into service over the next three years. Apart from the Namica platform, which can carry 12 missiles, Nag will also have an airborne version named Helina to be fitted on the Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter, which will be configured to carry eight missiles in two launchers. The Nag missile is the last of the five guided missiles developed by India under its Integrated Development of Guided Missile Program (IDGMP). The program, which was launched in 1983, was officially closed in January 2008. The development work on all other missiles - the Agni long-range nuclear-capable ballistic missile, the Prithvi short-range ballistic missile, the Akash medium-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) and the Trishul short-range SAM - has been completed, and these missiles are already in service with the Indian Armed Forces. "New missile and weapons systems will be developed within a five-year timeframe at low costs, with foreign partners and private industries," Dr. S. Prahlada, chief controller at the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) headquarters, earlier said.

Russian Air Force to receive over 100 new helicopters by 2015

Russian Air Force to receive over 100 new helicopters by 2015 MOSCOW, August 6, 2008 (NSI News Source Info) The Russian Air Force will commission over 100 upgraded combat helicopters over a period of five years, from 2011 until 2015, the AF commander said on Tuesday. "In 2011-2015, we are planning to put into service over 100 new Mi-28N Night Hunter and Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopters and Mi-8MTB5 Hip multi-purpose helicopters," Col. Gen. Alexander Zelin said. He said the addition of the new aircraft to the existing fleet would allow Russia to create helicopter task groups in strategically important areas that could act independently or support special operations. "Helicopter regiments equipped with new aircraft must become the backbone of air mobile special purpose reserves and mountain brigades," the general said. He also said Russia would fully upgrade its fleet of Mi-24PN Hind gunships and Mi-26 Halo heavy transport helicopters. The Mi-26 helicopter is the heaviest and most powerful helicopter in the world. It was designed for carrying large-size cargo weighing up to 20 tons and is widely used for search and rescue operations, heavy-lift transportation and fire fighting.

Over 16,000 Beijing couples to marry in Olympic wedding frenzy

Over 16,000 Beijing couples to marry in Olympic wedding frenzy BEIJING, August 6, 2008 (NSI News Source Info) - A total of 16,400 Chinese couples are planning to tie the knot on Friday as a combination of the Olympic opening ceremony and a numerical coincidence has sparked a wedding frenzy, the China Daily said Wednesday. Eight is believed to bring luck in Chinese culture and Friday's date being the eighth day of the eighth month in the eighth year has seen Chinese couples lining up to tie the knot. Chinese people pay extra to have an eight in their phone numbers, addresses and license plates. In the Mandarin language the word for 'eight' sounds like part of the phrase 'to make fortune.' "Eight is such an auspicious number, and with the opening of the Beijing Olympics, the whole nation will be celebrating with us," Li Jun, who will be among those officially getting married on Friday, told the China Daily. Many Chinese will get their certificate and hold the wedding ceremony on a separate day, as Chinese laws and traditions do not limit the marriage ceremony to the registration day. However, the marriage boom extends beyond China with a record number of weddings due to be registered in the Russian capital Moscow on the same day. Russian couples, who wish to marry on August 8, see eight as a lucky symbol of eternity and a combination of two wedding rings. The western tradition of numerology says that eight is a symmetrical number, uniting spiritual and material welfare. "Muscovites apparently hope to triple their family happiness by tying the knot on 08.08.08," the head of Moscow registry offices department, Irina Muravyova, said. Unlike Beijing registry offices, where registry employees spend roughly from one to five minutes on each couple, at least 10 minutes are required to register a marriage in Russia. On Friday, registry offices in the Russian capital will close at 9.00 p.m. instead of 6.00 p.m. and an estimated 1,678 couples are expected to marry. Authorities in the West Siberian city of Khanty-Mansiisk have organized a mass wedding ceremony in the city's main square to cope with all the applications. Employees at the city's sole registry office will also hold several 'visiting ceremonies' in the city's restaurants.

Russia hands over six Mi-17 helicopters to Indonesia

Russia hands over six Mi-17 helicopters to Indonesia JAKARTA, August 6, 2008 (NSI News Source Info) - Russia has officially presented six Mi-17-B5 Hip H medium assault/transport helicopters to Indonesia, the Russian ambassador said on Wednesday. "Six Russian Mi-17B5 helicopters, manufactured at the Kazan helicopter plant, have been transferred," Alexander Ivanov said. Russia signed a contract with Indonesia in 2005 to supply six helicopters. The helicopters were delivered in two shipments in July 2008 and were assembled by a team of Russian specialists at the Indonesian ground forces base in the city of Surabaya, East Java. This spring, 15 pilots and technical specialists from Indonesia visited the Kazan helicopter plant in Russia's Volga area for three months of training. In the fall of 2007, then Russian president Vladimir Putin reached an agreement with Indonesia's leadership on a $1 billion Russian loan for Indonesia to buy 22 helicopters, 20 tanks and two submarines from Russia. In addition, Jakarta said it would buy six Su aircraft worth a total of $335 million. The Mi-17 is a version of the Mi-8 airframe. The helicopter has a takeoff weight of 13 metric tons and can carry up to 36 people or a payload of 4 tons within the cargo compartment or 4.5 tons externally. The helicopters have been supplied to 80 countries.

