International News
JFTC producers to report losses in 2002-03
Mumbai; June 24, 2002 Most telecom cable producers are expected to report losses in 2002-03, due to a significant decline in the sales volumes, cable prices and an increase in competition.According to CRIS INFAC's report on Telecom cables, the jelly-filled telecom cables (JFTC) divisions of cable manufacturers are expected to report operating losses in 2002-03, due to a 51 per cent decline in the main order from BSNL and a 19 per cent decline in JFTC prices. JFTC accounts for 78 per cent, while optical fibre cables (OFC) for 22 per cent of the aggregate sales of telecom cables in India.
BSNL is targetting the use of wireless access systems for a significant part of its telephone installations. As a result, the share of wireless in new installations of telephone lines is expected to increase from 1 per cent in 2001-02 to 45 per cent in 2002-03. This is expected to result in a significant decline in JFTC orders by BSNL. BSNL expects to further increase the share of wireless systems, given the ease and lower cost of installation in the rural areas.
According to CRIS INFAC's report, demand for JFTC is expected to decline from 546 lakh core kilometre in 2001-02 to 243 lakh core kilometre by 2006-07. The share of JFTC in the telecom cable industry is expected to decline to 45 per cent by 2006-07.
JFTC prices for BSNL's main order, of 215 lakh core kilometre for 2002-03, have declined by 19.3 per cent, to around Rs 497 per core kilometre due to aggressive bidding by small cable producers for procuring larger orders. In the past 3 years, 15 new players have entered the JFTC segment, resulting in increasing price competition. In 2002-03, 5 new players are expected to set up capacities.
Most cable producers are expected to make net losses if they accept the JFTC order allocations from BSNL, at the present prices. A few large producers may decide to not accept the JFTC order allocations, given the low prices. However, most producers are expected to accept the allocations, in order to maintain their vendor ratings for supplies to BSNL.
The offtake of OFC from BSNL and private telecom operators is expected to increase by around 11 per cent, to 2.5 million fibre kilometres in 2002-03. OFC offtake had more than doubled in 2001-02, to 2.25 million, due to a significant increase in the orders by BSNL. However, against orders of 135,000 route km of OFC, BSNL installed 100,000 route kilometre of OFC in 2001-02. Hence, reportedly, BSNL had large inventories of OFC by March 2002, resulting in a lower order size for 2002-03.
According to CRIS INFAC's report, total demand for OFC is forecasted to increase at a CAGR of around 22 per cent during the 2002-03 to 2006-07 period, due to an expected growth in the national long distance network, increasing penetration in intra-city networks and the increasing fibre count of OFC.
OFC prices have declined by over 54 per cent for the 24 fibre OFC tender of BSNL for 2002-03. The decline could be partly attributed to a decline in the prices of optical fibre and more competitive bidding by some of the cable manufacturers for the 2002-03 tender.
Since April 2001, prices of optical fibre have been declining, due to a slow-down in the network roll out plans of major international service providers. Optical fibre prices have declined from a high of around $ 80 per km in November-December 2000 to $14-16 per km by June 2002.
French Football Team European governmets to stop arms trade
21 June 2002
Paris: The French 1998 World Cup soccer champions and their coaches who
were defeated in the tournament last week have signed a statement
calling on "the French government and the governments of the
European Union to take initiatives that will lead to genuine
control" of international arms transfers.The French team statement, expresses concern that most of
the victims "of wars being waged at the present time are
civilians" and that, "according to UNICEF, eight out of every ten
victims are women and children. Children as young as five are
being kidnapped, then trained to kill other civilians, including
children."The soccer stars identify "the principal countries
responsible for arms exports" as "the United States, France,
Great Britain and Russia, who alone account for 80% of world
trade."Echoing the appeal by Amnesty International to the
forthcoming Summit of the Group of Eight on 26-27 June, the
French team stated: "We international footballers join with the
many organisations who are calling for a halt to arms sales to
countries that violate human rights."The following is a translation into English of the full
statement sent by the French football team.
COLLECTIF CONTROLE DES TRANSFERTS D'ARMESAmnesty International French Section, Monitoring the Transfer of
ArmsACAT, Agir ici, CANVA, Justice & Paix, LDH, MAN,
Pax Christi, Réseau Foi et Justice, SurvieMonitoring the Transfer of Arms to Save Lives!
Every year, millions of people become victims of the arms trade.
The International Rescue Committee puts the annual number of
deaths as a direct or indirect consequence of the war since 1998
in the Democratic Republic of the Congo at 700,000.The International Committee of the Red Cross says that over 80%
of the victims of wars being waged at the present time are
civilians. And according to Unicef, eight out of every ten
victims are women and children. Children as young as five are
being kidnapped, then trained to kill other civilians, including
children.These people live in countries where the government and armed
bands prefer to sell off their country's riches to buy arms
rather than secure the sustainable development of the country and
the security of their people.The principal countries responsible for arms exports are the
United States, France, Great Britain and Russia, who alone
account for 80% of world trade.Although it is true that in 1988 the governments of the Member
States of the European Union adopted a Code of Conduct
prohibiting deliveries of arms to countries where they might be
used for human rights violations, the code is not strictly
applied.We international footballers join with the many organisations who
are calling for a halt to arms sales to countries that violate
human rights, and request the French government and the
governments of the European Union to take initiatives that will
lead toGENUINE CONTROL!
******************************************************The following is the list of the football players and coaches who
have signed the famous letter:Lilian Thuram
Fabien Barthez
Christophe Dugarry
Vincente Lizzarazu
Djibril Cissé
Emmanuel Petit
Thierry Henry
Johan Micoud
Willy Sagnol
David Trézéguet
Gregory Coupet
Philippe Christanval
Vincent Candela
Alain Boghossian
Iouri Djorkaef
Patrick Viera
Sylvain Wiltord
Michael SylvestreRoger Lemerre, coach
Bruno Martini, assistant coach
Guy Stephan, assistant coach
Nigeria: Cease Sponsoring Vigilante Violence
(Lagos, June 21, 2002) Ebonyi State in south-eastern Nigeria should not
endorse the activities of vigilante groups, Human Rights Watch and the
Centre for Law Enforcement Education (CLEEN) said today.The human rights groups were responding to recent reports that the
governor of Ebonyi, Sam Egwu, was planning to introduce the vigilante
group, known as the Bakassi Boys, into his state and to sign a law
establishing them there. The Bakassi Boys have been responsible for
numerous human rights abuses in the neighboring states of southeastern
Nigeria where they operate, including extrajudicial killings, public
burnings, mutilations, torture, and unlawful detentions.“The Bakassi Boys’ violent record and their complete disregard of the
law are well-known,” said Carina Tertsakian, researcher at Human Rights
Watch. “If they have killed and tortured with impunity in Anambra, Abia,
and Imo states, why would they behave any differently in Ebonyi State–
especially when they are being welcomed there by the governor himself?”These abuses, as well as the deployment of the Bakassi Boys to target
perceived political opponents of state governments, were documented in a
detailed report published by Human Rights Watch (headquartered in New
York) and CLEEN (headquartered in Lagos) on May 20, 2002, titled “The
Bakassi Boys: The Legitimization of Murder and Torture.”Further killings by the Bakassi Boys have been reported in recent weeks,
particularly in Anambra State: more than twenty people, including
several women, were reportedly killed by the Bakassi Boys in Onitsha in
the last week of May, and further killings were reported in Onitsha as
recently as mid-June.The two human rights organizations said that state governors have a
responsibility to prevent, not encourage, the spread of vigilante
violence. They appealed to Governor Sam Egwu to reconsider his decision
and to resist public pressure to introduce the Bakassi Boys into Ebonyi.“We recognize high levels of violent crime pose a serious problem in
many parts of Nigeria,” said Innocent Chukwuma, Executive Director of
CLEEN. “But the solution is not to continue resorting to extrajudicial
means or to support vigilante violence.”The two human rights groups also described as regrettable recent
statements by Orji Uzor Kalu, the governor of Abia State – the state
where the Bakassi Boys were first formed, and where they are still
active. Speaking to journalists in early June 2002, Governor Kalu
announced that he would defy any attempts to prevent the Bakassi Boys
from operating in his state. The Vanguard newspaper of June 1 quoted him
as saying: “No law can stop us from having the vigilante group in Abia.