Moscow says no nuclear weapons in Belarus to counter U.S. shield

Moscow says no nuclear weapons in Belarus to counter U.S. shield MINSK, August 6, 2008 (NSI News Source Info) - Russia may review military cooperation with Belarus in response to U.S. missile defense plans in Central Europe, but will not return nuclear weapons to the country, the Russian ambassador to Minsk said Wednesday. The U.S. plans to deploy 10 interceptor missiles in northern Poland and a radar station in the Czech Republic as part of a missile shield for Europe and North America against possible attacks from "rogue states," including Iran. "When Poland signs a treaty with the United States on the deployment of missile defense elements, then we will be in a position to discuss some additional aspects of military cooperation with Belarus," Ambassador Alexander Surikov said. He added that an array of counter measures would be devised, but there would be "no return of nuclear weapons to Belarus." The envoy said, however, that Russia could deploy Iskander missile-defense systems and strategic bombers in Belarus. Moscow strongly opposes the possible deployment of the U.S. missile shield, viewing it as a threat to its national security. Russia's Foreign Ministry has said that if U.S. strategic missile defense elements are deployed near Russia's borders, Moscow would be forced to respond with a "military-technical approach" rather than a diplomatic one.

India: Reinvestment offers submitted for IAF combat jet order

Reinvestment offers submitted for IAF combat jet order

(NSI News Source Info) August 6, 2008 - NEW DELHI: Three global aircraft majors on Monday submitted their industrial reinvestment offers as part of their bids for an Indian Air Force (IAF) order for 126 combat jets, with one company - EADS - reiterating its invitation to India to partner the future development of its Eurofighter Typhoon, one of the six jets in contention. US aerospace majors Boeing and Lockheed Martin also submitted their offset offers Monday. The deal is worth $10 billion and 50 percent of this has to be reinvested in India as part of the offset obligations of the manufacturer that gets the IAF nod. The IAF had floated its request for proposal (RFP) last August and these are currently being evaluated, after which the aircraft will be put through field trials before the eventual winner is selected. Apart from the Eurofighter Typhoon, the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, and the Lockheed Martin F-16, three other aircraft - the Swedish Gripen, the French Rafale and the Russian MiG-35 - are also in the fray. The other three manufacturers are yet to submit their offset offers. EADS, Boeing and Lockheed Martin all said they were more than willing to discharge their offset obligations. "Earlier this year we invited India to become a member of the successful Eurofighter family. Today I want to repeat this message," Bernhard Gerwert, CEO of Military Air Systems, an integrated business unit of EADS Defence & Security, said in a statement. EADS, the European Aeronautic Defence and Space company, is a four-nation conglomeration of Germany, Italy, Spain and Britain. "India is our partner of choice and we are interested in long-lasting and mutually beneficial political, industrial and military relations, which are based on our dedication for equal, fair and true partnership," Gerwert added. "Our document provides the Indian authorities with a fully-fledged response to the Eurofighter offset requirements and spells out inherent and unrivalled benefits for India," Gerwert maintained. In this context, he noted that the Eurofighter family was the world's "largest industrial defence conglomerate" with approximately 400 leading companies associated with the programme, "has the power and the willingness to completely support the Indian defence sector over the decades to come. Boeing said it would discharge its offsets obligations through "a formidable industrial line-up that includes 16 leading aerospace and defence companies with combined revenues of over $454 billion, and its 37 Indian partners in the public and private sectors. "We are already establishing the groundwork that will lead us to success in this large undertaking through early engagement of Indian industry, both public and private," said Vivek Lall, Boeing Integrated Defence Systems vice president and India country head. "Boeing's proposal firmly supports the Indian government's goal of a vibrant indigenous aerospace industry. It also foresees India playing a key role in enhancing Boeing's global competitiveness and growth through a series of strategic partnerships with Indian industries," a company statement said. "The Boeing Company has been, and will continue to be, a true partner to India," said Chris Chadwick, president of Boeing Military Aircraft. "To that end, our IP (industrial participation) proposal draws upon the company's vast pool of human talent, technical expertise and aerospace and defence resources, to both support India's defence modernization drive and to help spur growth of a world-class Indian aerospace industry," Chadwick added. Lockheed Martin said that as the world's "leading performer of successful offset programmes", it "has a long history of delivering on commitments. Lockheed Martin has established four F-16 production lines outside of the United States". "Lockheed Martin is committed to working with our industrial partners and Indian defence industry to develop long-term, high-value projects that bring technology and sustainable business to India," said Orville Prins, Lockheed Martin's business development vice president. "Partnering with Lockheed Martin provides India the opportunity to develop advanced defence technologies, manufacturing capabilities and defence systems. "Additionally, India will benefit by leveraging the strength of the F-16IN industrial team, which includes many of the world's largest and most innovative companies, all ready to work with Indian industry in developing world-class aerospace and defence technologies," Prins added. "No other operational multi role strike fighter in the world today will compare to the F-16IN proposed by Lockheed Martin," said Prins. "The F-16IN will be a unique configuration of the F-16, designed to address every requirement specified in India's RFP. The F16 is already the most reliable, maintainable, affordable and safest multi role fighter in the world. The F-16IN will be even better," he added.