Even if the National Assembly passes the law, it is not going to work in
Abia. I have the mandate of the people to govern this state and anybody
posted here who does not cooperate with the people will be asked to get
out.” Referring to a recent incident in which the Bakassi Boys had
clashed with the police, he said: “We are not ready to tolerate any
commissioner of police arresting any member of Bakassi as a robber.” On
June 11, The Daily Champion newspaper quoted him as saying: “Any plan by
the Federal Government to ban Bakassi under whatever guise would amount
to undue interference.”“Such statements amount to an explicit approval of the violent and
arbitrary methods used by the Bakassi Boys under the pretext of
‘fighting crime,’” said Tertsakian. “If state governors want to show
commitment to ensuring the security of the population, they should
condemn these human rights abuses, disband the Bakassi Boys, and support
the introduction of law enforcement mechanisms, which will genuinely
protect people and bring criminals to justice, within the framework of
the law.”The two organizations also reiterated their appeal to the federal
government to produce effective and long-lasting solutions to the dual
problems of widespread crime and increasing vigilante violence. The
HRW/CLEEN report published in May included a set of recommendations for
national police reform that would ensure effective enforcement of law
and order and protection and security for the population.
U.S. Treasury and Federal Reserve's New Plans for Redigned Dollar- notes to control counterfeit currency
NexGen notes are latest in series to add anti-counterfeiting features
Computer Technology is making Counterfeit Dollar easy to make.
Washington; In keeping with their strategy of maintaining the security of Federal Reserve notes by enhancing the design of U.S. currency every seven to ten years, the Department of the Treasury's Bureau of Engraving and Printing (Bureau) and the Federal Reserve Board announced plans to release the next generation of redesigned notes, with improved security features to deter counterfeiting, the FRB said in a statement.
The new design, referred to as NexGen, affects the $100, $50, and $20 notes. Circulation of the NexGen series could begin as early as fall 2003 with the introduction of the redesigned $20 note. The $100 and $50 notes will follow in twelve to eighteen months. Consistent with past design changes, the NexGen notes will remain the same size and use similar portraits and historical images to maintain an American appearance. The NexGen designs will include the introduction of subtle background colors. While color is not in itself a security feature, the use of color provides the opportunity to add additional features that could assist in deterring counterfeiting. The introduction of additional colors will also help consumers to identify the different denominations.
The new series will retain current security features, including watermarks similar to the portrait and visible when held up to a light, enhanced security threads that glow under ultraviolet light, microprinting, and color-shifting ink that changes color when the note is tilted, the FRB said in a statement.
The purpose of the currency redesign is to stay ahead of advanced computer technologies used for some types of counterfeiting. According to the U.S. Secret Service, $47.5 million in counterfeit money entered into circulation in fiscal year 2001. Of this amount, 39 percent was computer generated, compared with only 0.5 percent in 1995.
The redesign of $10 and $5 notes is still under consideration, but a redesign of the $2 and $1 notes is not included in the plans for the NexGen series. Release of NexGen notes will have no effect on money already in circulation. These notes will co-circulate with older series notes. The U.S. government has never recalled or devalued its currency.
As part of the introduction of NexGen currency, the Bureau and the Federal Reserve System are planning an extensive public education effort aimed at informing target industries - such as financial institutions, law enforcement, retail and vending industries - and the general public about the new designs. This effort will encourage people who use U.S. currency to familiarize themselves with the redesigned money so they can easily authenticate currency as genuine.
The first initiative of the public education effort is already underway. The Bureau is working with manufacturers of currency-accepting machinery to expedite the development of software and other devices, so vending machines and similar equipment accept NexGen notes. The cooperative effort allows a smooth transition for vending machine owners, mass transit agencies, the gaming industry, and other proprietors that rely on currency-accepting machinery to conduct business transactions.
The redesigned currency program is a partnership among the Federal Reserve System, the Department of the Treasury, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and the United States Secret Service. The Secretary of the Treasury establishes the design and appearance of U.S. currency.
Sexual Violence Rampant, Unpunished in DR Congo War
(Brussels, June 20, 2002) Forces on all sides in the Congo conflict have
committed war crimes against women and girls, Human Rights Watch said in
a new 114-page report released today (available online at:
http://hrw.org/reports/2002/drc/). The report documents the frequent and
sometimes systematic use of rape and other forms of sexual violence in
the Rwandan-occupied areas of eastern Congo.“War continues to rage in eastern Congo. Within that larger war,
combatants carry out another war -- sexual violence against women and
girls,” said Alison Des Forges, senior advisor to the Africa division of
Human Rights Watch.The report, which is based on numerous interviews with victims,
witnesses, and officials, details crimes of sexual violence committed by
soldiers of the Rwandan army and its Congolese ally, the Rassemblement
congolais pour la démocratie (RCD), as well as armed groups opposed to
them – Congolese Mai Mai rebels, and Burundian and Rwandan armed groups.These combatants raped women and girls during military operations to
punish the local civilian population for allegedly supporting the
“enemy.” In other cases, Mai Mai rebels and other armed groups abducted
women and girls and forced them to provide sexual services and domestic
labor, sometimes for periods of more than a year.Some rapists attacked their victims with extraordinary brutality. In two
cases, assailants inserted firearms into the vaginas of their victims
and shot them. In other cases combatants mutilated the sexual organs of
the women with knives or razor blades. Some attacked girls as young as
five years of age and women as old as eighty.Assailants often attacked women and girls engaged in the usual
activities necessary to the livelihoods of their families: cultivating
their fields, collecting firewood, or going to market. By doing so, the
assailants further disrupted the already precarious economic life of the
region.Medical services in eastern Congo have nearly totally collapsed, leaving
most victims of rape and other sexual torture with little hope for
treatment of injuries or of sexually transmitted diseases, including
testing and post-exposure treatment for HIV/AIDS. Some experts estimate
that HIV prevalence among military forces in the region may be higher
than 50 percent. Rape in these circumstances can be a death sentence.The report also documents the rejection of some women and girls by their
husbands, families, and wider communities because they were raped or
because they are thought to be infected with HIV/AIDS. As one such
ostracized woman told Human Rights Watch researchers, “My body has
become sad. I have no happiness.”With the collapse of official services, Congolese churches and civil
society organizations have used their scarce resources to assist the
victims. Local organizations which have also documented sexual violence
in the region contributed to the report.“Commanders of regular military units and heads of armed groups alike
must get their men in order,” said Des Forges. “Combatants must direct
their violence against recognized military targets, not against helpless
women and girls who happen to cross their paths. Those who abuse women
must be held accountable for their crimes.”Bin Laden and Al Qauida leaders are Alive, Preparing New Attacks
A spokesman for the al-Qaida network says Osama bin Laden, the group's leader, is alive and well, and that al-Qaida is preparing to carry out new attacks against the United States. A speaker identified as al-Qaida spokesman Sulaiman Abu Ghaith was heard in an message aired today by al-Jazeera television in the Middle East. Sulaiman Abu Ghaith said a message from Osama bin Laden will be distributed soon. The spokesman says reports that the al-Qaida leader was either badly wounded or killed during U.S.-led military operations in Afghanistan are all false.
Sulaiman Abu Ghaith also denies that Osama bin Laden's top assistant was injured. The assistant, Ayman al-Zawahiri, was reported to have been seriously wounded during attacks last year on al-Qaida fighters at their Tora Bora stronghold in eastern Afghanistan. The spokesman says most of al-Qaida's leadership, "98 percent," in his words, is still intact, and running the group's affairs.
Sulaiman Abu Ghaith says in the message broadcast by al-Jazeera that the Taleban's former leader, Mullah Mohammed Omar, is another survivor of the American bombing campaign in Afghanistan.
The tape-recording broadcast by al-Jazeera apparently was made relatively recently, because the al-Qaida spokesman claims responsibility for an attack in Tunisia two months ago, a fuel-tanker explosion that killed 20 people outside a Jewish synagogue. Sulaiman Abu Ghaith says, "This is an operation that was carried out by the al-Qaida organization."
He also refers to news reports in recent weeks about how much information the United States may have had about al-Qaida's plans in advance of the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington.
Apart from the references to recent events, there is no way to independently confirm the authenticity or the timing of the spokesman's remarks.Sulaiman Abu Ghaith says al-Qaida has the ability to carry out further attacks against the United States, and intends to do so "in the coming days and months."
U.S. authorities had no immediate reaction to the statements about al-Qaida. Senior officials of President Bush's administration have said they do not know whether Osama bin Laden is alive or dead, but they have warned that remnants of the al-Qaida network are still operating, apparently trying to re-group for further attacks. Mr. Abu Ghaith has in the past made several statements for al-Qaida on internet web sites, and al-Jazeera has aired a number of al-Qaida and Osama bin Laden statements in recent months.
Saudi Arabia is not target of Al-Qaeda Attacks --Defense Minister.
RIYADH, 23 June — Prince Sultan, Saudi Arabia's second deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, stated yesterday that Saudi Arabia was not targeted by Al-Qaeda organization. However, he warned that the government would deal with terrorists and troublemakers with an iron hand.The prince said it was difficult to prevent cross-border smuggling into the country. He was replying to a question on how the recently arrested Al-Qaeda men smuggled two SAM-2 missiles into the Kingdom.
"As you know, the Kingdom’s long border comprises sands and mountains. So it will be difficult to completely stop smuggling. But we’ll deal with the culprits behind them with an iron hand," he is quoted by the Saudi media. SAM missile is a light weapon that could be carried in a bag after dissembling it, he pointed out in a report filed by Arab News, leading English Daily.
He condemned the move by Western media to link Al-Qaeda terrorist network with the Kingdom. Saudi Arabia on Tuesday announced the arrest of seven Al-Qaeda members including six Saudis and a Sudanese on suspicion of planning terrorist attacks against vital installations in the country using explosives and SAM-7 missiles. "Evil exists everywhere and happens all the time," Prince Sultan said downplaying the recent arrests of seven Al-Qaeda operatives. The seven Al-Qaeda men will be brought to trial as per Shariah, the report quoted the Saudi Minister. He also denied that any "terrorist group" had been behind the death of Simon John Venesse, a British employee of Al-Bank Al-Saudi Al-Fransi, who was killed by a car bomb in Riyadh on Thursday. Prince Sultan also dismissed suggestions that Iraq posed a threat to the Kingdom.
Transcript of the Attorney General John Ashcroft Regarding the transfer of Abdullah Al Muhajir (Born Jose Padilla) who planned to trigger a Dirty Bomb in the USA. To the Department of Defense as an Enemy Combatant
06/10/02
I am pleased to announce today a significant step forward in the War on Terrorism. We have captured a known terrorist who was exploring a plan to build and explode a radiological dispersion device, or "dirty bomb," in the United States. I commend the FBI, the CIA, the Defense Department, and the other federal agencies whose cooperation made this possible.
Yesterday, after consultation with the Acting Secretary of Defense and other senior officials, both the Acting Secretary of Defense and I recommended that the President of the United States, in his capacity as commander in chief, determine that Abdullah Al Muhajir, born Jose Padilla, is an enemy combatant who poses a serious and continuing threat to the American people and our national security.
After the determination, Abdullah Al Muhajir was transferred from the custody of the Justice Department to the custody of the Defense Department.
Following serving in prison in the United States in the early 1990s, Jose Padilla referred to himself as Abdullah Al Muhajir. Subsequent to his release from prison, he traveled to Afghanistan and Pakistan. On several occasions in 2001, he met with senior Al Qaeda officials.
While in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Al Muhajir trained with the enemy, including studying how to wire explosive devices and researching radiological dispersion devices. Al Qaeda officials knew that as a citizen of the United States, as a citizen of the United States holding a valid U.S. passport, Al Muhajir would be able to travel freely in the U.S. without drawing attention to himself.
The United States government was tracking Abdullah Al Muhajir when, on May the 8th, 2002, this year, he flew from Pakistan into Chicago O'Hare International Airport, where he was placed in the custody of federal law enforcement authorities.
In apprehending Al Muhajir as he sought entry into the United States, we have disrupted an unfolding terrorist plot to attack the United States by exploding a radioactive "dirty bomb."
Now, a radioactive "dirty bomb" involves exploding a conventional bomb that not only kills victims in the immediate vicinity, but also spreads radioactive material that is highly toxic to humans and can cause mass death and injury.
From information available to the United States government, we know that Abdullah Al Muhajir is an Al Qaeda operative and was exploring a plan to build and explode a radioactive "dirty bomb."
Let me be clear: We know from multiple independent and corroborating sources that Abdullah Al Muhajir was closely associated with Al Qaeda and that as an Al Qaeda operative he was involved in planning future terrorist attacks on innocent American civilians in the United States.
The safety of all Americans and the national security interests of the United States require that Abdullah Al Muhajir be detained by the Defense Department as an enemy combatant. In determining that Al Muhajir is an enemy combatant who legally can be detained by the United States military, we have acted with legal authority both under the laws of war and clear Supreme Court precedent, which establish that the military may detain a United States citizen who has joined the enemy and has entered our country to carry out hostile acts.
Once again, I commend the FBI, the CIA and other agencies involved in capturing Abdullah Al Muhajir before he could act on his deadly plan.
Because of the close cooperation among the FBI, the CIA, Defense Department and other federal agencies, we were able to thwart this terrorist.To our enemies, I say we will continue to be vigilant against all threats, whether they come from overseas or at home in America. To our citizens, I say we will continue to respect the rule of law while doing everything in our power to prevent terrorist attacks.
